Tooth Fairy.

The dentist. Someone I loathe. Someone I dread. Someone I wish to avoid.

Unlike the tooth fairy, dentists are here to take your money. I really believe now, that the tooth fairy gives children money to save for future dental visits. I do not visit often and when I do I ask myself, why? I know they are going to find blemishes. I am glad my teeth do not get a complex from all the judgments of this evil person.

I went today to get a tooth checked on. The little piece broke of one of my teeth several weeks ago and I finally got the courage to go. It helped, that I had a coupon for an exam and xray. $20 bucks versus the $180 smackers I would of had to pay is a large difference. A difference this SAHD would not be able to afford. Needless to say, there is a large cavity and it needs a root canal.

Dilemma.

No insurance. Out of pocket. Out of money.

How much is a root canal? Try 2"G's"! Yes, 2 grand. I should have asked the tooth fairy to up my income as a child......there should be labor laws against that. They say, I have pretty straight teeth and would hate to pull the tooth because that would cause shifting teeth. I also hate the idea of pulling it. I like teeth. I want my teeth. I have nightmares from my wisdom teeth. I do not want those bad dreams back. Blood and me do not mix. Pulling bloody gauze out of my mouth for the next couple days is not my idea of fun.

What is a person to do?

I am going to get a second opinion and price. I guess, we will see. In the meantime, I hear the scrapping and grinding of chunks of my teeth and wish I had better genes.

Never Ending Story

The work is never done.

I have recently come to the realization, that kids, plus a house, equals constant insanity. I will clean up and the little angels devils come through like ravaging savages, to the point, I cannot tell what has been accomplished. I recently read a mommy post and in that post the SAHM said, "my husband comes home and asks what I have been doing all day. He seems very mad at me before a foot even enters the threshold of chaos." I will occasionally get those types of stares too.

First off, I have to point out the obvious. Two against one is not fair in any situation and just because they are little people, doesn't mean they get less of a count in this equation. X + Y = Z for a reason. X and Y are the little people and ZZZ's are what daddy feels like after a day of mischief and destruction. Both children are mobile and agile. This creates an issue for daddy because there are four hands getting into things and only two to pick those things back up, along with doing the other household chores.

Laundry and dishes are a daily routine in this casa. Our poor dryer has never seen the light of day, so I cleaned it off to give it new life. I would like to say that lasted more than a week, but it did not. In fact, it lasted two whole damn days. There are constant piles of clothes, not just to be washed, but also to be put up. There is only so much hanging a person can do in one day and I am not referring to hanging myself.

 The dishwasher never stops and the sink is a constant battle ground between dirty and clean.   So, when the wife comes home to see a debris littered living room, the kitchen and laundry are good to go. The opposite can be said, when the debris has been cleared away in the living room. There is always some area in the house that is not as tidy as it could be. I will say, my wife is good at praising me when she can get past the fact that our living room looks like a train station, but I will still get that faint rumble in her tone or a look that hits me in the face. A look of, what have you done today, besides sit on the computer. I do not hold it against anyone that dares question what I do, because I myself know what hard work I have done and they can kiss my ass.

 It is not hard by any means, but it is not as easy as one would think either......it is simply never ending.      

Beef-A-Roo. Community staple.

Today, we have another restaurant from Rockford, IL making itself known. Philly has the cheese steak. Rockford has the Beef-A-Roo. A local establishment in the area for 40 years, Beef-A-Roo commands the attention it has spent on a great dining experience. I knew Jean Vitale back in the day, although as a child I am sure she really didn’t know me. My sister and I went to school with her daughter, my sister being in the same grade and classes as her. Beef-A-Roo has been in our family dynamic since I can remember and that is no exception when we get the chance to visit when we come up north from time to time.

