Writing Goals

One of my biggest hobbies, if you want to call it that, is listening to books on CD in my car.  It is a great way to make my 20 minute drive to work a quick trip.  I love any good Grisham book or courtroom thriller.  There are times when I take the long way home so I can listen to more of the book.

Reading never came easy for me.  I HATED reading in elementary and high school.  Hate is such a strong word, but it conveys the truth.  You may ask yourself, how then do I get to the spot where I want to write a book, if I had such issues reading when I was younger.  It all starts with finding that author that you connect with.  The author that I connected with was Mick Foley.  Yes for all of you pro wrestling fans, THAT Mick Foley.

There was something about his writing that just "grabbed" me.  He first wrote several auto biographies and some fiction.  He stepped out into the world of children's books, all though they may not be your popular children's books of the time, they were creative and entertaining none the less.

There is something about children's books that just jump out at you.  Children's authors, like Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Judy Blume, Eric Carle write with such ease and their books have such great illustrations.  They take simple stories, creative characters, sprinkle in a little drama, and PRESTO!!

I guess I should probably stop procrastinating and get to the goal already.  My dream has always been to write children's books.  So that is my goal to write and publish my first children's book in the year 2014.  I have so many excuses for why I can't accomplish this goal.  The dream has always been there and the excuses have always taken over.  It is that thought and the flicker that is a little bigger and a little brighter tonight than it has ever been.  When I first started this blog, i was worried nobody would ever read one article let alone 8.  I have the counter at the top to remind myself daily that people are actually reading this thing.  So if I can have nearly 500 views in the first two months, maybe I might be able to pull off a book that people will actually want to read.

I want my kids to find a love for reading early on in life.  How cool would it be for them to read books written by me.  I hate that there are kids out there in elementary on up, that never found books to be interesting, and they do not like reading.  You have to be hooked at an early age in my opinion.  I am making up for lost time.  If you read my blog, keep reading.  I will be posting New Years Resolutions on New Years Eve.  With the accountability from my awesome family, mentor, wonderful friends, 2014 could be a dream come true year!

Wrigley

Well I have been having a lot of these moments lately.  I got home last night after hanging with some of the coaches and got home and was expecting to hear Wrigley's little paws pattering down the steps, and running to the door to meet me, and it never happened.

I miss her greatly.  She was my best friend for the better part of close to 13 years.  I had decided that a gift for myself on becoming a master counselor at Camp E-Ma-Etu, and i went to the Wilkesboro Animal Shelter and picked out itty bitty Wriga.  I fell for her hard that first day.  She had a face that every one loved!  

She had the distinct privledge of growing up a camp dog.  She was shown the ropes by Kiki, Doug and Sandy's dog.  They ran everywhere together.  They would be gone for the better part of the day, but guaranteed, they would both be back in time to help put the mountain down at night.  

I remember that her best of times were playing group games with the kids where she would literally run for hours with the boys, chasing balls or bugs around.  She was always good with the kids at camp.  I guess that is what I struggled with most about camp as a whole.  It got to a point where camps would not let resident dogs run.  Wrigley and Kiki and later Cass had a way of calming those kids that were having major issues.  They just had that effect on people.  

It was more of the same when I took the PD position at E-Mun-Talee.  Her favorite thing there was to run the test of manhood with the kids.  She would go on day hikes with the groups, walk with them to the waterfall.  Her favorite spot was at the pond when the kids went swimming.  Wrigley would jump in and chase dragon fly's as she swam the length of the pond, and back again.  She never met a body of water at camp that she didn't like.  

When Nissa and I started dating, she found a new "Best Friend."  I was jealous of Nissa because the time that I spent at camp, Nissa would take her off property and would go different places with her while I had to stay at camp.  They built a very special bond.  Wrigley would later develop a passion for her love of running with Nissa.  She could sense when Nissa was getting ready to go for a run.  She would start tap dancing and bouncing. She loved it!!  Her Aunt Becky was pretty good with her to.  Becky would often bring her dog treats when Nissa and I were working, and she would often go running with Becky to.  

She was the greatest travel dog as well.  I took her home with me when I would travel back to Indiana to see my parents.  Yep you guessed it she stole their hearts as well.  I am sure if my mom and dad were here they could sit here and give me  a Santa's list of stories about her.  

Nissa and I took her camping with us on our honeymoon and again, she was AMAZING.  We had a leash that we tied her to when she wanted out of the tent.  She chewed through the leash, and went and slept under the picnic table that was in our campsite.  So we decided that as our honeymoon moved north to Maine, we would take her with us.  She found a new love.  She loved it up there.  My guess is because it was similar to camp life. She could run up there and come back and sleep inside or outside.  

