Rrrrrright...like you're going to see ME run 26 miles for no particular reason.
This is a different kind of marathon.
This one involves completing a list of several 'honey do' projects, while the other 'honey' is in Virginia on business.
This can be a bit of a challenge, especially when you have a soon-to-be two-year-old daughter under your feet demanding Daddy's undivided attention.
So, I enlisted the help of my younger brother Heath, who, as a self-employed computer whiz, sets his own hours.
He was only too happy to oblige after I assured him there would be no dirty demolition work like when we remodeled the one bathroom.
I don't think any amount of money would have enticed him back for a second round of that.
But with both of us working (OK, with him working and me helping only after getting Savannah off to bed), we did as much together as the remaining daylight would allow, and from Tuesday to the time Margie returned home Friday night, we had the grass mowed, hedges trimmed, two out-of-control rhododendron bushes tamed to some sembalance of order, a mini-patio laid for the fire pit, the Intex pool cleaned, an unwanted bathroom vanity in the basement cleared out, an erosion-worn gully near the driveway resodded and reseeded, weeds cleared from the side and back of the house, as well as the driveway, and two ceiling fans put up.
Margie was pleased, to say the least. One thing I didn't want to do was spend our entire summer doing outdoor chores, since we have so few good weekends during the summer in western Pennsylvania to have fun with. And I want to make the most of them.
The last thing I want to do in this life is forget how to kick back, relax, and enjoy life when I have the opportunity to do so.
TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY: The Second Time Around
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Summer Splashdown
Do you remember your first time?
I was maybe four.
It was hot. And wet.
And made of plastic.
My first experience in a swimming pool.
Oh, you thought I was talking about something else? Shame on you.
My daughter's first time was ten months.
It was Memorial Day weekend, and my wife Margie had Savannah dressed in a little bathing suit with her hair done in a fountain ponytail as she splashed in her inflatable pool, having the time of her life.
I even took a movie of it. All while doing so, I couldn't help but think about how fast she was going to outgrow this thing. Should I invest now in something bigger?
But then I didn't have to. Or so I thought.
My brother-in-law had two of those Intex Easy Set pools that he bought for his two young children. Unsuccessful attempts to sell them online led to our subsequent ownership gratis.
I was pretty psyched. I gave one to my parents, who watch my nephew during the week over the summer. Maybe they could use it.
Then came the first snap of warm weather, after it sat in the garage for about six months. Time to put it up.
Let me tell you that no matter how level a portion of your yard looks, for some reason, it never is.
That's when you have to settle for 'as level as you can get it'.
After we got it level to our satisfaction, time to inflate it.
That's the fun part...when you find out just how many leaks there are in this thing and go through the process of trying to fix them.
Let me also say that even patch kits aren't fully capable of properly repairing an air leak in that top ring.
Oh...and did I mention the accessories?
You know, chemicals? Little cheap pool, big price tag chlorine and other maintenance items to keep your little one's swimming water safe.
Then there's skimmers, a pool vacuum that works about as well as the latest Palestinian peace accord, oh...and little toys to keep my daughter amused until we drag her out kicking and screaming.
"NOOOOO!!!!! I don't care if my lips ARE turning blue!!!"
But as she spends time splashing around, she's also working on her tan, which happens fairly easy for her since her mother and I are both dark-complected people.
And learning to swim. She likes to think she can, but only pushes herself to her threshold of comfort. But she's undeterred.
And so am I.
Even if she's not Donna DeVarona, she will succeed at anything she does.
And I certainly enjoy watching her try.
NEXT WEEK: Marathon Madness
I was maybe four.
It was hot. And wet.
And made of plastic.
My first experience in a swimming pool.
Oh, you thought I was talking about something else? Shame on you.
My daughter's first time was ten months.
It was Memorial Day weekend, and my wife Margie had Savannah dressed in a little bathing suit with her hair done in a fountain ponytail as she splashed in her inflatable pool, having the time of her life.
