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?
10 April 2008
Another REPO for KRYPTO
It's 7 am and this reporter has a bad case of insomnia and I find myself in front of the computer watching the sunrise over Metropolis. So here I am turning out another breaking news story. Wait a minute, does it classify as breaking news when the story has occurred once before. Let me set the story straight on the first occasion Krypto had a car repossessed. I was getting ready to leave for work and on the way out the door I asked Krypto if all the bills were paid and she said "Yes". I asked her if everything was current and she said "Yes." I headed out the door off to the friendly skies with a feeling that everything was alright and that we were doing ok financially. Three days later I landed around midnight and approx 2 hours later I pulled into the driveway in my airport clunker car. The first thing that caught my eye was Krypto was sitting on the front porch with superboy( he wasn't even two yet) in her lap. I know your thinking oh how cute she waited up for her husband. This is the only occasion that I remember that my ex wife ever waited up for me to get in from a trip. The next question you might ask was what was superboy doing up at 2 am in the morning. I then noticed a green minivan parked in the carport. My first thought was that our car was in the shop and this was a loaner vehicle( well that's what I was hoping for). As I was getting my luggage out of the trunk I asked Krypto where the car was. This is the car I bought brand new off the lot at $200.00 over the invoice and had less than a year left to pay it off and have no car payments. Krypto said quietly "They came and got it." My response was "What do you mean they came and got it?" Krypto stated "The bank came and got it." I asked "Why would the bank come and take the car if were current on the payments?" Krypto lied to me and said we were a month behind on our payments. I told Krypto that banks do not repo cars for being a month behind without sending notices or calling. Krypto lied again and said she didn't receive anything in the mail or receive any phone calls from the bank. The truth of the matter was that Krypto hadn't made a car payment in four months and I didn't have the money to get the car loan current. I truly do not now how I kept from losing it that night and I am so thankful that I didn't do something stupid like beat some honest answers out of her(this being the real reason SB was in hr lap...a shield). That was the fork in the road for me and I struggled so hard with the decision to leave. I knew the only way I could ever provide a better life for my children was by leaving not by staying. Lois and I do provide a better life for them when they are with us and they can see how the different decisions their parent's make affect them and their separate families. My only hope is that they wont have the same mental issues as Krypto and not see anything wrong with Krypto's actions.
Now fast forward from 2002 to 2008. Krypto is remarried to an honest guy, they have a one year old infant, and Krypto has just started a new job. At some point in the night I am assuming a repo driver showed up and repossessed Krypto's minivan (not the same green one from 2002) leaving her without a way to get the children to school or herself to her second day of work. That's right she has to call in on her second day of work at her new job. I can't imagine what is going through the minds of SB and SG. They weren't old enough to remember or understand what happened in 2002, but I cant imagine them not sensing somethings wrong this time around. How do you go about explaining to your children that you blew your families money on who knows what and because of it you neglected to pay your car payments and lost the family car. She didn't do a very good job last time it happened and I'm sure her new husband received the standard Krypto line "I don't know." That's the answer she gave to me when I asked her first "Why didn't you make the car payment" and second "What did you do with the money that was supposed to go towards the car payment?" This also became the standard line from SB any time he got in trouble and was asked why he did something. The phrase "I don't know" is no longer allowed to be used in our household.
The other not-breaking news is that Krypto has another warrant out for her arrest. Does any one out there want to take a wild guess what it's for. I'll give you a hint it has something to do with money and not following through with a promise. Her warrant is for Issuance Of Bad Check or Theft by Check. Krypto already has seven other previous convictions for the same offense and this will make eight. This is the example she sets for the super kids a life of lies, and criminal offenses. You know her mother and father are so proud.
I have always said that Krypto is a financial time bomb waiting to happen. One of these days the mess made from one of her self implosions will not be so easy to clean up. One of these days she will cross a line and there will be no one there to enable her or to help her and she will be held accountable for her actions. She not only destroys her future but also every one that has cared for her or currently does. She will take any one down with her that is standing to close. She once ruined my credit, let me go to jail for crimes she committed, has ruined her credit, has ruined her new husband's credit, has ruined her mother's credit, pawned her own wedding ring that she designed, has caused a foreclosure, two repossessions and is suspected of stealing money from her own parents.
