The Life of a Father of Five

A FOF Definition - Trifecta Friday

2012-01-28T07:46:00.000-06:00

Trifecta Friday - It’s a term I use once every six weeks.

Some of my readers are co-workers (or former co-workers) and know exactly what a Trifecta Friday is. Others have had it explained to them, and still others may not know what a Trifecta Friday whatsoever. Today (and I am not sure why it did not occur to me to do this years ago) I’ll officially define the term “Trifecta Friday” and how it came to be.

Let’s start with the word “Trifecta” itself. Trifecta is (according to Wikipedia)…

In horse racing terminology, a trifecta is a pari-mutuel bet in which the better must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order… …It is also used in sports to describe scoring three points at one time, or succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts, such as in cricket.

Well, since I’ve never once played the ponies, and am anything but a sports enthusiast - you may be wondering where would I get such a term added to my vocabulary?

Once I graduated High School and was awaiting my term in SKILLS (police academy) to begin, I took a second job working security at a horse racetrack. I started off working the first half of the season in the grandstand during race days and times, and later moved to work the backside where the barns housed the horses and living quarters of the trainers and horsemen. It was during my time working at the Racetrack that I picked up on a few terms I have never heard (or used) before. Examples include the aforementioned “Trifecta”, and another new one - “Stoolstepping” (WARNING: Don’t google the latter term while you are at work).

The second term is Friday. Friday is (according to Wikipedia)…

Friday is the last day of a five-day working week, and is viewed as a cause for celebration or relief (leading to the phrase "TGIF", for "Thank God/Goodness It's Friday").

My current work schedule operates on a foundation of a rotating shift. The number of hours-per-day, days-per-week, day off pattern, and day off rotation can very significantly. The shift I prefer to work is an eight hour day, 7-day-on, 3-day-off, 7-day-on, 4-day-off pattern. The three days off always fall on Wed-Thurs-Fri and the four days off always fall on Sat-Sun-Mon-Tues. It sounds more confusing that it really is.

Many of you have also seen or heard me say “It’s my Friday” on various days of the week. Well, in my current shift selection – my “Fridays” currently fall on Tuesday, or Friday.

Because my work schedule is on a three week rotation (meaning it starts over ever three weeks) I get MY Friday on a CALANDER Friday once every three weeks. When it is my Friday on a calendar Friday it is followed with a four day weekend!

Every other “Friday on a Friday” is also payday Friday. With a three week rotation - every other “Friday on a Friday” equates to once every six weeks.

Now, let’s put this all together. Picture, if you will, a scene fading to FOF standing at what appears to be a crowded betting window at a race track (as unlikely as that sounds). From some unknown corner of the room, a loud “Race Announcers voice” booms over a tinny sounding bullhorn.

AAAAND, as they cross the finish line -

It’s FOF’s Friday in THIRD place by a length!

It’s FOF’s Friday on a calendar Friday in SECOND place by a neck!

And it’s FOF’s Friday on a calendar Friday and it’s payday Friday in FIRST PLACE by a nose!

FOF looks down at his betting ticket in disbelief, and quickly proclaims…

WAIT! WOULDJA LOOKIE AT THAT!! COULD IT BE?!? IT’S A TRIPLE WIN!

I bet on my Friday, on a calendar Friday and payday Friday!!

I JUST WON THE “TRIFECTA FRIDAY”!!

“Family” (Quotation Marks Intended) Reunion

2012-01-25T18:54:00.001-06:00

Last November, I wrote a little blurb about my “Family” (Quotation marks intended).

Unfortunately, a recent urgent situation has befallen one of the members of that “Family”. Due to the circumstances this classmate has been in my thoughts and prayers quite a bit in the past week. This has triggered a flood of emotions and memories from days gone by – and has motivated me to complete this “partial” post that I started before Christmas.

Not long after that previous entry four delightful gals from my “Nativity family” (who organize a “girls night out” from time to time) decided to not only have one of their nights, but to open it up and invite as many of our class members as they could for an impromptu get-together!

Initially, I felt a little trepidation about this. Being socially anxious, and an introvert normally has me a little uneasy about such gatherings. On the other hand, there were a number of friends I had not seen in ~~years~~ decades – and have been enjoying reconnecting with them on FB, so I was TRULY looking forward to seeing them in person again!

I sucked it up (and my gut in – after all, the years have not been good to my “circumference”) and attended the event despite my anxiety.

I had a FABULOUS time! We stuck around for several hours, and there was not one person I did not THOUROUGHLY enjoy catching up with.

The first photo is of myself with three of the four gals who set this whole thing up! The fourth is gal is behind the camera.

Of my closest group of buds from elementary / junior high school, two of us went on to high school together, two more went to another high school together, and the fifth went to a third high school. Unfortunately, only four out of the five of us made it to the get-together. I was disappointed not to see the missing classmate and friend, but the four of us present talked about getting all five of us together some time for a “guys night out”. This would really be something to look forward too. Guys, if you are reading this – let’s make SURE this happens once it warms up again!

Afterwards a number of photographs (the ones from above – “stolen” with permission) from the get-together started showing up on FB. One of the ladies who organized the get-together made an observation… She said the photo above reminded her of an old photo I have (and posted a long time ago) of the same group of friends – apparently we were all standing in the same formation!

I checked back, and sure enough – there it was! Not only were we standing in the same formation, but we were standing in front of a red-brick backdrop in each (and even a doorway on the right side of the pic) !!

WOW! Talk about Deja-Vu!

Top photo – 2011
Bottom photo – 1983
28 Years Later!

I cannot call this post complete without a couple of last shout outs.

First – to the gals who gave up their “ladies night” and coordinated this (first of hopefully many) get togethers – a HUGE thank you!!

Finally, (but certainly not least of all) I’d like to send out a very special prayer and wish for our classmate who has fallen ill. My thoughts and prayers go out to D.D. (and his entire family) for a FULL and SPEEDY recovery. I have high hopes that when we do get our little “Family” (quotation marks intended) together again – that you will be there!

For those of you who where there – THANK YOU! Despite all the years, you still all feel like family to me. For those of you who were not there, you are never too far from my thoughts and prayers – and I hope that one day soon our paths will cross again!

It Was Only a Year Ago…

2012-01-20T15:11:00.001-06:00

This was one year ago…

This is today…

The top video was taken January 18, 2011 – after a slight warm up in temps allowed me to get out and chisel away an almost 6 inch crust of hard packed snow off my driveway (link). The driveway looked so good (cleared off in the middle of January) that I had to take a video – well, that and the almost four foot mounds of snow on the edges of the driveway.

Fast forward one year and two days.

The second video was taken January 20, 2012 – after a trifle of snow fell upon us. As you can see in the video – you can still see GRASS in our lawn. True Minnesotans are embarrassed by this winter.

The good news is that I have heard that February may be a very snowy month for us. Let’s hope it will make up for the lack of snow over the past two months…

Mother Nature, are you listening?

E-Reading

2012-01-19T15:13:00.000-06:00

It’s time I share my plan to resolve the LACK OF READING in my life. (Link to previous post)

It’s not often that we spend our money on frivolous items. When we do, it usually has something to do with the kids. Yet, I’m a guy, and like most guys, I love “gadgets”. While I cannot deny that I enjoy (and have been known to collect) my fare share of gadgets, I have seen (and know) many fellas who put me to shame. I like to think / believe that I am on the low end of that bell curve. Unfortunately, gadgets = frivolous items and frivolous items = money. You do the math.

But (like I said) I am a guy, and guys love their gadgets.

Over the past couple of years I have been completely intrigued by the concept of the e-reader. I kept hearing about how convenient they are for portability, how much easier they are on the eyes (over LED/LCD screens), and the whole concept of easier access to reading materials equating to more time reading.

I have had a hard time justifying the cost / benefit ratio of such a device, but the gadget guy in me (who does a pretty good job of justifying the “need” for such frivolous items) has kept an eye on the e-reader market. Kindle, Nook, and a smattering of other various generic names have come and gone from my radar. I have scoured the refurbished markets, the discount and closeout websites, the clearance isles of department stores, and various other “brick and mortar” outlets, but gadget guy just has not been strong enough to convince the practical side of me to take the plunge.

Throughout this past holiday season, there was a lot of talk about this year’s “hot item” – the e-readers. Of course that piqued gadget guy’s interest. I did a little research on them and would sneak off and spend a little time with each of the Kindle’s and the Nooks while we were Christmas shopping.

Thanks a few extra hours of overtime, I decided to step outside of the box, and do something a little unexpected. I decided that not only was I going to buy myself an e-reader – but I was going to buy one for the Mother of Five too!

Yup, you read it right! TWO of them!

Since I was going to buy two units, I decided we would pick up the entry level model. While shopping (not for an e-reader but looking at the e-readers) another customer told us about a 20% off “bag sale” at a nearby retailer that also included the e-readers!

That 20% off was just enough to allow Gadget guy to overpower my practical side, and we decided to splurge and take the plunge. We decided upon the Kindle Touch (with special offers).

We have had them for a couple of weeks now and I am LOVING mine!! Even the kids want to read on them!

Around Thanksgiving, an “anonymous” donor generously donated ten Nook Colors for the kids school (St. John’s)! The kids enjoy spending time on them at school already!

What I really like about the Kindle is Amazon’s selection of e-books! Not only do they offer the best sellers, they offer copies of the “royalty free” classics, and a lot of new and inspiring author’s work at low prices, discounted promotions, and some even at no cost!

Every day I get email updates from various websites highlighting books that have been discounted or free for the day! Our Kindles are filling up faster then I expected!

So far I have already finished one book and am half way through my second (which, if you are keeping score is more than I have read in the past two years).

1. Learn Me Good by John Pearson

This was a great read! It is a comedy written as “chapters” in the form of e-mails sent by a first year elementary school math teacher to his friend (a former co-worker) from a previous career as a mechanical engineer. As I read this book, I could not help but think of AtHomeDaddy (who is currently in his second year teaching elementary school math, and I loved hearing about his first year experiences!)

2. Letters From Alcatraz by Michael Esslinger

There is something about the mystique of Alcatraz that caught my attention. This book is about the history of, and views of the infamous prison through the eyes of both prisoners, their families, or the Correctional officers through copies of actual correspondence letters to and from those somehow touched by “the rock”. So far it has been a great read!

Once I finish Letters From Alcatraz – I have so many choices to choose from I don’t know where I ‘m going to go. Since the first book was a comedy, and the second was a non-fiction, I think it’s time to get back to my “go-to” genre – Horror.

As of right now there are two books “on deck” – not sure which one comes next. It will either be… Forsaken – A Novel of Art, Evil, and Insanity by Andrew Van Wey or The Red Church by Scott Nicholson.

From there, I’d like to take a look at that list of “Lowlights” from high school and see about making good on some of those “assigned, but never read” list!

I’m not sure how or when, but I’d like to install a “currently reading” widget on the side of the blog – that way (if you want to) you can keep up with what I’m reading (and I can keep track of how much I have been reading)!!

The only real problem I have with this Kindle is that my reading list is growing faster than I can keep up!! It has been really fun seeing how something so simple can (and has) reenergized an interest in reading!! If you are on the fence about e-readers – I say go for it! We have not had any regrets!

I Used to Read

2012-01-16T21:04:00.001-06:00

When I was young lad (kindergarten through third grade) I was classified as a “strong reader” by my teachers and was clumped with the advanced readers in my class. It was in the middle of my third grade year that our family moved from Minneapolis to Bloomington and we ended up switching schools. I am not sure what happened (well, other than moving and switching schools) but the categorization of being a “strong reader” disappeared afterwards. It’s a theory, but I suspect it may be because this is about the age that reading gets separated from “leisure” to “assigned”. I often struggle with “assigned” reading. In a nutshell - If it does not catch my interest, there is little chance I will finish what I have started.

Looking back now, I can see that even as a young child I have always been intrigued with the horror genre. One of my earliest memories of finding a book I wanted to read was at the point where I was still having books read to me and/or I was just starting to read Dick and Jane books on my own. I remember seeing a book in the “teenage” section of the public library with an illustration of a human skull surfacing through the cracked mud of a dry river bed. Every time I went to the library, I tracked that book down and stared at the cover (sometimes multiple times per visit). I do not remember the title or author of that book and (as an adult) I have tried to search that book out to no avail. I’d LOVE to find that book and read it – just to satisfy the “five year old” in me!

One of my favorite early reader books (and I still have a copy of it) is The Ghost of Dibble Hollow. Doing a quick Google search on this title shows me that I was not alone. There are LOTS of references to that book! Recently (within the last ten years) I have even re-read that book.

There was another book I read that I would LOVE to track down. I do not recall the title or the author. My parents bought it for me at a department store (J.C. Penny’s or Sears) It was a discount hard cover book with a terrible quality binding, and I believe it had a purple cover. All I recall is that the book was about a haunted “Ghost Town”…

In 1979 (at the ripe ol’ age of 10) Steven King’s Salem’s Lot was made into a TV Mini-series. While I am certain that my parents would have NEVER allowed us to watch it, we had a babysitter both nights it aired, and we watched it. It scared the bee-jee-bees out of me. I had to cover my eyes, and peek through cracks in my fingers, and had nightmares for weeks afterwards, but I could not resist. This was foreshadowing a sign of things to come.

In my early teens our family took a summer vacation road trip. I grabbed a book to take along with me from the library. There was nothing more than then name that initially intrigued me. The book was titled The Dead Zone. It was the first time I remember being COMPLETELY captivated by a book. Intrigued by the author’s style, I sought out more. That’s when I noticed he was also responsible for Salem’s Lot. I latched on to anything Steven King wrote! I could not get enough of his work.

In high school, under the tutelage of my Literature teachers Ms. Hanley and Mrs. Hanson, I was “assigned” a number of literary pieces to read. (Assigned being the key phrase here.) Much to their chagrin (and reflective in my Lit grades), I am living proof that “assigned” does not always result in actually having read these works.

A few highlights – I did complete (most of) and found at least a moderate interest in Julius Caesar, and The Lord of the Flies. I actually finished (and thoroughly enjoyed) Flowers for Algernon and Frankenstein. (Flowers for Algernon? Really? Why? It is such a complete departure from what I usually enjoy. I have NO idea what it was about that novel that caught my interest, but it did. Mrs. Hanson was THRILLED!)
A few lowlights – I never did read a word of The Catcher in the Rye, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Scarlet Letter, To Kill a Mockingbird, Death of a Salesman, Twelve Angry Men, The Grapes of Wrath, Ethan Frome, The Glass Menagerie, and a number of other titles that seemed so utterly forgettable that I (embarrassingly) cannot even recall their titles.

As you can plainly see, the list of lowlights is much longer than the list of highlights (and remember, some of the highlights were only partially read). But worry not dear readers, while I did not partake in the works listed above, I did manage to read The Dead Zone, Carrie, Salem’s Lot, The Shining, The Stand, Pet Cemetery, Cujo, Christine, Firestarter, and a number of other Steven King horror classics!

This highlight / lowlight pattern continued through high school and into my college years.

I was once chastised by a college professor for reading Steven King’s It in her class. I had the book nestled in the class text book, but I was so engrossed in the book that I did not notice her wandering around the class room (where she noticed me reading it). It was not until she returned to the front of the classroom and proclaimed (for all to hear) “Mr. Father-of-five, I know I am not as engrossing as Mr. King, but I would appreciate it if you put his work away until after my class”.

I worked my way through King’s collection of works, and then latched on to a hodgepodge of various other authors and titles. During and after college, my attention was drawn away from reading and redirected towards my friends, work, and later marriage, fatherhood, homeownership, and so many other responsibilities I cannot begin to count. (Remember folks, I only have twenty fingers and toes in which to count upon.) This downward spiral in reading continued until my transformation to the busy Father of Five that you see before you was complete. I don’t like it, but My life has pretty much consumed any time / mental capacity / and energy I once had for reading. I think (at this point) I am lucky if I average (and I am being generous with myself here) one book / novel a year.

I hope that is about to change!! (Stay tuned…)

If you are / were voyeuristic enough to have actually found this post interesting – be sure to check out The Horror in My Life – an older post (from 2007) dedicated to my love of the horror literary genre.

Legacy

2012-01-12T21:03:00.001-06:00

Relatively speaking, I reside in “small town” Minnesota.

Yes, I am still part of the “seven county metro area”, and our town is what I consider to be within the furthest reaches of the “rings of suburbia”, but nevertheless we are a fairly isolated little city with a population slightly over 5000, and surrounded by rural farmland.

Ever since I was a young boy I have been intrigued by the history of the cities I have lived in. I own a copy of “Bloomington on the Minnesota” (where I grew up) and I own both volumes of “Jordan, Minnesota: A Newspaper Looks at a Town” (where we live now).

On a “historical” note - I attended one of #4 of 5’s basketball games a few days ago. While seated and waiting for the game to start, a couple of our town’s “ol’ timers” came up behind me and asked if the seats ahead of me were taken. I turned around and noticed the grandfathers of two of my daughter’s team-mates (and a couple of her closest friends).

As these men settled into their seats, I was suddenly aware of something I guess I always known, but never put together before. These two gentleman (sitting here side by side) have some very deep roots in, and have had an amazing influence upon our town. They are what I would consider pillars of our community, and each are the patriarchs of families that have become synonymous with our little town.

I could not help but contemplate (and marvel at the thought of) just how much of our town’s history was sitting right in front of me.

It is out of respect for them and for their families that I won’t be posting their names here, but I am confident that if you spend any amount of time here in Jordan you will have some sort of (positive) interaction with something or someone that can be associated with these honorable men.

I can only hope that one day the legacy of the Father of Five family name will be viewed as favorably as these two and their extended families.