I even took a movie of it. All while doing so, I couldn't help but think about how fast she was going to outgrow this thing. Should I invest now in something bigger?
But then I didn't have to. Or so I thought.
My brother-in-law had two of those Intex Easy Set pools that he bought for his two young children. Unsuccessful attempts to sell them online led to our subsequent ownership gratis.
I was pretty psyched. I gave one to my parents, who watch my nephew during the week over the summer. Maybe they could use it.
Then came the first snap of warm weather, after it sat in the garage for about six months. Time to put it up.
Let me tell you that no matter how level a portion of your yard looks, for some reason, it never is.
That's when you have to settle for 'as level as you can get it'.
After we got it level to our satisfaction, time to inflate it.
That's the fun part...when you find out just how many leaks there are in this thing and go through the process of trying to fix them.
Let me also say that even patch kits aren't fully capable of properly repairing an air leak in that top ring.
Oh...and did I mention the accessories?
You know, chemicals? Little cheap pool, big price tag chlorine and other maintenance items to keep your little one's swimming water safe.
Then there's skimmers, a pool vacuum that works about as well as the latest Palestinian peace accord, oh...and little toys to keep my daughter amused until we drag her out kicking and screaming.
"NOOOOO!!!!! I don't care if my lips ARE turning blue!!!"
But as she spends time splashing around, she's also working on her tan, which happens fairly easy for her since her mother and I are both dark-complected people.
And learning to swim. She likes to think she can, but only pushes herself to her threshold of comfort. But she's undeterred.
And so am I.
Even if she's not Donna DeVarona, she will succeed at anything she does.
And I certainly enjoy watching her try.
NEXT WEEK: Marathon Madness
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Dancin' Across the USA
Who can forget that catchy little ditty Lindsey Buckingham sang in the closing credits of "National Lampoon's Vacation"?
This memorable cinema classic, which spawned several sequels, details the life of the Griswold family and every conceivable disaster that can go wrong on a family vacation...does.
And the thing of it is, we've ALL been there. Hopefully, not all of these crises happened at once. Not every vacation has been debacle-free.
My mind still flashes back to September 2009, two months after our daughter Savannah was born. You who have children can understand the sudden crying fits (of the baby, yours come later) where nothing seems to make the situation better. There's things like finding the brand-new hotel that's so new, no GPS device has the ability to find it. When you have a two-month-old baby who wanted fed an hour ago, never mind their diaper changed, four-letter words can be exchanged and even the most perfect marriage can be put to a severe test.
But it did get easier the following year...sorta.
This year, my wife and I are hoping for another easier trip, as we pack a portable DVD player to keep our daughter entertained during the six-hour trip to Detroit this summer, followed by another three hours to Houghton Lake.
I've also resigned myself to the fact that my own sense of adventure is not shared by my family. While I'm comfortable going to a different destination every couple of days, my wife and daughter prefer to stay in one place and focus on destinations that keep in-car time to a minimum. Anywhere beyond that can be saved for another year.
And I'm OK with that.
Most disasters happen on the road. While I do intend to take the tribe cross-country in the Wagon Queen Family Truckster someday, it doesn't have to be today.
But the year will come where I'll feel the need to challenge myself. Hopefully my wife will be able to talk me out of it.
NEXT WEEK: Pool party
This memorable cinema classic, which spawned several sequels, details the life of the Griswold family and every conceivable disaster that can go wrong on a family vacation...does.
And the thing of it is, we've ALL been there. Hopefully, not all of these crises happened at once. Not every vacation has been debacle-free.
My mind still flashes back to September 2009, two months after our daughter Savannah was born. You who have children can understand the sudden crying fits (of the baby, yours come later) where nothing seems to make the situation better. There's things like finding the brand-new hotel that's so new, no GPS device has the ability to find it. When you have a two-month-old baby who wanted fed an hour ago, never mind their diaper changed, four-letter words can be exchanged and even the most perfect marriage can be put to a severe test.