What gets me is that people say yeah, but she's a good mother. My own Father is one of these idiots who thinks I'm a bad father because I moved to another state and sticks up for her. How does putting yourself and your secret vices before everything else constitute being referred to as a good mother. Why does society move so quickly to label mothers as the rightful heirs to the children and viewed as saints while we vilify the fathers and view them as an evil necessity for child support. It amazes me how far society's views change and swing when we try to correct for previous wrongs. It was not so long ago that women's rights was at the forefront of change in this country. Before women had no rights and in cases of divorce the men pretty much received everything right down to the children if they so desired. There is no question that that system was seriously flawed and was in desperate need of correction. But how far do we go the other way to make up for previous injustices. Take for example the Presidential election this year and Sen. Barack Obama. We all know that slavery was an evil and oppressive act that diminished the human spirit in the black race. Many wonderful and brave men like Dr. King gave their lives to the cause of civil rights. But how far will we go to correct those injustices. There have been polls and studies showing that white males are supporting Sen. Obama simply because it makes them feel good to vote for a black candidate and less like a bigot. Do not get me wrong I believe Sen. Obama to be a good honest man and believe he would make a good President but I wouldn't vote for him out of some kind of guilt. The issue of equality was the concern and forefront of the civil rights and women's suffrage movements. That's all that we as Fathers want is equality and just like Susan B. Anthony and Dr. Martin Luther King we will face opposition for simply asking for this right.
Now fast forward from 2002 to 2008. Krypto is remarried to an honest guy, they have a one year old infant, and Krypto has just started a new job. At some point in the night I am assuming a repo driver showed up and repossessed Krypto's minivan (not the same green one from 2002) leaving her without a way to get the children to school or herself to her second day of work. That's right she has to call in on her second day of work at her new job. I can't imagine what is going through the minds of SB and SG. They weren't old enough to remember or understand what happened in 2002, but I cant imagine them not sensing somethings wrong this time around. How do you go about explaining to your children that you blew your families money on who knows what and because of it you neglected to pay your car payments and lost the family car. She didn't do a very good job last time it happened and I'm sure her new husband received the standard Krypto line "I don't know." That's the answer she gave to me when I asked her first "Why didn't you make the car payment" and second "What did you do with the money that was supposed to go towards the car payment?" This also became the standard line from SB any time he got in trouble and was asked why he did something. The phrase "I don't know" is no longer allowed to be used in our household.
The other not-breaking news is that Krypto has another warrant out for her arrest. Does any one out there want to take a wild guess what it's for. I'll give you a hint it has something to do with money and not following through with a promise. Her warrant is for Issuance Of Bad Check or Theft by Check. Krypto already has seven other previous convictions for the same offense and this will make eight. This is the example she sets for the super kids a life of lies, and criminal offenses. You know her mother and father are so proud.
I have always said that Krypto is a financial time bomb waiting to happen. One of these days the mess made from one of her self implosions will not be so easy to clean up. One of these days she will cross a line and there will be no one there to enable her or to help her and she will be held accountable for her actions. She not only destroys her future but also every one that has cared for her or currently does. She will take any one down with her that is standing to close. She once ruined my credit, let me go to jail for crimes she committed, has ruined her credit, has ruined her new husband's credit, has ruined her mother's credit, pawned her own wedding ring that she designed, has caused a foreclosure, two repossessions and is suspected of stealing money from her own parents.
What gets me is that people say yeah, but she's a good mother. My own Father is one of these idiots who thinks I'm a bad father because I moved to another state and sticks up for her. How does putting yourself and your secret vices before everything else constitute being referred to as a good mother. Why does society move so quickly to label mothers as the rightful heirs to the children and viewed as saints while we vilify the fathers and view them as an evil necessity for child support. It amazes me how far society's views change and swing when we try to correct for previous wrongs. It was not so long ago that women's rights was at the forefront of change in this country. Before women had no rights and in cases of divorce the men pretty much received everything right down to the children if they so desired. There is no question that that system was seriously flawed and was in desperate need of correction. But how far do we go the other way to make up for previous injustices. Take for example the Presidential election this year and Sen. Barack Obama. We all know that slavery was an evil and oppressive act that diminished the human spirit in the black race. Many wonderful and brave men like Dr. King gave their lives to the cause of civil rights. But how far will we go to correct those injustices. There have been polls and studies showing that white males are supporting Sen. Obama simply because it makes them feel good to vote for a black candidate and less like a bigot. Do not get me wrong I believe Sen. Obama to be a good honest man and believe he would make a good President but I wouldn't vote for him out of some kind of guilt. The issue of equality was the concern and forefront of the civil rights and women's suffrage movements. That's all that we as Fathers want is equality and just like Susan B. Anthony and Dr. Martin Luther King we will face opposition for simply asking for this right.
