Editor's Note #2

A Slight Name Adjustment

You might have noticed that after a month on the web that the name of the blog has been changed. After much thought, consumer polling, focus groups, therapy, and other considerations the name has been changed to My World According to Bob. This new name change focuses more on the intent of the blog. A commentary on my world according to me with my slant on everyday occurrences and current events. It also gives normal sane people and idea of what it's like to be abnormal and insane. It just might make you a little more patient around people that aren't quite like you.

The name change also indicates a coming of age, one month old now, where I have learned more about this blogging experience and am embarking on more original ideas and concepts. I appreciate the inspiration of the original name My World and Welcome To It, but as it was borrowed from James Thurber, I felt it was time to find a name that better reflected me and not James.

You will still receive all the great articles as you have in the first month, and watch out for more articles in the future. As we close in on our first month we have had 666 page impressions. Impressive, even if 555 impressions are me. But we're getting there. Perhaps I should have a contest. Two free quarts of Bob's Own Gourmet Ice Cream to the one thousandth reader. Yea, that sounds like an idea. But you'll have to come here to eat it, or pay for the shipping which would probably be about $199. Just keep logging in and clicking on those ads! Support the site, and come visit me at Disneyland!

New in September

Ice Cream Flavor of the Month

A new feature. We will be experimenting with a new ice cream flavor of the month. Each month we will make a new flavor of ice cream and print the recipe for you to try as well. Got any suggestions? Send them in. You can send you ice cream ideas to: greaticecreamflavors@boboston.com. Maybe you will be lucky enough to have me choose your suggestion and print your name on the recipe. But only if you're lucky. And watch out for those anonymous recipes!

Don't forget...If you don't want to make your own, you can order your ice cream from Bob's Own Ice Cream! Information on the side panel.

The Ninth Post

Insanity

Alright. I got a lot of comments from actual readers that say they are actually reading the posts. I know there are readers. But lets face it, you are in the minority. On Thursday, August 17, I had 87 visitors in one day. I thought that was a lot. But then I started thinking. I did a lot of work on my blog that day. This thing is counting every time I log in to check on it. That means I am in the majority of the readers of this blog. And since it is intended for general readership, yes, I do appreciate my family willing to log in a read once in a while. But you've got to. It's part of being part of the family! So keep logging in and enjoy it. But tell your friends and tell them to check out the ads. If I don't make any money soon, I'm going to have to sub some more. Think about all those poor kids that will have to deal with me as their teachers. They will have to go home and have therapy!

By the way, yesterday, after I posted, there were 27 log ins. I only logged in twice, so I guess I did create a stir. Way to go. Keep reading. More interesting features are coming up as soon as I get paid and can start getting around to find things to write about.

I cleaned the robot in the swimming pool. By the way it is finally starting to look nice now that swimming season is about over. Apparently I cleaned the robot on top of a new ant hill because I am covered with ants. It ITCHES!!! Got to go. Remember...Keep reading!

The Eighth Post

Thought Processes

Alright, it has been a while since my last real post. But my life has been kinda dull lately. On top of that, I discovered that I am the only one that is reading my blog and making comments on it. Freaky, huh. Yes, a majority of those anonymous posts are mine. I am talking to myself again. You know what that means: Therapy.

I kind of let the cat out of the bag at dance. I was dancing with one of the partners that I enjoy dancing with and we were talking about why we go to dance. Some of the people go there for the exercise, some for something to do. Some go because they are just wanting a reason to get out of th house, others for the social aspect and to get to meet someone new. "Not me," I told her. "Therapy." I said. "I go for therapy." Now I didn't say I go for the therapy. I just go for therapy. OK, so I wonder why I am always the last one chosen for dance. I started figuring that out when Sharon didn't dance with me anymore that night and preferred to dance without a partner every time it was her turn to dance with me.

So I am believing that thought processes are not always logical. For instance: I just don't seem to get along with people individually or in groups. Yet, my favorite place to go is loaded with them? But it can't be too ironic. Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney said: nothing about Disney makes sense. I mean, we have Donald Duck, a duck who doesn't wear pants when he is out in public, yet puts a towel around his waist when he gets out of the shower. Yea, so at least I wear pants in public. And I don't put a towel around my waist when I get out of the shower either. OK, so that's too much information. You'll need to go to therapy, too. Oh, but you are me, and you, or me will just need more therapy. My therapist will love it. My therapist always likes it when I send new business.

I am still biding my time to find out if I really will get to be a steam locomotive engineer at Disneyland. I know I have a job and it starts September 17. They told me I will be assigned to Adventureland/Frontierland so I can train on the trains. But they can't guarantee anything. They could move me if the need dictates it. So I've been thinking about what else they could have me doing. I could be a skipper on the World Famous Jungle Cruise! I think I would like that. Cruising around telling jokes to people that don't think I am very funny. Going around in circles pointing out imaginary scenes to people who really don't care. The only reason they are on the boat is because its on water and cooler, and they needed a place to sit down and rest. It would be like getting paid to do what I do every day. The polite people snicker between their teeth every now and then. But their eyes roll. At least on the Jungle Cruise their eyes would be rolling with the boat. So there's some other jobs as well. There would be host at the Tiki Room where I could take a big stick and wake up Jose to start the show. But they wouldn't dare trust me with a big stick, would they? Not around people, at least. There would be the Indiana Jones attraction. That would be a good possiblity since I bear such a striking resemlance to the archilogist, himself. Tarzan's treehouse? "Stay to your right and keep moving." I would be asleep in no time. Big Thunder Mountain? No, they've already had their share of tragedy. The Mark Twain Riverboat! Yea, it runs on steam and has a whistle. It runs on a track as well! Hey, it's a steam train in water!!!!

