tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-265956452011-11-27T17:44:34.829-06:00James Graysonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-87257334739133113602007-11-16T17:10:00.000-06:002007-11-28T09:41:25.747-06:00

Look how clean the floors are now! All of the laundry is put away and the dishes are done, too! OK, my nose is growing. What did happen occurred when a giant forklift came in the middle of the night, picked the shack up off it's blocks, and set it down on it's new foundation here.Moving on up like George and Weezie!In my quest to become a Joomla! master, I transformed Daddyshack from a blog to a

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-53182763852191288602007-11-15T16:52:00.000-06:002007-11-16T10:57:45.419-06:00

My Dad called me earlier and said he was having withdrawal because I haven't posted anything here in almost a week. I've been working on some web stuff, learning new things, and reading the computer screen until my eyes start to roll up into the back of my head. Be on the lookout for something new to appear here soon. So in an effort to keep what readers I do have amused, I thought I'd share this

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-63675649136292247512007-11-09T10:10:00.000-06:002007-11-10T20:00:43.336-06:00

My son has a messed up internal alarm clock this week. Normally I have to go in and poke on him to get him out of bed in time to get dressed, eat breakfast, and brush his teeth before we have to leave for school. Wednesday morning he awoke at 4:45 am, Thursday it was 4:46 am, and today it was 4:44 am. At least he's consistent.----------Did you know Wonder Pets like celery tacos? They do.---------

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-49575147192415222042007-11-08T09:59:00.000-06:002007-11-08T10:10:46.266-06:00

Next in the series of Interviews from the Daddyshack is Ed Lamaze. I first met him on the DadStaysHome.com forum and quickly discovered his blog titled Zoë's Dad. Ed has been an at-home dad for over 6 years. Once an ER nurse, he is now bandaging boo-boos full time at home. With five children, two of them twins, he somehow managed to find time to come into the Daddyshack for an interview. Here is

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-44016241356982128222007-11-06T20:05:00.000-06:002007-11-06T21:43:18.587-06:00

Today was a day that will go down in history. It may not ever make it in a school textbook but it will make it on this blog for the world to remember.I witnessed one of my vehicles hit the 100,000 mile mark."Big deal," you say? Actually, yes it is. If you knew my past history with cars you would understand the significance of this extremely rare and very eagerly celebrated occasion. The

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-10227552419028771982007-11-01T11:24:00.001-05:002007-11-01T11:24:15.238-05:00

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-16030319829719915112007-11-01T11:15:00.000-05:002007-11-01T11:45:29.057-05:00

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-12075625688610123122007-10-25T10:30:00.000-05:002007-10-25T10:35:39.253-05:00

Before you all get excited that I am about to go into graphic detail about the parts of my body, let me assure you that kind of information is not what this article is about. I'm sorry to disappoint you. Yesterday I went up to the new health club for my Graphical Summary and Body Age Analysis. This a free session with a personal trainer that you schedule when you join the club and pay them money

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-75682552508782977632007-10-21T15:36:00.000-05:002007-10-23T22:57:55.152-05:00

Last week a new health club/resort spa, Life Time Fitness, finally opened it's doors in South Austin. Since I have decided that it is time to get back in tip-top shape it couldn't have come at a better time. The last time I joined a health club it was about ten years ago in my mid 20's. We had no children then and my schedule was work late, stay up later, sleep late, go to the gym, rinse and

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-50729836414886945752007-10-17T09:19:00.000-05:002007-10-17T10:59:24.834-05:00

It's been kind of quiet on the blog front this last week. I was preparing myself for a big trip to the dentist on Monday by staying up late pondering the future of my mouth with cold beverages and cancer sticks (sorry Mom & Dad, but I smoked again). I am happy to say that as of Sunday night I am tobacco free. I never had a hard time quitting, no real urges to smoke, but it was always easy to

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-24983519690667999882007-10-11T09:59:00.000-05:002007-10-11T14:44:17.116-05:00

My daughter will be two years old soon. Where has the time gone? She is sitting in a "big girl" chair at the table, can navigate up and down the stairs without falling, scoots around on a tricycle, attempts to climb out of her crib, and can handle anything her big brother throws at her - literally.She is also learning a ton of new words and singing along with the alphabet song and "Rainbow

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-77177026991157578762007-10-08T23:16:00.000-05:002007-10-09T23:29:45.989-05:00

and a movie. What should have been a stomping by the Dallas Cowboys on the Buffalo Bills turned out to be just the opposite. Tony Romo was intercepted five times by the Bills, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Then they returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Romo also fumbled the ball once. On paper it should have been a blowout by the Bills, who were underdogs going into the game.Tony Romo

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-288342227569164202007-10-04T09:21:00.000-05:002007-10-04T09:53:52.217-05:00

I am happy to announce a new series of at-home dad interviews for my Because I Said So column at Quirkee.com! There are so many at-home dads online that have formed friendships in the various blog communities and forums. I thought it would be fun to share some of them with you by asking them about their lives. The first installment of Interviews from the Daddyshack is with Whit Honea! Some of

