Dutton Digest

New Blog

2008-09-17T22:17:00.000-04:00

I have moved to http://duttondigest.wordpress.com/

And Now It Is Time To Blog

2008-05-24T20:44:00.017-04:00

I know. Long time, no posting. No excuse. I have been a slacker. But we have been having so much fun with much more to come that it hard to find the time. So now I will try to make up for it. Here are the recent headlines from the lives of the Duttons...

North by Northwest and Delta

For spring break this year, we planned to visit the Margenaus. Just one problem. They no longer live in the greater DC area. No, they moved to Ottawa. Yes, cAnAdA! So you say, no problem, just fly. Have I mentioned at this point that I had never flown commercially before? Well, it was true. I am 33 years older and this was the first time that I had been on a "big jet" as Sam calls it. I mean, he is not even 3 yet and he has already been in the friendly skies. Good for him. Good for me. The trip was a blast and we had such a good time getting to see Kyle, Lindsay, & Luke. It was going on a year or more since they had had the opportunity to see me (us) and I didn't want them to suffer. So I cowboyed up and got on a plane in Cincinnati that took us to Detroit for our connection to Ottawa. Now most people like to go somewhere warm and sunny for spring break, but not the Duttons. We are not conformists. We left behind 60 degrees Fahrenheit and blossoming fauna for -2 degrees Celsius and 6 feet of leftover snow. But all was well, we didn't go for the weather. We actually had fun showing Sam what real snow looked like considering we had at most 6 inches one time this year. So here we go...

Tiffy & Sammy at the Airport

First full day there, we went to a local mall with a kid friendly play zone. The kids had fun!!!

Dudes at the Mall on the way to the Kiddy Play Place

Sammy & Luke climbing the big toy at the play place.

Day 2, we went to the Cultural Museum where they had a wonderful exhibit on First Nations (Native Americans we call them) Peoples.

Totem at the Museum

The museum also had a great kids exhibit which lots and lots of things to do. It was great.

Sam's breakfast at the Museum (hey, it was vacation!)

Practicing Parallel Parking at the Museum's Kids exhibit.

Making a call. Hey, international long distance is expensive kid!!!

Day 3, the Duttons were off to do some sight seeing on our own. We ventured around Ottawa and took in some of the local scenery and places to shop. Later that night, Kyle and I went to a hockey game. It was the hometown Sens vs. the Boston Bruins. The Bruins won mainly because the Sens squad was depleated due to injuries. For pics, check out Kyles blog. If you are Kyle and you are reading this, why is it everytime I go to a sporting event with you, I cheer for the losers???? Think about it...Philly vs. Skins? Giants vs. Philly? Sens vs Bruins?

Anyway, did you know that they make maple syrup in Canada? Who knew? On day 4, we went to a maple syrup farm which also had a breakfast buffet with everything maple. Nice!

Maple Syrup Farm w/ Restaurant

Straight from the tap!

Tiffy enjoying the farm.

Tiffy and the "Lollipop"

The sugar buzz has worn off!

It was a wonderful trip to see the Margenaus in the great white north. Canada was a nice visit and a good way to break in the non-flying Duttons (Sammy & me). Our next trip up, up, & away will come in June when we go to Hawaii. Stay tuned...

In Just Under The Gun!

2008-03-31T21:38:00.009-04:00

Whoa! I almost missed March. Which is just an indicator of how things have been around here lately. But enough of that, here are the headlines.

Welcome Alyssa Dru Meadows!

The same day we learned about my grandmother (see bel0w), Tiffy and I were called aunt and uncle again. Talk about a whirlwind of a time and us caught in the middle somehow. Charlie (Sam's Uncle Sucky) and Marlena were blessed with a new addition to their family and to everyones' surprise the arrival was about 8 weeks premature. This of course explains the tiny features on this little sweetheart (she was only about 3.5 lbs at birth). Her decision to enter the world so early resulted in a 3 week stay at the NICU in Huntington. We travelled back and forth the two weekends of her stay to visit. I am glad to report that she and mother are fine. She put on the necessary few pounds she needed to come home.

Hoppin' Down The Bunny Trail

Before you could blink, it was Easter Time again and this year was a bunny basket for Sam. With the basket out of the way, it was time for Sir Hugh to survey the haul. He found the basket and the peripherals pleasing.

Oh Deer, Spring Time is Here!

Not a bad view we have here at Rancho Duttonero. Uncle Sucky...this picture is for you! Warm weather, birds chirping (and crapping on everything thanks to the bird sanctuary a mile down the road), and the deer running around let us know that it is almost spring time. And so do the ground moles....#$%&! It is ok! I found this new thing that you drive into the ground that emits this sound that supposedly drives them away...I bought 4. The price you pay for having a yard.

and one sad final note...

RIP Mamaw Johnson

In February, I lost my last grandparent which only reinforces my theory that I am getting old. My maternal grandmother, Ida Mae Johnson passed away at the age of 84. Her health had been failing as of late. Our family was/is saddened by her passing. The Duttons trekked back to Eastern Kentucky for the funeral and tried to comfort and be comforted. It was the first time that I had seen some of my extended family in 10 or 15 years. It was good to be together with them and share memories of Mamaw and tales of our youth, which only reinforces my theory further.

All Hail The New York Giants!

2008-02-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

My team, the Giants, are champions of the NFL once again. It has been a long time (1991) since they won the big game. They played in 2001, but sadly they lost to the Ravens. Not this time. After a hard fought victory, they were left standing on "Top of the World" which is the tune they played in the stadium when time ran out. It just so happens that it is my favorite song EVER by Van Halen. So just a little icing on the cake. Speaking of icing, Tiffy showed her support for the G Men by baking some NY-themed cupcakes. Ruining a perfect season wasn't the only sweet thing that happened here.

Needless to say, Sam loved them and wanted to get into the act. He thought he would be great with helping with the frosting...he was great at spreading it...just not neccesarily on the cupcakes.

And yes, you guessed it...eventually he just dove in. At least it wasn't a GIANT mess.

