Eck Spot

2010 Eckert Holiday iNewsletter

2010-12-23T19:22:00.002-06:00

Happy Holidays from the Eckert Family! Chick on the following image to view our iPad inspired "2010 Eckert Holiday iNewsletter."

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed and prosperous 2011!

Jason, Cari, Cassie, Tommy, and Christopher

Christopher Patrick Eckert Has Arrived!

2010-11-08T15:32:00.002-06:00

Christopher Patrick Eckert was born at 2:31 p.m. on Saturday, August 21, 2010. He is 9 pounds 1 ounce and 21 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing well. We decided to induce labor and as such had a relatively long process at the hospital.

Pictures are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/ChristopherSArrival#

Christopher now shares a birthday with Count Basie, Jack Buck, Wilt Chamberlain, Kenny Rogers, Archie Griffin, Kim Cattrall, Jim McMahon, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Usain Bolt. His birth joins the following famous events which took place on August 21: The first Lincoln-Douglas Debate (1858), the birth of the Green Bay Packers franchise (1922), Babe Ruth’s 600th Home Run (1931), and Hawaii becoming the 50th State (1959). August 21 is also the feast day of Roman Catholic Saint Pope Pius X.

Grandparents Tom and Mary Ann Burns were in town for the special day. Grandparents Leo and Sandy Eckert are on the way. Thanks to all for your prayers and support!

Cassie's First Track Meet

2010-04-18T08:26:00.002-05:00

Cassie had her first track meet on Friday night and did great! She finished second in each of her three races (the 100 Meters, the 200 Meters, and the 4x100 Meter Relay) and received a ribbon for each. This was a "Team Munchkin" intrasquad meet for first and second graders from Bishop Leibold and Incarnation schools. She seems to be really enjoying track and has another meet this Friday night. Grandma Mary Ann Burns plans to be here for the second meet to cheer Cassie on!

When asked why she likes track, Cassie said, "I like getting ribbons and playing between the races."

Cassie on Two Wheels!

2010-04-18T08:19:00.002-05:00

Cassie is riding a "big girl" bike on two wheels! She picked it up in less than 24 hours last weekend and has been riding daily ever since. We have even been exploring the Great Miami River Trail, a fabulous bike trail in the Dayton area. I had taken her training wheels off last fall but never had the chance to taker her out to practice. As you can see from the video, she is having a great time. Tommy is doing well with his training wheels, which may be removed soon.

We Are Having a Boy!

2010-04-16T14:32:00.006-05:00

Cari and I recently learned that we are having a boy. The due date continues to be August 25. Everything looked good on the ultrasound. The baby is growing (measuring a little large for his gestational age) and seems to be doing well. We were able to feel him kick for the first time last night.

Many people have asked how Cassie and Tommy reacted to the news. Tommy was very excited. Cassie was somewhat sad as she was really looking forward to having a little sister. She has certainly come around and is looking forward to meeting the baby.

I did record the moment Cari told the kids the baby's gender. Enjoy!

Claire's Baptism

2010-03-07T17:02:00.002-06:00

Our newest niece, the beautiful Claire Klinner, was baptized on February 13 by her grandpa, Deacon Tom Burns. In addition to the video, you may enjoy these pictures. Parents Dawn and Eric and sister Ali are very proud.

Cassie Starts Track

2010-03-07T10:49:00.002-06:00

A new season, a new sport to try. Cassie is giving track and field a try and will be on the first and second grade team through the joint Bishop Leibold/Incarnation team. Stay tuned for updates. We hope she will like track as she does run fast. So far, aside from swimming, she has not really enjoyed her other experiences with organized sports (soccer and basketball). Go Cassie!

Cassie's Take on Tiger Woods

2010-02-28T17:34:00.002-06:00

Last weekend I was watching an ESPN reply of Tiger Woods' apology "press conference." Cassie came in the room, asked if that was Tiger Woods, and asked why he was saying he was sorry and what he had done wrong. After I explained that Tiger was romantic with women other than his wife, Cassie asked, "Why is he apologizing to us? He should only be apologizing to his wife right now."

From the mouth of babes. If only those in trouble would hire conflict managers as wise as seven-year-olds.

We are Expecting Baby Number Three!

2010-02-15T07:54:00.002-06:00

We are very pleased to announce that we are expecting our third child! Cari is due on August 25. We do plan to find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl. We are very excited about our news and appreciate everyone’s well wishes and prayers.

(Jason is also excited to break this news on EckSpot, although we did tell select people before the electronic announcement.)

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

2009-12-28T13:38:00.003-06:00

Santa delivered a brand new Nintendo Wii on Christmas morning. Santa's elves were kind enough to set it up in the basement before leaving! Needless to say, the kids spent the entire weekend playing it. It has been a tremendous hit, as you can see in this entertaining video. We have enjoyed Wii games including Super Mario Brothers, We Cheer 2, We Ski and Snowboard, and Sports Resort. Cari also bought me Guitar Hero for Wii as a surprise.

Cassie Turns Seven

2009-12-28T13:32:00.002-06:00

Our Cassie turned seven on Christmas Day! She enjoyed parties in Springfield last weekend and at our house on Christmas and also has one with the Eckerts in St. Louis over New Year's. It is hard to believe that seven years has past since she was born. She just about received her two front teeth by her birthday, by the way. Happy Birthday, sweetheart!

Tommy Sings at Bombeck Center Christmas

2009-12-24T15:24:00.003-06:00

Tommy and his friends in the Jets room at the Bombeck Center sang three songs for his Christmas party on Wednesday: Cascabel, Walking in Winter Wonderland, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Videos posted below. Enjoy!

Happy Christmas Week from EckSpot!

2009-12-23T13:05:00.003-06:00

We would like to wish you a blessed Christmas week! We are staying in Ohio for the week as Cari has the Christmas week as one of her holidays to work this year (she is off on Friday but works on Thursday and over the weekend). We enjoyed a wonderful trip to Springfield, IL, last weekend to celebrate with Tom, Mary Ann, Eric, Dawn and Ali, and are going to Missouri for the long New Year's weekend to spend time with Leo and Sandy and many other friends and family members at gathering at Todd and Nancy's and Dan and Linda Knoll's.

We have posted other pictures of the kids you may enjoy on our
Picasa web album:

General Christmas Pictures (we'll add pictures to this folder through New Year's): http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/Christmas2009#

Pictures from JCP Photo Studio: http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/ChristmasPicturesJCP#

Merry Christmas from Cari, Cassie, Tommy and Jason Eckert!

Cassie's Artwork featured in St. Henry's Mailing

2009-12-23T12:59:00.003-06:00

Cassie's Christmas card design was one of the student designs featured in an all-parish mailing advertising Christmas schedules at our parish. A scan of the actual card we received in the mail appears above. We are very proud of her work!

Merry Christmas from UD Career Services

2009-12-23T11:35:00.002-06:00

I solicited the help of my student and professional Career Services staff members here at the University of Dayton to record our second-annual Christmas card. Most participated without too much arm twisting. :) We sent it out to the campus community and all of our employer partners. Enjoy!

Cassie's Solo Performance at the BLS Christmas Concert

2009-12-16T17:32:00.002-06:00

Cassie's first grade class performed five songs on Monday night at the Bishop Leibold School Christmas program. Cassie had a solo speaking performance telling a joke as a part of the "Silly Holiday Song." Cassie's line appears at about the 59 second mark of the video. Her actions at the end of the song are also priceless. For the record, her joke was, "How long does it take for a candle to burn down?" The students respond, "About a wick!"

We are very proud of her -- all five songs were great!

Tommy Basketball Video

2009-12-14T12:40:00.002-06:00

Tommy scored the final basket of his final game in the YMCA 4-5 year-old basketball league, as you can see from this video. He also had two rebounds and two blocks (which are not necessarily encouraged) in the game. Tommy had a great time and does plan to continue his basketball career!

Cassie's First Experience as a Lector

2009-12-11T10:09:00.003-06:00

Cassie was selected to read part of the Responsorial Psalm at the Immaculate Conception Mass at Bishop Leibold/Our Lady of Good Hope on Tuesday. She did an excellent job and projected very well. (We'll work on that eye contact at a later date.) :) I am very proud of her. Both Tommy and I were able to attend the Mass on the feast day to support Cassie.

Tommy Two-Baskets

2009-11-16T13:02:00.002-06:00

Tommy is playing in his first basketball league, a league for 4-5 year-olds at our local YMCA. Thus far he has had two games and is doing very well. In fact, last game he had two baskets and four rebounds. He is one of the taller kids (it is a co-ed league) and is playing well (and most importantly having fun). His next game is this Saturday at 10:15 a.m.

After Tommy's game, we attended the University of Dayton men's basketball game. UD defeated Creighton 90-80. The game was a blast (UD came back from being down 11 in the first half). I'm very pleased at how observant Tommy was during the game, asking great questions about the sport!

Happy Birthday to Cari

2009-11-16T12:56:00.002-06:00

Cari celebrated a birthday last Friday. We really celebrated during the previous weekend as we were joined by my parents for a nice extended weekend. I surprised Cari with a trip to the Camp Kern YMCA Ozone Zipline Adventure. Cari and I enjoyed seven ziplines, which provide an excellent view of the Little Miami River area. The day was beautiful and capped off with dinner and a night away from the kids (thanks to my parents).