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-45843215484568833122007-09-30T16:24:00.000-05:002007-09-30T16:41:51.323-05:00

My wife and I don't have a date night very often, but we should. Our lives seem to get overly busy and we don't make the time. A friend offered to come by tonight and watch our screaming demons wonderfully well-behaved children so we could go to dinner. Woo-hoo! We are going to have some delicious Italian food and a bottle of wine at Romeo's Italian Grill, a favorite romantic spot of ours for

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-14188953802506639082007-09-29T21:22:00.000-05:002007-09-30T00:09:06.602-05:00

A break from the normWent to Nana and Papa'sTo play at their house----------------------------------------------Lots of good swimmingMeans lots of good sleep for kidsThat is a nice thing----------------------------------------------Back home with MamaAll safe and sound in our bedsHappy as can be

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-56461222866272777012007-09-25T09:40:00.000-05:002007-09-25T20:47:25.695-05:00

I wasn't going to gloat about the Cowboys beating da Bears, but it was expected on my friend's blog so I will.Woo-hoo! The first half of the game had me worried but the Cowboys dominated da Bears in the second half! The defense was picking off Rex Grossman left and right! Tony Romo had his way with da Bears secondary coverage, too, and put the ball in the hands of seven different receivers with

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-71968238483981664112007-09-23T14:38:00.000-05:002007-09-23T15:05:00.571-05:00

Back in August, a fellow blogging dad buddy (who lives in Chicago) and I made a friendly wager on today's Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears game. If da Bears beat the Cowboys I will put their logo on my blog for 30 days. If the Cowboys beat da Bears he will do the same.GO COWBOYS!

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-61919627067214115182007-09-19T20:44:00.001-05:002007-09-19T23:42:40.612-05:00

By the time I was done watching Ryan Shaw I started to get hungry. My stomach was full of a liter of water and was begging for something of substance. I headed back in the direction of the food court around 1:00 pm while watching scores of people file through the entrance of the festival. Some looked fresh and ready to go like they had been dropped off, while others looked like they had just

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-55131194054060610362007-09-18T17:18:00.000-05:002007-09-18T23:34:04.512-05:00

I sealed my fate for the Father of the Year Award tonight when I took my kids to 7-11 for dinner. What can I say? They love processed cheese sauce and drinks that are void of any nutritional value. I don't let them eat like that every day. I swear.+++++On the way to the 7-11 for our gourmet healthy dinner of nachos, hot dogs, Slurpees, and a cookie with Dallas Cowboys frosting on it, a woman on

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-38378920831281137072007-09-17T19:58:00.000-05:002007-09-18T11:47:23.747-05:00

I returned Sunday morning from the store and packed up my two liters of water, sunscreen, a camera, extra batteries, bands schedule, notepad, two pens, some cash for food and drinks, then threw on my running shoes and headed out to try and land a prime spot under the Mopac bridge at Lady Bird Lake. Lady Luck was on my side as I bounced my truck into one of the last spots in the dirt across from

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-52446317594348868962007-09-16T09:33:00.000-05:002007-09-16T09:40:44.211-05:00

I'm heading out to ACL Fest today. Should be hot, sweaty, and loud! Hopefully I'll meet up with some friends out there but it would be their third day in a row so they may be exhausted. When you're past your 20's you seem to lose some stamina to handle 3 days, 130 bands, for 8-10 hours a day.But I'm covering the last day for Quirkee and may or may not end up with a band interview on-site. Either

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-18856292996485659802007-09-10T13:19:00.001-05:002007-09-13T00:08:24.841-05:00

Being a generally happy human being with not too much to complain about, I rarely ever use this space to rant about things. The only times I recall doing so were when people in positions of power abuse them and it gets under my skin.The other day as I was coming home from picking up my son from preschool we were traveling through a school zone that is part of our daily route. This school zone is

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-10169225018967466842007-09-06T09:33:00.000-05:002007-09-06T09:35:25.960-05:00

Ever since turning thirty I have had this thing about my birthdays, like not wanting them to come. I have indifferences about getting older and my birthday is just another reminder of that. Maybe it's because I am happy with my life where it is. My kids are still nice to me, I am healthy, I have most of my hair left, and I don't have any unsightly nose or ear hairs to pluck. Yesterday, my wife

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-58764631737621447492007-09-04T22:47:00.000-05:002007-09-04T23:49:45.125-05:00

For the last 16 years we have had a family reunion at my Grandparents house in Marble Falls, TX, about an hour outside of Austin. Normally it is held the last weekend in June, but Marble Falls was under water that weekend. My Grandparents postponed it until last weekend so they could dry out, redo the back room from the flood damage, and so we could actually cross roads that were previously

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-18372576533612434102007-09-04T20:47:00.000-05:002007-09-14T13:03:21.715-05:00

Another at-home dad here in Austin has started a new project titled "A Year In Photos" where he will post a new picture he has taken every day for the next 365 days. He started on September 1st and all really great shots! I have yet to meet him but hope to do so one day soon. Check out his blog here,or click one of my favorites so far below titledbest shoes ever...Photo by Bryan McNeal

