I, Robot

I think I found a summer project for Rob and Alex: We're going to build a robot. And not just any robot, but Wall-E. Of course, this is from a guy who has trouble changing a tire, so we'll see how it goes. It sounds cool. Check out Geekdad.com for more.

Words for the Week

Here's something to ponder from the 44th President of the United States:

"I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven't yet achieved enough in my life. I come to embrace it, to heartily concur, to affirm that one's title, even a title like president, says very little about how well one's life has been led - and that no matter how much you've done, or how successful you've been, there's always more to do, more to learn, more to achieve." - Barack Obama, speaking at commencement ceremonies at Arizona State University

Teach Your Children Well

Kara Swanson posted a great piece on her blog - I urge you to check it out here. It's great advice for parents, and a great reminder of the responsibility we have to our children - and all future generations: No more hate.

Walk On

Alex celebrated his preschool graduation on Thursday, and he took home the coveted Future Country Star award thanks, no doubt, to his omnipresent blue boots.

Just Another Manic Morning

Once again, Old Wahoo went bananas this morning, even though I had blueberries on my cereal.

Between fixing breakfast and lunch, Alex dawdling and Rob poking and prodding his brothers, I lost my cool for the second straight morning. To cap it off, in fact, Matt gave me a particularly ripe diaper. Good times were here again, and I went on a storming-I'm-only-speaking-in-short-loud-guttural-phrases mini-rampage. Moms and Dads endure these type of things everyday, but these frustrations have their own uniquely aggravating feel.

But as my Grandma keeps telling me, "This, too, shall pass."

Of course, it did, thanks to a bike ride I didn't want to take and even blamed my wife (in my own, charming passive-aggressive way) for making me take with the boys on the way to Rob's school. Rob quickly showed his good size, pointing out construction projects and planning for his next contraption. Alex, well, he just displayed those blue eyes and made it impossible not to smile. And the Moose, Matt, waved to everybody, from construction workers to the poor, lonely, fat kid walking to school. How can you not love that?

Look, the bike ride didn't make everything better. I'm still a bit cranky. But it helped, and seeing the good in the boys helped more. 

Still, even the good times will pass.

In fact, when I returned home, I discovered a milk-Cheerios spill in the kitchen, which threatens the fragile (and ever-so clean) ecosystem there.

I guess I better clean up.

Hooray for the Hubble

The latest space shuttle mission has proved fascinating as the astronauts continue to work on the Hubble telescope. I'm sure many people would argue that the money the United States puts into the space program could be better spent, but the discoveries (and pictures) that the Hubble has helped make has been an incredible benefit to science and mankind. I'm already amazed by what Rob knows about space, and what is different from when I grew up (i.e., Pluto is now a dwarf planet). I can't wait to see what we learn in the next decade. I'm sure it will be fascinating.

Summer Reading

Old Wahoo wants to get Rob more involved in reading, without pushing too much. He shows a desire and apptitude for reading, though he has little focus (or willingness) toward it now. To encourage him, I thought about starting a reading chart, and when we reach a certain number of books (i.e. 100), he would earn a prize. 

To help him, I said he could count my books, too, hoping that he would not figure out that it takes me a long time to read and he would only get a bump of 4 or 5 books from me. Plus, I think it would help if he saw me read, and I really have a few books I want to devour this summer.

The first book is the "Watchmen" graphic novel, which elicited the "My-God-I-knew-he-was-a-geek-but-not-that-big-a-geek" face from Mrs. Wahoo. I also want to read "Netherland," a post-9/11 story about, at least in part, cricket (yes, cricket) in New York City. 

Anyway, what do you want to read this summer? And am I pushing Rob to hard? I want him to enjoy reading, not dread it.

Words for the Week

Mrs. Wahoo pointed this out to me in the church bulletin (Christchurch Grosse Pointe), and I thought it was appropriate for the times:

Focus my mind on abundance rather than lack. Keep me aware 

that I have all that I need – and then some.  C.Lee Richards 

Pure Alex

Preschool Prom took place Wednesday, and Alex showed the Good, the Bad and the Hilarious of his unique persona in the leadup to the big dance.