Hopefully, we can have Super cupcakes again soon. Go Giants! Maybe next time I will get to wear the hat?!

How Much Is That Doggy In The Window...HOW MUCH?!!

2008-01-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

Say hello to the newest member of the Dutton Family...Peanut Butter.

Now I know what you are thinking...an anklebiter...really? Well here is the story. I needed to go to the pet store the other night to pick up some Elodea (my students are studying cells right now.) So we coax Sir Hugh into going by suggesting that we would look at the puppies while we were there. He more than agreed and so we were off. When we get there, the perfect storm of circumstances align. First, there were several puppies in a container in the floor because their cage was being cleaned so they are open for public displays of cuddling. One of them was sort being ignored or outcast by the other (the underdog) and Tiffany said, "Can we hold him?" I knew I was in trouble when I heard her say, "He looks like peanut butter," and then the dog had a name. Long story short, we deliberated, decided, and dished out...much money that is for this little gremlin-looking puppy.

The good thing about it is that so far he is taking quite well to his new surroundings here at Rancho Duttonero. He is pad-trained with house-breaking coming soon. He is happy, bouncy, and better than a new toy as far as Sam is concerned.

Here we see the puppy pad where Peanut Butter does his business (one of them any way, they are strategically placed throughout the house.) Yes, that is my shoe. Now I do wear a size 14, but still that is a tiny puppy.
And just to make sure he is a Dutton through and through...here is the newest member about to take a nap.

Holidays, etc.

2008-01-25T20:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone, oh...what's that?...The holidays were last month? My bad. Well here are some pics from those joyous times. The tree was trimmed...check! The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...check!Presents were purchased....check?!

Gifts were opened....

and opened....

and opened....check!

Families were visited...

and visited...

and visited...(behold the rarest of miracles...the Duttons)and visited....CHECK!!

When all was said and done, there was only one thing left to do...can you say "Christmas Nap?"

Another "successful" Holiday Season is in the books. Hopefully next year will be even better. I think it will and so does Sam. At least I think that was the thought he was pondering here...maybe he was just thinking of getting a puppy?

The Season Is Upon Us...

2007-12-01T20:43:00.000-05:00

Duttonember has arrrived just in time for the holidays!! Ahh yes, that joyous time of year when we celebrate the birth of well...ME. Also, once again I remain blogless in the month of November. But enough of my witty banter. It's on to what everyone really wants...pics.

Trick or Treating in Broad Daylight

Let's go back in time just a couple of months to that lovely time called Halloween with our first pics. Is it me or was it weird having all of the daylight for Trick or Treating due to the time change being pushed back??

There was plenty of light for Sam in the front yard as he did some reps to get his candy-reception motion down to an art.
Sam went as a handy man this year...a handy man....NOT Handy Manny. The hat was a gift from our neighbor Gary who use to run a construction business. It had to be resized but worked out well. Gary certainly approved as we made his house our first stop.

Putting the "Wind" in the Windy City

In early November, I was chosen (forced volunteerism for all of my Sandburg co-horts) to accompany a charter bus load of 7th grade students to Chicago on a field trip. Kentucky's Night at the Chicago Museum of Science and Insdustry was the event and what a time it was. Here are a few pics...did I mention that we spent the night in the museum or that we slept on the floor of an exhibit??? My bionic spine is still trying to recover.

What? Oh wait, don't tell me. There is like this T rex right behind me. I get that a lot. I am like candy to them.

That lovely lady in the background is Sue. No, she is not my other woman, but she is the world's most complete T rex skeleton. Here's a closer look at this beauty. Come on, give me pouty...what a profile!

Rockin' & Boppin' w/ The Doodlebops!!

In November, we also had the great pleasure of taking the little dude for his first "concert" with the Doodlebops...sorry Aerosmith is not on tour and the version of Van Halen on the road right now did not come close enough. So instead, we settled for Canada's latest and possibly greatest music sensation (sorry Rush, Alanis, Brian Adams, & Celine but you can't top Disney Channel's appeal). Here we see the obligatory pic with mom prior to the show.

Everything came as a total surprise to Sam. You should have seen the expression on his face when they hit the stage...oh wait, you can see his expression right here! He is saying "WOW, the DOODLEBOPS!" and pointing to the stage then proceeds to try to climb over the seats to get to the stage!

He and his mother were getting down all night as they grooved to the tunes.

Thank you Doodlebops and good night!

Random Acts of "Sam"ness

Hanging in the den at Rancho Duttonero.

Grandma Karen calls me "Shane Jr."...then daddy always says "Poor kid." Wonder why?
Playing with Lauren at the Dutton Family Pre-holiday Party!

Chillin' with the dudes at the party while Dad tries to save Steve's retinas or maybe be called on by the numerous teachers at the party...who knows? That's it for the pics now. Remember, whether you celebrate Christmas, Giftmas, Festivus, or all 3, we wish you a safe and joyful Duttonember everybody from Shane, Tif, & Sam.

The Case of the Missing Paragraphs.

2007-10-12T20:48:00.000-04:00

The following paragraphs were mysteriously left out of my last blog...

"You have an area of hyperkeratinosis. It is not cancerous, so I don't think you have anything to worry about at this point."

So my immediate follow-up was to ask for removal of the "hyper" area. That's when the dermatologist went on to explain to me that it was an area of irritated scar tissue. To remove it would be replacing scar tissue with.....wait for it....scar tissue. Being a somewhat rational human being, I realized that was an exercise in futility so we decided to get another injection, avoid scratching the spot, and see if we could get it to heal. So far so good. Crisis averted.

You will be relieved to know that to this point, things are going well. The area is healing, but man is it itchy. But I haven't scratched. Not one time! ;-)

My apologies to my faithful readers (all 3 or 4 of you) for leaving out the paragraphs. Call the exerpt a victim of circumstance. A mistake caused by late night blogging, typing them in Word first and then transferring them, or a lack of proofreading (my sincere apologies to my Language Arts-oriented readers on that one.) Either way I didn't mean to leave you in suspense....or did I?!

Biopsy Blues.

