28 September 2008
Juggling Act
School, work, homework, wife, phone calls to the kids, home football games, date night, and on, and on, and on. I completely forgot how taxing and time consuming college can be. Now that I'm married with a wife and kids and have a full time job just adds to the difficulty level. However this time around I am a lot more focused and know how important it is to finished. I am surprisingly not the only non traditional student attend Metropolis U. That's what they call students with a few more miles and a lot more experience; Non-Traditional. In my Algebra class I am amazed at how far ahead I am of the 18 and 19 year old students fresh out of High School. These kids stated they took calculus in High school but can't grasp the basics of Algebra. One of the girls is on her second time around on the same class and she made a 56 on our first exam. I actually felt pretty good about my 91 and would have done better if I had slowed down a little and didn't make some careless mistakes. In my National Government class I was one of only six out of thirty plus students to make an A. My professor actually commented to me after class " Nice work on the exam." I have also taken my first History exam (Western Civilizations 1700) but have not learned the results of my test yet. Going back to School has become a topic of discussion with the superkids on the phone. It cracks me up to here SB ask me how my classes are going and what grades I am making in my classes. After I tell him about my classes and homework it jogs his memory and he then tells me more about what's going on in his classes. It has also had the same effect on my discussions with SG about school as well. Over all I am really enjoying College but I am so tired all the time. I have never read so much before and fortunately I am retaining the majority of it at least until the exam so far. I can't wait for the first break just so I can sleep in for a change. This is about all I have time for to post, but I will hopefully update soon.
12 August 2008
Time Flies
I can't believe our summer with the superkids has come and gone so quickly. I was so eager for this summer to arrive and promised to live in the moment each day with them. We had made some great vacation plans and enrolled them in some great activities this year.
Summer break seems like it is such a long period of time before it begins and after it tragically seems like such a flash in front of your eyes. It never seems like it was enough time together after they go home. I can't describe the hurt and empty feeling I feel every year after they leave. I get so accustomed to seeing them every day and still expect to see them in their beds late at night as I pass their room. I miss just being able to talk to them and see their beautiful smiles.
There were a lot of smiles this summer. SB really has grown and adjusted to having step parents this year. He stated that this was his best summer ever and I agree with him. SB usually stays in trouble and has been so openly defiant in the past. This year he has been so compliant and willing to help out and follow the rules. He truly has been a different child and he has been wearing a beautiful smile on his face all summer.
SG has been her usual self and cherished every moment with Lois and I. She continues to be such a bright spot in our family and sets such a good example for her little brother. She does however have some competition for the good child status now. She truly appreciates the experiences she has with us in Metropolis and shows it with tons of hugs, smiles and laughter.
I'm going through my usual SK's withdrawal and I struggle with my emotions for several weeks after. Lois puts up with me and really helps me by listening to me each year. Six weeks is just not enough time. There were so many things I wanted to do with them this summer and I almost feel like I let them down by not finding the time to do all those things.
And then Lois reminds me of everything we did with the kids this summer. And then I remember the look on my sons face at the airport before he boarded his flight. SB's face was red and his eyes were brimming with tears. You could see it in his eyes he wasn't ready to leave and I truly believe for the first time that he understood how I feel every time he leaves and heads back to his mother's home.
Each year we are making progress with the SK's and each summer gets better and better. I hope one day that SB will feel the same way as SG about living with us in Metropolis.
Summer break seems like it is such a long period of time before it begins and after it tragically seems like such a flash in front of your eyes. It never seems like it was enough time together after they go home. I can't describe the hurt and empty feeling I feel every year after they leave. I get so accustomed to seeing them every day and still expect to see them in their beds late at night as I pass their room. I miss just being able to talk to them and see their beautiful smiles.
There were a lot of smiles this summer. SB really has grown and adjusted to having step parents this year. He stated that this was his best summer ever and I agree with him. SB usually stays in trouble and has been so openly defiant in the past. This year he has been so compliant and willing to help out and follow the rules. He truly has been a different child and he has been wearing a beautiful smile on his face all summer.
SG has been her usual self and cherished every moment with Lois and I. She continues to be such a bright spot in our family and sets such a good example for her little brother. She does however have some competition for the good child status now. She truly appreciates the experiences she has with us in Metropolis and shows it with tons of hugs, smiles and laughter.
I'm going through my usual SK's withdrawal and I struggle with my emotions for several weeks after. Lois puts up with me and really helps me by listening to me each year. Six weeks is just not enough time. There were so many things I wanted to do with them this summer and I almost feel like I let them down by not finding the time to do all those things.
And then Lois reminds me of everything we did with the kids this summer. And then I remember the look on my sons face at the airport before he boarded his flight. SB's face was red and his eyes were brimming with tears. You could see it in his eyes he wasn't ready to leave and I truly believe for the first time that he understood how I feel every time he leaves and heads back to his mother's home.