Not the Why, But the How

2012-01-06T16:24:00.001-06:00

When I first started blogging, I stumbled upon a number of similar minded folks doing the same sort of thing (if you haven’t done so yet, be sure to check out my BLOGROLL to see what I am talking about). Some of those links are to active blogs, some are to less active blogs, and others link to blogs that have not been updated in a LONG time. Every one of them I connected with at one point on one level or another. Even when they appear to have fallen off the face of the earth, I have kept their feed in my reader just hoping that one day they would return.

I was delighted to have seen a recent rejuvenation in one of those blogs! The Adventures of Charlie Blockhead has now posted nearly as many posts since the new year started as he had in all of 2011. I am excited about his newfound inspiration (and urge any other “dad-bloggers” out there who have never done so to swing by and take a peek). He’s a real down to earth guy, and I enjoy his viewpoints.

Anyway, Charlie Blockhead’s most recent post got me thinking about my own experiences blogging. Not thinking so much the part about “stats” (I’m a voyeur at heart, and am not afraid to say how much I love my stats, even the low ones!), and not even so much the “why” I blog (you can follow the link or check out my right sidebar right up at the top for that), but Charlie Blockhead’s post got me reflecting more the “HOW” it all started.

Much like Charlie Blockhead, a part of “fatherhood” scared me. It was not the first child, or the second, or even the third. For some reason, it was the fourth, and then the fifth that really threw me for a loop. I was scared and even a little embarrassed by the growing “number” behind The Life of a Father of ______. The fear of the costs and financial / emotional commitments got to be a bit overwhelming in my head.

It was after #4 of 5 was born. Much like Charlie Blockhead, I turned to the internet in search of ~~something~~ anything that would help ease my concerns. Do you know what I found? Nothing. Zilch. Nada. (At least not what I was searching for.) I was even more discouraged – until a thought occurred to me. If I could not find what I was looking for, why not CREATE what I was looking for.

I battered the idea around in my mind and after a couple of weeks before I started up a Yahoo Group called “Fathers of Large Families”. I was certain that this group would grow, and become a haven for fellas much like myself. I set it up with a forum, and a chat room, and place for photos, and videos. It was going to be the quintessential hang out. As each day passed with no new members (or obvious bot-members posting adds and links to pornographic garbage) it became apparent that my dreams of moderating a global network of fathers of large families would never come to fruition. As time went on life got busy and my interest waned.

Then the news of #5 of 5 came along. History repeating itself. After the chaos of bringing another new baby into the house settled down, and we found ourselves settling back into a routine again, I turned to the net for help one more time – only this time instead of looking outward to others to provide me with what I wanted, I turned introspective – and decided that documenting my thoughts / experiences was the way to go.

Within days of opening up shop I started discovering and networking with other “dad-bloggers” out there, and The Life of a Father of Five started down the path of becoming what it is today.

Welcome 2012

2012-01-02T15:24:00.001-06:00

Well, here we are, the dawn of yet another new year.

2011 has been quite the ride indeed. It will officially go down in the annals of FOF history as one of the most tumultuous years of my life. Despite its frenzied tempo, a couple of notable setbacks, a painful absence, and my eagerness to see it in my rear view mirror, I refuse to complain. You see, I have so much more to be grateful for than what I have to complain about – and after all things considered, a life of blessings that outweigh the obstacles is truly something to be thankful for.

I know it’s customary to greet the New Year with a few “resolutions” – but I’m not going to make any. Not publicly or privately. Not a one.

Instead, as I bid adieu to 2011, I will welcome 2012 with hope and optimism that we can overcome our tribulations while remaining grateful for all the good things we have in our lives and for the courage to face any new obstacles with dignity.

That is also my wish for all of you.

Merry Christmas! (Better late than never…)

2011-12-28T18:34:00.001-06:00

From our family to yours!

Back row: Father of five, #2 of 5, #1 of 5, #3 of 5, Mother of five
Front Row: #5 of 5, #4 of 5.

A Guest Writer

2011-12-25T09:15:00.001-06:00

My sister and I were talking the other day about a little bit of this and about a little bit of that when our conversation led us to a particular topic. Afterwards, I told my sister that her thoughts would made a great story, and that she should write down as a fond memory for her kids to one day enjoy. Not surprisingly, she did just that, then sent it to me.

It is with her kind permission that I am posting her story (complete with her photos) here as a “guest writer”.

Enjoy!

Welcome Back Guys…Its Been Way Too Long!
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.” - Revelation 3:22

PART ONE: The Mystery Friends

In the last month or so, I have had some regular visits to my house from a couple of old “guy” friends. We go “way back.” The three of us used to spend a lot of time together, and it’s been a long-standing friendship spanning a lot of time throughout my life. These old friends just turned up “on my doorstep” recently, and it was a wonderful, unexpected surprise. It’s a good thing my husband is a trusting man because they hang around off and on throughout the day most days now, and sometimes even late at night. My two boys even like them, and don’t mind them hanging around. They have even been around for mealtime, most especially around suppertime…funny though... they never ask to eat, and I don’t think it’s because of my cooking.

These friends must be a couple of really special people that I feel very comfortable around, because both have seen me in my pajamas…and even without makeup or hair done! Sometimes, if they visit late in the evening after the kids go to bed, I might even share a glass of wine with one or both of them. My husband supports, and even promotes, this behavior believe it or not. (Again…I write for a G-Rated audience…so read on… -wink-) When my friends come over, I don’t really talk to them much, or even really at all. It’s not that kind of relationship. With these two friends, I just listen. I have a history of being a VERY good listener to my two friends. After being away from these guys for such a long time, I am really enjoying hearing what they have to say to me. I find comfort and inspiration by their presence, and we have a lot of fun together. The old saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" certainly is true about my friends. Good friends lift each other up, and that’s what they do for me. That’s how really good friends are over the years. I hope they keep coming around for a long, long time. I have really missed these guys.

PART TWO: Let Me Introduce You…. (Drum roll please)

I guess I will stop speaking cryptically at this point…although it’s kind of fun to get my audience thinking and guessing. The two friends that I speak of are figurative friends. They are the piano composers George Winston and Jim Brickman (and others like them, but these are my most favorite). Oh, how I love the music of these two composers…or rather, their style of music.

I am a piano player…not a tremendously GREAT piano player…but a piano player none-the-less. I won’t get into the story of how I began to play, and how I have played on and off over the years…that will be for another post. But, I will give enough information now to tell this story, and how it relates to my two figurative friends.

I took piano lessons as a child, and loved to play, but it was never easy for me. Looking back now with the insight of an adult, I think I never really learned the notes well because I have such an unbelievably strong ear. My greatest strength (by far) in playing is most definitely “by ear.” I can read music, but it is definitely not a strength of mine. The word "struggle" would be a better description of my ability to read written music. I can play most songs I attempt (with enough repetition and listening practice) by ear fairly well. Without being conscious of what I was doing, I recall repeating songs by hearing them, as young as maybe 8 or 9 years old.

By the time I was about 14 or 15 years old, I was actively trying to learn to play using only my ears to guide me. Around the same time, whole new world of musical style opened up to me when I started to listen to the music of George Winston. His style is so soulful and expressive. It was a new and different style at the time, and it touched something deep inside my musical heart. The only way I can describe this style is that it is akin to heartbeat… how I hear my own heartbeat. I so loved this music, and it was available at the time on audio cassette only. My first “tape” of his was entitled “Winter Into Spring.” One of my favorites on the album was a song entitled “February Sea.” I so loved the song, however, it was not available in print at the time. None of his music was. It was long before the time of internet, and easily attainable music at the click of a mouse. My only option at the time was to learn by listening.

With much determination, I set my goal to learn the piece. After listening to the song probably more than 100 times, both in part and whole, I finally learned the song...or at least my version of it. I am surprised that I did not wear out the buttons on my “boom box.” (I am also thankful to my very patient mother who was always so happy to hear me play, even when my music was far from perfect.) It was amazing both to listen to…and imagine… now to actually PLAY!!! What was amazing to me is that because of the relative difficulty of the piece, I would NEVER have been able to play it had I had the sheet music in front of me. It was a strange sensation to be able to play a piece of this complexity without reading any written music. Another odd thing I noticed was that I would make mistakes if I looked at my hands while I played. Somehow, the mistakes would stop if I either closed my eyes while I played or looked in another direction away from my fingers on the keyboard. That is definitely not the case with written music for me!

After I mastered “February Sea,” I played the song a few times at some special events and “talent shows” at the high school I was attending. The music teacher always gave me accolades for playing without a single note in front of me. Most people who can read music well have no concept of playing without the guidance of the written note. I am in the other “camp.” I play best using my ears as my guide. I default to printed notes if I must. I wish I could read notes more, but I feel it is a weakness I will probably always struggle with. Over the years, though, I have found great satisfaction in struggling to learn a written piece and finally being able to play it well in that form. It’s kind of a learned satisfaction that I have come to appreciate over time. It’s the kind of joy that emerges after a long struggle.

From a friend at the time, I heard about a talent competition at the Minnesota State Fair. After discussing it with my parents, with their encouragement, I decided to give it a try. It was kind of scary to think of doing this, but I was determined. A few weeks after trying out, I foundout that I was accepted into the competition.

On a clear and beautiful, late summer night, I played my song, “February Sea” in the bandshell at the Minnesota State Fair. The combination of darkness with the stage lights proved to be an incredible sensation to the young girl that I was. This was a very new feeling for me… playing in front of an audience of this magnitude! The bandshell seated up to 5,000 people. While it wasn’t filled to capacity, I can definitely say that it was mostly full. I recall my parents sitting very near the front right next to where the piano was located on the stage. I was so thankful to feel their presence with me!

When I walked onto the stage, my nervousness subsided (with lots of prayer!) and I played without a single mistake. I think that is part of what happens when you play by ear. The music becomes muscle memory, and the mind becomes submissive to the hands. As I played, I lost the audience. The music and I were the only ones in company together. It was an indescribable feeling, one I have never since felt, but one that I will definitely remember for the rest of my life.

PART THREE: Postscript - There’s Always A Lesson In The Story …

There were all kinds of “acts” performing that night. I wasn’t really concerned about who would “win,” or who would come in what place.

For me, it was about sharing the music I had worked so hard to learn in such an unconventional way.

As it turns out, I did make 3rd place in over 25 varying acts.

In the last month or so, I have once again taken up regular practice on the piano. With our sons out of the very young childhood age, I now feel like I have the time and energy to be able to devote to the piano once again. While I will likely never be considered a “great” pianist, and will likely never be able to read music well, I am very much enjoying the talent that God intended me to have. Recognizing the true value of this specific gift has helped me realize something...If I spend too much energy on wishing that I can do something that I likely may never be able to, I waste precious time in developing the talents either I do have, or have not even discovered yet.

As I look back at the joy and the gifts my ear has brought me, I don’t think I would exchange my “ear” for perfect music reading skills if given the choice. It definitely is not an easy means of learning music, but maybe there is more to it than that. Maybe God gave me my “ear” to really pay attention to “hear” things in my life, of my family and friends, and those around me. After all, one has to be a good listener to play by ear! I hope I can always (as the Revelation verse says) "hear what the Spirit says with my ear." It’s an interesting thought to ponder… I now choose to recognize, embrace, and fully claim the gift of “ear” that God gave me. I see how it has added so much satisfaction and joy to my life. What I initially thought was a weakness, I see now, has actually always been a strength. How you look at something sometimes makes all the difference.

Daytime View of the Bandshell

Muscle memory definitely is one that stands the test of time. 26 years later, I can still play “February Sea,” (even after not playing it for months, and even years!) and I still have to look away or close my eyes if I make mistakes!

Youtube link to "February Sea" by George Winston

The piece that I am learning and working on now is called “If You Believe” by Jim Brickman. Technology sure makes things easier today! Instead of constantly rewinding my “tape,” I can keep my laptop adjacent to the piano, and play along during the difficult parts!!! Its really the perfect marriage between ear and written music. I have officially made it through the first page, and I can’t wait to master the rest… –smile-*

Youtube link to "If You Believe" by Jim Brickman

Christmas Preparation

2011-12-19T10:21:00.001-06:00

Christmas preparation (among numerous other obligations) have really put a damper on the time I have available to update The Life of a Father of Five. I have a couple of SIGNIFICANTLY overdue posts that I still need to complete, but I want to give them the attention they deserve – So they are on the back burner for a little bit. (That’s ok. After all, I just recently posted about not pressuring myself into blogging, and left some feedback for a new dad blogger who was dealing with similar feelings himself.)

One of the Christmas Preparation items I had on my To-Do list was to help the girls’ school set up the stage and risers for their Christmas program. We started on Sunday, but had to finish up on Monday morning. After starting bright and early Monday morning, we had to stop for a church service held by Deacon Gary. I ran home completed a couple of other tasks, returned to St. John’s and we started back up. Just as I was finishing the last of the connections on the risers, I heard the distinct sounds of a class on their way in to the church to practice for the program.

I was delightfully surprised to see it was #5 of 5’s class!! (The surprised look on her face and that little wave of her hand brightened my day like nothing else could have!!)

So I finished up the riser, gathered up my tools, and snapped a couple of pictures (snapped a couple of pictures is code for “got a sneak peek of the class’s contribution to the annual Christmas Program”).

#5 of 5 is in the front row – second from the right side – wearing white tights. Sorry for the low quality photos, my camera phone is “adequate” at best.

I Had a Plan!

2011-11-24T10:54:00.001-06:00

The two previous Thanksgivings, I had a plan. Two years ago it was not much more than a thought in my head. I never followed through. I told myself I would try again “next year”.

Last year I came even closer to implementing my plan. I posted a couple of “teases” about it on FB.

“Trying to decide… Is this the year???” (link)
(which was followed up with several witty comments by my friends)

“If it's going to be this year, I need to pull the trigger today! ("trigger", not "finger")” (link)
(which was also followed up with several witty comments by my friends)

I never did announce what the plan was. (Truthfully, I wanted to document the experience here – and did not want to ruin the surprise) So, I told myself that I would try again “next year”.

So, here we are at “next year”. I had a couple of precursory reminders of my plan. First, in the form of a coupon and recipe that came in the newspaper – then in the form of a little “father / daughter time”.

As a little extra inspiration, I sent another “ambiguous” facebook update..

“Ooooo. I got a plan!!!” (link)
(which was followed up with several witty comments by my friends)

So as I woke for work (at 3am) on Wed. morning, I planned on grabbing my coupon / recipe on my way out the door. It should be no surprise to many of you when you discover that when I arrived at work I realized that I forgot the coupon and recipe. I did not care. I was gong to fulfill the plan regardless.

By the end of the day I had almost forgotten about the plan – that was until a co-worker who I had spoken to about my plan reminded me! As I left work, I called home to check which of the ingredients we had, and which ones we needed – stopped by and picked up all that we needed from the grocery store, and then – stopped for the main ingredient.

WHITE CASTLE STUFFING!!!

I arrived home with ingredients in hand. Immediately #5 of 5 recognized the bag – and that brought #4 of 5 out to check what was going on too. I told them of my plans, and asked if they would join me in my endeavor.

The girls ate dinner, then we cleaned the kitchen and gathered the necessary ingredients and tools to get the job done!

We washed hands, and started digging in. First step, cut, rip, tear, chop, slice, or disembowel 10 plain White Castle hamburgers (no ketchup, mustard or pickles).

Be sure to check out the video too!
(Am I doing this right? As long as there are no chunks of fingers in there then you are!)

Once the burgers were all cut, ripped, torn, chopped, sliced, and disemboweled – it was time to add the rest of the ingredients. 1 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoon ground sage, 3/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, and 1/4 cup chicken broth. I had the girls “toss” the cut, ripped, torn, chopped, sliced, and disemboweled burgers while I sifted and poured in the other ingredients.

We spent about 30 minutes in total putting it together. (I think it could have been done in much less time but we made it a fun little adventure – so it took a little longer.)

I gotta say (although, as a White Castle fan you could say I am biased) but by the time we were done, and it was all assembled – it was really looking (and smelling) quite intriguing! By “intriguing” I mean good!

I took only one very tiny “taste” before putting in the refrigerator – It tasted surprising a lot like a traditional stuffing!

Once we were finished, I sent out one last “ambigious” Facebook update…

“I love it when a "plan" comes together!!!” (link)
(which was followed up with several witty comments by my friends)

I’ll be sure to report back how it turns out!

If YOU want to try the White Castle Stuffing recipe yourself, I’d urge you to give it a try. Click HERE!

Many special thanks to my very talented and quite talented “kitchen staff” for helping make my (three years in the making) “plan” a “reality”.

You guys (well, gals) are the best!

A Dying Breed?

2011-11-23T05:33:00.001-06:00

I’ve noticed more than a couple of posts recently from “dad blogs” that I frequent (on an semi-infrequent basis) that have decided to call it quits. They cite several reasons for the demise (many which I myself have struggled with from time to time, and a few that I have not).

My observations is that there seems to be an informal threshold of somewhere in the four to six year lifespan on blogging. This frightens me a little bit. I am well through my fifth year, and quickly approaching my sixth year – and the quantity (and maybe even quality) of content on FOF is also waning.

I’d be lying if I were to tell you that I have not contemplated the idea a couple of times. I mean, after six years – how much more is there to talk about? When I do have a little moment of inspiration to write about something – the first thing that often pops up in my mind is… “Wait, didn’t you already write about that?” (And frequently, the answer is yes.)

I certainly cannot deny that my involvement, commitment, and interaction with FOF has changed over the years. I have gone from a almost 200 post per year rate down to (so far this year) only 51 posts. Many things contribute to this - my available time, my available energy, my available creativity. Yet, here I am – once again investing a little more of that precious time, energy, and creativity to share my thoughts with someone(?), anyone(?), no one(?) here on “The Life of a Father of Five”.

