Random Thanks and Errant Thoughts

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:03:55 -0400

Thanks to all for the warm welcomes and the wonderful comments from strangers yet to be met, yet met virtually nonetheless. It was encouraging getting such positive feedback from everyone and reminds me that it's sometimes the hardest work just putting one's canoe in the water, as the water does most of the rest of the work.

On the other hand, there are things that just come easily to me, like Math (as opposed to arithmetic, which I'm clumsy at, but that's what iPhones are for, apparently). I spent the evening last night teaching my 11-year-old son how to multiply fractions and, do what essentially is algebra, had the greatest satisfaction when he had that "A-HA!!" moment and saw how to solve the problems. At that moment, it was good to be a dad. On the other-other hand, it wasn't fun being a dad this morning at 5:45am when he woke up moaning and groaning with a stomach ache that i had to discern as either faking - because he may not have finished his homework, or because of a test - or real (whether psychosomatic manifesting as real or not) because of the tension between his mother and I. When he finally puked at 8:45, after being yelled at by his mother for faking it, I realized all the red in his expulsion resulted from the red licorice and vitamin water he ate/drank during our Math work and gave him the day off from school. It's good to be a dad; hard, but good.

It was interesting that a lot of the comments I received dealt with basketball, because I was really only making a serendipitously ironic observation regarding the convergence of a number of common elements in my life. On my good days, I view them as a convergence, on my bad days, they seem to be at odds with each other. (OK, so I'm happy to see NOVA beating Marquette at the half; my money's on Gonzaga and Xavier to do well at the big dance. Ask me tomorrow, and my view may have changed.) I'm really just angling to be one of those guys who talk ceaselessly on ESPN about what we just heard about 15 minutes ago and then re-hash it a half hour later on a different show. (PS. where do I submit my resume?)

In any event, I suppose I'll make myself something of a transparent anti-erudite of the ways of the blog, learning as I go along (one of my commenters actually has links to blog ettiquette (and maybe spelling?) which I'm sure I'll find useful.

So, in short, to answer the questions left as comments, though I'm sure there's a particularly more eloquent way to virtually do that, here are the answers to some of them, in no particular order:

Yes, I am.

No, I'm not.

Maybe, on my good days.

I miss you Nora.

Hey Susan, it's good to see you posting too.

Joan, thanks for the props.

Yes, we did know each other in a prior lifetime.

You're sweet and I'm blushing, it's not my pic, but I was told that I have "Paul Newman eyes". Actually, I'm a mix of Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and Donald Sutherland. You can have my number anyway, because I've now piqued your interest.

I'm Welcoming Myself To Open Salon

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:03:30 -0400

Since my 19 year old niece is on here, I thought I should be here, too. I'm not really a blogger; to be honest, I didn't check my email all of January, much to the chagrin of many who dance to the beat of their blackberry (which I regularly did since 1999 - R.I.P. 2008). So, there, my first internet confession (and I'm sure it will be edited as a run-on sentence).

I've often thought of starting a blog; you know, in that grandiose way of creating an alternate persona (a/k/a anonymous) as a way to just vent and describe the intense personal keen and unique observations I have had about life. Sophomoric and egotistical at the same time.

In any event, I am here. Just my honest self; ready, willing and able to explore the blogosphere of Open Salon. If nothing else, my hope is that I'll at least keep my family informed of my whereabouts and, as they say in Georgia, "whatnot," as I cavort through life.

So, on that note, I'll mention that St. John's hammered Georgetown, you can read about it here. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=200903100229&prov=ap

So a big shout out goes to the Red Storm in honor of Jack McMahon. No offense to FU, Nora, but let's pray for them as I just learned that they trail 38-10 against Marquette at half-time today. (Of course, having lived in Milwaukee, and knowing Al McGuire also was from Brooklyn, I can find a silver lining if Marquette wins.) Nevertheless, I am finding it hard to root for the Dayton Flyers, even though ultimately they're my alma mater.

To be continued....

Big Uncle Jack's Open Salon Blog

Random Thanks and Errant Thoughts

I'm Welcoming Myself To Open Salon