S— Just Got Real

MicahfirstdaykindCapture

  • This little girl woke up and acted as if she was going to Disneyland.  Without being told, she made and ate her own breakfast and put on her uniform a good half hour before we were ready to leave.
  • Things were surprisingly organzied this morning at the school.
  • WifeGeeding was a kindergarten teacher all of her adult life before becoming a mom, and has strongly stated she wouldn’t cry on this day because she’s been through it enough time on the opposite side.  I tried to get her to shed a tear on the way to school by talking about the time the pregnancy test came back positive, hearing her heartbeat for the first time, and getting a good whiff of that new baby smell the first time she held her in her arms.  Nope, no tears, WifeGeeding was solid as a rock.
  • To my surprise, not one parent or child cried.  However, when we said our final goodbye, I took a quick u-turn after leaving to see what she looked like through an inside window.  She had the look of, wow, this is real, and I’m all alone, but I got to be strong, and I don’t know what to expect yet.  All I could do was think of all I’ve done to prepare her for this moment.
  • Don’t think I don’t know how lucky/blessed/fortunate I am. I go to bed nightly thinking I don’t deserve any of this.
  • I remember my father dropping me off the first day of kindergarten, and as I drove back home with the sun in my face, I thought of Dad and wondered what he must have thought as he was driving away from school.  While that thought was going through my mind, Mike and the Mechanics’ “The Living Years” was playing on the radio.
    • I wasn’t there that morning
      When my Father passed away
      I didn’t get to tell him
      All the things I had to say

      I think I caught his spirit
      Later that same year
      I’m sure I heard his echo
      In my baby’s new born tears
      I just wish I could have told him in the living years

      Say it loud, say it clear
      You can listen as well as you hear
      It’s too late when we die
      To admit we don’t see eye to eye

  • When I got home I texted one of my best friends who I met in kindergarten, graduated with, roomed with in college, worked at the same place after college, and lived in multiple apartments with.  I told him, ” Just think, we met each other in kindergarten and have been lifelong friends. I doubt she’ll be as lucky as me.”  His reply, “I’m sure she will find a friend that puts her in a trunk in college too.”
  • As for BoyGeeding, ain’t nothing going to stop him from eating his waffle.

