Time for a new van

"Jesus Christ."  - My exact words when I got this picture from my brother as I was driving home this evening.

This is my parent's new (less than 1 year old) van.  The first and foremost thing is that they are ok.   Banged up, bruised, sore, but ok.  The only real hurt that my folks suffered was from the seat belts and airbags deploying.  They were out at a rally up north of town for the weekend and ran into some trouble (dad's words, not mine).  Driving on the freeway north of town that was high congested, a truck stopped right in front of him and he plowed right into it.  I talked with my dad and they were at the hospital getting checked out/x-rays for any other issues.  He sounded ok but a bit rattled.  They were heading back out to their trailer after they get released tonight and planning to pack it in early and head home tomorrow.  A bit hard to grasp the situation right now but the important thing is that they are ok.    

As an Engineer and amateur mechanic, I can surmise from the picture that the van is toast.  The engine is history and I won't even guess how the rest of the drive train is looking.  I take some solace in the sardonic comment my dad and brother said with the picture of the van:  "Time for a new van.  Different color."  At least his sense of humor is still intact.       

Renovate this!

Has anyone seen a July lying around?  I've misplaced mine and cannot seem to find it.  Hard to imagine we've just turned the corner and it is now August.  Where the heck has has the summer gone?  We haven't been anywhere (aside of my road trip to Chicago) and have been busy around town taking care of family.  

Normally I have several trips over the summer and accomplish a few projects but this year I haven't knocked off any of the projects I had planned to do back in May.  Still haven't replaced the driveway (momma and I are in disagreement over which project needs to be done first), I've got to re patch & repaint the ceiling from an earlier a/c leak, need to fix the shower pan leak, was hoping to clear out my closet, etc.  

At least we have been spending more time across town with the family than we normally do since they are in town this summer.  My dad is doing great!  We went over last weekend to check up on his progress and to bring SIL over to help her celebrate her birthday (we are not allowed to speak of her age).  My dad's recovery is coming along very well, no complications, no major issues.  He is learning to live with the bag but he hopes to lose it in a few weeks.  SIL is doing much better.  Was good to get her out of the house and out to see people.  I think her situation has depressed her somewhat and she has withdrawn from going out so this was a good exercise for her both spiritually and mentally.  She went back to the doc last week for another MRI and they determined that the cancer has not come back (fantastic news!) and she will continue with the Chemo for a while.  That diagnosis has been hanging over her for a while so getting that good news has lifted her mood.  Still a long road to go, but at least she is making progress.

Recovering nicely

Since it was a mini reunion, junior came down for the weekend to check up on my dad and SIL at the same time.  We had a small, informal birthday party last weekend.  Nothing ornate or fancy, just a low key gathering. 

Gathering of the tribe

A chip off the old block?

I went back over yesterday to check out my dad's progress and he continues to make improvements.  I also got to see their new windows.  They had been talking about replacing the back windows for some time and finally pulled the trigger yesterday.  Guy came out yesterday morning at 0800 and by noon he was done.  4 new windows installed and it really made a difference in the breakfast room (see the 2nd picture above).  Of course, with any kind of renovation, there is now talk about getting new counter tops. 

  

What stirred this up is that my older brother is having a full blown kitchen renovation.  This is a major project that will involve taking out a chimney, gutting the entire kitchen, adding a new bathroom/laundry room, and pushing out the kitchen wall by 12 feet.  I've seen road construction projects less complicated.  They spent the last two weeks moving everything out of the kitchen and preparing for the demo work.  The crew just started ripping down cabinets and ceiling yesterday.  The current timeline on the project has it finishing up hopefully by Thanksgiving.  Imagine living without a kitchen for that long.  They plan to use the garage (has a small kitchen) if necessary but they will be living out of the rest of the house during the renovations.  

All this renovation talk has put my bride into the mood for some for new windows or a new kitchen.  Heck, I just want a new driveway without any cracks.  