We were a little nervous how things would go once we new Finn was going to be joining our family.  She did really well and she was very protective of him.  She would lay next to him when we were playing on the floor.  As Finn became more mobile, Wrigley started to keep her distance. She was of course and old lady, and was willing to play with Finn on HER terms.  It really was amazing to see the two of them interact together, and of course when Nissa started running with Finn in the stroller, Wrigley of course had to go with them.  She took her place on the left of the stroller.  I think Wrigley really hated me going, because I threw off the balance of power.  I did not know where she was supposed to walk.  If I walked in front with Wrigley and Nissa and Finn behind then Wrigley would keep stopping and turning around and waiting.  If I walked her behind, she would run to the left and pull the leash until she got her place next to the stroller.  

She left this earth last month and that was the saddest day of my life.  I remember spending about three hours in the back yard watching her labor through pain, and tears just streaming down my face. I knew in my heart and I felt God telling me that we have to let go.  I know today that she is in a much better place, running with Cass, Kiki, and Cocoa on that group game field in Heaven.  I still love her and I find myself talking to her sometimes at night when I come home.  

She has been gone now for a month or two now and I catch myself late at night when I can't sleep getting on pet finder. com or the local adds to see if I see her face on any of the dogs that are looking for a new home.  My heart hurts daily, and I still have her picture as a puppy on my desk at work.  We have a little moment in the mornings as I am getting ready for my students to come to class.  I love you girl!  You will be in my heart forever!!

My Wife

I really learn something new every day. My son and my wife are my rocks!  I have a job that to most could be considered stressful and at times it is.  However, even on those days when my kids at school are having off days, I keep home as my focus. 

My wife is the most amazing person on this earth.  I learn from her every day.  To see her with my son and the joy and bond they have for each other is priceless.  She is a do it mommy.  She wanted to make her own baby food when the baby was born.  She did and was amazingly easy.  I am sure she could give you some crash courses if you need her to. 

We also talked about cloth diapers and we did for the most part of the first year.  It was not as bad as people made it out to be.  Yes we had quite a bit of stinky diapers to remove liners from and put them back together after washing and drying, but it really was a nice break from the norm of paper disposable diapers.  They also looked alot more comfortable to. 

My wife is my best friend.  We met when we were at camp.  She was a family worker and I was a camp supervisor at that time.  I had already done my years in the woods at this point.  She has been there for me during the best of times and also the times when I had about a year and half to two year complete brain fart.   Not easy times for sure, but none the less she was always there for me to talk to.

I admire her passion for her job.  Sitting at home night after night putting in extra time working on lesson plans for sometimes it seems like weeks on end.  But through it all, she does her job for the betterment of her students.

She makes an absolute best friend.  If you dont believe me, ask the "Girls" she teaches with.  They have created their own little family, of newborn babies and and some babies a little older that the others.  She is the centeral point in all that.  And if you were to ask them all individually what they thought of her, they wold say the same thing as me.   She is kind, considerate, passionate and loving.  She cares for them and their families.  She shares all of our smiles and our hurts.

My wife has earned my trust at a time when it was difficult for me to be around people.  She is always patient with me, even when I do not pick up on all of those signs that guys are supposed to pick up on. 

I had tried to figure out in my long tenure as a single man, what the perfect compliment to me a woman had to be.  I thought in my mind what it was, and I struck out.  God brought her to me through camp.  She was able to forgive me for not being perfect, well at least I hope she has.

I have thought about her a lot today, and how much she makes me smile, and how much love she has poured into my heart over the 5 plus years we have been together. I am blessed!!

Through the eyes of a 10 yr old: The Beach Trip...

As I step out, the humid air sticks to my sweating skin.  The brisk air brushes against my damp and sweaty skin.  A kaleidoscope of people blanket the sand and water along the shoreline.  The salty taste of ocean water looms in the air a vast array of blues color the scene before me.  The ocean comes crashing into the grainy sand at my feet.

This is everything I have imagined and more.  I look out and bear witness to snowy-white seagull flying overhead, suicide diving into the ocean only to resurface with a tasty little sturgeon plum in its bill.  The constant chatter of beach-admiring locals and tourists.  To my left is the A-frame lifeguard chair, holding its successor much like King Midas on his thrown.  He gives a whistle firmly planted in his mouth a quick tweet-tweet to warn overanxious swimmers wandering a bit too far in the realms of the unknown sea ahead.  I find the orange skunk like stripe on his nose amusing.

