Today is Ryan and Nolan’s last day of school.
I can’t believe that it’s here. The end of elementary school for Nolan, and the end of 7th grade for Ryan.
I recall those days when time was measured in terms of school years, but when I look back at my childhood, the only times I remember with any clarity are the summer vacations.
I remember the oppressive heat and still, smoggy air in the San Fernando Valley where I grew up.
I remember the sense of accomplishment I felt when I forced myself to stay awake nearly all night the day I got out of school in 5th or 6th grade, watching VHS tapes of wrestling on the top-loading VCR, just because summer had started, and I could sleep in.
I remember the progression of water-themed toys: The hose, the thing with the clown hat that spun atop the stream of water that you jumped through, the slip-n-slide, and finally the swimming pool.
The Sunland of my elementary and early middle school days only exists in those summertime memories of ice cream trucks and afternoon naps underneath the wall-unit air conditioner.
Back when the livin’ was easy.
Category: blog
Zoom Zip
Before I say anything, I should point out that, yes, the last entry should be titled TAKE THAT, Comic Book Guy.
It is a glowing, shining, permanent example of just how totally over-extended I am in my life right now.
I actually woke up last week, and realized with great horror that I was simply…empty. I was totally out of ideas, and didn’t have anything interesting to write about here. I think I’m being pulled in too many creative directions all at once, which is A Very Good Thing(tm)…but I’m more than just a little bit bummed that I’m not living up to my own standards here, recently…I mean, come on, reruns?! That shit is played, y0.
Anyway, since last time I wrote, I’ve actually been out in the real world doing stuff: I hiked to the top of Henninger Flats with Anne and found a geocache, went to Sacramento to collect on my bet with Boomer and The Dave at KWOD 106.5, and signed 200 pictures for the Star Trek Cruise.
There’s some other very exciting stuff, but I can’t talk about it yet. 🙁
I’ve been up since 4AM on 5 hours of sleep, so I’m going to slllllllmmzzxxlxpxhghgxxxxxxx
That THAT, Comic Book Guy!
eBay is auctioning tons of really cool TNG things. They have original scripts, some props, and some stuff from some other shows.
Included in this huge lot of stuff is a series of memos written by Bob Justman, one of the main creative producers and a very cool guy, to Gene Roddenberry. In the memos, Bob gives notes on the various scripts and story ideas.
This memo is about the episode “Code of Honor”:
“Next problem. No Wes. We have Will Wheaton on a 13 out of 13 deal — just like our other regulars. We pay him whether we photograph him or not. If we don’t use him, all his teenybopper fans are going to be disappointed and we won’t be taking advantage of one of our new show’s greatest assets. I’m told we’re not using him because our writers don
J Keith van Ferris
The show last night ranks in my top 10 JKvS shows of all time.
Keith and I were in perfect synch, the audience was totally on our side, and Save Ferris simply RAWKED!
I can not believe that I got to sit on the stage while one of my favorite bands of ALL FREAKING TIME played three songs.
There is ONE JKvS Show left this year, in two weeks…so make your plans now, kids.
OH! I totally forgot: Tomorrow (Sunday) is Wesley Crusher day on TNN!!
Okay, so I know that the little guy is totally gone and all…but there’s something infinitely cool about TNN devoting a whole day to that silly little freak.
You need pants
I hope everyone had a nice weekend…mine was spent with the boys, because Anne headed up to Portland to visit one of her friends for her birthday.
I was really looking forward to a cool “just us guys” weekend, but the boys were really in a lousy mood most of the weekend. They just wouldn’t stop bickering with each other, and Ryan had on his “I’m 12 and you’re an idiot” pants most of the time. I bet he found them in my box of stuff from my parent’s house…I think I’ll go burn the “I’m 14 and you’re an asshole” pants before he can find them. Nostalgia be damned!
We did do some cool things this weekend, though.
Nolan had a soccer game on Saturday, and I thought I was going to miss it because I have a class on Saturdays, but the teacher gave me the OK to come late, so I could watch the game. Nolan’s playing indoor soccer in a different league than the evil AYSO league he played in last year here. It is really non-competitive, with the focus put 100% on the kids having fun and goofing off. The parents and the coaches were really cool, except for one parent who was sitting next to the kids and me while we were waiting for Nolan’s game to start. This guy’s kid must have been, oh, five, maybe six years old, and his dad thought it was extremely important that he scream at the kid to “ATTACK THE GODDAM BALL, JUSTIN!”
Yeah. He’s lucky I wasn’t wearing my “I’m 29 and you’re a shitty parent” pants, because I’d have let him have it.
The coolest thing happened at this game, though. Nolan had invited my parents to come and watch, as well as two of my friends. My friends never showed up, but my folks did, and I wish I could recreate for everyone the look of pride and joy that filled Nolan’s face when he saw that they’d come to watch him.
They walked past the goal where he was standing, and he just lit up, and came running over to us, and threw his arms around my mom and then my dad, and said, “You made it! Thank you for coming to my game!”
He’s seemed a little unhappy recently (I think there’s some stuff going on with his dad), and it was really awesome to see him so joyful for a change.
He played a great game, in pretty much every position. He did not allow a goal when he was in the net, and nearly scored three different times. The game was a total blowout, but I could tell that all the kids, on both teams, were having a great time. I guess it makes a difference when parents aren’t wearing their “I’m middle-aged and unhappy with my own life so I’ll try to get some vicarious glory through my kids who just want to play and have fun” pants.
Saturday night, Ryan spent the night at his friend’s house…he told me that they spent the evening singing karaoke with his parents.
I’m not too sure I’m so comfortable that. 😉
So Sunday came, and I took Ryan and Nolan geocaching.
We started out looking for this one, but it just didn’t want to be found, so we headed off to another one, which Ryan found really easily.
Filled with the flush of success, we headed up to this one, which was my favorite of the day…what a beautiful hike, where we saw some deer, and a spectacular view of where I grew up in La Crescenta!
We were all feeling tired, and thinking of heading home, but the kids insisted that we go try one final cache, which Nolan found, much to his delight.
I realized that the best part of it for me was not the actual finding (although we were pretty frustrated to not find the one at the bridges), but the spending time with the boys (oh, how I wish I could call them “my boys,” but that’s another story) and discovering new places that we had never seen before.
We’ve gone looking for 5 different caches here in the last week, and each cache has been in a place that I’ve driven past about three hundred times a year, but never bothered to look at closely.
For example, I drive over the Colorado street bridge at least 4 times a week, and I’ve never been down into the Arroyo before. If any of you live in Pasadena, I strongly suggest heading down and walking the path that leads beneath the two bridges. It’s really beautiful, and great for dogs. Just watch out for the poison oak!
I thought back to the metaphor about ignoring things which are right in front of us, and I was really greatful to the people who placed the caches for giving my an excuse to explore these areas, and spend the time discovering them with the kids.
Anne came home late last night, after numerous flight delays, and all was right with the world. It was a good weekend, indeed.
Thought for today:
“People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood.”