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-27755033979295388052007-08-31T17:56:00.002-05:002007-08-31T18:25:17.007-05:00

This has been the week of spiders. First, my buddy over at A Man Among Mommies posted a photo he took of an Orb Weaver spider outside his back door. Then a monster 200 yard spider web in Texas was in the news. So I decided to cap off this week of spiders with my own photos. I noticed some webs in the backyard one morning a few weeks ago and the sun was hitting them just right. I lightly sprayed

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-3762192594172465092007-08-30T10:52:00.000-05:002007-08-30T16:58:51.528-05:00

This summer has come and gone in a blink of an eye. Each one seems to go faster than the last and they all end with my birthday as a reminder that I am one more year closer to retirement or death, whichever comes first.The last few months have been a big Summer of Firsts in this house. My son had his first jump into a pool from the side (with a life vest on), his first trip to Dallas Cowboys

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-87094101147305324792007-08-28T16:57:00.001-05:002007-08-30T10:17:13.816-05:00

The wildflowers in our front yard continue to bloom in the August heat and don't look like they are going to stop as long as I keep watering them. They were from a bag of mariposa y colibri seeds from Crawdaddy & Mitzi. The mariposa's sure have been around a lot but only one colibri has been spotted this year and he flew away too fast for me to get a picture!

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-35956657986997037762007-08-27T17:34:00.000-05:002007-08-27T18:22:05.958-05:00

Today I got a chance to sit at my desk and work on a few things while my son was back in school and my daughter took one of her long morning naps. She only gets those long morning naps when her brother is not around for her to antagonize.The house was quiet. I turned on the news to what was happening. It was a nice change from Sesame Street, Blues Clues, and SpongeBob SquarePants. What I didn't

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-20845692208342802572007-08-25T22:56:00.000-05:002007-08-25T23:21:44.638-05:00

Here it is. The Awesome Dude Blogger Award. Drum roll please........ummm, I said DRUM ROLL PLEASE!Did anybody bring drums to this party? No? Great. Another "big event" is going unnoticed because someone forgot to order the popcorn, some drums, and a dancing monkey. Oh well, I guess I'll just wing it. So I had 8 entries for the weirdest word to receive the ADB Award and 7 of them were from a

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-57871414034535640032007-08-22T23:34:00.000-05:002007-08-22T23:59:22.943-05:00

...will be given to the next blogger who can send me the weirdest word. No dirty words allowed.You have 72 hours. 3 days. Good friggin' luck.

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-82011935762764961302007-08-18T10:13:00.000-05:002007-08-18T14:32:59.849-05:00

The latest round of recalls of almost 19 million toys by Mattel this last week adds to the ever growing number of lead tainted toys or parts that kids can choke on. Some expert advice from an article in the Austin American Statesman today suggested that this was a good opportunity to talk to our kids about these issues instead of just hiding their favorite toy and tossing it out with the trash

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-58071094174547909072007-08-16T21:28:00.000-05:002007-08-16T21:56:43.558-05:00

It seems as though the 2007 Austin Enchilada Controversy has come to an end. The Perez sisters who own Las Manitas on Congress Avenue have decided to turn down the mostly forgivable $750,000 loan from the City of Austin. In a statement released earlier today the sisters said,"We concluded that trying to operate a small business under these circumstances is not practical or consistent with how we

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-15251021563155726182007-08-14T08:46:00.000-05:002007-08-14T10:14:30.696-05:00

Last night at the dads forum poker table, my friend over at A Man Among Mommies and I made a bet on the upcoming Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears game on September 23rd. When da Bears lose to the Cowboys he will have to put America's Team star logo on his blog for 30 days. If for some strange reason (like the team all gets food poisoning and can't play) the Cowboys lose to da Bears, I will have

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-18783734744904204612007-08-12T14:36:00.000-05:002007-08-12T23:50:45.281-05:00

One of the fun things that gets passed around bloggers is the Blogger Interview. It is kind of like the meme's (still not sure what that means) but shorter and the questions are determined by the blogger who sends the interview to you. Mine was done by my cyber pal and also former bartender, Whit, over at The Honea Express.The Rules of Engagement are posted at the end of this interview so if you

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-35187727717293420852007-08-11T18:47:00.000-05:002007-08-11T23:00:46.334-05:00

Watching golf today was the best thing I could have done after a night of minimal sleep. Golf on TV doesn't require you to pay much attention and your brain can doze in and out of consciousness without you actually being aware of it. Rapid thoughts running through your head come to a dead stop while watching golf. I like that sometimes.As you can probably guess by the title of this blog, I love

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-28037878661002400592007-08-09T19:19:00.000-05:002007-08-09T20:17:36.619-05:00

writing another blog post about my Dallas Cowboys...too late.The first game of the year is on! No matter that it doesn't really count. I'm just happy to see my team back on the tube for the next six months. That's right, I said six months, which means only one other team will see that much action as they meet the Cowboys in the SUPER BOWL!My Dad and I just made verbal plans (it's a contract!) to

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-48688921594136398772007-08-09T08:59:00.000-05:002007-08-09T09:02:03.934-05:00

