My choice has been confirmed!

It's 2 days past election day.  It's no secret to my friends and family and the 2 readers of my blog that I am NOT a Trump fan.  Haven't been since day 1.  I was one of those that knew, KNEW, with every fiber of my being that the Republicans wouldn't be stupid enough to give him the nomination. 

Well, Republicans were stupid enough. 

Then, I knew that AMERICA, wouldn't be stupid enough to elect him president.  I mean, I knew how deeply the hatred of Hillary ran.  But, certainly we could put that hatred aside knowing that we would be electing a dangerous narcissist.  Remember how much grief we gave Hillary for NOT leaving her cheating, womanizing husband???  HAHAHA!  Of course we're not going to elect this serial adulterer!  A man accused of abusing multiple women.  HAHAHA!!  Of course we're not THAT dumb!!!

We're that dumb. 

Now, here we are...4 years later.  Everything I worried about has come true.  Our allies laugh at us.  Our enemies have been emboldened.  Chaos rules the streets.  Oh, but don't worry...the chaos is only those black people complaining about cops.  Don't worry about those thugs.  If they would just stop committing crimes, they wouldn't get shot. ALL LIVES MATTER!

Oh...and, spending is at record highs, too. 

And now, the election has come and gone!  And the winner is....WE DON'T KNOW!!!

We don't know because, still, almost half of the country is ok with this guy.  Over half the country doesn't care about 530+ children orphaned by the United States.  Over half of the country thinks 235k and rising deaths of Covid-19 is an acceptable number.  Over half of the country doesn't mind the constant lies, the hypocrisy or the fact that he's been undermining our American elections system for months.  

But, Americans aren't dumb enough to fall for that, right?  They know that there has been no evidence of widespread vote tampering, right?  That any fraud or error from mail in voting has actually been less than fraud or error from in person voting?  They know because they read, right?  

Yeeah, no...they don't.  Votes are still being counted in most states.  5 states have yet to be called by the news, much less be certified by the respective states.  Yes, our Dear Leader has declared victory.  And, his mob has agreed.  They are trying to storm polling places.  They are taking videos of their lemming friends INSISTING that their vote was tampered with.  And, people are eating it up.  

This, my friends, is what Fascism looks like.

The good news is, the data is trending in a direction that should kick this ass to the curb.  But, we know that won't be the end of it.  He's already suing. And, he's not suing to contest results.  He's suing to STOP COUNTING.  Let's flash back to 2000.  The counts all happened, then the recounts.  THAT'S when the lawsuits happened.  After counting.  This is unprecedented.  He is literally suing to disenfranchise voters. This is disgustingly unAmerican.  

I want this to be over.  

Oh...and I deleted my Facebook page.  More on that later. 

  

School or no school

So...Covid sucks.  Let's just get that out of the way. 

It's August.  School starts for my kids just after Labor Day.  So, we have about a month left.  Last we heard from OLG is that they plan to be in school IN PERSON.  I love this idea!  And, I am terrified of this idea!  

The whole open schools or not arguement...this is the bloody Kobayashi Maru.  It's freakin' Sophie's Choice.  It's Trump vs Clinton.

In other words...it's a no-win situation. 

Kim and I are pretty realistic about this whole Covid thing.  We follow the rules.  When we were told to stay home, we stayed home.  When we were told we could go out but we should wear masks, we listened...we went out and we wore masks.  We're in a place where we like that things are opening up, but we really wish people would stop being stupid and selfish.  So much of this can be controlled if people would think less about themselves and start considering those around them.  Why do we feel this way?  Because the doctors and scientists have told us to and I accept that they are much smarter than me.  

Back to schools.  

When they first started saying they would open the schools, it looked like things were improving.  But, then summer hit.  And people went to the beach or to rallys or protests or parties.  IE: people were dumb.  And, Covid went back up.  So, schools are now talking about sticking to virual learning. 

Virtual Learning is absolutely NOT as good for most kids as in person learning.  Certainly not for my kid.  It's hard to keep him on task, he tends to distract me from the work I need to do, and I am a horrible teacher as I don't know how to do this stupid hippie math they teach, now.  I absulutely do NOT want to do what we did the last trimester of last year.  

So, send them to school, right???   Right????

Well, no...not necessarily.  

Because we are still in a pandemic. 

The average age of a teacher in the US is 42.  The median is 41.  This means that 50% of teachers are over 40.  Many are teaching in to their 60s.  And...kids are germ factories.  These little bastards are carrying every germ known to man and many that aren't.  They don't show symptoms like adults.  That doesn't mean they don't wipe their boogers on their hand and then wipe that hand on something that someone else will touch.  That doesn't mean they won't cough and send their spit flying 100 feet towards the teachers desk.   

I feel pretty confident that, at some point, I am going to catch Covid-19 (actually...want to know a secret?  I actually think I already had it.  In the very early days.  But, it was before we knew it was a thing in the US, so we weren't testing).  It's out.  It's coming.  But, I am being pretty safe and taking precautions to ensure I don't pass it on.  I am a loyal mask wearer.  I wash my hands.  I don't shake hands or hug (This is actually great for me because I don't like touching people).  But...if Desmond gets it and is sitting at school with 25 classmates talking about Fortnite and forgetting to distance...what if one of them catches it and takes it home to their family?  What if one of his friends gives it to Grandpa?  What if one of the teachers gets infected?  That would be absolutely tragic. 

