I’ve always attempted to make birthdays and Christmas as spectacular for my kids as I possibly can. I listen to others tell me how they set a limit on what they will spend on their kid’s Christmas as I think to myself that I should be more fiscally responsible as well. Even though I could probably teach a class telling you how to use your money wisely, I’d still be broke. Making them happy is the greatest gift that I can receive.
I bought my youngest daughter, Serina, a Yorkie for Christmas this past year. We bought the pup a few weeks before Thanksgiving because she had been begging for it. I explained to her that if she got the dog now, she probably wouldn’t have anything under the tree at Christmas. I must admit, I really liked that puppy. Imagine how angry I was about a month later when I received a call at work informing me that he had been run over.
Serina did not complain as I continued to let her believe that she would not have anything under the tree although the dog had died. When she returned home from her Mom’s house on Christmas Eve, I let her open “a family gift”. She was puzzled when she discovered that there was nothing in the box she had just opened. Shortly thereafter, I entered the living room with a six week old Yorkie puppy, Alex. The look of surprise on her face and subsequent tears of joy created memories for a lifetime. Of course, she did receive more presents the next day as well. Needless to say, we are much more careful with Alex. Between the two pups, I spent over $1,000 counting vaccinations.
I wanted to do something special this year for my oldest daughter, Brittany, on her birthday. I decided to make a slideshow chronicling her adolescence. After finishing it up, I cannot watch it without my eyes watering. I will only admit this in my blogs that no one reads, of course. With three women in the house, I have to maintain my strong masculine image.
The day Brittany was born was one of the greatest days of my life. For some reason, I always knew that I would have a little girl. Now I have three, but that’s beside the point. I spent all of my available time with my daughters as they were infants and toddlers. I could hear their mother tell them not to wake daddy up as she got home from work because I had worked third shift and needed to sleep. There was no stopping them. They would rush into my bedroom and shout “Daddy!” In reality, I was already awake waiting for them to run in there. I turned down several promotions and job offers because I would have to work second shift. There was no way that I was going to miss spending any time with my kids.
I’ll never forget the first time I dropped Brittany off at her Kindergarten class. She absolutely would not leave my side. To reassure her that I would always be there, I gave her my license so she would have a picture of me to look at any time she wanted. This calmed her down and she went to class cheerfully. That’s love there. She’s probably the only person that’s looked at my driver’s license photo without laughing or making a funny face.
As she grew up, I tried to instill in her the values and morals that will help her become the best person that she could possibly be. In a sense, I’ve made her like me without the imperfections. She has done well for herself and is on the road to success in every way.
I must admit that I am not one to let go. She has made the Dean’s list at UT Martin several times. She plans on attending pharmacy school after Martin which will require another two years of academia. Of course I am proud of her and push for her continued excellence, but I must admit that I have an ulterior motive. That’s another two years that she will be living at home.
Anyway, I plan on showing the video at her birthday party this summer. She has already given me a list of items she wants for her birthday. An LCD TV, another North Face jacket, a North Face backpack, Sperrys, money, and a speed flash for her camera are just a few items she has listed. She will not get all of those items. Daddy hasn’t won the lottery or passed the Bar exam. However, I will probably continue to spend money like MC Hammer to ensure that she has what she needs and most of what she wants. Being Daddy; that, my friends, is my calling.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Not another shameless self promotion
Every since we had to write stories to go along with pictures in my 5th grade reading class, I’ve enjoyed writing. Actually, my passion for creative writing probably began when I read my first book, Curious George Goes to the Hospital. My enjoyment for writing continued as I would write book reports for Mrs. Wagner’s sixth grade class as well as Mrs. Maness’s eighth grade class. Somewhere along the way, though, I lost focus and my passion for writing.
With the growth of the internet in the mid-90s, I began writing a column for a wrestling news site that I created. The premise was pretty simple. I stole news from other sites and added my own spin on them. After about a year, I grew tired of it and abandoned it. I was amazed at how many e-mails I received from people in different parts of the world asking me not to discontinue the site. I briefly developed a rogue news site, The Extreme Newsletter, to appeal to legitimate news seekers. To gain readership, I printed several hundred copies and placed them in a local newspaper’s dispensing machine. When readers of the newspaper opened their local paper, they had a free copy of The Extreme Newsletter. I don’t think the editor liked it much as a notice was posted inside the next week’s edition that this kind of conduct was unlawful.