It also has to be said… Facebook has drastically changed (not only) the blogging community, but truthfully all social media and (I think one could argue) the internet as a whole.

I don’t vilify or regret my involvement with FB. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I have had wonderful experiences connecting with old friends, as well as enhancing new friendships (many which started through blogging) on FB. FB offers a different level of interaction and connection with people that blogging does not offer. Yet, let’s not forget the inverse sentiment. A blog offers something different (more) than FB offers.

I have found myself (like many others have) asking “why”. Why maintain this blog? I have numerous partial (unfinished) posts, numerous planned posts, and even more “missed opportunity” posts occupying space in my brain. It gets a bit overwhelming at times. So far I have been very careful (and to a certain point, succusful) in drawing a line in the sand, and have kept FOF an enjoyable outlet vs just another task to add to my already busy and hectic schedule. Maybe that is what keeps it working for me.

Here is what I know to be true. FOF is MY little slice of the internet. I control the content. I control the interaction. I control the privacy. I control the layout. The Life of a Father of Five is what I WANT IT TO BE, and that is what is important to me. If I choose to post once a day, or once a week, or once a month, or once a year, it does not matter. If I get a thousand hits a day or only one, it does not matter. If anyone actually reads my content or not, it doesn’t matter (goodness knows I am not winning any literary awards for my meaningless drivel) – and I am satisfied with it that way!

Life has a way of changing and so it would go without saying that FOF has and will continue to ebb and flow much in the same way. Even though I may not be present here as often as I may have in the past – I have no intentions of calling it quits. The feelings I have expressed, the experiences I have shared, the things I have learned, the friends I have made are and will continue to be an important part of who I am.

And as far as those that may still be here with me on this journey (and God willing, enjoying the ride), I thank you. Thank you for allowing me to express my feelings, share my experiences, and learn a little bit together. You all have become some of the best friends around – real or virtual. You all are the frosting on the cake of “The Life of a Father of Five”.

My Daughter’s First

2011-11-12T17:06:00.000-06:00

She’s seven years old, and as far as I can recall, this was the first time…

Yup! She has now officially been indoctrinated into the wonderful world of the White Castle!!

After work I had to drive home, pick up #4 of 5 and bring her back to the Mother of Five’s workplace so that they could go do some clothes shopping together. With the boys home in full-on “Skyrim” mode I had my doubts that they would even know that#5 of 5 was in the house - So, I decided to take her with me, and after dropping #4 of 5 off, I would take #5 of 5 out for some Father/Daughter time!

After dropping #4 of 5 off, I told #5 of 5 I had a surprise for her. She kept asking me what it was, but I wouldn’t tell her until we pulled into the parking lot. I think I may have disappointed her just a little bit because I got a moderately un-enthusiastic “oh….” after telling her we were going to have dinner together at White Castle.

She said she had eaten there before, but it was so long ago that she does not remember it…

(Just try and wrap your head around that logic… Indeed, she is a deep thinker!)

I ordered for us, let #5 of 5 pick out our booth, and we filled our sodas while we waited for our sliders. (She mixed a “suicide soda” (where you mix a little bit of all the sodas from the fountain together in the same cup.)) We returned to the booth, and I explained what was about to come her way!

FOUR (yup, count them… 1, 2, 3, 4) burgers and an order of fries!!

“Nuh-uh Daddy. You did not order me four hamburgers.”
“Yup, I sure did sweetie!”
“Nuh-uh”
“Yup”
“Nuh-uh”
“Well, we will just have to wait and see then, won’t we?”

Maybe next time she will listen to her ‘ol man, eh?

Over the next ten minutes we ate our sliders together. Then, after ten minutes, I was finished and got to spend the next thirty-five minutes watching her eat (did I mention she is a “putsy” eater) while we visited and were being silly together. (Did you know that she can “double-fist” her french-fries – THREE in each hand?!?! Did I mention that I have an AWESOME daughter!!) After what seemed like an eternity of her uncanny ablity to eat at the speed of molasses, she (finally) announced that she was full.

I finished off what she had not eaten (I’m a good dad like that ya know) and we started packing up… She then pointed out to me that the boxes could be arranged to form a “Castle” and that that is why they call the place “White Castle” (again, with the deep thinking).

I don’t know if it was the burgers, or the one-on-one company of her daddy, but she sure seemed to have a good time! I know I sure did!

Madness at Midnight – Skyrim!

2011-11-11T23:59:00.000-06:00

Since June of this year #2 of 5 has been eagerly awaiting the release of a new video game.

Skyrim – the fifth game in The Elder Scrolls series… (Think “Dungeons and Dragons”)

He had saved money from his summer job – paid the reservation fee, kept track of the paperwork, and never lost focus (which is very unusual for him) as we slowly crept towards the (symbolic, or just slightly unique) release date of… 11-11-11.

Despite the much hyped “Midnight Release” of the game (that I secretly suspected he wished to partake in), #2 of 5’s “official plan” was to have me pick him up after school, take him to GameStop (where he had his game reservation), and then come home, where he and a friend (who is also an Elder Scrolls fan) would play until they, the television, or the Xbox360 dropped over in exhaustion. I let him believe that was going to be the plan – that is, up until The Mother of Five was turning in for the night.

We had previously discussed it, and decided that (even though it was a school night and I had to be up early in the morning) I would (as a surprise) take the boys up and experience a “Midnight Video Game Release”. (To be honest with you, I was a little curious myself.)

I was not disappointed.

I called the store ahead of time and got the “low down” on how this all works…

- Store closes at 9pm.
- Store reopens at 10pm.
- Customers bring in their preorder receipt.
- Customers pay their balance, and get their receipt stamped “Paid”.
- Customers get in line waiting for midnight.
- After midnight, customers present receipt stamped “paid” and receive their shiny new copy of Skyrim.

While not part of the “official” low down, based on my observations, I’d like to add one more bullet point.

- Customer takes their shiny new copy of Skyrim home, and begins an all night caffeine fueled video game bingefest until the collapse from exhaustion.

So, at the end of an already long day we headed out, arriving at the store just before 11pm where #2 of 5 fulfilled all his “pre-midnight” requirements. There was close to 30 other customers in the store at this time.

(Yeah, I do look pretty tired in that pic… Thanks for asking)

By 11:05pm the stream of customers entering the store to fulfill their “pre-midnight” requirements started growing and the line of customers who had their stamped receipt was overtaking the store – so the staff had to move the stamped receipt line outside the store.

For those of you who are not licensed math teachers…. Let me share a little equation with you…

November (+) Minnesota (x) 1 hour standing outside (=) Cold
(even for a “well insulated” native Minnesotan such as myself)

Thankfully, the neighboring coffee shop has free open WiFi that helped distract me from the cold by allowing me to pass the time on Facebook (As some of you may recall.)

#2 of 5 was the twelfth in line – ahead of him was a large group of what appeared to be friends. Behind him the line stretched out along the strip mall. I watched from the sideline as the line grew longer and longer by the minute. There were some common themes among the attendees. (Prepare for some sarcastic stereotyping ahead - Yet remember that humor often depends upon elements of truthfulness). The group was…

- Predominantly male (while borderline crude, to call it a “sausage fest” would not be an exaggeration)

- 16-25 age demographic (Fitting)

- “I still live in my parent’s basement” (Need I say more?)

- A fair amount of acne. (Too busy gaming to worry about hygiene.)

- Goth, emo, skater, or just plain unkempt (hobo like) appearance.

- A large representation from extreme ends of the “body frame bell curve” (“emaciated” or “corpulent”)

- Black clothing (skinny jeans, trench coats, Converse All-Stars, etc)

- Body piercings

- Overly caffeinated bravado and machismo. (Not sure why, see first observation)

- Extreme braggardly, theatric and exaggerated stories, jokes, and tales told from their tremendous base of knowledge and life experiences.

Yeah, I joke a little there, but they were the typical gamer type… Nothing to out of the ordinary. Expected behaviors – a little profanity, bizarre humor (I’m pretty certain I heard more than one Monty Python quote), and lots of “gamer talk”… Enough to make me quietly smile (and sometimes subtly shake my head in disbelief) as I listened in. Nothing I would not expect to hear from any group of 16-25 year olds. Yet, all seemingly pretty decent.

Although there was one customer there that deviated SIGNIFICANTLY from the standard demographic.

Gaming Grandma or picking up a copy for her son / grandson.

You make the call.

(FYI – Pretty cool of her to be there either way in my opinion!!)

I do have one tip for the group at the head of the line though… Take it from a seasoned cigar smoker. Grape flavored cigarillos not only smell HORRIFIC (and I can only imagine how they would taste), they do NOTHING for your “manliness”… If you are going to enjoy a cigar, it’s time put your big boy pants on, and smoke a REAL cigar.

Suggestions include: Romeo y Julieta, H. Upman, Arturo Funte, or La Gloria Cubana.

(A nice oily Maduro would give you extra manliness points!)

As we waited and the line grew much longer, one car driving through the parking lot caught my attention. It was driving with its windows down (slightly unusual for a November night in Minnesota). I watched it as it slowly drove past the long line of customers. From where I stood (away from the line) I could hear the passenger yell “Fags” with a volume that I could hear, but those standing in line (talking about all things video game related) did not hear. I even turned to see if anyone noticed… Only one person (besides myself) did. Then from several lanes away, the driver and passenger started yelling much louder (enough to be noticed) – but they were so far away it was intelligible. So much for the haters.

The time came – Midnight… The witching hour… 11-11-11… SKYRIM!!

Staff popped out and started counting off. They let the first ten in. As quickly as they went in, they were heading out – game (or in one case a Skyrim themed Xbox system). #2 of 5 was second or third in line in the next group. I quickly snapped a photo, and before I could even switch from camera to video mode, he had his game in hand and was already heading (skipping? You be the judge) out the door – game in hand.

I was a little worried at first… He was so excited that I contemplated putting plastic down over the car seats, just in case he was going to have an “accident” in the seat of the van… (Thankfully, he was able to hold his bladder…)

Once we are safely in the car #2 of 5 turns to me and says “Oh my gosh Dad, did you see all the “freaks” out there?” I look over to him and simply shake my head. I don’t think he fully understood the irony in his statement. After all, wasn’t he (we) just a part of that circus?

I fully accept and embrace my freaky geeky self. #2 of 5 has not yet come to terms with his…

We made it home where #2 of 3 wanted me to picture text a couple of his friends with a photo of him and his newly obtained treasure (mocking them, I suspect). After sending said text, I was able to snap one last picture before he headed off to bed - scurrying downstairs with the game curled tightly in his arm like Gollum and his “precious”.

As I contemplated writing this post, it occurred to me… Ya know, if Skyrim was came out when I was 16 – I would have wanted to wait in line too!!

Question for my readers….

How long do you think before I’ll be able to squeak out a few minutes of Xbox time (that is not monopolized by the boys and Skyrim) to play ??

Winning a Sentry Safe Giveaway!

2011-11-08T11:02:00.001-06:00

Product reviews, offers and giveaways are (from my experience) a big part of blogging. I get frequent requests to accept a free trial of some sort of product in exchange for my review of it. Most times these offers come with the opportunity to host a contest, and give away a second item as a means of drawing in some additional web traffic, and advertising. (Ya know, I really ought to take these offers up from time to time!)

Several of the blogs I frequent host these giveaways. Normally, I do not enter, but if I happen upon one with a product I have really wanted, needed, or could have use for - I have been known to drop my name in the hat once or twice.

Back in September another Dad Blogger I read (The Dad of Divas) hosted one of these product giveaways.

It just so happened that he was reviewing and giving away a product that I truly had need for an upgrade, and something I had been frequently considering, but always fell short of actually purchasing. (As a Father of Five, when isn’t there something that comes up to take away any extra money I may have?)

Dad of Divas hosted the Sentry Safe Big Bolts Hands Down Safety to All Review and Giveaway.

Sentry Safes had recently developed a new product line they call their “Big Bolt” safes. (Aptly named after the 60% increase in the size of the bolts in the mechanism that locks the safe shut).

A few years back we found ourselves in the position of needed an area where we can securely lock up some of our more valuable items…

FYI – the term “Valuable” is subjective. We do not own a lot of “expensive” items, but we do have some things that are “valuable” (as in irreplaceable), and a lot of “important” items.

We filled that need with a $9.99 Wal-Mart “fire safe” (seen below). It is (effectively) a double walled tin box with some fiberglass insulation stuffed between the outside and inside walls.

While the box served a purpose, it certainly had its limitations and “issues”.

As you can see, the handle had broken - We had somewhere along the line we needed to gain access to the box. Having misplaced the key, I had used a screwdriver to bust apart the lock tumbler. – eliminating what little security the box provided – And frequently the box was stuffed to the brim, not allowing the (unlockable) lid to close tightly, eliminating what little fire protection the box provided.

As a Police and Fire Dispatcher, you would think I would know better, eh? I could just as easily put all our items in a shoebox and had them just as protected.

Dad of Diva’s product review was just what we needed! I took all the steps I needed to do to enter the contest, (at least the ones I had not already done, having already networked with Dad of Divas through the blogging community), and waited.

The day after the contest was over, I did notice a couple of odd hits on my blog – hits that referred back to the Dad of Divas’ Sentry Safe Big Bolts Hands Down Safety to All Review and Giveaway – but there was no winner listed, and no email in my inbox. I had assumed that someone else had been chosen.

Two days later I received an email from Dad of Divas. He was congratulating me on being selected, and asked that I get back to him within 48 hours to confirm my win with him!! (Actually, I had received the email the day before but never got around to checking my email to the next day.) Worried about having lost almost 24 hours already, I quickly replied to Dad of Divas with my gratitude and excitement!! He assured me I had reached him in time, and seemed equally excited for me!!

Late last week as I arrived home from work I noticed a HUGE box in my driveway! I immediately recognized it for what it was. I struggled to get the box inside the house (it weighs 100 lbs). I decided to wait until the next day to open it since it had been sitting out in the cold all day.

The next morning was like Christmas for me! I jumped out of bed, and began un-boxing my new safe! It was BEAUTIFUL! I started searching through all the paperwork (warrantee, instructions, etc) for the combination – and almost gave up before noticing that I had overlooked it a number of times.

I ran through the combination once unsuccessfully, and a second time it would not open before my whirring mind reminded me that this was a COMBO safe! I needed both the key and the combination! A quick twist of the key and voilà – the safe door opened!

The first thing that struck me as I opened it was the massive feel of the door, and the size of the “big bolts”. These are indeed some massive sized bolts that lock this safe shut!

The safe came with a handy adjustable tray, hardware to permanently mount it to the floor, and all the necessary documentations, warrantee paperwork, and instructions. (Not to mention a box big enough to be metamorphosed into a "toy” by the girls!)

I had so much fun going through the old “tin box”, organizing the items, and helping them find a spot in their new home! As you can see from the photo, my new Sentry Big Bolts Safe is so roomy, all the items that were STUFFED into the (overflowing) tin box can hardly be seen! With everything I previously had in the box (and more) there is room to spare (although I do have more paperwork and photos I want to store). This thing has TONS of room in it!! I am thinking when I am all said and done, that I may even have extra safe space to “rent” out!!

I am more than pleased with the quality of this safe! If you are shopping for a safe and have any concerns, let me assure you that Sentry has done an amazing job of putting together something that not only looks beautiful, but is so roomy and functional as well!

One point… I have not tested one aspect of the functionality of this safe. Even though Sentry has done extensive testing, and that I have no doubt that it will live up to it’s expectations - Let’s hope that I never have to test or review the “fireproofness” of the safe!

As a well known world class “worrier”, it will feel so good knowing that once I have all the items I want protected safely tucked away in the safe! It will be one less thing adding to the “noise” in my already overactive head. (But what if… But what if… But what if…)

I want to personally thank Dad of Divas for hosting the Sentry Safe Big Bolts Hands Down Safety to All Review and Giveaway – and thank Sentry Safes for the generous (and much needed) upgrade!

“Family” (quotation marks intended)

2011-11-02T16:08:00.001-05:00

As I grow older I am discovering something about myself. I do not know if it is unique to me, or to my circumstances, but I did noticed a recent indication that this is something that it may not be so unique just to me.

I attended a relatively small Catholic Elementary / Junior High school from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Nativity of Mary in Bloomington, Minnesota (although I switched from St. Kevin’s to Nativity in 3^rd grade). After 8^thgrade, I attended the Academy of the Holy Angles in Richfield, Minnesota (a Catholic High School also considered small compared to the public school alternatives) along with a large number of the kids I grew up at Nativity with.

As with most kids, we all had our “groups” that we spent most of our time with, and groups we did not socialize with as much. As we progressed on to high school some of us went in different directions (attending different High Schools), but those that continued on together adjusted, expanded, and morphed our relationships with each other.

I fell into what I would consider the “leftover group”. We did not fall into any of the typical categories (athletic, artistic, popular, etc) and so by default we bonded into our own makeshift “hobo-group”. I found that even through High School these groups did not intermingle much but overall we got along pretty well.

As the saying goes… Time and tide wait for no man. We all graduated, and moved on – college, careers, family, jail, whatever. Friendships and relationships again adjusted, expanded (or shrank), and morphed into something different.

Career and family followed college for me. I am now a fully vested family man (ahem… “Father of Five”). My time is spent working, and maintaining my home and family. Somewhere around ten years ago or so I came to the realization that that through this life as a father of five, I had lost contact with all but a few of the friends I have made through the years. Admittedly, it was a little depressing to ponder, but it was my life. I have since learned to accept it, and adjust. Friendships are a luxury at this point – a luxury that comes at the cost of career or family.