Each year we are making progress with the SK's and each summer gets better and better. I hope one day that SB will feel the same way as SG about living with us in Metropolis.
24 July 2008
26.2
Today was D-Day. All the training, all the nutritional sacrifices, and all the time away from home reached it's climactic end today. Let's just say I was a little nervous as I rolled out of bed at 2:00 am this morning.
Last night I went to bed at 8:00 pm and could not fall asleep. I actually got busted by Lois around 10:00 pm as I was surfing the web on my I-Pod touch as I layed in bed. She asked me "What are you doing, don't you have a race to run tomorrow?" She then took my I-Pod away from me and told me "Go to Sleep!"
I finally drifted off to sleep and definitely was not a happy camper as the alarm went off this morning. After the pre-race routine of putting band aids over my nipples, stretching, putting on Body Glide in critical locations, pinning on my race bib, placing the timing chip on my shoe, eating bagels and bananas Lois dropped me off at Metropolis U to catch the bus to the top of the mountain. We filed out of the bus into the cold mountain air and into the darkness to wait for the start of the race.
Finally an hour and a half later 5:30 am rolled around and the race started. The first three mile went by quickly as we made our way down the narrow mountain road in the dark. I watched the sun rise as I made my way down the course. The entire race was worth it just to see the views of the mountains at daybreak as your heard the steady sound of foot falls around you.
At about mile seven I and many others were surprised to see this massively long winding two mile hill in front of us. I did not put in a lot of hill work into my training because the course map showed a nearly all down hill course. I actually made it through this surprise pretty strong but I believe it took it's toll later on in the race.
At mile eighteen I still felt really good and I was definitely in uncharted territory. Typically you don't run a 26 mile run during your training because you don't need to run that far to get the same results as running a 16 mile run and you also reduce your risk of injury. At mile nineteen the course heads back up hill but not at the same grade as the hill earlier. This is where my calves really started to tighten up and I started to struggle a little.
At mile 23 I finally saw my beautiful wife and the superkids waiting for me on the course. They started to cheer really loud as I approached and it really helped boost my spirits. I stopped for a moment for hugs and kisses and a little encouragement as they all told me I was doing great and only had three miles to go. Lois thank you so much for being so supportive and I can't imagine running a race without you being there.
I headed off once again and about a mile later my left calf started twitching and then cramped up and brought my run to a screeching halt. Those last three miles were definitely a lot slower than the first three and continuing forward when every muscle and tendon from your hips down is screaming for you to stop was a challenge.
This is when I really started to think about why I was running and for whom I was running.
First and foremost it was to prove to myself that I could do it.
Second I was running to raise money in memory of my Mother and Grandmothers.
Third I was running to show how important living a healthy lifestyle is to the superkids.
This is the part of the race that I got a little emotional. There was no question I would finish even if I had to crawl across the line. Luckily the muscles in my calves loosened up a little and I was able to finish the race like I started it and ran across the finish line to the cheers of my family.
I can't explain how awesome it felt to cross the finish line as my family watched and cheered me on. Four years ago I might have been able to run a race around a track and finish but I definitely wouldn't have even considered entering a 5-K let alone a marathon. My life has made such a huge change after meeting Lois and I have been loving every minute of it.
I then limped to our car with my family with a medal around my neck and a lot of satisfaction in my heart. People continued to congratulate me as they passed and I really felt a sense of accomplishment as I was thinking to myself I will never run another marathon. Hours later after an Ice bath and a nap Lois and I have already started discussing my next race.
Last night I went to bed at 8:00 pm and could not fall asleep. I actually got busted by Lois around 10:00 pm as I was surfing the web on my I-Pod touch as I layed in bed. She asked me "What are you doing, don't you have a race to run tomorrow?" She then took my I-Pod away from me and told me "Go to Sleep!"
I finally drifted off to sleep and definitely was not a happy camper as the alarm went off this morning. After the pre-race routine of putting band aids over my nipples, stretching, putting on Body Glide in critical locations, pinning on my race bib, placing the timing chip on my shoe, eating bagels and bananas Lois dropped me off at Metropolis U to catch the bus to the top of the mountain. We filed out of the bus into the cold mountain air and into the darkness to wait for the start of the race.
Finally an hour and a half later 5:30 am rolled around and the race started. The first three mile went by quickly as we made our way down the narrow mountain road in the dark. I watched the sun rise as I made my way down the course. The entire race was worth it just to see the views of the mountains at daybreak as your heard the steady sound of foot falls around you.
At about mile seven I and many others were surprised to see this massively long winding two mile hill in front of us. I did not put in a lot of hill work into my training because the course map showed a nearly all down hill course. I actually made it through this surprise pretty strong but I believe it took it's toll later on in the race.
At mile eighteen I still felt really good and I was definitely in uncharted territory. Typically you don't run a 26 mile run during your training because you don't need to run that far to get the same results as running a 16 mile run and you also reduce your risk of injury. At mile nineteen the course heads back up hill but not at the same grade as the hill earlier. This is where my calves really started to tighten up and I started to struggle a little.