When I picked him up from preschool Tuesday, he showed ambivelant feelings toward the prom, in which the "Big Girls" - the high school students who help teach his class - throw a semi-formal party for all the young kids. Though he said he was excited, he also made it clear that he would not dance. There is no negotiating with Alex.

By Wednesday morning, Alex's ambivelance had given way to defiance. "I'm not going," he said, and getting him dressed took both Old Wahoo and Mrs. Wahoo to the limits of their patience. 

Eventually, he got ready, and Laura made sure he looked sharp with nice pants and a green sweater vest. Plus, Alex wore his blue cowboy boots.

Finally, I dropped him off for his carpool ride to preschool. When we arrived at the Ramseys, Cate was dressed in a beautiful white dress. Obviously, Cate was excited, but another emotion had overcome Alex: fear.

Alex huddled in the car, and turned away. When Cate's mom asked him to come out, Alex said: "I just need a second to get used to Cate's dress."

I think he's ready for high school already. 

Fortunately, Alex eventually got out of the car and off to school, where he said he had a good time.

He even said he danced a little. But not, he said, before he had finished playing with the toys.

Another Father's Thoughts

Lacy Lusk, a friend and former colleague at The Daily Progress in Charlottesville (and also a fellow Wahoo as well as a Cavalier Daily sports editor), shares his thoughts on fatherhood. Lacy is a big Cleveland Indians fan, and he also covers lacrosse at The Washington Post.

Age? 39

Number of children and their ages? 1, Sophia (3)

Occupation? Sports copy editor at The Washington Post

What is the best part about being a father? Seeing my daughter grow up, watching her learn and finding out what she enjoys doing.

What is the toughest challenge you face as a father? Simply keeping up with Sophia. She's a very active 3-year-old who enjoys sleep a lot less than I do.

How do you balance career and family responsibilities? The hardest part is finding enough quality time to spend with my wife. She works days and I work nights (we have one common off day each week), so a lot of days we see each other just for a quick update. Having a job I enjoy makes a huge difference. If I didn't, I'm sure it would be that much tougher to rally at home.

What kind of challenges does you career present? Working nights and some holidays makes it tougher to find time with extended family, but it also allows me to spend about eight hours a day with Sophia. So for some of the challenges, there's also an upside. The volatility of the newspaper business certainly doesn't help.

How has fatherhood changed since you were a child? Most of the basics are probably the same. Maybe more is expected of fathers on the home front, but our dad was able to spend a lot of time with us and be a strong influence, so I don't think my role is much different than my father's.

How are you a different father than your father? I worry about being too lenient -- think my dad had a better handle on when to give in and when not to. But I try to put my family first, just like he did, and frequently tell my wife and daughter how much I love them.

What’s the best advice about fatherhood that you’ve received? From many sources, just to let my child be herself -- not try to force my interests on her, and at the same time to introduce to her as many worlds as possible.

Space Jinx

Our space jinx continues. 

Alex and I decided to watch the space shuttle Atlantis launch yesterday, so we made some popcorn and fired up the Internet to watch streaming video of the blastoff from NASA's online site.

Or so we thought.

The video feed remained static, despite numerous efforts to refresh the browser, and the audio never came through. Through stills on the video, we finally figured out that the shuttle had indeed taken off for its mission to repair the Hubble telescope.

Fittingly, we probably could have watched the liftoff on good, old-fashioned TV as Alex, Rob and I later watched a tape of the liftoff on Yahoo, with the video coming from ABC's cable news channel, which we receive here on AT&T U-verse.

Ah, technology. Can't live with it, can live without it.

Words for the Week

I was listening to my iPod on my run this afternoon, and I heard this song "Jerusalem" by Steve Earle. It's a quest for hope in a world gone mad, and I think it's a good one to remember this week whenever things feel or look bleak:

I woke up this mornin' and none of the news was good
And death machines were rumblin' 'cross the ground where Jesus stood
And the man on my TV told me that it had always been that way
And there was nothin' anyone could do or say

And I almost listened to him
Yeah, I almost lost my mind
Then I regained my senses again
And looked into my heart to find

That I believe that one fine day all the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem

Well maybe I'm only dreamin' and maybe I'm just a fool
But I don't remember learnin' how to hate in Sunday school
But somewhere along the way I strayed and I never looked back again
But I still find some comfort now and then

Then the storm comes rumblin' in
And I can't lay me down
And the drums are drummin' again
And I can't stand the sound

But I believe there'll come a day when the lion and the lamb
Will lie down in peace together in Jerusalem

And there'll be no barricades then
There'll be no wire or walls
And we can wash all this blood from our hands
And all this hatred from our souls

And I believe that on that day all the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem

Let me know, either in the comments or via e-mail at john.hetzler@gmail.com, any words or thoughts that help you get through the week.