Then along came Facebook. Suddenly, I started noticing old friends and classmates that I had not spoken to for years – some even decades – popping up here and there. Facebook has made searching and finding old friends easy, and made connecting with those old friends even easier! Sure, there are those folks that I did not have a lot of interaction with, and that I still don’t – but it’s still nice getting a little snapshot of what life is like outside the walls of my work and family, and with old friends I would not normally hear from.

Very recently, one of those friends (from both Nativity and Holy Angels) experienced a tragedy. She unexpectedly lost a parent. This friend is one of the classmates that I was a little more closer with, and have kept in touch with from time to time throughout the years. Besides our shared scholarly tenure, we have an extended connection through church and my work (her family had a significant involvement in the Bloomington Volunteer Rescue Squad, along with having taught several police officers, firefighters and EMTs.)

This classmate shared her loss on Facebook. As I read through the sympathetic comments left for her, I noticed a large number of classmates from both Nativity and Holy Angels. It was there that I stumbled upon one comment in particular that truly caught my attention.

“…I feel like all my Nativity friends are more like close cousins. Therefore, I’m sure your collective family feels this and sends you a virtual hug…”
-Mike Burns

That was it! Wise words indeed Mike!

There have been many people in my life. Yet, as I travel backwards, I see that “pool” get smaller and smaller. From the thousands of industry, peer, and co-workers I deal with now, to the anonymity of College, to my high school class of less than 150, down to the roughly 50 kids I went to elementary and junior high with. Many whom I still have contact with.

I don’t know how many other (or if any) of my classmates from Nativity feel the same way, but from my perspective - good, bad, or otherwise, this small group of people were such a big part of so many of my formative developmental years and we shared so many experiences that even now (28 years later) that whenever I have contact with one of my old classmates, I DO feel a different sort of connection and bond with them. It DOES feel almost like a small family.

If you are one of my old Nativity classmates, I’d like to wrap this up with a special message for each and every one of you. Whether you were one of my closest friends, part of the other groups I had less contact with, or somewhere in between - I look back at my time with you and at Nativity with great fondness. Sure, growing up is not without its ups and downs, but what life experience isn’t?

So… I am sending out my most sincere “thank you” to each and every one of you for being part of that family.

Sometimes I Disappoint Myself

2011-10-30T14:59:00.001-05:00

It was the end of a long day.

I had worked a fourteen hour shift. The Mother of Five worked also. My shift ended at 9pm, hers ended at 9:30pm. She had texted me earlier that day saying she had to do some last minute grocery shopping after work. Since I pass her workplace on my way home I decided to stop and help her out.

We did our grocery shopping at the Wal-Mart next door to her workplace. Afterwards we headed back out to the parking lot and began loading up our trunks. It was late. Late, dark, and cold.

As I was loading my trunk I thought I heard a very fait (almost mousy) voice saying "excuse me sir". I looked behind me and saw nothing. I went back to loading up my trunk, and again heard a faint "excuse me sir". I looked up over the trunk lid and noticed a small woman (I suspect she was Somali). She was dressed in traditional hijab. She was quite petite and appeared young,. I noticed she had her diverted her gaze downwards as she tried to get my attention.

I asked her if she was talking to me. Again, in a very timid voice (while not looking me directly in the eye) she asked if I had "cables" to help her start her car. (I had assumed she referred to "jumper cables" and that her car's battery was dead.) She pointed over to a vehicle that had another woman (also dressed in hijab) one row away from where I was parked. Unfortunately, I did not. I had taken them out to make room in my trunk a couple of weeks back and have since forgotten to return them. I apologized and said I did not. I explained to her that I normally do, but I had removed them a few days prior, and had not returned them. I could see the disappointment in her face. I watched her plight as I finished loading up my groceries, and finally headed out. She asked one other man who appeared to ignore her as he kept walking past her - and another woman who did briefly stop, but continued to her car and left without helping her.

I could not help but wonder…

I wondered what this young woman was thinking. I wondered if she was afraid to approach me for help. I wondered if she thought I was lying to her to avoid helping her. I wondered if she thought I may have been "stereotyping" her as a woman - as a person of a different race - as a person of a different faith. I wondered if she thought of me as just another "westerner", as someone would not help her because I may have stereotyped her. (Now am I stereotyping her for stereotyping me?) I also wondered if it is possible that I am reading way more into this. It may be just as likely that they thought nothing more of my inability to help them as just that… An honest answer.

I have to admit… This morning I am feeling badly. I realized that I drove off leaving these poor women standing alone in the parking lot of Wal-Mart (which in itself can be frightening), in the cold, in the dark, dressed in a manner that (I suspect) would cause some people to not want to help them, and with a disabled car. I witnessed at least two other people (at best) unable to help them or (at worst) ignore their plea for help.

Looking back, I regret not having done more. If nothing else, even though I did not have the cables, I could have (SHOULD HAVE) stayed with them and tried to help them locate someone who would have been willing and able to assist them.

Jake

2011-10-21T20:35:00.001-05:00

Today, Best Bud Ed and his family had to make the very difficult, yet ultimate selfless act of sending their beloved four legged family member Jake to a better place.

My heart aches for the pain they are going through, while at the same time I commend them for having the courage and fortitude to make the most difficult decision to put Jake's needs before their own pain and sorrow. It is the ultimate gift.

I am comforted in knowing that Jake is free from the pain that he had been experiencing, and is now running the eternal trails - chasing squirrels, flushing up pheasants and grouse, and eating the occasional ice cream cone.

Jake became a constant companion for my Best Bud Ed. Wherever you saw one, there was the other. Hiking, picnicking, hunting, camping, fishing, hanging out by the fire, heck Jake even has his own GeoCaching handle!

“Jake the über Geo-Dog”

I spoke briefly with Ed after work today. I called him to see how he and his family was holding up, and to let him know I was with him in thought, and in spirit. While speaking to him, I could perceive his heavy heart, but could also sense a feeling of relief, knowing that Jake was free from his suffering. I don’t know if he could tell from his end of the phone, but I shed tears for him.

Ed only spoke with me a few minutes. He was packing his family up and heading to a specially chosen resting place for Jake.

Ed, rest well my friend. You and your wonderful family have given Jake the best thing a dog so deserving could ever receive – thanks to you, he lived a full and amazing life and will be forever honored in our memories.

FOF Observation #23

2011-10-18T20:51:00.001-05:00

I had a "glass is half full" moment tonight.

I realized that scoring "husband points" just got a heckuva lot easier now that I have a kid with a Learner's Permit!

I can drag #2 of 5 with me under the pretence that "he needs practice" when I go to gas up the Mother of Five's van. Once at the gas station I “get to” send the kid out to fill the tank while I get to stay in the nice warm van!

This is even more "glass is half full" as we quickly approach another Minnesota winter!

Now, if only I could find a way to get #2 of 5 to use HIS debit card instead of MINE when it comes to paying for the gas! I could score husband points, while staying warm, and keeping a little extra green in my wallet!

The "FOF Observations" are a series of "Perpetual Posts" where I will share with you, my readers, short little observations that I have made (or will be making) on being the father of a large family. You will be able to access each of the posts in a cohesive list by clicking on the "FOF Observations" link in the "Perpetual Posts" group on the sidebar.

Off to a Great Start?

2011-10-08T13:04:00.001-05:00

I was running just slightly on “this side” of being late.

I had made a PB & J sandwich for breakfast, and since I suffer with Schatzki Ring sensitivity (even though it’s one of my favorite things in the world) I cannot eat PB & J without something to drink, so (as I often do) I took an open glass of apple juice with me.

In the darkness of my garage at 6am (and with my dome light inside my car turned off) I climbed in, set my sandwich, lunch, and other “stuff” down in the passenger seat, set the glass of apple juice on the dashboard then proceeded to remove the Taco Bell soda cup (the size of a small town’s water reservoir) that was occupying the cup holder. As fate would have it, this “cistern” of soda just happened to be full (nearly to the brim), and just as I picked it up the snap on lid popped off. Without the lid to hold the integrity of the cup, the cup lost its shape, causing me to lose my grip on the cup.

As the cup slipped from my grip, it fell between the center console and my leg, allowing the ENTIRE contents (32 oz, or a full U.S. quart) to spill out along my leg and under my (quite ample) derriere.

I quickly jumped up, but alas, it was not in time. I was soaked between my belt and the bend in my knee all along my right side butt cheek. My wallet was dripping wet, and to make things worse, once I turned on the dome light in my car, I gazed upon a preverbal “holding pond” of soda that had pooled in the driver’s seat of my car (aided by the waterproof characteristics of my car seat cover).

I needed something to absorb the standing pool of pop on my seat.

Like a chicken with its head cut off, I scrambled around the garage until I located a large comforter that we keep in the garage to lay on the ground for picnics, fireworks, etc. I tossed it onto the seat of my car (covering and hoping to absorb the pool of soda). First problem solved.

I contemplated changing my pants, but in my agitated state (and with my better judgment misplaced somewhere in all the confusion) I decided I did not have time to change my pants. I decided to take the chance that as I sat upon it, the comforter would absorb much of the soda from my pants. I jumped in the car (on top of the piled up comforter) and headed out. As I drove to work, it almost seemed as if the comforter trick was actually working!

Folks… I am a big guy. Even with my recent weight loss, I am both tall and “big boned”. Sitting atop the comforter caused my head to rub the roof of the car (even while slouching).

When I arrived at work, I stepped out of my car and the cool air made me immediately aware that the “comforter trick” did not work. Not at all. I was worried what this looked like as I walked into my office. As luck would have it, my coworkers immediately noticed (and commented) on… my hair.

ON MY HAIR?!?!? What was wrong with my hair??

It would seem that as my head rubbed the roof of the car in it’s “still wet” and freshly hair sprayed state, it styled itself and dried into a Mohawk!

Thankfully, I had enough time to re-wet and brush it back down before roll call. Although my hair was normalized, I still had to try and hide my wet butt from all the officers who would (undoubtedly) have had a good laugh (at my expense).

It worked, and somewhere around 1pm I finally stopped noticing that “pee’d your pants” feeling.

A Little GeoCaching with #5

2011-09-25T16:25:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note about a wonderful afternoon I had with #5 of 5.

#2 and #3 of 5 were out shopping for pants with the Mother of Five. #4 of 5 was not feeling well and sacked out on the couch watching TV. I had a few hours before I had to head into work, so I loaded up the GPS with a couple of new caches that recently popped up in town, and several on the far outskirts of town that I had yet to find – and we headed out.

Our first two finds were very easy. The first one was located in the Minnesota River Valley. It was also opening weekend of the 2011 Duck Hunting season so when we arrived in an area that I would not expect to see cars parked, there were quite a few! Trucks, trailers, canoes and a few guys pulling out from the river bottom area. (You can see a few of their trucks off in the background)

From there we went into town and located one of the newest caches – located at the Historic Log Cabin!

Off to an abandoned barn cache.

Then to monument cache.

After we finished these, we were going to head another 5 miles out of town for another three caches grouped in the same area, but found the access to that road blocked due to construction. With the only other access to those caches requiring me to drive 12 miles out of my way and then 12 miles back – we decided to save those caches for later – and instead, we stopped at Carasim Coffee Shop for a little treat!

(Carasim does not have their own website, but the provided link comes courtesy of the fine folks at the Nicolin Inn (our local B&B) did a nice job writing up a little article about them.)

We went 4 for 4 this afternoon, and had a great time doing it!

Blink 182 - (Part 2)

2011-09-16T13:14:00.001-05:00

There is some history behind this post – if you have not already checked it out,
be sure to visit the Blink 182 - (Part 1) page.

The day of the concert arrived. I had talked to my mom about the concert, and to save time, she offered to pick #3 of 5 up after school, bring him to her house and feed him before the concert. Then after I got off duty, I would go to their place (my parents live three miles from my work), pick him up and we would head out to the concert.

After work, I rushed to my parents house where they were just sitting down to eat. We visited a little bit, then headed out towards the venue. Once we arrived, we found a decent parking spot and headed in. It was a lot of fun watching all the concert goers as headed towards the Excel Energy Center.

Goth. Emo. Punk. We saw them all.

We arrived at the Excel, and headed in. We were handed a “program” for the concert. Blink 182 was headlining this year’s Honda Civic Tour. Matt & Kim and My Chemical Romance were the other bands playing.

We headed off to the t-shirt stand. I was planning on getting #3 of 5 a t-shirt. I debated one for myself, but between the prices, and my size (and lack of “gargantuan” sizes) I passed.

We found our seats, settled in and waited for the show to start. The jumbo screen behind the stage showed various clips, and ads, and videos from Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance.

They also had a “scroll” across the bottom of the screen. It scrolled “text” messages that people sent in to be displayed on the screen. I tried sending several, but in the end, only one of mine made it up on the screen. I tried “Father of five and #3 of 5”, “FOF and #3 of 5”, “Fat forty and still a fan”, but in the end, the one that made it on the jumbotron was a phrase that #2 of 5 uses (often…) “Indeed!”

Before long, the lights dimmed and the crowd went WILD!

I sent a text message to update my facebook page… “1st opening act – Matt & Kim takin’ the stage”… And just like that, the show started.

They were A LOT of fun to watch! They told us that this was their VERY FIRST “arena” concert, and I tell you what – they REALLY “brought it” – their energy level was off the charts. They were playing (well) and had some really catchy tunes! It was obvious that they really WANTED to be there, and were having tons of fun! I’d love to see Matt & Kim again sometime!

Between the shows, the lights went back up, and the jumbotron began it’s endless loop of ads, clips, and music videos (including the text scrolling).

So we waited for My Chemical Romance to start up. To be honest, before the show, I had never really listened to My Chemical Romance. Seeing as they were going to be playing, I started checking out some of their work on YouTube… Really great stuff there! Don’t know why I never listened to them before.

Here it is! Proof positive that I was at Blink 182!

The crowds started getting bigger in anticipation of My Chemical Romance. Before long the lights dimmed again, and I quickly updated my facebook page again with the following text…

“Better living through MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE!!”

They had a very colorful set. Lots of reds and blues and oranges… Sort of matched Gerard Way’s hair ( lead singer).

Of course from where we were seated and given the quality of my camera phone, my photographs are less than stellar. Thankfully, the next day – I received an email from Ticketmaster. The email included several photographs of the bands, and a video of the first three minutes of Blink playing!

These photos are courtesy of AT & T, the Excel Energy Center, My Chemical Romance, Blink-182, and the Honda Civic Summer Concert Tour!

Above Left
My Chemical Romance

Above Right
Gerard Way (Lead vocals)

Above Left
My Chemical Romance

Above Right
My Chemical Romance

My Chemical Romance preformed wonderfully! I really enjoyed “hearing” (and I use that term loosely – it was more like “feeling”) their music. A small group in front of us were obviously big fans – they were up on their seats, dancing, singing, shouting – Just going wild!

I noticed that the volume between Matt & Kim and My Chemical Romance had seemingly been turned up a notch or two!

Once My Chemical Romance was finished, the lights went back on, the jumbotron started it’s job of keeping us occupied while the roadies took down MCR’s stage and set Blink 182’s up.

We knew it was going to be close when they started testing the laser show. (I was looking forward to seeing the laser show. Tom DeLong had been posting on FB about the lasers during their first show a few weeks back)

There was a feeling of excitement in the air…

The lights dimmed.

I sent another Facebook update…
“BLINK FREEKIN’ 182”

Then Blink 182 took the stage and the whole place went CRAZY! Most people around us were standing, but the folks directly in front of me were sitting, so I did not need to stand – and the ladies behind us were all shorter, and if I stood, I would block their view…

So there I was. A forty (year old) fat fan – trying to rock in my seat! I must have looked quite the site.

I don’t care. Blink is one of my favorite bands, and they were playing the music I love.

Once again, my photos were less than “stellar” – so here are more photos sent to me courtesy of AT & T, The Excel Energy Center, and Blink 182.

Above Left
Mark Hoppus (Bass) in the background on the left and Tom DeLong on the right (holding the guitar up high)

Above Right
Tom DeLong (guitar) doing what he does so well!

Above Left
Mark Hoppus (bass) playing and singing. See how much fun he is having!

Above Right
Mark Hoppus (bass)

Above Left
Travis Barker (Drums) – who did an AMAZING job! He is really a talented percussionist!

Above Right
Tom DeLong (guitar) – hamming it up as only Tom can!

They played the following songs… (Links are to YouTube videos for those who are interested)

They opened up the show with Feeling This – followed with Up All Night, The Rock Show, Down, I Miss You, Stay Together for the Kids, Dumpweed, Always, Violence, After Midnight, First Date, Heart’s All Gone. Man Overboard, Ghost on the Dance Floor, All the Small Things, Josie.

They took a short break, and came back for an encore. The encore started with a lengthy and mobile drum solo by Travis Barker. His drum set was put on a crane, and moved all over the set, up to the top of the venue, turned face down, and all around. He really did a great job on that solo. After the solo, the band played Carousel, and they finished off the concert with Dammit.

The show was supposed to end at 10pm – but did not get over until after 11.

Blink played amazing. The music was LOUD! I doubt #3 of 5 has ever heard music played at that volume! When Travis Barker used the bass drum, you could feel your heart vibrating (literally).

#3 of 5 says he had a great time! I think I may have had an even better time!

I am very grateful to the Mother of Five for “making” me take him. It was really a bonding experience!

I remember my very first concert to this day. My mom took my cousin, my sister and I. We saw Quite Riot at the old Metropolitan Center (where the North Stars played before they moved to Dallas). I hope that 30+ years from now, this concert is still in #3 of 5’s memory as much as Quiet Riot’s is for me!

