Friday Five - Vacation

1. How are you planning to spend the summer? First off I have a 5 day trip to Vegas too see the reunited Duran Duran perform twice (one in Costa Mesa and then the next night in Vegas). Then the whole clan are going to Denair and Fresno for 9 days. Somewhere during that time I hope to get Keegan more prepared for Kindergarten.

2. What was your first summer job? Doing dishes at "the Ice Cream Factory" in Modesto the summer before my Junior year. The closest thing I can imagine to a sweat shop. They paid us "trainee's wages" which were below minimum wage and then once they had to move us up to minimum wage they fired us.

3. If you could go anywhere this summer, where would you go? I am very happy with what I am doing this summer already. I don't think I'd enjoy any amusement parks because it's too hot. I wouldn't mind getting up to Washington DC with the kids to go to a Smithsonian or going to Europe with just Brie.

4. What was your worst vacation ever? Brie and mine's first and only trip scuba diving with my father. He told us he got us a tent to sleep in, what he got was 6 ft. and lightweight. Not only did it rain, but in order for me to fit in the tent I had to lay diagonally which meant Brie had to either have her legs over or under mine, it was very uncomfortable. When we returned home we didn't have money for the Golden Gate Bridge toll so we had to pull over and ask them to charge us the $2.50, which we weren't even sure would go through. Ugh!

5. What was your best vacation ever? As a child: My mom and I use to take these great roadtrips together. My favorite was literally the day I got my driver's permit. We drove down to see my Aunt and her family in Long Beach. Along the way the car we borrowed from my Dad broke down so we had to stay the night in Santa Barbara and we went to see Octopussy. My mom took me to see everything, the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Hollywood Wax Museum, Universal Studios. We had a great time.
As an adult: I've never had a bad trip to Disneyland, but my favorite is the last one where we had adult night and Brie, Cait, Darryl, and I hit the park like kids at night. We sang "Stormy Weather" and "The Christmas Song" got soaking wet on Splash Mountain (then realized just how cold it was), waited in line for the Rocket Rods (it was such a let down) and then went back to our hotel and became parents again.

Yahoo! News - Supreme Court Strikes Down Gay Sex Ban

When we moved to Virginia I did a lot of research on state laws. This was prompted by the fact that Cindi and Larry live in a state where hardcore pornography is illegal. Virginia has some laws that I found to be at best irritating (if you want anything other than beer or wine you must buy it from the state) and in one case downright hostile. The law I had the most problems with is it's Anti-Sodomy law. Virginia is one of the last nine states to have a law on record that makes it a crime to participate in what they deem as sodomy. Now until this week I had always believed that sodomy was referring to anal sex, but I was incorrect. Sodomy is defined as any so-called "deviant" sexual conduct. In Virginia that is defined as oral and/or anal sex by anyone including partners of opposite sex. I admit I found it kind of thrilling that Brie and I were by default law-breakers. Some states such as Texas made it very clear that laws like this are meant for one purpose only, to define homosexuality as illegal. At least in Virginia the law wasn't specific to same-sex couples.

Today the Supreme Court struck down all such laws. I am very happy for this. I firmly believe that laws must protect us from physical and mental harm, but they must not intefere in what happens in private between two consensual adults, especially in regards to sexuality and self-expression.

Brie thought I should make a post in regards to how I feel about all the test results presented to us today at her meeting with the school.

Like Brie I am a both relieved and in a daze that we finally have an official confirmation of what we have felt for a few years now. My biggest struggle is that there isn't a cure and that nothing I can do can make Sebastian have a normal grasp on the social structure of the world around him. I am by nature a "fixer" and I want so much to find the fix for his issues, but the reality is there isn't any. Sebastian is who he is and the only thing I can do is to help him bridge his gaps as much as possible. I love Sebastian so much and I want him to be as happy as possible, sometimes to the point that I can be overprotective. I am concerned that as he gets older things will get more difficult not easier on him. I worry that he will never find true friendship or companionship as he gets older. Of course, the point of Autism is that those things will never be important to him, it's not like there is a barrier stopping from being involved, he actually doesn't see anything to be involved in. I am happy that we have three children and so many great friends and family all of whom I know will always be there for Sebastian and never judge him for being the person he is. Because of that I can take comfort in knowing that Sebastian will never be isolated.

I hope that through Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy that those areas that are causing physical limitations will become less and less issues and that through patience and understanding Sebastian will become more aware of the people around him and learn how to interact more fully.

1. Surf sites at random, or have a set list of regular reads? Random. If I'm in the mood to read I'll go to Movable Type and click on random blogs on their "recently updated" list.

2. Do you visit mostly blogs, or news or other sites? I don't do as much surfing as I use to. I tend to shop, bank, play Pogo games, or IM people.