I continued to read mystery novels, stories of interest, historical fiction and nonfiction, etc. (not to mention the occasional Hardy Boys book and other adolescent favorites), but had pretty much abandoned any ideas of writing. That is until I entered the Bethel Success program where all I did was write. After completing the Success program, I rediscovered my passion.
I still did not give writing an actual book much thought until I became totally disgusted with my employment at the time. I had always told my youngest daughter that I could write a book about her antics. After thinking of some of her exploits (as well as mine when I was a youngster), I sat down at my old desktop and began writing.
Using the Beacon Handbook for grammar and punctuation usage (Success students should remember the Beacon Handbook), I wrote, edited, and published Introducing Serina K., Ph.D. and Future Famous Person in 2006. The book did modestly well considering I did absolutely nothing to promote it. It is still available at Amazon, booksamillion.com, and Barnes and Noble’s web site. I will finish my MBA in June 2009. As soon as I am finished, work will begin on the follow-up to Introducing Serina K.
The following is a recent review: “The Hardy Boys. Nancy Drew. Ramona the Pest. Characters like these are missing in today's selection of books for elementary school children. The lack of imaginative literature marketed for children contributes to the growing illiteracy rate. Introducing Serina K., Ph.D. and Future Famous Person is a breath of fresh air. It captures the innocence that most books that are currently aimed at the 9-12 age groups are missing. It simply details the misadventures of a young 3rd grade girl and her friend as they attempt to raise money for a trip to the local carnival. It’s a hilarious romp that will have you laughing the entire way through the book.”
With the growth of the internet in the mid-90s, I began writing a column for a wrestling news site that I created. The premise was pretty simple. I stole news from other sites and added my own spin on them. After about a year, I grew tired of it and abandoned it. I was amazed at how many e-mails I received from people in different parts of the world asking me not to discontinue the site. I briefly developed a rogue news site, The Extreme Newsletter, to appeal to legitimate news seekers. To gain readership, I printed several hundred copies and placed them in a local newspaper’s dispensing machine. When readers of the newspaper opened their local paper, they had a free copy of The Extreme Newsletter. I don’t think the editor liked it much as a notice was posted inside the next week’s edition that this kind of conduct was unlawful.
I continued to read mystery novels, stories of interest, historical fiction and nonfiction, etc. (not to mention the occasional Hardy Boys book and other adolescent favorites), but had pretty much abandoned any ideas of writing. That is until I entered the Bethel Success program where all I did was write. After completing the Success program, I rediscovered my passion.
I still did not give writing an actual book much thought until I became totally disgusted with my employment at the time. I had always told my youngest daughter that I could write a book about her antics. After thinking of some of her exploits (as well as mine when I was a youngster), I sat down at my old desktop and began writing.
Using the Beacon Handbook for grammar and punctuation usage (Success students should remember the Beacon Handbook), I wrote, edited, and published Introducing Serina K., Ph.D. and Future Famous Person in 2006. The book did modestly well considering I did absolutely nothing to promote it. It is still available at Amazon, booksamillion.com, and Barnes and Noble’s web site. I will finish my MBA in June 2009. As soon as I am finished, work will begin on the follow-up to Introducing Serina K.
The following is a recent review: “The Hardy Boys. Nancy Drew. Ramona the Pest. Characters like these are missing in today's selection of books for elementary school children. The lack of imaginative literature marketed for children contributes to the growing illiteracy rate. Introducing Serina K., Ph.D. and Future Famous Person is a breath of fresh air. It captures the innocence that most books that are currently aimed at the 9-12 age groups are missing. It simply details the misadventures of a young 3rd grade girl and her friend as they attempt to raise money for a trip to the local carnival. It’s a hilarious romp that will have you laughing the entire way through the book.”
