Above The Sky | Beautiful Background Music

Shared specifically for 1:14:29 Guiding Light - Lorenzo Bellavista

Night Life | Background Music For Work

Nomyn - Moonlight

My son and a cow

I was picking my daughter up from school the other day and as we made our way to the corner… two cows from the Chik-fil-A chain stumbled out from the Chik-fil-A vehicle and onto the sidewalk in front of us. Needless to say, my son (who at this stage, really doesn’t like to be strapped into anything) stopped wiggling in the stroller and stared in wonderment at the black and white beasts that approached us. As they neared, I noticed that their walk was kind of limited, which made me laugh… they looked like they had the mobility of a tree – stiff and fumbling. But they’re pace was purposely slow as to not scare any of the hundred children getting on buses behind us.

Anyway, as one of the cows got closer, it held out a hand toward my boy and almost without hesitation, my son reached as far as he could just to touch it. It sounds funny, but watching my son do that simple thing showed me that he calculated the situation and wasn’t afraid… not in the least. I mean, how many cows walking down the street does one ever see?

When the two hands connected, my son let out this little ‘erp’ sound. I suppose you can attribute it to a sound of excitement. I sure did. I watched his face beam as he looked up toward the sky just trying to get a glimpse of its face and when he did, he let out another ‘erp’ noise and then he began talking with it. The cow nodded and tilted it head from one side to the other. It shrugged it shoulders and leaned back a bit while placing its other hand on its stomach, indicating laughter. All the while, my son was babbling on and on and on.

But while I enjoyed the moment, it was time to continue home. I thanked the cow for allowing the brief moment for my son to smile broadly and indulge in a somewhat comedic conversation then started the walk home. However, my son wanted to see it still, so I turned the stroller around and walked backwards so that he could wave at it.

I know the simplicity of it all as most people would, but my son didn’t. To him, it was magical… he saw something he’d never seen before. He touched it and talked with it and it understood him and may have even laughed at his joke! And in a world full of bad news and bad economies… I suppose it was just as magical for me.

Heaven on earth…

There are times in one’s life when you can truly say that you’ve fallen in love… again!

It didn’t come on by any extraordinary event. I didn’t save anyone from a rabid wolverine or stop a speeding train or take a bullet… nope, none of those things happened (or ever has), but it happened in the least likely of times: sitting around the dinner table.

We were eating dinner the other day when my 6-yo daughter threw me the “I love you” horns. I smiled and tossed them back at her, except with my middle finger also bent down, meaning, I love her back.

She smiled, tilted her head a bit and continued eating.

I stood up to take my plate to the sink and when I turned around, that’s when it hit me. I saw my family – MY family – together and enjoying themselves. My daughter began to laugh at my 14-mo son because he made a funny face when my wife tried to put a piece of chicken in his mouth. Then my wife started laughing because my daughter’s giggle suddenly turned different; it was a mixture of high pitch cricket and cackle calls (I like the description of “crickackle”). It was weird to say the least.

Anyway, my son started to smile and show us his beautiful baby teeth, but the “crickackling” seemed to get louder.

It was then that I felt this warm… calm sensation. It’s hard to explain, but I looked at my wife then my daughter and finally my son… and I knew I found my Heaven here on earth. This is exactly where I’ve wanted to be for so long.

When I was 18-yo and in the Navy, I could tell you the precise moment the feeling of fatherhood hit me. I had just reached the top of the ladder leading from my berthing when this sense swept over me. I have no idea if this is a universal experience, but I knew that I wanted to be a daddy. Not a father, because any man can father a child, but a daddy. It takes someone special to be a daddy and I do believe that I fill this role perfectly.

Yup, I’ve fallen in love again. Not only with my wife, but with my children and whenever I’m with them, I’m reminded that my life has meaning and I certainly would (and will) never ever want anything else in trade.

I’m happy… and have been for a number of years now.

I’m happy… and so much in love.

Again.

Birthdays... they arrive faster each year

Today marks my daughter's 6th birthday and shortly thereafer, my son turns 1 on the 31st.

I don't think I've ever really said this before, but I truely love being a daddy. I watch my children play together and never did I think that my life would be making this kind of path. I married a loving and caring woman and she birthed two beautiful children. I always knew I'd make a great father, but there's something to being a daddy.

When my daughter tucks me in bed (I work nights and go to bed after my wife gets home in the evening), she has this way of saying daddy... I don't know if it's a little girl's way of saying it, but there's nothing like it at all. There's love in her voice and every time she says it, I smile - much like I'm doing this very moment as I write this. She's got me so wrapped around her little fingers, there's nothing I can do. Sure there are times when she can be a brat... whinning and moping and sulking about, but show me a 5 or 6-year-old angel and I'll show you... something.

She's smart and funny and caring; especially toward her baby brother. She loves that boy so much.

My boy... man, does he love his mommy! Truely. Before she can even turn the key in the front door, he hears it and starts his clumsy way over to the side of the play area closest the door and begins calling out to her the only way a 1-year-old can call out. Amazing.

At this stage, he's slowing realizing that he doesn't need to hold onto things as he stands, but when he wants to move from one place to another... he plops on his diapered butt and crawls toward his destination. Also, he reacts to these baby puff things very much in the same way our cats react to a box of 9 Lives treats... shake the box and the cats come out of the woodworks. A little shake of his baby puffs and he's crawling faster than his little arm can go and he stumbles a bit. Quite cute!

Ahh... my children. Happy 6th birthday, Bug! Happy 1st birthday, Bud Bud!

God sure did bless me.

Something from my little girl

This artwork is my daughter’s very first attempts at MS Paint… and I love them!

My little bro...

...ain't so little no more. Hasn't been little in some time. He just had a birthday in August and is really missing his family. And we all miss him. Thanks for the pics, bro...