Desmond is a smart kid...I think he can handle the mask and the social distancing.  But, he's also going into 6th grade.  How the heck do you get a Kindergarter to wear a mask all day????  Don't worry, I will answer that for you.  YOU DON'T!  Masks will be slingshots, projectiles, napkins.  They'll be everything but a protective shield to keep germs from spreading.  

See...no win.  

What's the solution?  I have know f**king clue.  I'm a recruiter.  I hire software engineers.  This is why I look to the professionals and I choose to trust.  I trust the doctors and scientists to tell us what they know and offer suggestions.  And, I trust my kids' principals and teachers to have the best interests of the kids and staff at heart.  If that means we have to go all virtual, then (MOTHER EFFING SON OF A BERCHING ASS BUTT STUPID FACE) we will do all virtual.  If it means all in person, great...we will be ready with masks and sanitiser and anything needed to keep people as safe as possible.  If it's a hybrid, ok...we'll figure that out too.  None of this is normal. All of this is new.  And, we're all in in together.  

2020 sucks balls.  Sign me up for that vaccine trial! 

Maybe if we all have Principals like Dr. Lee here, we'll be good to go!  

Black Lives Matter

There's a ton going on at the moment. I have a couple posts that have been sitting in draft. The one about quarantine. The one about my wife losing her job, recently. But, I haven't posted them yet because, each time I write one, something else happens and makes the previous thing seem so minor.

So, I am going to take this spot in my blog to talk about Black Lives Matter and everything happening in our world after the murder of George Floyd. Now, this is my blog, so I am going to be upfront about it, like I normally am. And, like I normally am, I am probably going to wallow somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. The place where neither side thinks I am taking the right stand. Oh well...such is the life of a true Centerist, I guess.

I'll start with George. Did you watch the video? If you didn't, you need to. It's hard. But, especially for those that are talking about how "he was on drugs" or "he shouldn't have been breaking the law," go watch the video. Because, you know what...I don't give a shit about anything else. He did not deserve to die. Full stop right there. He did not deserve to die. He was unarmed and he was cooperating. He was handcuffed behind his back while being held to the ground on his stomach. The man was restrained. There is no way to argue this point...George Floyd was murdered. Did you watch the video, yet? Did you watch the part where he calls for his mother? Maybe your heart wasn't touched when he begged for water or told the cop he couldn't breathe. But, then, as he's dying, he cries for his mother. If you are a parent and that doesn't move you, I question your humanity. No, really.

Now, before I get into the protests, let's pause for a moment. George was the catalyst. For everyone talking about how he's not a hero or how you don't "support" George Floyd. Let's not forget the other murders that have happened in the last few months. Breonna Taylor was shot by police while sleeping in her own apartment. Turns out they served a warrant on the wrong home. Let's also remember Ahmaud Arbery, shot by 3 rednecks while going for a jog.

And now, people are protesting. I am going to split this part up into 2 seconds. I'll start with the protests, then I will talk about the riots. Because...they are most definitely 2 different things.

The protests.

Protesting is not my bag. I don't really like crowds, so I don't typically go to protests. But, let's get one thing clear...the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed in the 1st Amendment. It's right up there with Speech and Religion and it comes BEFORE the beloved 2nd Amendment Republicans are always crying about. And yet, for the last 2 weeks, we have seen peaceful protests broken up by police in riot gear, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets and arresting people for simply being there. This isn't a media narrative, folks. Watch the videos from people on the ground. Jump onto YouTube or Reddit. This stuff is raw and real. Crowds are chanting, yelling, waving signs...doing nothing violent. Then...BAM...flash grenade. BAM...tear gas. Now, we're hearing calls for "Defund the Police!" I'll get to that in a second. But, it's easy to understand when we see what is being done to Americans practicing their Constitutional rights.

Now...the riots.

Riots suck. And, the riots are being led by fringe groups, not the protesters. And, I know this is hard for a lot of people to hear, but most of the riots are being started by white people. Whether it's Antifa or White Supremacists doesn't really matter. What it comes down to is that they are not being started by the same people that are leading these protests.  Then, we all jump on our social media pages to tell protesters they are doing it wrong.

Let me quickly touch on Defund the Police. This is a horrible motto. I get it. In no way to I support Defunding the Police. In the last couple of days, I have learned that Defund the Police doesn't actually mean abolish police departments (although, granted...nutjobs like AOC say it does). Defund the Police is about reallocating funds. So, instead of buying a new tank for the PD, maybe invest in mental health or community organization. Instead of 100 more AR-15s, maybe hire some more social workers to check in on our lower income, more at risk communities. Defund the Police is the wrong term and they need to stop using it. Because, DEFUND means...well, Defund. It doesn't mean, Keep Funding, but spread the money around differently. So, I am not onboard with Defunding the Police. But, I will keep listening to this conversation. Because, I don't think the PD needs another armored vehicle.