Kickin' it Old School
I have to admit. I love ebay. I still think they owe me compensation for their “it” campaign, but that’s beside the point. ebay is like a worldwide yard sale. I remember being dragged along with my mother every Saturday morning as she went to various yard sales across Milan. I usually sat in the car as she rummaged through people’s used clothing and useless junk. Much like yard sales of yesteryear, ebay is full of other people’s useless junk. Where else can you find someone’s ghost or potato chips shaped like Elvis? The truth is that you really can find pretty much anything on ebay.
To a newcomer, it is very easy to become addicted to ebay and become broke in the process. Part of the fascination is the ability to find items of our youth. I recently viewed a Six Million Dollar Man action figure that was going for around $700. Of course, I was guilty of searching for lost pieces of my childhood when I conducted the search for the action figure, but I never dreamed that it would be worth so much. I’ll never forget when I decided to get rid of my Steve Austin (the Six Million Dollar Man, not the wrestler) doll. I had decided that it was time to grow up and I wearily threw the doll and accessories in the trash. In reality, I was in the 11th grade. I had to at least try to grow up. I quickly replaced it though with a 13” action figure of BA Baracus, the Mr. T character on The A Team. Bionic or not, Steve Austin would have never stood a chance against Mr. T. I pity the fool that would even try.
After finding such items on ebay, it makes me reminisce about “the way things used to be.” After becoming disgusted at my daughters constantly texting during dinner, I informed them that I was going to transform the house “old school.” I’m talking a console TV and the works. It was a happy thought, but one that will never become a fruition. I can’t help it. Sometimes, I just become disgusted with today’s culture.
Take text messaging, for example. What’s the point? My daughters can text a sentence faster than I can speak it. Once, my supervisor had texted me while my wife and I were out to eat. I began replying, but was finally warned by my wife that my food was getting cold after 20 minutes. My daughters told me to use T9. I thought they were talking about a new Terminator movie or something. What the heck is T9? I figure that phone with a keyboard is the only way to go. My oldest daughter recently got a touch screen phone that includes a virtual keyboard. She hates it! She had rather use the T9 method. Go figure.
Anyway, there are aspects of today’s culture that I can’t fathom. Rap music is another example. When I was growing up, rap music was in its infancy. Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, and Whodini made an alternative style of music that quickly became a phenomenon. Today’s rap is not music at all. How many times can you say “Haaay… Hoooo, Haaay….. Hoooo” anyway? What it is is a bunch of wannabe “gangstas” (packaged and gimmicked by recording labels) promoting nonsensical lyrics to sell CDs, clothing, and anything else that they can stick their name to. In reality, the whole East Coast vs West Coast feud that got 2 Pac and Biggie Smalls killed was fabricated by 2 Pac to sell more records. Marshall Mathers is no thug. 8 Mile sucked! Vanilla Ice had more talent than that fake.
On a side note, I once wrote a rap song in the 9th grade. Weird Al was big at the time, so I wrote a parody of Beat It called Chew It. The school was planning on spotlighting some of its talented students during a pseudo-talent show. A friend of mine who had a promising recording career promised that he would sing it in front of the entire school body. I was mad when he finished his set without playing my song. Now that I look back, I understand that he was just being nice when he told me that he’d sing it. “Have some more Copenhagen, have some more Skoal. It doesn’t matter if it’s new or old.” I actually expected him to sing that. Although he never recorded Chew It, my friend went on to a successful career in radio. You might know him better as Radio Rasheed of Kix 96.
Back to the matter at hand, TV is another area that simply promotes a decrepit culture. Whatever happened to Leave it to Beaver or the Brady Bunch? My wife and daughters’ favorite show is the Rock of Love. I was a huge Poison fan back in the day, but seeing Brett Michael’s bloated, plastic face attempting to find love with girls that Larry Flynt wouldn’t even approve of makes me sick. No to mention the hair extensions. Let’s be real here. The guy’s almost 50. He has to wear fake hair to make it look like he’s still a rocker. Pathetic. I can’t even listen to a Poison song anymore. At least C.C. Deville has a little dignity. He freely admits that he is a recovering alcoholic and is trying to begin a new life by moving on. Besides, who can forget that guitar riff at the beginning of “Talk Dirty to Me”. He was probably the real leader. Then again, Brett did make that tape with Pam Anderson. She's not much different than the ditzy, skanky women on Rock of Love, though.