Halloween Pictures

2009-11-16T12:47:00.003-06:00

Cassie and Tommy had a great Halloween season. They each went to parties and collected enough candy to last for months. Tommy went as Spiderman for the second year in a row. Cassie could not decide between two costumes and was a witch by day and a devil by night (I'll keep my fatherly comments to myself).

The Halloween album may be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/Halloween2009#.

Cutest Godson Baby Video -- Ever!

2009-10-22T20:52:00.002-05:00

This video of Dylan Frankovis is so cute! If you are ever in a bad mood, check out this video and smile.

Cassie's First Grade School Picture

2009-10-09T09:34:00.002-05:00

Tommy's Monkey Bus Birthday Party

2009-09-20T22:33:00.008-05:00

We celebrated Tommy's 5th birthday a little early this weekend with a visit from the Monkey Bus. Tommy was joined by Cassie and 14 friends (along with Grandma Sandy and Papa Leo and some parents) at our house for the party on Saturday. We scheduled a visit from the "Monkey Bus" from 2-3 p.m. The Monkey Bus is a moving play gym featuring a zip line, ball pit and climbing area. As you can see from the pictures, the kids had a great time.

View pictures from the party at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/TommySMonkeyBusBirthday#.

EckSpot Brief Review of Transformers 2

2009-09-20T21:57:00.005-05:00

Cari and I don't get out to movies very often. This weekend, with my parents in town, we had the opportunity to go out for a date night and decided to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at our local "value" (formerly dollar) theater. We really enjoyed the movie!

Transformers 2 is a fun action flick. It does an excellent job telling the story of the Transformers and the origins of their ongoing civil war. Although I grew up with the original cartoon series and collected the figurines, I never realized that the Transformers are actually an alien race. The special effects and action sequences are very well done. The movie was a little long (150 minutes) and some of the dialog between the Transformers was difficult to understand. Having said that, enjoying the performance of Megan Fox made the duration of the movie very enjoyable, especially for the men in the audience.

We highly recommend Transformers 2, especially as a value theater or DVD selection.

Labor Day Weekend at Lake Lure, NC

2009-09-13T21:40:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed a great Labor Day Weekend trip to Lake Lure, NC (about nine hours from our house). We spent lots of time at the pool, rented kayaks, took a guided tour of the lake, saw Chimney Rock, and enjoyed tennis and mini-golf. A quick but memorable trip. Our pictures are shared at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/LakeLureNC#.

Cassie Enters First Grade

2009-08-24T06:48:00.002-05:00

Cassie starts first grade today at Bishop Leibold School. This is her first year in a uniform. Pictures of our morning may be found here.

Tommy's Home Run

2009-08-23T22:43:00.003-05:00

Tommy completed his first t-ball season last week. In his second-to-last game he hit this "home run." He had a great fun-filled season with t-ball. Next up for Tommy: fall basketball at the YMCA.

RIP: The Weekly Eckstra

2009-08-23T19:56:00.002-05:00

RIP: The Weekly Eckstra
by “Weird” Dave Borchardt
Special to the Weekly Eckstra

Jason will attest to the fact that I tend to be an “I told you so” type guy.

With this in mind, it was I who offered a word of caution to Jason months ago when he held an informal contest to name his newly founded weekly blog column. In all fairness, I liked “The Weekly Eckstra” (though it wasn’t my submission), but was worried the title would insinuate, just slightly, that his column would be…well…weekly.

Jason is the eternally happy Clark Griswold driving in his family station wagon endlessly down life’s road of good intentions. I, on the other hand, am the grizzled guy in the orange safety vest picking up dead animal carcasses on the same road: thus, I think it’s safe to say we can pronounce “The Weekly Eckstra” in the same category as Jason’s Wedding Webpage (which I am convinced is still out there in cyberspace, somewhere waiting to be updated) and the time in 1996 that Jason took us to what he described as a Missouri “beach” which turned out to be what I would describe as a very, very large boat launch covered with sand and gravel (but mostly gravel) on a cold, dark lake.

At this point, you may be saying out loud, “what’s with all the Eckert bashing?” and I mean no such disrespect--after all, I, myself am the king of moderately conceived ideas that fell way short (case in point, the senior year “pie” incident).

In place of the unfulfilled promises of The Weekly Eckstra, there is a ray of hope, however. We are privy to, on a semi-regular basis, a great deal of banter about local sports teams, family visits and home improvement updates. Pure entertainment to me (as I’ll try to establish), but somehow lacking the unique wit and comedy value of “Balloons are Gifts from the Devil” without a bit of explanation.

Allow me to expand upon some of Jason’s recent blog topics to demonstrate:

If you do visit Jason’s family weblog from time to time as I do, you’ll note the backyard has been just as big a story as Michael Jackson’s death in passing weeks. To some, just another verse that could be part of the song “Ordinary Average Guys” by Joe Walsh, but to me, pure comedy gold. Upon reading the updates some may muse to themselves, “Man, that’s a big patio—wouldn’t you rather have some wonderful, lush grass for the kids to play in?”

Having lived in the greater Miami Valley for two years, few may realize that house builders in the area have a habit of scraping away all the topsoil and building new houses on almost literally gravel, bedrock and the giant plate of Uranium that most of Ohio is positioned over (check your basement for Radon, Jason). The result is a yard maintenance situation that is similar to trying to grow grass on concrete. Jason, being an intelligent guy, has realized and brilliantly avoided this problem and surrendered to the inevitability of a backyard of dead grass and removed most of his grass himself. There’s enough rock, paving stones and mulch now in his backyard that, if he were close to a sports venue, he could charge $25 a car to park in his back yard and on his patio.

Local sports teams: have you visited your local “AA” minor league ball club lately? If you have, you might say to yourself, “Why, Jason? What’s the big deal about taking the family to the Dayton Dragons?” Again, having lived in the Dayton area, you may not realize the Dayton Dragons play in a league more akin to professional wrestling than baseball—a visiting pitcher was arrested for assault during a game a couple years back. No joke. The trial just ended. To boot, the Dragons play in downtown Dayton a place you definitely do not want to be after dark. Half of the houses in Dayton are abandoned and at least one is burnt down on almost a nightly basis. Again, knowing Jason’s jovial personality, I have no problem picturing him offering career assistance advice to a robber as he is being mugged. Hilarious. (In all fairness, the Dayton Dragons do put on a pretty good family show inside the ballpark.)

Finally, topics near and dear to my heart: visits by Jason’s relatives. I don’t know very much about Cari’s family except what I read in the blog (I also assume they probably hate my cat). Jason’s family on the other hand is of real concern to me because, based on my indiscriminately obnoxious behavior as a juvenile while a guest in the Eckert home, I have no doubt when I pass from this life into the next, Sandy Eckert will be the one calling numbers at the DMV-like office at the gates of paradise. The updates about Sandy and Leo are less about comedy for me and more about personal safety: knowing they’re in Dayton allows me to pinpoint locations and stay far away. I know Sandy is a sweet and kind mother and grandmother, but I also know payback is hell.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I finally submit to you there have been as many “guest” columns on The Weekly Eckstra than columns by Jason himself. The Weekly Eckstra is dead, but that’s OK. It’s spirit will live forever in backyard parking lots and in between the gunfire outside the ballpark in downtown Dayton.

Jason's Reaction: Okay, Dave has a point. Calling the column weekly was foolish. I would argue that the "Eckstra" is not dead . . . but is also most certainly not weekly. Perhaps monthly, quarterly, or whenever someone submits a quest column. I actually do have some ideas to publish in this space. The "Eckstra" will be dusted off -- but won't be weekly. Thanks, Dave, for the creative piece and good natured ribbing. The basement is, by the way, Radon free, and the pie incident (during which Dave stuck a pie in the face of "legendary" teacher Chris Mess at DeSmet) remains one of the funniest moments of high school. My mom, by the way, does love Dave (and loves him even more states away from her grandchildren in Houston). :)

Welcome Tess Knoll

2009-07-20T10:02:00.002-05:00

A warm EckSpot welcome to Teresa (Tess) Knoll, born July 16 to proud parents Dan and Linda Knoll. We can't wait to meet you, Tess! You may follow Tess on-line at her own site as well.

T-Ball Tommy

2009-07-19T14:04:00.003-05:00

Tommy had his first T-Ball game at the YMCA last Thursday (his first-ever organized sporting event and baseball action). We had three nice hits in three at bats (every at bat is a hit -- he actually did hit the ball) and had a lot of fun. This video is his third at bat. We should have some nicer pictures from future games. He has two more game this week.

Springboro, OH Named the 41st Best Place to Live in the U.S.

2009-07-14T13:32:00.004-05:00

Our little corner of paradise, Springboro, OH, was just named the 41st Best Place to Live by Monday Magazine. Not as nice as the Eckert Property, but pretty darn nice. http://tinyurl.com/lrafwx. We are in between Dayton and Cincinnati, near I-75, with a strong public school system, reasonably stable home prices, and convenient services.

SkyFort is Complete!

2009-07-11T10:49:00.002-05:00

Our SkyFort is complete! After weeks of on and off construction we are very pleased with the final result, as are the kids. This video shows Tommy and Cassie, along with neighborhood friends Jackson and Connor, checking out the new areas.

