Sunday, August 9, 2009

Fifth Post

Okay, this will be very obscure. My mother and Karl may be the only people who get it...

Apparently, my baby is the size of four navel oranges this week... Suddenly that reminded me:


"Good morning, Mr. Judge. I placed this class of Washington Navel Oranges 3-2-4-1. As a general evalutation of this class, I found that there was uniform eye appeal throughout the class with minor blemishes scattered throughout the bottom plates. There were no apparent signs of imminent deterioration and all appearances indicated a long and fresh shelf-life.

"I placed 3 over 2 because of its general uniformity in color, shape, and size. While plate three had a uniformly reddish-orange color, plate two had signs of oleocilosis and slight shading due to prolonged boxing. The cross-section of plate three was uniform with a medium rind and rag, while plate two showed minor granulations toward the core.

"I placed 2 over 4 because of the uniformity in size and shape plate two displayed against plate four. Plate four showed three oranges of very good reddish-orange color and ovate shape but one whose shape was flattened and discolored, possibly due to prolonged packing pressure. Plate four also demonstrated in its cross section several kists.

"I placed plate 4 over 1 because of the obvious discrepancies apparent upon inspection of plate one. While plate four's oranges were free of any cosmetic blemishes, plate one had katydid, thrips, and snail damage. The cross-section of plate one showed increased signs of advanced granulation and sprouting seeds, demonstrating an expired piece of merchandise.

"In conclusion, I found this class of oranges to be generally suitable for consumption with no major defects except those identified above. For these reasons, I placed this class of Washington Navel Oranges, 3-2-4-1. Thank you."


For those of you who don't get it, that was a reference to Citrus Judging, of which I was the California State Champion for two years in a row, thank you very much.... Someone email this post to Mr. Mailand...

Amanda and I took a drive out to the countryside today and it got me thinking about (besides citrus judging) the wonderful life that is available in the country. After living in cities for the past 8 years I find myself continuously yearning for a life with simpler priorities and less traffic. I also know that it is a much safer environment for Sebastian to grow up in, and hopefully Amanda and I can provide that sort of life as soon as I am done with this whole "serving my country" thing (not to make it sound derogatory...).

It is neat to feel Sebastian kicking and punching. Probably not as neat for Amanda as it is for me, since I don't have to bear the brunt of the discomfort, but she is kind enough to let me know whenever he is active so I can play with him. We went to a class this past weekend where we were told to do a kick-count. If he fails to kick or move 10 times within an hour we are supposed to call them. I honestly think this guy kicks more than 500 times in an hour unless he is sleeping, so needless to say, we have not had to worry about the kick counts, thank God. He is very, very active.

We will be taking our last-hurrah vacation next week, which I'm sure will be very exciting. We are going to the Outer Banks, Wilmington, NC, Charleston, SC, Asheville, NC, and Asheboro, NC. Hopefully Amand will not go into labor while we are driving. She will just have to hold it because "we have to make good time..."

Anyway, the time's gettin' close, and I'm gettin' excited. Sebastian will be a Shortstop.

1 comment:

  1. Ok, I got the reference having written my fair share of class placements for various judging contests, but not one of them was citrus judging. I will say that they were very well written and I can see how you were the champion. Anyway, hope you guys have a good vacation and hope you can get Amanda to hold having to go the bathroom instead of labor while driving!

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