A sign of real change is the difference in video games now and when I grew up. We actually had the old Pong game back in the 70s. From there, I graduated to Atari. Atari will always rule no matter what new technology they discover. You’ll probably be able to walk right into the TV with the next wave of video games (anyone remember Tron?). Truth is, I pretty much retired after the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. The newer games required 789 different combinations of 4 buttons to perform one move. I’ll always be a Pac Man and Dig Dug junkie. I still remember the lyrics of the “Pac Man Fever” top 40 song in the early 80s (sad, very sad I know).
I guess as each generation gets older, they always think that the younger generation is out of control. Heck, the elder generation wanted to ban Elvis when he first started. As much as I love Elvis, we might be better off had they been successful. If he hadn’t swiveled them damn hips, we might not be in the shape we are today. Everyone should have some scapegoat. Clinton had El Nino. Everyone knows that Katrina was Bush’s fault. Why not blame Elvis?
The truth is that maybe everything wasn’t that much better when we were kids. Maybe we had such fond memories of childhood because we hadn’t been exposed to the real world yet. Maybe we just mature. I was tremendously disappointed after viewing a Harlem Globetrotters event. My daughters had never heard of them and I wanted them to experience the spectacle that I witnessed as a kid. For some reason, it wasn’t the same. As a kid, I didn’t see the obviously choreographed moves for what they were. I only saw the world famous Globetrotters performing amazing feats.
Of course you will grow older and hopefully mature, but the key is never losing that innocence you had as a child. As Bob Dylan once said, “The Times They Are A-Changin.” As I used to repeat to myself over and over, “I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys R Us Kid.”
To a newcomer, it is very easy to become addicted to ebay and become broke in the process. Part of the fascination is the ability to find items of our youth. I recently viewed a Six Million Dollar Man action figure that was going for around $700. Of course, I was guilty of searching for lost pieces of my childhood when I conducted the search for the action figure, but I never dreamed that it would be worth so much. I’ll never forget when I decided to get rid of my Steve Austin (the Six Million Dollar Man, not the wrestler) doll. I had decided that it was time to grow up and I wearily threw the doll and accessories in the trash. In reality, I was in the 11th grade. I had to at least try to grow up. I quickly replaced it though with a 13” action figure of BA Baracus, the Mr. T character on The A Team. Bionic or not, Steve Austin would have never stood a chance against Mr. T. I pity the fool that would even try.
After finding such items on ebay, it makes me reminisce about “the way things used to be.” After becoming disgusted at my daughters constantly texting during dinner, I informed them that I was going to transform the house “old school.” I’m talking a console TV and the works. It was a happy thought, but one that will never become a fruition. I can’t help it. Sometimes, I just become disgusted with today’s culture.
Take text messaging, for example. What’s the point? My daughters can text a sentence faster than I can speak it. Once, my supervisor had texted me while my wife and I were out to eat. I began replying, but was finally warned by my wife that my food was getting cold after 20 minutes. My daughters told me to use T9. I thought they were talking about a new Terminator movie or something. What the heck is T9? I figure that phone with a keyboard is the only way to go. My oldest daughter recently got a touch screen phone that includes a virtual keyboard. She hates it! She had rather use the T9 method. Go figure.
Anyway, there are aspects of today’s culture that I can’t fathom. Rap music is another example. When I was growing up, rap music was in its infancy. Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, and Whodini made an alternative style of music that quickly became a phenomenon. Today’s rap is not music at all. How many times can you say “Haaay… Hoooo, Haaay….. Hoooo” anyway? What it is is a bunch of wannabe “gangstas” (packaged and gimmicked by recording labels) promoting nonsensical lyrics to sell CDs, clothing, and anything else that they can stick their name to. In reality, the whole East Coast vs West Coast feud that got 2 Pac and Biggie Smalls killed was fabricated by 2 Pac to sell more records. Marshall Mathers is no thug. 8 Mile sucked! Vanilla Ice had more talent than that fake.
