"We survived September."
Those were the first words (probably after "hello") The Wife said to me yesterday, when September ended and we finally entered October. I guess it makes...what?...yesterday wasn't October 1? WHAT DAY IS IT?
I kid because I love. I know it's October 16. My anniversary was just a few days ago. Huh? Really? Not October 16?
Well, perhaps I should start over...nah. Just plow ahead.
In all seriousness, those were the first words The Wife said to me on October 1. They are true words. September does seem to be the hardest month. If you consider that all 3 boys are swimming right now, and all 3 boys are playing soccer right now, and all 3 boys are in school right now, and we try to start going to church again, and two of the boys are in Cub Scouts which starts anew in September, it kind of makes sense. Of course, summer, with Kill the Family Tour combined with multiple swim meets is no breeze. In the spring, we had 2 swimmers, 2 soccer players, a baseball player, a Cub Scout, school and me teaching 2 classes at church. Winter comes with basketball and the dull, dreary days of swimming, plus there is no sun, and we have had A LOT of snow the past couple of winters. Why is September so hard again?
Again, I kid because I love.
September is hard because we are getting back into the routine. After a very busy summer, especially in 2014 and 2015 with Kill the Family Tour and Kill the Family Tour 2.0, we ease out of summer. Swim practice ends. The boys do no new sports. We have no school, we don't go to church, the sun is out late and we end it with vacation. One glorious week at the beach, with nice weather, the ocean, a round of golf, mini golf, the lazy river, a Japanese Steakhouse, a couple family movies, one last family day trip and a shark. More on the shark later.
The last several years we have gone on vacation the last week of summer. We enjoy this week, because most people are already back in school. Traffic on I-95 is relatively light, the beach is not too crowded, restaurants are rarely full and things are just relaxed. We go Saturday to Saturday, so we have 2 days after we return to get ready for the return to school on the Tuesday after Labor Day. I have blogged in the past that Labor Day is the worst day of the year, which is true, because after all that loveliness I just described - BLAM!!! - everything starts up again. Within 1 week of school starting we are back into every activity a suburban family of 5 can handle.
I think that is why September seems like the hardest month of the year. We go from easy to vacation to insane. Once we get into the routine, between soccer practices and swim practices, combined with my feeble attempts to swim at least a couple days/week, I am rarely home before 7:30 pm. This year, on swim nights, I am getting home at 8:40 pm. Then I eat dinner. Between the 5 of us, if you include The Wife's time as a Den Leader and my time as a coach, we average 15 activities between Monday and Friday. That includes 1 swim practice on Friday, so we are pulling 14 activities from Monday through Thursday.
I know I have written about this before, and I know we are not exceptional. We know several other families in the same boat, and everyone is doing the best they can with it, but I am writing now for a few reasons. First, it seems funny that The Wife said "We survived September" to begin a day that included school, work, three soccer practices and a Cub Scout meeting. It isn't like surviving a marathon or surviving a war. It wasn't over. Not even close.
Second, our September schedule inspired a new phrase from The Wife, "Drive by Marriage." We are like 2 ships passing in the night, rarely seeing each other and just blowing a horn to get each other's attention. This is not my way of saying we have marital problems, because we don't. This is just a funny way to describe a marriage of 2 working parents with active kids at active ages. Again, we know several other families in the same, and sometimes an even more difficult, position. I think it is just fun to have a phrase to describe it. This summer, O4C, in an effort to make us a couple of the cool kids, encouraged us to use hashtags once we finally decided to get on Instagram. We make jokes about it when we do, because we aren't cool, but it is fun to act like it. Recently, my Volleyball Insider has gone hashtag crazy in our various email "discussions." Just for fun. I think I will see if I can make the term #drivebymarriage start to trend. Hashtags are fun.
Third, I am writing about this because it got me to write again. I have "written" several blog posts in my head over the past couple of months. One about the summer, a couple about Kill the Family Tour 2.0, the shark (still coming), saying good-bye to O4C, my anniversary. I have had a couple suggestions offered to me as well, which I still may use. But I write when I feel motivated. The fact that I was motivated to write about a comment that was said 3 weeks ago seemed funny to me; and appropriate.
As for #drivebymarriage, my anniversary was a couple weeks ago. To celebrate, The Wife and I had Chick-Fil-A for dinner. Separately. She went with the Boys before soccer practice. I picked mine up after soccer practice. She went to a meeting when I got home. I ate alone, while the Boys finished homework and got ready for bed. I am not complaining. This is the life we chose, and I wouldn't change much. Winning the lottery would be a bonus, but that is hard to do if you never play. Hard to do even if you do play. We choose family over just about everything else. And family means all of us, not just each other. So, sometimes, the anniversary dinner gets delayed until we combine it with a birthday dinner. In February. Or April. Or sometimes, we eat Chick-Fil-A, separately, and just laugh. #drivebymarriage.
I guess it is also funny that we "survived" September because of the shark. After a summer of shark attacks in the mid-Atlantic, we went to Myrtle Beach with no fear. On September 2, I was playing in the ocean with all 3 boys, when a 5 foot shark swam right past us and headed back out into the ocean. All things considered, that was probably the closest I came to not surviving September. (Although, realistically, that shark didn't care at all about me.) I brag about that story. I love that story. I saw a shark, in the wild, no more than 5 feet away from me. I think that is pretty cool. And I hope to never do it again. The boys enjoy the story, too, and we all got back in the ocean, but with a little more caution, a couple days later.
Drive by Marriage. Drive by Shark. #fun
Friday, October 23, 2015
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
#DadAt1DConcert
I have been slow to embrace social media. I initially resisted because I thought it was stupid. As I sit here writing this, I can't even remember how it started. MySpace, I think? Regardless, what was the point of putting your entire life on the internet for anyone and everyone to see. At a minimum, it was narcissistic. On the other extreme, it was potentially dangerous. For years, I mocked anyone with a social media account. I still remember mercilessly ridiculing the first friend I learned had a MySpace account. At that point, he also had a FaceBook account, because MySpace was going bye-bye, and FaceBook was taking over.
Eventually, at the behest of a dear friend who lives halfway around the world, I created a Facebook account. I did so because she, correctly, pointed out that we could stay in some contact through FaceBook. However, even after joining the social media horde, I was slow to embrace it. I think I initially grabbed a bunch of FaceBook friends and looked at their pages. I probably made a few initial posts in the first week or so. Then, I went dormant for long stretches of time. Kind of like this blog since the Sochi Olympics. It was interesting to re-connect with some old friends and see what they were up to. I also enjoyed the informal competition with The Wife over who had the most FaceBook friends. However, it still seemed kind of stupid and superficial. I found myself connecting with old acquaintances as well as friends and learned that many people enjoyed the competition about how many "friends" they have, and not in a friendly competition with their spouse. I actually started a blog post once entitled "Why I Hate FaceBook." Like several others, I never finished it.
As I re-connected with more people, I became a little more active. I usually checked in to see what my friends were doing, but never consistently posted about my life. That changed last summer, when I started posting for "Kill the Family Tour". The primary purpose, again, was to help someone half way around the world. We posted pictures of our experiences so O4C's mother could see them. Several close friends enjoyed the posts and pictures. It was a little intoxicating and a little addictive. Especially when we started getting "likes" from around the world. With O4C's return to home, my FaceBook posting became erratic again, until Kill the Family Tour 2.0.
I think it is safe to say that I fully embraced FaceBook sometime in the last couple of years. There are still things I really dislike, but in general, it serves a useful purpose. I particularly enjoy the fact that it has been taken over by my generation.
Despite my acceptance of FaceBook, I have been slow to adopt other social media sites. One of the prmary reasons is I don't understand the purpose of multiple social media platforms. Why is Twitter, with it's character limitation preferable to FaceBook? If you can post pictures on Twitter and FaceBook, what is the point of Instagram? What exactly is SnapChat? How do all of these things differ? Why do you need an account on all of them? And to prove that I am, in fact old, how many social media sites are there that I have never even hear of?