2007-10-06T22:40:00.000-04:00

"I want to do a biopsy to see if there are any cancer or pre-cancer cells, Mr. Dutton."

From that point on, the dermatologist could have given me the winning numbers for the lottery (not that I play it) which would be drawn later that day or could have told me my hair was on fire. It wouldn't have mattered because I instantly became fixated on that word. That word that no one wants to ever hear in relation to a part of their body (or anyone's body, I suppose.)

At this point, I suppose I should give you the back story...(no pun intended, you'll see why in a moment.) For about 3 or 4 months, I have had this dime-sized spot/lesion on my back/neck just below my "colar-line" that has been itching me. It started as what I thought was a routine in-grown hair but soon became extremely rough, almost callous. Tiffy gave me most of the updates about it since it was in one of those places where viewing it would have required me to attend yoga classes with Tiffy. The spot itched me to the point of being really annoying. Not to mention the fact that the colars of my shirts seem to frequently rub it the wrong way. In August, I decided that I had enough and scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist.

At first inspection, the dermatologist saw nothing alarming. She thought that it was an area of irritation and recommended a shot of cortisone to alleviate the itching. The good news was that it wasn't anything major (or so it seemed.) The bad news was the shot. Now since the back injury and subsequent surgery and add in the blood disorder, I have had my share of medically-induced puncture wounds. I mean I had like 9 IVs at once during the surgery!! You would think that a single shot would not hurt that bad. But let me tell you, the needle was either the size of a drinking straw or the dermatologist is the worst "shot-giver" in the world. My toenails hurt during this injection. Fortunately, it was over soon and I was ready to reap the benefits. You see the cortisone was intended to reduce the itching which in turn should allow the area to heal since I wouldn't be digging at it with any implement that I had nearby. It worked...for a while.

Then September came. The "benefits" came and went. The itchy spot remained. I was sitting in the lounge at school when someone told a story of a 30-something friend of a friend who had recently been diagnosed with the aggressive/deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma. Being me, I can take a hint, eventually. I called that day and got another appointment with the dermatologist. I went for the visit and thats when she decided to do the biopsy.

You see skin cancer has basically 3 forms. There is basal cell carcinoma which is the "typical" chop-it-off, no-harm-no-foul skin cancer. It doesn't spread and is 100% curable by...well, chopping it off. Next you have squamous cell carcinoma. It is the "older" brother of the basal cell in that it can spread to other parts of your body but is curable if caught in time. Then you have malignant melanoma. This is the bad boy of skin cancer. It spreads and it kills. Typically it arises from the basal or squamous cell forms if they go unchecked long enough. It has a high mortality rate and is certainly not what you are hoping for when you get the biopsy results.

Speaking of which, I went in for the biopsy on Tuesday. The dermatologist told me that it would be about a week before I would get the results (not easy waiting that long for that kind of information...let me tell you.) So the patience game began. But before it even got into full swing, their came a cryptic message from the dermatologist office.

"Have Shane call the office when he gets this message. He can call first thing in the morning if he doesn't get home until after the office is closed."

You can imagine my anxiety when I heard this on the answering machine at 5:30 , THURSDAY afternoon. What happened to the week? It's been 2 days! Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Can I call them now? NO! The office closes at 4:00!

Needless to say, I was the first call they received that Friday morning and it was an excrusiating experience all by itself. First, someone answered but immediately put me on hold....I HATE that. While on hold, they played the most eery piano music I have ever heard. Then the person asked how she could help me. Well, you could give me the results of the biopsy and never expose me to that music again. She did neither as she put me on hold while she paged the dermatologist. More creepy music. More anxiety. She returned to say that the doctor would take my call mometarily....more creepy music, more waiting, anxiety through the roof. Finally the voice of the dermatologist was a welcomed relief to the listening/waiting/worrying as she gave me the results of my biopsy.

Recent Events

2007-09-21T22:07:00.000-04:00

Typically, I like to blog one topic at a time. But things have been happening kind of rapid fire lately, so I thought I would pick several topics and fill everyone in on the recent goings-on as we continue to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of Duttoness.

Happy B-day, Grandma Bonnie!

Tif's Grandma Bonnie recently had a birthday. We did a marathon trip to WV to crash the party and Sam really enjoyed getting to catch up on some reading while in the car. I can't tell you how appropriate the title of the book really is (sometimes he just doesn't stop talking!)

Little Tree Hug(ger)

Recently, Sam has really been into climbing things. Couches, shelves, TREES!! Here we see the possible makings of a dare devil as he just loves hanging out (not around) in this tree in our back yard. I can already see that I need to start drawing up plans for a treehouse. But don't think us bad parents. I am holding onto him from behind the tree in both pics because for the most part, Sam has no fear.

A Sucky Labor Day

But by Sucky, I mean Sam's Uncle Sucky (real name Chucky.) For whatever reason, someone up there likes me, Sam refers to Tiffy's brother as Sucky. Hilarious now and everytime I hear it! Uncle Sucky, Auntie "Mena" (Marlena), cousin David, & Cousin "Lana" (Alana) came for a visit during Labor Day Weekend. We hadn't been together in quite some time so it was a nice get together. Sam got to share some time and Cheerios with Lana.

On Saturday, we took everyone to the pool. David really enjoyed the water, especially the slide! Even Lana got in on some fun in the sun.

Afterwards, we all went out to a nice family-style restaurant (note the cup.) I know what you are thinking...but it was where David wanted to go...really!

On Sunday morning, it was Tif's turn for Cheerios.

Afterwards, the kids went for a ride.

Spoonbread Festival

Last weekend, we went to the Annual Spoonbread Festival in Berea, Ky. To the best of our understanding, spoonbread is a local dish that is similar to cornbread but in more of a souffle. We tried it and thought that overall, it was not bad. The festival is held on the campus of Berea College about 20 minutes south of Rancho Duttonero, a lovely little area. The festival had lots of booths for browsing, unique food, and Sam's fav, a parade!

What parade in Ky could possibly be complete without a Queen and a horse...just hopefully not at the same time.

Well, there you have it. Those are the recent events of the Duttons. I'll try to keep you posted.