The Beef-A-Roo I remember had a cool retro flair back in the 80’s. Restaurants were decked out with 50’s and 60’s memorabilia with an emphasis on rock and roll. Complete with a juke box, this was the cool place to hang. Since the 80’s, they have evolved not only their look, but also their menu. They have several different themed diners, including a lodge theme and a fire station theme. They also have an ever growing selection of menu items. These items include, the beloved beef sandwich, seasoning for their awesome fries, and an array of milkshake flavors you cannot get anywhere else.

I have fond memories, going to the Beef-A-Roo located on South Alpine with my father. Conveniently located to the route we took going home after a day of golf at Ingersol, we would often stop without letting my mom and sister know. Shhhh, don’t tell them. My father and I would enjoy a quick bite of juicy beef, a large bag of fries each (loaded with the season salt), and to wash it all down, a milkshake (watermelon in the summer). While dining you are always offered mints. Chocolate was a staple, but they have several to choose from nowadays along with wet towelettes. I will never forget these days and memories coming home and saying, we were not hungry. It was something special my father and I would always share and keep secret.

Since we are the subject of food, let’s talk fries. Not all fries are created equally. 

They have changed what kind of oil they cook their fries in, but they are just as crisp and beautiful today. Common salt would not do them justice, so they use a special seasoning to top them off before placing these sticks of gold into bags for the masses. This leads me to another memory I still hang onto to this day. I created my own special sauce to dip these wonderful fries in back in the 80’s and have been doing so nonstop, every time we are at a Beef-A-Roo. This sauce has no patent, so Beef-A-Roo, if you are listening, just do me a favor and name my concoction in honor of my father if you decide to make it. Ketchup, their barbeque packets, and the season salt are all you need. I start with a generous portion of ketchup and add a little barbeque sauce for extra tang. To top it all off, sprinkle season salt on top (enough to coat the wet ingredients). Take one of your stiffest fries, mix and enjoy. My fam thinks I am weird, but I swear by this sauce for Beef-A-Roo fries. Don’t forget to sprinkle more season salt on your fries.

Jean Vitale has kept this establishment wholesome, but has updated it at the same time. They still surpass anything you can get at the local chain stores that try to compete and will always be a stop on our craving train when we are in town. I am salivating now thinking about it and that is not good because we don’t get to visit often.  So, have some food for me and don’t forget to choose a wonderful flavored shake.

Visit Beef-A-Roo here or on Facebook.   

Lino's. A pizza joint like no other.

Pizza. Chicago. Synonyms that go together.

Growing up an hour outside of Chi-town, I know a good pizza when I taste one. I am not talking about chain pizza joints either; I am talking about those local ma and pa establishments that are able to stand the test of time. I have travelled the country, I have lived in another state, but there can be only one number one. That number one, I am talking about goes to my hometown. Rockford, Illinois. Rockford, just like many other cities in Illinois have pizza joints on every corner. Down here in the south, there are Waffle Houses. 

Not every pizza is the same though. 

Lino’s. 

Just like, Madonna, Adel, and Cher it is good enough that it is known just by one name. Lino’s, has been around since 1971 in the same one location (not sure about one location……they have been in that spot since my family started eating there in the mid-80’s). They have expanded and remodeled over the years, but it is still the same old fashioned Italian cuisine you come to expect from an A+ establishment. We once, talked to the owners frequently and both Jim and Joe are superb gentlemen. They were kind enough to share the recipe of their special salad dressing once (although we no longer have it).We also learned; they go into the Chicagoland area often to gather their supplies. This dedication to finding quality, fresh ingredients results in tremendous authentic food your mama would be proud of. I cannot really speak for many items on their menu, as we would always order a pizza and salad, but have heard from other family and friends that other menu items have equal attention in detail.

Let’s talk pizza.