Here's where I have been impacted personally in all this. I have always said, "It's not people like me that are the problem." I've tried my best to take a step back and really examine where I fit in all this. Granted, I would not consider myself racist and I suspect (hope?) my friends wouldn't, either. But, I have come to acknowledge White Privilege. I hate this phrase. Even today. But, 4 weeks ago I hated it because my ancestors never had slaves. I have never stood in the way of a black person reaching their goals. Yes...I've told some black jokes here and there, but only the tasteful ones! After all, as I learned from Avenue Q, "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist."

But, today, I hate it for a different reason.  Because I had a come to Jesus moment and realized it's real.  Maybe I haven't directly affected the life of a person of color in a racist way. Maybe. But, I have come to acknowledge that I have not had to face the same hurdles as my neighbors of color. I've been pulled over 4 times in my lifetime. I heard the story of a friend who was pulled over 15 times in one year. I have never been in the back of a police car. Recently, a friend shared a story of how her black son was put in one when he was 10 for throwing rocks across the street from his house. A 10 year old boy put in the back of a police car without his parents around. I don't get watched by security in the store.  I can walk down the street in a hoodie at night.  My parents and their parents and their parents chose their lives and the lives of their children.  Can the same be said for my black friends?  How far back do they have to go to find an ancestor who was kidnapped?

I watched the video of Philando Castile's girlfriend and 4 year old daughter in the back of a police car after Philando was shot by police. The girlfriend is crying and screaming and her daughter, 4 years old, says to her, "Momma, please stop cussing and screaming...I don't want you to get shooted." 4...Fucking...Years old. Seriously...I am tearing up as I remember this.

Look...I am not anti-cop. Not even a little bit. There seems to be this notion that support of BLM makes one anti-cop. I'm not. You have to be a truly special person to be a police officer. You put your life on the line every day. You don't know what might come from a traffic stop or a domestic violence call or anything on any given day. However, it also takes a special person to know that killing people should almost NEVER been an option. We're training our cops to learn how to live with the taking of a life. We're training them on how to do this long before they have to pull their gun on someone. We're sending them into unknown circumstances, putting an enormous amount of stress on them, and then given them no resources to cope with this stress. Is it really surprising that 40% of police families experience domestic violence? Going back to the poorly labeled "Defund the Police," maybe it is time to spend less money on guns and more money on a precinct shrink that all officers are required to visit on a monthly (or more) basis.  And, if there are cops that are saying, "I don't need a shrink!" well...maybe these are the cops that should consider a different profession.  Because, I feel like anyone that is legally allowed to pull their gun on another human being should be mentally competent to do so.  Perhaps, instead of 100k more new cops, we train the ones we have to be excellent humans, excellent de-escalators and make sure they are VERY well supported.  As well as held accountable.

If you've gotten this far in my post, you're committed!  So, I would like to offer up a challenge to those of you (you know who you are) who still prefer to post about the white guy that died in a similar manner to George Floyd (what about him???) or about black on black crime or "All Lives Matter" or some other "What about us," stuff.  Here's my challenge.  Learn about our shared history.  Truly learn about it.  You don't have to read "White Fragility."  I'm not reading it.  Not because I don't think there's probably a lot of great info in there.  But, because I suck at reading non-fiction.  But, there are so many other things you can do.  Watch 13th on Netflix.  It's eye opening.  Learn about our American heritage outside of "Abe Lincoln freed the slaves."  Because there is so so much more.  Heck, even this episode of "Last Week Tonight" is enlightening.  Especially the woman at the end.  Don't write her off as just another "angry black woman."  Her last line took my breath away.  And, I mean literally.  Because, when you truly think about how we, as a nation, have treated our citizens of color...my dear God, we deserve what's happening.  I'm not pointing to you or you or you.  I am pointing to us...The United States of America.  Land of the Free...ish. 

I'll leave with a couple final thoughts that I had, recently.  Did you know that, only a month ago, a woman named Irene Triplett died.  She was the last person still collecting a Civil War pension check from the US Government.  The Civil War happened a million years ago...or did it?  It's much closer to us than we realize.  Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in 1968, within our parents' lifetimes.  Rodney King was beaten in 1991, in our life time.

Oh, and only a few weeks ago, a black man was killed while taking a jog.

Conversation Pieces - Penises

Ok...this post is a little PG-13.  So, if you are offended by the word PENIS...stop reading now.


The scene: Early Evening.  I am in the shower.  The bathroom door is a sliding barn door.  It does not lock.  Owen barges in...a common occurrence.

Owen: "Daddy has penis!

Me:  "Yup...I do.  Now, get out."

Owen:  "I have penis, too!"

Me: "Yup...we both have penises.  We are both boys.  Now, leave."

Owen:  "I have little penis."

Me:  "...."

Owen: "Daddy has *in a deep voice* BIG PENIS!"

Me: "Yup.  Agreed.  Go tell your mom."

via GIPHY

2019 highlights!

Life, as always, was very blessed in 2019.  Here are some highlights!!

January

Nothing really happened in January.  So, here's a picture of Owen with his Moses stick. 

February

Kimmy and I took kidless vacation.  A 10! day cruise of the Caribbean. I hope we can do it again sometime.  I love this woman!  

March

Desmond's 4th Grade Volleyball team finished the season UNDEFEATED! 

