Cosplay Advocacy

My oldest got this awesome hoodie in the mail today. He looks pretty rad, I'll admit. Rock your cosplay, everyone. Let your nerd go free, and you'll never regret it.

Town Parks

I love visiting parks in little towns. This particular view comes from Riverside Park in my hometown of Salida. This will date me, but i remember when the river was just a natural river without a cool calm section and a play hole. The sidewalk wasn't there, but there was a short, concrete wall. There is a stage there now, but it used to be a simple, elevated seating platform above the river. That was one of my first memories of this town, pre-resort era of course. A park says a lot about it's town. 

Confronting the Ghosts of the Treasure State

This past weekend, my wife and I drove up to Bozeman, Montana to see some friends get married. They came to our wedding, so we had an honor debt to pay. It was bittersweet being back there, the place where we had one of the hardest years as a family. The city itself has grown foreign, and that's okay. It's still pretty, but it's still rich and inaccessible to the average person. Regardless, we had a lovely, intimate time with our friends, and we got to revisit our stomping grounds. It affirmed our love for each other and what we've been able to overcome. 

"I'm a soft touch." -William Adama

We always take in the strays. This is an alley cat from behind the restaurant where I work. A coworker of mine took her to the vet, and then quarantined her. I'm up now. Giving a home to the homeless. If you can't do something smart, do something right. 

The Lack of Healthcare

As I come off the second day of lack of sleep due to an infected broken tooth, i am angry at the lack of consistent healthcare for many people who don't have the ability to reach out and get stuff like this fixed. I have to wait at least 8 days for my appointment at the dentist, and I have an appointment at the family doctor tomorrow to figure out some antibiotics and pain meds. Ugh.

Coming Full Circle

This past weekend, my brother and I took my kids to Newell, South Dakota. We made the pilgrimage almost 13 years to the day that we did the identical journey there to bury my cousin. This time, we buried his dad, my uncle. Seeing the impact of their lives in this tiny town was incredible. My cousin's death was the impotus behind me starting this blog and moving to Alaska, doing all of the crazy shit today. With my uncle's passing, I feel similarly motivated, but differently, as if reminded that time is short. It's a strange realization that days are likely closer to the end than they are the beginning. Time to move. 

Taking In Strays

We've always in the business of taking in strays. Most of my best friends have been strays: odd people, nerds, socially awkward, mentally ill, not white, not straight, not kind, not stupid. These people have enriched my life in unparalleled ways. It extends to animals, too. My dog is a tri-pod that was looking for a home for months. All that being said, enter Stale Bizkit. She was coming around the restaurant where I work, and we took turns taking her in for various appointments and what not. She landed at my house. She's super sweet, too. Great purr!

Chorin'

As I write this, the dishwasher is drying the second load of dishes today, the washer is working on it's first load, I've taken stuff out to the shed, and walked over to the 'Rents homestead to pick up the OG BW. Ember and Noodle came with me. I tried to wear him out, but Noodle is just too much of a damn puppy. 

Fitness, or Lack Thereof

Being a modern dad is super challenging. Physical fitness is one of the jokes that we like to tell ourselves about. It's a joke because a good dad never has the time. I'm writing this blog at 5 am, for example. Maybe I'll get some time to workout, which will likely include a short walk, a short run, some pushups, some situps, and a bunch of stretching. Lots of stretching. Stretch the hips, the back, the neck. All this to do the kid stuff before and after work. Every. Single. Day. Dad's don't have dad-bods because they are lazy. They're a product of working too many hours, eating unhealthy food on the fly, and still wanting to be snuggly.