I worked for the first time this school year yesterday. I had ten kindergarteners that needed therapy. After lunch one of them decided it was time to leave so he took the aides out (And I'm not talking outside, or to lunch, or just out. I mean he literally took them out, like out of commission, you, the military meaning), and then the principal. I wasn't allowed to participate because I was a sub. I kept the others busy on the other side of the room as furniture was flying all over the room. It was kind of like a duck and cover drill. It eventually came to an end. He fell a sleep and looked so innocent. No-one would ever guess the havoc he caused. Here I am, now, waiting for my next exciting assignment!

I think that will go now. My alarm is ringing. It must be time for my next therapy session. Talk to you later!

Postcards From My Cell Phone San Francisco Zoo

San Francisco Zoo

San Francisco, California

Kaitie Lou Who and I took a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area last September to get away from the smoke from all the fires. While we were there I thought we might go check out the SF Zoo. I remember the zoo from when I was a kid. There's not much left there from when I was a kid. There is no more elephant train, they don't even have elephants, and Monkey Island is no more. The Lion House made headlines shortly after our visit when a tiger escaped and killed one kid and mauled a couple others. Makes a visit to the zoo more exciting in my opinion! I'm sure they had it coming to them. There's still a lot of good stuff at the zoo. New enclosures, apes, the historic 1921 Dentzel carousel with its intricately, hand carved wooden horses has been renovated, and most importantly, the historic miniature Little Puffer steam locomotive and railroad has been restored and relaid in a new location. Here we have a couple alpacas at the petting zoo. Alpacas have been of interst to us lately since Grandmama has taken up knitting and spinning. The children's zoo is also a far stretch from what it used to be. Today it is a barn in a farm setting where kids can come and pet farm animals. When I was a kid it had baby zebras and elephants that kids could pet. I can remember when I was a kid I got butted in the head by a unicorn. They don't even have unicorns anywhere anymore. It's just not the same today is it? Being a kid just doesn't seem fun anymore.

Anyway, having fun. Wish you were here,
Bob

Olympic Update #9

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

Olympic Roundup

Today is the final day of Olympic competition. Of course due to differences in time zones, the by the time you read this the Olympics will be over, but here in the US, we still are waiting for the results and closing ceremonies. If an Olympic observer had it in mind they could watch the closing ceremonies and fly home and watch them again in the comfort of their own living room. So, while you are waiting for the results, we will bring you the results that will never be reported no matter how long you wait.

Poor Sports Medals

There have been several incidents of Olympic athletes not acting in the proper spirit. "My World" has uncovered the secret medal ceremonies that rewarded these athletes for their heroic efforts.

Gold: The gold medal went to Angel Valodia Matos from Cuba. Matos won his gold medal for kicking a Swedish judge after he was disqualified from his bronze medal Tae Kwondo final. The judge disqualified Matos when he exceeded the one minute time limit injury time limit. Matos had been leading his match when he went down with a foot injury. Once Matos was disqualified, he reacted wildly kicking the referee in the face proving there was nothing wrong with his foot in the first place. Mike Cream of Fort Worth, Texas who was watching the match with his trademark cup of Bob's Own Ice Cream said, "It was the wildest thing I ever'd saw. This wadn't your ordinry match. I never saw no-one ever go after the ref before."

Silver: The silver medal goes to Ara Abrahamian, the Armenian born Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler who walked away from the awards ceremony and dropped his medal in the middle of the mat. Abrahamian was protesting a late penalty call that eventually disqualified him from the match awarding the wrestling gold medal to his Italian opponent. Abrahamian was upset that his appeals went unanswered contrary to the rules of the wrestling federation and the IOC. Abrahamian declared he didn't want silver, he came for gold. Abrahamian was later stripped of his silver by the IOC claiming his action was not in the spirit of the Olympics. But Abrahamian won the silver in the poor sport contest as well being edged out by Matos in Tae Kwondoe when he kicked the referee. But not to worry. After the poor sport awards ceremony, officials stripped him of this award as well after learning an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport had sided with him and announced he had a right to be angry with the outcome. They decided that the wrestling federation and the IOC did not follow their own rules when it came to following the appeals process. He should have kicked the referee and he would have at least tied for the gold.

Bronze: Goes to Usain Bolt. Bolt was chided by IOC President Jaques Rogge for celebrating his wins before he crossed the finish line to the delight of the entire stadium and worldwide television audience. Rogge said, "That is not how we perceive being a champion...I beleive he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made." The gesture, pictured here, has been widely copied by fans around the world. Perhaps Bolt needs to get into the Olympic spirit and change into a formal suit and hold his hat over his heart with a stolid face as he mourns their passings. (He has plenty of time to do that.) That would probably be more in the spirit of the Olympics. It alos goes to show that the IOC does not necessarily percieve an Olympian champion as the rest of the world does further showing how far out of touch the IOC is with the rest of the world.

Olympic Update #8

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

"My World" Report Prompts IOC Investigation

Officials from the IOC have begun an investigation into China's use of underage gymnasts after a recent "My World" investigative report came to light. In the report, our investigative reporter followed one of the Chinese gymnasts with her nanny to a child care facility. The Chinese claim that all their gymnasts are of age. The IOC has decided to conduct a thorough investigation to put the matter to rest once and for all.

