The Apple Never Falls Far from the Apple Sauce

I was standing in the kitchen the other day and Marina tells me about a conversation that she had with GrandPop.


She told me that GrandPop called her on the cell phone and asked her how her girlfriend is doing. Upon a little investigation I finally put two and two together.Dad’s intent was to actually call Max on the Phone.
But of course he dialed Marina,

Thinking he was talking to Max he said, “How is your Girlfriend?”
And Marina answered the phone and never indicated that she was not Max.
And she went about her day never thinking twice about it.
Until I was standing in the kitchen with her and she asked me why GrandPop thinks she has a girlfriend.

Max's First Date

Avatar behind the scenes


So it happens to all parents. We left Max’s soccer game on Saturday (they lost 9-7) to an adventure of different sorts. Yes Max had a date. I had the pleasure of picking up Max’s friend (girl friend) at her house on Saturday afternoon.

I have no idea the proper etiquette here. Should I contact her parents should I take pictures, should he pay should they go dutch, should it come out of his allowance. I asked how should I refer to her as his friend, his girl friend or what. “Just call her Alin he said.

Max is usually a bit of a show off when he has friends over. He is never really good in those situations, but he was completely at ease and he is way beyond where I was at his age. He was a perfect gentleman. They hugged when they saw each other.

I picked them up after the movie and they were just sitting in subway enjoying each others company. They wanted to go to Annie’s Donuts but it was closed.

We (Marina and I) gave Alin a ride home after the movie. Marina told her we were a strict Catholics. Which scared her for 2 seconds until Marina burst out laughing? Alin felt at home.

Doing HomeWork with RCM

RCM -Parent Interviews
Riley had a home work assignment to interview her parents and grand parents and I had my turn last night.

Here were some of the questions.

What was your favourite/least favourite subjects in school.  Do you give them the answer they want or the answer that is yours.  Well to be honest I do not know the answer to this. So I went with Literature as my favourite (I love reading anything new) and Wood Shop as my least favourite (who knew Fiberglass could catch on fire).

There was a question about dating and I told the true story of sprinting the last half mile of a daily run so that I could get home and ask Jenna to go out with me. It was some where in the last half mile of that run that it cliqued that I should and wanted to date the girl i eventually did  marry.

And If I had any advice what would it be?

1. Do what you love (So cliched and so true). Thats probably why I am a sitting here writing instead of working right now. 
2. Be uncomfortable Once in a While -We grow that way doing things we are not comforable with. I became a better runner running with people way faster than myself. I also watch my older daughter playing VollyBall with players that may be way better than her and she has gotten quite good. I remember hanging out with the smart kids in school and it sure helped me alot more than my usual sports and get into trouble friends.

Most Significant School Moment- Quitting Football and trying out for the play.  Please see Number 2.

I enjoy these little assignments. The other day Riley wrote a paper on How Cancer Cells Work.  It was a great read and I actually learned something along the way. Same as I did with the above Interview.

Greatest love story Never told

By me

Two years ago to the day, I got home from work at around 8:30 having just finished year end close. I honestly had no plans and I do not actually remember making any plans for the evening but the details are kind of sketchy.

The expanding past- As things get further and further

into the past they expand at an exponential

pace sometimes obscuring the truth.

Well Jen (this story ends well) had gone to the midnight run and pounded a few beers with her at the time best friend (i will call her Teresa). She may have called me to tell me she was coming over or maybe she didn't but I remember sitting on the sofa drinking a beer (it may have been a bad beer) and I get a call from Miss Jen that she was headed over to my house.

I forgot -What I neglected to remember is that this was not

entirely out of the blue as she had been

to the house a few weeks earlier as she made/bought

me dinner from Ernesto's after an ill fated 31 mile

run across wild trail.

Well a girl I was really hot for was coming over to the house in 45 minutes and I contemplated cleaning the entire house, or lighting candles or having another beer. I did one of these and long behold Jen shows up post run, post beer with the movie (I may screw this up) "Sleepless in Seattle. It was some Meg Ryan movie, and I know it wasn't you got mail.

You got female. It was somewhere around 1:30 in the morning

we sat down on the couch in my newly cleaned

house and watched that movie. I remember nothing about

the movie, but we smooched and kissed and

all that kind of stuff.

We got very little sleep that night.

The next day i was in a daze and

actually wrecked a baby stroller.

(This part of the tale is absolutely true).

We ended up dating, and getting married so today is not actually our anniversary. Its actually (TFDWST). I'll leave it at that. I love you my dear. Happy anniversary of sorts.

ode. for xmas tree

this
year's
Christmas
tree was bought
from a little vintage
shop up the road that
we carried by hand and paid
in cash and it lived and sparkled
with us for three weeks like part of
the family just shiny brilliantly, just like
any other blessed family member would for
only on this day
Christmas
2009 Happy
Holidays

Christmas Traditions

Start a Christmas tradition by adopting this elf from Santa's workshop who checks on your child's behavior and reports back to Santa every night, finding a new hiding place in the house every morning on his return. Fun for the whole family

But our family had traditions that where off the shelf.

1. Oh By Gosh By Golly

Like this crazy ass song. We all know it as Oh By Gosh By Golly. My uncle played it over and over again on his school record player. Washed down with a few high balls.

2.The Electric Knife

Then there is the time honoured tradition of the sporting event on the television. Grandmother Schofer always started the electric knife with a minute left in the game. So we never knew who won. I always love after dinner when some lady in a large fir coat from the neighborhood stopped by. They were such colorful characters.

3. The off the wall Gift.

MomMom was a classic for giving the unexpected. One year we got a big pot with an American flag, another year we all got a safe. I still have that safe. It keeps things safe. Same with the big pot and the flag. Not sure what that does.

4. Copes Corn

For generations, John Cope's Food Products has been producing dried sweet corn from varieties that are grown in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. These naturally sweeter varieties are harvested in the early stages of maturity, processed, then air dried to remove the moisture, preserve the nutrients, and impart the golden color and toasted sweet corn flavor. I still have not figured this one out.

5. Crab, Shrimp and French fries -Not sure when this tradition started. Circa 1989 . But this one I love, Seafood for the holidays. Reminds me we have to order our crab today.

Unfateful Faith

Faith is an absolute weird thing, and I must stand back and reflect when people have this much faith in anything. I do not even have faith that our brand new washing machine will get the wash clean.

Have faith this link will work

Bartow, Florida (CNN) -- After more than three decades in prison, a Florida man was set free Thursday after a DNA test showed he did not kidnap and rape a 9-year-old boy in 1974.
"I'm not angry," James Bain, 54, told reporters after a brief hearing in Bartow, Florida.
Bain was 19 when he was convicted on charges of kidnapping, burglary and strong-arm rape. He received a life sentence. He's going home for the first time in 35 years.
"I got God in my head," said Bain, surrounded by supporters and wearing a T-shirt with "Not Guilty" across the front. "I knew one day he will reveal me."

Then the families of these climbing victims know their loved ones are in heaven. I can not even imagine what heaven looks like, but something tells me it is not full of white clouds and angels. And the faith they had on the weather and their fitness. That's faith of a different kind. Based on a little experience.

GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. -- The family members of the two climbers still mis

sing on Mt. Hood said they've come to terms with the reality that they won't see their loved ones alive again and they're at peace, knowing Katie Nolan and Anthony Vietti are in heaven now.

These stories compelling and disturbing as they are show people at peace based on something completely unknown to me but known to others. I tip my hat to them.