It really did surprise me, that my wife who does not encourage me to carry cash (as I don’t spend it, I tend to LOSE IT) would suggest to me that we get me an iPad.  We bought her one about a year ago, and she loves it, and the kids do too, but in all honesty, I never use it.

BUT, my wife is pretty insightful.  I have programs on my computer I use for work (it is a Macbook Pro) and they sync seamlessly with my phone (which is an iPhone).  The problem is that when I need to READ something off the phone like a file, it is way too small, meaning that I am “middle-aged” and cannot see.  My guide dog is worthless, as he is wet most of the time and sleeping, plus he cannot read! And in dog years he is considered to be in his mid-60’s if he hasn’t kept that theory at bay by all the “rest” he gets.

But anyway, Amanda got me an iPad, and it is a MINI one.  The big one was not too much smaller than my laptop, and to be honest when we talked about the possibility I made a cardboard cutout of the size of a Mini and carried it around for a few days……it seemed to work fine…..other than it was cardboard.

And I will confess, the real Mini works far better than that cardboard one, and for it I am thankful.  Will it be helpful?  Time will tell, but I think so….at least as I am getting used to adding it to the mix it seems pretty plausible, especially as the fonts of the programs I use are now what we used to call in the old days “readable.”

So now I have no excuses to keep up with life other than that whole age thing.  But in time I suppose Apple will find a solution for that as well.  I am just doing my best to keep up with the times.

Thanks Honey!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+


And this was not sent from an iPad, cardboard or otherwise

Yes, this moron dog was so stubborn about taking a ride in the truck today that he made sure he got himself nice and stinky by standing out in the rain until I let him in the truck.  And for those of you who do not know, you can smell a wet dog from about 6 miles away, making locking yourself into the cab  of a truck with one not so pleasant.

But as for him, he loved it.  We take Ben to school each day and pick him up together too.   And if I am not heading to something that I cannot take him to, he rides along……a real truck riding celebrity.  He doesn’t live the life of a dog, nor does he think he is one………so that is why today I got my revenge for His Royal Wetness.

We live in a great town, the Town of Edgewood.  And on our way back from the post office, I stopped at the town hall and got his license for this year and then took it home and put it on his collar.  That’s right, my revenge was to tell him he was a DOG and to prove it to him as well.  It was hard to strike back in any other way as his world is so diluted.   NOTHING smells bad to a dog, so what else could I do?  Sure, perhaps I could take the cat for a ride instead of him, but I am certain that would be more punishment for me, let alone the cat.

But much to my chagrin, the license did not have ANY effect on him.  A wet dog, sensory overload, and tomorrow it will be different, but similar.  Such is my life…..priest, husband, father, and dog chauffeur.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I actually took about 5 or 6 pictures of this, which is a nightly ritual at our house.  Ben and Amanda have a little “homework” section in our house in which they do “homework.”  Imagine that.  And when there is no homework they do workbooks, which I know is an important part of “skoolin,”but as a Tirman male, even the word “homework” causes an allergic reaction.

And yes, Ben’s hair is in a “moo-hawk,” as it is “Spirit Week” at Lapel Elementary School (Bulldogs get your paws up!) and his mom did that for him.  Of course I am certain he would far more want her to do his homework and just muss up his hair himself, but she is an academic slave driver (as most scientists are) and only does the hair thing as a hobby and a mom.  His sister is actually ultimately responsible.  The “Moo-Hawk”(capitalized because I think she has it trademarked) is something that Steph started with him a few years ago.  And I think that that may be why Amanda came downstairs in the kitchen where I was pouring a coffee to tell me she had given him one, because when I saw him I would probably start looking for Steph.

But the homework is done now, and the moo-hawk is fading.  The day is done and everyone is just a little bit smarter than they started the day.

And I am too, though I had no personal instruction today.  In my experience, any day I steered clear of the principal (who was never my “pal”) was a day that I learned something.  Today was one of those days….

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Yes, it has been a few days, and yes, both Amanda and I have been struggling to get back from whatever it has been that has zapped both our energy and heads.  I think in all honesty, I am doing better than she is, but as of late we sort of take turns being in the lead as to who feels the worst.  Today however, she wins.

And as for me, I went to Nashville, Indiana today to celebrate with the good people of St. Matthew’s (it’s in Nashville, Indiana, but if you were paying attention you already knew that).  And as I left this morning I got this crazy idea that I might take Viper with me.  1) He LOVES to ride in the truck; 2) the service in Nashville would not be too terribly long; and 3) he really has done a great job since Scotty has been gone….he deserved it in my mind.

So I told Amanda that he was going, and suddenly Viper, and the “Squirrel of Pain” were in the truck heading south, and everything was right in the world.  And when we arrived, I parked by a window, so Viper could see in.  He is a happy boy and I figured, once again, that he deserved it…..what I didn’t take into account was that people could see out.  SO SOON I was confronted with a congregation that insisted that Viper “attend” the service, and although voting is not an Anglican form of polity, that is still what they did, and he won the right to attendance only fielding one dissenting vote, mine, which I was told didn’t count.  (The evidence is in the fuzzy picture above)

Of course Viper is an AKC show dog by “profession,” so to him this was no big deal.  And although he listened to my sermon with the rest of the congregation, I do believe he was laughing at me and getting tons of attention.  He was far from the needy poor lonely dog I started the day helping out.

