The Heat is On.

Holy Shit - it was hot today.

I don't care what the thermometers said, it was broiling. I deal better with the heat now - all the running last summer made me appreciate it a lot more, and this year I've gone from fat and pasty to slim(mer) and light brown.

Today I did something I never would have done years ago to beat the heat - I went to the lake.

Now before you start thinking about Frankie & Annette, I did bring the kids with me, so it was a family type day.

We had a blast. The kids played at the edge of the water, we threw rocks, and Daddy got to enjoy the beautiful scenery that surrounds the lake in the summer. A great time was had by all. I wasn't sure how the kids would handle the heat, but the only time they even kicked up a fuss was when we had to leave.

They want to go back tomorrow - I'm hoping we'll be able to. (First I have to do all the yardwork and shit, and then we can go play.)

Here's to not sitting in the house in front of the fan - summer fucking rocks.



Later.

Stand Alone Dad.

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Watch Out, Gary Carter...

There's a new kid in town.

That's The Boy and I at his T-Ball game. He's really liking it so far, and his favorite position is catcher. (Why a catcher in a t-ball game? Someone has to put the ball on the tee, and this is better than him laying down in right field and not paying attention.)

He's has 4 hits, one run, and one outfield catch. He's all over this game as oppossed to Soccer, where he ran around for 45 minutes and didn't feel like he accomplished anything. (It might have something to do with the T-Ball championship I won at his age - must be in the blood.)

The thing I like the most is that the games are Monday and Wednesday evenings - so I , a guy who works most weekends, can actually go. It's even been suggested that I help coach, (I dare say I'd be better than the sham of a coach that they have now.) but we'll take it one step at a time.

I know that most of you probably looked at the title and went "Gary Carter? Wasn't he Arnold on Different Strokes?". And you'd be wrong, 'cause that's Gary Coleman - Gary Carter was the only cool batcatcher to play for a Canadian team when I was growing up.

At least until my boy hits the Majors.....




Later.

Rumors of My Demise...

.. have been greatly exaggerated.

With the Twin's family up for the Nephew's Hockey tourney, the last couple of days have been really hectic - hence no blogging. Having two extra kids in a house the size of mine is enough to throw anything off kilter, and being able to coherently form thoughts wasn't part of the bargain.

But I can tell you some things I've learned:

• I miss the extra padding my lard ass used to have - sitting in the stands at the Arena would have been warmer and more pleasant with a few extra pounds of padding back there.
• Tim Horton's Roll Up The Rim is a piece of shit. I haven't won a damn thing since it started this time, and that's just not right for a guy that drinks as much as I do. When's my time Lord? When's my time?
• I am pretty much the greatest Rock Band vocalist ever. I may not sound good to me or anyone else, but that game thinks I'm fucking amazing. 96-100% on almost every song? God, I'm good.
• If the weather in Courtenay is as shitty next Sunday as it was in Campbell River today, I'm going to be one wet Half-Marathoner. The fact that it's less than a week away now kinda freaks me out.
• The more I see one, the more I want an iPhone.
• As much as I was dreading the weekend, tomorrow's going to be just as bad - I have to do my last long run (10+ miles) , weigh in for the final of the weight-loss contest I joined, and get the Boy to school on time - then my day can start. (It'll only be 8:30am then.)

I'm going to get some sleep - but don't worry, you'll hear from me.



Later.

They Grow Up Fast.

I just had "The Talk" with the Boy.

Not that talk - (he's only six), but the Boyfriend/Girlfriend talk.

There's this girl that he plays with at school all the time - they are always together. I used to bug him and call her his Girlfriend, at which point he'd get mad until I said "Friend who's a girl" - he took that shit pretty seriously.

So we're cleaning out the garage today ( yay Domestic Chores) - after I had just picked him up from a playdate at her house. (When I got there they were playing Wii together - is that something I should be worried about?) I asked the Boy how his Girlfriend was - expecting the same reaction as usual. Instead, he says "Daddy, you aren't supposed to find out." When I ask him what it is I'm not supposed to know, he tells me this:

At school they are best friends, but away from school they are Boyfriend /Girlfriend. (It's a big secret.)

(Just proof of how young the Boy really is: When asked what it was I'm not supposed to know, he immediately tells me. They only do that at this age - eventually I'll have to be more circumspect in my questioning.)

I asked him what it is that Boyfriends/Girlfriends do. Do they kiss? Hold hands? (It's been 30 years since I was six..) Much to my relief, he told me that they don't do any of that stuff, it's just like at school but they call themselves Boyfriend/Girlfriend.

Thank God that's it.

I'm sure I'll eventually have to have the Big Talk with him, but I hope it's still at least 6 or 7 years off. (I'll cover that shit early with him, so he doesn't pick up some dumb information off the street.)

For now he can keep his secret - (he asked me not to tell his Mother) so I'll just keep it on the down low. - I don't want her to think she's raising a Man-Whore.