At mile 23 I finally saw my beautiful wife and the superkids waiting for me on the course. They started to cheer really loud as I approached and it really helped boost my spirits. I stopped for a moment for hugs and kisses and a little encouragement as they all told me I was doing great and only had three miles to go. Lois thank you so much for being so supportive and I can't imagine running a race without you being there.
I headed off once again and about a mile later my left calf started twitching and then cramped up and brought my run to a screeching halt. Those last three miles were definitely a lot slower than the first three and continuing forward when every muscle and tendon from your hips down is screaming for you to stop was a challenge.
This is when I really started to think about why I was running and for whom I was running.
First and foremost it was to prove to myself that I could do it.
Second I was running to raise money in memory of my Mother and Grandmothers.
Third I was running to show how important living a healthy lifestyle is to the superkids.
This is the part of the race that I got a little emotional. There was no question I would finish even if I had to crawl across the line. Luckily the muscles in my calves loosened up a little and I was able to finish the race like I started it and ran across the finish line to the cheers of my family.
I can't explain how awesome it felt to cross the finish line as my family watched and cheered me on. Four years ago I might have been able to run a race around a track and finish but I definitely wouldn't have even considered entering a 5-K let alone a marathon. My life has made such a huge change after meeting Lois and I have been loving every minute of it.
I then limped to our car with my family with a medal around my neck and a lot of satisfaction in my heart. People continued to congratulate me as they passed and I really felt a sense of accomplishment as I was thinking to myself I will never run another marathon. Hours later after an Ice bath and a nap Lois and I have already started discussing my next race.
13 July 2008
Running Scared
Today is July 12 and in 12 days I will be running my first marathon. I started training back in February and in late March I cracked a rib in the gym to go along with the tennis elbow. Not only could I not lift but I couldn't run either and I was going nuts because I couldn't do anything to stay in shape.
I don't know if the rib was actually healed but I started running again at the beginning of May giving myself 9 weeks to get in marathon shape. It was definitely not ideal, but I mapped out my 9 weeks and had each run planned and knew that if I stuck to it I could pull it off.
My training regiment was right on track and my mileage was building slowly the way your supposed to. Then the kids arrived and my training schedule was thrown seriously off track. I'm at the point in my training that I should have peaked and be backing my mileage off. I should have completed my long training run of at least 16 miles.
My longest run to date is a 12 mile run over part of the actual course of the marathon and I felt great and planned on completing 16 miles. At mile 9 my calves started to tighten and I had to push myself to get in the next three miles and then I hit the wall and knew my calves could not be pushed any further. Today I ran a 6 mile maintenance run where I increase my pace every mile to simulate fatigue and at the end I felt great. The only problem is there is a huge difference between 6 miles and 26.1 miles.
This is where the running scared title comes into play. I am now running as much as I can because I am scared of the pain I will be confronted with on race day. Lance Armstrong Didn't train properly for his first marathon and was in excruciating pain for a week after the race. He completed the race on sheer willpower and the fact he doesn't know how to quit. He also completed it in less than 3.5 hours.
Lance is one of the greatest athletes in the world and then there is me. I'm 6'4" and 230 pounds. I fall into a special class of marathon runners called the Clydesdale division. In other words I am not not built for speed. My expected finish time will be hovering around the 5 hour mark.
I have been pretty athletic all my life and love challenges. Last year I ran a half marathon and I freaked out a little before the race worrying about completing the race and how long it would take me to finish. Here I am again worrying about if I will complete it and how long it will take. I also have the added pressure of the Superkids being there to witness their father's thrill of victory or agony of defeat.
I wanted to run this specific marathon so the Superkids would be there to see the importance of setting goals, eating healthy, exercising and competing in sports. Last year my wife was there and I'm really excited to have my entire family there as I cross the finish line. I know I will cross the finish line. The question will be whether I will be running, limping, crawling or dragging one leg behind me begging for it all to end. I hope I will be still running with a huge smile on my face as I see my wonderful family waiting to celebrate with me as I cross the line.
I don't know if the rib was actually healed but I started running again at the beginning of May giving myself 9 weeks to get in marathon shape. It was definitely not ideal, but I mapped out my 9 weeks and had each run planned and knew that if I stuck to it I could pull it off.
My training regiment was right on track and my mileage was building slowly the way your supposed to. Then the kids arrived and my training schedule was thrown seriously off track. I'm at the point in my training that I should have peaked and be backing my mileage off. I should have completed my long training run of at least 16 miles.
My longest run to date is a 12 mile run over part of the actual course of the marathon and I felt great and planned on completing 16 miles. At mile 9 my calves started to tighten and I had to push myself to get in the next three miles and then I hit the wall and knew my calves could not be pushed any further. Today I ran a 6 mile maintenance run where I increase my pace every mile to simulate fatigue and at the end I felt great. The only problem is there is a huge difference between 6 miles and 26.1 miles.