Rough start, nice ending

Finally got off my duff and back out on the trails.  This weekend I had planned to run the Dad's Day 5k event downtown.  It's become an annual gig for me after I discovered it a few years back.  Sort of my summer penance for slacking off since the marathon.  I haven't been running as much lately because of work/schedules but, between you and me, that's just an excuse.  Every year I need some spiritual kick in the butt to get me motivated to start training towards the marathon in January and this is the perfect timing.  Great cause (Prostate Cancer) and gets me out of my rut/funk.  Of course, being downtown Houston in early June, temperature and humidity comes into play.  Was 82 degrees at the start and humidity was just a bit shy of 95%.  Lovely conditions for a run.  Since I haven't been running much lately, I did not have high expectations.  What really did not help is I got sick Friday night/Saturday morning.  Not sure what it was I ate but I woke up around 0200 with a seriously upset stomach.  Was up until 0430 until I finally settled things down to catch a few zzz's.  Work up around 0630 feeling like hammered dog do and questioning if I could really pull off a run.  With all of the strength and stupidity I could muster, I gathered myself together and made it downtown in time for the run.  It wasn't pretty but I survived, albeit a bit sore and sweaty (thanks, Advil).  The results were nothing I want to brag about.  I can live with being beat by some skinny 21 year old or the 5 year old kid running with his dad or even that 75 year old guy running for the 10th time.  But there is no damn way I was going to let the Michelin man pass me up in the last mile.  I may be old and achy and slow, but when some guy hovering north of 300 lbs starts to gain on me, I found motivation to kick it up a notch.  Pride sometimes makes for a good motivational tool.               

I managed to drag my sorry butt across the finish line upright, which is not a bad goal to shoot for.  Felt like crap but with a sense of accomplishment.  Went home to crash and recover a bit.  

Sunday turned out much better.  A bit stiff and sore, but not as bad as "she who runs with bears".  Able to knock out a chores around the hacienda.  Mowed the yard, got the edger working again, loaded up the recyclables, ran reports for the office.  Went over to nephew's house for an impromptu Father's Day gathering.  Nothing ornate, just a gathering of the tribe to drink beer, swim in the pool and talk smack about the rest of the family. Got a chance to spend more time with my dad.  He is doing pretty darned good despite his situation.  He is chomping at the bit to get the procedure done, but hasn't gotten a t-time from the doctor, yet.  Hopefully, he will get an update this week.  

A nice way to wrap up the weekend.  

From one fire to another

Same old excuse - busy (what else is new?)

Seems like we are handling one crisis challenge after another.  Just enough things to keep me busy and give me a few more grey hairs (for what is left).

No real update on SIL - pretty much status quo.  Not getting any better, not getting any worse which, is actually a good thing.  She is trying to keep a positive outlook even if she doesn't feel it.  I actually had a conversation with her last weekend about where she wanted to be buried - not something I initiated but she wanted me to know her thoughts/wishes.  Damn.  How do you respond to that conversation on the fly?  She is working hard on staying positive, but with the setbacks she has had, it is hard, and I don't blame her.  I gotta admit, given all of her challenges and issues, I am not sure I would take the same path as she has.  My wife has been taking care of her sister throughout this whole ordeal and she is a bit worn down.  I am trying to hold down the fort over here while she is taking care of SIL but it just doesn't seem to equal out to what she has done.  People/family have offered to help out but this is something that we are dealing with ourselves.  

If that wasn't enough stress, got word that my dad is going into surgery in a week or two.  Remember him?  The 90 year old guy that gets up at 0500 every morning for a 3-4 mile walk, tows an Airstream across the country and still gets out and does his own grilling?  This is the first time in 31 years that my folks are not going on their summertime trek to the international Airstream rally up north.  31 years.  I did the math this weekend and figured out that they have been roaming the countryside for almost as many years as we have been married.  This will be the first time we get to spend their anniversary with them at home.  My dad has been feeling at odds and when in to see his doc for a prostate/bladder issue.  They ran the typical battery of tests/exams and ruled out PC (prostate cancer) but he did have an issue that would require some treatment to resolve.  Give the options of wearing a catheter or surgery, he chose surgery.  Now, typically 90 is not considered a good age for surgery, but his doc reviewed his condition and status and said his prognosis was good/strong.  So we are waiting to hear of an open slot next week. Needless to say, his sons are not overly excited about the prospect of him going under the knife (or laser).  As a pessimist and one who as done this kind of surgery, I worry about all of the negative outcomes.  My brother who lives in Seattle is planning to fly in for the surgery to sit with mom and help them out while he recovers/recoups.  When it happens, I plan to take off to sit with my mom while dad goes in (much like I did 10 years ago when she went in for heart surgery).  I working to keep a positive perspective on this deal and not consider any of the negatives but it does tug at the edge of my mind.  I deliberately carved out most of last Saturday to spend it with my dad over at brother's garage.  It was a lame excuse to catch up on things and play with grandnephew and the dogs while getting the 411 about his "procedure".  Next week may be intense but we are keeping our hopes up this turns out well. 

