Clarkston Invitational

Images from the Clarkston Invitational today at Clarkston High School:

What kind of grin?

Robert seems to have made many new friends since joining the Mount Pleasant High School Marching Band.

Comfort zone

Maybe it's just me, but doesn't this guy look just a little too comfortable holding a baby?

Meet the Ranzenbergers

The original plan was for Fuzzy, Annie and Lexie to come up the Sunday before Labor Day. I'd cook them dinner and we'd all relax in the woods.
But Fuzzy had never met Annie's dad, Bill, and when Bill invited Annie to bring the new guy up to the cottage on White Lake near Whitehall, the kids decided to go there.
And Bill invited us to join them.
It wasn't exactly "Meet the Fokkers," but in the hands of the right storyteller, it will be. (Hee Hee)




Bill's a nice guy. He's a developer and insurance agent, confident, connected. Of course, I'm the egghead and media maven. I think we'll get along fine.
Of course, I did break his boat lift. And Andrew managed to dump him off his WaveRunner a couple of times before Andrew got the hang of balancing the dang thing.
In the end, it worked.



Lexie's almost walking, and you can see the connection between Annie and Fuzzy and Lexie.


So far, so good. Get your degree, Annie, then take on the world. Your dad and I agree on that.

Fall 2006, Week One

The first week of fall classes always is a little crazy, a little overwhelming. As usual, I have three classes to teach: One section each of JRN 202, Writing for the Mass Media, JRN 430, Magazine and Feature Writing, and JRN 516, Community and Public Affairs Reporting.
I've taught all three classes at least twice before -- I think this is about the 15th time I've taught 202. Yet it never gets old.
I do like the fact that CMU starts before Labor Day. It's a week of classes, then a long weekend, followed by a short week.
The early holiday has an interesting effect. There's always some catchup, some tidying up, some breath-catching that has to happen. Something's always left undone. Labor Day allows the time to do that.
The kids still are off of school; they don't start until the day after Labor Day. They won't get a break.
We've gone off in all directions this holiday. Kissy Missy and Katherine went to the UP to see Kissy Missy's mom and some of her relatives. The van had a flat tire somewhere north of Houghton Lake, and last I heard, they arrived in the UP on the doughnut tire about 11:30, with the trip to Grandma's still ahead.
Robert went down to see his mother; he probably won't have a chance to spend a weekend with her until about November as band moves into high gear.
Andrew's working this weekend, so he's here.
But Annie -- Fuzzy's girlfriend -- invited Andrew and me over to meet her dad on Sunday. He's got a cottage on Lake Michigan near Whitehall, and he reportedly has several watercraft -- Jet Skis?
Andrew's looking forward to that. Kissy Missy loves Jet Skies, but she went to see Uncle Norm and Co., while we're headed to the Jet Skis on Lake Michigan.