In initiating the investigation, the IOC requested government documents including birth certificates and passports to verify the birthdates and ages of each of the gymnasts in question. The Chinese government is expected to provide whatever government documents that are requested in a good faith effort to prove to the international world that there is no government coverup or conspiracy to use underage athletes.

Butterfingers on the Relay

In an unusual show of unity, the women's relay team was disqualified in the 400 meter relay when they dropped their baton on the final exchange of their qualifying heat. This came just minutes after the men bobbled and dropped their baton on the final leg of their qualifying heat ending in disqualification. This will be the first time that neither the men's nor the women's team will be in the 400m relay final. But all is not lost. It has been learned that Nestle has offered both teams the opportunity to appear on the wrappers of their popular candy bar. In another related announcement, Nestle also announced a new sponsorship deal it just signed with the IOC to replace the existing cylindrical metal batons with actual kingsize versions of the Buterfinger candy bar.

Injured Ball Hopes for Return in USA Volleyball Final

The ball that was injured in the opening round of volleyball is completing rehab and is hoping to return to the court in time for the volleyball finals between the USA and Brazil. The ball was originally injured in opening round play between the USA and Venezuela. It has since undergone flat repair and bladder surgery. Officials believe the ball will be fit for play for the final game on Sunday.

The Seventh Post

Eight Daze A Week

I know it has been a while since the last post. But I have been in a real daze this week! Literally. It started out with our quick trip to Disneyland. Since Auntie Mommy hadn't been there for a while and was paying for her ticket we let her stay as long as she wanted. We left at about 4am that morning. I dropped them off at the gate and then headed to the back of the park to do my paperwork. I was done in about an hour and joined the rest of the crew just as they were getting off the Finding Nemo submarines. We had a fun day together. But because we were only there for one day, Auntie Mommie decided to only buy a park ticket, so we didn't make it over to California Adventure to try and improve my Midway Mania score. I went back to the car a couple times for naps so we could get home that night. I think everyone did just about everything they wanted and we got home at about 1:30 Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday I got a call from the King County Office of Education asking me if I was still interested in the position I applied for. I had very mixed feelings when I told them I was. It is a technology consulting position where I would go into the classrooms and work with the teachers implementing technology in the classroom. It pays very well. So now I am in the dilemma of what if I really get this thing. I would have to take it, of course. And there would go my Disneyland dream. But I could always keep going as an annual passholder. To make the King County position more palitable, I have been researching big (and I mean BIG) screen HDTV's. That is what I am going to do with my first paycheck if I get the King County job. That and Direct TV in time to watch the baseball playoffs and World Series. So now, if I look at it that way, either way I win!

Wednesday, (yesterday) I had to prepare for my procedure today. I spent most of the day sitting on the toilet.

Today I had my procedure. The worst part was getting the IV started. It took four sticks. Now my arm looks my face when I use an old razor blade. I have wads of cotton stuck all up and down my arm. It looks kind of funny, I think. But then I was loaded with Demoral and Valium, so I probably think everything is funny today. They also gave me Verced so I won't remember anything. We'll see. So far I haven't forgotten too much. At least as far as I can remember, that is. And the good news...I am clean. No problems! I had a shower this morning. I think.

And that pretty much sums up the week!

This and That

This

Thanks to everyone that participated in the polls. Especially for the three votes I got for portraying Phillip the horse. Remember, this was an unscientific poll. Any I know who voted for the horse! I also appreciate the three people that really can see my personality and voted correctly selecting Prince Charming.

On the medical procedure poll, it was unanimous. The dental cleaning won. But having now done all three of those procedures, I would have to say I have more unfond memories of my last dental cleaning than of my Colonoscopy. I can't remember a thing of that, except that I slept really well.

That

Today we hit the milestone of our 500th reader! Now that doesn't mean there are 500 of you reading this, though that would be great; it just means that someone (like me) has logged on 500 times! Remember, keep reading and keep clicking! New features are coming up!

!!!News Flash!!!

News out of Anaheim: It was officially reported today that Bob will NOT play the part of Prince Charming in this years Disneyland Christmas parade. In a statement Bob stated: "Everything was going along so well. I was being fitted for the costume with a slough of Disney princesses hanging off every arm when they brought out the pants. But they weren't pants. They were LEOTARDS. They wanted me to wear leotards. Vanessa, an acquaintance of Bob said, "Oh thank god for all those lil children looking up to the prince. Can you imagine what it would have done to them mentally?"

Disney Imagineers are back to the drawing board to determine an appropriate roll for Bob. Perhaps steam locomotive engineer. So far there is no word on what Bob will do next for Disney. Stay tuned. The next chapter unfolds September 17 so look for the next installment September 18.

Editor's Note #1

I will be at Disneyland on August 18, 2008 processing my paperwork to become Prince Charming. Therefore, My World will not be posting on Monday. Please tune in Tuesday for all the up to date information and news that you have all come to expect.

Bob

Olympic Update #7

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

Olympic Dopes

The Olympics has disqualified several athletes at this years games. One of them is a Korean shooter. The Korean shooter who finished 2nd in the 50m air pistol, and third in the 10m event was disqualified and his "reputation and identity immediately withdrawn and cancelled" when he tested positive for propranolol. Propranolol is used in the treatment of hypertension and migraine headaches. Olympic officials deny that there is any stress related to being in large groups of competing athletes representing various countries that are, for all intents and puprposes at war with each other, carrying rifles, shotguns, and pistols around. And that the games switched to air rifles and pistols in order to alleviate the headaches associated with traditional gun powder weapons.