I venture into the ocean, and it is very exciting but nerve racking at the same time.  What is underneath and what houses itself in the great watery unknown is a big mystery that I am anxious to solve.  The monstrous wave and the wicked undertow knock me on my can, end over end.

The water thrashes the massive rock formations, and the sand settles around my feet below me.  Children cackle and shriek as they display their artistic talent in the construction of diversified sand sculptures all along the beachfront.  My mom and I decide to go for a walk along the beach and witness the rainbows of umbrellas and beach towels on the sand below.  The aroma of Nathan's Famous hot-dogs and New York-style pizza fills my nose.  The sirens, clanking, and ringing fill the pavilion with all of the gamers.  My mom and I partake in a frozen lemonade that is a bit on the sour side.

We do a little window shopping and view the ever-popular souvenirs that make home in the local beachfront stores.  Jet ski's whirl and whip and crash into the water as they elevate off of the monstrous waves.  Kids my age cruise and spin on their boogie boards as they surf in from the ocean.

Yachts and cruise ships turtle their way across the horizon to some unknown destination.  My mom says that it is time for us to go.  I guess for this trip to the beach, I will not be able to find out what looms below the sea.  I guess I will have to leave that for another day.

Are you ready?

Well you can call me crazy, but the writing bug has officially hit.  I went downstairs and found ALL of my writing journals and such.  Let the fun begin!

So occasionally I may misspell a word from time to time, and that is what I did last night.  I meant to write Newbie, and spelled in Newby? Please forgive my error, I was a little excited.

This blog I guess is more informational about what is about to happen.  I have a lot of stuff that I have written in the past and took a writing class or two, but its my work, I did it by myself with feedback from a real professor and everything.  I will spare you the professor feedback, but some of the writing I think is pretty good.  So come with me as we take our first look into my writing style.

Thanks and lets get started...

The Newbie!!

Why write? Questions that some people have asked me before.  My response, why not?  Writing is one of the easiest hobbies that you can have.  Anybody can write, pick up a pen and paper, and let it go.  My method is a little more, ehhh, just get out the old computer and start pecking away on the key board.

I am an old pro at writing.  I have always loved to write.  Nothing specific, just write.  It was always difficult for me to talk to girls that I had interest in.  So I attempted to write poetry, as a way to communicate.  That was if I could ever get the nerve to actually give it to them.  I would find that my luck with women was not what I wanted it to be back then, and I believe this is where my writing started. This and I actually wrote for my school newspaper in high school, but I felt like writing for a newspaper, may not have been the best job in the world. (If I would have known then what I know now, I would have thought a little more about that as a major)

Now the blogging thing, is a newby to me, and I have not really done a whole lot. I guess you could say to carry a sports analogy, I am a rookie, but i feel like I have some talent that maybe the coaches may see, and give me a shot to showcase my abilities.  So I set out last year when my son was born, to do this big daddy blog, but time and excuses got in the way.  I just did not think that spending time writing on a blog, people really cared, what I was writing and I felt very few people had interest in what I had to say.  So I froze!! I quit writing all together.  I found other things to do with my time.  The whole time, I felt a void, because I wasn't writing, but I still would not pick up a pen or tap on the keypad.  I just let it go.

I often read blogs, and am encouraged what other people write.  I have a kid, who I identify as my little brother.  The kid is PASSIONATE, about writing.  He blogged often, and has multiple ideas for books that he wants to write.  Still I did not pick up the pen and left the keyboard alone unless I was searching the web, tweeting, or face booking.  About a month or two ago, my friend and author, challenged me to write again.  So I asked her if she would mentor me, and challenge me, to continue to write.  So this is where we are at, my blog site is up and running, and I have promised her that I will continue to write and she has stated that she will continue to give me encouragement along the way.

The goals I have I will save for another night.  I do feel like a book may be in the works in the future, but for now, i will continue to make you laugh as I give you a glimpse inside my world of being a dad, husband, football coach, golf hack and just goofy ole me.  Thanks for giving me a bit of your time tonight.

Dad Life

Wow!!  Just absolutely amazing.  What can I say after a year and a half of being a dad, it is absolutely the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Maybe sliced bread is a bad analogy.  I mean is sliced bread really that great?  My wife is a great bread slicer, in her own right, so maybe that is where it comes from, because my wife is pretty great!

I see that I have not posted since prior to Finn being born, and I must say that every day is truly a blessing.  I was quoted as telling people that it is like having the best video game ever.  But in all actuality is much better that a video games.  Nissa is finding that video games probably head butt less.