First of all, this is thin pizza, not that “pie-like” pizza Chicago is most known for. By thin, I don’t mean New York thin either……it is a great balance between both. On top of the quarter inch of crust, is ladled a generous portion of sauce followed by our choice ingredient, pepperoni. This pepperoni is fresh! Finally, they spread on a heaping quantity of freshly grated cheese. The cheese ends up being just as thick as the crust it has been placed on. The oven they use is the same oven they have always used, so you get the years of pizza cooked in the oven charred onto the bottom of the crust. That extra special charring makes the chewy crust tasty. This pizza is cut into squares and your family will be fighting over the middle pieces. Although, they now serve their pizza in a box versus a paper bag, it is still just as special. Order the special, you will not be disappointed, plus you will need that pop to wash it down. Plenty of napkins are also recommended.

I carry special memories of Lino’s with me. My father always had grease running down his fingers, around his wrist, and onto his forearm. It was also never-ending that he wore a light colored shirt and got grease stains on them every time. My dad is no longer with us and it was hard eating Lino’s recently for the first time without him. We would always split the pizza in half and claim those halves before even touching the delicious creation. I would try to get the bigger half and leave him with the smallest. This past weekend I ate half and paused for a little while after saying, “Dad, this is your half”. I am not proud of this fact, but I ate three quarters of that pizza. The following night I ate the same amount. Boy was it awesome though. We would always joke that we were really going up north to visit Lino’s rather than visiting our family and in most cases this was true. Sorry fam.

Lino’s used to be closed a couple days out of the week, so we would usually have to schedule our trips around when they were open. That is not the case anymore! They are now open 7 days a week from 4:30 – 10. The earlier you order the better…….they get busy quickly. Their carryout has been expanded and allows for more room. It used to be the size of a small bathroom. They have also hired more help because that one poor darling was just getting worked to death. You can still see them make the pizzas while waiting for yours and it is a real kick to see how fast they work. There has often been talk of them sending out frozen dried pizzas and very seldom they do upon special requests, but the cost is too much for them to do so in mass quantity I guess. Take and bake would also be a great idea going into the future and maybe someday all of our hopes and dreams will come true. In the meantime, I try to stop by every time I am in town and that is not often enough. Once every two years doesn’t cut it for this pizza lover.          

To find out more on Lino's click here.

NS(SAHD)ML

Not so, stay at home dad material lately.

Been really busy the past few days and I apologize to my followers, stalkers, and wanna be’s.

Nearly 1800 miles later, in a three day period and I am still trying to recover. We travelled up to my hometown near Chicago to send my grandma back home. It was a nice short visit, but one that could have been nicer with more time. The kiddos were left with their mama and this SAHD was nowhere to be found. Lost in a sea of highways and byways, I had to scramble to find my way back to the nest. I was so lost, in fact, that I made the executive decision to leave on Sunday at 9pm to travel back home. This was a last minute decision on my part, but one I am all too familiar with. I am not a play it by the book kinda person and love to just go with the flow (my wife would attest to this hated fact). I had not yet, made up my mind whether we were going to stop or keep traveling through the night. I am an insomniac at heart anyway, so five hours in I know the answer I was looking for. We did not stop for some zzz’s and instead floored the pedal home. I was very excited to be back with the wife and kids and had not even told them we were headed back down……they still assumed we would be arriving late that Monday evening. My mom helped take one leg and we made it in one piece.

The following day was filled with mystical unicorns and one eyed monsters. Dazed and confused from the long drive, I cannot even remember much about Monday, except for the fact that it happened. I do remember having an impromptu date night with my wife that night, which was very nice and much needed. We saw a flick…….something with the ill hated Izzy from Grey’s Anatomy. The movie was quite humorous and I did not even mind that she was in it. Texas Roadhouse is always a good standby, although a fucking killer to my little diet plans with their damn addictive cinnamon butter and rolls. Cinnamon is my crack. I snort it, I ingest it, I shoot it.

Tuesday was just that, Tuesday.

Wednesday was another well travelled day. Clocked in another 200 or so miles on the old buttocks. Changed oil and rotated tires on my mom’s car, so she would be safe and sound for another 10k.  Came back home and that was that.

