Happy New Year! (yet again)

And a whole year passes without any update to this blog.

And unless My Wife starts writing posts again, I doubt I will.

So, be sure to read those Favorite Posts posts found to the right in the sidebar.

When you are through reading and commenting on those, click on View My Complete Profile (in the upper right under the little picture of me at Mardi Gras 2004) and scroll to the bottom and check out some of my other, yes 7 other, blogs that I have created. Some are updated often, some seldomly, and the rest rarely.

Take care,
Marc

Been awhile.

Happy New Year! If you are still visiting this blog, thank you. I apologize for no updates in a couple of months. I'm still around.
I do occassionally make updates to my other blogs - Marc's 2nd Blog, Marc's Computer Blog and Marc's Autism - Asperger's Syndrome Blog.

Thirteen

Today is my son's thirteenth birthday.

The milestone that marks the beginning of officially being a teenager. The doorway to manhood, the edge of reason, the beginning of the end...

The age when he will no longer want to publicly be seen within 20 ft of dear old Mom and Dad. When he will think it's manly to nonchalantly try and work words like "damn" and "hellavu" into a sentence. When he will need deodorant. Lots and lots of deodorant. When the funky voice things begin...

Ah teenagers. God love them, nobody else can.

And it seems like only yesterday he was on the floor stacking up blocks with his five-year-old brother. Wait, that was yesterday!

What was I worried about? This is MY son I'm talking about here. My son who likes to line up all of our, I mean, his Star Trek Action Figures while watching a Star Trek marathon (original or Next Generation). Who likes to fart in the bathtub because it tickles his butt. (OK, seriously, what guy doesn't enjoy that?) Who thinks its cool to say "Cool" to everything. (And my parents thought that word was a passing fad. Here, over forty years after saying "cool" became popular and it's still cool. Of course, they said the word "gross" was a "teeny fad" too. They didn't know anything!)

My son is a boy who thinks it's funny to act weird (much to My Wife's dismay). Who has taught his five-year-old brother the classic two man routine of "Is too, Is snot" (much to My Wife's dismay). Who swears his teeth get just as clean brushing them with water for 10 seconds as they do brushing them with toothpaste for two minutes (much to My Wife's dismay. In fact, most of what he does is to My Wife's dismay.).

And, of course, there are the daily things - begging to stay up "just a little bit longer" at night and begging to sleep "just a little bit longer" in the morning; frantically needing a cookie to get rid of the 'yucky' tasting allergy medicine; and saying "OK, hold on" EVERYTIME MY Wife and I tell him to do something. And, My Son has the bizarre ability to brush his teeth and wash his face in the morning and still have food and/or dried drool around his mouth. It is mind boggling! My five-year-old never has food on his face. My Son, on the brink of manhood, can't seem to eat anything without leaving a helping of it around his mouth.

My Wife is always shaking her head at the three of us guys and wearily mumbling "Boys", summing up all the trials and tribulations in that one word.

So, I guess I don't have to worry about the terrible teen years just yet. Which is OK by me.

Be a kid for as long as you can because growing up and having to worry about paying bills everyday really sucks. And, I can't really imagine My son changing that drastically. I think he will always be a bit goofy. After all... he's My son.

ROTD Riddle of the Day

What 5 letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?

ROTD Riddle of the Day

Sue is traveling by ship from south of the equator to the north.
She has a nice little cabin with a bathroom, but no window.
Sue has no compass nor other instruments. Just the general luggage one brings on board a long cruise. Yet, without leaving her room or talking with anyone, Sue will be able to tell when the ship has crossed the equator. How?

Halloween!

Halloween.

That one night of the year when you can let your true self take centerstage, whether it be a blood-dripping, fanged lothario creature of the night complete with a cool cape or a Pretty in pink sparkly fairy princess complete with a cool tiarra.

But while some things remain the same, like the thrill of "transformation" and the joy of a handful of the "Good Candy" from your kindly next door neighbor, some things have definitely changed. When I was a kid, oh so long ago, Trick-or-treating was a door to door adventure! My friends and I would map out which route was the best in our quest for maximizing our confection foraging, remembering from years past which houses had Hershey's and M&M's and which ones had the dreaded cheap lollipops. Of course much of the fun was in the unknown. The surprise of what would be dropped into our sacks and the anticipation of how our older brothers would try once again to scare the bejeebers out of us.

And then there were the tricks... That one night a year when harmless pranks were not only overlooked , they were expected. The night when no yard jockey or ornamental Gnome was safe. Wise homeowners gathered their fake deer and flamingos within the protected walls of their garages knowing that anything could happen when the adolescent goblins were on a Sweet Tart high. Eggs and toilet paper mysteriously disappeared from our homes, only to astonishingly reappear in the yards of our grouchy, less-lovable neighbors. "Who could do such a thing?" our moms clucked the next day. Juvenile delinquents from bad neighborhoods we "guessed", our halos secured firmly back in place.

Spooky thrills, suburban mayhem and sugary gorging fests... Ah, those were the days.

But things have changed. While some people still hand out candy the "old-fashioned" way, most people aren't even home. More and more communities and neighborhoods have Halloween carnivals with games and rides, face painting and popcorn. Structured family fun with little or no candy. As a parent, I can appreciate the fact that this is much safer for the children. But as a large kid, I miss the adventure, the surprises, the thrills.

And while my kids enjoy trick or treating at a few familiar houses after pushing through the crowds at the carnival, they aren't really interested in eating the candy. THIS I don't understand! My favorite part of the whole Halloween experience was going home at the end of the night and pouring out my entire haul and gazing upon what I had got, sorting the good candy from the crappy candy. It was the Best!

Everything changes. The important thing is that the kids have fun, are safe, and stay out of trouble. I guess I don't really want them doing some of the things that I did. Heck... I don't even want them to know about some of the things that I did.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go change into my Halloween costume. I'm going as a middle-age, gray-haired, out-of-shape Dad. Life is scary enough without embellishments.

ROTD Riddle of the Day

Late afternoons I often bathe.
I'll soak in water piping hot.
My essence goes through my see through clothes.
Used up am I; I've gone to pot.
What am I?

ROTD Riddle of the Day

You answer me, although I never ask you questions. What am I?

ROTD Riddle of the Day

A new medical building containing 100 offices had just been completed. Dave was hired to paint the numbers 1 to 100 on the doors. How many times will Dave have to paint the number nine?

ROTD Riddle of the Day

Sorry, my ROTD are turning into ROTEOD (Riddle of the Every Other Day) or worse.

A bus driver was heading down a street in Colorado. He went right past a stop sign without stopping, he turned left where there was a "no left turn" sign, and he went the wrong way on a one-way street. Then he went on the left side of the road past a cop car. Still - he didn't break any traffic laws. Why not?

ROTD Riddle of the Day

I have keys that open no locks,
I have space, but there is no room,
You can enter, but you can't go in.
What am I?

Reunion Haiku

Reunion Wish
by
Tammy Odneal Bridie

Oh, I hope
There will be,
Someone who looks
Worse than me.

ROTD Riddle of the Day

I can run constantly without ever getting tired.
When I run, I frustrate people and drive them crazy,
Yet I don't even have to move to irritate you.
What am I?

ROTD Riddle of the Day

I'm one of five, I'm not alive.
The one who sent me forth became king,
The one who received me died.
What am I?