Thursday, May 26, 2005

Weekend Fish Wish

Here we go --- Memorial Day Weekend is here. The first big boating/camping trip for this summer is Now Here. Just a few more work items to get done. How to get time to go work on the preparations and then take Friday off and safely make the transit and have all the little things go right. Big challenge.

But that is part of the fun. Ryan is all set to go. His new little dinghy is already stowed in the bow of the boat. Little Thomas has had some good times helping me ready the boat. But yesterday was not one of the good times. Something broke. He got barked at for just doing nothing when I needed a hand. I’m deeply troubled that I got hot and may have harped to much. But we have some wiring to finish… Not really a good excuse for making his life sad.

I’ll pick him up in a few minutes and take him to the Book fare at school. He is eager to get a few items that he has picked out. So that is my Top priority now. (this hour)

Then Fish Wish… A safe and fun weekend where we all make happy memories as a family on vacation.

Keith <”><

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Good Tuesday

Thomas had a good baseball practice today.

His team will have playoffs next week with the other teams in his league. Playoffs starts with playing against the Pirates our most competitive opponent. They have a really hot pitcher or two. Will make it very hard on us. It is a short distance from the mound to the plate and one of their pitchers is throwing fast enough to be in the Majors.

The first and second grade boys are brave just to stand in the box when that heat is thrown at them. Wow. Little gladiators.

My fingers are crossed. K <"><

Monday, May 23, 2005

Good weekend and hardly felt the heat.

It’s Monday night and I’m winding down…

Hot kid news. Sat morning Thomas and his “Farm Dodgers” did very well. They came from behind and pulled another win out. Trish was not there but Grandma and Grandpa George were able to see Thomas slide in to home plate. Two times he got to step on home plate in the 13 to 10 victory over the pirates.

We went down to the club and hung out by the pool and stayed cool on a very hot day in LA. Weatherman was impressed with the heat.

I found out how the wires look under the center console of the boat. Grandpa had some sage advice when I shorted and sparked. Ha! But at least I know now what to get and what it needs to do and where it draws power from.

Then Sunday, after a shopping spree, Thomas and I spent some quality time doing boat repairs together. He and I soldered and did electrical work. Together we wired in three courtesy lights on its’ own switch. I related some of the circut to his toy science kit that turns moters and lights on a snap on board.

Thomas told me it was fun to work on the boat. I agree so wholeheartedly! It really is. It warmed my heart to hear him say that out of the blue. We worked so well together that we cept at it until dusk. (A little too late for a school night. He He He)

Ryan and I used to have moments like that in Indian Guides. Thomas is not interested in IG or Cub Scouts. But he is interested in engineering and such.

Now if we can get the AM/FM/CD radio to work. Thomas is just the right size to get inside the tight space and hand wires out and hold things while I tighten nuts… Gotta get him back down there this week!

Friday Ryan and I leave for Catalina. Saturday Thomas and Trish follow with Carl and Francyne and Kristen on the big boat.

Hmmm got to get busy.

If you want to See Thomas and his baseball experience…
On webshots. Boring stuff unless you are family.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Whats up this week & Getting ready for next adventure

Guess it has been a few days since last posting.

Thomas had a great game on Weds. evening. His team had some good plays and made some good outs. It was a tough game and for a nice change there was not a lot of walks early on to run up the score.

We got 4 runs in the 4th inning and then they got 1 run. Then it stayed there all the way to the end. Thomas may need to swing the bat more. But as a catcher he is great. He gets in there and goes after the ball. At one point he was getting too close and the batter went way out on the follow through with one hand AND the bat hit Thomas in the back of the head. It was good that he had the full wrap catchers helmet and face cage. He latter held up his fingers and said it hurt that much. (about 2 inches apart) He stayed down for about 30 seconds after the tap on the head. Then gut up and stayed in there as the catcher. What a good strong ball player.

I hope he stays with it. He sees that his brother is giving up on it and wants to stop too. He also wants to stop Cub Scouts. The local pack 59 is falling apart. I am not going to volunteer even though some of the parents pointed to me to step up as they know my other efforts with Y-Guides etc. But I’m not going to do it for Cub Scouts. I’ve had to much heat from the Mrs. for my many hours on MDRAnglers, Baseball, Y-Guides, and Soccer referee. (And she signed me up as referee. Go figure)

Ryan – He got a great report card from middle school 3-B’s and 3-A’s. OK I’m not going to rag on him. It is hard to chide him to do better when he is doing so well.

Today Ryan was riding the BMX bike. Jumping off the Kicker Ramp over Nakita (a neighbor) and over most of the big table top ramp (with Thomas under that) then landing to descend the far side of the ramp. Way out there by 8 to 9 feet on each jump. None of the local boys try to do it.

His next ideas are to dig up the grass and landscaping and install dirt ramps and jumps and make a BMX bike park out of the yard.

Gutsy Idea. Keep thinking bold Ryan. Yeah!

My accomplishment for the week is a fixing up the Jetski for Memorial Day weekend in Catalina. Coming soon. And I finished the registration for Ryan’s dinghy. I’m so looking forward to him having his own boat in Cat Harbor. He is so much going to Rock. Real joy to be your own boss of your own boat. And there is no finer place to be out on your own than in the safe and beautiful waters of Catalina. Especially Cat Harbor.

www.ecatalina.com/maps_island.cfm

and
www.scico.com/twoharbors/mainboat.html#Coves


for good info on the destination. Really looking forward to it.

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Boats and time spent in preperation

I love working on the boat and the good jobe feeling from tinkering with them.

We need to prep for Memorial Day weekend trip and get. Fitting out a new motor mount. Fuel exchange. Battery recharge.