This is where the running scared title comes into play. I am now running as much as I can because I am scared of the pain I will be confronted with on race day. Lance Armstrong Didn't train properly for his first marathon and was in excruciating pain for a week after the race. He completed the race on sheer willpower and the fact he doesn't know how to quit. He also completed it in less than 3.5 hours.
Lance is one of the greatest athletes in the world and then there is me. I'm 6'4" and 230 pounds. I fall into a special class of marathon runners called the Clydesdale division. In other words I am not not built for speed. My expected finish time will be hovering around the 5 hour mark.
I have been pretty athletic all my life and love challenges. Last year I ran a half marathon and I freaked out a little before the race worrying about completing the race and how long it would take me to finish. Here I am again worrying about if I will complete it and how long it will take. I also have the added pressure of the Superkids being there to witness their father's thrill of victory or agony of defeat.
I wanted to run this specific marathon so the Superkids would be there to see the importance of setting goals, eating healthy, exercising and competing in sports. Last year my wife was there and I'm really excited to have my entire family there as I cross the finish line. I know I will cross the finish line. The question will be whether I will be running, limping, crawling or dragging one leg behind me begging for it all to end. I hope I will be still running with a huge smile on my face as I see my wonderful family waiting to celebrate with me as I cross the line.
11 July 2008
Superman Returns!
Yes I am alive and my family is doing well! For those of who who have been checking this rag and finding no new reports for months, thank you for checking in. The Superkids are here in Metropolis for the summer and due to this, this reporter had to work a little harder than normal to stockpile discretionary funds for summer activities. Flying back and forth all over the country doesn't allow much time time for putting out news stories.
Now that summer is actually here it hasn't gotten any easier. We have had an extremely busy summer so far and we have finally hit a small lull in the storm. SG has been busy with taking a sewing class which she asked to take last summer. SG has become quite the accomplished sewer in just a few short classes and looks forward to her classes each week. SB has been in basketball camp for the last week and getting up at 6:30 am every morning to make camp by 8:00 am. His coaches ran him through the ringer for two and a half hours each morning. He hasn't complained once about getting up and even wanted to practice every day after camp to work on his ball handling skills and shooting. This is a huge change, because in the past when SB struggled with a sport or game he instantly wanted to quit and play something else. Today was his last day and he was just as eager to jump up and get ready this morning, however after camp he told me he was ready for a nap. Not only was he ready, I was ready too and curled up on the couch as Lois watched a MONK marathon on the USA network. Talk about quality programming to put you to sleep.
SG is now curled up in her new bed reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. She just finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone and loved it. She isn't allowed to read these books or see the Harry Potter movies in Smallville. Krypto claims that these movies teach children to be sorcerers and witches and the Bible says Harry Potter is a product of Satan and the people who read these books worship Satan and will go to Hell (slight exaggeration added for dramatic effect). However "The Little Mermaid" (Ursula the Sea Witch), "Sleeping Beauty" (Maleficent the evil witch), "Snow White" (The Evil Queen) and "Cinderella" (Fairy God Mother) to name just a few all have magic including sorcery and witchcraft as key elements to their story lines and these movies are deemed "okay" by Krypto for the Superkids to watch. She lives by the, "If it's Disney it's alright for children to watch it" rule. This rule requires no thought process but she also thinks it's okay for a six year old to watch the movies, "Snakes On A Plane", "Little Man" and "Ghost Rider" (which actually has Peter Fonda playing the role of Satan). You may start to see a pattern of inconsistency or as I like to say she speaks with a forked tongue. I want to make it clear I love the Disney movies and I was just using them as an example to show how bigotry in our society is fickle and selective. What one views as alright is condemned by another.
The book "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger has been banned by many schools and yet you will find it in the Classics section of every Borders and Barnes and Noble. I have read the book and it is loaded with profanity but gives a great look into the mind of an angered teen age boy riddled with grief from the loss of his brother. Is the book appropriate for children under the age of sixteen? Probably not! I do think that it is an appropriate book for someone sixteen or older depending on their maturity level. The blatant use of profanity is a detractor of the book but I guarantee your sixteen year old has heard every curse word you will find written in the "Catcher in the Rye." I apologize for going off on a tangent, but it is something I am known for (just ask Lois.)
I have been officially accepted into Metropolis U and will attend orientation later this month. I am truly excited to return to school and have told the Superkids that when they go back to school so will I. The response I received from SG was "COOL!" Classes start on August 25th and I cant wait to attend my first class in fourteen years.
The Superkids summer has so far been great with only a few bumps along the way. There have been no large problems and for the first time I believe SB is truly happy to be here with us this summer. Usually at the end of the second week he starts having obedience issues and wants to go home. This year when Lois and I would talk to him on the phone he would tell us he was ready for us to come and get him. It's the end of week three and we aren't having any obedience issues just typical kid stuff for a change. SG is her usual self and is enjoying her time here. The only problem we have consistently with her is trying to shorten her showering time! If she's not interrupted she would take hour-long showers. Girls!
