Well, the boy finally cut one

It took him over 14 years to get the job done, but my son finally cut one. And it was a good 'un too. His effort didn't even use that much gas, but he was pretty smelly when he was done.

I'm talking about him finally getting around to cutting the grass. What else would it take him 14 years to cut?


Truthfully, I was right proud of him. No complaining. No "can we do it this weekend instead?" He shut down the Wii and was out the door ready to roll as soon I told him it was time. August 13, 2009, was a momentous day for him. He began his morning with his first day of high school and ended it with the responsibility of handling the mower and my trust he could get it done.

He even pitched in with edging and running the blower to boot. The ol' boy might just amount to something yet.

I took the high road and bragged on him for his efforts. I spared him my stories about having mowed a ton of lawns by age 14 - enough to earn enough money to buy a drum set, lodge a couple of mower blades in tree roots, and run over the family dog house on my dad's Craftsman rear-engine riding mower (I'm glad they didn't have camcorders or cell phone cameras back then).

TMC

King Daddy-o

My wife had dinner tonight with some special friends of hers, and my son is visiting his grandparents. So tonight became a Dad and Daughter night, and we had a pretty good time.

We ate pizza at Mellow Mushroom. In getting some napkins, I knocked over the salt shaker. My daughter said she thought I was supposed to throw it somewhere. I don't think that's exactly how the superstition is phrased, but I used my right hand to toss some of the salt over my left shoulder. After doing so, I wasn't sure that was right so I asked the waitress. My daughter asked "you can do that? You are just gonna ask her?" The waitress was cool about it and asked around the restaurant to get an answer. Sure nuff, I had tossed it properly and avoided whatever bad luck that would have otherwise followed me the rest of my life.

I also introduced my girl to pictures of The Beatles on the wall - John, Paul, George, and Ringo. We also spotted pictures of Bob and Ziggy Marley. She is pretty perceptive and picked up on a couple of things even though she didn't know much about the music of any of them. She asked if the book "Marley & Me" had anything to do with Bob or Ziggy Marley. It did - the author and his wife named the dog after one of them (can't remember which) because they liked his music.

She then asked if it was The Beatles who sang "that song with the lyrics that didn't make any sense". I told her she'd have to be more specific because John and Paul wrote about a walrus, included the line "coo coo kachoo" in a song, penned Revolution #9 on the white album, etc.

She recalled singing something by The Beatles at a rock band camp she and her brother attended last summer. We both tried for a few minutes to think what it might be when I asked if it was Come Together. Yes, that was it!

Some of her favorite parts were "he's Coca-Cola" and "he's got hair....down...to...his knees". One of my favorite quirky parts of it is "he's got toe-jam football." Dude John, what the heck were you thinking when you wrote this thing?

We then got into a debate about what followed "he's got to be a joker..." She said it was "cause he do what he please". My vote was "cause he's so hard to please". So again, we brought over Miss Hippie Waitress to help us with our problem. Unfortunately, she didn't know the answer, wasn't too interested this time in asking others in the restaurant for help, and tried to make us believe we were both right (thanks Miss Hippie - its kind of like the soccer kids who ALL get trophies and don't keep score). We agreed we'd Google it when we got home to have a clear winner.

From the Shroom, it was off for ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. Ice cream was intended to be eaten in a cone outdoors. So that's what we did - she with the Chocolate-Peanut Butter and me with some sort of Vanilla-Chocolate-Caramel swirl thing.

She also got to ride in the front seat in my truck to the pizza joint, ice cream parlor, and back home. My wife hasn't let her ride front seat shotgun yet - so that's just a little secret between dad and daughter.

Once we got home, she thanked me over and over for the fun time.

I'll sleep great tonight knowing we had a fun time and for at least a few hours I was perhaps the greatest dad to ever walk the face of the earth.

By the way, she was closer to being right on the lyric than I was. Rats, beaten again by her intellect. Nice work dear.

"Got to be a joker
He just do what he please"

TMC

Introducing Marble

A neighbor got conned by her son into adopting a stray cat. What she failed to know on the front end was the cat was about to become four. Within a week or so of giving the cat a new home, *ka boom* three kittens arrive. My daughter immediately latched onto one of them during a visit and the suck-up began almost immediately thereafter.

We already have 2 cats. I tried to explain that we didn't need a third. We had 2 kids because we didn't want three. We have 2 vehicles because we don't want three. I go to 2 NASCAR races a year because my wife won't let me to to three. Get the picture?

However, as I learned, my vote really didn't matter anyway. The conspiracy was underway. My son, daughter, and wife had already determined one of the kittens was coming our way. I was asked simply as a courtesy - not because any of the three of them gave a hoot what I thought.

So 8 weeks later, here she is. My daughter named her Marble - although "baby kitty" seems to be the most oft' used name at the moment.



In other news, I have sinus surgery scheduled for mid-July. I'm a long-time allergy sufferer, and they finally need to do some work up there. Among other irritants in my sinuses? Oh yeah...that's right... pet dander.

TMC

Chicks With Hammers

On the first Saturday of each month, I take my daughter to the Home Depot Kids Workshop. We've been going just about every month for about 4 years. She's gone from not knowing the difference between a nail and a screw or how to hammer a nail to working independently to read directions, match parts, start a nail, and drive several without bending them. She's made projects to keep for herself and to give as gifts to others.

Most of the time when we go, we dads are outnumbered by you moms - by a wide margin. I really mean no disrespect in what I'm going to say next - especially since many of the moms in our Home Depot store are smokin'. They're far easier on the eyes than the dads with their sports-themed ball caps and goatees.

But I'm often amused when I see these moms try to help their kids with the projects. One of two things generally happen - or sometimes both:

(1) The mom completely takes over and essentially builds the project for the kid. -or-
(2) The moms demonstrate some god-awful knowledge of how to use tools. They choke up on the hammer handle. They push the hammer with their elbow often bending the small nails. They hammer with the handle end of a screwdriver. And I even saw one mom yesterday using a hammer to bang the snot out of a bolt through 3 pieces of soft pine that would have easily passed through the pre-drilled hole had she bothered to check how the wood pieces were aligned.

I applaud the moms for getting their kids involved with something creative other than video games, and I am indeed amused by their frequent abuse of tools and basic carpentry. However, the question I generally ask myself is "where the heck are all the dads?"

C'mon guys, this is our area of expertise. I realize this statement is a generality of the highest order. But isn't it true? We need to be teaching our kids - sons and daughters - basic skills with tools. How to hold a hammer. How to start and drive a nail. How to use a screwdriver. How to bang your thumb and shake it off. How to read the wood grain of a board. How to sand with the grain. How to use a tape.

These workshops are a great opportunity to help build those skills and to help build confidence. The projects aren't for you to do, but to help them. Surely the golf game, mowing the lawn, sleeping in late, going to the gym, office work, etc. can be delayed one hour on the first Saturday of the month to spend time with your kid learn these skills. Basic projects at a young age leads to more advanced stuff later like power tools, mowing the lawn, working on a car, etc. - skills that any kid needs to learn so they can apply in their teen and adult years.

I just re-read this whole thing & can tell it already reads as a very sexist, sterotyping post. I'll take that risk. Its not my intent, but I'll take what you give me. Moms - you're awesome. Dads - some of you need to get more engaged. Maybe you are at the soccer or baseball field or some other place spending time with your kids. But if not, consider yourself challenged to step up.

By the way, Lowe's has similar projects twice a month.

TMC