But it did get easier the following year...sorta.
This year, my wife and I are hoping for another easier trip, as we pack a portable DVD player to keep our daughter entertained during the six-hour trip to Detroit this summer, followed by another three hours to Houghton Lake.
I've also resigned myself to the fact that my own sense of adventure is not shared by my family. While I'm comfortable going to a different destination every couple of days, my wife and daughter prefer to stay in one place and focus on destinations that keep in-car time to a minimum. Anywhere beyond that can be saved for another year.
And I'm OK with that.
Most disasters happen on the road. While I do intend to take the tribe cross-country in the Wagon Queen Family Truckster someday, it doesn't have to be today.
But the year will come where I'll feel the need to challenge myself. Hopefully my wife will be able to talk me out of it.
NEXT WEEK: Pool party
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Smart Phones, Dumb Users
I think I revered technology a lot more when it was priced out of reach.
That way, only smart people who earned enough money were able to manage it properly.
Today, I see the most sophisticated technology being utilized by the least important people.
I'm pretty much on call 24 hours a day in my line of work. However, do I have a bluetooth hanging out of my head or my iPhone 4 growing out of my ear? Absolutely not.
I'm one of the few people left that still has a landline phone. Anyone who needs to get in touch with me can call that number first. Then call the cell as a backup.
My iPhone was a gift from my wife, who bought it for me to use for work. Because it can record audio and video, as well as take pictures and text, we're able to deduct a portion of its cost at tax time, since much of its use is for professional, rather than personal use.
Outside of my profession, I wouldn't have much use for it. Even I'm not 100 percent sure of its features. Just this past week, one of my colleagues from KDKA-TV was in town for a news story big enough to invite the local TV stations. She was trying to figure hers out, and I could only suggest, having no idea of how to deal with the problem myself.
Yet I see people who look like the Smart Phones they possess is probably the most valuable piece of personal property they own. While at the store, I saw a guy in the parking lot chatting away on his own iPhone while behind the wheel of an early 90s model Ford Escort.
Hey pal, how 'bout takin' that $650 you spent for the phone and buying a better set of wheels?
They're the same people who have bluetooths and other devices.
However, common sense tells me not to rush to judgement. With today's lax dress codes, the guy could be an eccentric software engineer pulling down half a million a year.
Nah.
NEXT WEEK: Vacationland
That way, only smart people who earned enough money were able to manage it properly.
Today, I see the most sophisticated technology being utilized by the least important people.
I'm pretty much on call 24 hours a day in my line of work. However, do I have a bluetooth hanging out of my head or my iPhone 4 growing out of my ear? Absolutely not.
I'm one of the few people left that still has a landline phone. Anyone who needs to get in touch with me can call that number first. Then call the cell as a backup.
My iPhone was a gift from my wife, who bought it for me to use for work. Because it can record audio and video, as well as take pictures and text, we're able to deduct a portion of its cost at tax time, since much of its use is for professional, rather than personal use.
Outside of my profession, I wouldn't have much use for it. Even I'm not 100 percent sure of its features. Just this past week, one of my colleagues from KDKA-TV was in town for a news story big enough to invite the local TV stations. She was trying to figure hers out, and I could only suggest, having no idea of how to deal with the problem myself.
Yet I see people who look like the Smart Phones they possess is probably the most valuable piece of personal property they own. While at the store, I saw a guy in the parking lot chatting away on his own iPhone while behind the wheel of an early 90s model Ford Escort.
Hey pal, how 'bout takin' that $650 you spent for the phone and buying a better set of wheels?
They're the same people who have bluetooths and other devices.
However, common sense tells me not to rush to judgement. With today's lax dress codes, the guy could be an eccentric software engineer pulling down half a million a year.
Nah.
NEXT WEEK: Vacationland
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