“Elijah of Buxton” by Christopher Paul Curtis


SuperPizzaBoy and I just finished “Elijah of Buxton” by Christopher Paul Curtis. This is a great book that came well recommended. It is a Newberry Honor Book and has won several other awards.

The book is about a boy, Elijah, a free born black youth, who lives in Buxton, Canada just before the Civil War. Buxton is a settlement of former slaves who one way or another escaped slavery and made it over the border. The village is very close knit and values education, hard work, thrift, honor, and church.

The book is humorous in tone mostly but not everything is funny. Just over the border are slaves attempting to cross and slavers trying to intercept them and take them back to the south. It is serious business.

One of Elijah’s adult friends, steals money from another freedman, and goes south to the US. Elijah follows him across the border to get it back and finds himself in a terrible predicament. He displays courage and honor in figuring out what he should do to resolve it.

This book is very compelling. Both SPB and I loved it and I recommend it highly. It does have complicated situations and I think that it would be most appropriate for 5th graders and higher.

I give this book four stars out of four.

Full Moon in San Antonio

We were on a family trip to San Antonio. SuperPizzaBoy was in the hotel pool the first evening there. The moon was out. Funny thing, it started out small and got bigger as the evening progressed.

Visit Skywatch Friday for hundreds of views of the sky from all over the world.

Alamo City Trip

Last week the family packed up and flew down to San Antonio for a little weekend trip in conjunction with a business trip.

We had a great time!

Of course, if you go there, you have to stay on the riverwalk and take a boat tour. We had a great tour guide. I’m sure that some of the stuff that he told us might even be true. It all made a great story.

There was a reenactment of the Battle of the Alamo going on. Sweetie got a photograph of Davy Crockett complete with coonskin cap. She was really looking for Phil Collins. You see the boat guide above told us that Phil Collins was in town and attending the reenactment. So we stalked Phil Collins all over town. Never saw him. Person at Hard Rock Cafe said “He was here last week.” Hah!


We stayed at the Marriott Rivercenter. Great place to stay, right on the river. SuperPizzaBoy thought they had a great pool.


Sweetie is still looking for Phil. Sorry Sweetie, you are stuck with me. Yea, lucky you!


Action shot of me and SPB checking out the action on the river.

Sweetie Done Gone and Left Me – Ran Off With My Only Son

Me, Sweetie, and SuperPizzaBoy were down here in San Antonio since last Friday. Today, Sweetie and SPB done packed up their stuff and left me and headed back to Tulsa. Oh, woe is me.

I consoled myself by finding five geocaches. Two right on the riverwalk. (Another post coming up).

Then I went to the hospitality suites. You see I’m at the annual Gas Processors Convention, this year in San Antonio. They are kind of like the Grammys but for natural gas. Well kind of anyway. We don’t have quite the television ratings the Grammy’s have but may be next year.

The GPA Convention hospitality suites are fun!? Food is free and so is the drink.

I didn’t see too many people I know. I was on my own. My basic problem (I know, I have many basic problems, but this is my blog, so let me finish, pleeeease) is that I’m a business guy at a techie convention. I go to see what our competitors are up to plus get them ever important pdh certificates (“professional development hours”) needed to maintain my Professional Engineers certification.

So, anyway, without Sweetie, I had to negotiate the hospitality suites on my own. They all have these big expensive billboards out front that scare me half to death, like the following:

Do you know what they are talking about? Let me know, because I don’t. I’m just looking for something to eat and drink.

What about the following:

Jeez, power my engineering calculations? How about a decent red wine so I can think about it! Also, you know something. 1970’s disco sucked back then and has only gotten worse. Do something different. Cut back on the dj budget and increase the food budget! Yea, now we are talking!

But, around the corner, in the “less choice spot, I saw this sign. Belgian Beer.! Wow! Check it out.

Three types of Belgian Beer. No Chimay Triple Bec but I had a wonderful Hoegaarden. Fragrance of peaches, apple, and caramel. Had to listen to a presentation by the the beer rep before I got the beer. Yep, I know that Belgian beers each have their own glass so that is why I can’t leave the room with the glass. You don’t understand. I’m staying here until you throw me out. I’m sold, Give me the beer, please! Finally. (Note to people who want to get into sales, when the customer says OK, then what you should do is SHUT UP! Got it, he or she is already sold, QUIT TALKING! and start making them glad that they went with you.

I’ll tell you, next time you are looking at overhauling or replacing your turboexpander I recommend you call L.A. Turbine. I don’t know if they are any good or not but they serve good beer.

What’ Your Style?

In my line of work I have to be able to get my point across both to my fellow employees and to our customers. Its a very long term relationship business and we have make sure that both we and the customer know what we are getting into. So I have developed a pretty direct communication style. It seems to work for me. What works for you? Let us know!


You Communicate Passionately


You speak from the heart. You can’t separate your feelings from what you’re saying, even in a professional context.

You tend to speak dramatically, with lots of passion and emotion. It’s easy for you to get swept up in what you’re saying.

You like to connect with people early on so that you can personalize what you are saying to them.

When you converse, you try to find common ground and harmony. Even if you disagree with someone, you try to emphasize where you agree.

What Kind of Girl Scout Cookie Are You?


You Are Peanut Butter Sandwiches / Do-si-dos


You are easy going and naturally happy. You don’t need a lot to make you smile.

You genuinely care about people and are a great friend. You’re always doing your best to make the world a better place.

Even though there isn’t an immature bone in your body, you still are like a big kid sometimes.

Why make life complicated when the best parts are actually quite simple? You enjoy the small joys of life.

It made it all well worth it!

The Yogi family belongs to a big Megachurch. We love it there and have got to know a lot of people and find the whole experience rewarding.

One of the things that though is that they are always short of volunteers for the Children’s Sunday Schools. I understand why. We got a little burned out as we taught together in SuperPizzaBoy’s classes for several years. We got burnt out so we quit for a while.

Sweetie started teaching again late last year in the four year old class. She ended up being the only adult though in a whole room full of healthy rambunctious kids. I volunteered to help out.

Last Sunday was my first duty. It was fun. Sweetie was the boss so I just got to play with the kids. I played legos with the boys at the lego table, I played duck duck goose with the girls. I helped shepherd them down and back from the big group room. Got to hold some hands doing that.

Back to the four year old’s room Sweetie led the lesson and I tried kept the boys focused. Then the snack. I got to help pass out the mix. Some kids liked marshmellows, others goldfish, others pretzels. I had a bunch of demanding customers. They kept me hopping pretty good!

I did get a tip though. One little girl said come here, hugged my neck with her little arms, and said “you smell beautiful.” I’m not sure what she meant, I don’t wear any cologne but I do bathe at least once every spring, but it made my day!

“Runner” by Thomas Perry


I am a Thomas Perry fan and have enjoyed his books but I just couldn’t get into this book. This was my first Jane whitefield book of his and Jane and I never quite hit it off. The action seemed perfunctory, the suspense wasn’t there. I didn’t feel anything about the characters at all.

I rate this book 1.5 stars out of 4.