When I was a boy, I had the greatest dog a boy could have — B.D. His initials stood for “Big Dog,” which is probably why you shouldn’t let a 9 year old name a dog. B.D. was fiercely loyal and protective of me. I couldn’t even play pick-up football with my buddies in the neighborhood if B.D. was with us, as he saw any attempt to tackle me as a declaration of war, something my childhood friend Jason can attest to, probably with a still-evident scar on his head.
Category: Family
As a parent, I never thought I would get to the point where I would say these three simple words: I love bedtime.
It took a while to get here. A long while. My kids are 14 and 12, so some might say it took 14 years to get here. Of course, figure that both kids account for their own years, I think it’s only fair to count both of their years, and thus it has been 26 years of bedtime. But no longer. My wife and I are free.
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You mow, girl!
There are plenty of fantastic milestones in your children’s lives.
First day of kindergarten. Getting a driver’s license. Prom. Wedding. Rebounding from that corporate wide-layoff.
I have experienced plenty of wonderful milestones for both of my kids, and I am sure the upcoming achievements will be equally awesome.
The other day, my wife and I celebrated our 17th anniversary. I have written plenty of anniversary columns over the years, so this won’t be one of them. I think the fact that we hit 17 years can be summed up with this one sentence: My wife is very patient.
I recently read an article about a restaurant that was under fire for posting on Facebook that it would no longer allow “small screaming children,” adding that the establishment is “an adult themed restaurant that caters to those who enjoy food and are out to enjoy themselves.”
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The (temporary) bachelor
Recently, I spent four days as a bachelor. Now, while many of you would assume that my wife finally came to her senses, I can assure you that this was mutually agreed upon. My kids had spring break, and because the grown-up world is cruel and without reason, I do not get spring break. My wife decided to take the kids to Atlanta to visit her folks, leaving me to fend for myself for a few days.
Like most of you, my idea of a perfect day includes finding a snake that regurgitates a toad.
I see you are all nodding in agreement, so I’ll share the details.
Our day began recently out at our family land. The start of spring is one of our favorite times out there, as that is when nature wakes up from winter, and many of the critters begin making appearances.
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The dangers of phones. And bears.
When our species begins to decline in numbers, I do not think it will be due to environmental degradation or war or bears.
Those issues are certainly things to stay up all night worrying about, perhaps in a fortified bunker in your basement. And if you think bears aren’t a concern, remember that they can outrun us, outclimb us and outswim us. And we’ve spent decades teaching them how to ride bikes. We’ve created a potential monster.
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Foiling an investigation
It seemed like an open and shut case.
I pulled open the drawer to get some aluminum foil. When I opened the container, I saw that inside was not any aluminum foil, but rather a single cardboard tube.
Like anyone, else, I long for the good old days. And never mind that good old days weren’t actually as good as we remember them. I hitch my wagon to the romanticized version of how life used to be.