Funmurphys: the Blog

Outstanding Flight Photos

A friend emailed me a URL with some absolutely fantastic photos of an aerial journey across "the good ol' US of A" from California to Oshkosh for the fabled Airventure. One more vicarious tick in box of things to do before I die.

Picture Safari

Shelley at BurningBird went to the zoo here in St. Louis and as usual has some wonderful pictures.

UPDATE: I fixed the link, so try it again. (Both of you).

USS Alabama

I read on One Hand Clapping that the USS Alabama in Mobile Bay was damaged. Amid all the death and destruction, I suppose that's really no big deal. But I remember the happy time and amazement when I visited it as a kid, and I remember the happy time and amazement when I visited it again with my kids. Here is a picture of my wife and son during our visit:

Happy Mother's Day

To all you mothers out there, happy mother's day. You've made us all possible. Thanks.

In honor of the day, here's a portrait of a mother with children we hope you really like:

SuperNationals v2

This post is new and improved because it has pictures! When I say the hotel was a fabulous resort hotel, I mean this fabulous:

The place was so huge, and the Mills Mall next door was so huge, I lost a couple of pounds while eating out every meal. Except for breakfast on Saturday, when I was happy just to get anything. We figured we'd eat at the hotel, but when you have 5,000 players plus family all trying to eat before 9AM and only two (possibly 3) eateries were open in the hotel, I called my wife and demanded she find food for us. McDonalds was mobbed, so she hit Citgo and got us some powdered donuts and something that resembled a very small danish.

I don't want to give the impression that it was a complete disaster, but there were some rocky parts. The crush of people at the first round trying to get in the playing room but trapped in the hallway outside is something I'm trying to forget. We ducked into the game room just to re-oxygenate. While the pairings were up late, I can't believe the people who just piled up in front of the bulletin boards waiting but uncomfortably crammed in. For K5 and K6 I think the parents were in there because they didn't want their kids getting hurt, but I think it would have been better if they had just stayed back. It was comical watching them trying to get back out from the crush at the boards. Fortunately, after the first round the pairings were up well before the start of the round and spread well apart. After that rocky start, things on the playing end went very smoothly.

The blitz tournament had two defects: they moved the location without putting up a sign -- you had to ask one of the scarce as hens teeth tournament officials -- they started late, and OK, three defects, they took too much time between pairings, especially in the beginning. Here Kyle is ready to go despite the confusion and chaos in round one of the blitz tournament, just waiting to play chess:

Day 1. We were a little hyper in the first round after all the excitement of just getting to the point of finding where to sit, but new chess shirt is on, attitude is going, and it's time to make a point before the game even begins:

Day 2. We've had our donuts, we've got two games under our belt, we know the drill. Sit down, relax, fill out the red card, get the game notation all set up, pose for a picture, hope the old man leaves soon.

I thought the local tournaments were impressive until I went to this one. 5,300 kids playing chess, talking chess, arguing chess, helping each other with chess. They also ran around and acted like kids, and if they hadn't been wearing shirts with chess related slogans you wouldn't have realized they were there for the tournament. We never did go hear any of the lectures because he preferred to hang out in the skittles room with his chess buddies playing the game (bughouse was the most popular) than sit and listen to people, Grandmasters, talk about it. Maybe next year. Here's the picture that sums up the weekend:

Lion Of Chess

In honor of the upcoming Chess Supernationals in Nashville TN, here is the male fruit of the murphys loins with his latest chess trophy:

The photo is lousy, but his play that day wasn't.

Dog Blogging III

It's time to bring back that Saturday favorite, dog blogging. My wife and son took the dog with them to Castlewood for a hike on Thursday; I spent part of Thursday night removing hardened gum (spearmint judging from the aroma) from his paw. Scissors and denatured alcohol were required for the job, and trooper that he is he didn't complain a bit, he just took it like a, well, a man. He is the sweetest dog, but he has the put upon, o woe is me look down pat:

Notice the use of the blanket as a pillow. Just in case you were wondering, he's a Welsh Pembroke Corgi, and he's reached the time of year when the fur explodes off of him.

Tree Blogging 2

Spring is almost here; I hope my next nature picture is of the crocus blooming outside my front door. But until then, I'm still living off the glories of last fall. Therefore here is tree that was glorious last fall and to which the picture cannot do full justice.

Dog Blogging II

Tree Blogging

After downpours here that seeped into the basement followed by a coating of snow last night, I'm in the mood for some of the glories of Autumn. So here is a picture of tree in my neighborhood that was gorgeous this fall.

Dog Blogging

I know the tradition that Fridays are for Cat Blogging, but I have no idea when you're supposed to dog blog. So I'm going to do mine on Saturday:

He loves pillows.

Mighty Casey

This weeks entry for Picture Envy

Portrait of the Artist

Friday On The Road With Ali

This photo is from my long ago sojurn in Pakistan. What can I say? I was young, experimental, and I thought taking black and white photo's had edge. This mythic shot depects the journey of linear thought along the road to nowhere in the arid plane of logic. Or it could just be somebody riding a donkey along a dusty road.

Another photo entry for Unbillable Hours Picture Envy

Little Man in Big Shot

In 1997 we vacationed in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Kyle was fascinated by the birds at the beach. It was just one of the many things he loves about the beach.

I'm putting this shot up in honor of a new photo carnival. Now we'll see if I have time to actually enter it.

Link Via Da Goddess

Blogger Pictures

Outside The Beltway got a lot of play with their list of female blogger pictures. Just in case somebody wants to compile a list of male blogger pictures, I'm posting this one (I think nothing says class like topless):

In case you're wondering what my better half looks like, or my crib, here you go: