One of the games that came with the lad’s Wii video gaming console was Mario Bros. Wii, one of many Mario Bros. games Nintendo has produced during the past three decades. During all those years – even when playing the original version on the Nintendo Entertainment System – I never paused to reflect on the …
Category Archive: Father and Son
Feb
20
Free slot car racing, wargaming events slated at Niagara Hobby
Just a quick note: Niagara Hobby in Cheektowaga is having several free slot car racing events, and they’re holding Games Workshop Warhammer Tournaments as well. Here is the date schedule: Warhammer 40,000 Tournament - Saturday, Feb. 18 “Raging Randy’s Race Day” - Saturdays, Feb. 18 and 25 “Tumbuktu’s Digital Slot Car Race – Saturday, March 3 St. …
Feb
19
Sometimes, it’s better to buy obsolesence
The lad turned the big 0-7 this week, and listed among his birthday wishes was a console video game, a Wii system in particular. The wife and I were deciding on timing – after all, there has been a great deal of speculation about plummeting sales for Wii manufacturer Nintendo, and about the next generation …
Feb
16
Nature walk slated for Penn-Dixie site this Saturday
Just a quick note about a cool activity for this Saturday: The Penn-Dixie Paleontoloogical and Outdoor Education Center is having a cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or nature walk (depending on the weather) at 10 a.m. this Saturday, Feb. 18. Here’s the news blurb: Experience Penn Dixie in the winter months by cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or …
Feb
08
An outing at the fire hall
Last Saturday was a banner day for the Cub Scouts, as they had the opportunity to tour an area volunteer fire department. One of the dads, Firefighter Paul, was kind enough to show the kids (and attending parents) around. Many of the cubs had visited that same fire hall last year as part of a …
Jan
29
Keeping a six-year-old busy for an evening – for $8
Anyone finding themselves in Western New York this weekend knows that the weather turned badly today; or, rather, that the weather suddenly became what it normally is this time of year, which is cold, windy and snowy. With it being too inclement for outdoor fun, the lad and I resorted to keeping busy indoors, but we also …
Jan
21
For the to-do list: kids’ programs at home improvement stores
We’ve seen Mr. Lee at Lowe’s about two dozen times in the past year. our most recent project was a wooden castle. Like most parents, I’m always seeking reasonably-priced or free activities for my son and I, especially those that will teach him new skills or bring him into contact with new ideas. One activity …
Jan
15
Cub Scout Pinewood Derby results, or how we learned to lose
While the Batmobile didn’t place, my son and I learned a great deal. The long-anticipated Pinewood Derby was held this morning, and it was a smash success. About 75 people attended. The pack had 24 cars entered – a 50 percent increase over last year – and the competition was tough. Our Batmobile – while …
Jan
11
Free slot car racing event this Saturday
While the lad and I won’t be able to attend this event – we’ll be will be busy at our Cub Scout Pinewood Derby this Saturday – Niagara Hobby in Cheektowaga is having a free Carrera slot car racing event starting at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, Jan. 14 at their store, which is located at …
Jan
08
Cub Scout Pinewood Derby: Building the Batmobile, Part III
This is the third and final post in a series about building a Cub Scout Pinewood Derby car that takes style cues from the Batmobile. The first post in this series can be found here, while the second can be found by clicking here. We left off with the chassis structurally complete, sanded, primed and …