Monday, September 30, 2013

For everything, a season

Good Morning and how about them Eagles?!?!

I'm one who likes everything in its own time.
For instance, I won't do any Christmas shopping until after Thanksgiving (usually not until the last week, but that's another story). I cringe when I see those Halloween stores cropping up Sept. 1. Don't even talk to me about the Valentine's candy that shows up just after the New Year or the Easter stuff that hits the same time as the Super Bowl.
There's enough rushing in this world. I don't need to hear 'Jingle Bells' before Santa drives his sleigh in front of Macy's. (Yeah, I know those lights and trees are already up in most stores. I'm just going to ignore them for a few months).
So, when I saw Pumpkinland was opening at Linvilla Orchards, my first thought was "isn't it still summer?"
That's usually a Saturday in October trip for us. Get pumpkins, take a hay ride, stock up on apples.
Still, for some reason, the pull was too much for me to ignore and we were there Saturday afternoon.
Guess what? It was a fun time even though we were only in the last weekend of September.
We picked out pumpkins (really, 20 pounds each?) and were there until it closed.
Now, I'm ready for what fall has to offer.
Just don't start singing 'White Christmas' until November please.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Vegging out with the tube

Good Morning and how can it be only Tuesday? I swear this is the longest week in history.

Yes, I watch TV. Wanted to get that out of the way first. A lot of people figure most TV melts your brain or something. I watch what I want, when I want. Don't judge me. OK, judge me, but I guess I'm mostly like anybody else.
Now, for us fellow TV watchers, this time of year can get a little exciting. The new shows are starting and there's always the hope one will be pretty good and stick.
I remember watching the first episode of 'Lost' in the Fall of 2004. I was hooked right away and didn't miss an episode (I even watched the dumb one where Jack gets his tattoo a couple of times).
Anyway, I can usually tell if it's something I'm going to like after a couple of viewings. I know a lot of people liked the show 'Fringe.' I watched it about a half dozen times and found it uninteresting.
So, there's been a lot of buzz about two shows that debuted last night. I watched 'The Blacklist,' and DRVd 'Hostages.'
They both have interesting concepts. I'll have to see about 'Hostages,' but I found myself zoning out during the premier of 'The Blacklist.'
James Spader is OK as a super-criminal, but the rest of the cast seems a little flimsy. I'll give it a couple of weeks, then see what happens.
By the way, thanks to 'Lost,' it seems every show has to have some kind of goofy twists. Just saying...

Monday, September 23, 2013

Monsters under the bed

Good Morning and I'm sure glad you are here!

I think it was like a week ago when I went into the teenagers room and what aghast at what I saw.
His closet, actually the biggest in the house, looked like it was hit by a tornado. Shirts, pants and God knows what else was thrown all over the floor. There was nothing on the shelves. The hangers were actually hanging, but empty of shirts. I swear I saw a pair of shoes with holes in the bottom.
Now, I don't stay on top of them as much as I should when it comes to keeping their rooms in order. I don't know why. I guess I just figure as long as they can get to the bed it is OK. I don't let them take food up, so there's now worry about that.
Frustrated, I walked into the other bedroom. It looked OK. Maybe a little too many books in front of the bookcase, but, on the whole, it looked pretty good.
That was, until I opened the closet.
Ever see that old comedy standby where a character opens a closet and the whole world falls out?
I guess we better see about cleaning up.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

I have laundry ghosts!

Good Morning and, well, here we are again.

I've become used to the monster in the dryer. You know, the one that eats socks.
I have a pile of single socks in my room who have lost their mate. There is no logical reason to have so many single socks, but they are there. So, there's no denying that something (or someone) is eating them.
What I can't wrap my mind around is the amount of laundry I seem to have.
Now, there are four of us in the house, but, despite what the teenager might believe, there's only one adult.
Somehow, though, I seem to have enough laundry to do some every day.
Mind you, the teen wears his school clothes much of the day. The middle schooler would wear the same shirt and pants every day (until I force him to change). The third grader changes every day.
Seriously, there shouldn't be that many clothes to wash. There must be a ghost running around the house dirtying things up.
Now, if that ghost would only start folding, I wouldn't mind so much.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Skype? Skype this

Good Morning and it's nice to see you all again!

The question came so innocently: "Dad, can I play with my friends?"
Without even thinking, I said, "Sure. Do you need a ride to their house or are they coming here."
First there was a perplexed look, then: "No. We are using Skype."
So, that's what it's become. The boy and his friends connect on Skype and play a video game called Minecraft. They battle each other, build worlds and eat pork chops.
All across the Internet of course.
I sometimes shake my head at these things. Other times, I just see it as a normal part of life in 2013.
When I was 11, most of the time was spent outside playing football, riding bikes or whatever. These days that doesn't happen.
Now, I'm not like some people who look at it and see the downfall of society. Would I prefer they go outside or to a friend's house? Sure, but as long as they are interacting, that's OK too.
At least once a day, I make all electronics turn off and make them do something else. I could be reading. I could be going outside. I could be just sitting and breathing in the air.
Now that school has started, it will change a little. Games are only allowed to be turned on two days a week and that's after all homework has been finished and checked.
I don't look forward to that fight.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Crying at the fence

Good Morning and here we are again!

There were times during the summer that I couldn't wait for school to start. There were times I wished it wouldn't begin again (of course, I also wished I won the lottery so work wouldn't begin again, but that's another story all together).
When school did start last week, well, I figured it was about time.
What I wasn't prepared for was the sleepless nights leading up to the first day.
It wasn't the children. They went out like lights even though there was some nervous excitement about starting a new year.
It was me. You see, the oldest boy is in 9th grade. High school. Really, high school.
For some reason, that kind of hit me like a rock. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him standing at the fence screaming when we dropped him off for kindergarten.
I kept up a front then. All I really wanted to do was scoop him up and take him home. Forget about school. Don't grow up.
I knew that wasn't the way it could happen, so I drove away while he was standing at the fence. What he didn't know is I would park a block away and walk up just far enough until I could see he would be OK
Of course he was. He'll be OK in high school. He'll be OK when he gets to college.
In a way, though, I hope he will always be the boy at the fence looking for me.