In the interest of learning answers to these questions, I went to the source...teenagers. I asked a few. What I can tell you is they don't have answers. I did get one to admit that FaceBook has lost some status because there are too many parents. I guess there is some appeal to the brevity of Twitter, but no one could really explain why there is a need for Twitter and Instagram. There was a lot of "it's just better" or something along those lines. #BeautyIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder.
I did eventually join Twitter. I just looked and I joined about 2 years ago. I have tweeted 53 times. Some of them are actually kind of funny. As I re-read most of my 53 tweets, I remember that I was going to initially record funny things my boys said, such as "Do you know what is creepy about me?" from Middle. But I never followed through. I basically use Twitter to follow William and Mary sports. It is a good site to keep track of whatever relatively obscure thing you want to keep track of, because major news outlets won't tell me what is going on with the Tribe swim team.
This past weekend, I decided to take Twitter to a new level. I decided to tweet my way through an event. It seemed appropriate that the event was a One Direction concert. I was combining a specific site (Twitter) from an internet platform (social media) to record my observations of a concert from a boy band. All three of these things I was slow to embrace and even slower to admit I had embraced. Why was I at a One Direction concert. There are various reasons, but, I must admit, one reason was I actually like the band. You know, I am still even a little embarrassed to admit that, which is sad. But it is true, I enjoy One Direction, and they put on a hell of a show, even though Liam was a little under the weather.
I decided to truly embrace social media. I tweeted 13 times, including the initial warning that I was going to do it. I used the hashtag #DadAt1DConcert for each tweet, you know, so my musings could go viral. I would have tweeted many more times, but my phone battery died, because I couldn't charge it on the trip to Baltimore because someone (who shall remain nameless) was using my car charger. I admit 13 tweets isn't that much, but if you consider I did 13 tweets in about 10 hours, after 49 tweets in 2 years, it was pretty significant for me. I also was using multiple hashtags, because I have learned from multiple sources that cool kids use hashtags, and I want to be one of the #coolkids.
The concert was fun. My boys enjoyed it, although it was a little too much for Youngest and Middle refused to admit that he enjoyed it. Tweeting was fun. I can understand the appeal, much like I eventually understood the appeal of FaceBook. I probably won't become a big tweeter, I still think there is a little more life to live to spend time trying to record it, even at 120 characters or less. Is that right? 120? I have also opened an Instagram account, and there is no way I can do them all, but I'll do a little of each, here and there. FaceBook, the social media taken over by old people, will probably still be the most active for me. I have posted a few pictures on Instagram and re-tweeted something this morning, and learned to #toomanyhashtags things from time to time. Cuz I want to be one of the #coolkids.
I have learned a few things in my slow acceptance of social media. I generally refuse to sacrifice spelling and grammar, except when artistic license calls for it. Cool kids use hashtags. I still would rather bore you with a long essay on this blog, but I have even less time for that. And, most importantly, capital letters count. If you don't use capital letters, a brief concert by One Direction on Good Morning America can go from #1DonGMA to #1DongMa.
Eventually, at the behest of a dear friend who lives halfway around the world, I created a Facebook account. I did so because she, correctly, pointed out that we could stay in some contact through FaceBook. However, even after joining the social media horde, I was slow to embrace it. I think I initially grabbed a bunch of FaceBook friends and looked at their pages. I probably made a few initial posts in the first week or so. Then, I went dormant for long stretches of time. Kind of like this blog since the Sochi Olympics. It was interesting to re-connect with some old friends and see what they were up to. I also enjoyed the informal competition with The Wife over who had the most FaceBook friends. However, it still seemed kind of stupid and superficial. I found myself connecting with old acquaintances as well as friends and learned that many people enjoyed the competition about how many "friends" they have, and not in a friendly competition with their spouse. I actually started a blog post once entitled "Why I Hate FaceBook." Like several others, I never finished it.
As I re-connected with more people, I became a little more active. I usually checked in to see what my friends were doing, but never consistently posted about my life. That changed last summer, when I started posting for "Kill the Family Tour". The primary purpose, again, was to help someone half way around the world. We posted pictures of our experiences so O4C's mother could see them. Several close friends enjoyed the posts and pictures. It was a little intoxicating and a little addictive. Especially when we started getting "likes" from around the world. With O4C's return to home, my FaceBook posting became erratic again, until Kill the Family Tour 2.0.
I think it is safe to say that I fully embraced FaceBook sometime in the last couple of years. There are still things I really dislike, but in general, it serves a useful purpose. I particularly enjoy the fact that it has been taken over by my generation.
Despite my acceptance of FaceBook, I have been slow to adopt other social media sites. One of the prmary reasons is I don't understand the purpose of multiple social media platforms. Why is Twitter, with it's character limitation preferable to FaceBook? If you can post pictures on Twitter and FaceBook, what is the point of Instagram? What exactly is SnapChat? How do all of these things differ? Why do you need an account on all of them? And to prove that I am, in fact old, how many social media sites are there that I have never even hear of?
In the interest of learning answers to these questions, I went to the source...teenagers. I asked a few. What I can tell you is they don't have answers. I did get one to admit that FaceBook has lost some status because there are too many parents. I guess there is some appeal to the brevity of Twitter, but no one could really explain why there is a need for Twitter and Instagram. There was a lot of "it's just better" or something along those lines. #BeautyIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder.
I did eventually join Twitter. I just looked and I joined about 2 years ago. I have tweeted 53 times. Some of them are actually kind of funny. As I re-read most of my 53 tweets, I remember that I was going to initially record funny things my boys said, such as "Do you know what is creepy about me?" from Middle. But I never followed through. I basically use Twitter to follow William and Mary sports. It is a good site to keep track of whatever relatively obscure thing you want to keep track of, because major news outlets won't tell me what is going on with the Tribe swim team.
This past weekend, I decided to take Twitter to a new level. I decided to tweet my way through an event. It seemed appropriate that the event was a One Direction concert. I was combining a specific site (Twitter) from an internet platform (social media) to record my observations of a concert from a boy band. All three of these things I was slow to embrace and even slower to admit I had embraced. Why was I at a One Direction concert. There are various reasons, but, I must admit, one reason was I actually like the band. You know, I am still even a little embarrassed to admit that, which is sad. But it is true, I enjoy One Direction, and they put on a hell of a show, even though Liam was a little under the weather.
I decided to truly embrace social media. I tweeted 13 times, including the initial warning that I was going to do it. I used the hashtag #DadAt1DConcert for each tweet, you know, so my musings could go viral. I would have tweeted many more times, but my phone battery died, because I couldn't charge it on the trip to Baltimore because someone (who shall remain nameless) was using my car charger. I admit 13 tweets isn't that much, but if you consider I did 13 tweets in about 10 hours, after 49 tweets in 2 years, it was pretty significant for me. I also was using multiple hashtags, because I have learned from multiple sources that cool kids use hashtags, and I want to be one of the #coolkids.
The concert was fun. My boys enjoyed it, although it was a little too much for Youngest and Middle refused to admit that he enjoyed it. Tweeting was fun. I can understand the appeal, much like I eventually understood the appeal of FaceBook. I probably won't become a big tweeter, I still think there is a little more life to live to spend time trying to record it, even at 120 characters or less. Is that right? 120? I have also opened an Instagram account, and there is no way I can do them all, but I'll do a little of each, here and there. FaceBook, the social media taken over by old people, will probably still be the most active for me. I have posted a few pictures on Instagram and re-tweeted something this morning, and learned to #toomanyhashtags things from time to time. Cuz I want to be one of the #coolkids.
I have learned a few things in my slow acceptance of social media. I generally refuse to sacrifice spelling and grammar, except when artistic license calls for it. Cool kids use hashtags. I still would rather bore you with a long essay on this blog, but I have even less time for that. And, most importantly, capital letters count. If you don't use capital letters, a brief concert by One Direction on Good Morning America can go from #1DonGMA to #1DongMa.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Destroy the Lithuanian
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
OK, I should probably start with "Where the f*c* have I been?" Good question. Yeah, I did try to just jump back in with a "Happy Memorial Day Weekend!" You caught that, huh? Well it is a valid question. So before I get back to the subject at hand, I will answer the question, "Where the f*c* have I been?"