So you see, my title has been diminished somewhat these past few days. I have felt more like a SAFHD(stay away from home dad). I promise to bring you the same energy that has been broughten and will be posting like a man looking for some honey on a day with no bees. 

Bittersweet.

I am loading up. Heading into the great frontier. Well, not really frontier.

My grandma is going back home, after spending some time with my mom in Florida. I offered to help, since this weekend is a long one with the holiday. I love driving and traveling. When I was younger, my great parents took us on a great vacation every summer. I have been to just about every state thanks to them and enjoyed every minute, every mile, and every location. We are going to my hometown. A place that has many memories. A city that has special meaning. I will be thinking of my father the whole time.

My father and I had several places that we could not live without. Several pizza joints that don't compare to anywhere else and a few other unique eating establishments. I will savor these tastes, as I think my father would want me to, but it will be sad knowing he is not here to share. My father is sorely missed.

I will be lugging my camera, taking pictures along the way. However, I will not be posting anything new on my blog until my return, so there will be several days of nonexistence. Don't worry your pretty little hearts. I will be posting everyday after I get back with amazing pictures and stories. Until then, look at my other posts and share them with anyone you know. Follow me, stalk me, harass me.....I don't really care.

Peace.

The funnies.

I have snapped a couple of REAL pictures for today's fun. These were taken with a phone, so I apologize for the quality. 

What do you think about this sticker on the truck? It says, "I my dog" inside a bone. 

This sticker is disturbing to me. Shouldn't there be a heart? The way I read it, is all sorts of wrong. "I bone my dog."

This next picture is weird too.

When did Burger King start selling whole chickens? I realize I am in Georgia, a poultry state at heart. It is a good deal though, isn't it?

I am always on the lookout for funny pictures, so keep checking back. You never know what you may see next. 

Saint Valentine

Good old Valentine’s Day…….oh, what people could accomplish without you getting in the way.

Valentine’s Day used to mean more. America, has overly commercialized something sacred. Love is an everyday occurrence, or at least it should be, but we have let love enter our lives for just one day out of three hundred sixty five. Cards, chocolates, flowers, teddy bears, jewelry, balloons, and dinner shaped into a heart….what are we thinking? Love needs no material item. Love is an emotion, plain and simple. So, why the need for these material things? I have an idea and you are not going to like it.

Companies need your hard earned cash and they are cashing in on your stupidity. I walk into a store. This store has four aisles of red and pink. It is a sea of blood and it is your blood. What makes you believe, a $12.99 box of chocolates are going to win her affection? I don’t see it happening. Is she going to love you the rest of the three hundred sixty four days because of that $12.99 box of chocolates? I highly doubt she will even remember that box of chocolates a week down the road, except for the fact that you made her fatter and now she has to work out as a result. That teddy bear you got her, it is going to go to the dog. Those flowers, they are going to die. That sweet card that thousands of other people got is going into the trash faster than you were able to pick it out. The balloons are going to deflate. Jewelry, well we all know how that turns out. It will be placed into the pile of other jewelry in her jewelry box. A mountain of bling, which gets sifted through every now and then. That heart shaped pizza gets flushed down the toilet. Do you see what is going on here? You are giving your cash willingly to Hallmark. They don’t even have to ask you for it, because you just let them swipe your wallet. Love is not bought. Love is earned.

Before you say it, my wife believes love is more than just one day out of the year as well. This blog may come back to bite me in the ass, but she would appreciate it more if I gave her little tokens of affection randomly throughout the year versus just on one day. Valentine’s Day, is not the only day that I feel is very commercialized. I think every special time is treated the same. I just think it is wrong, to tug on the heartstrings of something that is an emotion. I have indulged the industry with my hard earned money in the past…..I am not going to lie, but I am tired of it. I have even heard that some schools make it mandatory to make or give Valentine’s crap. What about making it mandatory for these children to love one another every day, then we may not have so much bullying in our schools.