3. Do you go online every day, or just a couple of days a week? Everyday.

4. Do you allow comments on your blog, or not? Absolutely, I love comments. But, I don't think it's a very effecient way to have discussions.

5. Do you shop online at all, or at regular stores? I live for online shopping. I hate malls to begin with. Ebay is my favorite and I won't do business with Amazon anymore.

6. Have you ever done online bill-paying/banking, or not? Yes, it's the only way to manage your funds IMHO.

7. Which news site do you prefer... MSNBC.com or CNN.com? Or do you prefer some other one? Neither, I scan through the headlines on my Yahoo! homepage. Most of which are directly from the AP or Reuter's

8. Live chat rooms, or message boards? I use to moderate a chat room for AOL and every now and then I'll pop onto the IRC and look for an actual chat. Message Boards require too much effort to keep up with. I think mailing lists are better than either. I own one Yahoo! Group, and moderate another.

9. Instant messaging or e-mail? Both? Both. I tend to IM all the time, but certain things, like mailing lists, and casual correspondance are done through email.

10. Yes or no: have you ever met, or at least talked on the phone with, another blogger? If not, would you want to? Why or why not? Outside of our group here on silveriafamily.com not really. I've never really read a blog and thought I'd like to get to know the person behind it, and apparently the feeling is mutual as I've never been contacted by another blogger either. I have made one real friend from my 9 years online and we met through Usenet of all places. I met people through my old DCSF gig, but none of them turned into friends.

We met with the school district's interviewer today in regards to Sebastian. It was rather quick and fairly simple. She mainly asked us questions that were already on that GARS questionaire and told us about the process. The idea right now is to get everything situated so that for the beginning of the new year everything will be in place and Sebastian can get immediately involved with the extra work they feel he'll need. I imagine they are going to put him back in Speach Therapy and I think he will meet with an Occupational Therapist for his fine and gross motorskills. Other than that I don't think there is anything else they will recommend, we'll find out Wednesday @ 1. I wish I could attend the meeting with Brie, but one of us will have to stay here with the kids.

the friday five

1. Is your hair naturally curly, wavy, or straight? Long or short? my hair is naturally straight though when it gets long I get a little wave in the back. I've grown my hair long several times, but it is short more often than not.

2. How has your hair changed over your lifetime? The natural changes are that I began life as a strawberry blonde, then it turned a natual ash blonde, when I hit puberty my hair turned to a dark brown, and now it is turning grey. Unnaturally I've done about everything you can do, from a wide range of haircolors to perms.

3. How do your normally wear your hair? I don't know if I have a "normally" I grow my hair out long then cut it really short. I bleach highlights or put in color, then cut it all back to it's natural color. I think hair is a great way to express yourself.

4. If you could change your hair this minute, what would it look like? Michael Huthence during the "Kick" era. Long and curly with highlights.

5. Ever had a hair disaster? What happened? I've had a few; coloring gone bad, really bad haircuts, but the worse was the first time I got a perm. My hair is just to thin to perm. I was a classic example of a fried poodle.

This or That - Books

1. Newspapers or magazines? Magazines, I have never cared much for the paper. To me it's only good for the ads and Parade. I don't even read comic strips anymore.

2. Books-on-tape or regular books? Never heard a book on tape.

3. Paperback or hardcover? I'm indifferent. Most of my books tend to be paperbacks or softcover, but only because that's how I found it at the store.

4. Fiction or non-fiction? Either, though I gravitate towards non-fiction I like hearing about things/people that really exist.

5. Sci-Fi/Fantasy or romance novels? Fantasy, right now I'm reading Roald Dahl's "The BFG", I'm always trying to catch-up on books I didn't get to read as a child.

6. Borrow from library or buy books (either new or used)? Buy, I have proven that even as an adult returning things to the library on time is not something i am capable of.

7. Subscribe to magazines or buy on newsstand? Subscripe me, baby! At one point I we had near ten subscriptions coming to our house. EW, Playboy, Details, Rolling Stone, Better Homes and Garden, PC Magazine etc..

8. Current best-sellers or classic literature? I tend to read current non-fiction books (not necassarily best-selling) and classic children's books.

9. Read books once, or re-read favorites every so often? The only books I have re-read are my Depeche Mode biography and the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory set.

10. Here in the U.S., we have two hot best-sellers...former First Lady Hillary Clinton's memoirs, and the new Harry Potter book (coming out June 21). If you had to read one, which one...Hillary or Harry? Why? Harry Potter. No comment amount about the other.

Just got off the phone with an old friend. He didn't have time to talk, but it was great to hear his voice.