And, I got to finally see my Zags play in the NCAA tournament!  They won the first game but lost the second.  Oh, well...there's always THIS YEAR!

April

Owen befriended the neighborhood squirrels.

We visited the parental units and said goodbye to a Lake Havasu landmark.

May

I joined a Beach Volleyball team!  We got our asses kicked by 20somethings.  But, we had a great time!  And, I didn't die! 

Kimmy got to meet Laura, one of my 13 favorite cousins!!!

Lots of visitors this month as we had 3 grandparents here at once!

June

Desmond's school choir got to sing the National Anthem at a Mariners Game. 

Which meant Owen got to attend his very first pro ball game!

July

Desmond completed one of his biggest Lego sets...an award from Dad and Bonus Mom for finishing the year with Straight As

He also performed as one of the Sailors in a summer production of Mary Poppins. 

In the meantime, Owen found his own performance style. 

August

Kim and I split up to tackle 2 sets of Grandparents.  Kim and Owen went to visit G&G Romine. 

And Desmond and I went to went to Lake Havasu to visit G&G Pankow where I proceeded to take zero pictures of the Grandparents, apparently. 

AND...Desmond and I got to schmooz with Weird Al!

We wrapped up the month by taking the boys and Desmond's BFF to Great Wolf Lodge.

September

I left my job at Google and started a new role at Alaska Airlines.  But, we had to hit the Google arcade one last time. 

(Desmond is still unhappy with my decision)

The boys started the new school year!

Kim finally partook in my Seahawks season tickets!

We made a bunch of new friends while drinking and raising money for Providence Mt. Saint Vincent. 

(That guy waving...his name is Kevin!  Actually, it isn't.  But, that's what I called him all night.)

And...Desmond and I climbed the Space Needle for the 2nd time raising $1300 for Fred Hutch!

October

Check out our super cute family photos!

November

Kimmy took me to my favorite sushi place for my birthday (it's becoming a tradition)

And she ate squid. :-) 

Owen got promoted to "Big Boy Bed!"

Desmond and the 5th Graders at OLG got to host Grandma and many others at the Over 65 luncheon. 

And Desmond learned to do Improv!

December

Owen started soccer at Lil Kickers with his school buddy, Scarlett

We got this crazy dog! 

Desmond and I took a big boys trip to Disneyland. 

And Desmond FINALLY went down Splash Mountain!!!

(I told him there would be a camera so he had to make a great face.  After I saw the picture, I asked, "Was that face your fake pose or was that real terror?"  He said, "Maybe a little of both.")

And...we did Christmas in our matching jammies. 

All in all, a good year!  Sure, the Mariners are still terrible, the Game of Thrones finale was a huge letdown and Jennifer Lawrence has still not returned any of my phone calls.  But, damn...I love this little family of mine.  

Peace be with you!  Let's go nail 2020!!! 

What kind of year will 2020 be?

I am curious about this year.  I try to begin each year with a sense of optimism.  It's a new chapter!  We are free to write whatever we want into it.

This year feels different.  I'm not saying I am not optimistic.  Maybe cautious is the better word.  Certainly curious.

I think back to 2016 when Trump was elected (yes...this will probably get a bit political).  Prior to that, we all thought things were bad.  Remember how much everyone hated George W. Bush???  "WORST PRESIDENT EVER" shouted liberal ignoramuses.

Then Barack Obama shows up.  I didn't vote for him either time.  But, you know what...he was fine.  Obviously, I don't share the same political belief system.  But, I think I share many other things.  We're both dads, we love our families, we want to do what's right for others.

And, while he was there...all the schmucks on the right, the folks that got tired of hearing about how stupid they were for supporting President Bush, the fought back.  And, their volleys were weak.  He wants to take away your guns (he didn't)!  He supports infanticide (he doesn't)!  He's a Socialist (he's not)!  Different words, said in the same tone as those that proceeded them.

And then...Trump v Clinton.  Idiot vs Idiot.  On one hand, you had a woman anointed to be President.  Why?  I will never understand.  Apparently, she was the most qualified candidate ever to some people.  I'm not sure why.  Because she was Secretary of State?  A First Lady?  Those are better than a Governor or Vice President or Reality TV star?

Speaking of Reality TV stars...how in the same of Judas H. Priest did Trump get the Republican nomination????  This is where I struggle the most.  I understand why he beat Hillary (I really do...many folks disagree with me, but it's not because of any of the reasons the far left likes to claim).  How did politically active Republicans rally behind this stupid, ignorant, bully???

He speaks his mind!  What does that even mean?  He lobs insults.  Is that what speaking your mind means?

He's a successful businessman!  No he's not...he's filed for bankruptcy multiple times.  He has more failed businesses than successful businesses.

He's not Hillary!  Ahh...see, there we have something.

Anyway, I digress.

Things have done nothing but get worse since 2016.  Democrats have had the opportunity to convince people like me, people who lean right, but HATE the fact that Trump is President, that they can do better.  Instead...what have I heard?

Voting rights for felons! (Bernie)
Tax payer funded sex changes for prisoners (Elizabeth)
Abortion rights for Transgender women...who can't even get pregnant! (Andrew Yang)

Not to mention the MOBS.  MOBS and MOBS of social justice warriors.  People who think that, if you don't agree with them, you have no right to be heard!  People who look for safe spaces...a place where they are protected from hearing views they don't agree with.