06 April 2008
Focusing on the Super Kids
Our lives always seem to revolve around the Super Kids even when they are not with us. Lois was on the computer today and I asked her what she was doing and she responded shopping for SG. She was looking for summer clothes and was taking notes. Later in the day we were out and about and Lois said she needed a new book since she just finished "The Looking Glass Wars" which she highly recommended to me ( It's a new twist on Alice in Wonderland ). We were driving by Barnes and Noble so we stopped in to take a look around. The first thing I thought of was to head to the children's section to look for a book for SB about the New York Yankees. We are taking a family vacation to New York this summer and will be attending a Yankee game. I found him a great book called "The Story of the New York Yankees" which is in his reading level. This is the last year the Yanks will be playing in the House that Ruth Built. We have already bought our tickets for the baseball game, tickets to WICKED the musical ( SG is really excited about Wicked) and have paid for our hotel in Times Square. We are so excited to take the Super Kids to New York and expose them to a new adventure.
We called the Super Kids tonight and only SG was home. As usual when she realised who was on the phone her voice lit up. She was excited to tell me she was about to eat some chocolate ice cream, her favorite flavor, they had bought earlier. She seemed to be in good spirits and we had a nice talk. I really wanted to talk to SB to tell him about the books we had bought and were sending to him. We also bought him a book about his favorite basketball team on Amazon and had it shipped to him. Unfortunately SB was at a friends for a sleep over. Lois and I can't have a lengthy conversation without somehow the Super Kids always coming up. Tonight, of course, we started talking about the kids and we started talking about some of their needs for summer and we talked about getting a bunk bed to help free up some space in their room. For those of you who don't know Lois, the first place she headed to was the Internet to shop for bunk beds and sure enough within an hour we found a great bunk bed (twin on top full on bottom) made out of Brazilian Pine in a honey finish. There was no sales tax and the shipping was free and you guessed it, it will be here in a week. We have decided not to tell the kids about their new bunk bed until they walk in there room this summer and just let it be a huge surprise. We told the kids we would buy them a bunk bed and the one thing I have made a priority with the kids is to always fulfill our promises. Krypto lies to the kids all the time from "I'm going to buy you a new bedroom suite", to "We're going to take a vacation to Disneyland", or "You can play football this year." Those are just a few of the promises made by Krypto and none of them kept. Because of this I truly can't not follow through with a promise. The kids need someone to show them that your word means something and to be able to trust someone. I want the kids to know that they can rely on us and depend on us. Period. No questions asked. The kids always ask questions about the plans we make and we constantly have to reassure them. The trip to New york isn't just a family vacation it's a fulfillment of a promise made to a 6 year old boy. We do something special for our kids 8th birthdays. SG chose to go to Sea World for her 8th birthday and you should have seen the size of the stuffed Shamu she brought home (seriously it wouldn't fit in the overhead bin on the plane). While we were on that trip I asked SB where he wanted to go for his 8th birthday and after tossing some ideas out there he said he wanted to go to see the Yankees play baseball where Babe Ruth played. We have been planning this trip for two years and I can't wait to see the joy and excitement in the kids faces. This trip will also fulfill a broken promise from Krypto. She told SG she would take her to see Wicked when it was on tour and coming to Smallville. You guessed it, Wicked came and went and SG never saw one single act. Now mind you we were the ones who introduced SG to Wicked and many other musicals. Their iPods are loaded with Wicked, Annie, Annie Get Your Gun, Newsies, Hairspray and High School Musical. These are the promises I take a quiet victory in fulfilling. I don't rub it in or gloat or point it out to the kids that there mom is a liar. I waited for three years for Krypto to take the kids to Disneyland. Three years! I got tired of waiting and hearing the excitement in the kids voices as they would tell me that their mom was going to take them to Disneyland. I desperately hoped Krypto would follow through but it never happened. Lois and I took the challenge upon ourselves and we took them to Disneyland and yep we took them again the year after that just for good measure. My ex mother-in-law actually had the nerve to try and make me feel guilty for taking the kids to Disneyland because Krypto didn't have the money. She couldn't save enough money in three years! These kids live in a world of uncertainty and are being taught by their mom that promises are meant to be broken and that it's okay to lie to cover up your mistakes. This is one of my challenges as a father to teach my children that there is another side and the peace that comes from being able to rely on one another and not worry about the last lie you told and how you are going to cover it up. Maybe this is why Lois and I are always thinking about the kids because we are always worried about them when they are with Krypto.