Two Infinitis & Beyond

2007-09-02T10:26:00.000-04:00

Wow, I know what you are thinking. Why did you get rid of the Ascender? Here is the deal. In July, we were sideswiped in the Speedway here in Richmond by a lady eating a hotdog with a hearing aid. Now I know that sounds like the hearing aid was for the hot dog and let me just say that it probably would have done the hot dog more good. During the police interview at the scene, I told the officer that I slammed on the brakes, stopped the vehicle, and simultaneously sounded the horn. She responded by saying, "I didn't hear your horn, dear, I have a hearing aid." Was it a faulty hearing aid? Was it a bad battery? Was it intense focus on a hot dog? Either way, $1600 in damage later we were getting the car repaired.

Now that little story is just to give you an idea of the kind of luck we had been having with the Isuzu Ascender. I added the Isuzu part of the name because it gains relevance at this point. Around the same time as we were the target of the hot dog ladie's Chevy Lumina, we had noticed a "hiccup" in the engine. We were immediately concerned because several times the vehicle came close to stalling and it got worse. Ok, no big deal, right? We have had the vehicle just a little over a year and with 18K....can you say factory warranty? We'll just call the local dealership and get an appointment...or so we thought.

Unfortunately, the Isuzu dealership in Lexington closed down. Bummer. Well the Ascender is technically a GMC Envoy XL, we'll take it to the local GM dealership. No dice! They wouldn't touch it because it is an ISUZU. If they did anything, it would void the factory warranty. Plan C was the ISUZU dealership in Louisville. If you are not familiar with Kentucky geography, Louisville is about 70 miles from Lexington and 90 miles from Richmond. The only other ISUZU dealers "close" to us are in Cincinnati, OH and Knoxville, TN...not really an option. It seemed that Louisville was the best choice or at least the lesser of a bunch of evils. So off to the dealer we go.

The next series of events were not the nail in the Ascender's coffin, but they were the nail before that one. Briefly, the service department was backed up, Tiffy was without a car for about 2 weeks (12 days), a "special" part had to be ordered from FRANCE, a special tool had to be ordered to put on the special part, they couldn't give us a loner, they finally borrowed the special tool from a GMC!!!!!!! dealership, they "fixed" the car.....and finally we were able to drive the 90 miles one way to pick it up...(insert annoyed grunt here!)

Now, you would think that the issue was solved...you'd be mistaken. Let me set the scene...the temperature was 103 degrees F, Sam has a 101 degrees F fever, Tiffany in the Ascender with Sam is exiting I-75 coming home, the car has performed well for two days, then it stalls. It shuts down completely on the off ramp!!! Scared, upset, ANGRY are all words to describe Mrs. Dutton. She managed to get it started again and make it home....with it exhibiting the same symptoms as before for part of the time.

Our options were another two week trip to Louisville for the Ascender while we were down to one car or obtain some peace-of-mind by getting a new vehicle. We opted (after much soul-searching and by soul-searching I mean dealing with the depression over the money we would lose) for the new vehicle. But which new vehicle?

I am notorious for OVERresearching cars before we buy. I like to spend at least 6 months looking at every aspect of a possible auto purchase. We had about a week to do so. We went with what we new after some frantic looking at a short list of vehicles. We have had a great experience with my Gs (first the coupe and now the sedan) and the service can not be beaten. I mean I get a loner for an oil change if I need it. Infiniti in our opinion is just a cut above the rest. Tiffany wanted an SUV to replace the Ascender...enter the Infiniti FX.

Of course, this does sort of make us those weird people with two cars from the same company. But beside being a walking...or driving advertisement for Infiniti, we are more than pleased.

The Perils of Being Rough & Tumble!

2007-07-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

Last night the Duttons were out enjoying the evening breeze and extremely pleasant weather. We like to go outside into the yard whenever possible because Sam LOVES to be outside. LOVES IT! Unfortunately, the temperatures as of late have been too hot for him to play in the yard (thank you very much global climate change!) Yesterday was an exception as the temperature was about 70◦ F. It was the kind of day that is just too good to be true. But to the point of the matter. We were playing in the front yard with the oversized Superman ball when Sir Hugh fell and scratched his face. Ouch! Take a look at this. Not what you want to see.

Fortunately it looks worse than it is and Sam got up cried for a few moments and then promptly told his mother that he was fine. Probably because he knew that we would be going inside now for the evening. I told you that the kid loves the outside. So into the house to get the Neosporin and to clean him up. As with all little dudes who get the occasional boo boo, he had a miraculous recovery when it was snacktime! The Powerbar has magical healing powers....did you kow that?

A Weekend in IN.

2007-07-20T20:06:00.001-04:00

So last weekend we traveled north to the lovely town of Marion, Indiana. We were reminded upon entering the state how flat it is for the most part. Apparently it is also "the" place for growing either corn or soy beans or both. Mile after mile of nothing but flat horizons and crops of corn/soy. Now Richmond is not the mountains by any means, but it does have its rolling dales. Where we live you can see the foothills of the Appalachians (pronounced apple "latch" uns, I hate it when they add the long "A" sound.) Long story short, KY = variety of terrain, IN = so flat you can stand in KY and see into Michigan. But enough of that.

The reason we traveled north was to visit Tiffy's grandma, Bonnie (Sam's great-grandma.) She and Junior (grandma's feller who lives in IN) were there for a few days and we took the opportunity to go see them.

Tiffy and I had been there before and really enjoyed sitting in the cool breeze in the evening for a good chat. We call it "porch sittin'" and it is a bit of a tradition for us.

We really had a good visit that even included some shopping. Sam really enjoyed the fact that everyone and their neighbor were still displaying their American flags. It seemed that everyone had one in front of their house...Junior included.

Sam is a bit obsessed with the flag right now and by "a bit" I mean totally. He took every opportunity to point out every flag he saw between Richmond and Marion. There were quite a few.