But soon we packed up and got back into the truck for the trip home.  He was invited back “anytime,” and yes I noticed I was not made the same offer, though I will just assume they would welcome back his driver.  And as we made our way through Columbus (also Indiana) I stopped at Subway for lunch, and wouldn’t you know it that some canine scored a Perry the Platypus lunch bag (pictured with the Squirrel of Pain) with his turkey sandwich kid’s meal (he is still under 10).

And if that were not bad enough, I decided I needed a coffee (for MYSELF) to give me a little boost to make it home.  And to my surprise, the young, attractive, red-headed girl at the Starbucks drive-thru was happy see………MY DOG, or at least my son’s dog!!  And she asked him (yes, the dog) if he wanted a “pup-cup”.

No, this was not any type of protective gear, nor was it a “real” dog treat.  That sly fox scored a Starbuck’s cup FULL of WHIPPED CREAM!  Now I do not drink girly drinks there, just a large coffee with skim milk, which they always correct me in Italian, since we live apparently in Italy……BUT, I am ALWAYS behind someone getting something with whipped cream and I have heard how much those drinks cost!!!  So I figured Viper scored again somewhere in the 8,000 to 10,000 dollar range in Starbuck’s whipped cream.  He is a PRO!

But now we are home, and all fed, and all ready for bed.  Viper is sleeping, as he does for about 23 hours every day (he is a Golden Retriever after all), and because he now sleeps in Ben’s room I will need to rouse him when I get up in the morning.  But tomorrow after Amanda goes to work and Ben goes to school I will work in my office, and Viper will lie at my feet.

But after today I am convinced we have it all wrong.  That dog is amazing, and I need to be at HIS FEET.  I can learn a lot from a dog like that!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I wish I could tell you what this picture is about, but I am sworn to secrecy.  Sure, it is Ben in “spy” goggles, and he even has now received a “spy” watch, but that was all to be the topic of a post I would write YESTERDAY, but didn’t, or better yet, couldn’t.

Yes, I am “under the weather” or SICK as they say back at home.  And tonight I am posting just because I felt guilty for not doing it yesterday.

Ben however, is as happy as can be.  If he really does become a spy he will probably be killed immediately, because the first thing he does is say, “I’m a spy.”  Now I am not a spy, but I am pretty sure that saying or even talking about being a spy is not something in the CIA manual, the manual that really doesn’t even exist.

But I hope this explains my absence.  I am sick, Ben is a spy (but not really….he is just a diluted boy), and Austin is the capital of Texas.

And as for me, I have had enough.  I am tired, and I am going to bed.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+  

Yes, Ben was off school as most of the country was for “Presidents’ Day” and instead of hanging with ME, he decided he wanted instead to go to “Miss Cindy’s” for the day.  Of course “Miss Cindy” watched Ben for most of his “non-school” life, and she absolutely hates the idea of being called the “babysitter,” which is what Ben used to call her.  She is now just “Miss Cindy” to him, HOWEVER, if you look at the pictures I am posting tonight you will understand how my relationship with her is strained……she sent him home with this SMALL ROCKET SHIP!!!

And when I say “small,” I mean in comparison to things like the Apollo rockets and the Space Shuttle.  But in all honesty, it is not all that much smaller than those.  And I love her, I really do, but this has taken up about half our house and it makes me wish her three boys were younger so I could buy them all accordions.   But I will, for now, hold back on my revenge.

In fact, I have no doubt whatsoever that she loves him like a son.  They have always been tight, and that is part of what makes this really all okay.  Oh sure, I am certain she is thankful it is no longer in her house, and I am also sure that he pestered her to give it to him, but it’s the connection that makes it special.  Ben and Cindy couldn’t be closer had she bore him herself……and on Presidents’ Day, I am sure it felt a lot like labor.  She probably only lasted as long as she could.

But Cindy is in a “rocket-free” zone and we are not, while Ben is elated.  And I suppose that is all that counts to all of us.  So thanks Cindy!  We love you and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

No, not Ben…..Lord knows I hear from him way too much, but I did answer the phone last night and we got to talk to SCOTTY, who is apparently still alive and well and in combat training with the US Marines, which is good since he is a US Marine.

But what is funny is that Scotty bought a new phone before he went back, and I know it’s pretty funny, but he thought he would get to use it occasionally.  But so far he has made only two very short calls home, and he still has a few weeks left at Camp Pendleton in California.  (And yes, this is a picture from his leave as I am not in California to take one in person!)