I tell my wife and children I love them every single day! One day, is not good enough for me and I don’t need to be reminded one day of the year that I should say, I LOVE YOU.

Bring it. The comments and flaming. 

Busy bee.

Haven't posted a blog in a few days.

I feel like I am neglecting her. I am glad to see she hasn't left me for another man blog. My poor blogerina.

What have I been up to?

Friday was very hectic. All hell broke lose. And by hell, I mean fire, chaos, little gremlins, hot vomit! Poor old daddy, right?

Parker had started the morning, by hurtling throw up in the air like he had for the past few mornings. I thought to myself, this is getting old. So, I did what any dad would do and told his mother what had just happened. There was no fever and he was acting normal otherwise. Derek was also being a little needy devil angel that day. On top of that madness, I was busy packing like a little bee ready to go out for his first time to collect honey. We had plans to go to a wedding dinner reception of the brother in-law. He was getting married Saturday. Queen bee had given me a list and I was well on my way, until a wing snapped in half. As I landed face first into the dew drops of freshly growing blades of grass, I got a slap in the face. A blade of grass smacked me as I spiraled downward, cutting me along the jaw. Parker had his second bottle and was spewing vomit again. Like the Valdez, I knew I had to do something fast, before there were long lasting consequences. I had enough! I let mommy know again. A few minutes later, as I was cleaning up the vomit slick, I received a call.....
      "I have gotten Parker an appointment at 2:30."
That call was received at 2. I now have thirty minutes to get everyone ready, diaper bag packed, and the kids into the car. The doctor is about twenty minutes away and we are supposed to pick up mommy at 4. I thought to myself, "there is no way in hell!". I may be super-dad, but that was requesting a little too much, super.

Being speedy has its rewards. I was signing us in at 2:30. However, this day would get progressively worse. The doctor was slow. You may know the story of the Haire and the Tortoise. This was more like the Tortoise and the Snail. We finally left the office at 4. Yes, the queen bee was supposed to be picked up at 4.....don't remind me. Anyway, I still had to get a few things from the house and still had to drive forty-five minutes to where she worked. I made it to Rachel at fifteen til 5. Now we had to make it to the reception.

The reception dinner was to commence at 6 according to the mother in-law. If there is something I am not, I am not late. The current state of mind and mood I was in was very helpful. I made it. It was 6 and there was still no mother in-law. You really don't understand how far we had to travel, in rush hour traffic around Atlanta on a Friday evening. It was a near impossible feat. Done.

Next, we had the wedding to attend on Saturday. This was fine, except I was the photographer. The bitch behind the camera. To tell you the truth, I don't remember hearing or seeing any part of that wedding. It did not occur. I was focused on one thing......get as many pictures as possible, so I could please everyone. I did just that. Saturday evening came to a close and this busy little bee returned home, albeit hobbling and mangled.


My emotions.

Angry

Sad

Boys and their toys.

Where's Waldo? 

When you have two children, a room typical looks, as if a tornado has come through. This is our living room on a day to day basis. Sometimes, I clean it up. Most of the time I don't even bother. Can you point me in the right direction of a baby, because I would have probably just scooped one up and put it into the basket of toys, without a second look. 

Our little Derek has been acting peculiar for the past week. He has rarely ever clung onto any object, but he has begun to cling to this blankie a little like Linus does with his on, Charlie Brown. Ours is not quite that dirty yet, give it time. What makes it a little more special, is the fact that my father got him that blanket. So, I don't know whether he is holding onto it for sentimental value or just because he is reverting.
 

Diet plan.

Dieting.

Let’s just start by saying, I hate dieting.

However, I am at my heaviest I have ever been and I am not proud of that fact. Starting slow is going to be my key to success and making subtle changes gradually will help.  This process will have several phases, so let’s go over the plan.