We called the Super Kids tonight and only SG was home. As usual when she realised who was on the phone her voice lit up. She was excited to tell me she was about to eat some chocolate ice cream, her favorite flavor, they had bought earlier. She seemed to be in good spirits and we had a nice talk. I really wanted to talk to SB to tell him about the books we had bought and were sending to him. We also bought him a book about his favorite basketball team on Amazon and had it shipped to him. Unfortunately SB was at a friends for a sleep over. Lois and I can't have a lengthy conversation without somehow the Super Kids always coming up. Tonight, of course, we started talking about the kids and we started talking about some of their needs for summer and we talked about getting a bunk bed to help free up some space in their room. For those of you who don't know Lois, the first place she headed to was the Internet to shop for bunk beds and sure enough within an hour we found a great bunk bed (twin on top full on bottom) made out of Brazilian Pine in a honey finish. There was no sales tax and the shipping was free and you guessed it, it will be here in a week. We have decided not to tell the kids about their new bunk bed until they walk in there room this summer and just let it be a huge surprise. We told the kids we would buy them a bunk bed and the one thing I have made a priority with the kids is to always fulfill our promises. Krypto lies to the kids all the time from "I'm going to buy you a new bedroom suite", to "We're going to take a vacation to Disneyland", or "You can play football this year." Those are just a few of the promises made by Krypto and none of them kept. Because of this I truly can't not follow through with a promise. The kids need someone to show them that your word means something and to be able to trust someone. I want the kids to know that they can rely on us and depend on us. Period. No questions asked. The kids always ask questions about the plans we make and we constantly have to reassure them. The trip to New york isn't just a family vacation it's a fulfillment of a promise made to a 6 year old boy. We do something special for our kids 8th birthdays. SG chose to go to Sea World for her 8th birthday and you should have seen the size of the stuffed Shamu she brought home (seriously it wouldn't fit in the overhead bin on the plane). While we were on that trip I asked SB where he wanted to go for his 8th birthday and after tossing some ideas out there he said he wanted to go to see the Yankees play baseball where Babe Ruth played. We have been planning this trip for two years and I can't wait to see the joy and excitement in the kids faces. This trip will also fulfill a broken promise from Krypto. She told SG she would take her to see Wicked when it was on tour and coming to Smallville. You guessed it, Wicked came and went and SG never saw one single act. Now mind you we were the ones who introduced SG to Wicked and many other musicals. Their iPods are loaded with Wicked, Annie, Annie Get Your Gun, Newsies, Hairspray and High School Musical. These are the promises I take a quiet victory in fulfilling. I don't rub it in or gloat or point it out to the kids that there mom is a liar. I waited for three years for Krypto to take the kids to Disneyland. Three years! I got tired of waiting and hearing the excitement in the kids voices as they would tell me that their mom was going to take them to Disneyland. I desperately hoped Krypto would follow through but it never happened. Lois and I took the challenge upon ourselves and we took them to Disneyland and yep we took them again the year after that just for good measure. My ex mother-in-law actually had the nerve to try and make me feel guilty for taking the kids to Disneyland because Krypto didn't have the money. She couldn't save enough money in three years! These kids live in a world of uncertainty and are being taught by their mom that promises are meant to be broken and that it's okay to lie to cover up your mistakes. This is one of my challenges as a father to teach my children that there is another side and the peace that comes from being able to rely on one another and not worry about the last lie you told and how you are going to cover it up. Maybe this is why Lois and I are always thinking about the kids because we are always worried about them when they are with Krypto.
