You Can't Go Home Again

We drove to Austin on Saturday, to visit both my dad's grave and our old house. The cemetery in Bartlett looked good, and our flowers were still at my dad's headstone. I don't think anyone but me and Jennifer ever go out to visit. I don't understand why no one else makes the trip. I always find it cathartic.

We made the further drive to our old neighborhood in Leander. Our old house looks really good. The young couple we sold it to has taken good care of it. Our flowers and shrubs are still alive, and the flagpole is being used.

The neighborhood on the other hand was a disaster. I'm not sure if it was this bad when we lived there, and we were just used to it, or if it has gotten worse. The yards were in a bad way, cars all over the streets, it just looked like a rundown area.

On arriving back in Mansfield, we drove into our new neighborhood. We immediately felt a sense of belonging. The yards are all clean and freshly mowed, flowers blooming and the houses taken care of.

I realized you can't go home again, but that is really okay. You should always strive to move forward, and sometimes home is actually ahead of you.

And They're Off

I went to the horse races the other night. My company had a party, and provided barbeque and $20 for either drinks or gambling.

I drank the first 6 dollars, a cup of ice and splash of Crown. I can get more alcohol from a bottle of vanilla extract than I did from the $6 Crown, but I digress.

I gambled the rest of the funny money, losing spectacularly on each race I bet. I ended up bored.

I just don't see the allure of gambling on the ponies. Wasting my hard-earned money on the vagaries of some four-legged animals seems the height of insanity. I'm sure you can make money doing it, perhaps even get rich. But the stress of putting your money down on a horse you never heard of, ridden by a jockey you haven't met, overrides any joy from watching them run.

When was the last time you saw a section in your local sports store with hats and t-shirts from the best racing stables in the country?

I prefer to watch and gamble on football. While I am wasting my hard-earned money on the vagaries of 18-22 year-old college students, at least I can wear a cool hat with their logo.

Kids and the Kitchen

Why is it so hard to get your kids to help out around the house? If you ask them to do anything, they act like you are the worst parents in the world.

Jennifer cooked dinner tonight, a wonderful chicken with Marsala glaze, roasted potatoes with onion and green beans. After riding herd on the kids all day, baking a plum cake tatan and then cooking dinner, she is tired.

I worked all day, getting to my office at 6:30 as usual. Work through lunch, fight traffic all the way home, eat Jennifer's wonderful dinner. I'm tired.

We asked Megan to clean the kitchen after dinner, while the cake finished cooking. She looked exasperated, and whined that she wanted to rest for 2 minutes before starting on the kitchen.

10 minutes later, the cake was ready and everyone enjoyed a piece. After we finished, we again asked Megan to clean the kitchen while Jennifer and I bathed Jacob and relaxed. Megan proceeded to whine about how tired she was (having worked very hard all day being 9 years old), too tired to clean the kitchen.

Jennifer and I were fed up, so we sent Megan to bed and took care of the kitchen ourselves.

I don't know what the right answer is in this situation, or how best to get Megan to accept responsibility. I do know that I sure hope Jennifer isn't too tired to cook Megan dinner tomorrow, or wash her clothes.

That would be horrible.

Burnt Orange

I love the Texas Longhorns. I grew up in Austin, and some of my best memories are going to Disch-Faulk field to watch the 'Horns play baseball with my dad. We would sit in the stands, talking about the players and strategy, he taught me to keep score, and how to eat peanuts right from the shell.

In the fall we would sit together at home, watching college football and just hanging out. Winter brought basketball, going to the Erwin Center and catching a Sunday afternoon game.

I lost my dad in '95, and I can't help but think about how much he would have enjoyed the current success of the Longhorns. He wasn't around for the football championship in '05, or the baseball championships in '02 and '05. That would have thrilled him to no end.

As this year's football season draws closer, I think about my dad, and realize he is up in Heaven, watching his 'Horns and doing all he can to help them win.

Talking Toilets

I have hit a new low in disgusting cleanups. A friend of ours stopped by the other day. While they were here, a trip to the bathroom was necessary. I'm sure after they finished, they assumed the flush had cleared everything up.

It hadn't.

The family went to dinner, and when we got back the whole house smelled. Megan (the daughter) came screaming into the family room talking about the toilet overflowing. I went to look at it, and sure enough, there was a surprise.

I worked on the problem for 3 hours, letting some water drain, using the plunger, praying, nothing seemed to work.

Turns out, I don't have the correct plunger for our toilet style. After we picked up a new plunger, everything seemed to work out.

The lesson here is to pick your friends very carefully. Only invite neurotic people who can't use any bathroom but their own to your house.

Musings from the Chair

Why is it that rain only comes the day you water?

Why are pickled vegetables given that name, i.e. pickeled onions, pickled beets, pickled tomatoes, pickled okra, but pickled cucumbers are just called pickles?

Why are dried fruits given that name, i.e. dried apples, dried peaches, dried bananas, but dried grapes are called raisins?

How can you get 8 hours of sleep, but still wake up tired?

Why is it that on the one weekend a year my wife goes out of town, there is no NASCAR race to watch?