I began this journey the first of February. I have not changed eating habits, except for better portion control. Foods are going to be last on my list of items to change. Have you seen the recent articles on the web?  A guy, named Matt McClellan ate 8 slices of pizza a day for 30 days and lost weight. This proves to me that food alone is not why America is fat. With a little exercise one can lose weight without cutting out all the good in life. I am not going to partake in this experiment (even though a pizza diet for this pizza connoisseur is tempting), but I am going to challenge myself to lose weight by eating manageable portions along with eating better, increased exercise, and water intake.

As I stated, exercise is a key to anyone wanting to lose weight. Diet alone will not work. I am starting my exercise regime, by walking around my neighborhood. What do you expect when you are out for a walk? A flat surface, right? Wrong! We live in a community that is on a river and the terrain is very mountainous hilly. I will also be lugging along my two children in a double stroller. The stroller weighs 26.6lbs, the oldest is a meager 24lbs, and our young one is 20lbs. So, I will have 70.6lbs of resistance up and down those mountains hills to add to the wonderful(yeah, right) experience. I am starting at 1.4 miles, which happens to be two laps around our community. Every month I plan to increase the amount of laps I accomplish. Additionally, I plan to slowly introduce some muscle building. After a few months, I will have a well rounded routine.

Sodas and sweet tea, especially sweet tea is my weakness. The goal. All water, all the time. That’s right…. 24/7, 365 days a year. Water is my arch enemy, my nemesis. I have done this before, so I know I can do it again. It is very hard to get your mind wrapped around the idea though. Everything liquid has some form of water in it, right? It is the other ingredients, included in these beverages that are awful. There are many diet plans out there and I do not proclaim to be a trainer, but sugar is what makes us big fat.

I am not a trainer, but I could have been. Several years ago and by several I mean 6ish, I got the inclination to lose weight. At that point, I was also at the biggest I had ever been. I weighed in at 230lbs. I was able to get to 168lbs in a matter of 4 months. Yep, I lost 62lbs! I also bulked up and had the first nice set of abs I had ever had. It was no 6 pack, but I did have 4. Determination and hard work got me to that point and I am going to have to rely on it again to save me. Things are a little different now, hence phasing in different aspects slowly. I have a family and cannot workout like I did. I would go to the gym and be there for 3-4 hours at a time every day of the week. Not feasible now. However, I will say, I am going to try my hardest to workout 5 days a week once I attain my peak schedule.

Here are some little things to think about. You must always reward yourself. Your body actually prefers if you binge splurge. Once a week or once every two weeks is good enough to engage and stimulate your body. Exercise is essential to losing weight, but listen to your body if it tells you to slow down. I am no young chicken anymore (sad realization).

I am not about to post pictures on here for the world to see. I will, however post some before/after pics a year from now. So, check in and check back often for progress results. Every other month, I will be posting how I feel and maybe even how much I have lost (fingers crossed).

Wish me luck!                

Beef stew. The easy way.

We have another quick and easy recipe for you today.

Beef stew.

It is hearty and perfect for a chilly day. Again, there are only several ingredients, making this very simple, for even the basic cook in your family. A large sized Crock Pot  is utilized for this stew and prep time is only 20 minutes or however long it takes you to peel potatoes!

Ingredients.

In a mixing device, is one package each of stew seasoning and brown gravy mix. Trust me on the gravy mix! I have never liked gravy on anything and gravy should not be put on anything, except to cover up something that is not very great tasting to begin with. This aides in thickening up the juice while cooking.

Place stew meat into Crock Pot and pour in juice concoction. Set Crock Pot temperature to high setting. Mine has low, high, and warm.

In the meantime, peel potatoes. I use a peeler. I know many women who can use a knife, including my mom, but I have cut myself and bled before, so I recommend doing what feels safest to you. If that involves taking the potatoes to a neighbor, then by all means, do it. We don't want blood in our stew.