It was relaxing way to spend a weekend. The travel time wasn't that bad...it took us about 4.5 hours, the company was good, & Sam made out like a bandit. Grandma Bonnie had bought him so many toys it was like Giftmas in July. But I suppose that is what being a grandparent/great-grandparent is all about. Thanks Grandma Bonnie!

The Fourth, The Friends, The Food, The Fun, & The Fifth?!

2007-07-07T21:08:00.000-04:00

Now I know what you are thinking? What did he do to need to plead the Fifth? That's not what I meant. I meant that this year's Independence with The Duttons spilled over into a great July 5th. Largely in part to the visitation of Kendra Dyer and her daughter Abby. You see, Kendra is a friend of the family from NoVa (she and I co-taught ESOL Science together for 3 years at Sandburg and have managed to keep in touch.) She and Abby were on their way to GA to visit family and I convinced them to take a detour through the Richmond area to enjoy the festivities at Rancho Duttonero. Let's just say that we didn't disappoint. This year we invited a record crowd to enjoy our special brand of excitement. We invited the Dillons, Johnsons, Arringtons, Bushes, Woolums, and of course the aforementioned Dyers. We estimated 25 - 30 visitors (actual turnout was closer to 20) and decided it would be better to let someone else do the cooking. We weighed our options and decided to go with Qdoba. We needed food for the masses. They cater...seemed a logical deduction. We ordered the Nacho Bar for 30 people. Now the funny thing is that when Tiffy went to pick up the food...they gave us extra...NICE. We not only got the chicken...but steak, queso, extra chips, and brownies....and the people rejoiced! We had so much food that I am sad to say some of it was donated to the trash. But enough of that sad talk...not only were the fireworks great, the volleyball extravaganza that was the prelude was outstanding. The only damper came when a passing shower ended the game prematurely (as if we were actually keeping score) and forced the competitors to go back for another helping of nachos...what a pity!

(For those of you who are wondering about the fireworks, please see the entry for last July 4th entitled "Fireworks Sans The Traffic. Oh yeah, this year all of the pictures are real!) No fakes!

So our celebration of the Fourth was a huge success and is quickly becoming a standing tradition. That is good because ask anyone...I like tradition. You just don't mess with it. But on to the rest of this entry. The fun didn't stop with the fireworks. When Kendra and Abby confirmed their visit to the Rancho, we decided to surprise them with a limo ride around the town complete with lunch and a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park...this venue will be host to the 2010 World Equestrian Games! This of course was all made possible thanks to our neighbor Gary and Elite Limo Service (see previous entry "Eight Is Not Enough.") Here we see Sir Hugh as he is escorted to the car by Miss Abby. (Let me just add that Sam was smitten with Abby and even shed tears for her on an occasion!)

Here we see the lovely Miss Abby as she is about to embark on her ride in style around the greater Lexington area.
Once inside we see the "celebrities" of the day enjoying the finer points of limo transportation.
Of course no expense was spared to ensure that Sir Hugh had custom seating complete with his favorite treats.
Onward we went to the Kentucky Horse Park where there was....well...horses. But not just horses, famous horses, statues of horses, horses for petting, horses for riding...you get the point.

After the park, we went to a lovely lunch at one of our favorite places, Max & Erma's where we enjoyed good food and conversation. We then wrapped up the outing with a trip to Grater's Ice Creamery...I had the Strawberry Sorbet (lactose free) & keeping with tradition...Sam had a nap.

Little Boy Hugh Turns Two!

2007-06-29T20:24:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday to the best little boy in the whole world. Sir Hugh of Dutton is two years old. Sam turned two on the 23rd and I know what you are thinking....why hasn't he blogged it yet? Well, the intuituve reader will notice that I blogged about the beach on the 23rd which was the day after we got back. Having spent a wonderfully exhausting week at Myrtle Beach, we thought it would be better to wait. We decided to postpone the birthday festivities until we had time to recuperate and pick up supplies. Another reason for postponing was Tiffy's parents would be able to attend the party. Bonus!

The plan was to have themed cookout but the weather forced a change of venue. Instead of the great outdoor patio, we celebrated in the dining room. There were decorations a plenty with plates, balloons, and....what's that? Wait, it couldn't be?!

Look up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman. Yes, the Man Of Steel was able to drop by to wish Sam a happy birthday. It's not everyday that his number one fan turns two.

Sam is just a little obsessed right now with Superman (of course I had nothing to do with it...wink, wink.) He is also totally into the flag at this point. But I digress. This year's cake was also themed. Tiffy bought the cupcake pan that produces icecream cone stylized cupcakes. The icing serves then as the "ice cream." I'd had never had one, but I was looking forward to it as was Hugh. Of course, no B-Day would be complete without gifts. Sam go all kinds of things including a Superman lunch box for carrying snacks, books, crayons, finger paints, a basketball goal for little ones, etc. But Sam wasn't the only one who was celebrating. Grandma Karen had a B-Day about two weeks ago. She received some nice cosmetics and a new bag. Grandpa Calvin celebrates his B-Day on July 1 so he got a Harley Davidson hat to go along with the new Harley he just bought. And just so we wouldn't feel left out...Tiffy got a new Williams Sonoma cutting board and I got a new bass guitar....Happy B-Day indeeeed!!! We love you Sam.

Duttons of the Bluegrass: At Land's End

2007-06-23T20:19:00.001-04:00

The Duttons and guests (more on that later) just spent the last week at North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and had a wonderful time. It was Sam's first trip to the "big, big, big, big water" as he called it upon viewing. We weren't sure how he would take to the waves crashing around him. We thought he may be scared as some 2-year-olds are when they go to the beach. We were wrong. The kid couldn't have had a better time which made our trip very enjoyable.We started the trip on Sunday morning at 5 am when we left Rancho Duttonero. We were joined by my sister Regina and her husband Steve (Gene Genes and Stevie as Sam calls them.) They rode along with us in the Ascender which did an admirable job of holding 5 people and all of their luggage. The trip down was not too bad. It ran pretty smoothly with one exception. We stopped in South Carolina at around 1:30 to grab a late/quick lunch at McDonald's. Huge mistake! Here's why...first it took forever to get our food, second most of it was RAW, & third did I mention the food was RAW? I ordered two "grilled" chicken snack wraps and Tiffy ordered an Asian "grilled" chicken salad. Notice I emphasized grilled. While Tiffy took the time to inspect her food and found the the chicken was uncooked, she avoided making my mistake. Unfortunately, I had already enjoyed the first of my snack wraps without considering the possible salmonella poisoning. Sure enough my chicken wasn't cooked either. Tiffy had a field day. She lives for this kind of stuff. It is the reason I call her the queen of the "comp." To top things off, the lady behind the counter was not very nice about the whole thing. Tiffy became somewhat infamous before we left as people left the store saying "that's the women who got the raw chicken." As for me, that which does not kill me only pisses me off.