A word of caution for all future Olympians: Please check you medicine cabinet against the current and future published list of banned substances before you compete. Do not take any medicine for headaches, stress, sore muscles, fevers, heart conditions, allergies, coughs, sneezes, colds, asthma, etc. You will get caught. You will be disqualified.

Senior Olympics

Seniors who once were consigned to the lazyboy and offering up sound, yet mostly unheard of advice to young athletes around the globe are now beginning to make their mark by participating in the Olympics. Due to the fitness craze and gyms popping up all around the country, seniors are now becoming a force to be reconed with in the field of physical competition. Instead of one foot in the grave, one foot is now stepping up to the awards platform. Yesterday we saw 41 year old Dara Torres miss gold by one tenth of a second. Out on the at the sailing event, 58 year old John Dane III is competing in the Star Dinghy races. Currently the team is fifth, and stands a good chance of medaling. "That's what's great about this..."John says. "Nobody expects us to win a medal...but we're not here as tourists.

I will personally take on this challenge and find a venue I can compete in. I invite everyone to join me in London in 2012 as I personally take on Michael Phelps and challenge him for nine gold medals; as soon as I can turn my cesspool back into a swimming pool. Are the paramedics standing by?

!!!NEWS FLASH!!!

BIG FOOT LIVES!

Palo Alto, CA. Big Foot hunters, today, held a news conference to announce their claim that they now have indisputable evidence that Big Foot lives. Their evidence is a dead body the hunters found in northern Georgia of all places. Though the body was not presented at the press conference, pictures were passed around and experts were invited to check out the specimen that is inhabiting their refrigerator at home. Despite the new evidence, skeptics still abound. First of all, says one skeptic, whoever heard of Big Foot in Georgia? Historically, Big Foot has been sighted in Northern California on up through Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Secondly, the owner of a halloween costume shop says the thing in the refrigerator is one of their costumes.

But Mike Cream from Fort Worth, Texas is a skeptic turned believer. He showed up at today's press conference eating a bowl of Bob's Own Ice Cream Strawberry Cheese Cake said that at first he didn't believe it. But when he came into the conference he passed a Big Foot standing outside holding a sign protesting the news conference. "Sure I believe. I just passed one of 'em standing outside holding a sign protesting something on my way in." Mike snapped a picture with his cell phone to offer proof that Big Foot lives.

The Sixth Post

The Pool

Watching all the Olympic swimming, along with the sweltering 100 degree plus heat we've been dealing with has made me want to jump right into my swimming pool. One problem, though. I don't have a pool guy. Or a pool girl for that matter. Of course that shouldn't matter. I should be out there pouring chemicals into my pool, sweeping it, vacuuming it, scraping it, skimming it, and filtering it everyday. But I don't. I have lots of other things to do to. And believe me, it doesn't take long before the pool starts looking like a movie set out of the Black Lagoon, or a swamp from Okefenokee.

When we first moved to California four years ago, everyone thought it would be great fun to have a swimming pool. Even I liked the idea. Apparently I had forgotten my childhood days when we had a pool and I was responsible for the upkeep of that one, too. Fortunately, that one was a Doughboy above ground pool. And, yes, we had fun with it for several years, until I took over the maintenance. But then it didn't take long for it to turn into a cesspool. It didn't take long everyone to lose interest in it then. And then it didn't take long for my dad to rip it out and cover the round bare spot with grass. But my pool now is dug deep in the ground. Ripping it out is not an option. I guess I could fill it up with gravel and turn it into a septic tank.

Right now the pool isn't looking half bad. I personally take the optimistic view. If I was a pessimist I would say the pool isn't looking half good. I think that my view is the optimistic one. But I've been pouring chemicals in it like crazy, buying supplies, equipment, brushes, and robots to aid me in keeping up appearances. It has become a real money pool! Yet the only thing green in it is the algae. And despite all my efforts this year, the only one that has really used it this year was GrandX. And then he spent three weeks in the hospital after that. Fortunately, it wasn't because of the pool. I don't think.

The question, now, is, will a pool guy make things better, and maybe even save me money? That is my next quest. To find a professional pool person. My preference would be a pool gal...OUCH...I just got slugged on that one. Anyway, the pool is just getting up to standards and is finally looking good. So how about everyone car pooling on over for a swim so I can get some satisfaction from all my work.

Excuse me, I've gotta go now. I've got to chlorinate my pool.

More News

I will be at Disneyland on Monday with Kaitie Lou Who, Bones, and Auntie Mommie. Join us if you dare. The girls will be at the main gate at eight. I will join them later. E-mail for details if you want to meet us. We will be having a shoot out at Toy Story Mania. Expect to see higher, much higher scores on Tuesday.

Olympic Update #6

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

Mystery of Under Aged Gymnasts Solved
Exclusive to "My World"

Questions concerning the Chinese Olympic Gymnasts being under aged continues to plague the team after winning their first ever Olympic gymnastic gold. Concern began to mount as the Chinese took the floor and appeared very young and small for their age. One American coach even commented that one gymnast even was missing her two front teeth, which would put her closer to six or seven years of age than the mandatory sixteen years of age. The Chinese of course deny the allegations and the IOC claims that each of the Chinese gymnasts presented a passport validating their ages before the games.
But critics are not buying it. Calls are mounting for a full investigation on the ages of the gymnasts. But the mystery has been solved thanks to some innovative investigative reporting by undercover an undercover reporter working exclusively for "My World." Immediately following the gold medal round our reporter followed Deng LinLin and her handlers as they left the coliseum. Our reporter reports that it was difficult to keep up with the girl and her escorts as they fought through the Beijing traffic. But through perseverance and patience, hard work has paid off. Our reporter discovered their destination, which finally answers the question once and for all.

