Little m Long a

So I drank the Kool-Aid.  It tasted a bit like lactic acid.

And bile.

Yeah… I started a workout program this past Monday.  It’s really more of a ritualistic penitential rite shrouded with self loathing and torture.  At least that’s my initial take on the whole thing.  I’m not quite sure what led me to believe I was in any way shape or form ready to tackle a fitness regimen but then, logic and reasoning have never been one of my strong suits.  As proof I can only allude to a story involving small mouth bass, my best friend, a canoe and a cow in the middle of a river.  It wasn’t pretty.

Needless to say neither, is the image if me plodding through a series of exercises.

I’m five days in and as near as I can tell haven’t lost a pound.  I’m sore pretty much all over, smell, I’ve cut my coffee to 1 cup a day, I’d really like some Peanut M&M’s, and  I have been drinking so much water than I can’t sleep for having to pee all night long.  Other than that things seem to be going pretty well.

So why am I doing it?

Let’s just say I’ve got 5 really good reasons.

My father passed away when I was only two years old.  I have no recollection of the man.  Good or bad, that is what it is.  And while my grandfather was a great man and I loved him dearly we never did the things that a father and son typically do.  He never threw me a ball or taught me to ride a bike.  We never took trips to the park or just hung out.  When I turned 12 he passed as well.

That kind of shit stays with a guy.

My kids have collectively reached the ages where I suppose I would be remembered, unlike me and my father.  But that’s not the point.  I don’t want them to remember me.  I want them to grow up knowing me.  That won’t happen unless I am willing to make changes personally.  Changes that will enable me to be an active participant in their lives.  Not an idle bystander.

So yeah, I drank the Kool-Aid.  It sucks.  But in the end I know it will be worth it — not for me.

For them.

Circumstance and obligation often time conspire to rob precious moments.  Traditions become “remember when” and “used to”.  Or worse, “why don’t we?”  The confusion is only compounded when the “whys” are from a child.  Several years ago Maura and I worked out a pretty cool birthday tradition for the kids.  We called it the Day of Fun and in lieu of showering the kids with gifts on their birthdays we would set aside a day just for the birthday kid to spend with Mom and Dad.  You don’t realize how important some things are until they’re gone.

We skipped a year of the Day of Fun simply because life seemed to have gotten in the way.  The kids had wonderful birthday parties and received plenty of gifts but they never stopped asking, “What about our Day of Fun?”  It was that important and and Maura and I kind of lost sight of that.  The kids didn’t care about the stuff.

They wanted us.

Ask and ye shall receive, kid.  (Unless you’re asking for like a motorcycle, or a gun, or a tattoo.)  Ask for anything within reason, kid and ye shall receive.  We get to determine what is within reason — it’s a parental prerogative.  It’s a word, kid look it up.

Zander and Zella kicked things off this year with what I can only say is a day that set the bar pretty high in terms of funness.  (Funness is probably not a word but it works here.  See the other comment about prerogative.  It’s my story so I get to choose the words.)

We started the day with breakfast and a toast to good times ahead.

Then a quick stop for some supplies.  And of course a photo op.

The Dynamic Duo prepares to reek havoc on the children’s section of the book store.  It never ceases to amaze me at just how excited my kids get about books and reading.  (Clearly a trait passed to them by Maura.)

It’s a bit hard for me to take sometimes when I realize that all of my kids are now readers.  Zander still struggles  with some words and tends to guess more than read but the progress he’s made from August at the start of Kindergarden until now is truly amazing.  I still get a bit choked up when Zella, in the living case study of how girls advance slightly faster than boys educationally, will take the time to help her brother sound out the more difficult words.  Or get frustrated when he messes up and just hit him.  Because she’s caring like that.

Next stop of the Freight Train o’ Fun was to the ice skating rink.  Zella had been begging to go for a year.  She may have been rethinking that request.

It took them both about thirty minutes to get halfway comfortable on the ice but they had an absolute blast.  I’m not saying they’re heading to the Olympics or anything, but it was fun.

Next stop — “Builder Bear”.  For some reason, Zander won’t say Build A Bear.  Or except.  He prefers to say becept.

Of course, we had to stop and play on the stairs for a while because when you’re 6 even a stairwell is an adventure.

Also logical limitations on imagination are pointless.  It’s perfectly natural for a stuffed wolf to be wearing a football uniform and riding a motorcycle.  And why wouldn’t a green bear with patchwork paws be wearing an Obi Wan outfit?