We arrived at our hotel, The Beach Cove Resort, at around 5 pm and went about hauling everything to our room. We were extremely impressed with the accomodations. The hotel had 5 pools, 1 kiddie pool, a lazy river, exercise room, restaurant, etc. It was great and we highly recommend it to anyone going there for vacation. As for our vacation, the fun was just beginning. It was the first time that the Duttons had been on a vacation in about 3 years with Sir Hugh being born and the move to Kentucky. It was also the first time that Regina had seen the ocean.

After the initial excitement that evening, we just kind of crashed. We were all tired and I was starting to feel the effects of my lunch. Sam went to sleep early that evening and didn't wake up for 13 hours. When he did wake up on Monday morning, he was impressed with what he saw. He couldn't wait to get to the "big, big, big, big water" so we took he down to the beach to play. He ran right in with his mother on dude duty. He splashed and played and got so tired that he had to nap for 3 hours afterward.

That night we went out for dinner at the Great American Steak & Buffet. Two wonderful things steak and buffet. I was happy, Stevie and Gene Genes were happy, and Sam was happy. So happy that he had two desserts.

Tuesday we played in the sand some more. Sam really enjoyed letting the waves splash around him. It was a really cool thing to watch him play on the beach.

That night we went out for fondue at The Melting Pot. We had a great dinner to say the least.

Two days in and Sam was really having a great time. He was not at all scared of the water or Tiffy's choice of beach hats.

Wednesday we went to the local outlet mall. It was a good choice on our part as it did rain that afternoon. That doesn't make for good beach time, but it did make for good shopping time. I fed my addiction and bought some shoes for work. Skechers of course as I am still under contract with them unofficially. Sam got to enjoy the food court and the Dr. Seuss car..don't ask.

Thursday saw us out on the beach again. More time for Sam to play and play and play and play. He only stopped for food and napping.

One of our traditions about the beach is that one night dinner must be seafood. It just so happens that our last night was spent at the Giant Crab Seafood Shack. Two words....crab legs...and lots of them. I am not sure whether Stevie ate more of them than I did, but Tiffy seems to think that they will raise the price of their dinner buffet after our visit. It was good food for a good price. At last, a place that lives up to its name....the Giant Crab.We spent Thursday evening playing cards. We taught Tiffy how to play Rook. Stevie and I really took the girls to school as we won every game we played.

Friday morning we got up and began the journey home. Sam was unamused at the idea of no more swimming in the "big, big, big, big water." The trip home was good. No raw chicken helped quite a bit. We arrived back at Rancho Duttonero around 8 pm. It was a great trip, relaxing vacation, and memorable occasion. Sam really enjoyed it...the nap on the way home helped quite a bit.

The DC Reunited

2007-06-12T08:56:00.000-04:00

Last week the Duttons travelled back to the greater Washington area. It was the first time that Sam and Tiffy had made the trek back. Tiffy went for business. She actually had to go into the office two of the five days. It was the first time in more than a year with her new job that she has had to get dressed up in a suit and "go" to work. We were QUICKLY reminded that traffic in the area is just insane. There is no other way to put it...INSANE. Tiffy just has to travel across the room to get to work. I suppose working at home must have its perks...that would be one of them.

Of course, it wasn't all business for Tiffy. Here we see her logging some quality "honorary auntie" time with Sir Luke de Margenau.

Sam went for Dr. appointments. Nothing major. We just really liked his docs at Children's and didn't want to migrate from them to docs in Lexington...not yet anyway.

Everything was fine and the little dude checked out great. Sam fell in love with the hot air balloons in the lobby and needed to see them frequently. He also felt that the Mickey Mouse would be better served if he pulled on his nose...don't ask me...he is almost 2.

I went basically as the driver for the other two Duttons. I did have several chances to reunite with some buddies from the Northern VA area...Andy, Lorelei, Lisa, Kendra & Abby.

On the Sunday after we arrived, we attended the annual science department meeting at the Wargos. It was great to get to see the Margenaus, the Wargos, the Robertsons/Fratantonios, Rivers, & Griffing. I even got to dole out a few "awards" in an honorary capacity. It was fun.

Sam and I even spent some time at Sandburg on Tuesday. I got to see my former students in Kyle's classes. Sam got to "rearrange" Kyle's desk. A fun time for everyone.

Memorial Memories

2007-06-09T20:36:00.000-04:00

This past Memorial Day we travelled to Beckley to visit the Meadows. It was the first time we had seen Chucky, Marlena, David, Alana, and Grandpa Calvin since Giftmas (yikes)! We were surprised to see how much Alana had grown (the last time we saw her she was only about 3 months old.) Sam really enjoyed spending time with her or maybe he just really enjoyed the swingset that Uncle Chucky (whom Sam refers to as Uncle Sucky) has in his front yard.

Either way, it was a happy time. David even chimed in with a smile for the camera.

On Saturday night, Sucky had made reservations at Fugiyama (the local Japenese Restaurant) for everyone in the clan. It was a great time with great food and great company. The chef performed the standard habachi tricks and kept everyone in suspense as to whether or not he would eventually trick Grandpa Calvin into eating some meat.

Those who know me, know that I do not toss these words around lightly. It was some of the best food I have ever had. Outstanding from the sushi appetizer to the filet finale!!

On Monday, Tiffy went with her mom and aunts Pammy and Nancy to place fresh flowers on Grandpa Gene's (Tiffy's Grandpa) grave.