27 March 2008
Back to work
After 14 days off with the super kids for spring break it was finaly time to go back to work. Lois and I both hated to go back to work but once back we both fell into the groove of our normal work routine. It has been a while since I have submitted a post but trying to find time to get on the computer when Lois isn't on it is nearly impossible. The only reason I was able to get on now was because Lois had her nails done and they weren't dry yet. I just finished a trip and the crazies were definatley out flying. As part of our new business passenger program our passengers get a free drink coupon attached to there boarding pass and it has a date attached to the coupon. Our passengers now have the ability to print off there boarding passes at home and yes the drink coupon prints out with the boarding pass. I know most of you are saying
OK whats wrong with that. Most of you aren't devious or dishonest and think they can make photo copies of this drink coupon and get extra free drinks. And I know for sure you wouldn't make a ton of copies and keep using them for several months. Last night I found drink coupons all the way back from DEC 06 with the same passenger name and record number. The said passenger was not in my section so I asked the flight attendant up front who gave her the coupons in question. I just wanted to put a face with the cheapskate who passed off the tickets. I was expecting to find someone in there mid twenties and a little sketchy looking. Boy was I wrong. The guy was in his late forties early fifties dressed well and he was traveling with his wife. You know she was proud that her husband was paying for her red wines with counterfeit coupons. The only reason I did not confront the passenger in question was due to he and wife were both asleep and I knew I would probably embarrass him and would receive a complaint letter. Sometimes I can't believe how cheap people are and it was apparent that this couple wasn't hurting for money.
OK whats wrong with that. Most of you aren't devious or dishonest and think they can make photo copies of this drink coupon and get extra free drinks. And I know for sure you wouldn't make a ton of copies and keep using them for several months. Last night I found drink coupons all the way back from DEC 06 with the same passenger name and record number. The said passenger was not in my section so I asked the flight attendant up front who gave her the coupons in question. I just wanted to put a face with the cheapskate who passed off the tickets. I was expecting to find someone in there mid twenties and a little sketchy looking. Boy was I wrong. The guy was in his late forties early fifties dressed well and he was traveling with his wife. You know she was proud that her husband was paying for her red wines with counterfeit coupons. The only reason I did not confront the passenger in question was due to he and wife were both asleep and I knew I would probably embarrass him and would receive a complaint letter. Sometimes I can't believe how cheap people are and it was apparent that this couple wasn't hurting for money.
15 March 2008
Snow fall in Metropolis
There is something about how snow improves the beauty of your surroundings. For the past few days it has been snowing here and we have had about 10 inches in the mountains. Today the superkids and I ventured into the mountains to enjoy one of our favorite recreational sports. Driving up the canyon is one of the best parts of the day and just looking out the windshield enjoying our Heavenly fathers creation is awe inspiring. We couldn't wait to hit the slopes and enjoy the fresh powder. Within an hour of being on the slopes it started snowing again as we explored new runs. It was the perfect conditions for a great day skiing and snowboarding. Today the superkids worked on parallel turns and how to get into a tuck and fly. The superkid's faces were frozen into smiles and you could hear them giggling all the way down the slopes. We ripped and shredded a lot of blue runs and enjoyed the beauty of the mountains on the lifts. Unfortunately in a freak accidental wipe out that involved a collision between myself and Supergirl our camera was broken. Luckily no one was hurt and cameras, even expensive ones can be replaced. Lois has instituted a new policy in which the new camera will not be allowed on the slopes. I am going to have to buy a cheap digital camera for sporting activities. We finally wore ourselves out and headed down the mountain.
11 March 2008
The Super Kids are here!
Lois and I flew down to Smallville to pick up Super Boy and Super Girl from school and I'll have to admit I was a little tired after carrying Lois, because well you know Lois can't fly. It was really fun to be the ones picking up the kids from school and they were both really excited to see us. I think SG's teachers were more excited to see us than anyone and are really excited that I am going to chaperon one of SG's upcoming field trips. A whole day with SG and some of her classmates sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe not the kind of fun that you are so excited about that you cant's sleep the night before (there will be a lot of high pitched squealing and little girls giggling) excited, but excited none the less. While we were in Smallville we were discussing where to eat when we passed a Long John Silver. I know that this doesn't sound like fine dining to many of you but this has been one of my favorite eating joints since I was a little super boy myself. Lois rolled her eyes but relented and we all had a seafood feast and the kids actually enjoyed it as well. We don't have a Long John Silvers in Metropolis so this was a rare treat for me. For some it's a Big Mac, or a Nacho Bell Grande, or a whopper and for me it's deep fried fish, hush puppies, and fries from LJS. And oh yeah we rang the bell on the way out. The next day we flew home to Metropolis and you could see the excitement and joy in the kids eyes as they recognized the Landmarks and realised we were almost home. I can't explain the feeling as we walked through the front door of our home and watched my children enter the house and Lois tell the kids take off your shoes. At that instant I knew all was well and my family was home and safe.