It was a warm and muggy Sunday afternoon. Not even a cold chocolate milkshake could quench the thirst of a four-year old boy on the way to his first Dallas Cowboys Training Camp."Are we at the game, yet?" he would ask more than a dozen times in less than an hour."Pretty soon," was my repeated response. "And it's not really a game, it's practice."The anticipation was killing me, too. It had been

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-32483267430648975002007-08-07T20:41:00.000-05:002007-08-07T21:34:13.610-05:00

Due to lack of interest in my contest to come up with a paragraph of words from A-Z, I am canceling the Awesome Dude Blogger Award Contest.I know, all of you are devastated and were really looking forward to seeing how I would pull off this contest with some many entries to choose from. Well, I guess you will never know. It's OK, my feelings are not hurt, and I don't feel any less awesome

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-46543555199794324912007-08-06T10:14:00.000-05:002007-08-07T13:01:51.306-05:00

Hello readers and bloggers,Quirkee.com has updated its blog feature. Before you had to be registered user to read the blog pages. Not anymore! Quirkee Blogs are now open for everybody to read! We are talking 10's of 1,000's of readers each month and growing by the second. Kind of like my St. Augustine grass in the months of June and July this summer when we had 30 inches of rain.You must still be

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-77359056192612593232007-08-04T13:30:00.000-05:002007-08-04T21:33:39.716-05:00

I'm so lucky to have read the Statesman today. I'm sure many of you are, too. I would like to thank our City Council and Las Manitas for teaching all of us a valuable lesson in how to successfully run a profitable small business in Austin, TX.Open a small business in a desirable location but not in a building that you own. Lease the space from another business owner.Sell halfway decent products

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-89466002669988647492007-08-02T11:17:00.000-05:002007-08-02T11:23:53.981-05:00

We have all told a fib or two, or twenty. Don't lie. You know you have. Lying is a way for the human race to stay out of trouble, land a great job, call in "sick" at said job, maybe get a date, and many other things. Lying is bad and we know it because that is what we tell our children."If there is one thing we will not tolerate in this house, it is lying."Find out what happens when you lie by

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-186962380282385332007-07-29T09:13:00.000-05:002007-07-30T13:59:28.635-05:00

Words can't describe the feelings rushing through my body! I have been given the equivalent of the Academy Award for bloggers! OK, maybe more like an MTV award since it comes with a guitar and the words "Awesome Dude" attached to it.YDS of Rattling The Kettle out in Cali was bestowed this ongoing award by another Awesome Dude Blogger and did a caption contest for this photo of a zebra he took at

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-91717551215727148192007-07-26T08:30:00.000-05:002007-07-26T08:41:06.323-05:00

The Little Mr. and I had our 2nd Annual Guy’s Weekend last week while Mama and Little Bit were out of town for their 2nd Annual Girl’s Weekend. Last year for the inaugural event, my son and I went to the FedEx Kinko’s Classic golf tournament. This year we had a whole lot more planned! Thursday we took it easy and went to one of his favorite joints for dinner and a chocolate milkshake. After

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-18397214675137588632007-07-24T14:22:00.000-05:002007-07-24T16:38:02.389-05:00

Even though you are the grown-up, do you ever find yourself...cutting your own sandwiches into triangles?turning on cartoons while the kids are napping?wishing you could have gotten a sticker at the doctor's office?opening the Happy Meal toy and playing with it first?sneaking French fries off your child's plate when they are not looking?jumping the gun in a race so your four-year old won't beat

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-65791453771017047042007-07-21T09:50:00.001-05:002007-07-21T09:51:30.937-05:00

Mama and Lil' BitLeft for a girl's weekend tripJust me and the boy-------------------------------------------Saw RatatouilleMy son's first time at moviesMy first time in years--------------------------------------------Playing golf todayIf the rain will stay awayHe sure wants to play

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-69008119406761063552007-07-19T08:16:00.000-05:002007-07-19T08:40:15.299-05:00

Some of you might be wondering why I would want to do this. Well, sometimes you just have to take one for the team. If you can't make fun of yourself, somebody else will do it for you.This week at Quirkee.com we are starting a photo contest. Have you ever worn something that was a little crazy? I'm not talking about Halloween costumes. For example, I went to my Senior Prom in 1991 with American

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-21855745811942770342007-07-15T18:44:00.000-05:002007-07-16T01:01:35.514-05:00

I went out this morning and took some photos of Lady Bird Johnson's procession to Stonewall, TX, to be buried next to President Johnson. I was going to write a blog post about it, but a fellow blogging friend at the Statesman wrote one that is much better than what I would have written. So I will give you a photo that I took and a link to her post."Lady Bird's Passing" by Julie Brown Casey

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-87198027323973157472007-07-14T15:00:00.000-05:002007-07-14T15:04:38.308-05:00

It's my own fault, really. Last year when I renewed my subscription I paid for a whole year up front so I wouldn't forget to pay my bill. I could always tell before when my bill had gotten "lost" in the mess that is called my desk. I would mosey on up the driveway ready to pick up my newspaper and it wouldn't be there. I usually suspected a newspaper bandit was responsible, but quickly remembered