Now that summer is actually here it hasn't gotten any easier. We have had an extremely busy summer so far and we have finally hit a small lull in the storm. SG has been busy with taking a sewing class which she asked to take last summer. SG has become quite the accomplished sewer in just a few short classes and looks forward to her classes each week. SB has been in basketball camp for the last week and getting up at 6:30 am every morning to make camp by 8:00 am. His coaches ran him through the ringer for two and a half hours each morning. He hasn't complained once about getting up and even wanted to practice every day after camp to work on his ball handling skills and shooting. This is a huge change, because in the past when SB struggled with a sport or game he instantly wanted to quit and play something else. Today was his last day and he was just as eager to jump up and get ready this morning, however after camp he told me he was ready for a nap. Not only was he ready, I was ready too and curled up on the couch as Lois watched a MONK marathon on the USA network. Talk about quality programming to put you to sleep.
SG is now curled up in her new bed reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. She just finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone and loved it. She isn't allowed to read these books or see the Harry Potter movies in Smallville. Krypto claims that these movies teach children to be sorcerers and witches and the Bible says Harry Potter is a product of Satan and the people who read these books worship Satan and will go to Hell (slight exaggeration added for dramatic effect). However "The Little Mermaid" (Ursula the Sea Witch), "Sleeping Beauty" (Maleficent the evil witch), "Snow White" (The Evil Queen) and "Cinderella" (Fairy God Mother) to name just a few all have magic including sorcery and witchcraft as key elements to their story lines and these movies are deemed "okay" by Krypto for the Superkids to watch. She lives by the, "If it's Disney it's alright for children to watch it" rule. This rule requires no thought process but she also thinks it's okay for a six year old to watch the movies, "Snakes On A Plane", "Little Man" and "Ghost Rider" (which actually has Peter Fonda playing the role of Satan). You may start to see a pattern of inconsistency or as I like to say she speaks with a forked tongue. I want to make it clear I love the Disney movies and I was just using them as an example to show how bigotry in our society is fickle and selective. What one views as alright is condemned by another.
The book "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger has been banned by many schools and yet you will find it in the Classics section of every Borders and Barnes and Noble. I have read the book and it is loaded with profanity but gives a great look into the mind of an angered teen age boy riddled with grief from the loss of his brother. Is the book appropriate for children under the age of sixteen? Probably not! I do think that it is an appropriate book for someone sixteen or older depending on their maturity level. The blatant use of profanity is a detractor of the book but I guarantee your sixteen year old has heard every curse word you will find written in the "Catcher in the Rye." I apologize for going off on a tangent, but it is something I am known for (just ask Lois.)
I have been officially accepted into Metropolis U and will attend orientation later this month. I am truly excited to return to school and have told the Superkids that when they go back to school so will I. The response I received from SG was "COOL!" Classes start on August 25th and I cant wait to attend my first class in fourteen years.
The Superkids summer has so far been great with only a few bumps along the way. There have been no large problems and for the first time I believe SB is truly happy to be here with us this summer. Usually at the end of the second week he starts having obedience issues and wants to go home. This year when Lois and I would talk to him on the phone he would tell us he was ready for us to come and get him. It's the end of week three and we aren't having any obedience issues just typical kid stuff for a change. SG is her usual self and is enjoying her time here. The only problem we have consistently with her is trying to shorten her showering time! If she's not interrupted she would take hour-long showers. Girls!
22 April 2008
Sports, a bond between a Father and Son
Every Father waits for the moment that their sons start to sever some of the apron strings with their mothers. I wanted a son so badly the first time around and I remember slightly being disappointed when I found out my first child was to be a super girl and would be lacking the Y chromosome. I think if ever expecting Father of their first child is honest he would tell you he is secretly hoping for a son. We have these visions in our heads of doing all these great activities and sports with our sons.
The reality is that boys bond very closely with their mothers in their early years and little girls develop special bonds with their fathers. This is a huge generalization but I'll be buggard if it didn't work out that way with me and my children. SG and I became really close from an early stage in her infancy and I have honestly struggled with SB. It's not because I haven't tried but there has been an issue of butting heads and trying to find some common ground that we can relate and talk about.
This past year those ties that bind as the cliche goes have started to take place with me and SB. I am an avid sports fan or should I say I am an avid Football and Basketball fan. I don't go as far as some who will watch any game any time. The game has to have a team I'm following or a big rivalry game for me to watch it unless it's the playoffs and then I watch every second, every play, every foul,every out, every strike, every touchdown, every pick and roll, and every timeout. It is the best drama on TV and to borrow the line from TNT it's Win or Go Home.