No Dogs Allowed

An Olympic boxer has been denied entrance to the boxing venue effectively ending his bid for Olympic gold. Olympic officials said they were sorry, but the policy clearly states, as does the sign at the door, that no dogs are allowed except for service dogs. The boxers coach says it is too bad, that his athlete had been training everyday for the last year. The coach described the dogs boxing style as "not very graceful, but effective." Those that have seen the dog box say that once in the ring he would throw some punches, but if his opponents ever raised a glove against him he would growl, snarl and snap at them until they would leave the ring. His coach says, "that really is just his way of dancing around the ring. He would never bite anybody. His growl is really worse than his bite. He's nothing but a puppy dog at heart."
A spokesman for the Beijing Organizing Committee said that the committee is very sorry that the athlete dog travelled all this way and was not allowed to compete. But in a spirit of reconciliation, the committee would like to invite him to dinner.

Olympic Update #5

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

USA Foiled in Team Saber

Team USA, who opened the games with a medal sweep, was foiled in team competition when the Ukraine and China teams swept them aside in their battle for gold in the first ever Olympic team saber competition. The USA team had to settle for bronze. It was a disappointing finish given their success in the opening days of competition. Mariel Zagunis, gold medalist for the individual saber said, "We were just on the wrong side of the fence today." Talking about fences, with today's third place finish, American Fence said in a press release they may be rethinking their deal with the team to place their pictures on construction fences nationwide.

Mongolia Wins First Ever Olympic Gold

Former wrestler Tuvshinbayar Naidan of Mongolia defeated Kazakhstans' Askhat Zhitkeyev for the gold in Men's 100Kg Judo Competition. So far the Americans have failed to even show up to the competitions. The reason you didn't see this on television is because the American broadcasters could not pronounce the names of any of the finalists.

Dinghy Races

As mentioned yesterday, the dingy competition starts tomorrow. Dinghy, not dingy, is a small sail boat. You may recall in the movies when the captain of the ship calls for his dinghy, or to prepare his dinghy, or to get his dinghy out. In the Olympics, dinghys come in various sizes ranging from 11 feet long to 16 feet long. There are a total of 11 events using dinghys, consisting of men, women and mixed sailing events. The sport has been a part of the Olympics since 1908 and was known as yachting. Today it is simply known as sailing. Sailors sailing dinghys are affectionately referred to as ding dongs.

Be Careful or You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

French skeet shooter Veronique Girardet has been blind in one eye since she was two. But that didn't stop her from hitting 63 skeets out of a possible 75 in Olympic competition. Her effort was good enough for 16th place.

Postcards From My Cell Phone

A new feature that will be starting at the end of the Olympics. Follow me on my travels around the country and around the world (mostly California) as I use just my cell phone to snap off postcard shots of me enjoying the pickings of popular tourist traps, historic sites, national parks, and points of interests around the globe (Mostly California). So join me for my adventures! And don't forget to visit our sponsors located just above my head in the right column.

Olympic Update #4

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

Injured Ball Continues to Roll to Recovery

The injured ball from the opening round of volleyball competition continues its recovery in its bid to return to competition before the end of the Olympics. A flat was repaired two days ago and the ball began rehab yesterday. Ball technicians are concerned that the ball may get into competition too early citing that from its injury, it could have a weak bladder and needs to make sure it heals completely before returning to play. If the ball returns to play before it is 100% technicians say it could result in an embarrasing mess.

USA Foiled In Foiling Competition

After winning a medals sweep in saber competition at the opening of the Olympics, American fencers have been foiled in the Women's Individual Foil competition. The winner was an Italian police officer winning her third straight Olympic gold medal But don't look for her picture, or any of the other fencer's picture on a Wheaties box. Reynolds Aluminum Foil has announced a deal with the foil winner to appear on boxes of aluminum wrap over the next four years. Don't feel too sad for the Americans, though. Their medal winning efforts have won them a lucrative contract with American Fencing to have their pictures posted on construction fencing around the nation as well as appearances as body doubles in the US Marines ads for the next four years.

USA Bye Bye Birdie

The Americans fall in the quarterfinals of the pairs badminton competition. The pair quickly fell to the second ranked Chinese team. But the news isn't all foul for the American team. As mentioned earlier, Bill Gates is a new fan of the sport and has offered to make holographic images of the duo to appear on the rubber birdie cocks that are used in the game. This will be a first as Badminton has never really been a sport beset by sports star promotion. Of course no-one will ever know their names as their holographic images sporting the genuine Wilson insinia will be batted around for the next several years.

Upcoming Events

Dinghy racing begins Friday! Tune in tomorrow on the dinghy facts about dinghy racing!

The Fifth Post

Ballroom Dancing

I go dance once a week. I would say I learn dance once a week, but that would be a misnomer since as soon as I leave the dance lesson I can't remember a thing. This month I go on Tuesdays and am learning the Ramba and the Samba. It has been a lot of fun. Most people are at the same level and haven't a clue to what they are doing. Of course that's what makes it so fun. It seems to take the pressure off of performing well when everyone is having the same problem as you are. And it is fun when you get to try to work things out together and try to figure out what is wrong and what is right. Of course getting your toes stepped on is not that fun. It doesn't bother me that much, but the ladies tend to leave the dance hall doing a little limp. They must enjoy it, too, because they keep coming back.