Independence Day Weekend in Ohio

2009-07-09T19:49:00.003-05:00

We had a great time hosting almost all of Cari's family (minus Tom plus Johnny and Katie) over the July 4 Holiday Weekend. We had plenty of fun time around the house, enjoyed the hot tub, saw wonderful fireworks in Downtown Dayton, and went to the Cardinals-Reds game in Cincinnati.

Oregon Recap

2009-07-09T19:30:00.002-05:00

I spent the weekend of June 29 in Oregon with good friends Matt Bachmann, Pete Erschen, Chris Lubbe, Jeff Lorentz, and Larry Holzen (all friends from SLU and St. Louis). We stayed in a great cabin near Mt. Hood, visited and hiked to Multnomah Falls, went actual white water rafting on the Deschutes River, visited great micro breweries, and played catch on Mt. Hood. What a great weekend and opportunity to catch up with friends I don't see nearly enough.

The pictures from the weekend were great. View my pictures and Jeff Lorentz's.

Gearing up for Independence Day Weekend

2009-07-02T10:30:00.002-05:00

Cari and I have been getting everything together for a weekend of fun as we are hosting 13 people this weekend (all of Cari's family sans Tom and Johnny and Katie). We play to go to the Dayton fireworks on Friday night and the Cardinals-Reds game on Saturday. Stay tuned for updates!

Cassie and Dylan Frankovis

2009-06-30T08:51:00.003-05:00

During the recent visit with the Frankovis family, Cassie had the opportunity to have some quality time with her "God brother" Dylan (if that is even a term -- I am Dylan's Godfather). The video is priceless. At the end of "Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes," Cassie sings "Dylan is so cute to me." Credits go to Meg Frankovis.

Deacon Tom

2009-06-23T13:03:00.003-05:00

It is official -- Cari's dad, Tom Burns, was ordained as a Roman Catholic Deacon over the weekend during a beautiful Mass in Springfield, IL. We are very proud of Tom, who has worked over five years for this accomplishment. (I had no idea how much academic and spiritual work goes into becoming a Deacon; Tom earned as Master's degree and then some.)

Many friends and family members attended the events of the weekend. On Sunday, Tom celebrated his first Mass as a Deacon and had the honor of delivering the Gospel reading and homily. He did a great job and told the story of his personal journey to ordination in relation to Job's own struggles with faith and decision-making. Congratulations Tom!

Visit with the Frankovis Family

2009-06-22T14:25:00.002-05:00

We were visited by Matt, Meg, and Dylan Frankovis last weekend (June 12-14) and had a wonderful time. Dylan is getting so big and is a happy, mobile baby. We explored the Springboro area and had plenty of hot tub time.

Sky Fort Under Construction

2009-06-09T08:22:00.003-05:00

Cari and I spend the weekend working on constructing a play system (the Sky Fort) for Cassie and Tommy. We finished approximately 60% of the project, as you can see in the pictures. I believe that if a marriage can survive Sky Fort construction it can survive almost anything (and we came through with flying colors so far). We hope to complete it over the next couple of weeks. We need to add the monkey bars to the left, a swing bar to the right, a slide and rock wall to the front, and a "crow's nest" lookout area above the swing bar.

Follow our progress in pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/SkyFortConstruction#

Backyard Projects Near Completion!

2009-06-03T20:38:00.003-05:00

After weeks of work, our backyard projects are near completion. The garden is in and growing, the paver patio looks great, and side beds are mulched. We put together our patio set, fire pit, and anti-gravity chairs. The irrigation system is done and calibrated (controlled by a panel in our garage and includes a rain sensor).

Pictures of the project from start to today may be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/YardProject2009#.

Our last significant step is to construct Cassie and Tommy's play system. An area bound by timbers has been created for it (see below). We plan to construct the sky fort, which is currently in our garage, this weekend.

Early June Updates

2009-06-03T20:29:00.003-05:00

We are really enjoying the start to summer, including fun times with neighborhood friends (including Elizabeth and Jenna, pictured above with Cassie and Tommy). Both Cassie and Tommy have been enjoying swimming lessons at the YMCA. Tommy is enjoying a summer science program at the Bombeck Center and also starts t-ball next month. Cassie finishes kindergarten this Friday and starts summer camp (also at the YMCA) next Monday. We have also been enjoying weekend trips to Kings Island, which has both an amusement and a water park.

Backyard Project Update

2009-05-24T18:21:00.003-05:00

Progress continues on our backyard project. Our crew (from O'Heil Irrigation) continues to make excellent (if slow) progress. The irrigation system is in and the garden area (see lower left corner of the above picture) is in. Cari spent today planting our tomatoes, squash, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, and spices. We hope the project wraps up in the next week. To see more updated pictures (updated every few days) see http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/YardProject2009#

Backyard Under Construction

2009-05-12T19:44:00.005-05:00

We have started a major backyard renovation project. We are installing an irrigation system, adding a paver patio with a bench wall, extending planting beds, and starting a garden. There is much commotion and many machines involved. We are very excited about the project, which is scheduled to be done late next week. (No, we are not doing the work ourselves, although we will be adding many of the plants after it is done.)

You may follow the start to finish pictures of the project (I am updating the pictures every few days) on Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/YardProject2009#

Dayton Dragons Trip

2009-05-12T19:22:00.006-05:00

We took our first trip to a Dayton Dragons game on Friday night. The Dragons are the Cincinnati Reds "A" affiliate and play in beautiful Fifth Third Field in downtown Dayton. The kids had a great time and stayed into the ninth inning! They also really enjoyed watching and meeting the Dragons' mascots, Heater and Gem.

Dragons games are very entertaining. The stadium is intimate -- all seats are close to the action. There are also many family-friendly features and between innings promotions.

Bowling is not a sport. –Defining the Criteria for Classifying Sports–

2009-04-24T15:22:00.003-05:00

Bowling is not a sport.
–Defining the Criteria for Classifying Sports–
by Matthew Bachmann
Special to the Weekly Eckstra

Bowling is not a sport. Neither is billiards. Golf – not a sport. These are all competitive activities.

I have been working on a theory that proposes a subtle, yet distinct difference between a sport and a competitive activity. Your natural tendency will be to refute the theory, dig for technicalities that expose its flaws, or simply dismiss it as poppycock. That’s a great word. Challenging the theory is expected. It’s never been published for mass critique, and we’ll see if it holds up. Here goes:

Criteria for Sport Status
To be classified as a sport, the contest must meet 2 of 3 criteria. Any two. In any order. It’s that simple:

Participants that are physically fit have a clear advantage. (“fit advantage”)
Physical contact between competitors is expected during the natural course of play. (“contact”)
The contest is governed by time. In other words, it’s a timed event or has a game clock. (“timed”).

Now let’s try it out.

Golf. Not timed. No contact. Fit advantage debatable. NOT a sport.

Swimming. Timed. No contact. Fit advantage is huge. A sport.

Baseball. Not timed. Contact, yes. Fit advantage for sure. A sport.
(Note: Some could debate me here using a “fat baseball guys” retort. My response to that is if physical fitness didn’t give baseball players a clear advantage there would never have been a steroids era.)

Tennis. Not timed. No contact. Fit advantage for sure. NOT a …Yes it is a sport.

Tennis is part of the “net” exception, the one exception that proves the rule (proves the theory). The “net” exception states that if the contest uses a net at the centerpiece of competition, the contest only needs to meet 1 of the 3 criteria for Sport status. That means Tennis and Volleyball are sports as they meet the fit advantage criteria, while Table Tennis and Badminton are not sports as one can’t build a case for a strong fit advantage.

As my sports classification theory was formed, other criteria were considered, but ultimately discarded for a variety of reasons. For the sake of full disclosure, here are the rejected criteria:

Has a Hall of Fame
Is shown on ESPN
Requires participants move within an area greater than X (X still to be defined)
Uses a spherical object
Has some sort of governing body (“league”) or administrative entity that keeps official statistics or rankings providing participants the ability to evaluate their performance against others.

I encourage your feedback. And let’s not get too technical people. When you stop to think about it, it shouldn’t be that hard. It isn’t rocket science. And rocket science isn’t a sport.

About the Author: Matthew Bachmann develops, shapes and manages creativity for a living. His resistance to blogs, Facebook and all things social media is something he’s working on. Bachmann’s currently working on a 15th Anniversary Director’s Cut of the legendary Turtle Creek Farm video. View the grainy 4:00 trailer at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLNOGEGD_Wc

Notes: The fit advantage criteria was loosely formed by myself and my colleagues. Credit to the “all on the field” blog for defining it in a tighter way. Also, baseball is the most unique of all the major sports as it is the only one where 1) managers wear the uniform, 2) there’s no game clock, and 3) the defense controls the ball, not the offense.

Surprise Visit from Uncle Todd

2009-03-29T08:38:00.002-05:00

Cari's brother Todd paid us a surprise visit on Wednesday. Todd decided to travel to Dayton for business at the Air Force base in the morning and joined us for dinner that night (at Rusty Buckets near the Dayton Mall). He also came out to the house and became our first guest to use the new hot tub. We had a wonderful time (and always welcome surprise visitors)!