This has been the year that my son has discovered sports and not just playing them but watching them as well. When SB and SG are with us we spend a lot of time outdoors playing sports from skiing ,to tossing the football around, swimming and shooting hoops. I have learned this spring that both my children have really nice jump shots and SB is really good at basketball and plays with his friends at recess almost every day in school. This past year I took SB to his first college football game (an in state rivalry game) and to his first professional basketball game. He struggled with the understanding of the complex rules of football but he completely understands basketball. I have never seen my son get so excited as I did at his first basketball game. Our team won and he saved the game program and by the next he could tell you every player and their number on our team's roster. Two months later he can still me what the score was and what team we played.
Two and a half months later over spring break I took SB to his second game and his face was lit with excitement the entire game. I even caught one of those mini soft basketballs at the game and he has now permanently placed it on his bed right next to his Pirate Mickey Mouse from Disneyland (the highest honor it could have received). At the end of spring break he took home his game programs and our teams schedule so he would know when our team was playing. We also found a book on Amazon.com about our home team and had it mailed to him in Smallville.
Tonight Lois called me and told me I needed to call SB right away. SB didn't quite have a grasp on the playoff system and Lois didn't have enough time to explain it between her flights so we talked for an hour about basketball. We discussed the playoff best of seven system and how well our team matched up against their current opponent. We talked about his book and he read to me from it. He wanted to know who we would play in the next round of the playoffs and if we could beat them. My son has never carried on a conversation that has lasted for more than ten minutes at the most before and I think he would still be asking me questions if his Aunt hadn't called and needed to talk to Krypto.
This year SB got into football as well especially the playoffs. He didn't tell me until the day before the Superbowl that he was rooting for Eli Manning and the Giants. This about killed me because I am a HUGE DALLAS COWBOY FAN and the giants are one of Dallas's NFC East rivals. Talk about heart failure. I didn't say a word about it because I have been encouraging him to find things or choose things because he likes them and not because his family or friends like them. We even got him an Eli Manning Superbowl MVP t-shirt for him and he absolutely loved it. I hope one day I can take him to a Dallas vs. New York game and yes there will be trash talking during the game.
I look back on my childhood and some of my fondest memories are of watching the Cowboys play curled up with my Dad in his black recliner. Sports and the Cowboys were the things my Father and I have always been able to talk about. I am now on the other side of the relationship now with SB and understand the joy my Father must have felt as he taught me about something he was passionate about. Our relationship is really starting to grow and now the trick is to broaden our bonds to many other things as well.
The reality is that boys bond very closely with their mothers in their early years and little girls develop special bonds with their fathers. This is a huge generalization but I'll be buggard if it didn't work out that way with me and my children. SG and I became really close from an early stage in her infancy and I have honestly struggled with SB. It's not because I haven't tried but there has been an issue of butting heads and trying to find some common ground that we can relate and talk about.
This past year those ties that bind as the cliche goes have started to take place with me and SB. I am an avid sports fan or should I say I am an avid Football and Basketball fan. I don't go as far as some who will watch any game any time. The game has to have a team I'm following or a big rivalry game for me to watch it unless it's the playoffs and then I watch every second, every play, every foul,every out, every strike, every touchdown, every pick and roll, and every timeout. It is the best drama on TV and to borrow the line from TNT it's Win or Go Home.
This has been the year that my son has discovered sports and not just playing them but watching them as well. When SB and SG are with us we spend a lot of time outdoors playing sports from skiing ,to tossing the football around, swimming and shooting hoops. I have learned this spring that both my children have really nice jump shots and SB is really good at basketball and plays with his friends at recess almost every day in school. This past year I took SB to his first college football game (an in state rivalry game) and to his first professional basketball game. He struggled with the understanding of the complex rules of football but he completely understands basketball. I have never seen my son get so excited as I did at his first basketball game. Our team won and he saved the game program and by the next he could tell you every player and their number on our team's roster. Two months later he can still me what the score was and what team we played.
Two and a half months later over spring break I took SB to his second game and his face was lit with excitement the entire game. I even caught one of those mini soft basketballs at the game and he has now permanently placed it on his bed right next to his Pirate Mickey Mouse from Disneyland (the highest honor it could have received). At the end of spring break he took home his game programs and our teams schedule so he would know when our team was playing. We also found a book on Amazon.com about our home team and had it mailed to him in Smallville.
Tonight Lois called me and told me I needed to call SB right away. SB didn't quite have a grasp on the playoff system and Lois didn't have enough time to explain it between her flights so we talked for an hour about basketball. We discussed the playoff best of seven system and how well our team matched up against their current opponent. We talked about his book and he read to me from it. He wanted to know who we would play in the next round of the playoffs and if we could beat them. My son has never carried on a conversation that has lasted for more than ten minutes at the most before and I think he would still be asking me questions if his Aunt hadn't called and needed to talk to Krypto.
