Numbers on the brain

Been thinking about some numbers lately.

I started raising kids 20 years later than my dad. He began at age 23. I was 43 when my son was born.

On August 1, I will be exactly 5 years away from the same age my dad was when he died – just 2 weeks shy of birthday number 52.

When my dad died, I was 30 years old. If I were to die at the same age as him, my 2 children would become fatherless at age 8. By comparison, this would mean I’d be denying them 22 years of parenting from me.

My cholesterol medication is consumed 1 time, each day, at 10 mg per dose.

I would like to get and keep my weight to a manageable range of 167 to 170 pounds. This morning I stepped on the scales for the first tine in 3 months, and when I looked down I read 176.

I cannot remember the last time I engaged in a solid 20 minutes of exercise.

Hmm… I don’t like how some of these numbers are adding up.

 

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T-Bird

1963 Ford Thunderbird Monaco Landau, owned by Gary Staples. Only 2,000 manufactured.

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One. Cool. Dude.

Take my picture, please.

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A Warped Self Portrait

I started a blog called ShotsFromMyCar.com awhile ago, but only uploaded one photo to it. At the time, I was making a lot of trips to the local children’s hospital with my son, Max, so getting out of my car to feed my photography addiction wasn’t going to win me points as the ideal parent. And so, the concept of only taking photos from within my car was born. I was also constantly looking for a decent reflection image to use as the heading photo… but it just never happened – until recently.

Perhaps it’s time to dig a few of those images up and see if any are worth posting.

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Who’s happier than this guy?

This was a busy day. Church. Swimming (for the first time). An hour in the gym with the Active Start program. That right there would have been enough. But it was such a nice day, and the park next door to the gym, bustling with activity, was calling Max’s name. “What?!?! They have swings here??? The day is now complete.”

So, to answer the question of who’s happier than this guy? No one I know.

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The Phoenix

A graffiti panorama spotted while Max & I were on our way to the gym.

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You know it’s a good day when…

You know it’s a good day when something like this arrives in the mail.

 

 

 

There are some things email simply cannot replace.

Thank you, Samantha!

 

 

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I hate fishing

Don’t you just hate fishing?

I do.

I don’t just hate fishing… I loathe it.

And yet, I often catch myself having this irrational desire to suddenly toss a line out there, even in places I shouldn’t be fishing, just to see if I get any bites.

I’m not a catch and release kind of guy, either.

My wife knows my secret, although now that she knows, and has made it known that she knows, it makes me want to give up fishing altogether.

Of course, I’m not referring to fishing for those scaly amphibious types.

No, I’m talking about… fishing… for… compliments.

If you know me well, you might have even caught me fishing, with lines like, “I did that” or “I made that” or, my personal favorite, and oft used, “Take a look at this,” while pointing toward my computer monitor at some piece of media I’m working on.

Don’t get me wrong… fishing is not a bad thing. I just think for me, I need to carefully assess the type of bait I’m using, and what exactly I am fishing for.

Lately, I’ve been trying to switch to some more… let’s say, environmentally friendly bait, like, “Can you proof something for me?” or, “If you’ve got a couple minutes I could sure use a fresh set of eyes to critique something I’m working on.” But it’s not easy to give up that old tried and true bait I’ve been using for far too long.

I think if I can shake things up and only go fishing when I need to (instead of want to)… I might reel in a higher quality catch.

And I might even begin to enjoy fishing for a change, instead of feeling guilty about it.

How often do you find yourself fishing? And honestly… what are you trying to catch?

 

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Who has the cutest kids ever?

Libby & Max

Libby & Max strike a pose.

Libby & Max get serious

Libby & Max both ham it up for the camera - a rare day.

Who has the cutest kids ever? Maybe I’m a little biased, but I think… me. Yes, I happen to have the cutest kids. Ever.

What’s that, you say? Your kids are pretty cute? Hey, good for you.

But they’re not my kids.

And they’re definitely not the cutest.

Sorry. My kids win.

Every time.

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Max reflects

Max reflects

Anyone who has taken pictures of young kids knows how difficult it can be.

At the rate things were going on this particular day, I told Denise I would have to take at least a couple hundred pictures to get the exact shot of Max I was looking for. Turns out that number was closer to around ten.

How can you not love that face!

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