Seattle reelects it's entire FAR left city council basically ensuring that nothing will chance in our problem riddled city.

JK Rowling, darling of many for social issues, gets hate bombed after standing up for a woman who voiced her opinion.

One day, at work, I was in a 1:1 meeting with a co-worker.  She wore a pin that said, "I Stand With Planned Parenthood."  At work.  Nobody commented.  I didn't comment.  Imagine if I had worn a pin that said, "Defund Planned Parenthood."  I wonder if I would have received different reactions.

Anyway...I'm ranting.  I'm not really looking forward to 2020...not from a world perspective at least.  Friendships will end over this upcoming election.  Here's where I stand, in case you wonder:

I will NOT vote for Trump.  I am a NEVER TRUMPER!  I always will be.  He will never receive my vote, ever.

But, that does not mean I will vote Democrat.  And, anyone that tells me that this is simply a vote from Trump, you can suck an egg.  I should not be required to vote against my political conscience just because you say so.  I did that in 2016 when I held my nose and voted for Hillary.  It didn't work.  I won't do it again.  If you want me to vote Democrat, give me a candidate I can vote for.

I will NOT vote for Bernie or Elizabeth.  They are Socialists...Bernie even admits it.
I might vote for Amy Kobuchar or Tulsi Gabbard.  I actually really liked Tulsi for a bit.  But, now there is just something off about her for me.  She's up to something.  Kobuchar, I admittedly don't know much about.  But, I liked her last debate performance.

I will vote for Mayor Pete.  We have a lot of differences.  But, to me, he's similar to Obama.  I think he's a good man that will strive to do the right thing.  We're gonna disagree a lot.  But, at least he'll bring some honor back to the Oval Office.

I will for for Biden.  The Devil you Know.  We know what we'll get with Biden.  And, given his age and the crap he and his family are going through, maybe he'll bow out after 1 term.

Now...here is my prediction.

Trump wins against Bernie and Warren.
Trump wins against Mayor Pete because the country isn't ready for a gay President
Tulsi won't win the nomination, but I predict she would beat Trump.  Democrats don't have another choice.  And the middle and many Republicans cast a vote against Trump (maybe this is actually what she's up to).

Biden beats Trump.  Because we know what we're getting.  We also know what we're getting with Trump.  But, that's a mess.  We need to fix it.  Biden can at least be a band-aid.

That's all I got.  Just wanted to rant a second.  God help us in 2020.


(PS...personally, I have a great 2020 lined up, in case you wondered!)

If you don't love Baby Yoda, you are dead to me!

I hope everyone is watching The Madalorian.  You don't even have to be a Star Wars fun.  Just watch it for one thing:  Baby Yoda.

I've been saying for a while, Baby Yoda = Owen Francis.  He doesn't listen, he's a bit sassy, and he's really damn cute.

I've been loving the fan made movies involving Baby Yoda.  Here's one that I just found that is AMAZING and TOTALLY Owen Francis.

Enjoy.

Check out this dog

So...we did something I wondered if we would ever do.  We got a freakin' dog!!!

Allow me to introduce to you...Bernadette Peters Pankow!

Here's the story.

Everyone knows that Quincy Pants was my boy.  I won't lie...I still miss that dog.  But, let's be real.  Blind, deaf, allergic to humans...he was high maintenance.  So, when he passed away, not only did I need time to mourn my best buddy...but, we needed a break.

Also, there's the little fact that dogs are messy and my wife is a neat freak.

It's been at least a year, probably a bit more, that I have been not-so-subtlety hinting that I would like to get a new pup.  Desmond, as well, has been asking when the time will come.  And Owen...well, this kid LOVES puppies.

I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but at some point, Kim started expressing an interest in Doodle breeds.  Now...I have never really liked Doodles.  I don't like the course fur (but, the no-shedding is a major plus for Kim) nor do I like how trendy they are.  Everyone, nowadays, is getting a Doodle of some kind.  Labradoodle, Sheepidoodle, Cockadoodle (that's a cockapoo/Poodle mix), the list goes on.  However...as I said to her, if it gets me a dog, I can learn to love a doodle.

Then, she introduces me (Kim introduces me...I didn't find this) to the Bernedoodle.  A Bernese Mountain Dog/Poodle mix.  I love the Bernese.  Big, fluffy, smart, etc.  We have some friends that have one and I think the dog is amazing.  Kim shows me this Bernedoodle breed and I am intrigued.

Oh...she also starts following, like, 27 breeders.

On a couple occasions, she would say to me, "OMG, Look at this puppy!  I want her!"  But, it was never the right time.  We have a 2 and a half year old who STILL doesn't sleep in his own bed all night.

But then...something changed.  Kim shows me this picture:

Along with a caption about how this sweet girl is the last left in her litter.  Kimmy must have thought she was lonely or something.  Because we decided to go meet the breeder.  But, we weren't going to get a dog.  I am going out of town this weekend, we have Christmas, we still have a toddler and we're going on vacation in the spring.  Let's just go, meet the breeder, see the dogs and maybe get on the list for a spring litter.