This year SB got into football as well especially the playoffs. He didn't tell me until the day before the Superbowl that he was rooting for Eli Manning and the Giants. This about killed me because I am a HUGE DALLAS COWBOY FAN and the giants are one of Dallas's NFC East rivals. Talk about heart failure. I didn't say a word about it because I have been encouraging him to find things or choose things because he likes them and not because his family or friends like them. We even got him an Eli Manning Superbowl MVP t-shirt for him and he absolutely loved it. I hope one day I can take him to a Dallas vs. New York game and yes there will be trash talking during the game.
I look back on my childhood and some of my fondest memories are of watching the Cowboys play curled up with my Dad in his black recliner. Sports and the Cowboys were the things my Father and I have always been able to talk about. I am now on the other side of the relationship now with SB and understand the joy my Father must have felt as he taught me about something he was passionate about. Our relationship is really starting to grow and now the trick is to broaden our bonds to many other things as well.
14 April 2008
Just another day in the house of El
For those of you who read the daily planet you will have noticed the renovations we have made to our virtual newspaper. Mainly, the new music that now plays as you read the exciting saga of our life. You can thank our star reporter and my wife, Lois Lane. She has helped me so much with the alien world of blogging. Without her I would never post anything or have, if I do say so myself, a pretty cool looking blog. I have been off the last week due to some minor injuries from the gym that I needed to have a doctor take a look at to make sure I didn't really mess anything up with my elbow and knee. Gratefully the x-rays and examination just turned up some minor injuries that a brace and physical therapy will be able to fix.
While I have been home it has been nice to spend time with Lois at home in Metropolis for some much needed "R and R." We have also been able to take care of some things that always find a way of being put off for later because of time restraints or lack of money or whatever excuse we come up with. First, we addressed some issues with the SK's room and have made some great additions to it to maximize their space and make it more comfortable for them. I know they will be excited when they walk into their room this summer when they come home.
I also made my way up to Metropolis University and made some preparations to go back to school in the fall. I can't wait to start school and to head up to campus for classes. Lois and I can't wait for the first football game of the season which will be an away game against a university up in Michigan.
One of the biggest things we have been kicking around for the better part of the year is the purchase of a new vehicle. I had a Dodge crew cab 1500 Ram that I absolutely loved. I had done my research and went out to specifically buy that particular year and model of truck. My truck was red and it ran like a dream. The SK's loved it just as much as I did and it had so much room in it for all of us. I bought this truck soon after Lois and I started dating and back then she used to sit next to me and she used to lay down with her head in my lap for a long nap on the long drives to Smallville to pick up the kids. I babied my truck and I truly loved driving it. The negatives of my truck were outweighing the positives here lately. First of all, the cost of gas has skyrocketed and lets jut say my truck had a drinking problem. Second, my truck was a 4x2 and it snows here in Metropolis. I don't know if any of you have ever driven a rear wheel drive car on ice and snow but a rear wheel drive pickup on ice can be about as much fun as running in place and as productive. We have been talking over the idea of changing our vehicles for a while and we decided to start looking a few weeks ago.
We wanted to find an all wheel drive or 4x4 car or suv that got good gas mileage and was safe to drive. We did our homework and narrowed our selection down to a Subaru. All Subarus are All Wheel Drive and have been since 1997. They have some of the highest crash test ratings in the industry and they get 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. The question was would we get an Outback, an Impreza, or a Forester. We test drove a couple of Subarus last week and we really liked the way the car handled and performed.
This week we were home and Lois and I headed over to our bank to see what we would qualify for. Lois qualified for a great loan with a great inerest rate and the bank said to have fun shopping. Complete turn of events from my last marriage. I was the only one who could qualify for a loan of any type and my ex wife tried to make sure that we would never qualify for any type of loan in the future. Just read the last headline Another Repo for Krypto. Lois was a little worried about going in to the bank but after we talked about it and we pulled up in front of the bank she seemed pretty confident. Car shopping is so much easier when you are pre-qualified and a lot of the games the dealers play get tossed out of the window. It allows you to discuss only the price of the car and value of your trade. The famous question of what payment are you looking to stay around is mute and any advantage you can take with you to the dealership is huge.
One night this week my mind was racing about life and many of these questions I have addressed in this post and could not sleep. I hopped on the web wrote a post and took a page out of Lois's playbook and shopped online for a new car. I found a Subaru Forester at a great price about $4,000 lower than everyone else was asking for the 2008 models. Later that morning I registered my truck and spent a couple of hours cleaning the old red truck up and Lois and I headed off to see if they still had the car I saw on the Internet.
