our security guard said to me, "have a good evening, young man." i told him i appreciated being called 'young man.'"
then i got id'd for a wine purchase and got a special greeting; i'd lost all track in the rush to get home in time for supper.
aside from that, the most memorable thing about today, apart from a delicious dinner of roast drumsticks, oyster dressing, brussels sprouts, rainbow chard, and pecan pie, was waking up to find the girl making our morning coffee.
kris said to me yesterday, "i did it. i taught our daughter to make coffee by herself." i remain a little flabbergasted.
she's going to get quite the kick out of it for the next few weeks. not sure when the novelty's going to wear off.
on the extra day of our long new years weekend, i ... did laundry. about six loads. lots of folding and hanging.
became aware i'm known as the child of mom's four who uses the dryer extensively and is shrinking his family's clothes. i am now presently hanging clothes left from a damp dry.
i took a break of approximately 23 minutes, 25.46 seconds to take about a 1.4-mile walk around the neighborhood. (a pace of about 16.5 minutes per mile. yeesh.)
it was right around 15 degrees. i remain a big fan of exercising in the cold.
winter gear.
i stretched after i got home and did three push-ups (meh) and three, sad, not even half sit-ups. my core is nonexistent.
not necessarily encouraging, but i hope it's a start.
the hardest part of exercising remains: put on your shoes.
yes, it's winter, but don't make a fuss. layer: wicking t-shirt, cotton t-shirt, polar fleece jacket, gore-tex anorak. gloves. toboggan. simple.
this may have been one layer more than i would have worn in my running days when i would really generate heat. (cotton tee being the possible extra layer.)
i'm now aware of arthritis in my left knee that barks when the weather gets cold and dry. knowing what it is — as opposed to what i used to think was some sort of injury — gives me the hope that i can gut my way through the pain and medicate it if need be.
with any luck or an infusion of cash from kris' new part-time gig, i'll have access to an indoor pool. maybe by the time spring arrives, i'll be fit enough to do a 5k.
work officially underway to accomplish resolution no. 4. fingers crossed.
taking stock of 2017. (a terribly disjointed entry this year.)
not sure i'm going to make it to midnight, so i'll just say thanks to the many who have gotten me to a better place than i was this time last year — kelli, jack, steve, michael, dan, my beautiful kristina, our beautiful babies and my wonderful, supportive family and friends.
i am the beneficiary of countless prayers and intercessions by countless saints — on earth and in heaven. i am grateful for all of you who have been put in my path. i thank the Lord for you and ask that he may always bless and keep you.
and as per tradition, in my sadly neglected paper journal, i recount my resolutions for the coming year:
continue to pray — i have listened better to the call in the night to renew my meditations
give your wife a bedroom she can be proud of
keep working — earn that work qualification
get your wind back — focus on cardio this year
LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE — pay better attention to what she is saying; she deserves at least that much. you'll do this if you love her as much as you say you do.
that's it; a couple more things than last year, but you've made a little progress from last year. let's work to make it happen this year.
as ever, thank you, Lord, for your countless and constant blessings. may i live my life as an offering of thanksgiving. amen, amen and amen.
this was the boy about a year and a half ago, tackling a primary school, learn-to-read story from featuring lego d.c. comics characters.
he and his sister have since acquired their own library cards and choose their own books on their visits.
the girl, now learning phonics and sounding out words just as the boy did almost two years ago, approaches her reading with a mix of resolution and anxiety. she doesn't want to make a mistake.
the boy is pretty confident, deftly jumping word to word, gulping down meaning, fishtailing through curves before righting himself on the straights. he rarely stumbles on words, figuring them out on his own and seldom asking us for help.
i've appreciated how he comes to recognize words in common usage that he sees for the first time in print and banks them as another piece to his vocabulary.
what i've come to equally appreciate are the less-common words — those mommy and daddy read regularly but don't use in daily conversation.