Yeah...that didn't happen.

We got there and there is this little furball.  Very quiet.  The breeder said nobody wanted her because she was so quiet.  They thought there was something wrong with her.  Kim, however, LOVES the idea of a quiet dog.

So...somehow, we brought a dog home.

And she is SUPER SWEET!  She's very shy.  We finally heard her bark last night (about 32 hours later) when she didn't want to be crated.  She is a cuddle bug!  She's still getting to know us a bit.  And nighttime is hard (she wants to play at 2 AM), but we'll get there.  She's really good at going potty outside (which is amazing!)  Now we just need to get her crate trained and sleeping through the night.

Anyway...my Instagram followers should expect a lot of puppy photos in the near future.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

So...I love Thanksgiving!  And, it's not just because of the food...even though I LOVE food.  Like, love it.  When I think of Thanksgiving, "Feed Me, Seymore" immediately pops into my head.

No...I love Thanksgiving because I am truly grateful for so much.  So, so much.

I am grateful for my parents.  A couple working folks who never made a ton of money but still managed to support me through 12 years of school, band, drama, and then help me go to a very expensive and life changing college.  My mom and dad are easily the biggest reason I am who and where I am, today. 

I am grateful for my wife.  She picked up a broken guy (more broken than I probably let on when we started dating) and made me her husband.  She lifts me up with her smiles, her encouragement and her daily love.  She fuels me every day and I don't thank her nearly as much as I should.

I am thankful for my boys.  Desmond and Owen...the reasons I do anything.  I have been blessed with boys who make me remarkably proud.  I hope I can be a worthy dad to both of them.

I am grateful for my friends.  Some of my very best friends have no reason for being in my life.  It just kinda happened.  And, I can't imagine life without you. 

I am grateful for OLG...our church/school community.  I know that if I ever found myself down and out, you would pick me up.  Just because we're part of the same community. 

I am grateful for my education...I called Gonzaga life changing.  For me, that is a true statement.  My path changed while I was there.  At the time, it might not have been obvious.  But, today...I still reflect on many of the things I learned there.  Mostly, things that, I believe, make me a better human and (hopefully) bring me closer to God. 

I am grateful for my career.  I love what I do.  Work isn't just a job for me.  I genuinely enjoy it.  I help change peoples' lives...hopefully for the better.  And, that makes me happy.

I am thankful for life.  Sometimes, it's hard.  Sometimes, it's lonely.  But, every single day, it is blessed.  And, I am grateful.

I am thankful for you...the person reading this.  Because, you care enough to read my blog!  I don't post nearly as much as I used to.  But, you're still here!  And, I appreciate that!  Thank you for reading.

Happy Thanksgiving!  God Bless you and your family!  If you receive even a fraction of the blessings I have, you will be living a wonderful life! 

Let's talk about Mr. Owen

So...I was sitting around recently, reflecting on, I don't know...my reflection, when I realized something:  Owen Francis has really gotten the shaft when it comes to my blog.  When Desmond was born, I was blogging all the time about him.  Oooh, he rolled over!  Ooooh...something about poop.  Oooh...look how cute he is when he burps.

But, Owen hasn't gotten that treatment.  It's not because he's not awesome...it's because I am older and much more tired.

So, I would like to take a moment to talk about my 2nd born...my youngest.  Mr. Owen Francis.

1. Owen is Sassy!  He is the kid that will look at you before he messes with the remote control just to make sure you see what he's doing.  Then...when to try to take it away, he will run away!!!  And...he's make sure to quickly put something between you and him (like the couch or coffee table) to make it even harder to catch him. 
2. He is a daredevil.  He loves to climb.  Forget the kiddie playground at the park.  He wants the big kid set.  AND...he wants to get to the top of this set via the rock climbing wall, not the stairs.  He will climb anything...beds, chairs, fireplaces, shelves, rocks...you name it.  You can't take your eyes off of him. 
3. He is a sweetheart!  Teacher Cory at school says he's the sweetest boy she's met.  And, we see that from him often.  If a friend falls, he makes sure they're ok.  If he hears you bonk something or drop something, "You ok, Daddy?"  
4. Did I mention he's sassy?  He has this new thing at night.  Often, he refuses to give me a kiss goodnight.  That's fine...I'm not going to force him.  However, lately, he WILL give me a kiss!!!  And then he will promptly wipe it off and laugh as he runs away.  
5. He's smart!  He's a lot like Desmond in this way.  I'm not sure how much is genetic (I mean, I am a genius) and how much is his amazing school.  But, he's a chatterbox!  And, he's quick to learn things.  Although...he's slow to learn his colors.  Everything is green.  But, he'll get there.  
6. He loves music!!!  LOVES it!  He got a ukulele for Christmas.  He calls it his Suzanne, after the music teacher at his school.  He will frequently sings songs while we drive to school in the morning.  And, he'll make radio requests.  "Let it Go" and "We Know the Way" from Moana are current favorites.  
7. He's sassy.  I taught him "Got your nose."  Only, when he takes my nose, he doesn't put it on his own face or in his pocket.  No...he throws my nose across the room and then proceeds to laugh manically.  
8. He adores his big brother.  And (usually) Desmond adores him back.  I saw usually because Desmond is a tween.  He can often be moody, lately.  And, sometimes, having a toddler following you around and demanding all of your attention can be annoying (heck...I'm 41 and it can be annoying).  But, when Desmond is on, he is the greatest big brother in the world!  They play really well together.  And, I have never heard either of them laugh as hard as they do when they are goofing off.  
9. He's a mama's boy.  We're talking stage 4 clinger, sometimes.  If mommy is around, he needs to be right next to her.  Unless of course, Daddy is throwing him in the air or brother is paying balloons with him or daddy is chasing him around the back yard or brother is playing "baby catcher" with him.  But, as soon as those things stop...MOMMY!!!!   Kim, of course, loves it...until she doesn't.  You know...about that moment when she realizes, Hey...it's actually easy to walk and talk and do real things when I don't have another appendage that needs attention.  
10. He's sassy.  Did I say that already???

