Clearing out the thought box...

It's been a long time since my last post. Lots of things have happened, most importantly my son was born. He's my excuse for being a voyeur as opposed to a participant in the blog world. If you saw him, you'd understand. He's that cute...seriously. I'm not just saying that because I'm his dad. I'm saying that because he's the most adorable baby I've ever seen. Honestly, he could and should be the new Gerber baby.

But I digress...I came back to clear out the old thought box. So here's a mishmash of thoughts bouncing around in my noggin.

• If you're in any position where you come into contact with the public often throughout the day, you're an idiot for not getting the H1N1 vaccine. Seriously. It's going to help, not hurt - better life through science, people. Of course, this thought is a selfish one. A) I want my kid's daycare providers to be vaccinated for his health and mine and B) I just don't want this stupid thing spreading anymore than it has to.
• Now that I'm a dad, I feel like I have to stop listening to certain kinds of music, most notably punk rock. That sounds stupid, I'm sure, but can you imagine you're dad listening to Social Distortion? Me neither.
• Along those same lines, can somebody tell me when I'm supposed to stop following new music? I feel like my taste in music shouldn't intersect with my son's. Again, probably sounds stupid, but it's something I've been thinking about. Of course, I want to be as cool of a father as possible, but I don't want it to look like I'm trying too hard like that dad on Modern Family.
• For the longest time, I've been a fence sitter when it comes to politics...most likely because I have trouble making decisions. I him and haw back and forth trying to see the good in both sides of any argument to the point that I just end up stuck in the middle...it's that whole paralysis by analysis thing. But I have to say, I'm starting to lean to the right just a tad bit. Growing older is making me more selfish and I feel like the some of the right's policies are better fit to help me and mine. Yet I almost hate to admit this because I despise the crazies on the right so much more than I despise the crazies on the left.
  
• On a much less serious note, I noticed recently that flannel shirts are making a comeback. Really? Are we already done with the 80s and now we're dipping into the early 90s? I've got to say, I'm sad about this...I mean I got rid of all my flannels in the mid-90s. I'm not so happy that I may have to go out and buy more.

Anyway, there's my comeback, as weak as it is. I'm going to try to post something on a weekly basis. Maybe I can win back my readers...all 2 of you!

Not TMI, But Embarrassing

So I thought I'd come back to the blog world on TMI Thursday with a tale of childhood suffering.

Picture it. A young boy is riding his Huffy, mouth wide open with a big smile. Then his evil older brother comes flying up behind him and rams into the back of his bike, which subsequently tosses him forward over the handlebars. The young boy is screaming, mouth still wide open as he face approaches the unforgiving pavement. After what seems like an eternity, the young boy hits said pavement, top two front teeth first. Blood and tears gush from the boy as he runs to the house screeching in pain, his top two front teeth (which had just come in nicely after losing his baby teeth) dangling from their roots.

The boy is rushed to the emergency room where he waits and waits and waits. Finally, he gets checked out and finds that he has to have a X-ray on his teeth. Post X-ray, the Doc tells him that the teeth can be saved, but they'll have to take him to a specialist. He's rushed to an orthodontic surgeon who paints a cast on his top two front teeth. After everything is complete, the young boy learns of all the rules he must follow to make sure the cast holds, thus preserving his teeth.

No eating hard foods, which basically means he's got to eat mashed potatoes, jello, soup, etc. (might seem cool at first, but lack of variety can crush the soul). No swimming (of course this happened at the beginning of the summer). No playing soccer, baseball, basketball or any sort of game where he could get hit in the mouth. Basically, his life was going to suck for 3 straight months. It was bad enough for the poor fellow having these restrictions, but it got worse as the pristine white cast quickly turned yellow and then almost brown as the food passed over the cast and the weeks passed through the summer. By the end, it was a shade of brown never seen before in nature. Awful. Luckily, the boy was bigger and taller than all his friends so he was spared the cruelty of young children.

Still, for 3 months during the summer of '84, the young boy suffered a life lacking any semblance of fun and had to endure a nasty brown cast covering his two front teeth.

I still have trouble smiling in pictures.

In Defense of Christmas

First, sorry for not posting much in the past month. A ton has been going on with work and life, and the good ol' blog is the first to suffer in a time crunch. Now, to my post...

So when did so many people start hating Christmas? Seriously, every post I'm reading is about people hating the holidays for this reason or that. It sort of bothers me because this is my favorite time of the year by far. Maybe it's because it was such a big deal in my house when I was growing up. The decorations, the constant smell of baked goods in my mother's kitchen, everyone being in better spirits, and yes, even the music. In fact, I love the music. I've got a Christmas Choir station going on Pandora as we speak. Awesome.