"high tech" is one of those words, as are any constructions of using the compound modifier "mecha-."
the boy loves him some robots, spaceships and superheroes and picks up a goodly number of books featuring them. he also enjoys drawing pictures of his own creations as well as writing and illustrating comic books where they figure prominently. (inspired, no doubt, by dav pilkey, of "captain underpants" fame.)
cyber kids, 8 dec 2017
well, among his latest creations over the past month or two have been high-tech devices and mecha-characters and possibly high-tech, mecha-characters.
thing is, as a now-undaunted reader, learning words on his own, he's read and pronounces these words phonetically, e.g., "high-tetch, metcha-characters."
the "ch" sound as he's learned it bookends "church" and finishes "arch," not like a "k," as in "character" or "anchor."
i never corrected him when he spoke the words because, well, i guess because it kept him little, still reading like a young boy and i still want him to be my little boy.
today, though, he made a lego weapon that was part rock and part machine, a mecha-rock gun. (the "rock" was lava.) he described the mecha-device to me and i grinned a little and was impressed by his imagination.
his mama, though, when shown the gizmo and listening to his description, corrected his pronunciation: "mekka-rock gun" and "high-tek"system.
i tried to rein her in, but he began correcting himself afterward. (a fool's errand and disservice to him, i know.) so ... another page turns in the book of our boy's journey to literacy.
i was in traction in the hospital with a fractured femur and a bolt through my left knee after a car hit me after school not nine hours earlier.
ten years ago, i wrote my recollections and thoughts of being the parent of a child lying unconscious on the road.
i'm still befuddled every time one of my nieces pukes on me. i can only
imagine the stress it placed on my parents having to watch their boy
drifting in and out of consciousness for 24 hours.
now i've got kids of my own and, Lord knows, having watched my siblings and the news, every time something bad happens to a child, it just tears me up.
God bless all those worried, loving parents of children in pain.
first of all, here's the girl's impromptu video tale of a space monkey that she made with a kid's meal toy. (she went on a field trip today and the class ate at wendy's for lunch.)
i like its short, simple story told in her tiny voice. i also like — i think — how she and her "big bruvvy" take to the smartphone like the proverbial duck to water. (no problems swiping from shooting still photos to video. freakin' digital natives.)
that said, though, the two seem not to suffer from any lack of imagination so far, which we hope will serve them well as they grow up. (but not too fast, please.)
speaking of which — second — her imagination and expectations hit a speed bump this morning when she arose early this first of december ready to search for a christmas elf on the shelf and found no sign of him.
while she wailed and gnashed her teeth on mama's bedside, daddy still woke up to her trying to console her daughter with assertions that the elf doesn't appear until the tree is up and that it wasn't even advent yet.
the boy's make-good
this did little to placate her as she told her mom that her friends didn't have their trees up and that their elves were already making appearances. (i guess since thanksgiving was good enough for their less discriminating elfin brethren to begin their hijinks.)
mama's sleepy yet stern response was that comparing oneself to one's friends was a bad road to get on this early in life and sure a path to misery. she assured her daughter that once our tree was up, "ginger" (our elf's name, i had to be reminded) will make his appearance. (he's got a beard, so i'm guessing he's a he, but it's possible she has a lot of testosterone in her.)
the boy, on the other hand, chose a slicker, more 7-year-old savvy approach to the magical no-show: breezy, diplomatic correspondence. surely, no elf could resist such an entreaty.
so, since we were planning to get the tree tomorrow anyway, i have a strong suspicion our tiny bearded friend will make his appearance fairly soon.
i got an email this evening from my journalism school seeking an update on my status since graduation.
i suppose because it offered the convenience of online registration, i took the bait and gave my information — name, address, email, degree, whatnot — but left blank the field asking about any exciting news.
arek socha/pixabay
i typed, then walked back the exciting news that i had a new, official government public affairs job, mostly because, well, i believe the nature of my work probably requires i stay in the background and not draw a lot of attention to myself or the agency. (it's not secret spy stuff, but it pays to be discreet.)
so as much as i'd like let the school and the world know what i'm doing, well, yeah, it's probably best i don't say too much.
meantime, all those years when i modestly chose not to document my promotions and awards are behind me, with no record of my accomplishments at the school that taught me the skills and judgment that led to a successful newspaper career.
in my mind, making the effort to put pen to paper to list my milestones was itself boastful and self-congratulatory. i'm learning a little late in life that a degree of self-promotion is necessary to create top-of-mind awareness.