Before answering the question, though, I apologize for the language. Generally, I try to keep things PG rated. After all, I am a suburban sports dad. We need to set a good example. As do all the suburban sports moms. However, I saw a Facebook post from a friend describing the spider bomb attack on her while running. At the end of the post, she said "F*** Nature!" I laughed out loud. That reminded me of the power of an F-Bomb. The F-Bomb seemed appropriate.
Sadly, the answer is nowhere. I have just been tired, and busy and generally lazy. After a week of soccer practices, swim practices, soccer games, swim meets, cub scout events and work, I just haven't found the time to finish a blog post. And yes, I mean finish. I have started several. I have plenty of drafts. I just haven't finished any. There are a lot of other things I haven't finished, but really, this is he most important thing. I have let you down. Hence the F-Bomb.
Back to Memorial Day Weekend. Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Memorial Day Weekend is not the first time we grill. Actually, you can't really say there is a "first time." We grill for Christmas sometimes. I have dug a path in 6 inches of snow so I can walk to the grill in the middle of winter. We do typically grill on Memorial Day Weekend, at least twice. This year was no exception. We took advantage of the beautiful, spring like Saturday weather and grilled chicken for the first (but definitely not the last) time this summer.
During the meal, which we ate outside for the first time this year, The Wife, as she is wont to do, asked the Boys what they were most looking forward to this summer. Eldest said "Ieva" in reference to O4C. He then said something about returning to "Destroy the Lithuanian." We are pretty sure he was talking about Kill the Family Tour 2015.
Yes, we will be killing the family again this summer. Kill the Family Tour 2015 starts some time between now and July 1, but will begin in earnest on or around July 3, 2015. O4C returns to America on July 1. We will give her a day or two to recover from the trip.
We have started to plan Kill The Family Tour 2015. I won't give anything away now, but I will be sure to update this blog, and we will track it on Facebook, just like like last summer. The Wife and I agreed last summer that if O4C returned this year, we would take it easier. Based on what we have planned, that's not going to happen. I have not been well rested in about 11 years. Why start now?
Aside from planning to "Destroy the Lithuanian," we had a typical Memorial Day Weekend. We spent half our time making up for ignoring the house, the yard, and the garden for the last month as we cleaned, planted, mowed, etc. We went to the pool. We grilled. We went out to breakfast. We enjoyed the pleasant weather. We prepared to begin the summer swim season, by buying new suits and goggles.
Memorial Day is the traditional beginning of summer, at least for my family and in the mid-Atlantic region. I think we do many of the same things as many other families. However, as much as it is nice to get a 3 day weekend, and catch up for a month's worth being too busy, Memorial Day has a greater meaning and a greater purpose. Many people posted on Facebook to remind us of that greater meaning and purpose. One post always means more.
Every year, my sister in law honors her brother who gave his life not just for our country, but also for his belief that he could make a difference in another country as well. Blake died in Iraq almost 9 years ago. He didn't die fighting, he died trying to build a better country in Iraq, and a better world for all of us. He truly believed in what he was doing.
This year, as she has done every year, my sister in law posted several pictures of her brother. He is always smiling, he is always young and he is always full of hope. I only met Blake a few times. My memories of him are exactly as he is in those pictures. Joyful. Strong. Handsome. He is missed, as are all the people honored and remembered on Memorial Day. I remember and I celebrate. I celebrate a life ended too early, but lived with purpose.
Happy Memorial Day. I hope you enjoyed the day. I hope you enjoy the weekend. And I hope you live a life with purpose.
For the next few months, I will try to "Destroy the Lithuanian" and maybe, "Kill the Family."
OK, I should probably start with "Where the f*c* have I been?" Good question. Yeah, I did try to just jump back in with a "Happy Memorial Day Weekend!" You caught that, huh? Well it is a valid question. So before I get back to the subject at hand, I will answer the question, "Where the f*c* have I been?"
Before answering the question, though, I apologize for the language. Generally, I try to keep things PG rated. After all, I am a suburban sports dad. We need to set a good example. As do all the suburban sports moms. However, I saw a Facebook post from a friend describing the spider bomb attack on her while running. At the end of the post, she said "F*** Nature!" I laughed out loud. That reminded me of the power of an F-Bomb. The F-Bomb seemed appropriate.
Sadly, the answer is nowhere. I have just been tired, and busy and generally lazy. After a week of soccer practices, swim practices, soccer games, swim meets, cub scout events and work, I just haven't found the time to finish a blog post. And yes, I mean finish. I have started several. I have plenty of drafts. I just haven't finished any. There are a lot of other things I haven't finished, but really, this is he most important thing. I have let you down. Hence the F-Bomb.
Back to Memorial Day Weekend. Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Memorial Day Weekend is not the first time we grill. Actually, you can't really say there is a "first time." We grill for Christmas sometimes. I have dug a path in 6 inches of snow so I can walk to the grill in the middle of winter. We do typically grill on Memorial Day Weekend, at least twice. This year was no exception. We took advantage of the beautiful, spring like Saturday weather and grilled chicken for the first (but definitely not the last) time this summer.
During the meal, which we ate outside for the first time this year, The Wife, as she is wont to do, asked the Boys what they were most looking forward to this summer. Eldest said "Ieva" in reference to O4C. He then said something about returning to "Destroy the Lithuanian." We are pretty sure he was talking about Kill the Family Tour 2015.
Yes, we will be killing the family again this summer. Kill the Family Tour 2015 starts some time between now and July 1, but will begin in earnest on or around July 3, 2015. O4C returns to America on July 1. We will give her a day or two to recover from the trip.
We have started to plan Kill The Family Tour 2015. I won't give anything away now, but I will be sure to update this blog, and we will track it on Facebook, just like like last summer. The Wife and I agreed last summer that if O4C returned this year, we would take it easier. Based on what we have planned, that's not going to happen. I have not been well rested in about 11 years. Why start now?
Aside from planning to "Destroy the Lithuanian," we had a typical Memorial Day Weekend. We spent half our time making up for ignoring the house, the yard, and the garden for the last month as we cleaned, planted, mowed, etc. We went to the pool. We grilled. We went out to breakfast. We enjoyed the pleasant weather. We prepared to begin the summer swim season, by buying new suits and goggles.
Memorial Day is the traditional beginning of summer, at least for my family and in the mid-Atlantic region. I think we do many of the same things as many other families. However, as much as it is nice to get a 3 day weekend, and catch up for a month's worth being too busy, Memorial Day has a greater meaning and a greater purpose. Many people posted on Facebook to remind us of that greater meaning and purpose. One post always means more.
Every year, my sister in law honors her brother who gave his life not just for our country, but also for his belief that he could make a difference in another country as well. Blake died in Iraq almost 9 years ago. He didn't die fighting, he died trying to build a better country in Iraq, and a better world for all of us. He truly believed in what he was doing.
This year, as she has done every year, my sister in law posted several pictures of her brother. He is always smiling, he is always young and he is always full of hope. I only met Blake a few times. My memories of him are exactly as he is in those pictures. Joyful. Strong. Handsome. He is missed, as are all the people honored and remembered on Memorial Day. I remember and I celebrate. I celebrate a life ended too early, but lived with purpose.
Happy Memorial Day. I hope you enjoyed the day. I hope you enjoy the weekend. And I hope you live a life with purpose.
For the next few months, I will try to "Destroy the Lithuanian" and maybe, "Kill the Family."
Friday, March 6, 2015
Snow Day
Today is the 10th Snow Day for Fairfax County schools. Yesterday was the 9th. The Wife and I like to call these days "Middle is a Caged Animal" Days. Middle is like a barely controlled nuclear reaction. He has an unlimited amount of energy, and no idea what to do with it. On cold days off from school, he often paces back and forth throughout much of the day, much like a caged tiger. Pacing is not exactly the right word. He runs. Back and forth. Along a line that is anywhere from 10 feet to 60 feet. Non-stop. Often pretending to do a lay-up or slam dunk at the end of each run. It is one of the most annoying things to experience. Middle needs an end to snow days.