Mounting the Jet ski on the bow of the big boat once the thing is put in working order.

Neat.

Gotta go do that stuff now.

Keith <"><

Optimism vs pessimism

A repost of my thoughts to a Fathers support group...

Dear Fathers of the Very young. Stick up for yourselves very early on. Or later you too will likely be the sufferer of the “I’m the better nurturer” crap that women have falsely been able to claim as their own high ground.

14 years married. 12 year old son. 7 year old son. Wife has been messed up “I’m the better nurturer” type for years. She even scuttles my authority to make decisions stick about the house.

I am regularly depressed by the horrific abuses I get mentally in front of the kids by the Mrs. And never ever an “I’m Sorry” will come from her lips. Somewhere in her past the ideas of apologizing was stomped out of her. Part of the macho take responsibility or your actions or a Psychology class that had a professor experimenting with new Ideas? I don’t know. But I do know that we live in a beautiful house in a not so happy emotional home.

A couple of nights a go after dinner I got to spend time on the sofa with just me and Thomas. We snuggled and tickled and laughed at a good TV show. America’s Funniest Home Vids with a big end of season finally. Then the Mrs. walks in and has her head full of all this hatred and angry thoughts that she must have been ruminating about, while watering in the back yard, and unloads on me. I was berated and put down and ordered to do the dishes and to dam well do them right now.

How depressing to ruin Thomas and My night just for the dishes. Later while I was hoping to cap a night off with a bedtime story with Thomas once she walks into the bedroom and starts ordering us around and countermanding each of the few things I had gotten Thomas moving on. I left the room. I try my gosh darn best to not ever put her down in front of the kids but it is Just the opposite for her.

I am surprised often that the same woman that will Ragg on my for not reading the “parenting books” she picks out will not read a passage I point out in one I like. She will not watch “Nanny 911” or the show “Super Nanny” that is on TV.

As I see it she may be afraid that she see proof that she is not entitled to be as arbitrary and mean and dogmatic as she has been.

I long for joy, play and relaxation around the house. Not worry and anxiety and living as if on egg shells. Then told that I’m the one needing to go see a shink.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I am struggling with my inner voice often. Trying to keep my inner commitments I made to my boys and my marriage and my house.

Then not forgetting to keep a little for my inner happiness via a boat trip or fishing or work out at the dojo. The counselor we used to see told me when I had a session one on one… regarding my efforts to always try to please her… “Stop It.” To do some stuff to please me now and then.

So I have set my goals better and try to focus on the needs of Dad, the Boys and then of the house. And then and Wife. Gets me through the week a lot better.

Not perfect. Just my built up calluses from being rubbed raw over the years.


Thanks for letting me share.
Thanks for the many good posts.
On… http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FathersRaisingSons/

If not for finding some like minded and helpful Dads…
I may have been really lost.

Sincerely Keith <”><

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Go fish

Maybe more fishing time will calm my head and help me unwind. The boating club has a trip on the bigger boat in MDR called the New Del Mar and for just $10 per head we three boys can go.

Mom will be attending an event at the middle school about preparation for college. Ryan can go to that meeting or go fishing. His choice. Thomas will enjoy going out on the boat.

Hope we catch some stuff. If Ryan is not going I want to use his new rod/reel combo and get a few good casts in.

Think fish <”><

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Weekend ended

Well the Mothers day weekend came and went. Thomas and I did have a little shopping spree where he got to use up his toy story credit cards and some ( 1/3 ) of his cash reserves. How a 8 year old can come up with money is a bit of a mystery but there are grandparents and birthday cards that filter in.

He got a remote controlled Hummer and two boats. We went to the pool and drove the boats and Hummer. Had a sandwich and a Swim. Then came home to have a movie and popcorn with Ryan and Mom.

Not a bad weekend. (not really a good one either)

But Thomas and I did have some special time together. Good enough.

Friday, May 06, 2005

It is Friday again

Here we are at a Friday again.

Good thing. Maybe socialize with neighbors again or maybe go to a movie and get a babysitter. That would be a good thing. Needed.

Trish and I have had a few heated moments recently as sometimes happens

So a date night out is really needed.

On the boat side I picked up a good bit of wood to fix up a mount for the 6 hp outboard Ryan got for his dinghy. Hooked up with good old Ed Basier to go down to the boat and look around. Which was good for me. he was a healthy breadth of fresh air. He knows just about everybody as he has been in the community for so many years. He had a lot of good encouraging words to say about the boat/boating/Catalina/family that I feel reassured that I am on a good track with the boys.

Thomas has a Batting practice at 5 pm tonight. And the season is close to over. Dang. I like rooting for the home team so much. I get so proud of them when I watch them do well... I can't hold back on my joy.

Gotta Run now. More stuff to do.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Ryan gets his Fish Wish

My son and I were out on the water this weekend in his new dinghy. He has wanted this for a long time. We were working it out as he was to earn half the money and bring home a top notch report card and I would fund half.

We even had called on a few used ones in the recycler for boat and motor for $600 but did not get there in time to see it and buy it.

And we used the rod he won in the Halibut Derby on Sunday to troll around the breakwater at the end of MDR. No luck on fishing. But we did pluck out of the water a bunch of plastic bags. It was another version of 3 men in a tub. Ryan, Thomas and I in a little tiny inflatable boat. We even did a outside loop around the front side of the end breakwater. Gave us a little thrill. Ryan spotted some Porpoise on the outside corner and yelled “Whales.”

http://www.mdranglers.com/HD2005/dinghy.htm

Check it out. It was a good weekend for Ryan.

Thomas had a fun Baseball Game on Sat. at 8:30 am.

Now I don't mind not going to Cat Harbor with John R. on his boat.