A bite for lunch and then we were off to one of our favorite metro parks.  The day was perfect for a stroll.

These two could have fun anywhere!

In a nutshell, the Day of Fun was exactly as billed — FUN!!!  And this this I know.  Maura and I have resolved to do everything in our power to keep this tradition alive because it really does mean so much to the kids.  And truth be told it’s an awful lot of fun for us as well.

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Yeah, I know.  It’s November.  We kind of missed it.

But it’s not too late to shed a bit of light on this potentially devastating disease that will affect 1 in 6 men.  In fact, a man is 35% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than a woman is to be diagnosed with breast cancer.  It’s pretty popular.  However, with early detection and treatment there is a greater than 90% cure rate.

The dudes over at DadCentric have joined forces to raise awareness by participating in the Movember Foundation’s moustache growing charity event held during November each year to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.

As I considered the implications of such an event I thought, “You mean, I can not shave for a month and say I’m doing it for charity?  My sloth a worthwhile endeavor?”

It’s we call in the business a “win/win” situation.

Count me in.  I’ll be more than happy to do nothing — if it’s for a good cause.

So here’s me.  Yesterday.  Movember 1rst.  Smooth.

Movember 1

Like I really needed a reason not to shave!

You can support the DadCentric Team by following the link to their donations page.  Oh, and as the Movember Foundation is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit organization your donations (USA donations) are tax deductible.  If you don’t live in the United States fear not, I’m pretty sure your money will still be well received.

Hadrian's Wall

“Fancy a walk?”

It was a simple question, short and to the point.  An e-mail from an acquaintance.   Granted, the guy’s a lunatic but he’s got an oddly compelling personality — the kind of guy with which you can picture yourself spending an evening or sharing a cup of coffee.

Or a stroll.

“Sure,” I responded.

And that was that.  Dan, you may know him from All That Comes With It, has organized a charity walk in support of the Joseph Salmon Trust and I am honored to have been asked to participate.  Well, I was honored last June when he asked me.  Now, I’m hearing a Talking Heads tune repeating on an endless loop, “My God, what have I done!!”

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He doesn’t appear to be backing down.  He mentioned quite some time ago that he was going to do this.  Quite some time ago, it was safe to boast of this as quite some time should pass and our memories would fail us.  Yet he has reminded us of his claims, an ever present gnat buzzing always just beyond the swatter.  At times, his voice has been soft, like a whisper.  Other times, loud and booming.  He just couldn’t let it go.  And now, the time has come.  It is as they say time to put up or shut up.  I think a more commonly known allegorical reference may have something to do with moving one’s bowels or vacating the porcelain seat but since this is a family friendly place, I shan’t make such references.

Dan and his mates, ten of them I believe, maybe just seven.  Could be just Dan.  I’m not really sure who has committed but they all should be committed for even suggesting such lunacy. You see, Dan and his mates are about to embark on a journey,  seventy eight miles of walking in a mere six days.  (That’s an average of 13 miles a day!)  I’m not sure how many of you walk, or run or exercise at all for that matter, but the idea of walking 13 miles a day for six straight days has got to be daunting.  Hell, I get winded just walking upstairs when I’ve forgotten the telephone.  Half of the time I let a call just go to message because the effort to pry myself from my cozy couch is just to great.

Now, I’ve got to ask you?  Does this…..

appear to be a man that you would envision on a 78 mile hike?

Do any of these men?

Godspeed, gentlemen.  Godspeed.

In all seriousness, Dan is not just a loon on a mad mission to demoralize his mates.  He’s quite possibly one of the nicest blokes you’d ever want to meet and has a heart almost as big as his….self.  Dan and his friends will be walking the 78 miles of the Dales Way in Yorkshire, England to raise money for the Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity set up by Dan’s good friends Neil and Rachel in memory of their son, Joseph.  You can read all about The Dales Walk and the trust by visiting Dan’s site, All That Comes With It and also by visiting a site Dan established specifically to inform people of The Dales Walk.  More specifically, I ask that you contribute to this worthwhile endeavor.  Just click on the icons to the upper right of Dan’s homepage or on the homepage of The Dale’s Walk.  You’ll be glad you did and trust me, the warm feeling you’ll get inside (that would be knowing you’ve done the right thing)  will feel a whole lot better than the warm feeling in Dan’s shoes–that would be blisters.