From the second that we got him home every day was a different "WIN".  From seeing his bright shiny face at 2:00 in the morning, for a diaper to be changed, or that first sneeze, to that not so popular spit up all over my Miami Dolphins T-shirts.  Although I guess he knew that the Dolphins have PUKED it up the last several years.

My buddy Chris and his wife just had their first two weeks ago, and I recall the advice that I gave him, as I thought back to Finn being born.  Every day for the last month, I was a nervous wreck.  I questioned everything about parenthood and I was completely wigged out.  What are we going to do if he cries at night?  What are we going to do if he gets sick in the middle of the night?  What are we going to do, the first time he pees on us?

The plan that we had put in place when the time came, did not happen AT ALL!! Nissa never had an opportunity to take that shower she was going to take prior to going to the hospital.  There was no nice easy ride to the hospital.  Finn said "JUMP" and we both said How High?  We were at the hospital before I had time to breathe, and every question that my beautiful wife and I had the millions of questions we had, seemed less relevant.  We were as they say In The Moment!!  Those questions never arose after that.  We were in for the long haul, and we have never looked back.

Every day we get to wake up and Finn is chatting it up in his crib, caring on a conversation with his books and stuffed animals.  The last year and half has gone so fast!  I have been through two football seasons as a coach, and to see him show up on Thursday nights or Friday nights just for a few minutes before my games was the world to me.  Seeing him take it all in on the field during pre game,  checking out the players, running with the football, ordering the players around,  those times are amazing.   I can get upset when Notre Dame loses or Miami loses, but its all over in a split second as he comes in and grabs my legs to get up and pushes me under the table to play E I E I O.

Daddy life is indeed a great life.  It is hard work, but I find myself doing things I never did before he was born, and I am ok with it.  Till next time, Daddy's Rule!!

Here we go again!

I think for as long as I can remember I have always wanted to write.  It has always been a kind of release for me.  Stressed or not, it was a way out and a way to communicate in ways I never knew possible.

Writing has always been a passion, and as of recently it has been put on the back burner.  I have an old camp friend who has challenged me to write more, and possibly fulfill my dreams of writing a book some day.  My excuses, and I can come up with a bunch of them, she was able to counter.  I can't write, because I have a family, that needs attention, yep, so does she.

I have a full time job that takes a lot of time and patience and I get burned out, yep you guessed it, she does too.  Agh, but you don't coach football, which takes a TON of time.  She has not said it yet, but i can here her saying yeah but you are not coaching now, the season is over, and my kids play sports, so while you are sitting there watching the Saints beat up on the Falcons on Thursday Night Football on the NFL channel, pic up the Ole Mac Book and start pecking away.

I was not sure exactly where to start, and I guess that is okay.  For me, I think just typing whatever my fingers type and go from there.  It is a starting point, and you have to start some where to fulfill your dreams.

Here it is, my journey, past, present and future starts here.  On this blog site today and tomorrow and whenever else I get a free moment.  I do not consider myself a controversial person, but I know that people do not agree with me on everything.  So I am going to put myself out there at some point and let people see the real me.

So here it is my first rambling comes from probably the most rewarding job I have ever had.  Living as a counselor, supervisor, and program director for a wilderness camp, that people thought I was crazy for working at.

I saw a great number of kids come in criminal, and change their life for the better.  I was cussed up one side and down the other.  I was called every name in the book.  Kids said that they slept with my wife the night before (ummm, I was not married at the time) so no harm in that.  They would talk about sleeping with my mom (ummm again, my mom lives in Indiana)  most kids have never been out of the city of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, or Lowgap North Carolina.  For them behaviorally it was more of a mind game.  If they could get under my skin as a counselor or program director.

Trust me, there were many times as a counselor in the woods, especially in the beginning, when it would get to me and my pride would take a big hit.  Going head to head with these kids was giving them exactly what they wanted.  It took me many many late nights, of sitting up till 2:00 in the morning in 30 degree weather trying to figure out what exactly I was doing.

There was something about not being able to eat indoors like the rest of the groups, in that cold weather that makes you as a counselor and the campers as a group to look at the bigger picture.  What problem is really worth having when we are sitting eating cold food in our camp site.  Our pot belly won't light because our wood is wet, or for some of my more disfunctional groups, we could not function well enough as a group to even chop wood which was supposed to be a daily job.

Ok so i will have to continue later, I only have sixteen minutes until my computer shuts down.  Guess that is why the old timers still use typewriters.  They don't go dead at 11 o clock at night.  ok till tomorrow, pow wow to writing and pow wow to my family.