Last night we learned how to do, well, I am not sure exactly what it is called, but we learned the basics in both Ramba and Samba. We also learned breakouts, an underarm turn, and how to rotate on the floor. The Ramba is slow and I do alright with it. My mind tends to do OK if it has the time to think about things. The Samba, on the other hand, well, my brain just doesn't work that fast, not to mention my feet. In fact, I am lucky to stay on my feet, not to mention off the feet of my partner.

We always start on opposite sides of the room; men on one side, women on the other. We learn the steps and then the women are told to go get partners. I don't know, but this part reminds me of elementary school when we picked teams because I alway get picked last. In fact, the instructor, Eileen, often has to encourage any women who didn't get a partner to partner up with me. This wasn't a problem when my wife went to dance. But she doesn't go any more.

When you are dancing there are so many things to remember and concentrate on. It's not just where your feet go, even though that is very important; but you have to know what to do with your hands. And of course you have to hold your head up high and not look down. Looking down when you are dancing tends to have the same effects as when you are up high. Its scary. Perhaps it is scary because you see how close your feet are coming together. One of the things you have to rememver is where to position your hands, when to hang on, and when to let go. It can be pretty embarrassing if you don't let go with your right hand when breaking to the right. Believe me, you have to be there to picture it; that's about all I want to say about that on this blog; or any other blog for that matter. And then what do you do when a lady wears a low cut shoulderless dress, where do you put your hand? You know, it's kind of like the dilemna of where to pin a corsage on a dress that has too little dress to pin it on. And then keeping your mind working in these conditions...

Most of the people dancing are my age. I would say older, but that doesn't seem to work for me anymore. There are lots of singles there and most everyone is there for social networking, except me. If anyone knows me, they know that I am a social recluse and incompetent in social circles. I am there to support the teacher who is a friend of ours. (OK, so I am really there for therapy if you must know.) Often times I feel like I have been hired on as a dance host of a cruise ship. If you've ever seen the movie Out to Sea with Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau, you will know what I mean. It was a terrible movie and I wouldn't recommend you to run out and rent it just to see what I mean; I think you can get the gist just by thinking about it. I tend to picture myself as a dashing host entertaining the women and making sure they are having a good time, and, of course helping them gain confidence in their dancing. I know, it doesn't quite fit after the other things I've talked about in this post. But tonight I had another awakening when I overheard some of the ladies saying they felt like they were dance hostessess on a cruise ship...I guess I'm not the only one. So we continue to sail the seven seas together, each one helping out the egos of the others.

Rites of Passage
A Second Thought

So I have been doing more thinking on rites of passage. What other rites to I have to look forward to in this journey of life. The first thing that came to mind was retirement. That is definately a rite to passage. But I seem to have already done that, too. Albeit not by my choice. So what then is next?...OK. I'm not ready to go there yet...

!!!NEWS FLASH!!!

News out of Anaheim, California: It has been reported by unofficial sources that Bob has been offered the position of Prince Charming in the upcoming season of Disneyland's Christmas Parade. If this is true, then all those workouts have really paid off! Stay tuned for further details as they become available.

See sidebar for new poll!

Olympic Update #3

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

Injured Ball Patched Up: Rehab Looms
Olympic officials announced today that the injured ball from the opening USA v Venezuela match has now been patched. Officials are now hoping that the ball will be able to complete rehab in time to participate in the volleyball finals at the end of the Olympics. Reports are now saying the ball was injured by a spike at the beginning of the opening match. It had been thought the ball was injured before the game.

USA Wins Gold Shooting Double Trap
US Army marksman, Glenn Eller shot two pigeons out of the sky at the same time setting an Olympic record and claiming gold in the Double Trap competition. This marks the first medals won by the Americans in shooting competitions at the Beijing Olympics. Animal activists are continuing to claim foul citing the shooting of pigeons for sport is cruel and inhumane. Meanwhile, anti-gun activists are saying the win sends the wrong message to kids and advocates use of guns for sports.

US Boxer Confused By Crowd in Stunning Loss
A US boxing medal hopeful was apparently confused by the crowd during his upset loss to a South Korean boxer. Unable to distinguish messages from his coaches, family, and friends, the boxer began to dance around in a pointless circle eventually throwing punches at himself instead of his opponent. Mike Cream from Fort Worth Texas who was in the stands watching the bout and eating Bob's Own Ice Cream says, "I've never seen anything like it before in my life. It was like he was possessed because he kept punching himself over and over again." The boxer eventually knocked himself out. Officials are trying to determine who gets credit for the KO despite the win going to the South Korean.

US Birdie Boppers Move to Quarter Finals
In Badminton news: the US moves into quarter final competition in the doubles event with a win over their South African opponents. The US team will next face the second seeded Chineese. The US is ranked 20th. A member of the US team says if they don't step up to the challenge, they'll be roast duck.

The Fourth Post

Rites of Passage

OK. I have been trying to think of things to write about. Fortunately there are the Olympics to write about. But that is not why you are here! So, I put my mind to work once again. And it doesn't take very long for it to grow tired!

