Random Thoughts

[verbal gymnastics]

Thank you.

There were 8 groups doing their set pieces. Her group was dancing to Doe a deer from Sound of Music.

Mini VG's group sat patiently for about 35 minutes on a pretty hot day.

I said to the teacher that it would be more logical to put the little ones on first rather than at the end.

The teacher said the reason they did it this way was because the 3 year olds are the cutest and get the biggest cheers.

She was so right

[Jack of All Parades]

Somewhere back in an upstairs hall closet are videos of my oldest daughter's ballet dance recitals. Have not viewed them in years but can only imagine that when I do I will be filled with the same sense of awe and pride you experienced. They are special memories. Now the one I would give a small fortune for would be a video which captures her mother[and my spouse] in her glory days as a dancer!

[Jack of All Parades]

Sometimes the stars and moons do align. Just so proud of my middle daughter as she called me at work an hour ago and her enthusiasm and excitement spilled out of the phone receiver. She is now gainfully employed having just graduated from College and will be entering the legal profession going to work at one of the nation's biggest firms in their NYC office starting August 8th. I could not be happier for her. She has worked hard all her young life and it is paying off. Next stop, Tokyo! Oh! and just beginning, she already makes more in salary than her old man- that is as it should be! Oh to be 22 years old and the world is at your feet!

[verbal gymnastics]

Congratulations to your daughter. Wonderful news. Will she be specialising in any particular part of the law?

Whilst your middle daughter is 22, my youngest will be 1 next week.

[Jack of All Parades]

Thank you- at this point her interest is intellectual property law-starting out as a paralegal will need to get her feet wet- watch out you 'tapers'! As for yours- one year old - that is the world at your feet with you surely heading the way. Enjoy her special day!

[mood swung]

Congrats to both you proud daddies!

I was singing in the shower this morning (!), when I messed up the words to Jimmy Buffett's Schoolboy Heart and started singing 'I got a schoolyard heart, a novelist's eye, stout sailor's legs and a license to fly...'

What are the Freudian implications of schoolboy/schoolyard, I wonder? Am I an emotional bully?

Thoughts like these will put a damper on one's shower arias.

I'm sure the rest of my household is happy about that!

[Jack of All Parades]

Thank you- where are those pesky 'tapers' [microphone only]when you can really use one?

[verbal gymnastics]

MDM - did you use the shower head as a microphone?

[mood swung]

No, VG - I can project like EC!

(more reasons my household was happy to hear the sounds of silence)

[ice nine]

Everthing I do gohn be funky!!!

[mood swung]

Get down with your bad self!

[verbal gymnastics]

No, VG - I can project like EC!

(more reasons my household was happy to hear the sounds of silence)

I couldn't call it unexpected!

Have been out drinking 2 nights on a row.

Funny how great it is at the time but how you are brought back to reality the next morning when mini VGs need playing with.

[Jack of All Parades]

Ah! those were the days- waking up to the faces of mini-mes and the blurry opening of one's eyes to the accompaniment of "you promised- come play!"

[verbal gymnastics]

Having had 5 glorious days with the kids, I found out today that my friend's baby (born last week) had a heart attack 2 days into his life. He's currently in intensive care. He was due to have an operation tomorrow but it has been postponed until Monday (which I'm hoping is a sign that things are not as serious as they could be).

I'm not a religious man but I'll be saying some prayers.

[Jack of All Parades]

I hope your friend's child recovers fully. No one should have to endure such a condition, particularly at such an early age. As a parent it has to be frightening and one must feel so vulnerable.

[mood swung]

Happy thoughts from me as well, VG.


and on a completely different note - I misread my To Do list. It's MED-itate, not MUT-ilate. Must remember. Or post warnings.

and it's pretty bad when you have to put it on your To Do list!

[verbal gymnastics]

Happy thoughts from me as well, VG.

The little fella is out of hospital and back home

and on a completely different note - I misread my To Do list. It's MED-itate, not MUT-ilate. Must remember. Or post warnings.

and it's pretty bad when you have to put it on your To Do list!

Meditate or mutilate?

Mood swung's mood has indeed swung

[mood swung]

Yep, watch out. I'm armed (as in there are two appendages attached to my shoulders capable of independent movements) and dangereuse....

Seriously, there is something about the end of summer/beginning of fall that just unsettles me. Way down deep in my hard little heart.

[verbal gymnastics]

I was driving home tonight and realising that I'll soon have to dig out the coat and scarf and hat.

My thought here though is that there is not a hat on this planet I'll guess that makes me look good.

I just have to pick one that makes me look the least dorkiest.

[Jack of All Parades]

You need only look at our hero- not exactly un -dorky himself. And look what hats do for him! I am confident you can find inspiration from any of the numerous chapeaus he has been sporting over the past few years[however I would recommend staying away from the boater that was fancied back in 1981-1982.].

[verbal gymnastics]

I think you underestimate how bad I look in any hat.

Still, having a big nose deflects the attention from people looking on top of my head.

[Jack of All Parades]

But with the hat on who will notice?-- You could always convert to a favorite religion of mine and then that would be conveniently[and reverently] covered. Have you given any consideration to a 'stove pipe'?

[verbal gymnastics]

I don't give hats any thought.

Every now and then I see a hat and try it on.

And then I see how dorky I look.

[verbal gymnastics]

I had that wonderful conversation that dads have with their daughters today. It went like this:

The 4 year old Mini VG: Daddy, when I grow up I want to marry you and Mummy
VG: It doesn't work like that sweetie. Mummy and Daddy are married.
Mini VG: Daddy, can I still marry you?
VG: Sorry sweetie but it's not like that. You can marry someone else.
Mini VG: Another boy?
VG: Yes. I bet there are lots of boys who'd want to marry you.
Mini VG: Can I watch telly after dinner?

As if that wasn't enough to cheer me up the 13 month old Mini VG2 has just gotten super confident with her walking and walks 6-12 steps at a time. The highlight of the day was walking about 6 steps, falling on her bottom and then clapping at how clever she was.

It's been a good day!

[Jack of All Parades]

Yes those are once in a lifetime conversations to be remembered- having done it thrice. She should be so fortunate as to find a young man as good as her father!