On a side note, I once wrote a rap song in the 9th grade. Weird Al was big at the time, so I wrote a parody of Beat It called Chew It. The school was planning on spotlighting some of its talented students during a pseudo-talent show. A friend of mine who had a promising recording career promised that he would sing it in front of the entire school body. I was mad when he finished his set without playing my song. Now that I look back, I understand that he was just being nice when he told me that he’d sing it. “Have some more Copenhagen, have some more Skoal. It doesn’t matter if it’s new or old.” I actually expected him to sing that. Although he never recorded Chew It, my friend went on to a successful career in radio. You might know him better as Radio Rasheed of Kix 96.
Back to the matter at hand, TV is another area that simply promotes a decrepit culture. Whatever happened to Leave it to Beaver or the Brady Bunch? My wife and daughters’ favorite show is the Rock of Love. I was a huge Poison fan back in the day, but seeing Brett Michael’s bloated, plastic face attempting to find love with girls that Larry Flynt wouldn’t even approve of makes me sick. No to mention the hair extensions. Let’s be real here. The guy’s almost 50. He has to wear fake hair to make it look like he’s still a rocker. Pathetic. I can’t even listen to a Poison song anymore. At least C.C. Deville has a little dignity. He freely admits that he is a recovering alcoholic and is trying to begin a new life by moving on. Besides, who can forget that guitar riff at the beginning of “Talk Dirty to Me”. He was probably the real leader. Then again, Brett did make that tape with Pam Anderson. She's not much different than the ditzy, skanky women on Rock of Love, though.
A sign of real change is the difference in video games now and when I grew up. We actually had the old Pong game back in the 70s. From there, I graduated to Atari. Atari will always rule no matter what new technology they discover. You’ll probably be able to walk right into the TV with the next wave of video games (anyone remember Tron?). Truth is, I pretty much retired after the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. The newer games required 789 different combinations of 4 buttons to perform one move. I’ll always be a Pac Man and Dig Dug junkie. I still remember the lyrics of the “Pac Man Fever” top 40 song in the early 80s (sad, very sad I know).
I guess as each generation gets older, they always think that the younger generation is out of control. Heck, the elder generation wanted to ban Elvis when he first started. As much as I love Elvis, we might be better off had they been successful. If he hadn’t swiveled them damn hips, we might not be in the shape we are today. Everyone should have some scapegoat. Clinton had El Nino. Everyone knows that Katrina was Bush’s fault. Why not blame Elvis?
The truth is that maybe everything wasn’t that much better when we were kids. Maybe we had such fond memories of childhood because we hadn’t been exposed to the real world yet. Maybe we just mature. I was tremendously disappointed after viewing a Harlem Globetrotters event. My daughters had never heard of them and I wanted them to experience the spectacle that I witnessed as a kid. For some reason, it wasn’t the same. As a kid, I didn’t see the obviously choreographed moves for what they were. I only saw the world famous Globetrotters performing amazing feats.
Of course you will grow older and hopefully mature, but the key is never losing that innocence you had as a child. As Bob Dylan once said, “The Times They Are A-Changin.” As I used to repeat to myself over and over, “I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys R Us Kid.”
Urban Wear??
As the father of three daughters, I like to think that I know a thing or two about the latest styles and fashion. It’s not like I have a choice in the matter anyway. As an adult in my late 29s, I also realize the insignificance of “style” and branding. In a conversation with a chum (yes, I said chum) the other day, I noted the ridiculousness of strange designs that covered their jeans. (That’s what guys do, btw. We make fun of each other and totally disrespect each other in no-holds-barred contests of absurdity). My friend proceeded to inform me that his jeans were of the latest style and were known as Urban Wear.
