(Insert heat joke here.)

For a break from the 100-degree temperatures here in Kansas we decided to head to the 115-degree oasis of Phoenix last weekend (OK, truth be told it was only 105 while we were there). And while the whole "it's a dry heat" cliché got a little old, we actually found it to be surprisingly true. Of course a lot of that could be attributed to the fact that we spent nearly 75% of our time in a pool thanks to a certain four-year old who initially insisted he had no intention of dipping so much as a toe in the liquid refreshingness who later turned out to be quite the water bug. 

Here is a rundown of our adventure in pictures.

First off, this was Reef's maiden voyage on an airplane.

He did pretty good, despite the fact that the "no AC before take off" had him sweating off one or two of his extra chins.


Then there was this guy and his new-found love of the water.

Actually this guy didn't mind the water too much either.

The Rainforest Cafe on the other hand wasn't as big of a hit, this is the only smile we got from a child with very sensitive ears and an apprehension to crudely made animatronic elephants.

Now, Rustler's Rooste, with it's entry slide was a little more his speed.

And then there was this.

Four-Alarm Celebration

Park's fourth birthday has come and gone, but we hear there are requests to see photos from his big day so we're happy to share, even though it's a month late. And frankly, we're so surprised anyone reads this blog anymore since we've been neglecting it, so thanks to those who are sticking with us and still curious to see what's happening in our lives.

Since we've been adjusting to life with a little one, we took the easy route this year and had a small family celebration at our house. We were so lucky to have all the cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents here. We were also lucky to have semi-cruddy weather turn into beautiful weather just in time for the party.

Park's birthday gift from us was something we've been wanting for years, and we hope it will got a lot of use for much, much longer. While the decision of what to get him was easy, hiding it from him until his birthday was another story. Park's interest in basketball has blossomed over the last year and he and Craig have been enjoying learning moves on the small plastic goal in our basement. We felt it was time to get something a little more realistic that wouldn't tip over when the kid dunked.

Luckily, Park bought the story that we were having a light pole installed in our driveway for a week so he could play outside at night. The morning of his birthday, he was surprised to find that the light pole was something much cooler than a light and much more fun to play with.

As for the party, we went with the four-alarm fire theme since Park is fascinated with all things "emergency." Firetrucks, emergency vehicles, firemen, policemen, you name it.

Park also likes BBQ food so it was only natural to go with Famous Dave's and have them deliver dinner in their fire truck.

Games included Pin the Tail on the Dalmatian, musical chairs, Simon Says and beat the crap out of a fire truck pinata.

It was a great day to turn four!

Good news.

I've been avoiding all of the coverage of the aftermath of the Moore tornado, because, well … I've just seen enough death and destruction lately. Today however I stumbled across a video that got my attention.

Stick with it until the 1:39 mark, you'll be glad you did.

I never stopped believing.

There's a small plaque hanging on the wall in our house, on it, there's a picture of the inside of Levitt Arena taken some time in the mid 80s. Just below the picture, there's a little piece of the original Levitt Arena floor with the words "Craig Lindeman '98, Shocker Fan Since Birth" inscribed on it.

That pretty much sums it up.

I don't remember exactly how old I was the first time my dad took me to a WSU basketball game, but I do remember it. I remember sitting just in front of the band and being scared to death by the noise emitted by the seemingly endless sea of tubas, trombones and trumpets—not to mention the ravaged vocal chords of 10,000-plus screaming Shocker fans. I also remember two breakaway dunks by my all-time favorite Shocker Xavier McDaniel. (To this day, I have no idea if those two dunks ever really happened, but that's how I remember it.)

From listening to games in the back of my parents' car to watching them on the subscription-only Shocker Channel while sitting on the floor of their crowded bedroom, WSU basketball was a key component of my life—and still is today. When I was younger, my dream was to play for the Shockers. During the summer I used to spend up to five hours a day at the Y working on my game and practicing how I would run out of the tunnel to the strains of "Hail Wichita." I even attended WSU basketball camp for years just to get a chance to play on the Levitt Arena floor and hopefully get noticed by a coach.

That said, growing up a Shocker fan wasn't easy. It wasn't the popular thing to do, but I've never been one to jump on a bandwagon or choose the well-worn path. So, I stood defiant in the face of relentless teasing from childhood friends mockingly calling my basketball Mecca "Hurry Leave It Arena." To which I always countered with the rally cry of losers everywhere  … "wait until next year." When that never materialized I would often pin my hopes on individual players, insisting that Jamie Arnold or Marvin Hill were destined to have their numbers retired and become NBA superstars.

But the thing was, during most of that time, the Shockers were bad. Really bad. I just never saw it. No matter how bad things got on the court, there was always a piece of my heart that just knew a better day was just around the corner—and when it came I was going to be front and center for all of the action and then scream "see, I told you" loud enough for everyone to hear.

So I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Season after season passed and my unwavering fandom went unrewarded. But I wasn't alone. If there's anyone in the world who's a bigger Shocker basketball fan than me, it's my dad. He's the guy who gets to games two hours early just to make sure he doesn't miss anything, the one who takes two of every crappy, five-cent promotional item they pass out at the arena just so he has a back up—that guy. We've weathered this thing together and I have to say it's been pretty special.