Jason Hates My Cat

2009-03-23T19:24:00.002-05:00

Jason Hates My Cat
by “Weird” Dave Borchardt
Special to the Weekly Eckstra

It’s not a secret: Jason hates my cat.

I can say with a high degree of confidence on behalf of the cat the feeling is mutual. Most cat owners will agree, though, a cat’s hatred is often, in is most redeeming quality, equal opportunity based. Just like most other felines in the world, my cat doesn’t discriminate—he hates just about everybody.

What is unusual to me is that the cat hates Jason.

Jason Eckert is perhaps the most loveable, giant stuffed teddy bear on the face of this planet. This is the same guy who gave his real estate agent a hug--not the one in Milwaukee selling his house--the one in Dayton, Ohio whom he had just met in person the day before.

Suffice to say, Jason Eckert is the one person on this planet who I can think of who potentially has no enemies.

Except my cat.

This mutual disdain isn’t new—it began years ago when Jason and the cat first met in Georgia. In one of life’s little ironies, as the Eckerts were transitioning from Milwaukee to Dayton, my family and I were in the middle of transitioning from Dayton to Texas. In an effort to show some hospitality and to see a friend I hadn’t in so many years, I opened my house to Jason, Cari, Cassi and Tommy to stay for a few days while they checked out the jewel of lower-central southwestern Ohio.

As Jason and Cari had a great deal of house-hunting to do, we went our separate ways during the day. One evening, while enjoying an overpriced coffee and studying for an exam at the local St. Panera Bread Company, I received a phone call from Jason.

“Uhm…Dave….there’s a problem with the cat.” I was concerned. As many of you know, “Uhm…” is what Jason says out loud instead of the four-letter word he his thinking of.

In the course of the conversation it became apparent the cat had somehow attacked Jason and his family and now was holding them hostage. They had locked themselves in a room and from the commotion in the background, it sounded like my cat and a legion of Orcs were trying to break down the door.

No, I am not kidding.

I have owned my cat for more than 10 years now. It weighs a whopping 9 ½ pounds and has no front claws. It has never, and I mean never, drawn blood other than accidentally while jumping from my lap or playing—except for this time.

Next on Fox: when Dave’s cat attacks.

When I arrived at home, I found the cat sitting in front of a door that was normally open. He approached me, rubbed my leg and then went over to his food dish, clearly unconcerned as if to communicate “Cat: one, Jason: zero.”

I cautiously opened the door and found Jason and his family barricaded in my home office. Had Jodi Foster been present, I would have mistaken it for a scene from the movie Panic Room. Every few months or so, you read about a tragic story where, for seemingly no reason, a chimpanzee tears off someone’s face, a panda bear rips off someone’s arm or a tiger mauls an overly flamboyant Las Vegas magician. Apparently, these sorts of situations are not confined to exotic pets—you just don’t hear about my cat in the news.

The attack was a fairly traumatic event for the Eckert kids—at least for Tommy. I was upset, Jason was concerned (Jason never gets above “concerned” for anything short of nuclear war), I believe the cat was in real danger of being strangled by Cari and I was a bit fearful I was next. Needless to say, the cat was confined for the rest of the visit, Cari and Tommy made a visit to the local doc-in-a-box and, hopefully, the physical scars have healed.

I truly still feel bad about the incident. How do you apologize for such a thing? Hallmark doesn’t make a “sorry my cat tried to eat your family” card. The cat still lives with me in Houston and, though we don’t discuss it, I am pretty sure he still hates Jason.

Jason told me a few months ago, long after the incident, Tommy turned to him out of the blue and said, “Daddy, (Dave’s cat) doesn’t like us very much does he?”

Despite what Tommy thinks, the cat hates Jason, but loves Jason’s family.

They’re delicious.

On Dave, His Cat, and His Posting

2009-03-23T18:12:00.003-05:00

I hope you enjoyed the first-ever guest posting from a Weekly Eckstra contributor. From time to time I'll mix in guest postings from friends who are frequent readers. (Contact me if you are interested.)

Dave, his wife Diana, and their beautiful daughter Catherine are dear friends of ours. Dave was, in fact, the best man in our wedding. We were very sad to learn that just as we were arriving in Dayton, they were departing for Houston. Notice how I didn't say that the cat was a dear friend of ours? The experience with Scooter was tramautic to say the least. I think the physical scars have just about healed (for the record, both Tommy and Cari were attacked after Tommy somehow accidentally spooked the cat). Rather than actually kill the cat, I kicked him out of the computer area and barricaded our family behind the doors which conveniently separated the computer area from the rest of the family room. We thankfully had a phone and could call Dave home from his coffee/studies.

To her credit, Cari laughed out loud when reading Dave's post. I asked her for her reaction to the column. She said, "That posting is so Dave. I can laugh about it now, although I'll never, ever sleep under the same roof with that cat again." I have a feeling the kids feel the same way (but would love to see the Borchardts in the near future).

Cassie's First Father-Daughter Dance

2009-03-19T14:11:00.005-05:00

I had the joy of escorting Cassie to our first Father-Daughter dance as a part of her girl scout troop's annual program. The dance was last Saturday night and was so much fun. I also learned the lyrics to so many Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers songs! Cassie seemed to really enjoy herself and also won the raffle drawing for the large princess basket.

Explaining Jason’s Sports Allegiances

2009-03-16T21:54:00.003-05:00

Explaining Jason’s Sports Allegiances
A Weekly Eckstra Column

Those of you who know me well know that I am a sports fanatic. I love following so many sports, listening to sports talk radio, playing fantasy football – the list could go on and on. The upcoming NCAA men’s basketball tournament makes March one of my favorite times of the year. Many friends love to poke fun at me over the teams I cheer for and wonder if there is a method for my madness.

To be fair – my odd rooting pattern only applies to college basketball. I am fairly traditional for most sports, cheering mostly for St. Louis-based teams for baseball, the NFL, and the NHL. After living in Milwaukee for nine years, I also tend to cheer for the Packers, Brewers, and Bucks, but not when they are playing for my beloved Cardinals and Rams.

I must admit that I do cheer for a large number of college basketball teams. Part of it has to do with my occupation – not many people work at organizations that also host NCAA Division 1 teams. Imagine how it would feel if your employer had a major basketball program playing on television. (This week we have Wells Fargo taking on SSM Healthcare with the winner facing the winner of the Enterprise-Boeing matchup.) I have been fortunate to attend and work at institutions that have had basketball success during my time there: Saint Louis University, Oklahoma State University, Marquette University, and now the University of Dayton. How do I decide who to cheer for, especially when they play each other? For the most part I adopt a “love the one you’re with” philosophy. In order of preference, I cheer for:

Dayton (great young team and hey, they pay the bills)
Marquette (worked there for nine years and taught most of the players)
Oklahoma State (went to graduate school there)
Saint Louis (was an undergrad there)
Missouri (grew up in St. Louis with many fans of Mizzou)

I’m thrilled that all but SLU made the tournament. While there are many tournament possibilities, it is likely that Marquette and Missouri will play each other in the second round. I’ll be cheering for Marquette – we’ll see who my bracket predicts as the winner.

Speaking of March Madness and brackets . . . it is sad that only four non-BCS conference schools made the big dance (Dayton, Xavier, BYU, and Butler). You wonder if the “power conferences” have influenced the committee to not select as many “mid-majors” as have been in the tournament in previous years (and for the most part done well). I hope these teams (especially those from the Atlantic-10 Conference) make some noise. Enjoy the college basketball!

Enjoying Our New Hot Tub

2009-03-12T21:24:00.005-05:00

We are now the proud owners of our very own hot tub! We purchased this hot tub after a recent visit to the Dayton Home Show (and a surprise tax refund from Uncle Sam). It is a great addition to the back patio and another great reason to visit us!

Cassie Loses Her First Tooth!

2009-03-09T20:20:00.003-05:00

On Saturday morning, while visiting Grandma Sandy and Papa Leo in St. Louis, Cassie lost her first tooth! This process took a very long time as Cassie was very reluctant to allow anyone to touch her touch her tooth as it was getting more and more loose. I have a feeling future teeth will come out much more quickly now that Cassie knows that the process does not hurt much and that the tooth fairy brings a crisp $1 bill for a tooth!

We had a very enjoyable weekend in St. Louis. We spent most of the day on Saturday at Todd and Nancy’s house for Matthew and Christine Burns’ baby shower (their son, Matthew Jr., is due in May).

March 14 Update: Cassie lost her second tooth today. She really wiggled this one out quickly. She is now missing to lower front teeth and the Tooth Fairy needed to make change in a hurry!

Balloons are a Gift from Satan

2009-03-09T19:23:00.001-05:00

Balloons are a Gift from Satan
A Weekly Eckstra Column

The Devil puts many things in this world to tempt and frustrate us. While not necessarily bad or evil in their own right, these temptations, when enjoyed in excess, can lead to problems. Some examples of this are Facebook, Sprecher products, gourmet ice cream, and pictures of Jennifer Anniston or George Clooney (insert you own favorites here). I’m firmly convinced that balloons are one of the Devil’s gifts, put on this earth to tempt children and eternally frustrate parents.