Anway...Opie, man.  He keeps us on our toes.  He's pretty fantastic.  Parenting at 40 is much more tiring than parenting at 30.  But, if I'm gonna be tired, I glad it because of this guy. 

Jason gets religious - reflecting on the humanity of Jesus

So...this is going to be a religious post.  If you don't like reading about Jesus or about what one thinks about Jesus, stop here.  I'm not here to proselytize...my goal is not to convert people with my blog.  Just reflections from a dude like me.

I've upped my prayer game during this Lent.  I mentioned in my last post that I am trying to pray more.  It's been nice.  Life has been trying at times, recently.  Don't take that last sentence wrong.  My life is still great and feel very lucky.  Still...it's thrown some challenges our way.  And, as any human being, I often ask Why.  Boo hoo...why me?

When I think about Jesus I have a million questions.  One of the biggest ones is Why?

I have 2 sons.  I don't love anyone enough to sacrifice my sons.  Nobody.  So, I often ask why would any father "send his only son" to be tortured to death for someone else.  Especially a bunch of rather ungrateful idiots who have continued to kill each other and the home they were given.

Why would God, who created the universe and who made the choice to close heaven to those he created, need to send his Son?

I don't have an answer to that question, still.  The why Jesus needed to die question.  But, I have come to terms with why Jesus was sent.  Because God needed to be human.

It may be odd, but I find my faith strengthened by Jesus Christ: Superstar!  It's one of my favorite shows!  Not only for the ridiculous voices it brings out.  But, I often like to say that I found my faith when I questioned it.  This show likes to ask a lot of the same questions I have.  "If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation.  Isreal in 4 BC had no mass communication."  "Buddha was he where you're at, was he where you are?  Could Mohammed move a mountain or was that just PR?"  Many people find this sacrilegious.  For me, it's spiritual.

Anyway, the song "Gethsemane" jumped out at me, today.



When I was younger, I thought this song was a bit whiney.  Jesus is God.  Why is he complaining so much?  Well, he's not complaining.  He's scared!  He's sad.  He's about to go through a hugely painful ordeal and death.  And for what????  Will his message even live on, after this???  Everything he's done...will any of it matter?

And...he's pissed.  "Why then am I scared to finish, what I started...what you started.  I didn't start it!"

I love this song.  This song helps me relate to Jesus.  Thanks, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber!!

Because God was human, we can better relate to Him.  When I am sad, as I pray, I remember that God was sad.  When I am angry, I remember that God was angry.  If I ask why...I can remember that God also asked Why.

And, even though God was sad, angry, frustrated, scared, whatever...one thing stayed the same.  God Loved.  God loves us so much.  God created us, yes.  But, then he walked as one of us.  He went through everything we go through and he did it all for us.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.

Ok, that's all.  I'll post some baby pictures or complain about politics just to get back to normalcy around this blog.

Time to be jealous of me...I met Werid Al!

Ok...because you deserve it...I am going to complete this post.  Enjoy!

_________


I have been to many concerts.  Some better than others.  But, only two have brought tears to my eyes.

The first...Sir Paul McCartney.  It was unexpected.  I was excited to see him, sure.  But, 30 seconds into his first song (8 Days a Week), I had an epiphany.  I was singing a Beatles song WITH A BEATLE!  It gave me the cries. 

The second...2 weeks ago.  When I saw Weird Al Yankovic! 

Now...don't get me wrong.  I am not comparing Weird Al to Paul McCartney.  Weird Al is definitely better than Paul McCartney. 

Ok, I jest.  However, Weird Al has easily been the most constant artist in my life since I was about 8 years old.  That's when my dad handed me a cassette tape (remember those?).  I'm not sure where he got it, but it was not an original album...it was recorded from another tape.  On one side was the Greatest Hits of Blondie.  On the other was the Album "Dare to Be Stupid" by Weird Al.  Notable songs on this album are "Like a Surgeon" a parody of "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, "Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch" a parody of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cindy Lauper, and "Yoda" a parody of "Lola" by some band. 

Not as famous on the album, but songs I still loved were Weird Al originals!  The song "Dare to Be Stupid", "Slime Creatures from Outer Space" and "One More Minute."