while those close to you might recognize your quiet effort and ability, you are a blank slate to someone who doesn't know you at all; it's best to have your best stuff written on it.
so where does that leave me?
while i'm in a good place now, it's time for the old dog to learn a few new tricks. i received a professional development document this afternoon that seems to provide a road map to bolstering my qualifications in my new line of work.
i believe if i do this right, i could be well-suited to advance my career — or at least be able to transfer those qualifications to a new job should my time at this agency end.
there aren't many chances to make up for lost opportunities or make amends for past mistakes. good Lord willing, i may yet be able to turn those naive, regrettable choices into learning experiences that lead to new successes.
a little christmas began this week in the house. as i told a friend, we're segueing nicely from the sugar rush of halloween to the mounting mania of advent and christmas.
the boy still seems to remain in the thrall of the jolly old elf and his minions. there's no question that his sister is a true believer.
i can't get over how tall they're both getting, though.
i wanted to write something eloquent but figured i'd probably think it to death and never write anything at all, so i'm just going to say it.
first of all, after more than a year of uncertainty as to my employment, i'm thankful that i got signed from my "temporary" job to a real contract with benefits. government benefits. for that, i, and the lady who pays the bills, are most grateful.
in that vein, i'm first thankful for the job tip that got me here from longtime newsroom colleague and friend, lauren.
thanks to my first friends at the new job: leslie, cici, andrea, jim, sarah, lloyd, sue and zuni. their professional excellence, paired with their sense of irreverent fun, made me feel like i'd never left the newsroom.
thanks to the folks i met after they moved on: dave, tom, chad, lucy, charlie and kelly. they helped pull back more of the curtain on the mysteries of government public affairs and planning.
a whole lot of folks in other departments gave me a better appreciation of what our agency does and offered great friendship and mentoring at the same time. it might be shorter to list their specialties than to list all the people i got to know there: infrastructure, housing, hazard mitigation, historical preservation, logistics and recovery.
(i'll mention jeff by name, because he's going to be my supervisor.)
finally, there was a string of officers who busted their butts to keep me on staff and made me realize that my work was not just appreciated but valued: regis, jack, kelli, jacqui, steve, michael, kevin and dan.
most of all, thanks for the support of my beautiful wife, kris, a constant source of encouragement and motivation, the bright sunniness of our children, and my family and friends for their prayers, hopes and good wishes.
all these i count as blessings from the Lord, not merely because they eased my transition to a new profession, but their efforts felt like a joyful outpouring of love.
i've always considered myself a man of faith to some extent but i'm not sure i ever leaned on it — or learned from it —as much as i have over the past year. that is a blessing unto itself.
amen, amen and amen. thanks be to God. alleluia, alleluia.
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our new music minister suggested singing with a saint, living or dead, as a prayer partner as he accompanied on an all-saints song he sang at mass today.
i rely on many prayers from many saints. and i try my best to pray for those in need of prayer every day.
the boy especially starts thinking about costumes and drawing tableaus in the summer. the girl likes candy and dress-up.
gutting.
we bought these gorgeous pumpkins at the aldi store at the start of the month, but held off on carving them after the ones we did early last october rotted within a week.
drawing.
we didn't get to hacking until all hallows eve eve. (kris thought it was too late, but i knew the kids wanted to decorate, so i took on the task.)
the kids drew their designs and daddy carved them out. the funny thing was despite the large canvas presented on the large pumpkins, they both made small features — the girl especially.
but the templates each had their charms and turned out to translate well as kid art onto big gourds.
the big night took us out on a lovely fall evening for about an hour as they filled their buckets to overflowing. i just enjoyed greeting our neighbors and getting into the spirit of the holiday, if you'll pardon the pun.
upon our return, mama doled out their evening's ration and set aside some for later. the rest, daddy was taking to the office.
wonder twins.
the girl ate until her belly ached. the boy just knew when to stop.
mama figures the boy won't care nearly as much about his costume next year and will probably choose to wear it again. we'll see. he'll be 8 then, maybe more interested in being cool with his friends and not being seen with mom and dad and sis.
the kids keep growing. i'm doing my best to enjoy their being kids.