I hate balloons. I am not the kind of person who likes to hate anything but can’t help but to hate balloons. To clarify, I don’t hate the type of balloons that serve some sort of practical purpose, such as hot air balloons and balloons used in healthcare procedures. I hate your common everyday balloon given to children at parties and restaurants. Nothing good can come out of giving a child a balloon! While balloons produce momentary glee on the faces of children, they ultimately lead to sadness, tears, and depression. I speak from firsthand experience. Once Cassie received a helium-filled balloon from the local Applebees (Tommy was still a baby). After we reached our next destination and opened her car door, the change in air pressure sucked her balloon out of the SUV and into the heavens. Tears and a fit ensued and we eventually drove five miles back to the restaurant for a new one.

We just experienced a reenactment of this situation. On Sunday, we enjoyed lunch at Red Robin in St. Louis with my parents and cousin Johnny. Red Robin has a plethora of brightly colored balloons at the entrance of the restaurant. (Satan is obviously a leading investor for Red Robin, along with his financial holdings of Applebees and TGI Fridays.) We told the children that they could not have a balloon because we are traveling and were about to depart for Datyon. We ultimately gave in, mostly because Tommy refused to go to the bathroom until he was granted a balloon (hey, I’m a softie and a four-year-old who consumed four cups of lemonade really needs to go to the bathroom before the start of a six-hour drive.) As we got the kids into the car, I thought to myself, “How long are these balloons going to make it.” The answer was about two hours. For the first two hours of the trip, the kids beat each other with their balloons and took turns using their balloon to block the view of the screen of the DVD player. We stopped for gas and a break in Central Illinois. When the door to the minivan opened Tommy’s red balloon was sucked up into the atmosphere. I tried in vain for a couple of seconds to grab it as Tommy’s tears had already begun. Cari tried to help, saying, “It’s okay Tommy. We’ll get you another balloon . . . someday.”

Even if they make it home, balloons simply don’t last. They either pop from playing with them or lose air the first night they are in the house. Balloons are also a source of frustration at one of our favorite local all-you-can-eat buffets. A creepy clown often works the crowd at this restaurant, giving balloon hats to the children (and also to the super hot women). He wears a big button that reads, “I’m paid only by your tips.” I should ignore this but always find myself paying the scary man a dollar. The buffet balloons not only cause problems (such as getting caught in the mac-n- cheese and dessert selections); they also cost me money!

Balloons also cause me problems from friends who know how much I hate balloons. “Former” dear friends and EckSpot subscribers Matt and Meg Frankovis decided to introduce chaos by purchasing a balloon for Cassie during our recent trip to the Wisconsin Dells. The problem was that they bought a balloon only for Cassie, not for Tommy nor the other two children who were with us. As you can imagine, Cassie did her “I have something Tommy does not have” dance and the three kids without balloons were none too happy. I bought a balloon for Tommy which was somehow defective, causing more crying. The restaurant replaced Tommy’s balloon (they actually have a little machine that defrauds parents out of $1 for a balloon), although I refused to talk to Meg or Matt for a good five minutes.

Nothing personifies Satan’s involvement in our lives more so than balloons. I suppose the actions of airline executives, parking attendants, and most elected officials come close. The next time you see a balloon, think of me pulling my graying hair out!

American Baglady Airlines

2009-03-01T18:31:00.006-06:00

American Baglady Airlines
A Weekly Eckstra Column

Welcome to the first-ever official edition of the Weekly Eckstra. As I write this I am flying over the American Southwest, on an American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Dallas which will hopefully connect me to a flight back home to Dayton. While some of you were predicting that the first column would focus on a certain long anticipated anti-balloon rant (still to come), I decided to instead describe my experience flying to Phoenix on Friday.

If you have not flown in some time you may not realize that like many airlines, American Airlines now charges you to check a bag. The fee is $15 for the first bag and $25 for a second. I am unfortunately not blessed with the ability to travel lightly and also had many materials to bring with me for my presentation (to the University of Dayton Phoenix Alumni Chapter). Thus the need to check a bag.

Despite the unnecessary revenue enhancement collected by American, the check in process was no problem. Boarding the plane was. You see, on this particular flight (from Dayton to Dallas) nearly every passenger decided to avoid checking a bag by carrying all of their possessions on board the aircraft. People had plastic shopping bags, duffle bags, laptop cases, overstuffed purses, pillows, and more. In addition, people had the large but just small enough to cram into the overhead bin after 30 seconds of grunting rolling suitcases.

The overhead bins quickly filled and a minor state of panic set in. American Baglady Airlines offered to check anyone’s bag for a fee, an offer no one accepted. People were angry when asked to put their bags in overhead bins past their seat locations where there was a little space (this would delay the deplaning process by at least 35 seconds). Passengers were rushing about stuffing their belongings in every possible opening.

Ultimately the situation did work itself out, although the flight crew could not close the doors and push back until all of the “Wal-Mart shoppers” had gotten completely situated. I honestly don’t blame the people for trying to save a few bucks during a recession and also avoid the risk of lost luggage. I blame American Baglady Airlines for creating the policy which produced the chaos. If revenue is tight, increase the airfare by $15 rather than shaking every nickel and dime out of us. And while you are at it – let’s find a way to actually let us listen to our "portable electronic devices" for the vast majority of the flight!

Tommy and Cassie Can Ski! (2009 Ski Trip Report)

2009-03-01T18:16:00.005-06:00

We recently had a great time on our annual family and friends ski trip, this year to the Wisconsin Dells area. It was quite the extended weekend of skiing and waterpark adventures. The big news from the trip is that both Cassie and Tommy entered the trip in more lessons and left as decent young skiers! By the last day of our trip green runs were no problems and easier blues were also an option. Cari and I are very proud of the kids!

There were also many humorous moments on the trip, such as this moment when Johnny climbed into the corn fields near one of the ski areas. I added a fun caption for effect.

We were so glad that Meg, Matt, and godson Dylan Frankovis joined us for the trip as well. Meg skied with us for one day and was quickly up to speed. She was so proud of herself!

The Winner Is -- The Weekly Eckstra!

2009-02-22T15:51:00.003-06:00

Voting ended last week on the poll to name my new column on EckSpot. The clear winner is

The Weekly Eckstra

Thanks to those of you who voted. Special thanks to Mr. Matt Bachmann who came up with the winning name.

Now comes the hard part -- writing a column each week. I'll be honest in that I doubt there will be a new one each and every week week. It is a good goal and I'll pledge to do my best. I already have a running list of topics. I certainly welcome your suggestions and even guest column contributions from EckSpot regular readers. You are also welcome to start a dialogue by using the comment feature (the whole point of a blog, right?) What will I be writing about? Things that interest me in terms of things the kids are doing, sports, national/world events, pet peeves, fun stories, etc. I realize that this column probably won't be read by that many people (which was reinforced by someone from my almost immediately family who told me that he didn't vote because he doubted he would ever ready it). Perhaps more and more people will read if the columns are funny and have quality. We'll see.

Send me an e-mail (jason.c.eckert@gmail.com) if you'd like to be notified when a new column is posted.

As always I welcome feedback and ideas!

Jason Turns 34!

2009-02-08T15:31:00.003-06:00

Jason's birthday is Monday, February 9. We had a wonderful weekend with Jason's parents, Leo and Sandy, who were visiting from St. Louis. They took the kids to see Madagascar 2 on Saturday and allowed Jason and Cari to go out for a date night. They also stayed in town to see Cassie's third basketball game on Sunday afternoon (more on that story in another blog post). Jason's big gifts were a wireless headset for work and the MLB TV package from Leo and Sandy and ski boot heater/dryers and a UD sweater vest from Cari and the kids. The cake (pictured above) is from MacArthur's Bakery in St. Louis and features the UD Flyer (thanks Mom and Dad).

We are also gearing up for our big annual ski trip. We leave for the Wisconsin Dells on Thursday morning and are skiing Friday-Monday at Cascade and Devil's Head. We are very excited to return to the Wisconsin slopes and visit with friends and family members. This year we are being joined by Todd and Nancy Burns, Brad Burns, Katie Stevenson, Johnny Eckert, the Moore Family, and the Frankovis Family.

EckSpot Turns 1!

2009-02-01T22:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to EckSpot! A year ago this weekend I launched the blog, replacing our older family website. To date the site has received almost 1900 hits! We are very pleased with the site and so appreciate all of you for visiting and following the adventures of our family on the web. Keep visiting and by all means send me suggestions.

What will year two of EckSpot bring? I'm glad you asked:

1. The launch of the "occasional sports and life commentary" portion promised in EckSpot's header. I plan to post a weekly column on something of interest to me (and hopefully you). I asked a few creative friends and EckSpot readers (Matt Bachmann, Dave Borchardt and Matt Frankovis) to suggest titles for the column. Rather than pick one I am going to post a poll on the site and will go with the winning selection. The four finalists are:

- The Weekly Eckstra
- Eck’s Box
- Seven Days, One Thought
- I Love Cities That Begin with "S"

Stay tuned for the poll!

2. The addition of Google AdSense (which was actually live as of two weeks ago). This service places ads from Google in the lower right side of the page. When a visitor clicks on one of the ads, I earn something like one-millionth of a penny. Perhaps it will add up to enough to buy a Diet Pepsi to enjoy while writing my new weekly column.

3. Even more family updates, pictures, and videos. Now that Cassie has her own real pink digital camera, and Tommy has a nice toy version, the sky is the limit!

