My Message Is Not Getting Through
Sometimes I get upset with the kids for things they do. Because it really doesn't happen very often, they often don't react immediately. In my parental myopic belief that my kids are basically good and not manipulative, my opinion is that I don't think they immediately recognize when I'm being serious.
Today Sara was working on a project coloring with felt-tip markers on the floor. Our floor is wood. I was not in the room watching.
Later I returned to the room to find markings on the floor. The hair started to stand up on my neck as neatness (actually lack of neatness) with markers has in the past been a source of disciplinary action. So when I saw markings on the floor I thought that "bad daddy" would need to make an appearance.
Me: "Sara! There are green markings on the floor. What did we tell you about using markers?"
Sara: "That's not green Daddy, it's blue."
Thoughts on the Inauguration
I stayed home from work this morning to watch the coronation inauguration of President Obama. Here are some of my thoughts:
- Wow, that's a lot of people.
- Being led to the stand by Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi's got a grin on her face that doesn't seem real - almost like Jack Nicholson's Joker from the Batman movie.
- Walking in, the future President looks nervous. Doesn't seem like the same guy to me.
- Feinstein is the Master of Ceremonies? I wonder how she got elected to that job?
- Rick Warren's invocation was not very good. Seemed more like a speech than a prayer.
- Aretha Franklin's outfit was pretty outlandish. But I like her outfit much better than her rendition of "My Country 'tis of Thee". Why can't they just sing it straight?
- Chief Justice John Roberts screws up the oath. You'd think he would have practiced before hand. The odd thing is that Obama recognized it immediately, and didn't know what to do. Should he say it like Roberts told him to, or say what he rehearsed?
- Obama's speech was nice. He hit on some good topics I can get behind - making government more efficient, protecting the country from our enemies and reaching out to those who think we hate them. Not likely the most memorable speech he has given - There were many other speeches he gave on the campaign that seemed more inspiring.
- I'm sure Elizabeth Alexander, the inaugural poet worked on every single word. But did she have to read it like she wanted people to savior every one with a staccato delivery?
- Rev. Joseph Lowery's benediction was nice. Some humour, but it sounded like a prayer that wasn't preachy.
- Watching Dick Cheney have to attend these ceremonies in a wheel chair must have been humiliating. I was sorry to see that. Back in 2000 I had actually wanted Cheney for the big chair and Bush for VP. I thought he was more qualified.
- Watching Obama and Bush exiting through the Capitol building I thought was the most interesting scene. Bush had a smile on his face - I have to imagine it was like I felt on my last day of college.
- On the flip side, Obama looked like the weight of what had just happened had finally landed on his shoulders. The whole world is looking to him to bring the US economy back on track, improve the standing of the US in the eyes of the international community. The expectations are enormous.
I didn't vote for him. I disagree with some of his proposed policies. I'm concerned about his approach to spend us back into a vibrant economy and how it's all going to get paid for.
But success will benefit us all. And while his travel plans may be different that what I'd prefer, getting safely to the destination is the overall goal.
Congratulations President Obama and God Bless the United States of America.
Tags: News
Smackdown by an 8 year old
I've got an "itchy" spot on my upper back right between my shoulder blades. For some time now I've been apply some steroid cream to it to quell the itchiness.
My employer does not test for steroids, so I'm ok on that front.
This morning, Garrett was in the bathroom with me while I bent my arm to apply the cream my back.
He looked at me and said "What's that Daddy, hair care product?".
Memories of my Youth: Realities of my Present
One of Sara's playmates had her 7th birthday party this weekend. This party was at an old-fashioned roller skating rink. The rink was closed to the public during "party time" and since we were the only party planned, our group of 15 kids and related adults had the place to ourselves.
Growing up, the family of a girl in my neighborhood owned the local skating rink - I think it was Skateland. Leslie was one of those long-term neighborhood kids that I went to school with from Kindergarten all the way through high school (I think there were 13 of us as measured at our 25 year HS reunion). Of course Leslie was a prize winning skater, but because we were all friends, outings to Skateland were regular. I was a pretty decent skater in those days.
On Saturday, all those memories came flooding back. The disco ball, the snack bar, skate rental, DJ music, and the illusion of cool. Missing was the teen angst, and raging puberty hormones - but I really didn't "miss" those.
So, on with the rental skates and out on the floor I go. After some initial trouble, I did get some of those feelings back, and gradually felt more comfortable out on the floor - bouncing to the rhythms of the music, crossing over on the turns, pinching the fannies of the girls (just ones I'm related to now).
Can you see what's coming next?
I think it was a 4.2 on the Richter Scale.
Coming off the skating floor on to the carpeted non-skating area gravity seemed to wake up at the comedic potential of a heavy, 44-year old with too much confidence. Suddenly my feet sped up, and my torso slowed down and I disappeared behind the wall.
If someone had been watching me, I can only imagine how funny it would have looked. Something like Wile E. Coyote falling off a cliff. There he is. And in an instant: There he isn't.
Thankfully, there was no serious damage - to me or the facility. Nobody saw me fall (either that or nobody laughed out loud to my face) so my pride is in tact. The swelling on my wrist has finally begun to go down and my back and neck are stiff, but workable. I suppose it was my ego that took the biggest hit - that and those fond memories of the skating rink.
Tags: Funny