Well, I just came home from the dentist. And it got me thinking. I used to never go to the dentist. And now I go four times a year; or more when I eat a BEAN burrito from Mrs. Alvarado. And then I never went to the doctor's. But now I go three times a year to the cardiologist, at least twice a year to the primary care physician, a couple times a year to the allergist and at least once a month to get allergy shots. All told I have probably been to the doctor's more in the last couple years than in my whole life. Everyone I have talked to about it simply tell me it's part of getting old. Now, I have never looked at myself as to getting old, though grandX has certainly been living proof of the fact. I never saw myself as a grandbob, or a father for that matter. When I was a kid they were all old. My grandparents never lasted that long once I came around. So, I never really saw myself in these roles.

Instead of thinking about getting old, I began thinking about rites of passage. You know, those rites, formal or informal that marks the passage of time; and our progress through time. Some rites of passage would be like getting your driver's license at age 16; graduating from high school; things like that. You normally don't think about rites of passage when you get my age. But since I hit 50 last February I have discovered some. As I sat in the dentist chair with nothing to do except keep my mouth open I contemplated another rite I was about to experience and which I would prefer: dentist or, well, that particular rite. So, what is this rite? It's kinda personal. If you don't know you'll find out when you turn 50. Or check out the poll on the side.

Olympic Update #2

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

Condition of Injured Ball: Flat!
The Beijing Organizing Committee finally released the condition of the injured ball involved in the opening round volleyball match between the USA and Venezuela. In a press conference this morning, it was reported that the condition of the ball is flat. The nature of the injury was still not revealed at the press conference, but the committee said that with a little fresh air, the ball should be as good as new.

Shooters Shoot Traps in Trap Shoot
Women will shoot their traps today in one qualifying round and one final round. Currently, Slovakia holds the lead and there is one American currently in fourth place. Yesterday, the men shot their traps with Czech Republic claiming gold and the American shooters placing 22nd and 23rd. Trap shooting involves shooting clay pigeons and is considered the most difficult of all the trap competitions because the target is further and the speed the pigeon is thrown is greater. Animal rights activists oppose the sport claiming that shooting innocent pigeons is cruel and inhumane.

Bill Gates Flips for the Birdie
Bill Gates of Microsoft fame was seen watching the badminton competition from the comfort of VIP seats. "I flipped when I saw it," Gates said. "It was great! I am very impressed. I am definitely a badminton fan."
(quotes have been slightly altered)

Olympic Update

EXCLUSIVE OLYMPIC UPDATE

The Olympics are on and of course you can see all the major sports broadcast tape delayed on television, so I am going to try and keep you updated on all the other sports, sports that you rarely heard of, never heard of, never wanted to hear of, or never knew were even Olympic sports. Follow along for the obscure Olympic news straight from Beijing!

Right off the bat, though there is news from one of the majors, volleyball. But I found this headline interesting:

Injured Ball Leads USA Past Venezuela In Olympic Opener
See: http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/stories/081008aaa.html for more details

Venezuela is blaming their loss to the USA in their Olympic Opener game on an injured ball. Apparently the ball had been injured in a previous match before the Olympics and had not yet recovered from its injury. The Venezuela team claims that had the ball been fit for play they may have had a chance against the American Team. But as it stands, the Americans win in five sets, 25-18, 25-18, 22-25, 21-15, 15-10. The USA will play again on Tuesday. It is not known when or if the Venezuela team will ever play again, and the status of the ball's injury is not known at this time.

Because China is so far ahead of us, they are already playing tomorrow's games today so I am not really sure what to say about games coming up today, or tomorrow. Anyway, some more Olympic news from tomorrow's games:

On tap are the gold medal rounds for Men's 10m Shooting, Women's Trap shooting (that should be an interesting one.); Judo, Archery, and Fencing. Yesterday, I am sure you already know by now, the USA swept the medals with their first win in the Beijing games in Fencing Sabres. Coming up tomorrow will be Badminton, canoeing, sailing, and handball. I doubt you will see too many of these on TV. And let's not forget about beach volleyball!

Badminton Facts You Would Like to Know: Badminton had been played in the far east, India , and Greece but didn't develop into the modern game until the 19th century when it was introduced in England at the residence of the Duke of Beaufort known as "Badminton House." It became a Olympic Sport at the Barcelona games in 1992, and mixed doubles were added to the venue in Atlanta in 1996. Since then the sport has gained in popularity in China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

This year marks the first time in Olympic History that the USA team has been invited to participate in all five of the Badminton disciplines. The US has three men and two women on their Olympic team. We will keep an eye on them and see how well they do!

Stay tuned in as I scour the Olympics for more obscure sports and games and bring you the results right here at My World! And don't forget to click on our sponsor at the top right hand corner of this page!

The Third Post

ICE CREAM

So most of you know my fetish for ice cream. Even though it negates all the working out that I am doing to maintain my new and improved buff self. But the choice has come down to no work out, no ice cream; work out, ice cream. I can't have one without the other, and I am not about to give up the ice cream. Besides, if I gave up the ice cream and continued to work out, I would be so buff no one would recognize me. Or would they be able to stand me because of my overbearing good looks and foul mood because I haven't had ice cream for more than one day.

Well, since my unemployment I have been searching for things I would like to do with my life. I sat down and started thinking, now is the time for me to really do what I really want to do. And what did I come up with? Well, yea, steam locomotive engineer at Disneyland, but I needed something else to bridge the gap. So I came up with ice cream connoisseur. I would become a master ice cream maker. I had spent several days with my father in law as an unofficial taste tester at Cold Stone Creamery in Mesa and had learned the art from him, sort of; so I knew everything I needed to know about it.