Someone else who has been there for most of the journey is Carrie. Nothing says "I love you" quite like going to a Shocker game on Valentine's Day or your birthday or New Year's—or all three. Carrie has put up with my basketball-related mood swings, allowed me to work our travel plans around potential games and even let me plan our honeymoon to correspond with a preseason tournament (not to mention letting me go to a game a few hours after Reef was born). But somewhere along the way, she's become a fan too, one who even squeezed herself into the bleachers when she was nine months pregnant. And if you have ever been to what is now Koch Arena, you know that's saying something.

Going through all of those things together have been a little easier over the past 10 years or so. In 2006 we went to the Sweet 16 then and, following a brief dip back to mediocrity, Gregg Marshall has built a program that has gotten better and better each and every year. We've won conference championships, we've become one of the best road teams in the country and we've signed top-level talent (the kind that might actually make it to the NBA someday).

But none of that prepared me for this season's NCAA tournament. Even a dreamer like me, thought the Final Four was one dream that was just out of reach. But there we were and now all of a sudden everyone is a Shocker fan and I can finally scream "see, I told you so," but I don't really want to. Instead, I just want to sit back and enjoy watching my soon-to-be four year-old son play "Hail Wichita" on the iPod as he runs out of the "tunnel" in our basement pretending to be Ehimen Orupke, Carl Hall, Demetric Williams, Malcolm Armstead or Ron Baker "The Shot Maker."(Yes, that really happens.) For it looks like there's another generation of memories waiting to be made—I just hope he and his little brother don't have to wait as long as I did.

Here's a pic of the first and third generation of Lindeman Shocker fans at a game earlier this year.

Here's us before the Ohio State game, the button I'm wearing is the same one pictured above, it became my good luck charm during the tournament.

And maybe it was an omen because after years and years of talking about doing it, this year for Christmas I got my dad a ball autographed by the entire team. When the injuries started piling up I thought it was going to be a pretty crappy present … I guess I was wrong.

Crib Notes: 8 weeks

The past 8 weeks since we welcomed Reef into the world have been nothing how we planned.

During the entire pregnancy, we worried about Park being jealous of all the attention the newborn would require from mom and dad. We haven't seen an ounce of jealously from the big guy, just a whole lot of kisses, hugs and smothering. I'm not sure Park truly gets what it means to have Reef just yet either -- he still asks if the baby is coming with us when we go somewhere.

While we were worried about a jealous big brother, we were also worried about a sleep-deprived big brother. We even set up the basement guest room just so Park could have an extra place to sleep when the baby was crying at night. But Reef didn't get the memo about newborns having their days and nights confused. It just took him a week or two to figure out the routine. Today, he's a rock star sleeper ...

... and eater. "Beefy Reefy," as we lovingly call him, loves to eat and has packed on the pounds much faster than Park did at this age. For the last couple of weeks Reef has been wearing 6 month clothing. If he hasn't already, he is close to doubling his birth weight. He's a chunk, and I'm getting the back and arm muscles to prove it.

While Reef and Park shared a lot of physical similarities at birth (which were more like Craig), the "little" guy is starting to look a wee bit more like his mom. Now I know what Craig meant when he would look at Park as an infant and say it was a weird feeling to be looking at someone that looked like him. Unfortunately, Reef is quickly losing his long, dark hair. Like his brother,  it appears to be coming in a little lighter.

Time will tell what characteristics and features Reef will take on that make him Reef. For now we are just loving the little guy and the new things he's starting to do each day. Like smiling! (except when his brother turns his pillow into a parking lot)

Driving Freedom: eGreenCars

I'm passionate about a lot of things in life, my family, my music, my photography, the protection of the environment, virtually every animal on God's green earth and Shocker basketball (more on that one to come)—just to name a few. On their own, each of these topics can get me more geeked up than Double Rainbow Guy on meth. So just imagine what happens when they collide.

That was the case this week when my brother and a friend launched eGreenCars.com.

In its essence, eGreenCars is an educational resource, a website that helps anyone looking to buy a new, used or certified pre-owned fuel-efficent car navigate through a mountain of sometimes confusing technical information (and sometimes even mis-information). Through the site, shoppers can compare different green options—everything from hybrids and electrics to clean diesel vehicles and even traditional gasoline options—to determine which one is right for them with tools including an online monthly fuel savings calculator.

Once a buyer has widdled down all of the choices, the site can then help them find the exact car that best suites their needs (right now that option only includes cars located in the San Diego area, but that's soon to expand). Every car featured on the site has been given the EPA's official SmartWay certification—placing it among the top 20% of green cars within a given model year.

To put it simply, eGreenCars is your one-stop, learn-everything-you-need-to-know and-then-get-the-car-you-need green car solution.

So whether you're like me and want to make sure you're making the most responsible decision possible for future generations or just want a little extra cash to place on the Shockers in the Sweet Sixteen, watch the video below and then visit eGreenCars.com.



To keep up to date on eGreenCars and get the inside scoop on the green car industry, follow them on Twitter, Instragram, Pinterest like them on Facebook or connect with them on Google+.

Tell 'em the Zonkey sent ya!

The first month of Reef Presley Lindeman, in pictures

We've finally come up for air long enough to start thinking about blogging again regularly. Today's post is a sampling of some of the photos I've taken during Reef's first month on the planet. Carrie will provide a more in-depth account of that life-changing first month in a future post. Until then, enjoy.