I think half the fun of writing in my blog is coming up with song titles that kind of go along with what my blog entry will be about. So this is fun because I get to use on of my favorite musicians Joe Walsh.
Anyway, It's been awhile since I've posted last and I apologize for that. Have you ever had those times in life where you just felt like you lost ALL motivation? Like you have NOTHING left to give to anyone or anything? That's how I've been feeling as of late. Like a zombie just stumbling through life. I've done my best not to whine about it to anyone in my life or on Facebook. Because honestly, what good does whining do? And who wants to sit and listen to me complain about absolutely nothing?
I've been up to a bit as of late. In August we took a day and went "camping" overnight. And by camping I mean staying at a hotel in Hart, Michigan. See, I don't camp.. I've tried tent camping and quickly found out that while I do love the outdoors, I'm not meant to sleep in it.. The one time we tried camping for a half week in a tent was a dumpster fire. It rained so hard one night that we had mini lakes all over the tent. It was cold, the air mattress kept losing air, and it poured all night long. The only person that slept like a baby that night was Caleb. And he was a baby at that time. He was a few months old at that point and didn't seem fazed at all by the temperature or rain. You see, with the exception of a few years every year since 1999 I have went with my wife and her family to what is called "Family Camp." It's a camp her church uses every August for a week in Pentwater, Michigan. The first year I went it was so hot that we left half way through the week. And that was after I'm pretty sure I had sun poisoning from getting sunburned so bad while swimming in Lake Michigan. If you don't supply your own tent or camper, you can stay in these old army canvas tents. The tents are on a platform and can sleep around 10 or maybe slightly more. What isn't in the brochure is the copious amounts of daddy long legs that come with these tents... And I'm not talking 1 or 2 throughout the week... I'm talking anywhere from a half dozen to a dozen in your tent at any given moment. And if it's chilly outside and you have a heater in your tent, that is apparently a HUGE green light throughout the spider community for them to invade your tent... So you can only imagine my thrill when it's time to go to bed. Usually it consists of brushing my teeth and taking benadryl to knock myself out. But that is only before I take a broom and do my best impression of Miguel Cabrera inside the tent. Swinging at anything that moves on the floor or walls or ceiling of that tent. I must look like a crazed person to anyone that walks by. But you haven't experienced the slumber of angels until you've had a daddy long legs spider walk across your face in the middle of the night.. Because that has happened... I've had them walk across my head, my face, arms... It's like walking into one of your nightmares, and then trying to sleep. I don't really ever sleep well there.
That being said, we went again this year. The last few years due to small children we've went for a day or two and stayed in a hotel. That to me is camping... We sleep, wake up, eat at the hotel, then spend the day at the camp. I made mention before how my kids have never peed on me or worse. Yeah, I've been thrown up on and I've even done the parental "catch it in your hands without thinking deal." But this was a first for me. Alex needed a clean up in aisle poo. So I take him to the van, put him on his changing pad, and get his diaper undone and off. I clean him up and he lets loose this long, arching, fountain of pee. It was majestic, and I'm pretty sure had it not been pee I would have saluted and waited for the national anthem to play. But, I just stood there dumbfounded as he drenches me and himself in this Bellagio-esque fountain of pee. All down the from of my legs, my shoes, socks... soaked... He drenched his sock, the changing pad, and the floor of the van. Well done sir, well done.. I know this seems like a small deal to some of you who have been peed on, poo'd on, and had every conceivable bottle fluid on you at some point or another by your children. But this was my first and it was a whirlwind of emotions.. At first, I was like, "huh, so this is what it's like.." Followed by a little anger and asking the baby why he'd do that to me.. Like he's gonna answer me.. He was content to splash in his pee on the floor like a monkey you'd see do the same at a zoo.. So after anger came paralysis.. I will allow you 15 seconds of laugh time....................................................................... OK.. Yes, paralysis. Not having dealt with this before and being suddenly pee covered you don't know exactly how to react. Kind of like the tough guy who is a 455th degree black belt in 45 different forms of Kung Fu, then on the street when a lady is being mugged he freezes and watches it all go down, without lifting a finger.. That was me.. Sure, I'd laughed at Jill before as she has been peed on, poo'd on, etc... But, then it happens to me and I turn into the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz.. I just freeze... I'm standing there pee running into my socks, him splashing around like a deranged seal, and all I can do is yell for Jill. I yell what has happened and she responds with "what do you want me to do about it? Clean him up." Well played.. So I clean him up, change him, change me, wipe out the fan and put his changing pad on the top of the van to dry. I'm thankful there will be no more children, because I don't want to go through that again.
My laptop died on me as well recently. My hard drive decided life wasn't worth living and died. With it, it took about 50 some pieces of writing that was going to go toward this book idea I have. I've had people offer such helpful pieces of advice and comments as "you didn't back up your work?" "you didn't save it on a drive or anything?" No, no I didn't.. Had I have, I wouldn't be upset about it would I? And it's not like you plan for a crash of your hard drive... But alas, I guess I have no one to blame but myself for not doing that. So I now get to go back and try to find all this lost work as some of it is on Facebook. Some I can recreate from memory. But lesson learned. Everything is going on my flash drive from now on.
Jill ran her first 5 k recently so that is pretty awesome. I cheered her on by staying home with the baby and drinking coffee. But that is a huge accomplishment for her and for that I'm proud. It's not something I could ever do. She plans on doing it again next year and Caleb is planning on doing it with her. I'll be at the finish line with a Whopper in my hand and ketchup stains all over me cheering her on...
Caleb is getting ready to start his last year in elementary school... I can't begin to tell you how old this makes me feel... Next year he will be in a new school, junior high, and this makes my head hurt a little.. To add to this the twins are starting full day, Monday through Thursday pre-school. I'm actually struggling with this a little bit.. I've been home with them now for a good amount of time and it will be hard at first not having them home all day with me. It'll be just me and Alex.. It will be quiet... I'll have a little more maneuverability to go places as I'll just be lugging one kid with me as opposed to three. So there are pluses.
That really catches you up on what's been going on with me here the last few months. Not much of anything. Life has been good. I will do my best to update this more. I just get into a funk and don't try. I am going to get started on book pitches by the middle of September!
Until Next Time...
Be Well