In the short time however I was able to get no solid answers as to where and when he is going to be in the near future at all.  He is supposed to go to North Carolina for school soon, but he may not go right away.  I know they get backed up and delayed, and I also know that a PFC controls his own life just about as much as most husbands do!  So basically, this means that I will probably know when I know and not before.  But I know he is doing what he has dreamed of doing, and I also know that Marines take care of their own (and usually the rest of what they run across too)…..so I am not worried.

It was just a blessing to hear his voice and to talk with him for a bit.  Ben got to talk with him too….they are brothers and miss each other terribly (and yes, I know this goes both ways)

So despite my not feeling too hot and not being able to talk too long, I was really blessed.  It would be far better to see him, but I will take what I can get.  He is a US Marine, and he is doing what he loves.  I respect him for both things, he makes me very proud!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Although I did not write about it in advance, last night I had my third sleep study in six years, and in addition to that, the worst night’s sleep of my life…..needless to say I am betting the settings on my Bi-Pap machine go from “turbo-prop” to full “jet.”  It was a pretty uncomfortable time.  The pictures were taken at the request of BEN who wanted to know if these probes were going into my brain or whether they were actually taking my brain out!!

But like always, the people testing me were quite nice, wonderful in fact.  And I suppose that is what makes you feel bad about having such a rotten sleep.  Of course they had me trying to GO to sleep at half of my RX, so that took forever, and I felt as if I was suffocating.  But soon it was 5:00 am and over.  And I was heading home to shower and go to work…..although very very tired and grouchy!

And I only mentioned it to a few people as Amanda is always quite worried for people to know she may be here with Ben by herself.  I am pretty sure not too many bad guys read my blog, but what bothers me is that it doesn’t make me feel too good that she is not feeling secure.  I am pretty sure if someone broke in, in addition to dealing with a pretty protective dog, it would all probably end with me  saying, “but I only would have shot once,” which would probably really irritate a girl who grew up on a cattle ranch.

But regardless, she is safe and sound and the dog stayed asleep and no one got shot.  I however seem to be continuing my stupid sleep apnea issues.  But I will stay on top of it……for as you may already know, I had my stroke while already on an apnea machine……had I not had that help, perhaps I would not be writing this. I do not know, but I refuse to take the chance.  I, like most husbands, will most probably die at the hands of my wife……in good old traditional fashion!!!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Yes, this was Ben this morning, not in HIS room of course, but in MINE.  He had his “Ben 10” DVD in and was watching episodes about a young kid just a little older than him, who can become 10 different “heroes” (thank you alien watch that he found!).  It is a pretty cool show.  What I love about Ben is that he gets into something and we watch it awhile and then he is into something else.  We see enough of it to not be just in and out and miss any depth of story.  He likes the variety…..so we also get into all the things…..Veggietales, Xmen, Transformers, Superman, Spiderman, Avengers….you get it.  But it is all boy and all the time!!

And it is good for me to be a part of.  He loves the characters and he thinks (often) that he is every one of them!!  The great part is that it keeps our house “crime and evildoer free,” while also keeping him out of the Juvenile Detention Center.

And his passion of it all remind me of when I was a kid.  Movies had heroes…..soldiers, cowboys, whatever……the good guys were the ones you wanted to be and that was a good thing.  Now of course it is a different story.  Evil often wins and shock value rules the cinema.  The great part about Ben is that it is ALWAYS about the good guys……just like it was when I was a kid.

So this was good for me to see, but even better for me to be a part of!  I love him and I should…..he is one of the good guys!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Oh sure, yesterday I posted the “cool picture” from Valentine’s Day, but not this one…..this one was the one I sent to his mom and his siblings as he was, like many 5 year olds do, having a meltdown after I picked him up from school.  His teacher had told us that he had told her at the “Fancy Nancy Valentine’s Day Party” that it was the best day of his life.  He told me shortly after this picture that I had “ruined his life.”  Quite the contrast for just 5 short years, but then I suppose his pool of data is a bit smaller than mine.

But in all honesty I am used to it because 5 year olds are crazy……..and this is my third one.  AND, to make matters worse, this 5 year old makes the other two look SANE.  And although that is not saying a lot when we are talking about Stephanie, it certainly is when we are talking about Scotty.  Ben is all over the place, but not without a lot of thought about working you, or at least trying to.

As an example, today he scowled in three different stores as he wanted EVERYTHING, yet got nothing.  He told me a lot of times what I should be doing, and he even made sure I was told that I was not very nice.  Of course I wear that in front of him like a badge of honor, saying “it is not my job to be nice……I am the dad.  If I were nice I would be the mom!”  And then I laugh…..it only eggs him on!!

But I comfortable with my place.  Even Steph and Scott get it.  They know that I love them, and they know they can count on me……..but I am not their friend, I am their dad.  Oh sure, I can be “friendly,” but what I really am is their father.

So the meltdown came and went.  It was not my first rodeo with him or any of them…..but they all recover and he did splendidly.  I just wanted to share the Ben scowl…he’s like a little vulture and far more angry and serious than the other two ever were…….

But sadly for him…..he is every bit as effective…….meaning NOT…..  Luke BEN, I am your father!!  

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+