Today is the 10th Snow Day for Fairfax County schools. Yesterday was the 9th. The Wife and I like to call these days "Youngest is a Unabomber" Days. Youngest is in Kindergarten and loves school. When school is cancelled, he literally has no idea what to do with himself. He doesn't like to play in snow that much. He doesn't like to be cold. So he huddles up in a corner with a Kindle, or meanders to the basement with the X-Box, and disappears. Yes, I know, we are terrible parents for letting him do this. On a small scale, we let it happen because he rarely gets free time. When schools aren't cancelled, between school and sports and homework and other activities, all three rarely get time to just be boys. Youngest really gets the short end of the stick, because he often isn't doing the activity. He is just being dragged to the activity for his brothers. Youngest needs an end to snow days.
Today is the 10th Snow Day for Fairfax County schools. Yesterday was the 9th. We have no nickname for these days as they relate to Eldest. He spends too much time on his computer playing games and Skyping with friends. But at least he is being social.
This is the second big winter for school in a row. When Eldest was in 2nd grade, I think he had 2 snow days. When Eldest was in 3rd grade, they had one rain day. Not kidding. The first Friday of school it rained really hard and school was cancelled. After that, nothing. At the end of the school year, Fairfax County cancelled the last 2 days of school, because they hadn't used all their snow days. I wrote a blog post, begging Mother Nature for snow. The last 2 years, Mother Nature bitch slapped me for that post.
Last winter, the boys loved the snow. They went out side and played while it was snowing. They played while I shoveled. They played when it stopped snowing. This winter, they seem less interested. Middle does help he shovel a little, but I think he just needs to be around someone. His older brother is on the computer, so he's boring. His younger brother is on the Kindle or X-Box, so he's boring. If Middle goes outside with me while I am shoveling, he knows he has a trapped audience to listen to his theories on LeBron's life, Bosh's future and the NBA playoffs. He also gets to ask me questions like, "When was Ray Allen drafted?" I have more than my share of obscure sports facts in my head. For example, I can tell you, off the top of my head, who won the Super Bowl XVIII MVP and what school he went to, who won the 1993 NCAA Men's Basketball champion and the MOP, and who won the Heisman Trophy in 1981. Just for fun, the person described in the first and third examples is the same person. I do not, however, have the detailed information Middle requires on a regular basis.
Yesterday, they at least went outside and played for a while. All three boys and two friends from the neighborhood went and played. Yesterday was good playing snow. It was light and fluffy, and there was a lot of it. It was not great for snowballs or snowmen, but good to just play. It would have been great for skiing, but I don't live on a mountain. I'm just glad they enjoyed it, rather than spending all day on some electronic device, or driving me up the wall running back and forth...back and forth...back and forth.
As for me, I tried something new. For the first time in my life, I tried to keep up with the snow. I shoveled about every two hours, on the theory that shoveling 1-2 inches of snow 3-4 times would be easier than shoveling 6-8 inches once. The first time I remember seeing this theory in use was during the blizzard of 1996. I lived with three friends that winter and we got blasted in early January. After about 4 inches had fallen, one of my roommates, who shares a personality trait with Middle, decided to shovel. He was already suffering from cabin fever and decided that shoveling early would make it easier when the storm ended because we would have less to do then. The next morning, due to a ton more snow and a lot of wind, you could see absolutely no evidence that he had done anything. Our sidewalk looked exactly like everyone else's and the snow was perfectly even everywhere.
Despite this failure nearly 20 years ago (good God, it was 20 YEARS AGO!!), I tried it yesterday. By 5 pm, I had shoveled three times and was exhausted. However, I went out at 5 pm, did a 10 minute touch up, and all was clear. I was pleased, because 5 pm was a lot colder than 10 am yesterday. While many of my neighbors were just starting, I was done. I am sure I spent more time than most of my neighbors throughout the day, but I think I spent less effort, and I didn't have to do anything when the sun was going down. I'm not sure I will ever do this again, but it did work. Sort of. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Hopefully winter is done for us. At least they don't have to make up any school days. (Yet?) Since I was a kid, Fairfax County built three snow days into the school year. Last year, they used about 10, so they had several make up days. I think school ended around July 4th. Because of this problem, the county changed the schedule and built in 11 snow days. The did not add any days. Winter and spring breaks are exactly the same duration. They have the same number of teacher workdays, or about the same number, and no major holidays were changed. Somehow, though, they built in 11 snow days. This was quite a magic trick. I'm trying to figure out how they did it, because I would like to take a 6 week vacation this summer, and if I can figure out hoe Fairfax turned 3 snow days into 11, without changing anything, I should be allowed off from July 4th to Labor Day.
I know the people in Boston are laughing at us poor southerners who can't handle 6-8 inches of snow (or to be honest 1-4). Even my loyal readers in Philly probably mock us. They have a point. But none of it matters. I need to unleash the aged animal and get Youngest to realize that Skylanders Trap Team and Marvel are not, actually, the real world. We've had winter. In one week I am supposed to play 72 holes of golf in two days, in Delaware. We've had enough of winter. Snow Days have come. Now go away.
***I know it has been a while. Apparently I need to take a little break from time to time. Next week, I will write of one, and hopefully two, historic sports achievements. That I promise, for whatever a promise from me is worth these days.
Today is the 10th Snow Day for Fairfax County schools. Yesterday was the 9th. The Wife and I like to call these days "Youngest is a Unabomber" Days. Youngest is in Kindergarten and loves school. When school is cancelled, he literally has no idea what to do with himself. He doesn't like to play in snow that much. He doesn't like to be cold. So he huddles up in a corner with a Kindle, or meanders to the basement with the X-Box, and disappears. Yes, I know, we are terrible parents for letting him do this. On a small scale, we let it happen because he rarely gets free time. When schools aren't cancelled, between school and sports and homework and other activities, all three rarely get time to just be boys. Youngest really gets the short end of the stick, because he often isn't doing the activity. He is just being dragged to the activity for his brothers. Youngest needs an end to snow days.
Today is the 10th Snow Day for Fairfax County schools. Yesterday was the 9th. We have no nickname for these days as they relate to Eldest. He spends too much time on his computer playing games and Skyping with friends. But at least he is being social.
This is the second big winter for school in a row. When Eldest was in 2nd grade, I think he had 2 snow days. When Eldest was in 3rd grade, they had one rain day. Not kidding. The first Friday of school it rained really hard and school was cancelled. After that, nothing. At the end of the school year, Fairfax County cancelled the last 2 days of school, because they hadn't used all their snow days. I wrote a blog post, begging Mother Nature for snow. The last 2 years, Mother Nature bitch slapped me for that post.
Last winter, the boys loved the snow. They went out side and played while it was snowing. They played while I shoveled. They played when it stopped snowing. This winter, they seem less interested. Middle does help he shovel a little, but I think he just needs to be around someone. His older brother is on the computer, so he's boring. His younger brother is on the Kindle or X-Box, so he's boring. If Middle goes outside with me while I am shoveling, he knows he has a trapped audience to listen to his theories on LeBron's life, Bosh's future and the NBA playoffs. He also gets to ask me questions like, "When was Ray Allen drafted?" I have more than my share of obscure sports facts in my head. For example, I can tell you, off the top of my head, who won the Super Bowl XVIII MVP and what school he went to, who won the 1993 NCAA Men's Basketball champion and the MOP, and who won the Heisman Trophy in 1981. Just for fun, the person described in the first and third examples is the same person. I do not, however, have the detailed information Middle requires on a regular basis.
Yesterday, they at least went outside and played for a while. All three boys and two friends from the neighborhood went and played. Yesterday was good playing snow. It was light and fluffy, and there was a lot of it. It was not great for snowballs or snowmen, but good to just play. It would have been great for skiing, but I don't live on a mountain. I'm just glad they enjoyed it, rather than spending all day on some electronic device, or driving me up the wall running back and forth...back and forth...back and forth.