It was a great weekend with lots to do and a great deal of catching up. Of course at the end of the visit, Sam was in need of a little cat nap.

Taming Of The Hugh('s Hair)

2007-05-22T13:31:00.001-04:00

Another sign that my little dude is getting older (not unlike his aging father) happened the other day when he went for a trim. It seems that now Sam can do the solo haircut with just the assistance of the "big boy" chair. This is a vast improvement from the traditional (to this point anyway) method that used revolving parents to hold the little dude in place until the hair stylist was done. Here we have Sam all ready to get started as he says hello to Angie. Notice she has given him a sucker to help provide an pleasant distraction. So far so good. He is digging the haircut to this point without any major problems. Notice that a second sucker has been added!

Of course the addition of another sucker did lead to the proverbial quandry...right sucker or left sucker?!?But at the end of the visit, it was all good. Here we have Sir Hugh checking out the style and considering whether or not the top should be just a bit shorter? Maybe?

So here it is, my almost-two-year-old is getting solo haircuts. It's amazing how time flies by. But don't think it won't happen. It is just like the barber says,

"You're NEXT!"

A SUPER Easter!

2007-04-20T21:11:00.000-04:00

Easter did not happen as we'd planned. We had every intention of going to church, partaking in the proverbial egg hunt, and having a nice dinner at home with some guests. Let's just say that we were 0 for 3 in the intentions category. But despite this, it was a Super Easter.

Sam as you can see had a bountiful basket of goodies which made for a fun time for an obviously cool dude.
As for the rest of Easter, the frigid temps (20 degrees) cancelled the egg hunt. A rough night with little sleep for Sir Hugh and his parents cancelled the church plans. As for the dinner with guests, no one seemed to want to share our company so we ended up going out. Hence the 0 for 3. You must be thinking that Easter was a bust, but that just isn't the case. We spent the day together just mom, dad, and Sam. It was nice. We watched some DVDs (Little Einsteins, Higglytown Heroes), read books, played, and then repeated steps 1 - 3.

Oh, is it just me or is this kid going to be a southpaw?

Of course I know what you are thinking. Did anything go as planned for Easter? Where are all of the sweet pics of Sam? Never fear. I always aim to please. We had this picture taken for Easter and I think it turned out great. Although, there is a little story that accompanies.

You see, this is the second bunny that Sam got to "pose" with for his pictures. The first was, well, let's just say could not continue due to stress. The photographer made the mistake of placing a cute, cuddly creature into the lap of a not-quite-two-year-old, instead of placing the hippity hop off to the side. Being Sam, (and having practiced the maneuver with the cats) he picked Peter Cottontail up for a "big hug!" The bunny went berserk and had to be relieved by a stand-in although I think stunt double is a more appropriate term. The photographer did show adaptability in her thinking for this picture. (That's a fake butterfly.)

Happy Easter Sam!

Saturday Night's Alright For....Grillin'!?!

2007-03-03T19:11:00.000-05:00

That’s right! With the temperature outside a balmy 33○ F and an afternoon that had seen intermittent snow showers, what better time to crank up the grill for the first time of the year?! It all started when Tiffy purchased some steaks from Omaha Steaks back in February. We had been kicking around the idea of uncovering the grill and trying them out.
Today was to be the day. So I got up this morning and went to get the gas tank refilled. Amazingly enough, the lady that helped me wasn’t smoking this time as she had back in the summer. Even now, I can’t imagine why she can’t see that handling propane and feeding her nicotine addiction are a conflict of interests. But I digress. The evening was picturesque as you can see, just a little on the cold side to be outside. But if you know me, you understand that few things come between me and a well prepared steak. So in blatant disregard for the weather, I assumed again my title of Grillmaster Extraordinaire.All of this food prep was taking place while Sir Hugh was enjoying some Higglytown Heroes. I’d say that the kid is obsessed, but he’s not the one outside grilling steak in near freezing temps.

Dinner was delicious, the company was great and Sam was more than entertaining. There was only one thing left to do to make the experience complete. Mission accomplished.

End Of An Era

2007-02-24T20:15:00.000-05:00

For the past 3 years, I have been in the middle of what some might call a mid-life crisis. I was enjoying life in the fast lanes in my Infiniti G35 Coupe. We got this car the summer after my injury when Tiffy had received a promotion at work. It was a totally frivolous move on our part as this car was never meant to be a "family" car. At that point, it was just the two of us and we both were intrigued by the possibility of owning a sports car.

And not just any sports car, I mean let's face it. This is a killer ride. The car is unbelievable to drive on the open road. It comes with all of the performance (280 horses, not counting the one in the background) you would want in a 2 door coupe with the ammenities (heated/power seats, premium Bose sound, comfortable interior) of a luxury car. Tiffy really put it best when she said that the car begs to be driven at 80 mph. I hate to see anyone or thing beg, so I was more than willing to oblige.

But alas, things change. Fast forward 3 years and we are no longer living in the city. We now reside at Rancho Duttonero in the lovely Blugrass Region of Kentucky. We are blessed with the addition of Sir Hugh to our family. This along with frequent precipitation (some frozen) pointed to the decision to join the common folk by having a vehicle with 4 doors. Now I know what you are thinking, "Doesn't Tiffy drive a land yacht?" The answer would be yes. Her Ascender is 7 passenger, which is large enough to double as a landing strip in a pinch. But it was another aspect of Tiffy's ride that I was envious of recently.

You see, not only was the G35 missing 2 doors, it also lacked a very important letter from its name...an X. If you are not familiar with Infiniti, an X after any model name means ALL WHEEL DRIVE. It was this crucial omision that ultimately led to the demise of the Coupe.