I will admit, that now that I'm all growed up, Christmas has lost that magic feeling that it did when I was younger. But sometimes, like last night, when only candles and Christmas lights were on, I felt the magic again, if only for a moment. My wife was asleep on the couch, the dog was asleep on his bed near the fireplace, and I sat there...a smile on my face...thinking of how good I've got it and how much better it's going to get.

Anyway, the crazy shopping, the hot stores, the over-abundance of mediocre food, and each of you scrooges can't ruin this holiday season for me!

Working Work Working Works!

Well, I had just got back into the blogging fray when work decided that I should actually do things to earn my paycheck...a lot of things. I won't bitch or moan about it, but it's still an excuse for my lack of posts. I'm putting in looooooooooooooooooooooooooong hours everyday and haven't had time to do anything that even begins to be worthy of posting. And the looooooooooooooooooooong hours are going to continue through the new year. WOOOOHOOOOOO!

But don't fret. I'll still post from time to time. Just want to explain my relative absence to...um...myself.

I'm pretty dern busy!!!

But I'm not so busy that I can't start TMI Thursday a day early.

I want to lay in a bathtub full of this....naked....and possibly eat my way out.

The Death of the Slow Jam

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but at some point in the late 90s the slow jam went the way of the dodo.

See, when I was in middle school and high school, slow jams were huge. People had mix tapes and then mix CDs dedicated to the perfect mix of slow, sexy songs. They were the soundtrack to more awkward make out sessions and other quasi-sexual romps than I can even remember (who am I kidding, I can count them on one hand). In fact, my first real kiss occurred with Keith Sweat singing Merry Go Round in the background. And while I wish it would've been with a different girl (gah she was nasty!), I loved having Mr. Sweat there sort of cheering me on. Making me feel sort of smooth - sort of cool.

Countless others joined Mr. Sweat - Ralph Tresvant, Tevin Campbell, BoysIIMen, Shai, Jodeci, BlackStreet, Brain McKnight, Mint Condition, Silk, Tony Toni Tone, 112, Dru Hill, a young Usher...I'm sure I left some out.

It's sad, but these voices have been hushed, only appearing during lunch hours of R&B radio stations and in iPod playlists more as a joke than anything else. My heart almost sinks at this thought and I weep for the current pubesents. For all they have as a make out soundtrack is Lil' Wayne, Akon and Flo-rida mumbling out awful songs about strippers. Well kids, if you're out there and you want some quality slow jams to slow dance and make out to, you just give Thoughts a shout out and he'll give you the perfect Quiet Storm.

(as it turns out, Keith Sweat is also good at motivating me to post and to even work a little harder - gawd he's a smooth sonofabitch!)

On the Election...

In the past year, I've come to terms with what I am - and that's an independent. My friends tell me that I'm indecisive and can't pick a side. Maybe so, but I think it's because I see only gray. In my world, there is no black and there is no white. It's not that easy. In my opinion, both sides have great ideas and awful ideas.

Now the extremes on either side drive me insane. Those who are touting Obama's victory as the end of the world - saying that we're going to get attacked and simultaneously become a socialist state - are ignorant. Those who are touting Obama as the next coming of the Savior (or first depending on your religion) - as if simply electing him is enough to prove days will be better - well, you're a bit delusional.

Both sentiments remain to be seen, but at the end of the day, Obama is our new president and I think we all need to hope he succeeds (and help him succeed) in keeping us safe and helping us navigate through the economic downturn. I have always felt that anyone sitting in the big chair will feel the pressure to do the right thing, regardless of his or her party affiliation. I also think that a good leader makes sure he has the right people around him. Bush, for the most part, was awful at this. He sought the advice of a few good people, but in most instances, he took advice from the wrong people who helped him tarnish his presidency.

In the end, I hope and pray (and actually believe) that Obama has the foresight to have a well-balanced staff and cabinet - advisers who can explain all sides of the issues and help him come to the right decision - not the party decision.

Regardless, you have to ignore your political stance for just a minute, and realize how amazing it is that an african man and white, american woman gave birth to the next President of the United States. Prejudice is still strong in our country. Plenty of groups still are not afforded all of the rights that we privileged are afforded. But on January 20th, you aren't going to watch another stuffy old white man be inaugurated into the Presidency (that guy will be standing behind him). No, you're going to watch a man with both white and black blood running through his veins be inaugurated into the Presidency.

As Tim Russert (rest in peace) always used to say, "What a country...." It sure is, Tim. It sure is.


(And I voted for Obama, but have more respect for McCain than I have for almost any other politician. His concession speech was eloquent and inspirational.)