As for me, I tried something new. For the first time in my life, I tried to keep up with the snow. I shoveled about every two hours, on the theory that shoveling 1-2 inches of snow 3-4 times would be easier than shoveling 6-8 inches once. The first time I remember seeing this theory in use was during the blizzard of 1996. I lived with three friends that winter and we got blasted in early January. After about 4 inches had fallen, one of my roommates, who shares a personality trait with Middle, decided to shovel. He was already suffering from cabin fever and decided that shoveling early would make it easier when the storm ended because we would have less to do then. The next morning, due to a ton more snow and a lot of wind, you could see absolutely no evidence that he had done anything. Our sidewalk looked exactly like everyone else's and the snow was perfectly even everywhere.
Despite this failure nearly 20 years ago (good God, it was 20 YEARS AGO!!), I tried it yesterday. By 5 pm, I had shoveled three times and was exhausted. However, I went out at 5 pm, did a 10 minute touch up, and all was clear. I was pleased, because 5 pm was a lot colder than 10 am yesterday. While many of my neighbors were just starting, I was done. I am sure I spent more time than most of my neighbors throughout the day, but I think I spent less effort, and I didn't have to do anything when the sun was going down. I'm not sure I will ever do this again, but it did work. Sort of. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Hopefully winter is done for us. At least they don't have to make up any school days. (Yet?) Since I was a kid, Fairfax County built three snow days into the school year. Last year, they used about 10, so they had several make up days. I think school ended around July 4th. Because of this problem, the county changed the schedule and built in 11 snow days. The did not add any days. Winter and spring breaks are exactly the same duration. They have the same number of teacher workdays, or about the same number, and no major holidays were changed. Somehow, though, they built in 11 snow days. This was quite a magic trick. I'm trying to figure out how they did it, because I would like to take a 6 week vacation this summer, and if I can figure out hoe Fairfax turned 3 snow days into 11, without changing anything, I should be allowed off from July 4th to Labor Day.
I know the people in Boston are laughing at us poor southerners who can't handle 6-8 inches of snow (or to be honest 1-4). Even my loyal readers in Philly probably mock us. They have a point. But none of it matters. I need to unleash the aged animal and get Youngest to realize that Skylanders Trap Team and Marvel are not, actually, the real world. We've had winter. In one week I am supposed to play 72 holes of golf in two days, in Delaware. We've had enough of winter. Snow Days have come. Now go away.
***I know it has been a while. Apparently I need to take a little break from time to time. Next week, I will write of one, and hopefully two, historic sports achievements. That I promise, for whatever a promise from me is worth these days.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Christmas List, Part 1 - Songs
So this is Xmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Xmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
If you don't recognize the words above, stop reading and go away. Just kidding. I can't afford to send any readers away. Plus, I love you all.
The words above are the first verse of the John Lennon Christmas song, "Happy Christmas". I quote the song to introduce both the season and today's blog list.
A couple years ago, I wrote about my love of Christmas. I just re-read that post from December, 2012, and apparently I wrote about a lot of other things. All I remember writing about is Christmas. The post it is funny in how optimistic and unrealistic it is. I talk about a 3 month lay-off and state my goal of posting 2-3 times per week. I now realize, that is insane. Posting 2-3 times per month is more realistic. If I am being honest, once a week would be my goal. I will try to stick to that for the rest of December.
In that December, 2012 post, I also stated that I was hoping Christmas would be my muse for a month. I have accepted that nothing will get me writing as consistently as the Olympics. I basically write when something sparks my interest, and I have time. Those two don't always come together, so I have left some ideas in my head and some unfinished works in my "drafts". My goal for December, 2012 was to post at least twice per week and create several Christmas lists. I failed.
I am trying to get back to some of my unfulfilled promises. Well, at least one of my unfulfilled promises. I will force Christmas to be my muse. I will create my Christmas lists. Well, at least a couple. My goal will be one list per week between now and Christmas, which will give us three. That seems reasonable. Then I will tell you how Christmas Eve goes with 11 people for dinner and 4 houseguests overnight and Christmas morning. I am thinking zoo, but I have been wrong before, occasionally.
The lists will be top 5s. I know Top 10 is standard and sounds better, but I can barely name 10 Christmas specials, much less rank my 10 favorite. This week, I will start with the easiest, and yet hardest list. The top 5 Christmas songs.
This list is easy, because there are plenty to choose from. This list is hard because there are several things to consider. Do you judge the song itself? Or a particular version of the song? How much weight do you give to classic Christmas songs? Religious songs? New songs? Does humor count? (Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.) Are you limited to Christmas songs or can you throw in Adam Sandler's Chanukah Song? All of this must come into play and must be considered to make a top 5.
For my purposes, I have considered everything, including Chanukah songs. If a particular version of a song gets it on the list (as you will see for #3 below), then the version is what is on the list. If any version, well at least any good version, will do, then the song itself makes the list. All songs were considered, however, my musical tastes will create a bias away from traditional religious songs and more towards secular, modern music. With that said, here are the top 5 Christmas songs:
5. Silent Night (generally). In No. 2 below I will confess my love of hair bands and orchestra-rock combos. In the previous paragraph I stated my general preference for secular, modern music. Despite these two true statements, I have a soft spot in my heart for a well performed Silent Night. I enjoy songs that can move you emotionally, and when this song is performed well, you feel it. There is no version I can think of that stands out, so I am going with general. However, unlike Rudolph, discussed below, Silent Night can be ruined. For this reason, Silent Night falls below Rudolph.
4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (generally). Rudolph is the signature song of Christmas. OK, the signature song of secular Christmas. Every kid knows Rudolph. Anyone can sing it. The "Like a..." lines add a new element of fun, especially when you start making up your own. Personally, I love messing with my boys by adding my own twist to the "like a.." line. (Play in any Reindeer games...like Trivial Pursuit...You'll go down in history...like Troy Aikman). There is no particular version that stands out, they are all pretty good. It is nearly impossible to ruin this song. It belongs on this list for that reason alone. The Christmas Special is also good, but more on that later.
3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2. This is the classic "particular version" song. U2 did not do the first version, and from my limited research I have never heard the first version. If you have a problem with this or think I'm an idiot, read #2 about my musical illiteracy and get over it. Sorry. Sometimes even I can get a little sensitive. OK, back on track...Since U2 recorded this Song for the "A Very Special Christmas, Volume 1" album (the best "A Very Special Christmas" album by far, but I am again getting off track), many other people have recorded this song. They are all so inferior as to defy belief. The song should have been retired. No one can match Bon, and no one should try. Those who have tried failed...miserably. There are certain songs that people should not be allowed to remake, copyright laws be damned. This is one. People who have performed this song since U2 have not only embarrassed themselves, they have taken a little piece of Christmas away from all of this. I'm not going to go quite as far as saying they are evil, but if you do, I won't argue.
2. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I am not a big music person. I enjoy music, but I did not attend a lot of concerts as a kid, I did not have a vast CD collection (which also impacted my hook-up life in college) and I have never been very critical of music. If I like it, great, if not whatever, I can usually live with it. I do have a great affinity for hair bands and mixing the sound of rock and orchestras. This would explain my love of November Rain. This song combines the two sounds perfectly. No Christmas song rocks out quite as well as this one.
1. Do They Know It's Christmas, 1984 version. The number one Christmas song is, has been for the last 30 years, and will be for all eternity, Do They Know It's Christmas. This is not debatable. You can argue the other 4 all you want. This one is fact. The music is perfect. It sounds like Christmas. It's inspirational. The mix of singers is fantastic. Simon Le Bon...Bono...Sting...what more could you ask for? Well, what more could a child of the 80s ask for? The shot of Bananarama walking in during the video is...kind of baffling. I always wondered how the Cruel Summer girls got invited to that jam session. Maybe it was an accident. Or maybe Ralph Macchio's power is really just that strong. Phil Collins playing the drums, the party atmosphere when everyone shows up at the studio that looks like an abandoned warehouse. Just perfect. This was a chef's perfect blend of ingredients. It was the first Christmas song I heard this year, and it should be the first one I hear every year.
