Daddy fail: I overslept and the kids missed their music and dance lessons. Well, "OVERslept" is a bad choice of words because if I pulled it off it would have been on 90 minutes of sleep. I'm consoling myself with the fact that LuLu is mildly ill and that in the end my failure simply reinforces Lisa's standing in #teamslap
Published writer, compulsive reader, Old School Whovian, Match Game enthusiast, NKOTB fan, data hoarder, and - surprisingly, given that list - married with four kids. Welcome to my take on life, fatherhood, entertainment, and whatever strikes my fancy. Enjoy!
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Omro
Spending the day in Lacrosse with good friend Jolene watch her daughter, Jordan dance with her Omro team at the WI State Dance Championship. They did a marvelous job. As a senior, this is Jordan's last trip "to state" and she represented! Seems like just yesterday she was a nervous freshman worried about the audition. - Lisa
Friday, February 6, 2015
A Night of Firsts
With Lisa up north for the weekend, I have the honor of accompanying Junie and Smiley to their school dance. It is momentous. First, it is LK's first ever school dance. Second, it is for all intents and purposes Smiley's first date! He asked a girl named Isabella to the dance, and boy did her face light up when we arrived! #bigdayforTeamSlap. #awwwSmileyisgrowingup
Times Change
This *was* geography. Now, if it was taught, it would be history. A mid-to-late '80's assignment by my sister Chrissy.
Eek
I'm driving Lisa up to Omro to visit her friend Jolene.
Judging by the volume of pro-life billboards along this highway, there must be an epidemic of abortions taking place in central/northern Wisconsin.
Why are we just sitting still?
I don't understand why Washington is content to sit by and watch Russia engage in a clear war of expansionism in the Ukraine.
So you know . . .
On January 15th, 1982, my maternal grandparents bought a new washing machine from Sears. Model 110.83170110 with serial # C15101623, it broke down four days before Christmas in 1985 but was repaired under a service plan that expired 12-12-86. Just thought you'd like to know.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Bachelor 17
I am *NOT* a fan of Bachelor 17. He's blond, he's purportedly a 29 year old virgin *cough* freak *cough*, he smirks whenever he's talking to the women he insists on addressing as "girls", he tolerates abusive behavior by some contestants, and, oh, yeah, he's bleeping dull. I watch this season because Lisa still enjoys it, but if I had my way I'd skip it.
Yay Fred!
Very happy that my friend Fred Bryan survived brain surgery this morning. Good to know I still have a chance to recover that money he owes me. :)
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
The Restroom Isle
This is a piece of chipped paint on the wall above the urinal at work. A mere splotch you say, a random and indistinct marring of the wall.
Au contraire.
Every time I step up to do my business I see something different. I see a small, tropical isle, viewed as if you were approaching it by sea. Its geography is mountainous and there, in the top right of the screen you can make out soaring palm trees gracing the apex of the island.
If you think *that's* weird, wait until you hear about the people who live there . . .
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
I'm So Jealous!!
Oh, I'm so jealous of YaYa, to the point of stomping my feet and crossing my arm. Not only is she going to all the fabulous D.C. stops I mentioned last week, she's also visiting the USS Maine memorial *AND* Mt. Vernon. Mount Vernon!!!! Ugh. Not fair! LOL
Lisa just told me that I should make sure to educate YaYa about the various sites she'll see in D.C., and with something like the Maine memorial I'm sure I'll have to supplement what her teacher offers up.
"Manassas too. You should teach her something about that battle." Lisa said.
"Manassas is the southern name for it. Call it by it's rightful name, Bull Run. And I *have* taught her about it, since she was a toddler."
"July the 21st it was the year of '61
we met 'em at Manassas but they called it ol' Bull Run
Ole Patterson had orders our armies should not meet
but Johnston slipped around him
ensuring his defeat"
Which is the first verse of "Lay Ten Dollars Down", a Civil War era ditty I've sung to the kids in this family for twenty years.
See, it's all synchronicity, in a very dorky fashion.
RIP
These people (ISIS) are barely human.
Jordan retaliates for the horrific murder of their pilot by executing ISIS prisoners.
“It is with the heaviest burden of sadness that I have learned this evening of the barbaric and senseless killing of our Jordanian brother the brave pilot of the Jordanian Air Force, Lt. Moaz-Al-Kassasbeh.
At this terrible time, when I extend my deepest condolences to his father and his siblings, his wife and his whole family, and our Jordanian family – I could only find wisdom and comfort in the words of my late father, HM King Hussein of Jordan, who once said: “ The dark shadow of extremism has been cast over our region. As a Hashemite believer, it is a duty on all of us to defend all that is good against those who use politicized religion as an excuse for violence and terrorism.
Jordan is the cradle of civilization, and our people are members of one family who will stand shoulder to shoulder as one family.” Every Jordanian feels as I do the pain of the Kassasbeh family, and we all reach out to them in their time of need. He will always remain in our hearts, we are all Moaz.” Ali Bin Al Hussein.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Smiley - Professional Snow Shoveler
Bay View roads, minus the arteries of KK and Clement, are passable but only with effort and the risk of getting stuck at any point. Quite the mess.
Here's the house of Alys H. Gulp.
Our van is double parked down the road as there are no parking spots that aren't buried in snow. Smiley is kicking butt.
Alys:
He definitely earned the double pay! I see the wind is awful too. GREAT job, Smiley!! Thank you!
Grandma Jeanne:
Well done 
so proud
Sybil W:
what a great lad you have there Dan.
Snow on Top of Snow
A week ago someone in New Berlin called my lot small, which is true in comparison to her own but false in relation to other city lots; we are both visually and in fact, the largest on the block.
Lu finished the front but could not handle the wind tunnel of our backyard and alley, and so I was drafted into action. Ten to twelve inches of dense heavy snow, with a stiff wind and more coming down, made it hard going but not in the top ten worst of our time here.
YaYa proved an unwilling helper to LuLu and me, but help she did.
Now, time for some pain pills before trying to get out of the alley and taking Smiley to Alys's house.
Thanks Lu!
With me full of aches and pains from the accident and Smiley prepping for his job site, LuLu has gamely tackled the shoveling. Between this (the front walk),the back, the parking slab, and the alley I'm sure I'll be drafted soon. But thanks Olive!
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