Naturally, the first thing that arose in my mind was the “Urban Sombrero” episode of Seinfeld. Before I could respond, another bystander replied that “I wouldn’t know anything about that, being from Bradford.” Now, I was PO’d. This guy is from Frog Jump or some other surrounding town and he’s talking about Urban Wear. The truth is that he probably saw Puff the Magic Dragon, I mean Puff Daddy, I mean P. Diddy on MTV wearing something similar and decided to waste $75 on the jeans in order to “look cool”. This guy is also in his mid-29s. It’s not cool to be cool when you reach a certain age. Happy Days didn’t go off the air because of bad ratings, but because Fonzie was in his forties and still wearing the leather jacket and white tee shirt in an attempt to be cool. In short, it was becoming pathetic.
As a semi-intelligent adult in my late 29s, I realize that most of these brands are created with the same materials and by the same company as the generic brands. The only difference is the label. Heck, there is a plant and warehouse in Trenton and Rutherford that specializes in this. Kellwood basically has clothing shipped to them from sweatshops overseas and then places different designer labels on them. Certain Nike apparel, clothing carried at JC Penny, and other well known brands are processed through Kellwood. I tried to explain this process to my kids, but they wouldn’t hear of it. I bought them each a North Face jacket for Christmas. Trust me; there is nothing spectacular about these jackets other than the price tag. Nevertheless, the jackets are the latest style.
Anyway, I guess I took the comment about “being from Bradford” too personal. Heck, I was watching MTV when they actually played music. (Now, the station is basically just a marketing tool to promote other products owned by its parent company, Viacom. To be honest, I am sickened by most of their programming.) I wanted to hit the guy over the head when he uttered Urban Wear. The only real urban wear in these parts might be overalls and work boots with mud on them. After about a half of a millisecond, I vetoed that thought realizing that I would get my @## kicked.
Alas, the encounter does bring back fond memories. When I was in my early 29s and after a divorce, I wore an assortment of FUBU shirts, a Nike symbol ear ring, and shaved my eyebrow like Vanilla Ice in an attempt to be cool. I’ll let you guess how that turned out.
Naturally, the first thing that arose in my mind was the “Urban Sombrero” episode of Seinfeld. Before I could respond, another bystander replied that “I wouldn’t know anything about that, being from Bradford.” Now, I was PO’d. This guy is from Frog Jump or some other surrounding town and he’s talking about Urban Wear. The truth is that he probably saw Puff the Magic Dragon, I mean Puff Daddy, I mean P. Diddy on MTV wearing something similar and decided to waste $75 on the jeans in order to “look cool”. This guy is also in his mid-29s. It’s not cool to be cool when you reach a certain age. Happy Days didn’t go off the air because of bad ratings, but because Fonzie was in his forties and still wearing the leather jacket and white tee shirt in an attempt to be cool. In short, it was becoming pathetic.
As a semi-intelligent adult in my late 29s, I realize that most of these brands are created with the same materials and by the same company as the generic brands. The only difference is the label. Heck, there is a plant and warehouse in Trenton and Rutherford that specializes in this. Kellwood basically has clothing shipped to them from sweatshops overseas and then places different designer labels on them. Certain Nike apparel, clothing carried at JC Penny, and other well known brands are processed through Kellwood. I tried to explain this process to my kids, but they wouldn’t hear of it. I bought them each a North Face jacket for Christmas. Trust me; there is nothing spectacular about these jackets other than the price tag. Nevertheless, the jackets are the latest style.
Anyway, I guess I took the comment about “being from Bradford” too personal. Heck, I was watching MTV when they actually played music. (Now, the station is basically just a marketing tool to promote other products owned by its parent company, Viacom. To be honest, I am sickened by most of their programming.) I wanted to hit the guy over the head when he uttered Urban Wear. The only real urban wear in these parts might be overalls and work boots with mud on them. After about a half of a millisecond, I vetoed that thought realizing that I would get my @## kicked.
Alas, the encounter does bring back fond memories. When I was in my early 29s and after a divorce, I wore an assortment of FUBU shirts, a Nike symbol ear ring, and shaved my eyebrow like Vanilla Ice in an attempt to be cool. I’ll let you guess how that turned out.
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