Honorable Mention:
The Chanukah Song - pure genius by Adam Sandler. I heard an interview with Frank Caliendo once who said he wished he had Adam Sandler's gig - he sings a bunch of random things, makes it rhyme at the end and people give him $5 million. Have truer words ever been spoken?
All I want for Christmas is You - I am probably biased by the movie Love, Actually, but this song deserves a little love.
Santa Claus is coming to Town, by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Almost made the list.
The Little Drummer Boy - Like Silent Night, this must be performed correctly. It can truly be butchered, but when done right, the rum pum pum pums can bring a smile to your face.
Enjoy the holiday season. I hope to be back next week with my next list.
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Xmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
If you don't recognize the words above, stop reading and go away. Just kidding. I can't afford to send any readers away. Plus, I love you all.
The words above are the first verse of the John Lennon Christmas song, "Happy Christmas". I quote the song to introduce both the season and today's blog list.
A couple years ago, I wrote about my love of Christmas. I just re-read that post from December, 2012, and apparently I wrote about a lot of other things. All I remember writing about is Christmas. The post it is funny in how optimistic and unrealistic it is. I talk about a 3 month lay-off and state my goal of posting 2-3 times per week. I now realize, that is insane. Posting 2-3 times per month is more realistic. If I am being honest, once a week would be my goal. I will try to stick to that for the rest of December.
In that December, 2012 post, I also stated that I was hoping Christmas would be my muse for a month. I have accepted that nothing will get me writing as consistently as the Olympics. I basically write when something sparks my interest, and I have time. Those two don't always come together, so I have left some ideas in my head and some unfinished works in my "drafts". My goal for December, 2012 was to post at least twice per week and create several Christmas lists. I failed.
I am trying to get back to some of my unfulfilled promises. Well, at least one of my unfulfilled promises. I will force Christmas to be my muse. I will create my Christmas lists. Well, at least a couple. My goal will be one list per week between now and Christmas, which will give us three. That seems reasonable. Then I will tell you how Christmas Eve goes with 11 people for dinner and 4 houseguests overnight and Christmas morning. I am thinking zoo, but I have been wrong before, occasionally.
The lists will be top 5s. I know Top 10 is standard and sounds better, but I can barely name 10 Christmas specials, much less rank my 10 favorite. This week, I will start with the easiest, and yet hardest list. The top 5 Christmas songs.
This list is easy, because there are plenty to choose from. This list is hard because there are several things to consider. Do you judge the song itself? Or a particular version of the song? How much weight do you give to classic Christmas songs? Religious songs? New songs? Does humor count? (Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.) Are you limited to Christmas songs or can you throw in Adam Sandler's Chanukah Song? All of this must come into play and must be considered to make a top 5.
For my purposes, I have considered everything, including Chanukah songs. If a particular version of a song gets it on the list (as you will see for #3 below), then the version is what is on the list. If any version, well at least any good version, will do, then the song itself makes the list. All songs were considered, however, my musical tastes will create a bias away from traditional religious songs and more towards secular, modern music. With that said, here are the top 5 Christmas songs:
5. Silent Night (generally). In No. 2 below I will confess my love of hair bands and orchestra-rock combos. In the previous paragraph I stated my general preference for secular, modern music. Despite these two true statements, I have a soft spot in my heart for a well performed Silent Night. I enjoy songs that can move you emotionally, and when this song is performed well, you feel it. There is no version I can think of that stands out, so I am going with general. However, unlike Rudolph, discussed below, Silent Night can be ruined. For this reason, Silent Night falls below Rudolph.
4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (generally). Rudolph is the signature song of Christmas. OK, the signature song of secular Christmas. Every kid knows Rudolph. Anyone can sing it. The "Like a..." lines add a new element of fun, especially when you start making up your own. Personally, I love messing with my boys by adding my own twist to the "like a.." line. (Play in any Reindeer games...like Trivial Pursuit...You'll go down in history...like Troy Aikman). There is no particular version that stands out, they are all pretty good. It is nearly impossible to ruin this song. It belongs on this list for that reason alone. The Christmas Special is also good, but more on that later.
3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2. This is the classic "particular version" song. U2 did not do the first version, and from my limited research I have never heard the first version. If you have a problem with this or think I'm an idiot, read #2 about my musical illiteracy and get over it. Sorry. Sometimes even I can get a little sensitive. OK, back on track...Since U2 recorded this Song for the "A Very Special Christmas, Volume 1" album (the best "A Very Special Christmas" album by far, but I am again getting off track), many other people have recorded this song. They are all so inferior as to defy belief. The song should have been retired. No one can match Bon, and no one should try. Those who have tried failed...miserably. There are certain songs that people should not be allowed to remake, copyright laws be damned. This is one. People who have performed this song since U2 have not only embarrassed themselves, they have taken a little piece of Christmas away from all of this. I'm not going to go quite as far as saying they are evil, but if you do, I won't argue.
2. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I am not a big music person. I enjoy music, but I did not attend a lot of concerts as a kid, I did not have a vast CD collection (which also impacted my hook-up life in college) and I have never been very critical of music. If I like it, great, if not whatever, I can usually live with it. I do have a great affinity for hair bands and mixing the sound of rock and orchestras. This would explain my love of November Rain. This song combines the two sounds perfectly. No Christmas song rocks out quite as well as this one.
1. Do They Know It's Christmas, 1984 version. The number one Christmas song is, has been for the last 30 years, and will be for all eternity, Do They Know It's Christmas. This is not debatable. You can argue the other 4 all you want. This one is fact. The music is perfect. It sounds like Christmas. It's inspirational. The mix of singers is fantastic. Simon Le Bon...Bono...Sting...what more could you ask for? Well, what more could a child of the 80s ask for? The shot of Bananarama walking in during the video is...kind of baffling. I always wondered how the Cruel Summer girls got invited to that jam session. Maybe it was an accident. Or maybe Ralph Macchio's power is really just that strong. Phil Collins playing the drums, the party atmosphere when everyone shows up at the studio that looks like an abandoned warehouse. Just perfect. This was a chef's perfect blend of ingredients. It was the first Christmas song I heard this year, and it should be the first one I hear every year.
Honorable Mention:
The Chanukah Song - pure genius by Adam Sandler. I heard an interview with Frank Caliendo once who said he wished he had Adam Sandler's gig - he sings a bunch of random things, makes it rhyme at the end and people give him $5 million. Have truer words ever been spoken?
All I want for Christmas is You - I am probably biased by the movie Love, Actually, but this song deserves a little love.
Santa Claus is coming to Town, by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Almost made the list.
The Little Drummer Boy - Like Silent Night, this must be performed correctly. It can truly be butchered, but when done right, the rum pum pum pums can bring a smile to your face.
Enjoy the holiday season. I hope to be back next week with my next list.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Post Holiday Thanks
So, yesterday was Thanksgiving. Once again, I am in my office on Black Friday, a little colder than I should be. Last year, the building management company did not turn the heat on, so my office was freezing. This year, the heat is on, but it is still cold. The heat is run by floor. I think because we are the only business open in the building, the rest of the building is cold, so the cold is creeping to us. Our office manager just showed me a pretty cool (pun intended) experiment to show that it is cold. Her nail polish is supposed to be bright red, like an apple. The nail polish is a very dark maroon color. She showed me her hand, then dipped her fingers into a mug of warm water. The nail polish changed colors. A few seconds later, it started to turn back to dark maroon. She dipped again...bright red again. I never knew nail polish did that. The point of all this...I'm cold.
So, yesterday was Thanksgiving. Last year I made it quite clear that a Cowboys victory has a lot to do with how my Thanksgiving went. Last year, the Cowboys beat Oakland 31-24. I had a nice Thanksgiving last year. This year, the Cowboys are having a much better season. Prior to yesterday, the Cowboys were tied for the division lead and in playoff position. Then, the Cowboys lost to the Eagles. Now, they are not tied for the division lead, and not in playoff position. The point of all this...I had a bad Thanksgiving.