As we drove home in the almost “deafening” silence, I turned to my son and said “Hey… We did some permanent damage to our hearing tonight. You know that, right?”

He turned to me with a big smile on his face, shrugged his shoulders, and replied with a “yeah” that was barely audible through the ringing in our ears.

Thanks #3 of 5! Thanks for a great time! Thanks for having such great taste in music too!

Blink 182 - (Part 1)

2011-09-12T21:08:00.001-05:00

As we drove home in the almost “deafening” silence, I turned to my son and said “Hey… We did some permanent damage to our hearing tonight. You know that, right?” He turned to me with a big smile on his face, shrugged his shoulders, and replied with a “yeah” that was barely audible through the ringing in our ears.

This was the culmination of my evening out with #3 of 5.

Let me start at the beginning… (Cue the “time travel” sequence)

About a week before, the Mother of Five pulled me aside and told me she wanted to “talk to me about something”. That usually means something bad, so I prepared myself for the worst.

Time for to fill you in with a little background. (Even more “time travel”)

Back around the year 2000 ~ 2001 I was still working “dogwatch” (overnights) and we kept MTV (when they still played music videos) on the TV to help pass the time. One of the more popular bands at that time was Blink-182. (Their videos for “What’s My Age Again” and “All the Small Things” were on an almost constant rotation.) Intrigued by their music and videos, I bought the CD.

I was (also at that time) finishing my basement. I spent many hours downstairs doing physical labor on framing, dry walling, HVAC, electrical wiring, etc, etc, etc. I would start my day by popping in a “motivational” CD (one that gets my blood pumping) and putting it on “repeat”. More often than not, Blink-182’s “Enema of the State” was the CD of choice.

There is something about Blink’s music that speaks to me. It’s sort of an eclectic mix of Alternative, Pop, Punk, and Humor. Their music and lyrics take me back to a different time and place – a time when I was still young, and thin, and did not have the cares and the responsibilities of adulthood, parenthood, and homeownership. They sing about some things I experienced firsthand, things that I experienced with my friends, and things I never experienced – things like young love, reckless abandon, teen angst, suicide, and even the conspiracy of alien existence! They play with the upbeat tempo of the punk rock that I enjoy, with a more SoCal skateboarder / stoner vibe. I am able to vicariously imagine a much more “interesting” teenaged existence than I really experienced through their music.

Blink 182’s popularity has risen and fallen through the years (as well as my tastes in music), but one thing has remained constant. I have kept up with their catalogue, and even now (12 years later) manage to ALWAYS make room in my MP3 players (and in my listening rotation) for Blink 182.

Ok, so you are a big Blink 182 fan… What’s that got to do with #3 of 5?

#2 and #3 of 5 are both WELL into their teenaged years, and (as expected) are developing a taste for music in their lives.

#2 of 5’s tastes are noticeably different than mine. He is into what is “here and now”. Popular. Mostly Rap Music. Lady Gaga, Ke$ha (ack…It gags me to type Kesha with a $ instead of a s), Lil’ Wane, T-Pain, and the like. If it’s “auto-tuned”, it’s likely that #2 of 5 will be listening to it.

Conversely, #3 of 5 started out with an inkling towards The Cure – but his tastes slowly took a turn to the more “darker”, “harder” and “heavier”. Bullet for my Valentine, Three Days Grace, and Blink-182 are among his favorites. (His musical tastes are much more in line with my own.)

Let’s tie this all together….

Over the past 12 months I have lost a noticeable amount of weight. One thing I have been doing to keep this momentum going is making sure I get out on walks. “Power” walks. I pop in my headphones, and pick something from my “motivational” musical selection (Marilyn Manson, The Bloodhound Gang, Kid Rock, or Blink-182) and walk hard and fast! Needless to say, I have been rockin’ with Blink quite a bit recently!

So here we are again (back to the future). “I want to talk to you about something”.

The Mother of Five pulled me aside and told me that Blink-182 was in town and playing a concert in a few days (which I already knew about), and that that#3 of 5 is really interested in going to see the show (which I also knew about already). She proceeded to suggest that I take #3 of 5 (the Blink-Fan) to see the concert (knowing that I am a Blink-fan too).

Initially, (and slightly disappointed to have to do so) I told her that I don’t think we can afford it. She reminded me of the very busy summer we had, of the four weeks that #3 of 5 was volunteering (unpaid) at Phillipo Scout Reservation, and how important it is to spend some one on one time with each of the kids (which is hard to do with five kids). After thinking about all he has done (or not done) this summer, she felt that he deserved to go. She even went so far to say that she didn’t think we can afford NOT to take him. I told her I would look into it. Besides the cost, I discovered that I worked the day of the concert. Not only did I work my regular shift, I worked an overtime shift afterwards too.

Yet, secretly… I am hoping somehow it just may work out.

As it turns out, the concert was not scheduled to start until an hour after my overtime shift ended, and tickets were not as expensive as I initially thought. Despite my “initial hesitation”, I took the Mother of Five’s advise (twist my arm whydontcha?) and bought two tickets! We planned to surprise #3 of 5 a few days later with the news. It was eating me up inside. I was so excited about going to see Blink 182 but could not say anything about it!

We rolled the tickets up into a new pair of black Converse All Star (low tops)he had been drooling over for weeks. When he found the tickets scrolled away in the shoes, he was ALL SMILES! (Only later did we find out that he knew about it all along because I had left the “receipt” open in an internet window after printing out my copy… Dang!)

The concert was the following night!

Minnesota State Fair - 2011

2011-09-01T21:26:00.001-05:00

Well, we did it again. We were not going to go this year. Time and money were both a factor in this decision, but in the end, the draw of the crowds, deep fried foods, and people watching won out. We fulfilled our (traditional) bi-annual trip to the Minnesota State Fair. Here’s how it went down.

As it turned out despite my, my wife, and #2 of 5’s work schedule, #3 of 5’s volunteer schedule, and the various other items that tend to pull us in umpteen different directions all at the same time – we managed to somehow end up with a Sunday that we were ALL home. Not only were we all home, we were all free from other obligations. This may have (and I stress “may have”) happened one other time this entire summer.

Weeks prior (when we noticed the empty day on the calendar) the Mother of Five and I decided we wanted to have a family day. Not just a family day, but an “outside family day”. We were going to load up the new (to us) canoe (which she has yet to enjoy), my GPS (forGeoCaching), fishing poles, balls, Frisbees, a cooler with a picnic lunch in it, and make a day at one of the regional parks around us…

(Cleary Lake, Cedar Lake or Bush Lake were among the top options)

After getting home from church and sitting the family down to decide which park, and what “amenities” we wanted to bring, the boys started grumbling about being bored with the ideas we presented them.

Normally, that would just send me the other direction and make me want to take them on the “boring” trip all that much more – but since it was going to be a “family day” and both boys have had very busy summers, I changed my approach.

Well (I said), if you don’t like that idea, what alternatives can you come up with? They threw out the obligatory “Xbox”, “Rent a movie”, “go see a movie” – but when reminded that these were not “outside” activities, #2 of 5 threw out the idea of the Minnesota State Fair.

The Mother of Five and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders.

We sent the kids downstairs so we could discuss it. Besides being more of an expense than we were planning, we could not find a reason not to go. So, at the last minute, we loaded up the kids and headed out!

For me, the draw of the fair is the food, and the ~~freak show~~ people watching.

I have a list of standard food that I get while at the fair. Pronto pup, foot long hot dog, deep fried cheese curds, alligator, and a milkshake have been regular staples for me in the past. I had plans to gorge on all my fair favorites, but something got in the way.

Over the past couple of years, my tastes for food have been changing (and probably for the better). Fast foods, and fried foods are becoming less appealing to me, and I find my taste for better eating (like veggies) have increased. I have also intentionally cut back on my portions. These (along with my almost daily walks) have resulted in a loss of almost forty pounds in the past year!

I’m not fanatical about it – I still planned on enjoying myself at the fair, but in the back of my mind I was thinking it was time to try something different. This became the “theme” for attending the fair this year. To try some of the other offerings that we would not normally eat (and maybe find something “a little more healthy”).

Here is this year’s “food journal”…

Our first stop on the culinary delicacy express was the Deep Fried Cheese Curd stand. Normally, I would have had a photo for you, but I was in such a hurry to start popping those warm little morsels of melty batter fried cheesy goodness that I completely forgot to take a photo. These are not “new” items, but are such a staple of the State Fair – that it would not be a trip to the Fair without a taste. We bought two containers for the six of us.

Feeling a little let down about that? Check out the cheese curd photo from the last time we visited the fair.

Since our attending the Fair was unplanned and a last minute “whirlwind” endeavor - #3 of 5 neglected to eat anything in the chaos that came between our agreeing to go to the Fair, and actually leaving.

As such, he was the first to break down and ask for some food of his own.

His choice? Pronto pup with ketchup.

As we continued meandering our way through the Fair, something caught #2 of 5’s eye. He was quick to point it out.

Normally, I would have said NO WAY to something like this, but since it was “try new food at the fair year” – I said what the heck. Technically, it was his selection, but it came with the caveat that anyone who wanted to, would be allowed a bite. He agreed.

Five minutes and $3.00 later – he was holding a hot, fresh, batter dipped Deep Fried Twinkie…

They batter dip and deep fry a frozen Twinkie. The frosting in the middle melts and permeates the Twinkie cake. It’s a hot, sweet, and greasy monstrosity that #2 of 5 said was “totally amazing”. (That was until 20 minutes later. He was holding his gut, and said it was not quite as amazing as he originally thought.)

Next stop… Spamville! Being the fan of Spam that I am (and never having stopped into Spamville before), I felt it was time. One thing stood out. The Spam Throne. I could not leave without having my “fifteen minutes of fame” as the Throne Holder of Spamville!

#4 of 5 felt my reign was too “jovial” – so she took a seat on the throne with much more seriousness.

As we exited Spamville, I was so tempted to buy an order of batter dipped, deep fried Spam bites (never had them before) – but alas my system was still trying to work over the Cheese Curds, and the Deep Fried Twinkie… I’ll add it to the menu for our 2013 visit to the fair.

After leaving Spamville, we walked around the Grandstand vendors hawking their wares (mostly “snake oil”). Kitchen gadgets, utensils, ring cleaner, various political organizations, retail outlets, vacation giveaways… You name it and someone’s selling it at the fair!

Once we had visited the main Grandstand vendors, the “Merchandise Mart”, “Home Improvement” and “Creative Arts” buildings - when people were starting to get hungry for lunch.

The girls opted for the usual – Pronto Pup. After feeding the girls, the Mother of Five and I decided on Gyros (actually, we decided on that after seeing the Dino’s Gyro stand earlier, but had trouble finding it – so we stopped at the Falafal King stand instead.) We both enjoyed regular Gyros. They were very good, but we both agreed they could have used a little more veggies in the mix.

By this time of day - #3 of 5 who had his Pronto Pup earlier in the day was starting to get a little hungry again. He asked if he could get a order of french fries.

Throughout all the years I have attended the State Fair, I have never bought an order of fries. So we wandered around until we came across “The World’s Best Fries” stand.

Ya know? They were unusually good!! (I suspect it’s from the dirty fry oil)

All the animal barns were “closed for cleaning” – so we made our way to (and through) the “International Bazaar”. It was getting late, and one thing a couple of us still wanted (even though it’s not “new”) milkshakes. They tend to “settle” the tummy just a bit.

But, others wanted to keep the “new and different” theme going…

Another both that I have never stopped at in all my years at the fair is Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar.

It is quite the iconic food stand at the Minnesota State Fair. Everyone rants and raves about how good Sweet Martha’s cookies are. We waited and waited in line…

…and was finally rewarded with our BUCKET of Sweet Martha’s.

I’m not a big “warm, ooey-gooey” cookie fan. I like mine hard and crunchy – even a little bit burned…

I ate two of these “silver dollar sized” cookies – and almost tossed MY cookies. Two was enough for me to say I’ve had ‘em – and do not need to ever go back down that road again.

Been there, done that.

I noticed that this year was to be Epiphany Diner’s final year after a 46 year run being part of the Minnesota State Fair.

I have only eaten there once.

I thought I’d snap a quick photo in this, Epiphany’s final year.

Much like his father, #3 of 5’s taste for Sweet Martha’s was… well… Less than sweet. Even before we bought the bucket-o-cookies, he asked if he could still get a milkshake instead.

Since we were now working our way out of the Fairgrounds and we were going to pass the Dairy Barn on the way out – we said yes.

And finally – on the bus back to our park-n-ride lot – I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.

Something I had to get a picture of for my sister.

Sister – this one is for you! The Gedney Pickle Team Cruiser!!

When it Rains, It Pours…

2011-08-30T09:06:00.001-05:00

(Or in this case, it “leaks”!!)

I’ve been suffering through some “rainy weather” over the past few weeks. Mechanical failures abound. Our Microwave oven has a broken door (but is thankfully still usable), our 27” television has died and gone to T.V. heaven, my car is hanging on by threads (leaking radiator among other significant issues), and then – to top it all off – the Mother of Five called me at work the other day asking me if I knew why there was no hot water in the house…

First thought… Did I pay the gas bill? Hmmm.. No letters or phone calls threatening to shut off our gas… So, yup, the gas bill is up to date.

Water bill? Yup. I actually have a “credit” on my water bill (meaning, the city owes me water instead of me owing the city money…) So, nope – it was not the water bill. (Actually the fact that my family all had to shower in ice cold water was another good indicator that the water bill was paid – our city would not even provide me COLD water if it wasn’t).

So, it was time to “troubleshoot”.

Guys, you know what I’m talking about, right? You are not at home, and the wife calls you about “such and such” that is not working as it should, or not working at all – and you have to try and figure out the problem and how to explain how to have your wife fix it OVER THE TELEPHONE!

It’ll drive any man crazy – but I’m digressing.

I had the Mother of Five first go to the laundry room and smell for natural gas. No natural gas smell. This was the best possible news I could have heard (other than her saying “April Fools Day” – but since it’s mid-August there was not even a slight chance of that)!

Next, I ask her if it’s wet under the water heater. Yes? It is? How bad is it I ask. It’s wet, but thankfully the bottom of the tank did not burst out on us. The water heater sits within inches of the floor drain and the stream of water went straight down the drain.

I apologized about not being able to do anything about it and went back to work. At 4am I headed home and discovered a scene that was almost exactly as the Mother of Five explained it. Wet under the water heater. I spent the next hour and a half trying to get the heater lit again (even though it’s leaking) so we could at least have some hot water in the morning.

That never happened.

The water heater failed on Wednesday night. (#5 of 5 got the last hot bath in the house. When she was done #4 of 5 went to get in the shower and had no more hot water). I did not get home until almost 5am.

Thursday was another long day – and I worked until 4am again.

Friday was a partial day – but it allowed me to shop for water heaters before going to work, and allowed me to get to bed early enough to get a good night of sleep.

Saturday morning was the day. My dad offered to help me, so I cleaned out the van and headed out to pick up the replacement. I met him at the store (I ended up at Lowe’s) and bought an almost exact replica of the old heater.

I bought a Whirlpool 40 gallon short gas water heater with the 6 year warranty. Since I was going to have to “modify” some of the existing plumbing – I had to plan for that as well. I also bought all connections, hook up’s and fittings I thought I would need.

I was ready to get the ball rolling. I quickly headed home, but had to make one quick stop at #1 of 5’s place. While there, I left the van’s ignition in “accessory” with all the dome lights on, the radio playing and both blowers running. When I went to leave, the battery voltage dropped below the required amount and the van would not start. Thankfully #1 of 5’s roommate was there to help me out with a jumpstart.

I was about two hours behind schedule, but I was on my way.

Once I got home, we started in the removal of the old water heater.

In these photos you can see more of the heater’s failure. Leaking out the bottom, and what I can only imagine is “boil over” – frothy “hard water deposits” were pushed out around several of the top connections of the heater.

Here is my dad – helping out. Actually, it was quite nice having them there to help me. I tend to “rush” through projects trying to get to the end as quickly as possible. He on the other hand double, triple, and sometimes quadruple checks things before jumping in. He brings a bit of calm and patience to a project that I do not always have.

Here it is. The empty hole. Old water heater removed, and it’s time to roll the new one into it’s new home.

Left to right.

New copper lines sweated into place.

Supply pipes attached (and although you can’t see it, water pressure applied. NO LEAKS!!

Exhaust ductwork attached.

Gas line attached, pilot lit, and burner on!

WE HAVE HOT WATER!!!

There were still a couple of tweaks I needed to finish up with. I wanted to install a gas flow limiter, an small extension to the gas line (it was a little too tight for my comfort), and an extension to one of the supply lines. The photo on the right is after everything is said and done! The only thing I have left to do is have my “Final inspection” by the building inspector.

I’ll schedule that in a couple of days.

Thanks again for your help Dad! I really did appreciate it more than you probably realize!

Garden - 2011

2011-08-08T12:20:00.001-05:00

I am not much of a gardener. I have little time for it, and have never been much of a vegetable eater. In the past couple of years, my taste for veggies have grown a bit, but my available time for gardening is still pretty much non existent. I have enjoyed reading AtHomeDaddy’s attempts at growing a garden and even (at times) felt a little jealous that he is able to grow a little bit of a garden even in the “middle of the desert” (aka Texas) and I gots nothin’ going on here (not even “snow peas”… Get it? SNOW PEAS??) – but I (easily) got over it as his posts progressed each year!

On the other hand, my dad is a HUGE gardener. He is all about everything “garden”. If it grows in the ground he will try and grow it. He is retired and spends all day, every day in his garden. My sister seems to have gotten my father’s interest in gardening. She now maintains three (?) garden plots.

(Photo is of my dad helping my sister put in her first two garden plots.)