About 2 weeks ago, I got caught at school in the G35 during snowy weather. Now as anyone who has ever driven a rear-wheel drive vehicle can tell you, if it isn't a big truck, you are in trouble in the snow. This is especially true if that vehicle is a 2 ton "hockey puck" (that phrase was coined in reference to the car by my buddy Kyle who aided in the Great Duttonian Exodus from NoVA by driving the G behind a moving truck through snowy WV a year ago.) I was needless to say out of luck. I attempted to drive home but found that I was doing more lateral movement than forward progress. To put it simply, I was "fishtailing" so bad that other cars backed off so they would not be taken down with me. Fortunately, I was able to wait long enough that a salt truck drove by. I was able to fall in behind him and follow him most of the way home. That little incident was the proverbial nail in the coffin for the sports car. I was sad but by no means shocked. We had been talking about making a move for some time. With Sam in the mix now, it was time to ignore the intrigue of being sporty.... meaning endgame for the Coupe. Enter the G35x Sedan.

If you know me, you know I had been researching cars as soon as the first mention of a change. I checked out the Chrysler 300, the Audi A4, Nissan Maxima, etc. I feel more than confident in our choice to stay with Infiniti. This is the redesigned G35x sedan.Complete with 306 horses and all of the comfort to which we've grown accustomed. It even comes with a Bluetooth option to use along with a mobile phone (Tiffy's favorite part.) It's all there. All-Wheel-Drive for me, 4 doors for Tiffy, & and carseat for Sam (which was purchased right after leaving the dealer.)

Doctor Me (Someone Please!) & The Women

2007-02-18T06:21:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Rancho Duttonero was descended upon by the majority of the matriarchy of Tiffy's family. Her mother, grandmother, and two of her aunts, came for a visit to see the house and area we now occupy. It was the first time that 3 of them (Grandma Bonnie, Aunt Pam, and Aunt Nancy) had visited us since the great Duttonian Exodus from NoVA.

Needless to say, there was fun, food (Tiffy made chicken tortilla soup), far-fetched tales, and for Sam, a great deal of freedom. Afterall, he was now in a house with 4 grandmas who just ooohed and aaahed as he put on quite a show. The kid was "on" with all of his ABCs and even his 123s. He was dancing and grinning.

Notice that he has borrowed Aunt Pam's shoes for this particular part of the show. But don't be alarmed, the 9 o'clock show was completely different from the 7:30 show.

Sam was living it up with all of the attention and who could blame him. He was glad to see everyone and knew they were glad to see him. In this pic, he is spending some time with Great Grandma Bonnie.

It was a treat to get to visit with everyone. With the weather outside (snow) and the atmosphere inside, it made for quite the warm, comfy little evening. The ladies sat around and chatted for most of the night until Sir Hugh of Dutton was ready to go to bed. Everyone sort of followed suit.

Sam's New "Do"

2007-02-17T07:32:00.000-05:00

This year for the Super Bowl....uh, I mean "the big game", we invited some friends over to watch the game and devour some football food. Mmmm....barbecue! Anyway, Tiffy thought that it would be fun to give Sammy a stylin' new mohawk just for kicks. The following pics tell the tale. We began the evening with a nice tall spike.

I suppose that it is plain to see that Sam doesn't mind posing for the camera. But with hair like this, you should expect some paparazzi.

Of course, we have to have a profile shot to really appreciate the look of this awesome hair. We used to give baby Sam a similar hairstyle because at one point, he didn't have much hair.

After the game was over and the crowd had subsided we see the aftermath of the night and the effect of bedhead on a mohawk. We also see that it did not affect Sam's ability to watch Playhouse Disney. Wiggles, Higglys, & Einsteins...OH MY!

Christmas For The Duttons

2007-01-20T22:15:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the Holidays....well, let's just say that I am very early for this year. I thought I would post some pics to show how Christmas was celebrated Sammy-style. We started with the tree. We waited for the little dude to go to sleep and erected our Target-bought pre-lit tree with back-to-basics red decorations. I think it turned out nicely and Sam definitely liked the ornaments and bright lights. With this step out of the way...we actually started with Christmas which came in four phases this year. Christmas 1.0 came the weekend before Christmas when my family came to Rancho Duttonero for some food, fun, and presents.

Sam loved all the attention from his Grandma Linda, Grandpa Charlie, Aunt Regina, Uncle Stevie, and Aunt Rebecca. He made sure to spread the wealth when opening presents.

He would tear a piece of wrapping paper and carry it to one of us before tearing off another piece. Needless to say, it took some time for Sam to get to the point of opening each package.

But sure enough, he eventually did figure it out. REMOVE PAPER...RECEIVE GIFT...simple process really.

Christmas 2.0 came on the 23rd of Duttonember (Festivus) and what a day it was. We all opened gifts. Tiffy opened gifts, I opened gifts, and Sam opened gifts. Sam fell in love with his Sesame Street Workbench. This tool bench is so cool. They definitely didn't have toys like this when I was a kid. What's even better is that now Sam uses his tools instead of trying to use mine.

The kid loves tools like screwdrivers and drills...but they don't make the safest toys.

Christmas 3.0 came on Christmas EVE in WV where Tiffy's entire family gathered for an evening of holiday festivities and making an appearance at the event was the Claus himself. Poor Old Saint Nick...he wore his traditional red instead of the camo...what was he thinking?...don't ask!!

Christmas 4.0 came...well...on Christmas at the Meadow's. Grandma Karen and Grandpa Calvin welcomed Duttons (The, Tiffy, Sammy) and Meadows (Chuck, Marlena, David, and the new bundle of joy Alana) to their house Christmas morning for presents and waffles....mmm....waffles. You just don't mess with traditions. For you see, the simplest things in life are the best. Like family, food, fun, and gag gifts!

This is Sam's Uncle Chuck. He is the same Chuck who once wrapped up the pieces of my tail lights when Tiffy got rear-ended in my car. A brilliant standard for holiday mischief...until I returned the favor a few years later when Chucky, his Grand Vitara, some icy roads, and a telephone pole were the ingredients in quite an eventful trip to work. Turn-about is fair play.

All in all, Christmas was good this year. I even found myself referring to it less as Giftmas (my non-religous oriented, all-inclusive, winter holiday) this time around. Perhaps it is the softening that is happening in my old age or perhaps there is another reason why Christmas seemed to mean so much more this year...I wonder what that could be?!