Thanks for reading and please watch for more EckSpot fun during year two!

Jason

Dylan Frankovis Rocks!

2009-01-22T19:40:00.003-06:00

Over the weekend we took a trip to Milwaukee attend the baptism of Dylan Frankovis, Jason's new godson and the son of our friends Matt and Meg Frankovis. Dylan is an absolute sweetie and the baptism and party were wonderful. We also had the opportunity to spend time with 30 friends on Saturday afternoon at Organ Piper Pizza. It was a great weekend, and the King holiday on Monday allowed us a chance to catch up and relax.

EckSpot as Wordle

2009-01-06T11:57:00.005-06:00

I have found a favorite website of the day -- http://www.wordle.net/. This site allows you to create text art (also known as word bubbles) out of a document or website. Very cool. I put EckSpot into the Wordle applet and created the following images. Enjoy!

Christmas Wrap

2009-01-04T21:42:00.001-06:00

The holidays are winding down and things are returning to normal. We had a wonderful Christmas time (to quote the horrible Paul McCartney tune). We celebrated Christmas (and also Cassie's birthday) at home in Ohio on December 25. We then had a great time with Cari's family in Springfield (a quick less than two day trip) and Jason's family in St. Louis.

During our trip to Springfield the Burns family played a game of Uno for the coveted "Family Trophy." I'm pleased to report that Tommy won the game and trophy (see below), becoming the youngest ever winner of the trophy. His reaction was both overjoyed and priceless. The trophy has since passed to Tom Burns, then Todd Burns, then Matthew Burns (all for bowling), and now to Cassie Eckert (yes our own Cassie) for Uno Attack. (I don't know if everyone knows about Cassie's win since it came on New Year's Day -- the trophy may be won when a competition is held involving at least four family members from at least two families within the larger family. Since the Klinners visited us over New Year's -- that counts!)

Cassie Turns Six!

2009-01-02T21:24:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to Cassie, who turned six on Christmas Day. She actually celebrated three times (once at home and once with each set of grandparents/extended families) and plans to celebrate with friends at Chuck E Cheese later this month.

Jason Quoted in the Dayton Daily News

2008-12-23T12:52:00.002-06:00

Last month I was quoted in an article in the Dayton Daily News about the economy and labor market for new college graduates. If interested check out the article at http://www.daytondailynews.com/story/content/oh/story/business/2008/11/30/ddn113008bizstudents.html?cxntlid=inform_sr.

Eckert Holiday House Tour

2008-12-16T19:54:00.005-06:00

Since our house was decorated so nicely for Christmas, we decided to make a holiday video to show the house off for our friends and family via EckSpot. Note Cassie's enthusiastic role as the dancing host. Enjoy!

Cassie's Christmas Concert

2008-12-16T19:49:00.002-06:00

Cassie sang with her kindergarten classmates on Monday evening at the Bishop Leibold School West Campus Christmas Concert. She did a very nice job and looked beautiful.

Happy Holidays from University of Dayton Career Services!

2008-12-15T12:02:00.000-06:00

Welcome Dylan Frankovis!

2008-12-12T08:48:00.003-06:00

Little Dylan Frankovis arrived on Friday, December 5. Welcome to Dylan, a future reader (and perhaps current observer) of EckSpot. Dylan is the son of our dear friends Matt and Meg Frankovis. I have the privilege and honor of being Dylan's godfather. We are all heading up to Wisconsin for Dylan's baptism on January 18. For more pictures of Dylan see his Picasa site at http://picasaweb.google.com/megjanefrankovis/BabyDylan#.

Trip to the Smoky Mountains

2008-12-12T08:43:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we had a great time at the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee with cousins Johnny and Vicky. We stayed at a Wyndham and really enjoyed exploring the National Park and shopping areas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-29T18:36:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving from the Eckerts! We have so many things to be thankful for this year. This weekend we were thrilled to host Thanksgiving for my parents and cousin Johnny, Cari's parents and brother Brad. We had a great time, fried a turkey and many fixings, and enjoyed a tour of the Air Force Museum.

Todd and Nancy's Wedding in Pictures

2008-11-25T21:37:00.003-06:00

Two weekends ago we had the honor of being a special part of Todd and Nancy Burns' wedding. I was the best man, Cari a bridesmaid, Tommy the ring bearer, and Cassie one of the flower girls. It was a special, special day, a celebration we will cherish for many years to come.

We took many pictures and have uploaded 90 of them on our Picasa site at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/ToddAndNancySWedding#

This week we are gearing up to host both sets of parents, my cousin Johnny, and Brad Burns for Thansgiving at our house in Springboro!

Jason's Toast to Todd (and Nancy) Burns

2008-11-18T14:02:00.002-06:00

I was Todd Burns' best man at his wedding to Nancy Stevenson on Saturday evening. The wedding was a blast and we had a wonderful time. The following is the text of the toast:

Good evening. My name is Jason Eckert. I am Todd’s brother-in-law and have the honor of being the best man.

I would like to begin by thanking Nancy’s parents, Ted and Diane, and Todd’s parents, Tom and Mary Ann, for helping to make this celebration possible.

My primary purpose this evening is to toast Todd and Nancy. I am also speaking to you as the President of an elite organization known as the Burns In-Laws Club. Our organization consists of those married to the children and Tom and Mary Ann Burns. Membership requires a special love for the Burns family, the embracing of competitive games, and acceptance of awkward pictures taken during holiday meals. It is my great honor to join with Eric Klinner and Christine Burns to elevate Nancy from probationary to full membership status. She joins our board as our Secretary and coordinator of public relations and club communications. We are happy for Todd but even happier to welcome Nancy into our club.

I first met Todd twelve years ago when I was dating his little sister Cari. What so impressed me about Todd, and for that matter all of the Burns, is how welcoming they were to me as an aspiring member of the family. Our friendship grew over the years. In addition to visits during holidays, trips to each others’ homes, and annual ski excursions, our friendship grew over our mutual love for a 60 acre parcel of land in rural Missouri known as the Eckert Property. We have made it a priority to get together three times a year at the property for camping trips, bachelor parties, and work weekends. During these trips our friendship grew, sharing great times, stories, softball games, skeet shooting afternoons, ATV rides, food and frosty beverages.

What has also become clear to me over time is that Todd is not just a great guy and giving friend – he is also a very talented and mechanically inclined person. Todd is the person Cari and I call when our roof leaks, when circuits fail, and when we need a retaining wall. Todd helped us design and construct a play system for our children, Cassie and Tommy, despite being in a full leg cast. I am an only child and admit that Todd has more mechanical ability in his pinkie than I have in my whole body. My father, Leo, who is here with us tonight, used to joke that Todd is the mechanically-inclined son he never had. Dad, you may be right. To me, Todd has also become the brother I never had and a very dear friend.

Our entire family adores Nancy and are so excited to welcome her to our family. I am amazed at the many ways Todd has changed since meeting Nancy nearly two years ago. We knew something was up after their first official date, Christmas Eve 2006. After meeting at a Boeing Christmas Party, Todd hosted Nancy for a Christmas dinner. Normally an excellent cook, Todd was so taken by Nancy that he burnt their first meal together, which consisted of pork chops and trout caught from Bennett Springs. Nancy later described the pork chops as “flying discs.”

I’m actually amazed that Todd is here in person this evening as today is the official start to Missouri’s deer hunting season. It takes a women of great beauty and charm to cause a hunter to be at a country club, rather than in a deer stand, on this date. Nancy, I hope you are ready to enjoy anniversaries spent wearing camouflage at the cabin for years to come. After all, venison makes the perfect anniversary meal.

Todd and Nancy, I can see by your love for each other and the support of everyone gathered here tonight that you will be blessed with a long and happy marriage.

Please join me in lifting a glass to Todd and Nancy.

May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, and a twinkle from your eye.
Congratulation to Todd and Nancy!

Halloween 2008!

2008-10-31T06:08:00.003-05:00

Cassie and Tommy have been very much enjoying Halloween Week. Cassie is Cinderella and Tommy is Spider Man. Our community had Trick or Treating (a.k.a. Beggars Night) on Thursday night. Enjoy all of the pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/Halloween2008.

All Set for Todd's Bachelor Party

2008-10-22T22:21:00.002-05:00

This weekend is the Todd Burns Bachelor Party at the Eckert Property! (It is also the Nancy Stevenson bachelorette party in New York City, but that is not as important and way too expensive.) Just kidding, Nancy! Todd and 15 of his closest friends are gathering starting today in the woods. The photo is actually Todd in action from the recent Fall Eckert Property Outing.

Tommy Turns 4!

2008-10-22T22:18:00.003-05:00

Tommy turned four in late September and had a wonderful birthday celebration. He really loves his new bike (see above) and had great parties with both sets of grandparents and with his immediate family at Chucky Cheese.

A Week Without Power

2008-09-18T08:02:00.005-05:00

This has been quite a week. After the unexpected wind storm hit our area on Sunday afternoon, we were without power from 3 p.m. on Sunday until 4 a.m. this (Thursday) morning. Neither Cassie nor Tommy have been able to attend their regular schools this week due to widespread power outages. (Cassie did return to school today, although Tommy is still at Cari's hospital's daycare center.) We have not been alone as approximately one million people in Southwestern Ohio have not had power. Many still do not. We feel very grateful to have our power restored this morning. While we have experienced nothing like the people of Texas, the situation in Dayton has been unprecedented. We were lucky in that unlike most of our neighbors our house did not sustain any damage and the weather has been nice and mild.