What seems like forever ago, I did put in a small garden (6’ x 8’) in our yard per The Mother of Five’s request. For a couple of years we did get some items out of the garden. Cucumbers, Zucchini, and pumpkins.

I had little to do with the planting, maintaining, or enjoying the fruits of the garden (except mowing around the pumpkins – which spilled over the edge of the garden and took over a portion of our back yard). But largely over the past two or three years, our garden has produced little more than some quite hearty varities of thistle and various other weeds (that I simply mow over a couple of times a year) and the infrequent cat turd when one of our (or one of the neighbor’s cats, or all of the above listed cats) left there for me.

This spring, I received a call from my dad. A neighbor was moving out and invited all the other neighbors around to scavenge his (quite large) raspberry patch. My dad took a number of plants for himself, then contacted the Mother of Five to see if she wanted any. She did and now it was my job to pick them up.

Once they were at our house, we talked about what to do with these (perennial) plants – finally deciding to convert the largely unused vegetable garden into a “berry patch”. We would plant the raspberry plants in a portion of the garden and strawberries in the other (both, which I do not like to eat).

This was the condition of the garden before any work was done… May 07, 2011

The Mother of Five and the girls worked on getting it weeded and turned over (no small task I may say. The root systems of these weeds were quite entangled, thick, and difficult to remove. I added a little bit of elbow grease of my own, and by the end of the day had the garden looking better than it has in years!

We started off with the freshly exhumed raspberries and a singular rhubarb plant that my wife had from last year, but never actually got around to planting.

By the time we were finished placing the raspberries and rhubarb, the garden looked something like this.

From here, it was a waiting game. As you can see we still had about 1/4 (+) of the garden space unused.

Michele had bought some flowers for the pots on our front patio from Pearson’s Greenhouse (the greenhouse we patronize (which just happens to be less than a block from our house)). When she was checking out the attended threw in a free “Sun Gold” cherry tomato plant (They sometimes do nice things like that at Pearson’s!) That got added to the garden next to the rhubarb.

Since I do not like raspberries, or rhubarb, and we still had some space left in the garden, I ran to Pearson’s Greenhouse myself – on a mission.

I wanted GREEN PEPPERS!! (I LOVE Green Peppers!)

They had none. Instead, the attendant offered me some discounted “Gypsy Peppers”. He said that his distributer had dropped them off, and that he did not know much about them. I took a chance and bought four plants, if for no other reason than to fill the empty space in the garden.

Here is what the garden looked like on 06-24-2011 after weeding and planting the four Gypsy Pepper plants.

And as of today (08-08-2011) this is what the garden looks like after a quick weeding and my first “harvest”.

What did I harvest? Three “Gypsy Peppers” and a Sun Gold Cherry Tomato!

Having researched them a little bit, I have discovered that Gypsy Peppers are considered a “sweet pepper” and have a taste similar to “banana peppers”. This is GREAT NEWS as the Mother of Five LOVES banana peppers on her subway sandwiches! I found a recipe for “easy” method of canning gypsy peppers. I’ll be canning them and we can use them on our home-made sandwiches!

I have quite a few new peppers coming out, and tons of tiny little tomatoes! In a few weeks, the garden will be pumping out peppers and tomatoes at an unprecedented rate!

I am finding that I am enjoying the garden more than I thought I would. It’s a struggle at times (trying to find the time it needs) but I get to it when I can. I have found that I can spend shorter amounts of time with it, as long as I check on it a little more often. I have been dealing with it about once a week, and spending about 30 minutes just weeding, etc.

As you can see in the photos, I have put some posts up in the corners and plan on putting a small fence in to keep the cats out, and since next year the bushes will be full of raspberries, I will need to keep the birds out too.

Next year, I am thinking about finishing off the “berry patch” and adding a second (maybe a little bigger) vegetable garden – and doing a better job of PLANNING it out. Planting more of the things I like, and the Mother of Five likes (cucumbers, Zucchini, and full sized tomatoes…)

Despite being a BIG FAN of “Good Neighbors” (or for anyone reading this from the other side of the pond “The Good Life”) I don’t think I’ll be giving up my job for a lifestyle of suburban self sufficiency anytime soon..

The Walk of Shame

2011-08-07T13:47:00.000-05:00

I’m not above embarrassing myself just a wee bit from time to time… As proof, I submit the following for your reading pleasure. Ultimately, there is a reason I am sharing this story with you. Until then, enjoy while I embarrass myself!

Two years we took the kids to Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America (or, as I like to refer to it as… The “Maul(ing) of America”).

With all day passes, we were able to let the kids go wild – riding to their heart’s content. At that time we had three that are daredevils and willing to take on any ride, and two that were a little more timid. The “Daredevils” of the group asked me to join them on a ride known as “Tak Attack”.

Tak Attack - Flip upside down on this gravity-defying thrill ride. You’ll harness the power of Juju as you hurtle skyward, twisting and turning on Tak’s gigantic magical staff.

Having ridden several of the other rides with the kids throughout the day, I allowed them to talk me into it. We patiently waited in line until we were able to take a seat. The ride attendant went through the typical ride rules and instructions for securing oneself into ones seat (which, is largely automatic). Once the mechanism has completed its job, the attended asked everyone to test their shoulder/lap harness.

Mine was not locking.

Looking closely at the mechanism, I noticed that the electro-magnetic latches were not latching because… Well, because there was too much of “me” in the way.

I needed another inch or so before the mechanism would latch allowing me to ride without fear of falling off the ride while upside down three stories above the ground.

I sucked in my gut. I skootched down in my seat. I sucked in my gut AND skootched down in my seat. Nothing was not working. Honestly, I was a bit nervous that the ride would start before I could secure the safety bar (not thinking there must be some sort of safety interlock that would prevent the ride from starting up unless all the harnesses were locked in place).

That’s when the ride attendant must have been alerted to this hazard, and approached me. He looked at the harness, and even tried helping by giving the harness a “push” in while I sucked and skootched. Unfortunately, there was no way that harness was going to latch. ~~The harness was just “that much” too small.~~ I was just “that much” too big.

The attendant told me I would not be able to ride Tak Attack.

I looked around. All eyes were on me (all eyes that were strapped into their seats – waiting for the ride to start – wondering what the delay was all about) as I stood up with what little dignity a fat guy who does not fit on the amusement park ride can muster and took the first of many steps in that long “walk of shame” past all the other riders and observers.

Once back at the attendant's station, he apologized to me and mentioned that if I really wanted to ride the Tak Attack, that there was an optional seat that could be put on the ride for me when it was a little less busy.

I thought about the staff calling for assistance on their walkie talkies. I imagined a full complement of specially trained maintenance staff responding with special tools, a TIG welder, two small cranes (maybe even a front-end-loader), and the special “big boy seat”. I pictured the staff shutting down the ride as they bolted the “big boy seat” in place and conducted their numerous safety checks - finally giving their A.O.K. for me to ride. Then, once the ride was over, they would have to remove the “big boy seat” from the ride before putting it back into “normal” operating service.

“No thanks” I said politely, as I watched my kids ride.

There is a reason I told you this story… Stay tuned!

The Maiden Voyage of the Canoe

2011-07-24T23:20:00.001-05:00

The time came for us to break out the canoe, and take it out on its maiden (well, maiden to us) voyage.

I had planned to take it out the day before, but due to some forgotten events in the schedule (forgotten due to my excitement to get the canoe out on the water), the maiden voyage had to wait until Sunday.

After mass on Sunday The Mother of Five started prompting us to get out on the canoe. I was feeling badly because I would have liked to have had her there with us, but unfortunately she had to work. I would have also liked to have had the boys with us, but they were away, working at Scout Camp.

With the #2 and #3 of 5 working at Scout Camp, The Mother of Five at work, it left #4 and #5 of 5 (the girls) and myself to take the canoe out on its maiden voyage. The canoe will only hold three or four of us at a time. With a family of seven, not everyone’s going to make it anyway.

I packed a “go bag” – consisting of a first aid kit, the canoe registration, my GPS, and a camera. We also packed a cooler of bottled water, cut watermelon (thanks Mother of Five!), and some granola bars.

With the help of the Mother of Five (before she left for work) she and I strapped the canoe “cartop”, we loaded up the paddles, lifejackets, seat cushions, cooler and go-bag, and headed out!

My initial worry (being among the “tall and fat” members of society) was that with me in the “stern” of the boat, the “bow” would be lifted way up and out of the water.

My solution was to put both the girls as far up front as possible, and then (since she was going to have to sit on the floor of the canoe, and it would add extra “ballast” – I was going to bring #5 of 5’s folding pink Disney Princess chair along for her to sit in. The size and height was PERFECT match for the canoe!

The canoe traveled perfectly. We had no problems “cartopping” it.

We arrived at our destination – Fish Lake

We unloaded the car, loaded up the canoe, and headed out for the great open water!

It was the first time (well, actually third. Best Bud Ed has taken me out on his canoe twice) that I have been in a canoe since 1989. Even after 12 years, it immediately came rushing back to me, and it felt GREAT! I suppose it’s like what they say about riding a bicycle. Once you learn, you never forget!

We made our way around the perimeter of the lake. About half way around we found a quiet little shaded area with a sandy bottom that we were able to wedge the canoe into while we ate our snacks.

After our snacks we headed back to open water and continued our journey around the lake.

Once we made it back to the public access, there was a long line of cars (boats) waiting to get into the lake and a line of boats waiting to get off the lake.

We used that time to play around a little bit. We canoed in circles for a while. I traded off spots with #4 of 5 (who was in the front of the canoe earlier) – giving her a chance at steering the canoe. (She’s gonna need a little more practice (i.e. – an excuse to get back out more often!)) Not bad for her first time out!

Then, I took #5 of 5 off her pretty pink princess chair (which fit perfectly in the canoe) and got her a paddlin’. She too will need a little more practice (i.e. – an excuse to get back out even MORE often!) but also did well for her age and for being her first time in a canoe!

The time came that it was finally our turn to use the public access. We pulled up the canoe – hopped out on the dock and (unlike all the other big motor boats), I was able to grab the canoe, and drag it off to the side of the landing so the next guy could load or unload. I had the canoe out of the water and out of the way in (literally) moments!

#4 and 5 of 5 sat in the canoe while I ran and grabbed the car from the parking lot. We made quick work of unloading the canoe, and loading up the car. We were back on the road and headed for home.

I could not have been happier with the performance of the canoe. It glided through the water like silk, and handled like a charm! It has been all I wanted (and more). I have identified a couple of potential “needs” to accessories the canoe with – namely a couple of portaging pads for moving the canoe around, and a better “cartopping” system than what the previous owners used. Ironicly, the portaging pads will interfere with the “cartopping”, so I will need a removable yoke for those portaging pads (when the time comes).

Maybe some sort of fishing pole holder, and some kneepads for kneeling – but they are not “necessities” at this time

Also, having the GPS with us while we are out makes for seeing how far we paddled, how fast we paddled, and how long we were padding very easy! I upload the data to the EveryTrail website and plot it all out with charts and graphs! I’m looking forward to using EveryTrail to keep track of my paddling exploits! Be sure to click through and see a live demo of The Canoe’s Maiden Voyage!

The Canoe's Maiden Voyage! at EveryTrail

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking near St. Paul, Minnesota

I hope you enjoyed the story of our new canoe’s maiden voyage – because we sure enjoyed it!

Is the Beginning of a New Era

2011-07-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

(This is a follow up to a previous post titled The End of One Era)

With the decision to sell the boat and use the funds to purchase a canoe made – it was time to put words into action.

I spent the better part of a day off breaking “The Boat” out from its five year slumber by excavating it from its burial spot in the garage. No, not buried as in underground – buried as in under five years worth of “garage stuff”. The boat (placed upside down on it’s trailer) became an all too convenient storage shelf for long boards and other hard to store objects.

On a side note, one added benefit to having the boat out of the garage was a bunch of newly established “real estate” space in the garage for “stuff”

Before being able to sell it, I needed to obtain a new trailer license sticker. With the State of Minnesota’s Governmental Shutdown – that became a task I could not complete. So I turned my focus on to craigslist – watching for a good deal on a used canoe. (Actually, I had been watching (casually) for a couple of months now. I wanted to get a vibe on what was selling, and for how much.)

I spotted many different possibilities. Every time I found a canoe that met my criteria at or under my budgeted amount – it was sold (often sight unseen and within minutes of the ad going public). After several failed offers, I expanded my search parameters. I could make a “road trip” if the deal was good enough – and I could also recruit Best Bud Ed into being a set of eyes and ears for me if one were to show up on his side of the state.

Then, I spotted it. It was actually listed in the wrong “region” on craigslist, but just so happened to be a few miles from my home. The ad was for a wedding dress, a tiara, and a canoe. The canoe portion of the ad read…

Canoe original over $1,000 asking $___/OBO only used a few times comes with paddles and foam for top of vehicle. (Photo below is actual photo from craigslist ad)

Hmmm. It was a little bit over my budget, but as you can see from the photo, the boat looked like it was in wonderful shape, and included a few “accessories”. I sent off an inquiry email expecting to hear the typical “it’s already sold” message back, but in this case, I did not hear back from the seller (also not unusual on craigslist). Several days pass, and several other possible canoes come and go. Then, unexpectedly (having all but forgotten about this ad) I received an email that says the canoe is still available. Over the next two days we exchanged some info and I make arrangements to see the canoe. It looked even better in person than it did in the photos!

We settled on a price that fell right between my budget and their asking price, and made arrangements to pick it up the following day. My Facebook friends were deluged with a nearly constant stream of posts sharing my excitement.

Here are some details…

- The canoe is a 1983 17’ Osagian Classic.
- It is 17’ long – 36” wide – 13” deep.
- It is made with .050 Thick 6111-T6 (Aircraft grade) Aluminum.
- It weighs 79 lbs and has a 780 lb capacity.

Osagian offers optional built-in “sponsons” (those bulges you see on the side of the canoe). They add stability and additional capacity.

I was nervous about “cartopping” the canoe. I knew it could be done, but with my smallish car, and this largish canoe – I did not know what to expect. The night before, I received an email from a friend providing me some tips (which, by the way, worked out great). When I brought the canoe home the following day, it rode “cartop” like a dream! I set the cruise control at 60mph and neither the car or the canoe protested whatsoever.

It was unusually warm that morning. Since I had a few hours before having to go to work, and the girls wanted to play on the “slip –n– slide” I decided to grab a bucket of soapy water and “detail” the canoe while the girls played (and helped).

By the time I was done, I could hardly believe my eyes. The hull was in pristine shape!

I was all amped up to take it out the next day, but quickly realized that I neglected to remember the pre-existing commitments that we have in our schedule. The canoe’s maiden voyage would have to wait at least one more day.

That night a thunderstorm hit, with the potential for “quarter sized” hail. I had the canoe (belly facing up) up on sawhorses in the back yard. The only thing I could picture that pristine hull looking like a golf ball. I ran out (at 4:45am, in the middle of a severe thunderstorm) and carried the canoe under the safety of the deck.

The plan was for set for Sunday afternoon. The boys were working at Scout Camp, the Mother of Five (unfortunately) had to work, but I had her blessing to take the girls and navigate the canoe on her maiden voyage!

The End of One Era

2011-07-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

I am a nostalgic kind of guy. I get emotionally attached to objects when those objects are tied to memories (like any good hoarder does). This post is about one of those objects. It’s about an object that I have become so emotionally attached to that I have ~~hoarded~~ hung on to it despite my inability to use it for years!

I’m talking about “The Boat”.

“The Boat” has been around as long as I can remember. (It has, in fact been around longer than I have).

My earliest memories of “The Boat” are as a very young child, seeing lying where my dad stored it. It was kept chained to a tree on a "deeded access" boat landing on Lake Marie, near Annandale, Minnesota. My parents had an old mobile home on a lot near Lake Marie. We called this our “Choo-Choo-House”. (One of these days I have to write a post about the Choo-Choo-House). Anyway, the boat landing was semi-private. It was deeded to the property owners in and around the Choo-Choo-House.

Another very early and very vague memory I have is of taking “The Boat” with my dad and “Grandpa-Grandpa” (our nickname for my paternal grandfather). We took the boat from the public access, all the way across Lake Marie, into Lake Louisa, and through a slough (I remember being scared by all the weeds surrounding the boat). We crossed under the highway 24 bridge and pulled the boat up to a bait shop right along the creek at the far SW corner of the lake.

Sometime after we moved to Bloomington (1977) my dad bought a trailer for “The Boat” and with the aid of the trailer, “The Boat” left the solitude of the boat landing, and arrived at it’s new home - a quiet little corner of our back yard. And there, the boat sat… and sat… and sat…

About the time I graduated high school (1987) I had my own car that would haul the boat and had a place to take it (Best Bud Ed's cabin), so he convinced me to break it out, fix it up, and get it seaworthy again – which we did.

Ed and I replaced the rotten transom board, greased the trailer’s bearings, got the electrical lights working, got it licensed, and took it out a few times. It sat for another two or three years until I broke it out again to take my (then girlfriend - now wife) and her youngest brother out for a day on the lake (circa 1991 or 1992). I again got “The Boat” seaworthy, and took it out on Starring Lake in Eden Prairie. After that trip it got tucked back into it’s hidey-hole in the backyard until (what I can only suspect to be) my Dad finally got sick of looking at it parked in his yard. In 1998 my dad gave me “The Boat” as a gift.

When it came time that we moved from our house in Richfield to our new house in Jordan, the boat was “temporarily” returned to its “hidey-hole” in my parents back yard for a couple more years.

I broke it out once again in 2002 for a fishing and camping trip with some friends.
(All photos found in this post are from the camping trip – Summer 2002)

After that trip, “The Boat” joined us permanently at our new house. In addition to the camping/fishing trip, I took it along on a couple trips to Best Bud Ed’s cabin.

