Topic Tuesday #174 2015/11/17 "Happy Birthday to ME!!!"

Topic Tuesday #174 2015/11/17 "Happy Birthday to ME!!!"

Google gave me a doodle for my birthday, 

Google gave me a doodle for my birthday, 

Today I am 37 years old. I would have taken the day off, but a guy at work has the same birthday and took it before I did. Dibs on next year! So I worked a full day driving for 6 hours and doing 2 hours of actual work. Once I got home, I made my own cake, devil's food this year. I shampooed carpets to get rid of cat mess (he's not liking the food or some reason). I did several loads of other people's laundry; I will get to mine eventually. I read stories to my children and then collapsed for a little bit since the shampooer atomizes the cleaning solution and it seizes up my lungs something terrible.  I don't recall birthdays being quite so... responsible? before. It's funny how life creeps up on you and the daily grind cannot be easily ignored. 

Once upon a time, while running role playing games, I suggested doing a persona game, where everyone would write up themselves, into a character sheet. We had a little game with chopping wood, throwing things, standing and running long jumps, and basically lifting heavy things. Then we would take an average of what other people thought our stats were. It was all in good fun and we were nothing if not kind to each other. So, In being kind but realistic, I thought I would revisit my stats. These are based on the AD&D 3.5 edition, now the Pathfinder rule system should you be curious.

  • Strength - 11
  • Dexterity - 10
  • Constitution - 8
  • Intelligence - 14
  • Wisdom - 16
  • Charisma - 15

Yeah, that's about right I think. 10 is pretty average, and physically I feel more average than mentally. I can perform stupid feats of strength when required, but I tend to get sick a little more often than others. I'm not the best judge of my own abilities however, so if you think I'm wrong, let me know and provide your own stats too!

Topic Tuesday #140 2015/03/24 "Mid Week Birthdays Suck"

Topic Tuesday #140 2015/03/24 "Mid Week Birthdays Suck"

Today is my daughter's birthday. She is five. Given that it is a Tuesday she will not get her real party until the weekend hits. This has led me back to my conclusion that midweek birthdays always kinda suck. I made sure to get her cupcakes so she could celebrate with her friends at daycare, so I imagine she had a good day, but it wasn't markedly different from her normal day to day routine. I'm not sure if there is more I can do for my kids during the weeks when their birthdays hit, as we always do something on the weekend before or after depending solely on convenience. This is something that everyone struggles with and most adults are perfectly desensitised to, read as numb and apathetic.  I am only concerned because I live vicariously through my children and want the best for them. 

What are we to do to make these days better? 

  • Take a day off and run a muck?
  • Ignore it?
  • Half ass it?
  • Just delay and delay?
  • Stagger presents? A little now a little later?
  • Celebrate the whole damn week?

Depending on how life works for you and yours, you are familiar with all these options and perhaps more that I am overlooking. As for this household with a bright eyed eager five year old, a little now, a little later, staggered until the weekend, and I'll likely be a big softy all week if she does anything wrong. What more can a doting father do? 

Happy Birthday, Honey!

Topic Tuesday #122 2014/11/18 - "Aging Gracefully"

Topic Tuesday #122 2014/11/18 - "Aging Gracefully" 

I just had a birthday, so of course - mortality is on my mind. I choose not to think of all the depth of aging, but on the refinement of dignity. My hair is losing its pigment. Getting out of a comfortable chair is a process, the majority of which is motivation. Working hard on things is still the aim, but certain measures are put into place to put pain at bay; the knee pads, the breaks, the walking around to get circulation going, breathing and hearing protection, snack breaks to keep blood sugar right. 

Basically... I find that as I have aged, I tend to think about how I do the things I do far more than I used to. I do the things I should have been doing all along. Every decision point does have lasting effects on the rest of my day, and if I'm careless, the rest of my life and forever altering the lives around me. 

Perhaps this is wisdom creeping up on me. Perhaps this is what being a responsible person means: looking at the moment and seeing the long term implications. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a stupid fallible human that just wants to sit down with friends and a good bottle and piss the night away... I just know that that might not be the BEST use of my time, and the ramifications that will be dealt with the next day... Well... that bottle and those friends better be worth it. Fortunately, part of being wiser, is realizing that even time wasted can be time well spent, as great memories are all the past ought to be.

Cheers!

Yogi was certainly going to have a story for Boo-Boo!

Yogi was certainly going to have a story for Boo-Boo!

That's not tea they are drinking.

That's not tea they are drinking.