A few of you know Mr. Benjamin Adams, author and GI Joe nut, we first met 13 years ago when we worked together at The Wherehouse in Los Gatos, Ca. Ben aka the uptight laid back guy, was a very good friend of ours, especially Brie, for several years until we lost contact back in 1999. Ben left San Jose for Chicago to be with Airynne (still probably didn't spell her name right) , whom he later married. They prompted Brie and I to take our first, and only, real vacation when we flew to see them. I'm not sure Brie would call it a vacation considering we were in Chicago in July and she was around one month pregnant with Sebastian at the time.

Anyway the last time I had contact with Ben was in 1999 when I drove Sean up to Reno to pick-up a car, Ben had taken residence there after living in Seattle and getting a divorce. I was sure it was something I had said to him during the visit that caused him to drop contact. One particular thing I said was truly an inspired piece of my own egotism and I have thought that for sure had caused him to decide I was an ass and abandone our friendship.

Anyhow, he found us through the website; like I said before I don't need classmates.com, anyone can find us through any search engine. I gave him a ring, he actually sounded excited to hear from me, which was a great relief. Hopefully we will do one of our classic 2 hour phone calls tomorrow where we can catch-up. He must have some stories to tell taking that he is now married again.

I must admit I love hearing from old friends and acquaitances. It's one of the things I like most about the internet, second only to the neverending porn.. LOL! Now to start my mantra; I will listen and not just talk, I will listen and not just talk, I will listen and not just talk, I will listen and not just talk....

1. What's one thing you've always wanted to do, but never have? hehehe oh so many things, but I'm working on them. How about having more money than I know what to do with :)

2. When someone asks your opinion about a new haircut/outfit/etc, are you always honest? Pretty much. Though you can be honest without being too negative.

3. Have you ever found out something about a friend and then wished you hadn't? yes. I won't explain, but I have.

4. If you could live in any fictional world (from a book/movie/game/etc.) which would it be and why? Grease would be fun. it seems all innocent, people are having sex, loving each other, great friends, and they get to sing and dance.

5. What's one talent/skill you don't have but always wanted? I definitely wish I had a better work ethic when it comes to housework.

Sebastian graduated 3rd grade today. It's such a big step. I can remember knowing that next year I would be on the "big" playground. He did great finishing out the years with a perfect attendance of all 35 school days. That is such a major feat for him. He also made honor roll, he received all B's and his state testing shows him reading a 5.6 which is to say at the level of somone who is in the 6 month of 5th grade. We need to move him from reading twenty minutes everyday to an hour, he's not too happy about that. He is also showing signs of a real love and interest in music. His report card indicated that he has a real knack for music and P.E. (of all things), I find that one quite odd.

We filled out a GARS report and turned it in today. It stands for, Gilliam Autism Rating Scale. He definitely rated a high in a few of the questions, but for the most part he shows very little to none of the big autism signals. We have that meeting next Friday with the county school boards specialist and they are having a summary meeting in a few weeks which one of us will probably attend though we aren't required to.

We are still on target for the trip to California for Brie's brother Brian's wedding in August. I'm glad I can say that. Ticket prices are varying widely with a recent dip back into the $300 per person range. I hope that holds out until we can get them. I wish we were going to have more time while in Fresno, but at this rate I'll only be able to spend one afternoon/evening with the people that come to Fresno to see us. Ahhh the realities of where we live are beginning to sink in, don't get me wrong I love actually being in Virginia, I'd just be happier if I was either rich enough to fly anytime I wanted or had all my friends and family move out here with us :)

1. "The Munsters" or "The Addams Family"? "The Addams Family", simply because it looked better in black or white and I loved the relationship between Gomez and Morticia.

2. "The Sopranos" or the "Godfather" movies? The Godfather Part 1&2. I found/find nothing appealing about "The Sopranos".

3. "The Jetsons" or "Lost in Space"? "The Jetsons". The doctor on "Lost in Space" gave me a headache even as a kid.

4. "Superman" or "Batman" (either the TV shows or the movies)? On TV both were pretty terrible, but at least "Batman" was always good for a laugh. When I watched "Superman" as a kid all I could think about was hearing that he had jumped out a window and killed himself. In the movies the first "Superman" movie is by far the best. Tim Burton can't direct and Joel Schumacher made a mockery of the Batman character by setting him in a day-glo gay man's fanatasy of a comic book world.

5. "Sex & The City" or "Friends"? "Sex & The City", I'm not a big fan of sitcoms and I think Samantha is a riot.

6. "The Wizard of Oz" or the "Harry Potter" movies? "Harry Potter". I have "The Wizard of Oz" on DVD and everytime I go to watch it I fall asleep.

7. "The Simpsons" or "King of the Hill"? don't watch either, but "The Simpsons" is preferable.

8. "Grease" or "Saturday Night Fever"? "Grease", I've seen that movie hundreds of times and never bore of it. I don't relate to anything in "Saturday Night Fever" except the love to go out and dance.