The last time the boat saw water was in 2006. I brought the boat up Best Bud Ed’s cabin for duck hunting. The outboard motor gave me some serious troubles, and I could not keep it running and finally the pull-cord snapped. Half way through the trip, I packed “The Boat” up, and when I brought it home it was tucked it into the garage where it has sat ever since.

Since it’s last trip, we have changed vehicles. We do not have trailer hitches on any of our vehicles – therefore we have no way to haul “The Boat”. Yes, I could get a hitch installed, but the outboard will also be in serious need of a tune up – and after sitting in the garage for the past five years, it’s a little… buried.

Over the past two, maybe three years I have been seriously kicking an idea around – but before I “pulled the trigger” on this idea, I wanted to run in past my dad. The idea was to sell “The Boat” and use the proceeds to buy something a little more “practical” for our family.

A Canoe!

A canoe can be carried “Cartop”, can be loaded up in a moment’s notice, can be in the water in a moment’s notice, offers a little more “exercise opportunities”, can be fished from (one of my primary desires)… With the boys coming into “driving age” they could (if they wished) pop a caone on their car and take it out for the day.

What really pushed me over the edge was a canoe trip #3 of 5 took with the Scout Troop down the Cannon River. I was unable to go (due to work schedule conflicts) but thought there is no reason why I could not take that trip myself, or make a triumphant return to the BWCA at some point…

I was a little worried about asking my dad, since he had the boat for so long, and it was sort of a part of our family’s history… But once I told him about the idea – he loved it! He thought it was a GREAT idea!

So, I spent a day digging the boat from it’s home in the garage (no small feat in itself) and am cleaning it up preparing to end an era for our family.

I am ending the era of “The Boat”.

It was a hard decision to make for me.

The boat has had such a long enduring part in our family history. It almost has it’s own persona. It may have not been used a lot, but it has provided some fond memories.

It was comforting to me, knowing in the back of my mind that if I really wanted to or needed to, I always had access to “The Boat”

In many ways, I am sad to see it go. I had hopes to use it more that we have. I wanted to make more of our own new memories for the kids with the boat - but alas, hopes and dreams are not always based in reality.

I take comfort in knowing that by ending one era, I hope to be starting a new one.

I am starting the era of “The Canoe”

In the above photo #3 of 5 (age 5) is sitting in the boat while #1 of 5 (age 14) and #2 of 5 (age 6) are standing on the dock waiting for me to take them out fishing. See what I mean by memories? These three boys have all grown so much since this photo was taken.

Here are a few more details and photos of “The Boat”

The Boat: 1968 16' aluminum Chrysler row boat. (I even have the ORIGINAL owners manual.)
The Trailer: 1974 Sears Boat Trailer
The Outbard: (I am keeping this) 1955 Evinrude Fleetwin 7.5hp Aquasonic Model 7518
(I have the ORIGINAL manual for the outboard as well)

Thank you Mémère

2011-07-06T20:56:00.001-05:00

I lost my Pépère when I was twelve years old. Afterwards I spent a lot of time with my Mémère.

After Pépère passed, one thing I heard Mémère repeat over and over again was how she could not wait until I got my drivers license. She frequently told me how she was going to “make” me come pick her up and take her to the grocery store.

She came from a generation where women did not have drivers licenses.

One could argue that she was only looking for a driver, but it was more than that! She enjoyed pending time with me (and I with her).

Mémère passed away two years later - when I was only fourteen years old.

I never got that chance.

I believe that sometimes we do not fully understand how some things may be a blessing in disguise.

Two years after Mémère (and four years after Pépère) passed away (at the ripe ol’ age of 16) I got my drivers license. In the twenty-six years since - I have been pretty lucky. I have had a couple of (small) accidents, and had a couple of close calls, but nothing that anyone would consider “significant”.

I have also been able to (for the most part) maintain good driving habits as a teen (not always the easiest thing to do) and have kept my cool and have used a level head even in the most difficult and stressful driving conditions.

I have always felt as if I had a “guardian angel” looking after me while I was driving.

Since she never got the chance to let me “drive her to the grocery store”, I have never had one single moment’s doubt that when it came to all things driving - Mémère rode with me as my guardian angel instead.

The feeling has been so strong, that I can say this with 100% certainty.

Last week, #2 of 5 took, and passed the Minnesota written “permit” test. He is now the proud owner of a Minnesota “Instruction Permit”, and will soon be spending more and more time behind the wheel and on the roads.

Today I am officially thanking my “guardian angel” for her past twenty six years of dedicated service, and am asking her (through some special prayer requests) that she now take up the cause of helping me by watching over #2 of 5 (her great-grandson) with the same vigilance as I know she did with me.

He may not feel it, or understand it, but I am comforted knowing that she will be looking after him as she has done for me all these years.

I have no doubts.

Thank you Mémère…

Amateur Archeology

2011-06-28T12:42:00.001-05:00

Archeology is defined (by Wikipedia) as…

The study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that has been left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes (the archaeological record).

Recently my parents were conducting an archeological dig of their own by doing some cleaning in their “crawl space”. The “crawl space” is an area that you put stuff that you really do not want throw away, but you will never really want or need ever again. It’s what every good “hoarder” needs!

While down there they unearthed some Father of Five “relics”.

One afternoon (while visiting their house with #2 of 5, #3 of 5, and #5 of 5) my parents thought it would be fun to bring out their “find” to share – allowing the kids (and myself) to sift through the collection. As I perused the items, walking down memory lane (and while the kids were teasing me about some of the weird junk I have collected) it suddenly occurred to me that these “treasures” really did constitute a relatively accurate “snapshot” of various stages through my life. As I sat there (feeling all nostalgic, simultaneously being mocked by my children) it occurred to me that this would make a really FUN blog post.

In return for sharing this with you (and allowing you the opportunity to tease me alongside my children) I want to hear YOUR analysis (as an Amateur Archeologist) of your thoughts about the owner of these items! They are listed (as best as I can) in a slightly chronological order and/or grouped with similar items as to their relevance in my life.

Good luck, and enjoy! (But don’t tease me TOO badly)

$3.00 in loose change

A 1973 Rhodesian 1c coin

Four die cast toy cars
- 1975 Hot Wheels “Hot Rod” (sans it’s front wheels)
- 1976 Tomica Porsche 911S
- 1976 Shinsei “Thunder Bird 3” This is from the UFO Commander 7 series. It is broken and missing pieces.
I found this in the sandbox at the park as a boy.
- 1979 Hot Wheels Greyhound Bus

Five Star Wars figures.
- Star Destroyer Commander
- Boba Fett
- C3P0
- IG-88
- Tusken Raider

The detachable laser from the wing of a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter toy.

The book of questions and rules that came from Milton Bradley’s “Go to the Head of the Class” board game. (unknown series)

Three Books
- Here Comes Snoopy
- Dr. Who – Programme Guide Volume 2 by Jean-Marc Lofficier (Yes, with an “e”)
- Dr. Who – And the Planet of the Dalleks by Terrance Dicks

A bookmark from Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore
(Where I picked up the Dr. Who books from above)

Adam’s “The Mysterious Hearts” Magic Card Trick

Two green six-sided dice (not from the “Go to the Head of the Class” board game).

To be honest, I am sure these dice were kidnapped from some sort of board game and used to play Dungeons and Dragons.

A solid brass Minnesota Voyager belt buckle. This is part of the "Great American Buckle Collection" from 1980. It is hand cast in solid brass (with very high relief) by Heritage Mint Ltd. and individually numbered (LE-2474). This buckle was commissioned by Twin City Federal Savings and Loan in 1980 to pay tribute to the fact Minnesota is the outdoor capital of America.

(I have an unfinished blog post about my connection to Twin City Federal Savings and Loan. I’ll see about finishing that one up sometime soon.)

My junior high school “World Geology Timeline” project (Graded a “C” – I deserved better.)

This is a scrolled up paper approximately 10 to 12 feet long representing the earth’s Geological history. (Thank you #4 of 5 for helping me “model” this artifact)

A plastic “calligraphy” letter template.

Five cassette tapes.
- 1 unmarked.
- 1 marked “Christmas 1975” on one side and “Star Blazers” on the other side.
- 1 marked “Little Mr. Bojangles”, “Go Team Go (up-down)”, “Bouncing Ball” and “Blast off!!!!” – Data on cassette for the TI-99/4A
- 1 labeled “Quest for the King” and “Pennies and Prizes” – Another data cassette for TI-99/4A. These are modules for the Tunnels of Doom cartridge.
- 1 marked “Adam Ant – Friend or Foe” (Note, the "D" in Adam Ant is written backwards just like it was on the album.)

I was a fan of the 80’s anime series “Star Blazers” – and one Saturday morning I was unable to watch the show, so I set up a tape recorder to record the audio in order to listen to it later.

Before flash drives, DVD ROM’s, CD ROM’s, Hard Disk Drives, and even before floppy diskettes, people saved their digital data on CASSETTE TAPES… These are only a couple of the DOZENS I had saved my BASIC computer programs on.

I did play the “Christmas 1975” tape after I got home. I got to hear my Mémère and Pépère’s voices talking to me for the first time in thirty years. (They passed in 1981 and 1983).

I cried listening to it. I miss them so much.

A cassette player Microphone. It is most likely the one used to record “Christmas 1975”.

A box of 6 sparklers.

A box of Coghlan’s Waterproof wooden safety matches.

A pocket knife I found in the street – Marked “Colonial – Prov U.S.A.” on one blade “Made in the U.S.A.” on the other blade.

Pocket knife sharpening stone and non-matching leather pouch.

Po.Do brand Deluxe Plastic Coated Playing Cards – Horse print – in gold colored box.

Note: This is a COMPLETE deck! Ahem… Did you hear that kids?? Somehow I managed to keep a whole deck of cards complete (a task my five of my children have been unable to attain in their (collective) seventy years of life).

If memory serves me correctly, this was a gift from “Walter”.

Walter and Lydia were our next door neighbor before we moved to Bloomington (from birth through age eight). They were my and my sister’s “Mr. and Mrs. Wilson” (of “Dennis the Menace”). They were an older married couple with no children. We would stop over unannounced, or spend time with them while they worked in their yard. Lydia loved having us over and baked cookies and treats for us all the time (she was an AMAZING baker). Walter (on the other hand) was a little more curmudgeonly in nature, but always had little gifts and stories for us – and would frequently perform for us on his harmonica from “his chair” in the corner of their living room.

A paystub from my days working at the Valley West Coast to Coast hardware store. This was truly a wonderful place to work – and I have so many fond memories of the friends I made there!

Four birthday cards.
- One from my grandmother marked “15th”.
- Another from my grandmother (unknown year)
- One from my sister and another from my parents from my 18th birthday.

A Mötley Crüe and Twisted Sister denim jacket button.

Several various photographs (in chronological order as best as I can determine)

Polaroid photos of my sister and I with Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and C3P0 characters during the height of the Star Wars craze (yeah, I ~~was~~ am a BIG fan!).

Polaroid photo of our family standing in our back yard.

A black and white photograph of my parents. I think I took this photo, but I do not recall where.

Photograph of myself and my good neighborhood friend Steve after I caught and we landed an 8 lb northern pike while fishing at his cabin.

Four photographs from my first trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area

A freeze dried meal

One of the Canadian border obelisks

A “mossbox”
(wooden “toilet” (and I use that term loosely) in the woods frequently covered with moss – hence the name)

A small miscellaneous waterfall

A photo of Cassandra and I on the transatlantic flight home from our High School’s trip to Italy and Greece.

(Cassandra is a friend I made from the other school we journeyed with – I lost contact with over the years, but through a very odd set of circumstances a number of years ago I “virtually” bumped into her again.)

These are a series of photos from a later BWCA trip of my friends Joe and Louie (one of each individually, and one of them together) taken in the boys bunkhouse at Tuscarroa Outfitters the night before we headed out for a week-long trip into the BWCA.

Joe can be seen sporting a rugged “Duluth Pack” over his tighty-whities, while Louie is donning the sheik and all too shear Duluth Pack LINER (the plastic bag that goes inside the Duluth Pack), along with a pair of his very own tighty-whities. Louie tops off his ensemble with a pair of turquoise colored Chuck Taylor Converse All-Star Tennis shoes.

Don’t they look Daaarrrling?!?

All these archeological goodies were delivered to me in a glossy plastic Normandale Community College bookstore bag.

Now that you have seen the recently unearthed “Father of Five Collection” for yourself, I really want to hear your observations (as an amateur archeologist) about the person who “left this stuff behind”…

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T22:03:00.001-05:00

So here it is… Father’s Day.

As a “Father of Five”, you may think that today (of all days) my day would be off the charts, and over the top. Well, it’s not so much as you’d think. I did not get to bed until 3am the night before. I’m scheduled to work. The Mother of Five is scheduled to work (opposite shifts). #1 of 5 has no means of transportation right now, so could not make it home to visit. #2 of 5 is working his first full weekend at summer camp. I think you get the picture. It’s a typical busy weekend at the FOF Compound. No time for “Father’s Day” – but, that’s ok.

You see – the joy in being a father is not all about the perks that come (or don’t come) on “Father’s Day”. The joy and perks of being a father come every day. A little trickle at a time.

It comes from watching your oldest son, get back up on his feet and start putting his life back together (the right way) after falling pretty hard. It comes from seeing (and appreciating) the all too familiar (and slightly twisted) sense of humor that is developing in your teenage son, and immediately recognizing it because it’s so close to your own. It comes from the excitement you see when your daughter looks you in the eye after she makes a double play during a softball tournament. It comes from the feeling you have when your son shoots an 18/25 in Trap after starting the season with a 2/25. It comes from the overwhelming sense of contentment you feel when your youngest daughter curls up with you and falls asleep in the comfort and safety of your arms.

It’s the things like these (each being a “real life example” from my life sometime in the past two weeks) that Yes folks, it’s true… I’d trade every single Father’s Day – from now until forever – for any one of those little “you never know when they are going to happen” moments!

So where does this come from?

Well, it comes from my dad.

I knew nothing about being a dad when the kids started coming along. The father I am today comes from inside. From instinct. From having watched my dad be a father.

I (just like my dad) am far from being a “perfect” father, but you know what? That’s ok! His imperfections taught me that you do not have to be a “perfect” father to be a great dad!

My dad taught me to stay the course. To be slightly cautious. To have a strong work ethic. To provide for my family, and to sacrifice my own wants to make that happen.

Without having ever having said so, I think my dad taught me to live life as the tortoise from the story “The Tortoise and the Hare”. It is a lesson (intentional or not) that has served me well.

So on this Father’s day I’d like to publicly thank my dad! For molding me into the man I am. For being as good a dad as you have been. For teaching me the life lessons you have taught me. For being patient with me. For having been there for me when and if I ever needed it (and still do, even now as I am in my forties and a father of five myself).

Thank you dad.
Thank you, and HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

(The 2nd of 2 Consecutive) Weekend Tournaments

2011-06-14T09:29:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned previously in the post (The 1st of 2 Consecutive) Weekend Tournaments – which was about #4 of 5’s Softball Tournament – this last weekend we had another weekend long tournament to attend. This weekend’s tournament was the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League’s State Tournament.

It was expected to have close to 30 teams, and 500 students participating through the duration of the tournament!

It was a beautiful day, and since #3 of 5 started his Camp Akela C.I.T. training the night before, we dropped him off, but drove him back home again that night in preparation for the tournament. The arrangements were made with both his trap shooting coach and the camp staff to allow him to miss a partial day of training in order to shoot for the team. Once he finished his shooting, I returned him to camp.

It was to be a busy weekend indeed!

We arrived at the trap range, and our coach had set up his trailer and his camper as a central gathering area for the team. The coach handed out the student’s meal tickets, participation pins, covered the last minute changes to the squad line ups, told us which trap we were shooting at, then covered the entire day’s itinerary.

There was to be a commencement ceremony to the day’s events. It started with announcements by the host (The Minneapolis Gun Club) thanking the many volunteers from the club, the sponsors, the coaches, and the many people involved in making the tournament a reality. Also present was the United States Marine Corp Honor Guard who held a flag ceremony, followed by a singing of the national anthem.

Panoramic photo used with permission from the Minneapolis Gun Club http://www.mplsgunclub.com/

With the opening ceremony complete, the teams were to report to their trap ranges and prepare for the 9am start. The Minneapolis Gun Club has 10 trap shooting stations set up in a long line. Each station has 5 shooting positions. You can get a good idea on how the range is set up from this aerial view. With fifty shooters on the line you really knew when the clock struck 9am!

We shared our trap (Trap #4) with the Worthington Team.

The order of the shooting was - Jordan J.V. Squad 1, Jordan J.V. Squad 2, Jordan J.V. Squad 3, Worthington J.V. Squad, Jordan Novice Squad 1, Jordan Novice Squad 2, and Worthington Novice Squad. Each squad fired two back to back rounds of 25 (50 shots) before moving to the next squad. Once we made it through the full rotation, the J.V. Squads shot another 50 (back to back 25 rounds), and the Novice teams shot one single (25 shot) round. The Varsity Teams shot on Sunday.

Frequent commenter here “Co-Worker” has a son on one of the other teams. Since “Co-Worker” had to work, #3 of 5 and I went down to their trap, introduced ourselves and wished him (and his team) good luck! Throughout the day I walked back and forth between the two trap ranges and watched “Co-Worker’s” son shoot – snapping a few photos, and sending his dad (Co-Worker) text message updates throughout.