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-51603524587326755062007-07-12T09:23:00.000-05:002007-07-21T17:09:06.031-05:00

Fatherhood has been a learning experience to say the least. Other than the Saturday parenting class at the "lady parts" doctor's office, we had no formal training preparing us for what we were about to endure. We were given almost every parenting guidebook on the shelves before birth, but after reading a few chapters I just couldn't take it anymore. When one book tells you something different

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-59487829082148631682007-07-09T11:05:00.000-05:002007-07-09T20:27:39.899-05:00

Summertime. I hear it's on the way. Hot and humid days. It was nice to have a June that felt like April. It was nice to have the rain, although not so nice for my grandparents in Marble Falls whose back room flooded just two days before the annual family reunion. Since the town was upside down in asphalt and washed out homes, the reunion was postponed.Yep, here comes summer. And since we had an

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-11732929691753914262007-07-07T11:11:00.000-05:002007-07-07T11:15:23.645-05:00

A buddy of mine just came back from Vegas where he played some mean poker. Poker in Vegas seems to be a lot more exciting than poker at his house. Here is his post from day one where he managed to piss off an entire room of people.

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-50002555762747291642007-07-04T08:57:00.000-05:002007-07-05T08:57:47.915-05:00

Freedom. It's a word that means so much and can represent something so little. We are free to choose where we live, where we worship, what sports teams to cheer for, and the clothes we want to wear. We also have the freedom to be morons, pick our noses in public, and eat junk food all day.We are free to dance and free to sing, even if we have no rhythm and are completely tone deaf.We are free to

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-15193025135820878892007-07-01T21:43:00.000-05:002007-07-01T21:51:20.161-05:00

This Sunday, July 1st, is the day four years ago when my life completely changed. No, not the day I got out of rehab or jail. It was the day my son was born. All of the sudden it was no more late nights out with our friends closing down bars after work. No more midnight runs to the nearby bowling alley to squeeze in a few games and a few bowling pin shaped beers. From that day on it was diaper,

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-37746299979231088652007-06-30T08:25:00.000-05:002007-06-30T08:28:15.983-05:00

A break from much rainTo mow my St. AugustineGrass growing crazy--------------------------------------------Dadstock is todayA party for at-home dadsBut I can't make it---------------------------------------------My son turning fourHe sure is growing up fastAs fast as my grass

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-47384213309105146342007-06-29T10:52:00.001-05:002007-07-21T17:13:28.355-05:00

Megan Mooney & Eddie Gossling are very funny comedians with their own Comedy Central shows. They are also married and now have a new baby. We just did a couple of 20 Questions interviews with them over at Quirkee.com if you are interested in checking it out.Enjoy!

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-56419725676598446292007-06-28T17:44:00.000-05:002007-06-28T17:55:10.049-05:00

The rain just keeps on coming here in Central Texas. The plants, grass, and wildflowers sure do love it. We planted some wildflower seeds this year to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Some we planted out front in that little strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. Some we planted in pots in the backyard. The ones in pots didn't take off like the ones in the ground and I think a

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-45466481813131534312007-06-28T08:22:00.000-05:002007-06-28T08:24:37.943-05:00

This Sunday, July 1st, is the day four years ago when my life completely changed. No, not the day I got out of rehab or jail. It was the day my son was born. All of the sudden it was no more late nights out with our friends closing down bars after work. No more midnight runs to the nearby bowling alley to squeeze in a few games and a few bowling pin shaped beers. From that day on it was diaper,

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-81143558811288052342007-06-27T08:35:00.000-05:002007-06-27T09:08:10.334-05:00

With as busy as our lives get we don't travel as often anymore. Vacations are few and far between and when we do travel it is usually by car to visit family. Since the birth of our first child four years ago we have traveled by flying only once when we went to Las Vegas for a family wedding. It was the first time our boy, who was about 18 months old, had been on a plane and like most parents we

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-8020373229319676042007-06-24T00:07:00.000-05:002007-06-24T00:13:26.879-05:00

I would like to thank Another At-Home Dad for posting this video on his blog so I could see it. What a great song by Ben Folds. Here is the video and the lyrics..."still fighting it"ben foldsgood morning soni am a bird wearing a brown polyester shirt you want a coke? maybe some fries? the roast beef combo's only nine ninety five but it's okay you don't have to pay i've got all the change

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-71056553107508070522007-06-22T10:50:00.000-05:002007-06-22T10:53:30.364-05:00

As a child I was always a picky eater and didn't really eat meat until college and beyond. When the methods of producing foie gras hit the news last week I kind of had an idea already how it went down having worked in restaurants for many years. I have never tried foie gras because quite frankly, duck or goose liver doesn't make me salivate in the first place. Not that I needed another reason to

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-46481279075304990852007-06-21T09:21:00.000-05:002007-06-21T09:22:25.334-05:00

Every once in a while things around Camp Grayson become a little redundant and I find I have nothing new to write about. Sure, I can come up with a paragraph or two about poop, or translate a bit of conversation with the Little Mister to fill up some blog posts, but having enough material to write a full article on can be like trying to squeeze that last little amount of toothpaste stuck to the