So, yesterday was Thanksgiving. As I have mentioned before, Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday, or my second or fifth or twelfth favorite holiday. There are many reasons, but the primary one is that I don't like the food. To make matters worse, I swam a very long workout Wednesday night, then had to wait for close to an hour before Eldest was finished with swim practice. By the time Eldest and I left, I was starving. Halfway home, Eldest thought he left his new fancy water bottle at the pool. I turned around so he could get it, but he couldn't find it. By the time we got home, I really wanted a bacon cheeseburger and some wings. I was expecting French toast. Instead, the wife looked at me and asked "What do you want for dinner?" Apparently, the eggs never got home from the grocery store last Sunday, so French toast was out. I answered honestly, "A bacon cheeseburger and some wings." I got leftover lasagna. At 8:45 pm. I was still hungry, so I was looking forward to a big, solid breakfast Thursday morning. No eggs, no big, solid breakfast. Then we had Thanksgiving dinner. The point of all this...I haven't had a meal I really want in days.
So, yesterday was Thanksgiving. As I have probably mentioned before, Thanksgiving is a traditionally stressful day. Families spend too much time together. People are worried about the food. Some want to watch football, others complain about the people watching football. Traffic, weather, and everything else. I did my best to make it as stressful as possible. I criticized everything the Wife did. She just joyfully went along, making a turkey. Then the in-laws showed up with stuff for lunch (NOT a bacon cheeseburger and some wings, I might add) and some of the other dinner food. Then my Sister-in-Law showed up with some more food. Then my parents showed up with more food. Despite all that "more food" we didn't have an overwhelming amount of food, the turkey turned out fine, clean up wasn't bad, and I did on OK job carving the turkey. Regagdless, there was stress somewhere. The point of all this...OK, I go nothing. It actually went pretty well.
So, on that note, as promised, I give you my not complete list of things I am thankful for, in no particular order.
I am thankful for:
Alex Morgan - this one is going to be on the list for a while.
That Middle is still excited for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. I enjoy the parade and it is nice one of my boys does as well. Not sure what Youngest's problem was.
William and Mary - my school has been a constant for 320+ years and I finally went back to see what I have always loved about it. I can't put a finger on it, but it is always there, even with a few changes since 1994.
O4C - for bringing a little more love and a little more fun into the family, and showing us what we are missing, and not missing, by not having a daughter.
Monk - the 3 foot stuffed monkey Youngest got at a yard sale for $0.50. Watching Youngest lug that monkey around is just funny.
The Washington Wizards - for showing that mediocrity doesn't have to be the goal every year.
Eldest's hair - the never-ending conversation piece.
One Direction - for bringing endless joy to the Wife, and to Middle, and occasionally to the other two boys as well.
My age - because I am old enough not to care what other people think when they read that I am thankful for One Direction.
Veteran's Day - so the Wife and I get a date day - to go Christmas shopping.
Facebook - Facebook is evil in many ways, but it does allow me to stay in touch with some people, plus it is fun to annoy teenagers by being on social media.
Chris Hemsworth - he is Thor, which is really cool by itself, but he is also an ace up my sleeve. Whenever I get caught looking a little too much at an attractive woman, Chris is a go to guy for reciprocity with the Wife.
Netflix - for giving the boys constant entertainment and helping the Wife and I with our project to watch every Best Picture winner.
Sun - you know, for life and warmth and stuff.
ME2K whatever - for my consistent weekend of fun, golf, and terrible weather.
Hooters - for the constant joke of asking the boys if they want to go to Hooters for wings after swim practice.
Popeye's - for my once a year lunch the day after Thanksgiving.
My 5 loyal readers - for always being there.
My other readers, especially those of you in other countries - for making my blog stats look more interesting.
The Wife - for being the rock of the family, feeding us, keeping us in line, being there and always, always looking on the bright side of life.
The Boys - for being them.
Christmas - for being a much, much better holiday than Thanksgiving.
Happy Holidays! I hope to use them more this year for this blog.
So, yesterday was Thanksgiving. Last year I made it quite clear that a Cowboys victory has a lot to do with how my Thanksgiving went. Last year, the Cowboys beat Oakland 31-24. I had a nice Thanksgiving last year. This year, the Cowboys are having a much better season. Prior to yesterday, the Cowboys were tied for the division lead and in playoff position. Then, the Cowboys lost to the Eagles. Now, they are not tied for the division lead, and not in playoff position. The point of all this...I had a bad Thanksgiving.
So, yesterday was Thanksgiving. As I have mentioned before, Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday, or my second or fifth or twelfth favorite holiday. There are many reasons, but the primary one is that I don't like the food. To make matters worse, I swam a very long workout Wednesday night, then had to wait for close to an hour before Eldest was finished with swim practice. By the time Eldest and I left, I was starving. Halfway home, Eldest thought he left his new fancy water bottle at the pool. I turned around so he could get it, but he couldn't find it. By the time we got home, I really wanted a bacon cheeseburger and some wings. I was expecting French toast. Instead, the wife looked at me and asked "What do you want for dinner?" Apparently, the eggs never got home from the grocery store last Sunday, so French toast was out. I answered honestly, "A bacon cheeseburger and some wings." I got leftover lasagna. At 8:45 pm. I was still hungry, so I was looking forward to a big, solid breakfast Thursday morning. No eggs, no big, solid breakfast. Then we had Thanksgiving dinner. The point of all this...I haven't had a meal I really want in days.
So, yesterday was Thanksgiving. As I have probably mentioned before, Thanksgiving is a traditionally stressful day. Families spend too much time together. People are worried about the food. Some want to watch football, others complain about the people watching football. Traffic, weather, and everything else. I did my best to make it as stressful as possible. I criticized everything the Wife did. She just joyfully went along, making a turkey. Then the in-laws showed up with stuff for lunch (NOT a bacon cheeseburger and some wings, I might add) and some of the other dinner food. Then my Sister-in-Law showed up with some more food. Then my parents showed up with more food. Despite all that "more food" we didn't have an overwhelming amount of food, the turkey turned out fine, clean up wasn't bad, and I did on OK job carving the turkey. Regagdless, there was stress somewhere. The point of all this...OK, I go nothing. It actually went pretty well.
So, on that note, as promised, I give you my not complete list of things I am thankful for, in no particular order.
I am thankful for:
Alex Morgan - this one is going to be on the list for a while.
That Middle is still excited for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. I enjoy the parade and it is nice one of my boys does as well. Not sure what Youngest's problem was.
William and Mary - my school has been a constant for 320+ years and I finally went back to see what I have always loved about it. I can't put a finger on it, but it is always there, even with a few changes since 1994.
O4C - for bringing a little more love and a little more fun into the family, and showing us what we are missing, and not missing, by not having a daughter.
Monk - the 3 foot stuffed monkey Youngest got at a yard sale for $0.50. Watching Youngest lug that monkey around is just funny.
The Washington Wizards - for showing that mediocrity doesn't have to be the goal every year.
Eldest's hair - the never-ending conversation piece.
One Direction - for bringing endless joy to the Wife, and to Middle, and occasionally to the other two boys as well.
My age - because I am old enough not to care what other people think when they read that I am thankful for One Direction.
Veteran's Day - so the Wife and I get a date day - to go Christmas shopping.
Facebook - Facebook is evil in many ways, but it does allow me to stay in touch with some people, plus it is fun to annoy teenagers by being on social media.
Chris Hemsworth - he is Thor, which is really cool by itself, but he is also an ace up my sleeve. Whenever I get caught looking a little too much at an attractive woman, Chris is a go to guy for reciprocity with the Wife.
Netflix - for giving the boys constant entertainment and helping the Wife and I with our project to watch every Best Picture winner.
Sun - you know, for life and warmth and stuff.
ME2K whatever - for my consistent weekend of fun, golf, and terrible weather.
Hooters - for the constant joke of asking the boys if they want to go to Hooters for wings after swim practice.
Popeye's - for my once a year lunch the day after Thanksgiving.
My 5 loyal readers - for always being there.
My other readers, especially those of you in other countries - for making my blog stats look more interesting.
The Wife - for being the rock of the family, feeding us, keeping us in line, being there and always, always looking on the bright side of life.