UPDATE: Edited on 5/11/09.

Thanks Mom

Look, one day doesn't cut it for Mother's Day. They need (and deserve) a lot more than one day off from cooking or some flowers to show them how much we love them, so why isn't it a weekend or a month? (Or am I just saying this because my present is in the mail, wink, wink?)

Seriously, I love my mom, and I think the best thing about her is the way she loves me. Plus, along with my dad, she gave me a set of values and a sense of direction that have proved true and invaluable. 

The one thing I'll always appreciate about my mom is the kick in the butt she gave me after my second year in college. I was done with classes for the spring, and I was just loafing around the house, not knowing what I should do for a summer job (if anything). Mom told me to start calling radio stations, and I looked at her like she was crazy. 

"I just can't call them," I protested. 

"Just call," she said. Then she handed me the Yellow Pages.

Now, if you read any article about job hunting, the author will immediately state that cold-calling is a complete waste of time, that you need an "in," etc.

Bogus.

By the time I called the second radio station in the good ol' book, WGH, the Eagle 97, I had hit the jackpot. The woman answering the phones that morning happened to be the assistant promotions manager, and yes, the Eagle was looking for some part-time work.

I had a blast working at the Eagle, even though I worked long hours (I think I worked 12 hours my first day on the job) and even though I knew I never wanted to work in radio for the rest of my life. It was freaking crazy, making "WKRP in Cincinnati" look sane. (Though "WKRP" would have been a cool place to work.)

Anyway, I learned that if I wanted something, I had to go for it, no matter how stupid I thought it was or how stupid I felt or how long the odds were.  It's advice I still need to heed.

And I think it's helped me get where I am today. I've got a beautiful family and a career, that maybe it's not where I want it to be right now, has opened many doors and given me a lot of happiness.

And I owe it all to Mom.

Thanks.

 

Taking (and giving) orders

Alex wanted to do something nice for his dad, who was feeling sick yesterday, so he asked for some orders. After much prodding from Alex, I finally relented and asked for some Gatorade. Alex happily obliged by turning to his mother and repeating my orders (almost verbatim): "Mom, can you give Dad some Gator Ale?" Then he smiled at me and said, "See, I can take orders."

Rocket Launch

Old Wahoo wishes he was in good ol' Virginia tonight to see this rocket launch from Wallops Island (wherever that is). Still, according to this post from Geekdad, the fire from the rocket can be seen up to 800 miles away, so maybe I'll get to see it anyway. If nothing else, it's a good story for the kids.

UPDATE: The launch was postponed until Thursday. I think I've jinxed every NASA mission this year.

UPDATE: The launch was postponed again, this time until Friday night. If anyone gets pictures, let me know.

UPDATE: Launch scrubbed Friday. According to the NASA Twitter feed, they will go sometime next week.

Supergeeks

Old Wahoo led Rob and Alex a step closer to nerdom by taking them to a comic book store for Free Comic Book Day on Saturday. It appealed to my geek side - I loved comic books as a a kid, everything from G.I. Joe to X-Men - while also appealing to my fatherly instincts (i.e., it was a cheap activity and got the battlin' boys out of the house).

Not surprisingly, the comic book store lived up to my expectations, not my hopes. There were boxes and boxes littered throughout the dusty room, and it was hard to tell if there was any organized way in which the books were stored. In fact, the free comic books were almost hidden in a box by the front door.

Fortunately, the boys liked it, even if they fought over the same free comic book. ("They're free, and you can each have one," I almost shouted. Or maybe I did.) Rob was so into his "Cars" comic that he started reading it before we left the store. And Alex said it was "AWESOME."

The Connells: My 10 Favorite Songs
The Connells best songs, a mixture of the upbeat and the melancholy, always lift my spirits.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1703445/the_connells_my_10_favorite_songs_.html