stradasphere

peaschball

My girl all geared up!

posted by Unknown @ 9:31 PM 0 comments

First Day of School For My Princess

Tomorrow morning my daughter is starting her first day of preschool. It is a bigger deal to me because I wasn't there when my boy had his. At that time I was pretty much a loser. Most likely loaded and too into myself to be there. BUT I can't let the past rob me of this moment. I will be there and I even get to drop her off. SO many times my past robs me of my present, and tomorrow I get a wonderful present. I will be present! I am sure she will be wearing something pink and she may be brave on the way in and there my be tears when I leave...But no one will see me in my truck! Even though it is only preschool she is still going to be in someone else' s hand all day! Now, I love my little princess beyond words but I will say a prayer for her teacher!

My wife and I have never baby talked our kids so she is very articulate. A blessing and a curse. She can talk continuously for at least 45 mins. Which is good in that when things are quiet around here, we know there is some kind of stealth princess activity...for instance:

• closing herself inside the pantry...usually with some sort of chocolate something
• hiding in her closet (she is NOT afraid of the dark) with a brand new box of cereal complete with teeth marks on the inside bag
• in our bathroom with mommy's make-up-this one is a killer because when you finally find her she has done her own extreme make over...it is hard to get mad at a beautiful little face with a huge smile and eyebrow pencil handiwork that would make Alice Cooper jealous!
• or hiding in her room after knocking over my wife's 4-foot nightstand...you see she needed to get mommy's perfume...she just needed it...
• other times she just gives it up, meaning stands in her room waiting for me to come in as she holds out whatever bag of chips, candy, cereal, or whatever, that she raided from the kitchen..."Here Daddy, I got this for you!" What do you say to something like that??? My wife and I usually have to turn away because we are laughing so hard!

The list is an entire site on its own (hmmm...)

But I will stand firm as I drop her off. And if she has second thoughts, I will be the tower of strength that all daughters think their dad's are. I will not show weakness if she cries for Mommy or says, "But Daddy..."

However, all bets are off if she pulls her ace...I am holding her close, gettin gmy goodbye kiss, and she puts her little tiny hand, that is capable of so much damage, on my face with the touch rivaling a butterflies wing and says, "I love you so much Daddy".

At that point two things can happen.

1. I remain the rock of fatherhood and scoot her off to her teacher...ONE more kiss goodbye and I am outta there...crying, screaming or not (her not me)...OR
2. I fold, cave in, collapse, liquefy, become mush, blabber like an idiot, implode...AND turn right around and take her home for Nemo cereal and a marathon Barbie session with the Strawberry Shortcake DVD paying in a continuous loop...

A real man knows when he is defeated.

posted by Unknown @ 8:45 PM 0 comments

American Chopper Week Starts Soon. Part 2

ALL OF THIS INTRO FOR THIS GUY AND ONE SENTENCE! From this meeting I was introduced to blog sites. Ironpants was the first, then underconfident, SON OF TWINS, Floating Cat, and The Blobber. I was blown away at what I found on these sites and that I finally found a place to spout off whenever I want. (I work in a VERY quiet room). ANYWAY, (I can see why my wife is sometimes lovingly impatient with me), at the end of a post on underconfident, there was a simple message at the end. "American Chopper Week Starts Soon." Seemingly harmless and almost insignificant BUT it stayed with me for days.

I was standing at a bus stop at about 6:47 in the a.m. and that sentence drifted through my mind like tumbleweed, "American Chopper Week Starts Soon" Maybe I saw a chopper drive by or something but nevertheless?then I began thinking about this (Sorry, I almost said pondered!). I heard it in my head, "American Chopper Week Starts Soon" It was as if this was said in the middle of a dusty gust of wind that blows through an open window. There was something almost sad or even lonely about it. The sentence should have ended with an ellipse because it trailed off into my mind over and over. I got the image of someone saying this as they walked out of a room when no one was listening, just for their own benefit but nevertheless important and significant. Ok, it was not sad or lonely but an intensely personal fade-out that leaves you hanging like a song that ends without resolution. "American Chopper Week Starts Soon."

No matter what the intention was when it was written, that sentence, that fade-out, that tumbleweed, was a literary moment complete with image and sound.

You know when you see something that reminds you of something that only you know about at that exact moment. You see it, the connection is made, the memory spills, and you smile, whether people can see you or not. Or when you are in a room and the conversation is over and everyone turns away as you leave the room with the last remark. And you don't look back to see if anyone heard.

posted by Unknown @ 5:45 PM 0 comments

American Chopper Week Starts Sunday! Part 1

At a fairly new job, I fell into a very new format. This led to one of the oddest temporary mental obsessive thoughts I have had in some time. But I must regress to get up to speed. As the result of my participation in a pseudo telethon-commercial (see Ironpants) for the place I work, I encountered a small unique band of individuals. This was a creative team from another part of the place I work. I had seen one of these before?a smiling young man who would zip in and out of the room I worked in to snag something off the printer. He caused a bit of a stink over some contract but he soon joined to crowd to cause constant commotion. Then there was the tall boy with glasses and a goatee who I traded quips with for over four hours leaving me with the feeling that I had actually worked out my abs. My gut hurt so hard from laughing so that the microphone wouldn?t pick it up, actually I felt like I had a six-pack. The stuff I heard is another story altogether. Then there were two very quiet ones, male and female, who I don?t think said anything at all, sans the muffled laughter that looks like someone is about to heave. Finally, there was an unconfident man who laughed continuously for the entire time. I think once he tried to get us to behave but to no avail.

posted by Unknown @ 5:12 PM 1 comments

what runs through my mind

posted by Unknown @ 4:54 PM 0 comments

No Joe

Today is the second day I have taken the bus to work...which is a trip...you will see the wide ranges of humanity as they huddle in small masses...a very humbling experience. It showed me how good I have it especially since I wish I had it better...gratitude.

But the big problem is there is no coffee at work...I slammed down a microwaved cup from yesterday at home and I even poured half a cup of cold coffee from yesterday down my throat...ok I admit it, I am an addict. I even have this confession...I was willing to microwave another cup of yesterday's joe from the coffee urn at work.

Well, now I am glad that I brought a bag of grounds to munch on.

posted by Unknown @ 7:43 AM 1 comments

I have arrived

I have made the leap to blog...

posted by Unknown @ 12:06 PM 0 comments