The Boys - for being them.
Christmas - for being a much, much better holiday than Thanksgiving.
Happy Holidays! I hope to use them more this year for this blog.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Pre-Holiday Complaints
Last year, I wrote a blog post about why I don't like Thanksgiving. After reading it, the Wife complained to me about my negativity, and missing the real point of the holiday. I thought I nailed it with the whole "eat to much then go Christmas shopping thing", but she wanted me to at least consider the fact that life is pretty good. I gave in and followed up with a second post about Thanksgiving, including a list of things I was thankful for. During the two and a half dreadful years between the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics, I will occasionally have some writers block and not know what to write about. With that in mind, I should recognize a good thing when I can. So this year, I will continue my (now two year long) tradition of complaining about Thanksgiving, then giving in to my better half and noting what I am thankful for.
Before you run away, this will not be a repeat of last year's rant about bad foods and bad moods. I won't mention the Cowboys and I won't talk about raking. There's enough to complain about to get me through at least four years of these posts without repeating. So stick around and see where I go this year.
I recently checked out the family schedule for the next month and a half. I know I have mentioned the busyness of a suburban family with three active children (scary thought for the Wife and I - one of them isn't that active yet), but every once in a while, it tends to overwhelm. When November starts to blend into December, overwhelming occurs.
There are several factors that lead to this insane 4 week (or so) period. First, every activity is trying to come to some conclusion or resolution before the Christmas holidays. Second, every activity feels it is necessary to celebrate the holidays. Third, winter activities are heating up. Fourth, activities stop being inanimate things and become living, breathing organism intent on the destruction of me, and, let's be honest, it is all about me.
We just finished a lovely little lull in our lives called the end of soccer. Soccer this fall was the first activity that all three boys participated in, leading the Wife and I into a fun-filled dilemma called "how can the two of us be in three places at the same time?" Succumbing to the laws of physics, we had to tell Eldest that, from time to time, he would be playing soccer without a parent cheering for him on the sidelines. We are both relatively insane parents, so neither of us likes to miss things, but until a scientist discovers how to split a parent into two, we have to accept, along with other parents of more than one child, that things will be missed.
Soccer ended, and for about three weeks, our obligations were reduced by four practices and three games per week. Sadly, this period in our lives only lasted three weeks, until basketball began. Luckily, Youngest is still too young to do basketball. He also seems to have backed off his desire to do gymnastics, so we should at least get through the next four weeks with only two insanely busy children.
In the next four weeks we have two swim meets (one which is three days), several basketball games, several basketball practices, a chorus concert, a strings concert, at least one holiday party, a Cub Scout boat race, several other Cub Scout meetings, two birthdays and about nineteen other things I can't even remember. On December 3, Eldest has three different activities planned all at 7 pm. I have heard of being torn in different directions, but I never knew it was literal.
For some reason, this is bothering me more than the Wife. The Wife is typically the one worried about schedule and how we are going to get everything done. While looking at the calendar this year, she has this eerie calm come over her. She admits that she is more comfortable with just skipping something than I am, but I still don't understand why she is so calm about this. The next four weeks of our lives are insane.
At this point, those of you with children are asking yourselves, "What does this have to do with Thanksgiving? Isn't life always like this?" To a certain extent, yes, life is always like this. However, Thanksgiving pretends to be a holiday, while it is really just an enhancer of the madness. Holidays are supposed to be fun. They are supposed to be a distraction. Halloween is costumes and candy. Christmas is presents and fun. July 4th is fireworks and grilling. Memorial Day is the pool and grilling. President's Day is cold sightseeing in Washington, DC. Thanksgiving is a random Thursday taking away one week and one weekend that could be used for one of the swim meets or parties or concerts that now have to be fit into three weeks, instead of four.
In addition, Thanksgiving is a bunch of school events that you either have to take leave from work for or feel guilty, because your child didn't have a parent at the terrible tasting Thanksgiving feast the school cafeteria created.
In conclusion, we are dealing with a "holiday" that takes away an entire week from the busiest time of the year, but gives us nothing in return. OK, it gives me nothing in return, because I don't like turkey and mashed potatoes and all that other stuff people eat on Thanksgiving.
Oh, and I got a massive calf cramp swimming on Wednesday night, and the Wife is sick, and I'm tired, and it's cold, and Buffalo is sitting under about 10 feet of snow, and the days are shorter, and sports jerseys are really expensive, and...and...and.... All of that is the fault of Thanksgiving, too.
Before you run away, this will not be a repeat of last year's rant about bad foods and bad moods. I won't mention the Cowboys and I won't talk about raking. There's enough to complain about to get me through at least four years of these posts without repeating. So stick around and see where I go this year.
I recently checked out the family schedule for the next month and a half. I know I have mentioned the busyness of a suburban family with three active children (scary thought for the Wife and I - one of them isn't that active yet), but every once in a while, it tends to overwhelm. When November starts to blend into December, overwhelming occurs.
There are several factors that lead to this insane 4 week (or so) period. First, every activity is trying to come to some conclusion or resolution before the Christmas holidays. Second, every activity feels it is necessary to celebrate the holidays. Third, winter activities are heating up. Fourth, activities stop being inanimate things and become living, breathing organism intent on the destruction of me, and, let's be honest, it is all about me.
We just finished a lovely little lull in our lives called the end of soccer. Soccer this fall was the first activity that all three boys participated in, leading the Wife and I into a fun-filled dilemma called "how can the two of us be in three places at the same time?" Succumbing to the laws of physics, we had to tell Eldest that, from time to time, he would be playing soccer without a parent cheering for him on the sidelines. We are both relatively insane parents, so neither of us likes to miss things, but until a scientist discovers how to split a parent into two, we have to accept, along with other parents of more than one child, that things will be missed.
Soccer ended, and for about three weeks, our obligations were reduced by four practices and three games per week. Sadly, this period in our lives only lasted three weeks, until basketball began. Luckily, Youngest is still too young to do basketball. He also seems to have backed off his desire to do gymnastics, so we should at least get through the next four weeks with only two insanely busy children.
In the next four weeks we have two swim meets (one which is three days), several basketball games, several basketball practices, a chorus concert, a strings concert, at least one holiday party, a Cub Scout boat race, several other Cub Scout meetings, two birthdays and about nineteen other things I can't even remember. On December 3, Eldest has three different activities planned all at 7 pm. I have heard of being torn in different directions, but I never knew it was literal.
For some reason, this is bothering me more than the Wife. The Wife is typically the one worried about schedule and how we are going to get everything done. While looking at the calendar this year, she has this eerie calm come over her. She admits that she is more comfortable with just skipping something than I am, but I still don't understand why she is so calm about this. The next four weeks of our lives are insane.
At this point, those of you with children are asking yourselves, "What does this have to do with Thanksgiving? Isn't life always like this?" To a certain extent, yes, life is always like this. However, Thanksgiving pretends to be a holiday, while it is really just an enhancer of the madness. Holidays are supposed to be fun. They are supposed to be a distraction. Halloween is costumes and candy. Christmas is presents and fun. July 4th is fireworks and grilling. Memorial Day is the pool and grilling. President's Day is cold sightseeing in Washington, DC. Thanksgiving is a random Thursday taking away one week and one weekend that could be used for one of the swim meets or parties or concerts that now have to be fit into three weeks, instead of four.
In addition, Thanksgiving is a bunch of school events that you either have to take leave from work for or feel guilty, because your child didn't have a parent at the terrible tasting Thanksgiving feast the school cafeteria created.
In conclusion, we are dealing with a "holiday" that takes away an entire week from the busiest time of the year, but gives us nothing in return. OK, it gives me nothing in return, because I don't like turkey and mashed potatoes and all that other stuff people eat on Thanksgiving.
Oh, and I got a massive calf cramp swimming on Wednesday night, and the Wife is sick, and I'm tired, and it's cold, and Buffalo is sitting under about 10 feet of snow, and the days are shorter, and sports jerseys are really expensive, and...and...and.... All of that is the fault of Thanksgiving, too.
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