The GREAT news is that we are heading down to the Eckert Property for our annual "Fall Property Outing" on Friday morning.

Three Goals in One Quarter, Then the Winds Blew . . .

2008-09-18T08:02:00.002-05:00

Towards the end of a very enjoyable weekend spent with my parents, Leo and Sandy, last weekend, we packed up the mini van and attended Cassie's second soccer game of the year at St. Henry's. The game was fun, and Cassie continued to do so very well, scoring three goals all in the second quarter! She is starting to enjoy the game more and more and uses her speed very well. She was even called for a foul or two for pushing, which made her dad very proud. :)

During the game the winds began to pick up as the remnants of Hurricane Ike moved into the Miami Valley area. Coupled with a strong cold front and very hot weather, wind gusts up to 80 miles per hour moved into the area very suddenly. A very tall tree was cut in half by the wind, breaking and falling very close to the soccer field and families watching the game. Needless to say that ended the game and everyone ran for their cars. Leo and Sandy, who had already packed up for the weekend, got into their Tahoe and drove home to St. Louis. Our family ran to the mini van and headed home, dodging downed trees and other debris. This was the beginning of an event filled and "powerless" week.

Cassie Scores Two Goals!

2008-09-09T07:36:00.004-05:00

Cassie started her second soccer experience on Sunday, this time for the Bishop Leibold School Kindergarten League. She plays on the "rust" color team. This is a fun league focusing on basic skills (and, well, having fun). While no score is kept for the games, Cassie scored two goals! She was the fastest child on the field (okay, I'm pretty excited) and seemed to know what was going on. We are very proud of her. Her next game is Sunday at 2 p.m.

Cassie on the Bus!

2008-08-28T06:31:00.004-05:00

Cassie on the bus! See the link to the left from our Picasa page for more Cassie school bus pictures.

Cassie Starts Kindergarten

2008-08-27T21:55:00.003-05:00

Cassie had her first day at her new school today, which went very well. She is in kindergarten at Bishop Leibold School. This is actually her second year in kindergarten as she attended "K4" in Milwaukee last year. Cari took her to school for her first day. Cassie begins to ride the bus tomorrow (she will ride in the AM and attend a YMCA after school program in the PM). Stay tuned for updates and pictures.

We Are a Traveling Family

2008-08-27T21:41:00.002-05:00

Our late summer/early fall travel schedules continues at a brisk pace. In recent weeks we have traveled to St. Louis for the Todd Burns-Nancy Stevenson (see picture of Nancy with Cari above) couples shower and for a Burns family Cardinal game. We also had the opportunity to visit Todd and Nancy's beautiful new house, west of St. Charles, MO. This weekend our travels continue as we return to the Milwaukee area to celebrate Will Neumann's baptism at Gesu Church with his parents Kelly and Chad (and many other friends).

2008-08-15T09:51:00.001-05:00

I had the opportunity to take an official tour of the new Busch Stadium in July as a part of the Midwest ACE Conference. It was sooooo much fun, an experience I highly recommend. See my web album for additional pictures. Special thanks to Rick Smith and Matt Purdy for help with the pictures and fun on the tour!

House Sold!

2008-08-04T20:27:00.007-05:00

I am thrilled to announce that as of 4:30 p.m. this afternoon, our Wisconsin home has been sold! The closing was today and we are now officially owners of just one home (which we love and continue to unpack). The house was purchased by a young couple from the Milwaukee area with a young son (so the play system/tree house will get good use). If you have followed our saga you know that this was the second offer we had on the house. After some house challenges and a flood we feel very fortunate to have sold the house so quickly. Thanks for all of your prayers -- Saint Joseph has been dug up and is being mailed to us in Dayton.

Wonderful Visit with Meg and Matt

2008-08-03T19:55:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we had a wonderful visit with Meg and Matt Frankovis, who were kind enough to drive down to Dayton/Springboro from Milwaukee. We had dinner on Friday night at one of our new favorite local restaurants and spent Saturday at a local farmer's market, at our neighborhood pool, at a local ice cream shop, and grilling out in our backyard. Special thanks to Matt and Meg for watching the kids so Cari and I could make our first visit to the Ohio DMV.

Getting Settled in Dayton

2008-07-18T08:11:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts and pictures -- moving is a complicated process and free time has been limited. The good news is that we are getting settled in Dayton and very much love our new house and neighborhood. I also really enjoy my new job and co-workers, and Cari begins her new job on Monday.

In the midst of the move, we took a (long ago planned) weekend trip to Nashville. Cari's parents were kind enough to watch the kids for the weekend to let Cari and I have a much needed get away. We had a wonderful time and even saw the Grand Ole Opry.

I'll have more updates and pictures about our adventures soon. For now, thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Eckerts to Dayton Updates and Going Away Activities

2008-06-12T16:19:00.004-05:00

We continue to make progress towards our move to Dayton, Ohio:

Cari has accepted a position with Miami Valley Hospital. She will be working as an acute care physical therapist and starts on July 21. Miami Valley was Cari's first choice, and she is very excited about the new opportunity.
The last week has been a very enjoyable fairwell tour for us. Jason spend the weekend at the Wisconsin Private College Career Consortium retreat in Door County. His friends in the consortium actually officially named the annual golf outing the "Jason Eckert Honorary Golf Scramble." Wow!
We celebrated with going away parties on both Sunday (at home) and Monday (at Marquette) and so appreciate the opportunity to spend time with so many friends prior to our departure.
This weekend we are spending four+ days in Dayton home shopping and seeing the area. We hope to have home buying news soon as we have been doing a lot of research. Thanks in advance to Dave Borchardt, who is hosting our visit, and Cari's brother Brad Burns, who is traveling down to Dayton to help with the kids.
I start at the University of Dayton on June 24. I'll be moving to a temporary house on campus (thanks UD!) on June 23. Cari and the kids will follow a few days later.
Our house is still for sale! Details appear in previous blog postings if you are interested.

Thanks for all of your support during this exciting time. The above picture is, by the way, from our going away party and is courtesy of Tonya and Todd Schmidt.

Welcome William Joseph Neumann!

2008-06-12T15:52:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the world, little William Joseph Neumann! Will is the son of proud parents and good friends Kelly and Chad Neumann. Will was born on June 5 in Germany, where the Neumanns are spending two years, and will not only have duel citizenship but will also soon be an Eck Spot reader. We can't wait to meet you!

House Video

2008-05-22T08:43:00.000-05:00

House on the Market!

2008-05-21T15:45:00.011-05:00

After a few weeks of vigorous home projects, our house (2729 E. Elizabeth Avenue) is now on the market. Its MLS Number is 1013895. It is listed through Shorewest Realtors. Our realtor, Jen Patzman, is fabulous. You can view our house listing at:

The Shorewest listing
The Wisconsin MLS listing
The Guided Tour on Shorewest.com
The House Video (Filmed and Producted by Eck Spot Productions)

Will someone visiting Eck Spot be interested in buying our house? Probably not, but it was fun to make the video (and a great memory of the home in its polished glory). Enjoy!

Moving to Dayton, Ohio

2008-05-09T11:23:00.005-05:00

We have some very exciting news to share with you – we are moving to Dayton, Ohio! I have accepted a position as the Director of Career Services at the University of Dayton (UD). While I was not looking to leave Marquette University, I was contacted by the search firm retained by UD and decided to apply. After three rounds of interviews and two trips to Dayton, I was offered the position last week and formally accepted the position on Tuesday. I’ll be at Marquette until mid-June and start at UD on June 24. UD is a Catholic, Marianist institution very similar to Marquette in terms of enrollment, academic programs, etc.

We are very excited about this opportunity and ready for the change, although saying goodbye to our Wisconsin friends is already difficult. The kids handled the news very well, although there have been a few teary moments from Cassie (who at five is old enough to realize she will be attending a new school, leaving her friends, etc.) However, the prospect of finding a new house, having their own room, being able to help decorate a new room, etc., has proved to be very exciting. We will be slightly closer to St. Louis and in a warmer climate as well.

Like many areas of the country, Dayton is in need of physical therapists, so we are optimistic about Cari’s job search. She is flying down to Dayton for an interview with a major hospital in town on May 19. This hospital (Miami Valley Hospital) is actually just blocks from the UD campus, which would be great for commuting, etc. Please keep your fingers crossed and prayers coming for Cari.

As you can imagine, this decision has put a flurry of activity into motion. We are frantically organizing/staging our house and have hired a realtor. The house should go on the market in about a week. A storage facility has been rented for our extra junk and clutter, which is already about 1/3 full. We have also started to look at homes in Dayton, although we won’t get too serious until our house attracts some interest. We should have a loaner house from the university to get us by for a few months, at least until the students return in August.

Stay tuned to Eck Spot for the latest updates on the Eckert move. :)

EckSpot -- Now on Skype

2008-04-30T14:31:00.003-05:00

The Eckerts are now on Skype, the web service that allows people to make and receive video chats and audio calls (to other Skype users) on the web. We are in the process of acquiring a webcam for our home computer (currently en route from Amazon.com). Jason currently has access to one at work and has been playing around with the service (primarily to keep in touch with the Neumanns in Germany). Our Skype account name is, appropriately, eckspot.

