Musings on a rainy afternoon

Many years ago, I wrote a blog entry in which I opined that you could glean a great many lessons from the movie Animal House. Many of those lessons come from or at the expense of the hapless freshman, Flounder. Stephen Furst, the actor who played Flounder, died yesterday, so I was thinking a bit about him and the movie. Lines like "You fucked up, you trusted us," come to my mind frequently. R.I.P., Mr. Furst.

Furst, by the way, was not quite two months younger than I am. People my age are dying all the time. Reminders of my mortality occur all too often these days. Well, to be accurate, they've always been available; I'm just much more sensitive to them now.

Growing up, Father's Day was always a holiday I tried to forget, because when you don't have a father and wish all the time that you did, this is a rough day.

Today, I'm very lucky that Sarah and Scott remember the day and try to see me on it, as they will later today.

I am a fortunate man indeed. I would be wise never to forget that.

Winning while losing

Yesterday, Sarah and Scott came over to spend the Father's Day evening with me.  As we used to do frequently, Sarah and I played backgammon, and Scott and I played pool.

Both beat me soundly.

If you know me at all well, you understand that I'm a very competitive person.  I play most games with the goal of winning.  (I say "most" only because there are a few board games I play entirely to be social.)  I always try to win at both backgammon and pool.

Losing to my kids, though, didn't bother me much.  Simply getting to play with them was a big treat.  More importantly, they are the only two people in the world that I wouldn't mind being better than I am at everything.  I always wish the best for my kids, even when that means me losing to them at games.

Having said all of that, I'm still myself, so when we next play, I intend to beat each of them soundly.

No point in making it easy for them.

My greatest Father's Day gift

is that I have the best kids in the world.  I am so lucky to have Sarah and Scott as my children.  I love them both with all my heart, and I know how fortunate I am to have them.

I will never be as good a father for them as they deserve, but I will always keep trying.

All I think about Father's Day

Not having a father for most of my youth, this day was never big to me.  It still isn't.  Given all the press it gets, however, I can't help think about it from time to time.  My thoughts all boil down to these simple points.

I do wish I had had a father growing up, but I'm generally okay with the fact that I did not.

I tried hard to be a good father, but I fell far short of my ideal, and I see my failings way more than my successes.

Despite that, Sarah and Scott are amazing, and I am the luckiest father alive to have them as my kids.

Most of all, that last one:  Sarah and Scott are amazing, and I am the luckiest father alive to have them as my kids.

Best Father's Day card ever

It's from my amazingly awesome Sarah and Scott, of course, and a quick glance at these scans will prove my point.

This is the cover of the handmade-by-local-artisans (again, Scott and Sarah) masterpiece. I'm completely confident that the misspelling of "apocalypse" is an intentional in-joke related to the fact that the card involves brainless zombies. That clearly has to be the reason.

I also have to apologize to you now about the in-jokes I haven't explained (and might never explain). Those sorts of things happen, and there's simply nothing anyone can do about them.

I will say that Oscar and Tilly are the household froglets, and they are well and truly indestructible, particularly Oscar, who has survived five days in the house in an ice storm with no heat or food, as well as almost a week in the house in a hot September with no AC and no food. He is super-froglet; zombies fear him.






















You'll note that the list does not mention any people (other than me at position of honor 100). That's because, as the above two-page spread shows, the kids correctly assume I will save them, our family, and our extended family.

Finally, in true storyteller fashion, Sarah and Scott made the back cover add tension and pressure to the card's tale, with the always attractive Dr. Tongues on the way--and about him, we shall say no more.

Did I mention my kids were awesome?