The Second Hand Continues To Spin...

Which pushes the minute hand... thus pushing the hour hand... and so time marches on.

I can see that it has since it's been a touch over a month since I last posted anything. No, I'm still not done on the house, but it is progressing.

As I look at the calendar... okay, so we don't have a calendar... but we do have a computer that shows the date.

As I was saying, I noticed that yesterday was the 21st, the first day of summer... it also marked a milestone for Emmah... yesterday was day 100. What it means in a nutshell is that the food restrictions that were in place since the rescues/transplants has been lifted. She can eat out again... she managed to sneak in a couple of meals here and there during the 100 day span though... tsk tsk on us for letting it happen... but we were careful from where she ate at those times sticking to places that made the food fresh. The restriction was put in place to basically protect her from from bacteria laden food... food that may have been sitting out a bit too long and something that you or I with a normal immune system could handle, where hers might not. To mark this long awaited day... Emmah requested to eat out. How could we say no? She requested White Fence Farm and so we went. I will let her fill you in on the details when (and if) she gets around to posting something on her own.

If yesterday was the 21st, then that means today is the 22nd... the date which I lost my father, as did my brother. My mother lost her mate and my kids lost their grandpa. I don't know why I feel compelled to bring it up... perhaps it's to preserve a memory. It's easy to remember... the death date that is... his birth date was March 11th... 3-11, his death date is double his birth date... 3-11... 6-22. He would've turned 64 this year... Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four? No, I'm not going to break out in song, but I think it safe to say that we would still be needing him and that my mom would still be feeding him. I think that secretly he knew that the tornado was coming and that there was going to be a diaper-load of work to do and he wanted no part.

I don't know if the years... all four of them... have softened the edge... well I know it has, but I wonder now with all that's going on in, and around my life, it's cast it to the back burner. I wonder if I had more free time to dwell, would I think more about it? My initial off the cuff answer would be probably not since time has a way of washing the emotions back out to sea. I spent my day working on cutting, priming and painting some of the trim boards for the house. I got up and went through my normal morning routine. Headed on out and didn't think of the date until late morning. Then it was like a stray dog roaming the neighborhood... every once in a while it comes into view. That's how it was for me today... every once in a while something inside would tell me... "you know it's the 22nd of June?"

It really is a twisted anniversary...

The Grass Grows...

Mostly when you're not looking, or watching.

It's like when you see an old picture of yourself and you go... geez, I was so young back then, or look how young I looked, or man I looked good back then, what happened to me? I think you get my point.

Obviously for those who read here and have kids, that's nothing new... the kids constantly change. I know, we all change, but with kids it seems to move faster... suddenly they're in kindergarten, or third grade, or will be starting junior high. They learn to sit up, crawl, stand, walk, talk... lose their first tooth. Without going any further down that road, I will get to my point in all of this.

We don't notice the change as it's happening... just like we never see the grass growing... suddenly one day, it needs mowing... starting the cycle all over again. People are like that too... you don't see the changes happening, or as they happen... then one day you notice something is different. Didn't see it happen, just suddenly it happened and it's forever changed.

In no particular order of importance... the past couple of weeks have brought to light some more of these moments or markers in my life.

Jake turned 6 on the 13th (Mother's Day) and he lost his first tooth on that day too. I realize that two others have lost their first tooths too... but it reminded me that he's getting old... venturing out of that older toddler kid phase. He's no longer in the 0-5... he's in the 6-12... the next phase being the teen years.

Then there's Rachael... she got a haircut... I know what's the big deal... it's not like it's her first. No, it's not her first, but in a way it is... see, her hair had become long... as in really, really l o o o o n g, and most of the hair that got cut off in the back was her original hair. That is to say that hair was four plus years old... a different type of marker. It's amazing to see the difference, suddenly she looked much older. Rachael also graduated from preschool today... she's taken another step towards becoming a kindergartner. I will get some pictures (from both events) posted on her page.

Emmah... the oldest and the one paving the way for all the others to follow... I can relate, but I only had one following me... she has five. Yesterday, Julie attending a meeting for the fifth grade class that was going to be entering junior high... I said Junior High. Three years away from high school and five from driving. Yes, that was a groan you heard. Speaking of Emmah, she felt up to going to PLUS on Thursday... the gifted program... and she felt up to going to school all day today. She won't be going everyday, but we will let her from time to time since this is the year that she will be leaving the only school she's known for the past five years.

An addendum... I've been reminded several times that "it's six years dad if you include kindergarten"... so there you go Emmah... six years.