If you are interested in setting up your own account, start at http://www.skype.com/. You can find us through the account directory. I have to say I have been impressed thus far, and the cost is the best part!

Cassie Starts Soccer!

2008-04-21T19:35:00.002-05:00

This past season Cassie started her soccer career by playing two games in her K-4/5 league (i.e. kindergarten). She did very well -- the picture is one of her highlights. She has been playing a little offense and a little defense (and, well, standing around a bit as well). One early challenge has been playing time (the team has 20 members, a difficult challenge for any coach). I have to laugh when the coach yells out, "Come over here, Angels." (Their school nickname is the Archangels, although his tone reminds me of Charlie.) She has approached it with a very positive attitude. She has games on most Saturdays through May.

See more of Cassie in action at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/SoccerCassie.

Easter in St. Louis

2008-04-20T20:26:00.001-05:00

I finally got around to saving and uploading pictures from our Easter Weekend trip to St. Louis. Some of them really turned out well. View the slide show to the left or the entire album at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/Easter2008.

Pirate Tommy

2008-04-19T18:59:00.000-05:00

Friday saw the Marquette University Child Care Center's annual dress up party/dance and auction. As you can see from the shot, Tommy dressed as a Pirate. Arrrrrrrr. Cassie was a Cinderella-esque princess. We had a blast (after having dinner with Cari's mom in Racine) and even won a couple of items up for bid.

March Travel Updates

2008-04-08T15:00:00.003-05:00

We had quite the experiences traveling during the month of March. Jason traveled to New York City for the Big East Conference Career Fair (and more importantly to visit sister-in-law to be Nancy Stevenson) from March 12-15. We had a great time, saw some New York sites with Nancy, and went to Marquette's big win over Notre Dame at Madison Square Garden.

Nancy and I flew from New York to Milwaukee on March 15 and began our annual Eckert Ski Trip extravaganza. We spend the weekend visiting with friends and family members and on Sunday made the drive “up north” to Ironwood, MI. We skied for three days in Michigan (one in northern Wisconsin) and had a wonderful time. The hot tub, facing the slopes at Big Powderhorn Mountain, was a highlight.

When we returned from Michigan we quickly repacked and headed to St. Louis for Easter weekend with Jason’s parents. (Well, we were actually delayed a day by a 15-inch snow storm, but that has all melted by now.) We had a great yet brief trip to St. Louis, and let the kids stay with my parents for a week of vacation. Cassie was on Spring Break that week and the kids both had a great time (and most likely wore out Sandy and Leo for a few weeks time).

Finally, the weekend of March 28 was spent in Springfield, IL, visiting Cari’s parents and the Klinners. Little Ali is growing into such a doll and the kids adore her. We have been back home since (and hope to stay around Milwaukee for a while, enjoying the emerging spring weather).

Celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday

2008-03-21T17:46:00.000-05:00

Cassie and Tommy recently attended a birthday party for Dr. Seuss (honored on March 2) at the Milwaukee Downtown Public Library. The picture is the kids with Browser, the library's lion mascot. The kids played, met The Cat in the Hat, decorated cookies, and had a great time.

Jason Heads to New York City

2008-03-12T14:00:00.003-05:00

I am on my way to New York City for the Big East Conference Career Fair, which is this Friday at Madison Square Garden. Marquette is one of the 16 Big East schools putting on the fair. I have the privilege of staying with our friend Nancy Stevenson, the fiancee of Todd Burns, who has an apartment in Manhattan relatively near Central Park. Nancy and I fly together to Milwaukee on Saturday morning, which will officially begin our big annual ski trip week.

Avenue Q Review

2008-03-06T13:49:00.002-06:00

Our theater group went to see Avenue Q at the Marcus Center on Sunday evening. We had a wonderful time, although it was a bittersweet evening as it was our last night together as a complete group. Kelly and Chad Neumann are getting ready to live and work in Germany for two years. This might be the end of our little group as it is currently composed. Kelly and Chad are dear friends and will be missed so much. However, as the finale of Avenue Q states, Kelly and Chad are leaving “only for now.”

I am going to keep my comments on the show relatively brief as fellow official Cats Scale reviewer Matt Frankovis has done a brilliant job reviewing the show below. (Really Matt – I think you have missed your calling and theatrical review could be in your future.) Simply stated, Avenue Q Rocks!!! A modern show with wonderful humor and catchy songs. As a career counselor, I loved the examination of life just beyond the walls of college and the struggles experienced by liberal arts majors in the labor market. As a male theater enthusiast, I loved the irreverent examination of relationships, culture, and sexuality. The 1980s references (mix tapes, Gary Coleman’s struggles, etc.) were also classic. A very enjoyable performance all around.

My Cats Scale Rating? 1 Cat! (Recall that the Cats scale is based on a comparison of the musical Cats, which I despise. 0 Cats equals theatrical perfection. 5 Cats equals the worst musical I have seen – Cats.)

Avenue Q Review by Matt Frankovis

Cats Scale Rating – 1/2 Cat

Avenue Q is the musical that not only satirizes Sesame Street, but in a fashion that mocks all other musicals. It plays less like a cultured, debonair downtown event, and more like a creative HBO comedy special (or late-night Wausau TV, if you will). I actually found myself leaning forward in my seat, my ears straining to catch every word. It wasn’t the type of show that seeks deeper meaning and will leave a lasting impact on your soul, and you definitely wouldn’t buy the soundtrack (unless you also have a copy of Jerky Boys in your collection). Rather, Avenue Q makes light of semi-harmless life subjects through the use of hand puppets with songs like IF YOU WERE GAY, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A B.A. IN ENGLISH, EVERYONE’S A LITTLE BIT RACIST, and the memorable THE INTERNET IS FOR PORN. The internet is also for eckspot.blogspot.com, but it’s hard to fit that into a song.

Gary Coleman references were laced throughout, and one of the greatest products of the 80’s/early 90’s (the mixtape) made an appearance, as did Jason’s binoculars when Lucy the Slut made her debut (she’s just a puppet!).

However, my favorite characters were the Bad Idea Bears, who leveraged their fuzzy cuteness to compel Princeton and Kate Monster to engage in drinking games.

("You should do something for yourself for a change--buy some beer!" "Buy a case! It's cheaper that way in the long run!" "Yay-yeee!")

("Quick, take her home!" "She's wasted!" "Yay-yeee!")

While it’s all great fun in act one, the reason Avenue Q can’t pull out the coveted “Zero Cats” rating is the ironic attempt at becoming a musical and having some closure in act two. Why mess up great and clever humor by trying to complete a plot? Sure, there were a few more good songs (I WISH I COULD GO BACK TO COLLEGE, THE MONEY SONG --- where an audience member donated a Lion King ticket stub for the cause), but I was much more content and amused when the drive for Princeton to find his purpose in life took a back seat to comedy, as it did in the first act. As Chad noted, we probably could’ve left during intermission and been equally as entertained. Unfortunately, Avenue Q made an attempt to become a musical.

While the set and score took a back seat to the Lion King, the creativity in the characters and dialogue are what set Avenue Q apart. I would compare it to My Fair Lady, but honestly, I didn’t see most of it. Ultimately, Avenue Q ranks head and shoulders above the rest of this season’s class of shows.

Avenue Q Review by Chad Neumann

Cats Scale Rating – 1 Cat

In summary, Avenue Q is an amusing and comical musical which kindly pokes fun of a typical day for anyone stuck in a normal routine trying to figure out their "purpose" in life. The first half engages the audience only to leave them a bit disappointment by the declining climax of the second half. Each character brings a unique sense of humor to the show which
will leave one laughing out loud. I do agree with Mr. Matt F. regarding the "Bad Idea Bears" as being one of my favorite characters as their "purpose" to the musical is nothing short of being hilarious. It is certainly a musical worth seeing - assuming you are not looking for the meaning to life or any deep message, but rather an entertaining and laughter filled 2 1/2 hours.

One Dalmatian Under God

2008-03-05T16:03:00.002-06:00

Very funny Cassie Eckert moment from the weekend. While we were dining at Applebee's, Cassie and I were talking about flags and the Pledge of Allegiance. She offered to recite the Pledge for us, as she does each morning at school. Her recital was perfect, with one humorous exception:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the republic for which it stands
One Dalmatian, Under God . . .

Hilarious! Almost as good as Tommy insisting (to this day) that February 2 is Grounddog (as opposed to Groundhog) Day.

Skiing in Wausau, WI

2008-02-21T22:51:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we had a great time skiing at Granite Peak Ski Area at Rib Mountain in Wausau, WI. It was Cassie and Tommy’s second time skiing. They did great during a five hour lesson! Their lesson gave Cari and I a nice time to ski together and explore the ski area, which we definitely recommend. The four of us were able to ski the bunny hill together at the end of the day. We can see definite improvement in the kids skiing ability (which should help our upcoming March ski trip to Michigan’s UP). Feel free to see many pictures of our trip at our Picasa site.

We also visited our good friends Josh and Mandy Wright (and their daughter Sylvia and cat Doc) on Sunday morning, prior to heading home in the snow.