The first thing I did was go out and buy a Cuisinart 2 qt ice cream maker. I then began to experiment with my favorite flavor of ice cream, sweet cream. I nailed it on the first try. Not only did I nail it, but I surpassed Cold Stone, in my humble opinion. And so I went on. My next flavor was Strawberry Cheese Cake. I think I have it now. Anyway it is very addictive. The only problem now is that 2 quarts isn't very much. Perhaps I can sell it on the internet as a gourmet ice cream for several hundred dollars a qt and ship it with dry ice. Check the side bar for ordering instructions.

For those of you that don't want to fork over the hundreds of bucks I will share my secret with you. For this one time, and one time only I will post my recipes. Get them now, because I won't give them to you if you ask me for them later. You will have to order and pay the hundreds of dollars for the ice cream.

Sweet Cream Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/8 cup sugar
3 cups heavy cream

Mix the milk and the sugar together. Whip the milk and sugar concoction for several minutes to get the sugar fully dissolved. Add the cream, whip together some more, pour into the ice cream freezer and churn for 25-30 minutes. Cure for 24 hours.

Strawberry Cheese Cake Ice Cream
4 oz Strawberry flavored cream cheese
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 cups Cream
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 graham cracker crust

Mix the cream cheese and milk together, whip until smooth. Add sugar, whip until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the cream, whip again until everything is dissolved. Pour into ice cream freezer and churn for 15-20 minutes. Continue churning and add the strawberries chopped into small pieces followed by the graham cracker crust and let churn for 5 more minutes in order to get the ingredients mixed evenly through the ice cream. Cure for 24 hours.

The Second Post

Or What Did I Do In The Summer Time

In order to keep everyone coming back to this thing I guess I had better keep updating. I'm sure that is going to tax my creative juices. After I posted the first entry I was thinking about what to do next. Things are kind of slow right now. What would I write about to keep this thing interesting. And then I started hearing back from people I hadn't heard from in a long time, and realized they didn't know what was going on with me in my life, I mean, I don't even know what 's going on in my life most of the time. And this summer has been very eventful. So I decided to do the What I Did Over the Summer essay.

Here it goes...

My Summer

I had a very interesting summer. I would say it started back in May when I finally got my Disneyland Pass renewed. I had decided it was time to do it again. So I went down and got it. While I was there I decided to do an attraction I had never done before. So on my way in, I stopped by Casting and put my application in. I call it an attraction because it is just another Disney experience and thought it would be fun to try it out. You have to go into the backlot area to get to HR and see places you have never seen before. When I got there, they asked me what I wanted to do. As you know I really want to be a steam locomotive engineer at Disneyland, but I didn't want to give everything away and play all my chips as soon as I walked in the door, so I told them I wanted to be a prince so I could be with all the beautiful princesses around the park. They laughed at me. I was quite serious. But they laughed anyway. Then they asked me if I had had any experience as a prince. I said, "no, but I'm sure I can learn quickly and do a good job at it. " They said, "No." They told me that I wasn't really what they were looking for in a prince. Then they asked me if there was anything else I wanted to do. So, then I told them I wanted to be a steam locomotive engineer. They asked me again if I had any experience doing that. I told them I had model trains! They weren't too impressed with that either. They asked me again if there was anything else I wanted to do. By now I was starting to catch on. I thought quickly about what I had experience in doing. There was only one thing that came to mind. I could pick up trash! They didn't ask me if I had any experience doing that. They just told me to go in watch a video, take a computer based test, which I passed, and they told me to come back in June. In June I went back and they told me everything was filled and to come back in September. So just wait until next month to see what happens. In the meantime, I have spent several days at my favorite place on earth. With the opening of the new Toy Story Midway Mania attraction I have spent several hours in line in order to spend a couple minutes honing my target shooting skills. For those of you new to Disney, or not familiar with the new attractions, Toy Story Mania is a 4D shooting gallery. You travel in a tram to different target stations and shoot your cannon at targets in various galleries with different toy story themes. You wear 3D (4D?) glasses so it looks like your cannon is really shooting. In the galleries you break plates, pop balloons, throw pies, and do many other things. You really have to experience it to understand it. Probably the biggest thing I did over the summer was spend it with the Xbaby (grandson). For all of you that I have been delinquent in keeping up to date with, yes, I am a grandaddy. That makes me sound old, doesn't it? To Xbaby, I am Grandbob. Anyway, Xbaby moved to California and soon after he got here, he got really sick and had to be airlifted to Loma Linda Hospital in Southern California. There he was in ICU for about two weeks and put on an artificial lung. Fortunately, as an answer to all of our prayers, he recovered quickly. From what looked like a very bleak outcome, X has recovered nicely and is doing well, taking up right from where he left off. I had finally decided if I was going to be in California, and smack dab right between 4 major league baseball teams that I was going to go to baseball games. The day before X got sick I bought two tickets to the Boston Red Sox/LA Angels baseball game. With X in the hospital being so sick, I wasn't sure I was going to get to use my tickets. But on the day of the game, X was released about three hours before game time so I took Mama X to the game and left baby X at home with grandmama. Oh, Boston lost.

So that brings us up to about now. What am I doing now? Not much. I have attended training so I can do training for the San Joaquin County Department of Education teaching teachers how to use a web-based MIS tool called SEIS. I already have one subbing assignment for the end of the month, six training assignments for September, and looking for other things to fill my calendar up with. And that was what I did for the summer. Well, there is more, but I'm saving it for later.