Then there's Nick... Nick is Nick, but I've noticed that he's filling out, that is to say getting more man-like... he's eating like a horse. He's not the skinny twig of a kid anymore and is getting some size to him now. I've also started him on mowing the lawn now too. He enjoys it, for now, and I figure that will last until the novelty wears off... which coincidently will be around the time I won't have to be monitoring him as he mows it.

I know there will be more of the same in the coming years especially with three still in the 0-5 group.

Back to junior high for a sec... while junior high was over thirty years ago, there are still some memories that remain clearer than others, but the point I'm getting at is this... it's still somewhat fresh. Okay, it's not that fresh, but it is hard for me to wrap my head around that it's been that long since that phase of my life... which in of itself is another marker.

Funny thing, the lawn needs mowing tomorrow...

Grumblings Of A Middle Aged Father Of 6...

You know, I think the "middle aged" bothers me more than the "father of 6"...

Why is it okay when you personally do something stupid behind the wheel and when anyone else does it they're an idiot or an asshole? I only ask because it happened to me today while driving home from CMH.

To spare Julie the long slogging joy ride through traffic with an unhappy Ana in tow I opted to take Emmah to clinic today, that and since we're having such a lovely spring thus far... see I told ya that once I got out the weather would turn... working outside today was out of the question. Unless you're the complainer(s). The complainer that's complaining about the appearance of our house... according to them, and some who work for the city as well, I should be outside putting up siding everyday... come rain or shine I guess... as well as from the hospital too!

As usual I digress... sorry.

So, I'm heading east on Fullerton and I roll up to the light at Clark... the intersection has a no left turn sign but the car in front of me is waiting to turn left... this qualifies her (incidentally... it happened to be a woman driver) as an idiot. I don't much care, I'm not in a great hurry, so I wait. The light turns red and she makes her turn... my front wheels are over the line and I'm kinda into the intersection at this point, so I continue straight through... now on the red.

Meanwhile waiting to go north on Clark is what can be best described as a beater of a pick-up truck, and this asshole lays on the horn at me for inhibiting his progress by less than a second. I'm going to guess that this driver was male... don't see too many women driving around in beater pick-ups.

Now I could've laid on the horn for the woman in front of me, but that would've made me an asshole. See... I know that if I did that, I would've been an asshole, because that what I called the driver of the pick-up honking at me... actually I preceded it with "take it easy". While I may in fact already be one to some, I wasn't about to do it and thus remove all doubt.

Naturally, I did nothing wrong...

I love driving in the city

What's Next?

No... really... what is next?

I ran across this article... it's short, so read it before going on.

Okay, I can see not playing video games or text messaging while walking up, down, across and through busy city streets, but talking on your cell phone or listening to an iPod?

They've already decided that it's too dangerous to talk on your phone and drive, and from some of the people I've driven along side of and behind, I'd have to say that not everyone can talk and drive at the same time. I figure it's only a matter of time before they make it that everyone has to be hands free while driving. I don't have a problem with that... it's easier and it is safer. But... Isn't the whole point of an iPod to have all you music at hand for when you're on the go? To help drown out the outside world? When I slip my iPod on it's to get away... it's meditative. It can take you away, but the last time I checked my eye still worked when I put it on. I mean deaf people manage to navigate city streets just fine... us hearing folk need to pay more attention... plain and simple. Take one sense away, you need to rely on the others more say like... oh I don't know... perhaps your eyes!

Quoting NY State Sen. Carl Krueger, "Government has an obligation to protect its citizenry"

Really? What's next, no reading the Sunday paper on the throne?

Is it really an epidemic or a safety crisis?

Call it a hunch... I haven't done the research... but I'm going to out on a limb and say that guns have killed more people than iPods... I could be wrong though. Where's the government on that one? Heck... driving a car kills more people. Most auto accidents are due to human error... whether it's DUI or just not paying attention. Most accidents could be avoided if a driver paid more attention to the road or took the proper precautions before getting behind the wheel. The difference in an auto accident is that more often than not, an innocent victim is involved. The only victim in stepping blindly into a speeding bus is the hapless sap doing the walking... presuming of course that the passengers on the bus wouldn't feel much of anything. I suppose you could say that driver is a victim too.

Look... if they tossed you into the lion's den, you sure would be paying attention then... it's all about perception. In a lion's den you know you're in danger... most don't think of the dangers of walking around with an iPod on. So it seems to me that not everyone is smart enough to save themselves from themselves... if you're so oblivious to your environment, then you deserve what you get in some ways. And another thing... it's not like iPods were the first portable music device. There used to be this thing called a Walkman... remember those? Then that evolved into a CD player which gave way... at least in popularity... to the iPod. Yes... I do notice many many people walking around with the white buds in their ears and white cords dangling form them, at times myself included. Does this guy really believe that fining people will make a difference? So far, is seems to me, that it's really a handful of dolts wandering around with blinders on.