Lois and I found the car and we took it for a spin with the salesman. We compared it to a couple of other cars on the lot and we kept coming back to the same black 2008 we saw on the Internet. Lois and I agreed at that point and she told me to handle all the negotiations with the salesmen and she trusted me. I told the salesman that we were pre-qualified through our bank and the only thing that would prevent him from making the sale was the issue of our trade in. They went over my truck and the one thing they kept saying was how nice the truck was and that it didn't need anything done to it. I knew going in that 1. it was a truck with bad gas mileage and 2. it was a 4x2 and I was going to take a hit on my trade. We played the slide the piece of paper game across the desk and I told the salesman what I wanted for my truck and he said he would go and see. If I had traded my truck in, in another state I know I would have received more for my trade but the price the dealer had on the Forester evened things out. First we reduced our car payment. Second we will lower our gas bill because of the improved gas mileage. Third the new car is under warranty and this vehicle will last us through the next ten years. We finalized the sale and we drove off in our new car. And yes it was extremely hard driving off and leaving my old red truck behind. There are a lot of great memories in that old truck and it almost felt like leaving a family member behind. Isn't it funny how we become attached to inanimate objects?
While I have been home it has been nice to spend time with Lois at home in Metropolis for some much needed "R and R." We have also been able to take care of some things that always find a way of being put off for later because of time restraints or lack of money or whatever excuse we come up with. First, we addressed some issues with the SK's room and have made some great additions to it to maximize their space and make it more comfortable for them. I know they will be excited when they walk into their room this summer when they come home.
I also made my way up to Metropolis University and made some preparations to go back to school in the fall. I can't wait to start school and to head up to campus for classes. Lois and I can't wait for the first football game of the season which will be an away game against a university up in Michigan.
One of the biggest things we have been kicking around for the better part of the year is the purchase of a new vehicle. I had a Dodge crew cab 1500 Ram that I absolutely loved. I had done my research and went out to specifically buy that particular year and model of truck. My truck was red and it ran like a dream. The SK's loved it just as much as I did and it had so much room in it for all of us. I bought this truck soon after Lois and I started dating and back then she used to sit next to me and she used to lay down with her head in my lap for a long nap on the long drives to Smallville to pick up the kids. I babied my truck and I truly loved driving it. The negatives of my truck were outweighing the positives here lately. First of all, the cost of gas has skyrocketed and lets jut say my truck had a drinking problem. Second, my truck was a 4x2 and it snows here in Metropolis. I don't know if any of you have ever driven a rear wheel drive car on ice and snow but a rear wheel drive pickup on ice can be about as much fun as running in place and as productive. We have been talking over the idea of changing our vehicles for a while and we decided to start looking a few weeks ago.
We wanted to find an all wheel drive or 4x4 car or suv that got good gas mileage and was safe to drive. We did our homework and narrowed our selection down to a Subaru. All Subarus are All Wheel Drive and have been since 1997. They have some of the highest crash test ratings in the industry and they get 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. The question was would we get an Outback, an Impreza, or a Forester. We test drove a couple of Subarus last week and we really liked the way the car handled and performed.
This week we were home and Lois and I headed over to our bank to see what we would qualify for. Lois qualified for a great loan with a great inerest rate and the bank said to have fun shopping. Complete turn of events from my last marriage. I was the only one who could qualify for a loan of any type and my ex wife tried to make sure that we would never qualify for any type of loan in the future. Just read the last headline Another Repo for Krypto. Lois was a little worried about going in to the bank but after we talked about it and we pulled up in front of the bank she seemed pretty confident. Car shopping is so much easier when you are pre-qualified and a lot of the games the dealers play get tossed out of the window. It allows you to discuss only the price of the car and value of your trade. The famous question of what payment are you looking to stay around is mute and any advantage you can take with you to the dealership is huge.
One night this week my mind was racing about life and many of these questions I have addressed in this post and could not sleep. I hopped on the web wrote a post and took a page out of Lois's playbook and shopped online for a new car. I found a Subaru Forester at a great price about $4,000 lower than everyone else was asking for the 2008 models. Later that morning I registered my truck and spent a couple of hours cleaning the old red truck up and Lois and I headed off to see if they still had the car I saw on the Internet.
Lois and I found the car and we took it for a spin with the salesman. We compared it to a couple of other cars on the lot and we kept coming back to the same black 2008 we saw on the Internet. Lois and I agreed at that point and she told me to handle all the negotiations with the salesmen and she trusted me. I told the salesman that we were pre-qualified through our bank and the only thing that would prevent him from making the sale was the issue of our trade in. They went over my truck and the one thing they kept saying was how nice the truck was and that it didn't need anything done to it. I knew going in that 1. it was a truck with bad gas mileage and 2. it was a 4x2 and I was going to take a hit on my trade. We played the slide the piece of paper game across the desk and I told the salesman what I wanted for my truck and he said he would go and see. If I had traded my truck in, in another state I know I would have received more for my trade but the price the dealer had on the Forester evened things out. First we reduced our car payment. Second we will lower our gas bill because of the improved gas mileage. Third the new car is under warranty and this vehicle will last us through the next ten years. We finalized the sale and we drove off in our new car. And yes it was extremely hard driving off and leaving my old red truck behind. There are a lot of great memories in that old truck and it almost felt like leaving a family member behind. Isn't it funny how we become attached to inanimate objects?
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