In 1988, I got my first actual, original album.  Even Worse.  With songs like Fat, from Bad by Michael Jackson, "I Think I'm a Clone Now" from "I Think We're Alone Now" made famous by Tiffany (remember her?), and "Lasagna" from "La Bamba."  Not to mention "Melanie" and "Stuck In a Closet With Vanna White", a couple of my favorite Weird Al Originals.

Speaking of originals...most people know Weird Al for his parodies.  But, he actually has an entire collection of originals!  Typically, at least half of the songs on any given album are original songs by Weird Al.  These were never on the radio (that I know of) and rarely received a music video treatment (Dare to Be Stupid being the only exception I can think of off the top of my head...at least until his most recent album in which he did videos for almost all of the songs).

However, this particular Weird Al concert was ONLY Weird Al originals.  He and his band sat on stools, Unplugged Style and played 2 hours worth of Weird Al original songs.  As a person who has LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the likes of "Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" and "My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder" and "Hardware Store" even more than I loved "Eat it" or "White and Nerdy," this was an amazing concert for me.

Yes, yes...I know I am geeking out here.  But, seriously...this is 3 decades of music that I have loved.
And, to top it all off...my homie Andy and I were able to meet Weird Al after the show.  I mean, it was a total formal session.  Get in, say Hi, get your picture and autograph and get out.  But, during that 20 seconds, I was able to shake his hand, say Thanks for doing this concert and let him know that I have been a fan for 30 years.  If you ever watch an interview with Weird Al, you'll see that he is just a bit awkward.  I suspect he is a rather humble person.  I mean, he was a nerd in school.  He plays the accordion.  I imagine he never suspected he would be getting a star on the Walk of Fame in his 50s.  He gave a small bow, said "Thank you...we hope to do more of them if enough people like it."  and then turned for the photo.

I give you said photo:

Kim and I went to see Pearl Jam in a HUGE concert at Safeco Field a few weeks later.  It was maybe half as good as the Weird Al concert. 

Lastly...apparently Desmond has discovered a love for Weird Al.  He was bummed that I didn't take him to this concert.  I said, "I didn't know you even liked Weird Al."

"Dad...he's my favorite singer!"

Well, ok then.  He's coming back in 2019!  So, this time I will be taking Desmond!!!  It will be my first Weird Al concert without Andy Palmer...but, I'm sure he understands. :-)  

New Year...New Optimism

I didn't post much last year.  I tried a couple times.  I see a few drafts in here.  Most importantly a reflection on the passing of a personal hero: John McCain.  Also, a bragadocious post about how I met Weird Al Yankovic!  But, I never got around to finishing them.

2018 has been interesting.  I'll be honest...it's been pretty rough.  Not 2012 rough, that's for sure.  But, still...it will not go down as one of my favorites.  Lack of sleep, stress, family issues, deaths.  All in the rear view mirror, now.

Let's look forward, now.  Here's what I am excited for in 2019!!!

1. VACATION!  Kim and I are taking a 10 day cruise in Feb.  With no children!!!  Don't get me wrong.  I love my boys.  But, being able to add "Sleep" and "Not needing to keep other humans alive" to my usual list of "No email, no phone calls and no commitments" is going to be very, very nice!
2. My boys!  I feel like I gotta back up that last bullet with this one.  My kids are amazing!  Sure, Owen doesn't let us sleep and Desmond appears to be hitting that emotional pre-pubescent stage.  But, they are REALLY REALLY REALLY great boys.  Like, really great!  Opie is growing fast, talking up a storm and still loves to dish out hugs.  Desmond is killing it in school (almost straight As) and starting to take up more hobbies that don't involve a screen.  He's just wrapping up a dance class and is about to start volleyball.  As with every year, I am excited to see how they grow. 
3. VACATION!!!  Did I mention this already?  Oh...well, I'm still excited! 
4. Politics!  Just kidding...I'm not excited about that at all. 
5. My wife! I have an amazing wife.  Probably the best wife in the world.  I can't say for sure because I haven't met all wives.  But, I have met a lot of them and I definitely scored!  2018 was tough for her, too.  Much harder than it was for me.  I am looking forward to more time together, just the 2 of us.  We've committed to locking in a babysitter so we can enjoy more adult time.  She deserves a better year.  I am hoping to help contribute to it.  
6. Prayer.  Yeah, yeah...hokey, whatever.  But, I have been trying to really rediscover prayer.  I pray frequently.  But, there has rarely been much structure to it.  If been trying to find more meditation and contemplation in my prayer.  I have been busting out my rosary more often and really enjoy the time.  I even found a Catholics at Google group that prays together over video conferencing once a week.  I can only join once in a while, but when I do, I get a lot out of it. 
7. Interstellar space travel.  Probably won't happen in 2019...but, it's coming!!!  Maybe even in my lifetime!  Might as well get excited about it, now! 
8. And, a lot more! 

It's hard to list everything out.  I have friends who have had personal triumphs that bring joy to my heart!  I have others that have suffered personal tragedy.  Cancer has reared it's ugly face again to a friend.  Another friend is expecting a baby through a surrogate after many years of struggle.  

Maybe it really is a great time to get back to my blog.  Because no matter what, triumph, tragedy, heartbreak, love, success, failure, whatever...there is so much to be optimistic about.  Life is beautiful!