she lives with us under any number of titles — "dirty and smelly," "horrifying cat" or any combination of those and others too vulgar to write here — but she remains a member of the family, beloved, even by those disgusted or unnerved by her.
thanks for sticking around with us, smidge, and for making our lives so interesting.
i think the boy, in the background with daddy, is wholly in the throes of his hormones.
my old belief remains that the hormonal jangling that contributed to his harrowing toddler behavior has been somewhat modified to include his ridiculous 7-year-old boy behavior, including inexplicable decision-making, manic emotional swings and general goofiness.
so i find some consolation in hearing that he tests well, albeit points off in math for hurriedness, lack of care and the resultant mistakes, and that he is considered a kind and thoughtful kid.
today, though, his teachers reported that he exhibited a remarkable sweetness: he used his "good grade/behavior points" to "buy" a lunch pass to sit with whomever he wanted. the thing that killed them was that of all his classmates and friends, he chose to sit with his little sister.
first day of school.
she was apparently over the moon with his decision and very pleased, proud and happy to have a "big kid" sit with her at the little kids table. she came running out of school to her mommy to share the great news.
the boy explained to mama that after this year, he wouldn't have the same lunch period as his sister, so he said he'd dedicate whatever "points" he earns over the year to lunch passes with his little sis, so they could have as much time together as they could while they could.
i think mama almost died from the endearing display. she noted that for the rest of the day, the two were inseparable and very affectionate and kind to each other.
i'm telling you, while i have no idea how this guy's mind works or what direction it's headed in, i hope he never loses his sweet nature.
when you work at a daily paper, you learn there are no holidays you don't work: christmas, easter, election day — it doesn't matter. the news has to go out.
working now for the federal government, i'm getting days off i never imagined, like martin luther king jr. day, president's day and columbus day. columbus day!
at the paper, i could always count on two three-day weekends,
memorial day and labor day. (the summer wild card was independence day.
at the old charleston daily mail, you had to work at least one of those
days.)
for some reason, that third day always held a sort of promise for me: the chance to unwind or get some housework done or something productive or beneficial.
more often than not, though, laziness, illness or an unscheduled commitment would steal a day and disrupt a flow or dither away a good start.
i'd wind up disappointed and regretful and wondering where the time went or why i'd even gotten my hopes up in the first place.
i've now got three days lined up, two sick kids, the promise of a sunny saturday and a wet sunday and monday.
my only ambitions at the moment are laundry and a state inspection on monday.
my only real pipe dream would be clearing out a corner of our cluttered den. (i'm becoming familiar with the term "managing expectations.")
that's it. the detours i see are an outdoor car show on the boulevard tomorrow and, if the boy is feeling up to it, hitting tennis balls at one of the local parks. there is also the distraction of west virginia's ballgame against texas christian in the afternoon.
but that's just one day. with any luck/planning/discipline, that can be the donut hole in an otherwise useful, three-day weekend.
just finished enjoying a tasty burger at a friend's cookout and was getting up from my spot on the patio when i shooed away some good-sized mosquitoes on my legs.
i also shooed whatever was on my arm before it gave me an f-u sting and buzzed away. damn thing was a yellowjacket — the first one that had laid a stinger on me since august 2015, when i nearly died from an angry nest of the nasty little effers.
i dismissed the little prick as a nuisance and put together a second cheeseburger.
i'd gotten about halfway through when the stress of kris commenting on a redness in my face and constantly monitoring the welt around the sting led me to chuck the rest of the burger into the trash, down the rest of my beer and bid farewell to our hosts.
turned out the medical assistant at the med express who took my vitals was the same lady who caught me when i passed out from the first yellowjacket attack. she said i looked a lot better than the first time she saw me. ("no color" was her descriptor for me as was laid out.)
i gave her my thanks after the physician assistant prescribed a few days worth of prednisone to go with the benadryl i was supposed to take to keep the swelling down and reduce the reaction.
headed back to the car, kris said, "i should spank you."
i don't think she — or the boy — have quite gotten over the original ordeal. (he was fidgeting with worry and apparently trying not to cry in the waiting room; the girl was wondering how long i was going to have to stay in the hospital.)
anyway, i'm alive and well and can sleep with a little more peace of mind knowing i passed the clinical tests with flying colors.