They do grow up fast.





Later.

Vertical SleepIng Chambers.

In an effort of improve space and reorganize, we bought the Kids Bunk Beds for their birthdays.

It serves the purpose of freeing up a room to put all the toys into so that they stay out of the other living areas of the house.

(If anyone has inadvertently stepped on Lego while barefoot, you feel my pain.)

The Boys love it, and wouldn't stay off it all day.

Right now, however, they aren't asleep - instead they're chatting and generally keeping each other awake. I just had to go in and "remind" them that they should have been asleep over two hours ago - if this goes on much longer I'll have to separate them the first night.

They'll come around though - and I bet it's less than a week before I post about one of them hurting themselves jumping off the top bunk. Guaranteed. (Call it Daddy's Intuition.)


Later.

Roll In The Hay.

Today was The Boy's class visit to the local pumpkin patch/farm.

When my wife mentioned it to me last week, I laughed - "Have fun with 25 screaming kids & the farm animals in the mud." The smile vanished from my face when she told me it was on my day off, and since she's working, I got the pleasure of the farm animals. (I know that sounds dirty, but it's not.)

With our boots and gloves on, The Boy and I boarded the School Bus for the drive to the farm. On the way I noticed there was only one other Dad, and he was being hen-pecked by his wife, who was also along. Since the kids were entertaining themselves, the honor fell to me to entertain all the Mommys. ( It ain't easy being me.)

The hay ride was probably the best part, although being chased by a flock of sheep (that's what it's called, ask Wikipedia) hell-bent on catching the wagon and feasting on it's hay-ee goodness isn't as exciting as I make it out to be. The kids enjoyed the hay-bale maze the most - being able to see over two bales high kind of ruins it for all the adults.

I enjoyed the visit though, and The Boy had a blast - he's already talking about going back next year - I think when your 5, being in a place that's mostly dirt and mud is like being in a place that's all coffee and porn when you're 36. It may be dirty, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.


Speaking of which, when's Daddy's field trip? That's what I want to know.




Later.

Good vs. Evil

Good: Going to The Gym this morning.
Evil: Having a Sausage w/Egg McMuffin with the Wife and Youngest afterwards.

Good: Having The Youngest pee on the potty and giving him his reward.
Evil: Having him shit his pants 15 minutes later.

Good: Skipping my run this morning because of the pouring rain.
Evil: Having the sun shine brightly when there is no chance I can go running.

Good: Having a health conscious Subway Dinner with the kids.
Evil: Running 5K an hour later, and almost throwing up because I feel full of bread.

Good: Even being full of bread, only being one minute below my best time.
Evil: The compulsion I have to go out and better that as soon as I can. (You know The Sidekick's gonna suffer, right?)





Later.

S-A-B-O-T-A-G-E

Every once in a while I get the feeling that my other half doesn't like the improvements in my physical appearance.

Oh, I know she likes it, but I get the feeling she felt a lot better when I was a chubby bastard. (Now that I'm just a bastard, and not chubby as well, it's got her rattled.)

She's been doing things lately that seem like she's actively working towards undermining my efforts. She brought me home a coffee the other evening (awesome) and a couple of donuts as well. She knows they are my weakness, and how horribly bad they are for you, and she got upset with me when I said that although I appreciate it, I didn't want them. As soon as I could see the fight starting, I capitulated and ate one.

It's not just donuts, either - it's extra stuff, under the guise of "for the kids" - my house is full of muffins, chips, cheese knots, breads, etc. She says they are just snack foods for the kids to nibble on, but since when do the kids "nibble on" 2 dozen muffins? Why are there three cheese knots when we only have two kids? (And she doesn't like cheese knots.) I avoid eating the stuff as much as I can, but what do you do when it's the only stuff in the house?

I've learned from before that diet is the most important part of weight loss and maintenance. I've also witnessed countless other people fail at their goals because they were not getting the support of the people in their household when it comes to food do's and don'ts.

I don't want to be one of those people.

I think I'll embark on a mission of counter espionage - soon every chocolate chip in the house will be replaced by a stalk of celery. I'll arrange the fridge so you don't have to reach past the jug of chocolate milk to get to the skim, and alarm bells will ring if a donut even enters my front yard.

I have seven weeks until my 8K run in Victoria and eight until the Miracle Beach 10K - my goal is to be ten pounds lighter by then, and I'm going to do it.

I'll be on the lookout for traps and tricks - but if I wake up and she's intravenously pumping whip cream into my arm, I think I might need some help.





Later.

This Tree Has Roots.

Tonight we are having a Barbeque at the 'ol Homestead.

Since The Twin is up with his spawnlings and I aslo have an Aunt or two that happen to be in twon, we are having a big get together - the last time this many of us were together was either when someone got married or someone died.

This post is short then, because as Man of The House I must be at my station in front of the Barbeque, making sure the dogs are grilled and we don't accidently roast a toddler.

They taste good with Ketchup, right?


Later.