02 March 2008
Why we can never leave Metropolis
As most of you know Lois and I live in Metropolis but we are both Flight Attendants and we are based in Gotham City. Lois has been based out of Gotham for most of her 3.5 years and has been riding around Gotham with me. Lois knows how to get to the grocery store, Blockbuster, the gym, the airport and a few restaurants. Lois knows the most direct route to each of these locations and must completely retrace her steps back to the house to get to the next location. In Metropolis you cant get Lois lost but that might have something to do with that she grew up there and has these huge landmarks to guide herself by. There are no landmarks in Gotham but you would think after a year let alone three she might find her way around. Today Lois and I decided to go to On The Border for lunch and then over to the Gotham Mall which Lois proudly claims she knows how to get to if I can get her to her old apartment complex. See what I mean about direct routes. OTB sits of a six lane roadway in a shopping complex and we turn right on a four lane road and then an immediate right into the shopping complex. We had an excellent lunch and we were inside for about an hour. I now have a full belly (the endless enchiladas took a toll) and extremely sleepy and as Lois has proclaimed earlier she knows how to get to the mall. I close my eyes and recline my seat to take the pressure of my full belly and relax. I am awakened to Lois excitedly claiming "I don't remember this round-a-bout on the way to the mall." I open my eyes and we are on a little two lane road off in the suburbs and definitely headed in the wrong direction. I asked her where we were and she says " I went straight like I was supposed too." Now you have to understand the last time I took a nap while she was driving and I woke up and asked her where we were she stated "Crossing the lake." Which would have been fine if we were supposed to cross a lake, but you guessed it we were not supposed to be any where near a lake. I will give Lois credit we were in Smallville on the way to pick up the super kids and she had been with me only twenty or so times to pick them up. OK, back to Gotham and the mall. We turn around and I make a hypothesis that OTB is going to be up ahead on the left. Lois is now claiming this whole incident is my fault for closing my eyes while she was driving. I start pointing out these landmarks that neither one of us have seen and should have been a pretty good clue she was headed in the wrong direction. Sure enough OTB is ahead on our left just as I predicted. Lois is laughing so hard she is crying at this point as she realises that yes she is in fact to blame for turning the wrong way out of the shopping complex. With her navigator awake Lois finally finds the mall. We walk through the mall hand in hand enjoying our day and laughing about our latest adventure. One of the greatest attributes of Lois is that she's not afraid to laugh at herself and I love to tease her. I love to hear my wife laugh and it is one of the most pleasing things to listen too. Well we had plenty more to laugh about as once again I had to provide navigational directions to get us home.
29 February 2008
Krypto just cant control herself
For those of you who live in the city and have always wondered what the phrase the deer in the headlight look is all about, well be prepared to be redneckucated! I will be your farm boy instructor with quite a bit of experience in this area. Everyone knows Kal-El (Clark Kent) was raised on a farm in Smallville. I have unfortunately hit three deer with different cars while living in Smallville. The common thread in each of these cases was that they occurred at night. Normally during the daytime you will never see a deer near a roadway because they can easily see your vehicle and recognize our gas guzzling intrusions to there world. At night however when deer see a bright light, they tend to freeze in there tracks. Immanent danger can be a breath away and they will stare at those two bright lights that are approaching them. They can't help themselves or get themselves out of harms way, they just have to stare and stare and BAMMMM, well you get the picture. How, might you ask does this apply to Krypto. Well Krypto is the deer(and not a very smart one) and the headlights is the window or our family blog that she just can't control herself looking at. We told her and several of you in Blog Land told her how psycho she was for blog stalking our blog and the comments section of so many of Lois's friend's blogs. You would think the warnings that were being yelled at her from all sides would break her glaring stare at those headlights but NOOOOOOO she continues in her detrimental behavior. Lois has now privatized our family blog and ohhhhh the anguish this is going to cause Krypto. She loves focusing on the lives of others and ignoring her own family. I still vividly remember Krypto sitting on the couch for hours on end watching A Wedding Story and A Baby Story while the kids and I went about our daily lives. I just wonder what shes going to do at work now because we all know it wont be for what shes paid to do. Oh yeah she will continue to stare at those other headlights from all the stepmom blogs that Lois has established any contact with. So for all those of you who this applies to get ready for the continuous glaring stare of Krypto to be on your blogs.
