We have not posted many things with Stephen in yet, so here you go. Steve finally has his first tooth and has started crawling within the last week. He is already getting into EVERYTHING!
The Battle family
July 2008
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Cycling
I was driving to Louisville with my wife so that she could attend a conference, and I started to think about how many times I had driven this way before. I always enjoyed the road trips through Cincinnati and down to Louisville, at least when racing I never had to go through Cincinnati during rush hour. I could not believe how many different landmarks that I remembered, and how many of the little roads and towns I had raced in throughout the years. The trip down 71 I can still point out the location of my first road race, and would know how to get there by memory, when racing my best friend was a co-pilot and a road atlas. I can also remember the exact exits of some small mom & pop motels, and local bar restaurants that we stopped at maybe only once.
I miss these things, not because I left them behind, but because they were a part of who I was and am. It is almost as if the roads and hills talk to me. I can hear and see them tease me as I go and pick up my kids from grandma and grandpa's house. When I started cycling in the hills of Sugar Grove the roads and hills were not kind. They told me that I did not belong here. They forced me off the bike by pushing the roads to the sky and shaping the wind so that it was always in my face, all the while laughing as I was forced to walk. They turned and curved thier backs constantly to make me want to turn back. They tried to send me away by flattening my tires on regular occasions, sometimes both at once, and again laughing as I was forced to walk. They would throw animals at me trying to knock me down, and they especially liked to used dogs at the tops of the hills, it was not bad enough to make me walk they had to send the dogs after me also.
It took many years of hard work and perseverance, but finally I was able to get the hill's and road's respect. They allowed me to climb almost to the point to touch the blue sky, they began to shelter me from the winds, and allowed me to move along the roads nearly to the point of flying, they allowed me to see the obstacles in the road to keep my tires from going flat, and they kept the wild at bay but visible just as a reminder.
As time past I quit visiting the roads and hills, for which they were not happy. They steepened the hills and made the winds colder, and then they told me that I would have to start all over to win their respect again, and that I do not really belong here anymore because it is not my time. They said that some day they would allow me to bring others to try to earn their respect, but that all the things that once greeted me would also greet them. You can always come if you want but it will not be easy.
I miss these things, not because I left them behind, but because they were a part of who I was and am. It is almost as if the roads and hills talk to me. I can hear and see them tease me as I go and pick up my kids from grandma and grandpa's house. When I started cycling in the hills of Sugar Grove the roads and hills were not kind. They told me that I did not belong here. They forced me off the bike by pushing the roads to the sky and shaping the wind so that it was always in my face, all the while laughing as I was forced to walk. They turned and curved thier backs constantly to make me want to turn back. They tried to send me away by flattening my tires on regular occasions, sometimes both at once, and again laughing as I was forced to walk. They would throw animals at me trying to knock me down, and they especially liked to used dogs at the tops of the hills, it was not bad enough to make me walk they had to send the dogs after me also.
It took many years of hard work and perseverance, but finally I was able to get the hill's and road's respect. They allowed me to climb almost to the point to touch the blue sky, they began to shelter me from the winds, and allowed me to move along the roads nearly to the point of flying, they allowed me to see the obstacles in the road to keep my tires from going flat, and they kept the wild at bay but visible just as a reminder.
As time past I quit visiting the roads and hills, for which they were not happy. They steepened the hills and made the winds colder, and then they told me that I would have to start all over to win their respect again, and that I do not really belong here anymore because it is not my time. They said that some day they would allow me to bring others to try to earn their respect, but that all the things that once greeted me would also greet them. You can always come if you want but it will not be easy.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Driving Test
This morning at 8:00AM Brandon passed his driving test. He is now legally able to drive on the roads without supervision. The question is, when will we let him take is first solo trip to the mall or Wendys? Maybe next year.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Fall is finally here; I love the fall, but I am somewhat impartial because it means that the winter is coming. I have spent almost all of this week jump starting my car because I need a new battery and I have not had time to stop and get one.