Questions without answers, enough to keep you up at night.

Talking Trash

I haven't mentioned it before, but I work for a trash company. When I first interviewed with them, it was more for the experience than anything else. The pay is good, but the thought of working for the trash company was not that appealing.

As it turns out, it's pretty darn interesting. There are a lot more items involved in getting the trash picked up than you would think. Between making sure the drivers show up, the trucks are in running condition, and there is gas in the tank, everything must be planned for.

I truly enjoy my job. I deal with customers, collect money, pay the bills, and make sure we are charging enough for our service. The responsibility is stressful, but at the end of the day the trash is picked up and we make a profit.

That's a good day's work.

Friday

I love Fridays. The joy you feel at the end of the workday, knowing your time belongs to you for the next 2 days, cannot be beat.

Leaving the parking lot turns into a demolition derby, every person trying to get out first, thus starting their freedom as soon as possible.

As I drive home I can't help but plan my weekend, wondering what I will do, or not do. Get home, see the kids, drink a little something, kiss the wife and BAM!, stress relieved.

Enjoy your time while you can, because it only comes around 1 every 7 days.

Sweet Relief

It's raining. This is such a welcome sight during July in Texas. Any chance of rain is latched on to like a 2 for 1 coupon from Taco Bell. The mere thought of moisture falling from the sky is enough to make grownups giddy, dancing and skipping around the house.

The reason? It costs so darn much to water the yard, it is almost the brown grass to save the money. It shouldn't cost more to water your grass than it does to buy a car. But it does. And we pay it, just to enjoy some greenery in the backyard. I'm not sure what is so wrong about making the kids play in a dust bowl, but the wife has spoken.

So I watch the weather report, plead and beg for rain, and then sit on the back porch and watch it come down. Nirvana. Until we get 5 straight days of it in November, then it's complaining about the rain and wishing for some heat and sun.

Sleepovers Rock

My son, 3 1/2 years old, spent the night with his Poppy (grandfather) yesterday. He was so excited. Jay had been asking to have special time with Poppy for weeks. Last night was finally a good time. Jay spent the entire day talking about it. He packed a little suitcase, and was ready to roll.

We dropped him off and he ran to his Poppy's lap. They ate ice cream and watched a movie. Jay got to sleep in the big bed with Poppy. This morning they ate a big breakfast of grapes, pancakes and Kefir.

Times like these make me miss being a child. The utter joy of just spending time with a loved one, looking forward all day to a special event are the memories we recall when reviewing the good times of our lives.

I'm very thankful my kids have the ability to make those memories with their grandfather at this stage of their lives.

Fireworks and BBQ

Happy 4th of July.

This day always takes me back to my childhood. I can distinctly remember being 5 years old, dressed in a batman costume and riding my batman Hotwheel cycle in the neighborhood parade.

That seems to be something we just don't do anymore. Living in the hustle and bustle of a big city (or at least a big city suburb) seems to preclude my neighborhood from doing anything special. I miss the carefree days of my youth when you knew your neighbors, played outside all day long with no worries and planned neighborhood parades and cookouts.

For myself, I am grilling something today for the family, watching fireworks tonight and hoping somehow we can return to a more carefree, simple life.

Hurry Up and Slow Down

Here's what I don't understand. Why is it impossible for people on the road during rush hour to drive courteously? Nobody wants to let anybody in, everybody tailgates, and the lane changing.

I understand you want to get home. So do I. But you're not getting there any faster by not letting people merge off the on-ramp. It seems to me that one of the downfalls of our society today is the lack of common courtesy. Let one person in, then continue on your way. Traffic will flow so much smoother and everybody wins.

Let's get home safely, as quick as possible, and with a little human decency.

Ahhh, July

Is there really anything better than the month of July. We get a day off work, the vacation season is in full swing so there is a lot less traffic on the roads, and the kids are out of school.

The only problem is the heat. Why exactly does it need to be so darn hot? It's not like the heat has any redeeming value to us here in Texas. We don't really need to thaw out from the winter. The only purpose seems to be increasing the profit at the energy company.

Our house (10 years old but new to us in March) turns out to be very energy inefficient. To quote my father, "you are air conditioning the whole neighborhood." I'm keeping the air on 80 constantly, trying to stay ahead of our budget.

Oh well. This heat will pass, and then I can complain about the cost to warm the house when it's 50` outside.

Beauty Secrets

Why is it that women feel the need to smear paste on their faces in the name of beauty?

My daughter and wife decide tonight to put on a mask, proceeding to scare the bejeebers out of me with their ghost white faces. I can't imagine men putting themselves through this. "Hey Bob, pass me that stinkbait, oil and Simply Green mask. My pores are clogged." Never happen. Just another example of the whole Mars and Venus argument.

Women are odd.

Welcome to my world

Hey y'all. Welcome to my world. As a happily married dad, and accountant, my days and nights run pretty full. My goal is to use this blog as a way to clear my head, pass on some wisdom, and hopefully bring some joy and laughter to people.

Kick back in your favorite chair, relax, and join me on my travels through this crazy world.