27 February 2008
Crazy Passengers
I was in San Francisco airport waiting for my plane arrive so I could go to work spreading joy and happiness by giving out cokes with a smile. My crew and I are waiting at gate 31 for our plane to pull up to the gate. We were scheduled to work 2:30 flight to San Diego. The 1:00 flight to San Diego was delayed until 2:15 and supposed to go out of gate 31 as well. If you do the math you know that we were not going to leave on time. There was an open gate at gate 21 so they changed our gate assignment from gate 31 to 21. Mass hysteria and pandemonium pursues. People come out of no where asking us whats going on. Ummmm They just said flight 1600 is now going out of gate 21. Hmmmm now the person standing behind that person comes up and says "which gate is 1600 going out of ?" Arggggg gate 21. This happens a few more times before we make our way to gate 21. I guess there hearing doesn't pick up the PA system or it's just my super hearing that allowed me to hear the three announcements that were made about the gate change. We relocate to gate 21 and take our post waiting for our flight to arrive. Out of the corner of my eye I see this elderly man and his wife making a bee line for us(we are in uniform which means please come yell at me). He is in a blue jumpsuit with a bucket hat and a mustard stain on his left cheek. He is carrying two bags and asks why the hell didn't they make an announcement about the gate change. I politely inform grumpy old man that actually they made three announcements. GOM says no they didn't and I politely state again they made three announcements. GOM takes the lords name in vain and states he wants to make a formal complaint because he had to walk all the way down to 31 and then had to walk back to 21. San Francisco doesn't have a PA system that goes throughout the concourse it is only in the gate area. With this information it tells me GOM was not in the gate area and the mustard stain on his cheek and the reeking onion breath indicates GOM was at the deli eating and then went to the gate at the last minute and learned his flight was now going out of a different gate. What GOM thinks is his flight has already left and in reality it still had not arrived at the gate. I had enough of GOM and pointed him in the direction of a gate agent and told him he would take his complaint. It's a good thing GOM didn't sit in my section and during the flight one of my crew members said that GOM hadn't stopped complaining since he got on the flight. All in a day of the life of a flight attendant
24 February 2008
Kal-El goes to school
Lois and I visited yet another college campus and applied for admission. This is the third university I have applied to and definitely Lois's favorite. I have become really excited about going back to college. The past eight years flying around the country has been fun, but if you can imagine flight attendants really don't have to think on the job. It is a job of repetition with the only difference of new passengers on each flight. The only time we have to think on the job is when we are confronted with a drunk , upset or crazy passenger. The only outlet we have to promote brain activity is reading, sudoku, crosswords or talking to your crew. I know what your thinking, what about talking to the passengers. There is a certain limit to the number of times you can answer the questions "Is this your normal route", "How many flights do you typically work a day" or my favorite "Where are you based?" That limit was reached 5 years 163 days ago on a flight between Chicago and St. Louis. If you read this please please never ask a flight attendant these questions. I have truly enjoyed flying for the past eight years and this job will give me the opportunity to go to school full time mon-thur and work full time as well. It has been so long since I have attended college I am starting over from the beginning. I have always regretted not finishing college the first and getting my degree in criminal justice. Hopefully I am older wiser and will be a little more focused the second time around. This time I wont be chasing any wild women around or attending any wild parties. What I do remember about college is how it teaches you to think for yourself and opens your mind to new possibilities. I truly enjoyed going to classes, studying, learning new things and even running across campus to make your next class. I'm actually in better shape this time around so I wont be so winded when I arrive on time instead of late. I still remember the how dare you enter my classroom late look from the same professor each week. This will be one of my greatest challenges and I am so lucky to have Lois beside me, who believes in me and supports me. In the past I have stood beside every one else and supported them. I have been a rock to so many people but in the past the only person I truly had to lean on was my mother and unfortunately she passed away right before I met Lois. Having your mother stand behind you is one thing, but to have your spouse and eternal companion stand behind you (pushing when needed) beside you as your equal and sometimes out in front taking on the evil forces that would bring you down is a definition of what true love, respect, trust and admiration is. I am a better man for knowing Lois and I look forward to taking on new challenges not alone but united with my wife and my best friend.