I then, slice the potatoes into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. I cut those slices into thirds and even fourths, if they appear too big.

Add the starch (potatoes) and carrots to the Crock Pot.

Stir.

Cover and wait. Normally, 6 hours is the right amount of time. Take a carrot or potato and stick a fork into either to see if they are still hard or are easy broken. You do not want to cook them too long, otherwise you end up with mushy beef stew.

Ingredients:
4lbs potatoes. I use baking potatoes because they are large in size.
12oz carrots. You can use a whole 16oz bag if you prefer, but I don't eat cooked carrots, so I minimize my chance of getting a stray carrot.
1-1 1/2lbs stew meat. I use closer to 2lbs when possible, because I like red meat.
Stew seasoning.
Brown gravy mix.
Water. Duh!
Servings:
6 people.
Cook time:
6 hours or until carrots and potatoes are tender, but not mush.

Extra tidbits of info. Do not, ever wash potatoes! Potatoes are already full of moisture and by washing them you are just adding more moisture. A moist potato, equals mush on a plate. You may also like to add other vegetables if you like. This picky eater does not want vegetable soup, so I stick with the orange and the good ole starch. All stew meats are not created equally. I have used every grocery store stew meat imaginable and the only one that is any good is Dodge & Sutton. I have only found this product at Target. This meat is so tender when the beef stew is done, that you can't even tell it is meat.

I normally start this dinner around noon, so it can be done by the time the wife gets home. Left overs can be taken for lunch the next day and are equally just as fantastic.

Enjoy and feel free to leave comments.

Dirty laundry.

Towels.

What do you do with them after a shower and how often do you get a new one? 

This would seem like a no-brainer, but it is not! According to many outlets I have researched, many people use a towel each time they bathe.  

My family uses one towel every week. Let me tell you why we do this.

When you take a bath or shower, you scrubbing your body of the dirt and grime, right? If not, then why are you in there? Using soap and a wash cloth, loofah, or any other scrubbing mechanism exfoliates your skin. You are not only scrubbing dirt of your body, but you are also removing dead skin in the process. Did you know this? So, what is the purpose of that towel at the end, you might be asking? The purpose of that towel is to dry off residual moisture. Period. End of story. It does nothing else. If your towel is dirty after you have been in the tub, then you are not washing good enough. Some would argue, moisture on a towel can help create mildew faster. Well, this is correct if your lazy butt doesn't hang it up to dry afterwards. Why, would I want to do this even if you are correct? 

There are multiple reasons why one should only use one towel a week. Energy, water, money and time are some reasons I can think of. What are you doing with all of those so-called, "dirty towels"? You are washing them several times a week, I am guessing. That involves the use of water and laundry detergent, correct? That involves spending money for those features, not to mention being environmentally wasteful. Instead, why not put your damp towels in the dryer for 10-15 mins. In this case, you will have a dry towel for the next time you get in the tub and you will save yourself money by running the dryer for a short amount of time and be more environmental friendly. How am I harming the environment? That water you have used, drains somewhere. It drains into our streams and rivers filled with those detergents and end up in our water supply. The energy used to spin the washing machine comes from sources that pollute our air. The plastic container filled with detergent, most often gets thrown into our landfills, where it sits for hundreds of years. Time is very important. More time doing laundry, means spending less time with my children. Laundry is a necessary part of life, but why not make it better for you and the environment. 

I am, by no means, environmentally conscious. However, this topic baffles me and I wished to share, so that others may learn to be a little more friendly to this planet we call, Earth. 

If you have a comment about this topic, please share below. I look forward to feedback and criticism, as it will make this a better dynamic for us all. 

Dirty "6" letter word.

Cancer. An epidemic. A silent killer. A heart breaker.