9. Old prime-time soaps: "Dallas" or "Dynasty"? Never really watched either.

10. Not very thought-provoking this week...do you prefer TV shows or movies? Most television shows have never been very appealing to me. The only show I was ever absolutely addicted to was "Star Trek: TNG" and currently the only show I do my best to catch is "The West Wing" mainly because the writing is so good, though they are getting a little to soap-operaish. Nowadays, if it wasn't for Brie, I'd only watch TechTV (all day it's on), Discovery (monster house), TLC (trading spaces), BBC America (coupling and so graham norton), HGTV (no show in particular), FOOD Network (iron chef), Fine Living (deconstructed and the genuine article), Cartoon Network (justice league and dexter), and a little VH1 and Nickelodeon that would be it. I've always been a huge fan of cartoons.

Amy reminded me with her update that it's probably time I should do another. Nothing major going on, just trivial things.

I closed my Classmates.com account. I just got fed up that they basically take all your information so they can make money off of it and give you nothing in return unless you give them more money. Anyone with ½ a brain can do a Google search for "John Silveria" and find this site, so that's enough for me.

Sebastian will be graduating 3rd grade this Thursday, that's so great. He hasn't been sick or complained once since he's been at his new school. I'm so proud of him.

Brie and I are stuck on a very tight budget right now. I know some people don't think I have a right to complain, but what can I say, they are completely wrong :) Of course, I can complain. If we had another income we'd still figure out a way to not live within our means. But, we are getting better.

Lately I've been having this urge to sell off a lot of possessions, things like CDs, laser discs, and some of my record collection, even the rare Duran Duran stuff I have. I feel like I'm holding onto things for no real reason. We have a pile of clothes for Ebay, I just have to find the time to start getting all the auctions set-up.

Anyone see Monster House on Discovery Channel, it was amazing, they made this home into a real cool Tiki theme, it was like something out of Disneyland, with a cave for a shower, a fire breathing skull for a fireplace. too cool! My other new fave show is the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel, I can watch that for hours, it's amazing to see professional poker players do their thing.

Lastly, we went back to netflix after cancelling our account a few months ago. you just can't beat what they offer. Our first rentals were:

The Tuxedo - you just can't beat Jackie Chan for a fun evening, I really liked the movie.

The Powerpuff Girls Movie - It was fun, but Keegan and Maddy are addicted. They watch it everyday. I did like it, but after 15 viewings my head starts swimming. This also means I can't return it to get another movie. Hopefully we can find a used copy at Blockbuster this weekend.

Spirited Away - who knew you could still make a beautiful and engaing traditional animation movie, certainly not Disney, I loved this movie so much I watched it again in it's original Japanese so that I could find the subtle differences between it and the English dub. There is something about the movie I just find heart-warming. Another on I'll need to buy.

the friday five

1. How many times have you truly been in love? twice, but I've only had someone love me back once, and that makes all the difference.

2. What was/is so great about the person you love(d) the most? without a doubt the fact that I can trust them with everything I am. She is the only person I can actually do that with.

3. What qualities should a significant other have? for me it's being trustworthy, openminded, and communicative.

4. Have you ever broken someone's heart? doubtful.

5. If there was one thing you could teach people about love, what would it be? I don't think you can teach anything, they have to learn the hard way. But, I would say that helping people to always be willing to try would be good.

1. Cats or dogs? Dogs

2. Butterflies or birds? Butterflies

3. Horses or cows? Cows

4. Turtles or snakes? Turtles

5. Frogs or grasshoppers? Frogs

6. Lions or tigers? Tigers

7. Elephants or mice? Elephants

8. Porcupines or aardvarks? Aardvarks

9. Unicorns or dragons? Dragons

10. Thought-provoking question of the week: You live in a rather dumpy apartment. A friend offers you a chance to be a roommate at a new place s/he is moving into, but they don't allow pets. You have a pet. Do you find your pet a new home and take the new place, or do you keep your pet and stay put? Tell my friend we should find a better place to move in together.

what is your favourite meal? hands Sushi, especially all-you-can-eat from Sushi Taisho in Carlsbad, Ca.

what is your favorite dessert? a really good cheesecake. very few places actually have really good cheesecake. lately I've also been really into cannoli

what do you prefer to drink with your meal? ice tea, though I like a beer before the meal I don't actually like to drink while eating ususally.

what have you never had to eat that you have always wanted to try? I never really had true French cuisine.

what have you had that you would never eat again? quail .. or was it pheasant. either way it was nasty.

what is the weirdest food you have ever had? I have had a few things that most people might consider weird. frog's legs, snake, and escargo among them. oh yeah and I really love Uni, which is sea urchin.

have you ever ate anything that wasn't meant for human consumption? when I was young I loved dry dog food.

if you are bored, let's talk about ... food

have you ever ate anything that wasn't meant for human consumption?