23 February 2008
Sinister doings of Krypto
Krypto is at it again. Thinking she is hidden behind the defenses of her computer she uses her diabolical ingenuity to blog stalk Lois Lane and all her cyber friends. Krypto is obsessed with the lives of Kal-El and Lois Lane and even risks being caught while at work executing her evil plan. However did she know that Lois and all her cyberfriends know what she's up to and are tracking her every move. Even though Krypto's actions may seem harmless to some, they have affected Lois. To learn that someone who doesn't have your best interest at heart has been stalking you and reading every comment and thought you have left as advise and comfort to those you cherish is to say the least discomforting. What is the point of stalking your ex-husband's new wife and the life she has built is a question many of you might ask? There are no answers that will make sense when you are dealing with some one that is as mentally sick as Krypto. She truly has issues that need to be addressed by professionals. Kal-El has stopped trying to understand Krypto and just waits for the newest plan to unfold. Lois on the other hand struggles with the intrusions Krypto makes into her and Kal-Els life but some day she will come to the same conclusion that Kale-El has. That is to realise that Krypto will continue to behave in this fashion until she seeks the help of a psychologist and receives therapy. Krypto will not change until she realises the destruction she leaves in her path and really wants to change for the good.
22 February 2008
Origins
Kal-el - Husband to Lois Lane. Father to Supergirl and Superboy. Ex-husband to Krypto. Works as a mild mannered flight attendant. Lives in Metropolis. Strong resemblence to Christopher Reeves . Prefers his contacts to wearing his glasses due to the constant comments "You look like Clark Kent." Lives a very active life style that includes snowboarding, hiking, golf, lifting weights and running. He adores Lois Lane and loves her and his children.
Lois Lane - A beautiful short and feisty eternal companion of Kal-El. Stepmother to Supergirl and Superboy. Loves Supergirl and Superboy as if they were her own. Has a strong dislike of Krypto. Lives in Metropolis with Kal-El and also works as a flight attendant. Met Kal-El at work after Kale-Els divorce from Krypto and fell madly in love with him.
Supergirl - Daughter of Kal-El and Krypto. Looks like Kal-El. Loves Kal-El and Lois Lane and wants to live with them in Metropolis. Very tender hearted and tries so hard to please every one. Splits time between Metropolis and Smallville.
Superboy - Son of Kal-El and Krypto. Is very energetic and loves super heroes. He likes splitting time between Metropolis and Smallville. Provides a lot of comedic relief for the family. Loves to watch football and basketball and going to games in Metropolis.
Krypto - Ex wife of Kal-El. Has remarried to Sucker. A financial time bomb, a pathological liar, devious, manipulative and extremely jealous of Kal-El and Lois Lane. Lives in Smallville with Sucker, Superboy, Supergirl and the entrapment child(see Sucker's bio).
Sucker - Married to Krypto. Stepfather to Supergirl and Superboy. Overall a good man that was manipulated into a loveless marriage by the ultimate evil woman's ploy "I'm Pregnant!" Just as he was working on getting back together with his ex wife. His marriage is falling apart due to the same self destructive behavior Krypto had in her marriage to Kal-El.
Lois Lane - A beautiful short and feisty eternal companion of Kal-El. Stepmother to Supergirl and Superboy. Loves Supergirl and Superboy as if they were her own. Has a strong dislike of Krypto. Lives in Metropolis with Kal-El and also works as a flight attendant. Met Kal-El at work after Kale-Els divorce from Krypto and fell madly in love with him.
Supergirl - Daughter of Kal-El and Krypto. Looks like Kal-El. Loves Kal-El and Lois Lane and wants to live with them in Metropolis. Very tender hearted and tries so hard to please every one. Splits time between Metropolis and Smallville.
Superboy - Son of Kal-El and Krypto. Is very energetic and loves super heroes. He likes splitting time between Metropolis and Smallville. Provides a lot of comedic relief for the family. Loves to watch football and basketball and going to games in Metropolis.
Krypto - Ex wife of Kal-El. Has remarried to Sucker. A financial time bomb, a pathological liar, devious, manipulative and extremely jealous of Kal-El and Lois Lane. Lives in Smallville with Sucker, Superboy, Supergirl and the entrapment child(see Sucker's bio).
Sucker - Married to Krypto. Stepfather to Supergirl and Superboy. Overall a good man that was manipulated into a loveless marriage by the ultimate evil woman's ploy "I'm Pregnant!" Just as he was working on getting back together with his ex wife. His marriage is falling apart due to the same self destructive behavior Krypto had in her marriage to Kal-El.
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