July 4th in Windsor Missouri

Misty and I grew up in a small town in rural Missouri named Windsor - population of around 3,000 people. Each year Misty and I take the kids back to Windsor for the 4th of July celebration at Farrington Park put on by the Lion's Club of Windsor. This is a fun all-day event filled with games, food, music and fireworks. The events include:

• Frog Race
• Turtle Race
• Egg Race
• Sack Race
• Egg Toss
• Water Balloon Toss
• Softball Throw
• Watermelon Eating Contest
• Nail Driving Contest
• Cardboard Boat Race
• Local Music
• Fireworks Extravaganza (so to speak)

Our family enjoys participating in the various costests throughout the day. The egg toss, waterballoon toss and the softball throw are a few of our favorites. The kids generally do really well. This year our results were as follows:

1. Noelle - First Place in the Egg Toss
2. Noelle - First Place in the Softball Throw (65 feet)
3. Noelle - Second Place in the Water Balloon Toss
4. Brittany - Second Place in the Softball Throw (120 feet)
5. Shawn Jr. - First Place in the Softball Throw (132 feet)
6. Shawn Sr. - Second Place in the Egg Race
7. Shawn Sr. - Second Place in the Egg Toss
8. Misty - Second Place in the Egg Toss

Click HERE to see pictures from the day.

iScore

Yesterday I filed a lawsuit in Dallas, Texas. The lawsuit is related to a software application that I designed which allows a person to keep score at a baseball game on an iPhone or iTouch. My application was designed in October 2008. An application with the same name and functionality was released in early 2009 by a California company named FasterThanMonkeys. The lawsuit alleges that FasterThanMonkeys misappropriated my application design. The complaint was filed yesterday and was picked up today by Courthouse News.  See the story at http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/06/09/New_Complaints.htm#iPhone_Apps

You can read the entire complaint at http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/06/09/iPhoneApps.pdf

Hawks Win and Helms is MVP

Brittany is a member of a basketball team that plays in various AAU tournaments around the Dallas / Fort Worth area.  The team is a collection of girls from her middle school.  Her team struggled a little at the beginning of the season but has really started to improve.  

This weekend her team went 4 and 0 and won their first tournament!  The girls played well.  Brittany won the MVP of the tournament.  Brittany is now tied with her brother at one MVP trophy a piece. 

Last Day of School

As many of you know we homeschool our children – except for Brittany. Brittany started the 7th grade this year at Cain Middle School. Cain is a large middle school in Rockwall, Texas. Over 700 students started Cain in Brittany's 7th grade class. She was a little apprehensive about the new experience. See my blog entry about her first day of school.

Today is Brittany's last day of school. I believe this year was a (nearly) unqualified success. Brittany did great academically, athletically and socially. Below are some of her more noteworthy accomplishments:

• Received straight As in every class, on every report card
• Was "commended" for her TAKS score in all subjects (math, reading, and writing)
• Her lowest final grade was a 95
• Her average final grade for all classes was a 97
• Recognized as a "Cain Scholar"
• Had the highest grade in her class on numerous tests throughout the year
• Was selected for A-team in volleyball
• Was selected to the A-team in basketball
• Was the starting point guard on the basketball team
• Was the starting middle on the volleyball team
• Received the award for "Most Outstanding Basketball Player" (7th grade girls)
• One of 16 students selected for PALS
• One of 3 students to be awarded the Loan Star Leadership Award

I also think Brittany challenged some of her teachers' views of homeschooled students.

Here is Brittany with a group of her closet friends on the last day of school.

Great work Brittany! One year down.

Participating in Stuttering Study

I have stuttered since I was a little kid.  As long as I can remember, I have struggled to carry on basic conversations in public, at work and even (at times) at home.  Stuttering is somewhat unpredictable.  This week I had a client ask me if I had a hard time with only "t", "s" and "f"s.  Those are certainly some of the more difficulty consonant sounds, but others are hard as well.  For example, my legal practice is outsourcing and technology transactions.  I often have a hard time with the word "outsourcing."  Sometimes I even have a hard time saying my own name. Names that start with a "t" - like "Triniti" - are particularly difficult.  Annoying.

When I was a little kid it was much worse than it is today.  However, given the nature of my job (corporate attorney), I talk all the time and my ability to communicate is key to my effectiveness and career development.  Therefore, the importance of effective verbal communication is more important at this stage of my life than ever before.  

Last year I signed up to participate in a clinical research study to evaluate the safety and treatment effects of a drug called pagoclone on stuttering.   In March I was selected to participate in the study.  I have been participating for a little over a month.  I take several pills a day.  Because the study is a double-blind randomized study, I don't know if I am getting the actual drug or just a placebo.  Because my stuttering is not really bad and it changes based on various factors, it is difficult to evaluate if the drug (assuming I am taking it) is effective. 

I will let you know later in the study.