I finally purchased a battery on my way home from work Thursday. After getting the battery replaced, in Lancaster I had to drive to Sugar Grove to pick up the kids. When I drove into the driveway at my parents I saw this giant pink thing on the front porch. When I walked up to the porch I found that it was Michaela holding a plastic pumpkin, and dressed in a giant, Barby pink shark outfit, ready for trick-or-treat. I had not even thought about taking her, but since she was dressed I left Stephen with my Mom and took Michaela down to Sugar Grove.
At first she did not know what to think. All the kids in the costumes, and people were putting things into her plastic pumpkin. After about a quarter mile of walking it dawned on her what they were putting into her pumpkin. It was "CANDY!" To keep her moving I gave her a sucker so that she could eat and walk. After realizing she was getting candy she was walking up to the houses with much more excitement and vigor. Each house she would stop and look into her pumpkin to see what was added.
We had walked the full stretch of Sugar Grove, skipping the back streets. I was ready to go and picked her up to walk to the car. She said "No, daddy," and pointed down the back streets; she wanted more. We made it to about fifteen more houses before she was done, and I had to carry her to the car. She had walked about a mile and a quarter, all in the name of candy. I placed her in her car seat and she immediately fell asleep. When we got home I placed her on the couch still wearing her costume.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Blog posting Kirwan Institute-co-written by Brandon
http://www.kirwaninstitute.blogspot.com/
Well as a part of Michele's research responsibilities at the Kirwan Institute, she has to make periodic blog posts. She decided to ask for Brandon's assistance and it was published. Thanks Poocher!
Monday, September 28, 2009
And a child (a teenager) shall lead them
By Michele Battle-Fisher, Graduate Research Associate at the Kirwan Institute
With the hectic schedules experienced in our home, dinner time in our home is time to talk. Often, we talk about the matters of our days. But one recent evening, our teenage son Brandon began talking about a speech on health care as a natural right that he had to present in his AP Government class. He began by mentioning that in speaking he found strength in his words. He did not feel that his written word was as strong or well understood. I thought that I would give his spoken words another platform. Discourse is power (a la Foucault). I wanted to listen.In the words of Brandon Battle:
I think that health care is a natural right that needs to be provided by the government. Americans spent $2.2 trillion dollars on health care in 2007 which averages out to be about $7400 per individual. This is two times the amount spent in developed countries. Americans will end up spending more on health care than on housing and food. This will mean that families could have to choose between paying health care and buying food for their families. I don’t know all the details of the health care reform but health care hinders the American people and is a necessary investment for the country. (Reference: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health_care/)
Now Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke states the recession is subsiding. But as long as health statuses continue to “recess”, this isn’t close to being resolved.
0 comments.
Well as a part of Michele's research responsibilities at the Kirwan Institute, she has to make periodic blog posts. She decided to ask for Brandon's assistance and it was published. Thanks Poocher!
Monday, September 28, 2009
And a child (a teenager) shall lead them
By Michele Battle-Fisher, Graduate Research Associate at the Kirwan Institute
With the hectic schedules experienced in our home, dinner time in our home is time to talk. Often, we talk about the matters of our days. But one recent evening, our teenage son Brandon began talking about a speech on health care as a natural right that he had to present in his AP Government class. He began by mentioning that in speaking he found strength in his words. He did not feel that his written word was as strong or well understood. I thought that I would give his spoken words another platform. Discourse is power (a la Foucault). I wanted to listen.In the words of Brandon Battle:
I think that health care is a natural right that needs to be provided by the government. Americans spent $2.2 trillion dollars on health care in 2007 which averages out to be about $7400 per individual. This is two times the amount spent in developed countries. Americans will end up spending more on health care than on housing and food. This will mean that families could have to choose between paying health care and buying food for their families. I don’t know all the details of the health care reform but health care hinders the American people and is a necessary investment for the country. (Reference: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health_care/)
Now Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke states the recession is subsiding. But as long as health statuses continue to “recess”, this isn’t close to being resolved.
0 comments.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Football anyone
With my school schedule there was only one game that I would be able to make. This is Austins last year in Junior high, so I had to make it to this game. Of course I brought a camera. Like me in junior high, he is small but mighty!
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