Walking city streets are fraught with dangers just trying to get from one destination to another, never mind whether you have an iPod on, or are talking on the phone. If he's looking to generate revenue... how about fining the idiots who drive with the bass so loud that you can hear 'em for five minutes before they roll up on you. When they do, their car is rattling and vibrating... not only their car, but yours too... or as you sit in your house someone rolls down the street and you feel the vibrations in your house... go after those clowns.

How 'bout this... How about constructing a second level sidewalk for pedestrians to walk above these rolling dangers. Better yet... maybe lessons... learn how to walk in spite of your iPod in 20 easy lessons. While we're at it, give everyone a bulletproof vest when they complete that learning to walk with an iPod class.

I know... pretty silly, but so is slapping people with a fine for walking around crossing the street with an iPod on.

Is It Just Me?

Okay so am I the only one that finds this a bit... umm... funny?

So yesterday, Emmah and I spent the entire day at the hospital... she needed two scans... just two, but that somehow managed to work itself into an all day affair. We arrived @ 8:30am and didn't sit down in the car to leave until 5:40pm. Anyway, that makes for a long day and one where you can become mighty hungry just waiting around.

That's not the funny part...

So when the end was in sight, Emmah had a request for dinner... LJS... Long John Silver's. Or as she put it, "Mmmmm Long John Silver's chicken." So the deal was made and Emmah agreed that she would eat at least three pieces of chicken and the other kids were told that LJS was for dinner... there was much rejoicing.

That's not the funny part...

It rained all day yesterday and I mean it rained quite a bit, enough to have some very large puddles... minor flooding in some places. So driving home kinda was less than enjoyable especially since I needed to stop at the bank... aside from that, I at some point managed to get stuck behind someone driving 35 the entire way home... well not exactly all the way home, he didn't turn into my driveway. As you can imagine it made for making a long drive home even longer.

There's nothing funny about that either...

Back to the bank for a second... the bank (a newly opened citibank) is only five minutes, at best, down 95th street... on the way home, that is to say we pass it every time we go to and from the hospital. We need to make a stop... okay, no problem. It's not exactly clear to me how to get to the bank. It appears, to me, that the street along side of it is one way... not my way naturally. So I go around the block, only to be stopped by the metra train... there's a station right there too. So I wait the train out and for all the commuters/cars... cross the tracks and head in what I think is the right direction. I come across a street that is one way in, but there's a steady line of cars coming out. So I move on to the next street, at last, the citibank is in sight... BUT... I'm in a cul de sac. No sign to indicate that I was turning into a cul de sac... maybe its' cuz pouring out and I don't see it. Okay, so I turn around to go back and decide to push my way down that one-way street. Let's just say that the next couple of minutes was like being in the twilight zone. There are signs telling my that I can turn this way after 2pm, but not that way and I can't go that way either... twas bizarre since all the signage was aimed at drivers turning in the way I turned in but all the traffic is coming at me. Get me outta here... So I decide to start over and head on back the way I came in via going over the tracks. Guess what, I got stuck by another commuter and had to wait again. So that will tell ya, if you know anything about the commuter schedule at rush hour, that I wasted about ten minutes to just get stuck by another train... and still no closer to making the deposit. Okay, I finally get to the bank only to find that there's no drive through... so it's out into the pouring rain.

While some of you might find that amusing... that's not the funny part either.

After working around all these obstacles, we finally manage to point the van in the direction of home. It's along this route that we manage to get behind Speed Racer. After much sighing and finger tapping we're finally getting into the home stretch, and around speedy, and we need to stop at LJS first and bring dinner home. Only problem is that Emmah needs to use the bathroom, as do I, so I decide to stop home first to take care of biz and just drop Emmah off.

That's not the funny part either...

Okay... for those of you who stuck with it here, this is the funny part. So I go to LJS and place our order, I request it made fresh. As I'm waiting, I can't help it look around and notice things... just passing the time ya know? Anyway, I'm struck by this strange bit of irony or whatever you want to call it. On the counter of LJS... a fish place... is a small aquarium. In it are two goldfish swimming around... I had several thoughts that crossed my mind and wanted to ask the clerk "hey, wasn't this full of fish earlier in the day?" or "are these guys the back up in case the delivery truck didn't make it?". It kind of reminded me of something out of the farside... you know two gold fish swimming around in a small aquarium, on the counter of a fast-food fish place... though a good caption for it is escapes me. Must be from having to sit all day waiting around that's turned my brain to mush.

That was the funny part...


Like I said, it was a long day yesterday...