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-49976155784772162612007-06-19T07:24:00.000-05:002007-06-19T10:31:19.657-05:00

I have been tagged by Ba Doozie, one of my new favorite bloggers to read. I joined up on MyBlogLog several months ago and have discovered new and interesting blogs. I've never been tagged before. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.Game Rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-34358301370987228942007-06-17T11:18:00.000-05:002007-06-17T11:20:19.126-05:00

Happy Father's DayLet's go eat breakfast Daddy!Music to my ears--------------------------------------------Rainy Father's DayGolf on TV all day longAnd beer in the fridge--------------------------------------------Wife makes lasagnaFor my Father's Day dinnerI sure do love her

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-14761592402108044612007-06-14T11:19:00.001-05:002007-06-14T11:57:51.064-05:00

Being an at-home parent does have some negatives, albeit small ones compared to the positives. One negative is the lack of adult communication on a daily basis. Sometimes a trip to the grocery store provides a welcome relief by striking up a conversation with a stranger or friendly employee that knows you as a regular.But the advantages of being an at-home parent far outweigh the negatives for

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-34997797725620906532007-06-13T15:55:00.000-05:002007-06-13T16:21:04.215-05:00

My blog posting kind of fell off the planet in the last week. We had family in town last weekend and I spent most of last week shooting photos. Then Monday came and I started getting sick with the rest of the family. After being horizontal for most of yesterday I have spent some time actually sitting at the computer today. I haven't been able to stimulate my brain enough to write anything this

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-578448226560222582007-06-07T13:33:00.000-05:002007-06-07T13:48:21.405-05:00

I think I ticked off the blog traffic counter over on my Statesman blog. I've seen gestures like this in Austin traffic before, but never blog traffic. Geez.Anyway, on with Quirkee Thursday!The other day we were driving along in my truck when my wife looked around and said, "Have you just totally given up? This truck is a mess!" It isn't really a mess, just littered with random little toys,

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-59825643669386887892007-06-05T08:11:00.000-05:002007-06-05T11:01:23.046-05:00

I'm sure to ruffle a few feathers with this post, but I'm going to say it anyway. Las Manitas is not that good. There. I said it. In the 14 years I have been in Austin I have eaten at Las Manitas a dozen times. It was always a good spot for Saturday or Sunday breakfast grease to soak up the beer from the night before. The food was okay but I don't think it's worth a $750,000 mostly forgivable

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-63642010843968490062007-05-31T08:24:00.000-05:002007-05-31T08:25:51.700-05:00

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is...drinking coffee and getting Quirkee! Are there any picky eaters in your family? Do you like frog legs? Did you answer yes and yes? Yes and no? No and yes? No and no? Well, then I have a story for you! Kick back and relax while the boss is out of the office and read today's edition of Quirkee.com!

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-39372132255323698012007-05-30T16:25:00.001-05:002007-05-30T16:39:07.944-05:00

Now that summer has arrived and all of the shows we usually watch after the kids are asleep have had their season finales, I am finding myself in front of the computer playing poker more often. When I told my wife the other day that I just lost a few grand playing poker online she paused for a second and waited to hear me say that is was pretend money. She asked that from now on I use finger

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-88573925754780808312007-05-28T14:08:00.000-05:002007-05-28T18:50:06.464-05:00

Some of you reading my blog at this location may not be aware that I have an extension of it at the Austin American Statesman. It is called Daddyshack: The 19th Hole. I started it last month in hopes of gaining new readers and to post some of my previously published articles from Quirkee.com. Well, I am happy to say that it worked and in just over five weeks I have had more than 10,000 hits! I

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-16188295465113855122007-05-26T12:51:00.000-05:002007-05-26T15:07:09.678-05:00

Little Mr.: How do you get this damn thing out? Me: What did you just say? Little Mr.: I can't get this damn thing out. Me: You are not supposed to say that word. Little Mr.: (confused) But Daddy, I'm trying to get this damn thing out! Me: I know I used that word yesterday and I shouldn't have. You can't say that word. Little Mr.: (even more confused) Then can you help me get this stamp thing out

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-27139844399221882007-05-26T10:11:00.000-05:002007-05-26T10:13:22.210-05:00

but I am curious if others wonder about this.Many places now are switching to automatic flushing toilets and urinals in their restrooms. This is great because who really wants to touch a public toilet that may or may not have been pee'd on by the previous visitor. Some establiments are even adding automatic sinks with sensors. No handles needed! To finish it off many even have automatic paper

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-18509918055194235162007-05-20T09:35:00.000-05:002007-05-20T09:38:18.133-05:00

A free trampolineThat came with a full night's sleepFor two worn out kids------------------------------------------------ Some landscape timbersAnd a dozen bags of mulchMake mud disappear

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-55723930329586815502007-05-19T09:11:00.000-05:002007-05-19T21:20:47.625-05:00

Lately I have become very interested in macro photography after spending time reading through Daniel Sroka's website. He makes incredible art out of macro photography using things he finds outdoors on walks like seeds, leaves, acorns, tree bark, etc. He brings them home and discovers the unique character in each of them.He creates all of this art without any Photoshop techniques, only what he see