At the last minute I ~~remembered~~ was reminded by The Mother of Five that I ~~could have~~ should have invited my parents to attend, but had neglected to do so. I quickly called them up, apologizing for the short notice, and invited them to join me. I did not fully expect to see them seeing as it was so “last minute”, but was delighted to see them arrive. I do not think either of them had ever seen anything like this before and were filled with many questions. In the end – both they and I were glad that they came to see what this was all about.

In addition to providing the facility to host the Tournament, The Minneapolis Gun Club volunteers provided lunch (BBQ’ed pulled pork sammies, chips and a soda) to the student participants between the two rotations.

Here are a few photo highlights of the day’s events, followed by a little personal view on the season as a whole, from the vantage point of a participant’s parent.

(#3 of 5 is the shooter in position #5 – the closest shooter in the center of the photo)

(#3 of 5 looking back before a round of shooting was to start. Notice the safe gun handling by ALL the shooters. Coach Will is a HUGE gun safety advocate, and repeatedly stressed gun safety with the kids.)

(Now THAT is a shooting stance!)

(This is a shot of #3 of 5 preparing before his round. Notice the action open, and finger OFF the trigger? Thanks again for stressing safety Coach Will! Your lessons sunk in!)

Jordan Trap Shooting Team Novice Squad #2

So, here it is. The end of our school’s inaugural Trap Shooting season.

It would be negligent of me not to thank Coach Will, and his brother. Jeff and Tim really stepped up to the plate and knocked one out of the park. They did all the preliminary groundwork to establish our team. Without the foundation that they built, the Jordan Trap Shooting team would not be a reality.

In addition to establishing the team, the experience and instruction Jeff and Tim gave the kids was invaluable. Coach Will (on several occasions) said he is not just teaching them to shoot, he is offering them “life lessons”. I could not agree more. Cooperation, discipline, comradery, and confidence among just a few!

#3 of 5 started out this season with NO SHOOTING EXPERIENCE. He took the Minnesota Firearms Safety class, and was able to fire the shotgun three times prior to joining the Trap Shooting Team. By the end of this first season, he has fired the shotgun SIX HUNDRED times!

#3 of 5 started out this season with 2/25 and 6/25.

By the end of the regular season he had an average of 9.83/25. With his first couple of shoots so low, it was dragging down his average. He was shooting 11 and 12’s

At the State Tournament, #3 of 5 shot an 18/25, 17/25 and 12/25. (Note: His whole squad shot really low on the last round. #3 of 5’s 12/25 was the high for his squad.)

As many people who know me can attest – I am not a big “sports guy”. I seldom watch professional sports. Heck even when the Twins or Vikings are doing well, I do not pay much attention. I am not even close to what you would call a “fair weather fan”. My thought is… Wake me when they (Twins or Vikings) reach the World Series or the Super Bowl.

Despite my view on sports in general, I have always encouraged my children to participate. I attend every game I can, and feel pride when they do well – but I have never felt that feeling of an adrenaline rush from watching them play.

That was until last weekend’s tournament. While I watched #3 of 5 knock those clays down one after the other – I nearly exploded with pride!! I (literally) fought back tears. I have NEVER experienced anything like that! It was an AMAZING feeling that I hope to replicate again and again.

In order to build on this year’s success, #3 of 5’s plan is to enroll in the Shotgun Merit Badge course at Tomahawk Summer Camp. I will be checking into the 4-H Shooting and Outdoor sports program, and finally, “Co-Worker” and I have talked several times about getting together with our boys and making an afternoon out some trap range time for our sons (well, and their dads too!)

I’ll wrap up with a final (repeated, yet well deserved) volley of sharing my many thanks to Coach Jeff Will and his brother Tim along with the many volunteers who helped make this, the inaugural season, such a success for the Jordan High School Trap Shooting Team!!

Thanks also go out to the staff and volunteers of the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League, the Minneapolis Gun Club who opened up their club and were wonderful hosts, and all the sponsors of the events and the teams. You all have done so much in your own ways to help promote the future of this sport!

From the perspective of a proud father… I thank you.

(The 1st of 2 Consecutive) Weekend Tournaments

2011-06-08T10:08:00.001-05:00

The end of the school year is quickly approaching, and along with the wrap up of the school year comes the wrap up of the extra-circular activities. The first one was #4 of 5’s weekend-long softball tournament.

The tournament was held at The Ponds Athletic Complex in Prior Lake (which is quite a nice facility if I may say so). Each day we were able to find a nice shady spot with a decent vantage point. The weather turned out nothing short of AMAZING on all three days!

#4 of 5’s first game was held Friday night. About half-way through the game, we got a surprise phone call from The Mother of Five’s parents (who live about four blocks from The Ponds) wanting to stop by. After the game I took everyone out for ice cream. It was a very nice evening.

#4 of 5 was required to be back for pre-game practice on Saturday morning, followed by a morning game (that The Mother of Five attended while I stayed home), then the Mother of Five had to go to work, so I went up to watch the afternoon game.

Sunday was more of the same. The Mother of Five had to work, but since the boys had been so patient over the past two days – we let them stay home and have a Xbox day. The Mother of Five, #5 of 5, and I went to the morning game – knowing that she would have to leave for work, leaving #5 of 5 and I to watch the afternoon game on our own. Sunday was (by far) the best day. I enjoyed the time I had with The Mother of Five (and only #5 of 5), followed by some solo time with #5 of 5 (even though I dozed off between games)

Here are some photo highlights!

#4 of 5 up to bat.

It was not until AFTER the girl ran across home plate in the left photo that I realized I had been videoing and photographing the WRONG GIRL run the bases!

Thankfully, I caught on just in time to catch the CORRECT GIRL (my own daughter) slide into home plate (right photo).

After we got home and I told her of my mishap while looking over the photos, we realized that at least one of the photos (of the WRONG GIRL) actually turned out pretty cool, because in the background, the CORRECT GIRL is rounding third! (Left photo)

A quick bunt gets #3 of 5 on base.

Action shot, of one of #4 of 5’s “besties” (pitching) with #4 of 5 playing second base behind her.

Then came the highlight play of the weekend (at least for #4 of 5).

She caught a pop fly and threw to the short stop (covering 2nd base) for a DOUBLE PLAY!! HUGE SMILE on her way back to the dugout after completing that play!!

In the end, after playing five games, #4 of 5’s team came in third place in their division – and although it was a LONG weekend, it was a FUN weekend!

This next weekend will be just as busy – and involves another Tournament!!

Stay tuned!

Memorial Day - 2011

2011-05-31T00:37:00.001-05:00

In an effort to help my boys appreciate the sacrifice the service men and women make for our country (up to and including the “ultimate sacrifice” that far too many of our young men and women have had to make, and is the focus of today’s holiday) – I sat and watched “The Hurt Locker” with them. It was a little more gritty than we normally allow our boys to watch, but I felt the lessons important enough to look past the profanity and the graphic scenes. The “Mother of Five” and I sat and talked about the movie, and what we saw in the movie with the boys after we watched it. I am convinced they have a better appreciate for the struggles our soldiers are facing every day in the Middle East.

Watching “The Hurt Locker” with them was to be the prelude to this year’s Memorial Day Parade and Prayer Service. Our Boy Scout Troop was again asked to take part in the parade, and as the “Color Guard” for the Memorial Service at the cemetery.

The day’s events started with short parade starting at Broadway and 2nd St, turned down Water St. and concluded at Varner St.

First up – The guests of honor. Our town’s Veterans.

Followed by a contingency of Jordan Firefighters

There were a few pageant winners (no photos… sorry) followed shortly by Jordan Cub Scout Troop and Jordan Boy Scout Troop

And, what small town parade is complete without the High School Marching Band.

Since the parade route was short enough and my photos were taken at the beginning of the route, I was able to cut through town, and meet the parade again at the end of the route for a couple more photo opportunities.

Once the band reached the end of the parade route, it was time to head up to Spirit Hill Cemetery for the Memorial Day Service.

The Troop gathered and the “Color Guard” prepared for the flag ceremony.

#3 of 5 was one of the four scouts selected.

The following nine photographs are a series of pictures taken during the Flag Ceremony. From our vantage point at the opposite end of the cemetery a couple of us dads noticed the boys were about to make a VERY embarrassing error.

See if you can spot the nearly “fatal flaw” that was almost made.

Thankfully, the mistake was spotted, and an embarrassing situation was averted (I was told that #3 of 5 was the one who made, but also the one who caught and prevented the error from happening).

Once the flag was raised, then lowered to half mast, the Color Guard returned to ranks, and they were followed by our Veterans. I found this to be very moving.

Once the Veteran’s “Honor Guard” arrived to the staging area, they lined up, and fell into parade rest throughout the duration of the service.

The “Honor Guard” concluded the service with a 21-gun salute, followed by a duet of Taps by two members of the High School Marching Band.

>>Crunch<<

2011-05-27T19:00:00.001-05:00

As a 9-1-1 operator, I can not even begin to estimate the number of calls I have taken from victims of car accidents.

The range of emotions from people I talk to very widely. I speak to people who are calm and rational, others who are so scared and distraught I can hardly understand what they are trying to tell me between the gasps for air, and the sobbing - and then there are the raving lunatics, the folks who get so upset the can (and do) start fist-fights at the scene.

Last night, while I had a few of the kids at #3 of 5’s Trap Shooting Match, the Mother of Five took #4 of 5 to her softball practice. When I arrived home, the Mother of Five met me in the garage (before I could even get out of my car) and said “don’t freak out, I have something to show you.” I was certain she had hit something with the van. It turns out that our van was hit while parked in the Athletic Complex parking lot.

She filled me in on the story.

It was at softball practice that there was some sort of commotion in the parking lot – and (after a few minutes) a couple of the other moms who recognized a vehicle that was hit as being similar to our van, approached the Mother of Five and asked her if she drove a silver Kia Sedona.

The Mother of Five went out to the lot and was met with a young girl (newer driver) – who had completely broken down and was distraught over the whole ordeal. She was frightened, embarrassed, and worried how (both) the owner of the car she hit, and how her parents would react.

The Mother of Five went on to tell me the story of how she gave this young gal a hug. She reminded her that the important thing was that no one was hurt, and that it was “only a car”. She went out of her way to comfort this young lady, tried to calm her down, and generally “de-escalated” the whole situation.

When the police arrived, the young lady said “Thank goodness it’s you”. Apparently, she knew this officer, and that helped her calm down and relax a little too. The police officer helped the Mother of Five and this young lady exchange information and went on his way.

After the commotion was all over with, one of the other moms (who I can only assume knew this young lady) pulled my wife aside and thanked her for being so kind, understanding, thoughtful, and compassionate.

While it’s true that I am not happy about the van being hit, I am (first and foremost) thankful that this young lady was not hurt. The damage is limited (only the rear bumper and tailgate were damaged) and can be repaired.

I am also thankful for my wife. I am thankful that she (not only) remained calm, but was able to comfort this young lady, and help her settle down and relax a little bit. This young lady is someone’s daughter. I am a father. I am not naive enough to think that my children will not be involved in some sort of automobile accident at some point. The Mother of Five treated this young lady the same way I would want someone to treat my children if they were in this young lady’s shoes.

The Mother of Five’s reaction is just one more of the “umpteen gillion-mazillion” reasons while I love my wife so very much!

FOF Observation #22

2011-05-24T09:16:00.001-05:00

As a teen (and into my 20’s) I was almost always sporting a pair of black Converse All Stars High Top tennis shoes (also known as “Chuck Taylors”).

I had long since forgotten about my affinity for Converse All-Stars, until recently when we had to pick up a pair as part of #4 of 5’s recent dance routine. While shopping for them, I reminisced (fondly) upon my days of wearing my All-Stars with her. It must have made and impression.

Once the dance recital was over, the first thing #4 of 5 asked me was if it was alright if she wore her high-tops as “regular shoes”.

Do you want to know something else I always thought about All-Stars??

Girls that wear ‘em are…

TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

The "FOF Observations" are a series of "Perpetual Posts" where I will share with you, my readers, short little observations that I have made (or will be making) on being the father of a large family. You will be able to access each of the posts in a cohesive list by clicking on the "FOF Observations" link in the "Perpetual Posts" group on the sidebar.

Paying Up / Paying Off

2011-05-09T15:44:00.001-05:00

About two weeks ago (maybe a little more now) I made a deal with #4 of 5. The deal was this… If she got 100% on her States and Capitols test, I would have a “special surprise” for her. In all honesty, I had no doubts that she would get 100% – but “doubting” became a fun little interaction.

Dad: Oh, I’m sure you’ll do well, but 100%, as in ALL of them correct? Come on now…
#4 of 5: Oh Daddy – I know them all. I’ll get them all right.
Dad: Really??? ALLLLLL of them
#4 of 5: Yeah. ALLLLLL of them.
Dad: Hmmmm… I just gotta wonder about that.
#4 of 5: Oh, you can be sure all right.
Dad: Well, let’s just say that if you get 100%, that I may have a “special surprise” for you.
#4 of 5: REALLY???

This was immediately picked up on, and I was (forced) to hold true to my word. So, after much anticipation (waiting for her teacher to grade, and return the tests) the day finally came! She boasted the 100% – and told me she got 63 out of 63…

Dad: Wait just one minute! SIXTY FIVE?? I thought there were FIFTY states, and therefore FIFTY capitols… How does a kid score 63 on a test of fifty states and fifty capitols??

After a couple of days of additional “protest” on my part – saying there was no way to get 100% on a States and Capitols test with a score of 63 (knowing full well that she did) – she was finally able to “convince” me that she did indeed get 100% and that I would have to pay up on my promise of a “special surprise”.

I tried offering her potatoes. I tried offering her onions (red, yellow, and / or purple). I tried offering her mushrooms. I tried combining the above ingredients into something I thought sounded good (Cheesy onion mushroom bake) – but they were all a no-go. Despite my love for all the above, I knew I had to produce something much better.

What I had planned all along was a stop at Carasim Coffee Shop

After a beautiful day spent outside doing yard work, and converting a vegetable garden into a raspberry patch, I took #4 of 5 to Carasim Coffee Shop for her long awaited (and well deserved) “special surprise”.

Carasim is a old time coffee shop in Jordan, MN which also boasts a small ice cream offering.

It’s primary feature is a high gloss solid wood “art deco” bar that runs the length of the shop. There is additional seating in a few old time booths. Additionally, the shop is decorated with (and sells) antiques throughout. Carasim just drips with nostalgia! It is quite a site!

We went to the far end of the counter (where the ice cream freezer is located) and placed our order.

Single scoop English toffee for me, and double scoop Java Chunk for #4 of 5. Yes, Java Chunk. I verified that she knew what “Java Chunk” was (coffee flavored ice cream) – and was told she has had it before – so Java Chunk it was!

I went to pay for our ice cream and whipped out my debit card – when I was told they do not accept debit cards. Cash and check only. (BLUSH) I had to tell the proprietor that I did not have any cash, and would have to call my wife to bring me some. She was so kind – told me that would be fine and that we could go ahead and enjoy our ice cream in the mean time. (Thankfully the Mother of Five was home and able to “bail me out”).

As we sat and enjoyed our “special surprise” we did some visiting, yet I also enjoyed some of the “quiet time” between our conversations. I just sat there watching her enjoy her ice cream. She is ten years old now. Soon enough she will have other distractions to keep her too busy to spend “quality” time with her dear old dad, so I better enjoy it while I still can.

Gunsmithing

2011-05-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

#3 of 5’s Trap Shooting Team is now in full swing. One meet was canceled due to weather, and he missed another one due to a venue change. Last week, while shooting, his scores had dropped from the previous week. He had a coach watching over his shoulder trying to figure out what was going on. Originally, the coach thought he was “right eye dominant” and shooting left handed (not unheard of, but very unusual). After a couple of tests on the sideline, we determined that he was (as I suspected) “left eye dominant”.

About half way through the round, he turned to me and indicated there was a problem with the gun. The stock was hanging on to the receiver by a thread (literally, since they are bolted together). One of the coaches offered up another student’s gun for the remainder of the round while another dad and I scrounged up some tools, and did our best ”field repair”.

It loosened again. We tightened it again. For whatever reason, the butt stock bolt would not stay tight. I would have to check into a repair before his next meet.

Today was the day I had slotted for “gunsmithing”. I broke the gun down, and removed the butt stock and the butt stock bolt. The threads all seemed intact. There was a washer in place. The best I could determine was that the threads seemed a little “loose”.

The most practical first step to try and solve the problem was putting a little “loctite” on the butt stock bolt. The only problem was that I was out of loctite.

On my way to the hardware store (I love hardware stores!) I stopped at the mailbox, and was delighted to see a package I had been waiting for. It was a replacement part I ordered. Ironically it was for a gun! It was not for THIS gun, but it was for another gun I am working on!!

Remember these posts??
Grandpa's Shotgun - Post 1
Grandpa's Shotgun - Post 2

Recently, I discovered an auction site devoted strictly to firearms (and related items).

GunBroker.com (be sure to check them out for all your firearms related needs!).

Well, playing around on GunBroker, I found someone selling the cut off muzzle end from a )16 gauge Mossberg 190 containing one of the parts I needed. (I needed the “C-Lect choke sleeve”)

(Photos below are from the actual auction)

It was as if it was “kismet”. Seeing as I had my table cleared off, tools out, and my gunsmithing hat on – I dug “Grandpa’s Shotgun” out of storage, and installed the choke sleeve over the muzzle of the gun. I plan on keeping the spare site bead and the choke marker template for future needs.

Grandpa’s Shotgun is one more step closer to being complete! The only part still “missing” is the shell magazine. Once I have the magazine, I need to have the gun re-blued, and am planning on re-finishing the wood stock. Then, the gun will be complete!

Now, let’s hope that the loctite holds the butt stock bolt tight.