WaffleschoolCapture

Posted in Personal | 3 Comments

Bag of Randomness for Monday, August 24, 2015

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  • It’s hard for me to believe that my first born is starting her first day of kindergarten today.  I can still remember my mom crying as I left with my father to go to my first day of kindergarten, which left me confused; I was wondering what they weren’t telling me.  Later that day, I got a spanking from my kindergarten teacher.  Yup, that’s right, on my very first day of my educational experience (I had no preschool), I got a spanking.  So if DaughterGeeding comes home spank free, she’d be off to a better start than her old man.
  • Strange how I received a spanking on my first day of kindergarten and I later married a kindergarten teacher.  Why the spanking? From what I recall, I finished my assignment and kept yelling for the teacher to let her know it was completed. She acknowledged me but didn’t come over, so I called for her louder and louder.  Eventually, she came over and gave me a spanking.  Those were different times.  I also recall another day in kindergarten telling her I had to pee real bad, but she wouldn’t let me go until I put my stuff away.  I wasn’t able to put my things away fast enough and wet myself, and I vividly remember walking down the hall at the end of the day with a big wet spot and other kids pointing and laughing at me.  When I got in the car, my mother wasn’t sympathetic, she was upset at my for not telling my teacher, and when I told her I did she didn’t believe me.  But other than those two things, I have good memories of Ms. Simms.
  • Requesting suggestions from my Fort Work folks.  My closest friends have delightfully surprised me in wanting to throw me a birthday dinner on a Friday night in a few weeks.  There will be six or seven of us and Cowtown works as a central meeting place.  Any suggestions on where to eat? We’re not looking for fine dining (we’re wearing shorts) but want something above fast casual.  Also, after dinner we’d like to go somewhere to watch the Rangers game.  Off hand, Texas de Brazil looks promising as we can get $100 gift cards at Costco for $80, and then heading over to Frankie’s Sports Bar and Grill.
  • I don’t think the world needs flat-headed or slotted screws anymore.
  • Over the weekend, a reader emailed me asking if I was giddy over the mess Baylor is involved in with the recent sexual assault conviction.  While I may loath Baylor and despise Art Briles as a human being, I take no joy in knowing they are struggling over a situation that resulted because of a sexual assault.   As a father of a daughter, sexual assault or rape is a HUGE concern and always at the back of my mind, and I’m more concerned with the safety and well-being of the female students at Baylor than anything related to bravado of sports.
  • The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  After seeing how a female athletic student was treated after reporting a rape and everything that transpired after Dave Bliss and Tevin Elliott, I’d be remiss in sending a child there because of how leadership deals with student safety.  Yes, other universities have their problems and they deserve to be called out as well, but after Dave Bliss, Baylor should have upped the ante in protecting students over the image of sports programs.  They taught a higher standard because of their Christian faith.  If you are going to wear that badge on your sleeve, you need to back it up with your actions.
  • Crazy Texas Mommy is a talented writer and wrote a very eloquent piece about Baylor and the struggles of women reporting rape when the people in power have the wrong priorities.  Bravo, to her. [hat-tip, LiberallyLean.com, who was blogging way more than normal on the weekend]
  • I’ve heard some Longhorn fans, whose program has plenty of skeletons in the closet, express their thankfulness in having a coach like Charlie Strong whose code of conduct includes “Be respectful to women”. Many recalled how the NFL commissioner visited Strong about his code of conduct and treating women with respect after the Ray Rice video surfaced.
  • Imgur – What a letter asking you to be part of the ‘Judge Judy’ show looks like.
  • VHS Camcorder is a phone app that lets you shoots videos that look and sound like videotape recordings.
  • Impressive slow motion GIF of the day – Crocodile propelling itself out of the water.
  • GIF – Huge armadillo unearthed during construction – It appears to be a giant armadillo which weight about 41–72 lbs and are about 30-39 inches long, sans tail, which would add about another 20 inches.
  • I’ve seen a lot of videos that involve the successful execution of a trick football play where the quarterback pretends to be calling a time out or trying to talk to the ref or coach with the ball and then just darting off for a touchdown as the defense just stood around thinking the play hasn’t started (GIF example).  This old and anti-climatic video is the first I’ve seen of someone on defense knowing what’s going on and actually tackling the quarterback.
  • Jimmy Carter: ‘I would like the last Guinea worm to die before I do’ –  It’s really amazing what he and his foundation have done to help almost eradicate this thing, and I hope he gets his wish.  And since I’m talking about Carter, I also want to praise George W. Bush for calling Carter after he learned of his cancer.  Carter, a man full of character and integrity, does have his flaws, and he was exceptionally hard on W during his presidency, at times being almost jerk like, as in his remarks at the Coretta Scott King funeral.  So good on George W.
  • When Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69” comes on the radio I have a tendency to crack it to 11 and sing along to my heart’s content.
  • Today’s dose of ‘MURICA!
  • San Antonia news – Police: Texas woman’s remains likely stolen from funeral home –  The 25-year-old Texan died after a long bout with cystic fibrosis. Funeral home owner Dick Tips told the affiliate that he believes the body may have been stolen by someone who didn’t support Mott’s cremation.
  • Jimmy Carter teaches Bible class as usual Sunday – Jimmy Carter speaks briefly about his cancer diagnosis to Sunday school class, then says, “That’s enough of that subject”
  • Thousands of prehistoric mammoth tusks are being dug out of the melting permafrost of the Arctic and shipped to China for the ivory-carving industry.
  • I think last night’s ‘The Brink’ paid homage to Top Gun a few times.
  • Houston Chronicle – Texas celebrities when they were younger – This is a good opportunity to use Deslide.
  • San Antonio Express-NewsSome religions more equal than others in Texas politics
  • Drought, wildfires, and now this – Man Dies After Being Run Over By WWII-Era Tank in California
  • That’s an interesting way to die – French couple ‘having sex’ on a castle die after plunging 40ft into moat
  • Buzzfeed – This Couple’s Wedding Cake Is A Superhero Cake In Disguise
  • Grizzly Bear Embraces Lazy Sunday, Decides To Just Roll Down Hill
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