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-45013730959251801582007-05-17T08:49:00.000-05:002007-05-17T14:23:56.186-05:00

I'm not sure how I let this happen. I always have coffee in the house. This morning I went to the kitchen to start a nice warm pot of Texas Pecan coffee and I didn't even have enough beans for a cup. Trying to think through the fog in my half-asleep head, I remembered we had some of those coffee packs that we brought home from a hotel room in case of emergencies. Two decaf packets (no thanks) and

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-44271243212675733012007-05-14T23:06:00.000-05:002007-05-15T00:06:55.534-05:00

I grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex with millions of other people. I grew up in a church with a few hundred people. Our families have all been very close friends my entire life.One friend was in a bad motorcycle accident last Sunday, Mother's Day. This is a guy that I went on many Mission Trips with as a kid where we made a humble attempt to improve the lives of others not as fortunate.

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-270751271741259472007-05-11T22:44:00.000-05:002007-05-11T22:46:14.391-05:00

Finally FridayA rest for the weary soulMommy's soul, not mine

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-55861084575552613712007-05-10T12:14:00.000-05:002007-05-10T12:16:14.347-05:00

It's that time of the week again. Time to get your laugh on! Because I believe in shameless self-promotion, this link right here will take you to my article titled, "My Children Will Never..."Don't forget to read the others since laughing is the best medicine and strengthens your core muscles. That means not only is Quirkee fun, it's healthy, too! If you register with Quirkee you are eligible for

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-70640044207063446152007-05-07T21:40:00.000-05:002007-05-07T22:31:28.385-05:00

Last week my parents moved into a new house after selling my childhood abode. I only spent twelve years there, but they woke up almost every morning in that house for twenty-eight years. It was a little sad to see all of the furniture gone, my Dad mowing the yard for the last time, me taking home the old wooden tree swing with the rusted chain, and taking one last family photo with my parents, my

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-43720094829824204022007-05-02T23:49:00.000-05:002007-05-02T23:55:58.621-05:00

I'm moving up in the Technorati ranks! As of now I am ranked 899,529 with Technorati. Thank you to all who link here and those who don't, link me now! I will link to you, too! Help me help you, help me...help you...

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-66500776720220638032007-04-29T17:24:00.000-05:002007-04-30T08:35:27.870-05:00

As a photographer, I am always sending pictures to the cutting room floor (aka - the Recycle Bin) because of lighting issues, etc. When taking so many photos of a subject at once to insure at least a handful of great ones to use, it is inevitable that some will be deleted - some before you realize it's too late. Luckily this one didn't get away...I was taking a series of photos of my son trying

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-41799372480029138932007-04-28T09:44:00.000-05:002007-04-28T09:47:45.817-05:00

will soon be at the URL www.daddyshack.blogspot.com (without the - in the name)The previous owner of the URL finally gave it up after sitting on it for a few years and not posting. I will still keep this address to forward you to the other one if necessary.Thanks!

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-73517833104968712982007-04-27T09:33:00.000-05:002007-04-27T09:49:21.420-05:00

Most of the time I write about funny things that happen in my life or just life in general. However, some days there are things I hear that are not so funny and make my blood pressure rise a little. Yesterday on the way to my son's preschool I was listening to my favorite morning trio, Mark, Ed, and Sgt. Sam on KLBJ 590 AM. You know you are getting old when you switch over from the KLBJ FM

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-90772908101791483892007-04-26T07:31:00.000-05:002007-04-26T22:52:31.840-05:00

It’s my own fault, really. If I didn’t provide her with so many reasons to laugh at me she wouldn’t. Luckily for me she knew what she was getting when she agreed to marry me. Maybe she just wanted somebody around to make fun of for the rest of her life. I’m fine with that. If my purpose in life is for her to have somebody to rag on, then so be it. I know I’m somewhat goofy. Take for example my

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-16157495868429220182007-04-19T07:42:00.000-05:002007-04-19T11:09:23.971-05:00

When my wife and I first met in our early twenties we both lived a minimalist décor lifestyle. This was not necessarily by choice, however, but mostly because we were broke and moved around the city to different rental properties. Lugging around a bunch of stuff every year was not something we wanted to do while paying daily rates for a U-Haul. As the years passed we began to amass extra stuff

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-42222942533561019152007-04-17T20:03:00.000-05:002007-04-18T11:20:59.431-05:00

I love it when the weather gets warmer and the days last longer. The grass grows nice and thick from the rain; the windows and doors can be open to enjoy the breeze. At our house an open door is an open invitation to any flying insect to help itself to the luxuries of cable TV, fresh fruit, and the warmth of a glowing light bulb at night. With the kids constantly going in and out of the back door

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-58363661542011344032007-04-12T07:39:00.000-05:002007-04-12T07:43:16.208-05:00

“Daddy, why do we have trees?” “Well, trees grow on Earth and provide oxygen to our atmosphere for us to breath,” I said. “But why do we need oxygen, Daddy?” “So we can breath,” I said again. “Oh. But how do we breath?” he asked. “Through our mouths and noses,” I replied. “Oh. Daddy, why do we have noses?” To continue reading click...