It is ironic, that February third and fourth are national stand-up to cancer days. See, 4 months ago today, my father, my hero, my sons granddad passed away from Pancreatic Cancer after only being given 2 months to fight it. I am not really going to get into details right now. It is still a fresh wound and I still hemorrhage from it. As the wet drops drip down my cheek however, I have the urge to teach. I have the need to get donations that go toward Cancer. I have the want, to get the word out!

Cancer is a leading cause of death. DID YOU HEAR ME! Cancer kills an average of 7million people.

Are you listening now?

Please donate and please spread the donations out. You will Google, Bing, or whatever else you use, to search most deadly Cancers. There are lists of the top ten killers out there. Please contribute to all if you can.

So, today and tomorrow go to standup2cancer and take a pledge, make a donation, do something other than sit around and wait for it to happen to you or your loved one. Because it will!

I will occasionally talk about my father and Pancreatic Cancer. Today is not the day though. I will give you a break. I will, however leave you with a link to a website that is near and dear to my families heart. My father, Keith DeLine has a donation fund set up in honor of him. Please do what you can. Keep the Memory Alive.

Additional link.

Love you and miss you dad.

The coat that killed me.

Did you know this? I didn’t and had never heard about this from anyone or anywhere.

Coats and car seats are a very volatile combination.

You heard me correctly. Keeping a child’s coat or jacket on him, while riding in the car, can equal possible death. I have a now, toddler and a 10 month old baby and I am just learning of this. Just place the bad parenting label on me now.

I knew the straps had to be pretty tight against the child’s chest. I knew the child had to be rear facing for at least 2 years. I knew about weight and height requirements. I knew all of this, yet I did not know keeping my child warm could make him loose his life.

Winter coats and jackets change how the straps fit around a child. I am pretty sure the straps were still fairly tight around my kid’s (even used the finger rule). The finger rule is something you use to determine if the strap is tight enough against a child.

I don’t know about you, but have you seen the child restraint systems our parents used? Now they want to say, a coat can increase the chance of your child being ejected from the car seat. I really find it silly to be honest with you. My children look as if they are going to the moon when I strap them in the old minivan(they are sooooo damn tight). A monkey couldn’t get out of these things.

I do have to point out, they are talking about thicker coats, snowsuits, etc.

Needless to say, I still have never heard of such a thing.

I know this may come off bad, but do you realize how much work it would be to do what they want you to. Take the coat off upon entering the car. Put the coat on before exiting the car. Place the coat on backwards while driving in the car. Do these people have kids? That coat would stay on my oldest son for a millisecond, just long enough for me to turn around and begin shutting the door. Not to mention, if you are busy fooling with a coat, then you are not paying attention to your surroundings, thus leaving yourself open for robbery or a carjacking.

I will say, I don’t think I have ever run into the problem of having a coat on so thick that it may endanger one of my children. I will continue to do what I have done and what they recommend.  Instead of placing your child into an Eskimo outfit, such as that shown in 'A Christmas Story', just bring a blanket and tuck it around your child once they are safely strapped. They also have another absurd idea…. Warm up your car before. Doesn’t that require me to leave the car running while not watching it? Can someone say, car theft.

The common theme.

Be sensible. Sensible in how you dress your child. Sensible in how you manage to keep them warm. Sensible in how you strap them in.

They give directions on how to test if your child’s clothing may be too bulky here.

Just a PSA, from a father who had never heard of such a thing. If I just open up the eyes of one person, then maybe it will save a life. 

10 months

I must admit, our little one suffers from SCS(second child syndrome). See, it is like this.... you take a shit ton load of pictures of your first child, to the point that you don't care to take anymore once the second has come into the world. What can I say, I feel inspired by the gloom happening outside my window at this moment.

Today, our littlest isn't so little. Mr. Parker, is now 10 months old. Can't believe he is nearing one year.

Ugh, where does time go. Congrats little buddie.

Parker usually smiles, but he is getting over being sick and currently teething. I had a limited amount of smiles to share here. Enjoy.