David Vienna's Blog, page 166
September 23, 2016
I’ve started playing Minecraft with the boys. So far, I’ve...
I’ve started playing Minecraft with the boys. So far, I’ve learned how to get killed. A lot.
September 20, 2016
Things I Know To Be True
You can be the parent you want to be as long as “perfection” is not your goal, but “love” is.
Hummus should be called yummus.Most of the stories you see online from parents living flawless lives are pure fiction.
That fiction might have been created by you because you’ve built a story about how you’re failing as a parent.
You’re not failing.
“If you want to live like a Republican, vote like a Democrat.” —Harry S. Truman
Inspiration is everywhere.
All kids are nerds and that’s rad.
That song that you heard on the store speaker that seemed to be played just for you—it was.
Sometimes you and your kids need ice cream for dinner.
Wine makes a good time great.
Whiskey makes a good time bad in a great way.
Playing with your kids is the easiest and most fun way to be their hero.
You matter.
You matter a lot.
Not just to your kids, though they’re the most important.
Your child loves you. You’ve already won at life.
September 19, 2016
The boys had their first cross-country meet over the weekend. It...
The boys had their first cross-country meet over the weekend. It was a 2K, through some varied types of terrain.
This is Boone at the start. Part of the way through the race, he took a tumble and banged up both of his knees. He then got up and finished the race with bloody knees. He didn’t finish near the front of the pack, but he did finish.
I’m so proud of him.
September 18, 2016
Guess I was wrong about yesterday’s swim being the last of...
Guess I was wrong about yesterday’s swim being the last of the season. Thanks, 102° September day.
September 15, 2016
September 14, 2016
Scientists Just Tested the ‘5-Second Rule’
You know that 5-Second Rule you applied as a kid and later as a parent? It’s total poppycock.
A recent study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology shows that no food that falls to the floor remains bacteria-free, even if scooped up right away. As a NY Mag article on the study explains, “…it took less than a second for some bacteria to transfer [to dropped food]…”
It does hold true that food picked up from the floor within 5 seconds has less bacteria than food left longer, but that’s little comfort for germaphobes.
No word on whether the 5-Second Rule applies to food dropped on pets, which interests me because I once ate a piece of bacon I accidentally dropped on my dog.
Some dads share why they’re voting for Hillary Clinton. I’m one...
Some dads share why they’re voting for Hillary Clinton. I’m one of them.
(I’m sad that my rant comparing Donald Trump to a flatulent butthole flanked by assless chaps ended up on the cutting room floor, but this probably wasn’t the right place for that.)
September 13, 2016
Not so fast there, summer. You ain’t going nowhere.
Not so fast there, summer. You ain’t going nowhere.
September 11, 2016
thedaddycomplex:
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, my...
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, my mother-in-law woke us with a phone call. “Turn on the TV,” she said.
My wife and I used to work at a small town newspaper. The weekly publication covered things like developers destroying the county’s beautiful landscape or controversy over the planned sewage system renovation or local art shows. When we arrived at work that morning, the newsroom was quiet except for the sound of a radio broadcast. The editorial and art teams agreed to scrap the planned issue and try, for the first time in the paper’s history, to cover breaking news. In hindsight, it was the only way any of us could handle the tragedy — through the filter of work.
It seems the events of 9/11 spawned an endless chain of related tragedies. War, prejudice, sickness. Ten years later, I cry at the memory of that day and every day that followed. So, you may ask why would I or anyone else want to bring a child into a world in which there is so much pain, so much suffering, so much hate?
My answer is: I did not bring my children into a world of hate. I brought my children into the world to conquer hate.
Their boundless love can change this world. So can the love of others like them. It is my job to tell them about the horrors that occurred on Sept. 11 and other days, but also to show them how they can make a difference, how even small gestures of kindness and forgiveness can be the butterfly’s wings that create the typhoon.
On this day, I weep in sorrow for those we lost. And I weep for joy that the agents of a caring future are reading a book on my couch.
(Photo by wallyg)