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-46537733670510123412007-04-07T20:39:00.000-05:002007-04-12T22:53:14.868-05:00

Today is my friend's 34th birthday and we planned a few weeks ago to get in a round of golf. With the exception of our tennis matches, it had been a while since the two of us had spent any time together without our wives and kids around. This was going to be great! A whole day of golfing starting out with breakfast tacos at Maudie's Tex-Mex Heaven! It doesn't get much better than that.Last night

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-83293247991805954932007-04-06T11:17:00.000-05:002007-04-13T20:32:11.882-05:00

A friend was kind enough to let me build a new masthead for her blog last week. I've been learning new things in Photoshop and Illustrator and she's been wanting to redesign her mama blog. Check out her new look...To see the whole blog click here.

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-21433780258535083842007-04-06T09:18:00.000-05:002007-04-06T09:25:19.629-05:00

Check out this post titled Long Bob the Builder, Short the Sodor Railway from the site Long or Short Capital.Great stuff!Read about Long or Short Capital here.

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-5690354301341981492007-04-05T11:26:00.000-05:002007-04-06T00:01:06.911-05:00

My new bundle of joy arrived yesterday and weighed in at 2 lbs. 11 ounces, and is 6 inches tall! I am happy to say that it was a smooth delivery and both baby and daddy are doing great! She's not quite ready for solid foods yet so I will nurse her until she is ready to wean herself. Hopefully this will be soon. With a little bit of help she is able to sit in a highchair at the table with us for

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-6677223063942766472007-04-03T10:54:00.000-05:002007-04-04T23:03:21.845-05:00

One of the things I do while at home during the day is keep an eye on our Cove for any possible burglars. Since our street is a dead end, I usually notice cars coming and going. This week was our Bulky Item Collection time when everybody puts out their junk for the city to take away. This always brings about the junk collectors who are looking for scrap metal, fixable items, parts from washing

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-41790247880560486712007-03-22T10:18:00.000-05:002007-03-22T10:23:40.092-05:00

Cosmo Kramer had an intern for Kramerica Industries. Why can’t I have one? I don’t have enough time in my day to get everything done. I don’t want to pay a maid but maybe I should. I really don’t want to pay someone to mow the yard. I like to work in the yard. With the exception of going to the store alone that is the only time I get some peace, although not quiet peace since the lawnmower,

menoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-6641221547148329602007-03-19T15:45:00.000-05:002007-03-19T21:10:55.369-05:00

It happened overnight. I had read that it might but didn't know it would happen so fast. Not that I'm complaining or anything! When we moved into our house six years ago we knew it was less than 1/4 mile away from our house. What we should have done was ask the previous owner if we could spend the night for one night to find out how loud it was at 3:00 AM. You see, our house is in an area of

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-11360292735033537982007-03-15T11:01:00.000-05:002007-03-15T11:12:06.694-05:00

1980 Boy this is going to be fun! We get a whole week off from school with no homework! I can’t wait to play at the creek all day, watch TV, eat a bunch of junk, and drive my parents crazy!1985 What a blast this will be going to church camp again for Spring Break! I’ll get a whole week of seeing my friends that I haven’t seen in a year! I wonder if that cute girl Madeline will be there. I think

menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-64805187553496731902007-03-14T11:31:00.000-05:002007-03-14T12:41:15.827-05:00

Last week when I was watching the weather, it looked like a beautiful Spring Break 2007 was in store for us here in Austin. Normally you could set your watch for rain during the week of Spring Break when thousands of people flock here for SXSW. Well, so far this year turned out to be no different. Luckily, the interactive and film part of the festival kept most of the travelers inside

menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-90872446421974569522007-03-13T09:31:00.000-05:002007-03-13T20:27:52.335-05:00

Last week SXSW (South by Southwest) geared up here in Austin with the interactive and film portions of the conference. The always dedicated Quirkee.com staff has been busily gathering information, watching films for reviews, and will be scouring the lineups this week for the best music to write about. We have also been invited to attend a party hosted by Found Magazine, a magazine that publishes

menoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-73837359638485698202007-03-09T10:11:00.000-06:002007-03-09T13:18:38.719-06:00

Every now and then, the subject of having more children comes up in conversation - like last night when Baby Girl was on the bed with Mama being all cute. The Little Mr. splashed around in our tub with at least a dozen monster trucks and various other toys. The tub was so full of stuff - like a little pond with a layer of lily pads - that you couldn't see the bottom.Stephanie asked if I was sure

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26595645.post-13315322797093180092007-03-08T08:47:00.000-06:002007-03-14T15:05:57.567-05:00

I've decided to add another project into my life: writing a book - maybe just a short story. I'm not quite sure I'm busy enough with two kids, two blogs, two columns on Quirkee, becoming a better photographer, 200+ pairs of shoes to unload, and a house and yard that need serious attention now that spring has arrived. Throw in 24, the never-ending saga of Lost, Grey's Anatomy (which may have "

James Graysonnoreply@blogger.com0