Be safe. Please, God, be safe.

The Bad Tooth

My little girl had a bad tooth… it got infected and had to be removed.

While I wasn’t there with her to hold her hand and tell her that she was going to be okay, her mother made sure that things went as smooth a possible. When they got there, my daughter was introduced to an array of things inside the dentist office so that she felt comfortable with her surroundings.

When it was time to numb the area, she got into the chair and followed the dentist’s instructed as much a brave little 5-year-old could do. She sat still with her head up high. She opened her mouth with enough confidence that the numbing stuff she was about to taste wasn’t going to be bad. And after a bit, when the tingling in her jaw started to get more intense, she sat tall, even as that needle was slowly approaching her maw. She did it! She took that shot like a big girl.

Then the dentist stepped out for a moment. Now she just had to wait a bit longer.

My wife kept talking to her, reassuring her so that when the time came, she was more than ready to take those pliers head-on!

Then the dentist walked back in, startling my little girl. Her grip on the chair’s arms tightened and her eyes grew big. Was it time already?

No.

The dentist was simply restocking a shelf and my daughter let out a silent breath. She was ready but not that ready. After the dentist exited the room again, my wife told her that she should relax a bit. Once things get started, it shouldn’t take that long at all.

Just then, the door opened again and the now “evil” dentist (who was a very nice person upon introductions), strode back in with more things to stow away. My wife could instantly tell that the anticipation was starting to eat at what nerves my daughter had remaining.

Just as Dr. Evil Dentist was about to leave, yet again, my wife spoke very blatant. She said that the next time she walks into this room it had better be with the sole intention of removing that bad tooth. Dr. Evil Dentist peered over my wife’s shoulder at my daughter as she sat taut to the chair. When she realized that she was playing with a little girl’s fragile state of mind, she quickly apologized and said that she’ll get to work immediately.

In all, the operation was all of 5 minutes and my daughter came out of it unscathed… well, minus a tooth, but overall, in good spirits. I’m just upset that I wasn’t there to play Super Daddy to her foil, Dr. Evil Dentist.

But Super Mom was!

Snorting flies

It's currently 6/12/19 and I'm keeping this here because quite frankly, I have no idea where the hell this came from. I know I wrote and I remember doing so, but what the hell was I thinking?!

I smoke… a lot more than I want to, but enough. In order for me to minimize my intake, I leave my smokes in the car, so on an average day away from work, I smoke about 3 cigarettes. That’s not bad.

Anyway, last night at about 9 pm, I had that itch. And anyone that smokes or have smoked in the past, you know that itch. It’s like a moment in time when all you can do is breath hard and (in my case) shake a leg violently while visions of how long you can hold out start penetrating your brain telling you things like everyone’s an asshole! Or, what’s in the fridge?
I digress.

Last night, because that itch turned into a rash, I walked out my front door only to be greeted by not a spider’s web (which I’m really glad it wasn’t) or a few mosquitoes or a moth that would bounce and dance around the porch light. None of that was in my face. Instead, in my face was a fly. Yes…a fly; the type of fly heralding from the Order Diptera (Greek for two wings).

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Where the hell is he going with this?”

Let me tell you… if it buzzed about my head, no problem. If it flew right into my eye, I’d be okay. But this fly – and we’ll call it, Dippy – without any regard to my safety, went straight up my right nostril! I shit you not! Right up there with the buried treasure.

So, instinctively, I pinched my left nostril closed and with all the wind I could generate, I shot that little guy right onto the ground. I looked at it for a moment then got all… “icky” like inside. Those things eat shit, you know. Then things got really weird.

That there fly, Dippy, got up from the ground, brushed itself off with four tiny legs and took to flight all the while, I heard its little voice say:

“What the hell, man!”
“What do you mean?” I retorted. “Who flew up whose nose here?”
“You walked into me,” it said. “I had a bee line (ha… bee line) and once I have a bee line, brother… watch out!”
“Whoa,” I stopped short of trying to place blame when it dawned on me… this is a fly. I’m talking to a fly; the pest of all pests. “Wait a minute.” I said. “Are you talking to me?”

It buzzed about me at eye level. I could tell that it was as angry as I was, but as my annoyance slowly subsided (because of my ZEN garden), I was left only with a very strange sense of bewilderment and uneasiness. Suddenly, I felt something very odd. Dippy had friends and it had many of them.

It was like a swarm of tiny Valkyries came out from the twilight. They were everywhere. And I know I distinctly heard the unmistakable sound of a battle bugle. They were after me! And the only place I could get to was my car. I sure wasn’t going to bring them in the house… my wife would kill me. So I ran like there was no tomorrow.

As I fled, I waved my arms frantically. But it was all for naught. I felt itty-bitty pinches – like they were ramming themselves into my body without any regard to their own lives.

I finally got to my car and breathed hard. They all landed on the windshield making it very difficult to look outside. Then one thought occurred to me… how the hell am I to get back in the house? Do I wait them out? Do I take my chances and run again? As I thought things through, I could hear the door handle lift up. They’re trying to open the damn door! What kind of flies are these?! They’re mutants, I tell you!

I locked the doors and held silent. Maybe they’ll just leave me alone. I closed my eyes wanting so much for the buzzing to stop. Wishing for this all to just go away. Wanting and wishing. Then suddenly I heard an itty-bitty cough – an *ahem*, if you will. I opened my eyes and saw Dippy standing atop the steering wheel, glaring at me. Its four legs crossed over like a mother upset with her toddler that refuses to clean his room.

What do I do now, I thought. What do I do now?

The Yin and the (other) Yang

This was a weird thing to see. I saw this one morning and new instantly that I must be in balance or really need some. If you haven't already noticed, it's bird shit. I snapped a pic of bird shit.