Work has not helped calm things down.  Finished up two projects and two audits only to get three more.  Seems like I am always chasing my tail.  Lots of stress, headaches.  Sometimes the old bait shop is looking better and better.  One bright spot was last week.  We had our annual company celebration for meeting our goals/objectives.  Past years we have gone to a ranch for various activities/food, last year they did a local funplex that had a myriad of activities (games, bowling, laser tag, glow golf).  This year they decided on indoor racing.  Interesting venue.  An organized race with supercharged up go-carts on an indoor track.  Pretty nice ride, but I have to admit it was a bit boring at times.  If you weren't racing, you were talking with your fellow employees or eating lunch.  

Start your engines

New career path

Tailgating

I am not one to complain and I fully appreciate the company shelling out the money for this gig but there was but there was a lot of dead time waiting for your turn to race.  A  good change of pace to the normal routine.  

Not exactly according to plan

Well, let's not do that again.  

Weekend started out with lots of promise.  Summer has arrived down here in full force.  Predicted to be hot & steamy with a chance of showers.  Great conditions for a run, right ShadowRun?  That was my plan.  Time once again for the Annual Father's Day 5K run downtown.  This is my yearly attempt to give myself heatstroke.  And what better way to prepare for the run than to smash your little toe stepping over a recumbent dog?  Not as spectacular as ShadowRun's road rash, but hurt like heck.  Thought I might have broken it (been there, done that) but just was bruised. 

And this little piggy went wee-wee all the way home.

     

Post race mingling.  

Looking for course times.
Mine was on the sheet to the right - survivors. 

Temps at race time was in the low 80's.  Lots of cloud cover, but not brutally hot like last year.  I did about as well poorly as I expected.  I haven't been running much in the last three months and I could tell.  At least I beat out little miss TuTu this year (tripped her up at the halfway point).  

Spend the rest of Saturday prepping for my long road trip coming up next week.  I fielded call from Stephen late in the afternoon.  He has just been in a accident.  Got hit while making a turn.  Rebecca was not with him at the time.  Sounded shaken up but was ok.  The family in the other car were shaken as well but no serious injury.  From his description of the scene, sounded like both cars were pretty beat up.  He went to the local doc-in-the-box and got checked out.  No damage, just sprained.  Sent him home with some muscle relaxers.  On top of that, his Camry is in the shop for a radiator problem so the they are without a set of wheels in the interim.  I tried to instill my fatherly wisdom, albeit from a distance.  Cars can be fixed/replaced, as long as he was ok, that is all that mattered.  This saga will play out for the next few weeks until they can straighten out their auto problems.  

Was attempting to have a quiet Father's Day yesterday.  Hit the dog park early in the morning before it got hot.  Pretty sparse at the park but the dogs weren't complaining.  They got lots of field time and got to play with the other mutts.  Was mowing the yard with my wife told me that Shannon (owns our storage yard) called and said several trailers had been broken into at lot and my rig was one of the ones hit.  I cannot tell you the exact words that when through my head but they weren't pretty.  Ran up to the yard to check out my trailer.  Busted a window out and opened up the door from the inside.  Ransacked the trailer looking for things they turn quickly for some cash.  The good news is that I don't keep a lot of expensive electronics in the trailer (paranoid) so the only thing they got out of my rig was an old DVD player (gift from SIL) and a broken pair of binoculars.  I think they may have gotten a voltage meter as well but I need to recheck my tool kit.  The main thing is that they pulled out everything out of the cabinets/drawers.  They did damage one drawer trying to open it - it has a road lock that keeps it from opening when travelling and they couldn't get the drawer open so they ripped the cover off.  That and the busted window were the only things damaged.  The window I can replace easily - it is hinged and I can put a new one on in under an hour.  The drawer facing is the real pain to fix.  Splintered the wood and will be hard to glue it back together.  I may have to get a new drawer (if they make those anymore).  

Spent most of the afternoon picking up glass and sealing up the window.    

The one minor consolation was that the guys (there were 6 of them) came into the yard from an adjacent field.  They cut the fence and crawled into the yard and hit about 12 rigs looking for electronics (tv's, dvd players, etc.) - things they could turn quickly for a profit.  To get to the yard, they had to cross a field/retention pond area and come through the backside where it is heavily wooded.  According to Shannon, that entire area was completely covered with Poison Ivy.  Karma.  

Not exactly how I wanted to close out the weekend.  

Fatherhood

To all the big daddies out there, especially my dad out cruising the highways up north, Happy father's Day!   

Run down

Dateline Houston:  Tall, out of shape 55 year old Houstonian tries to best last year’s champion in the annual Dad’s Day 5k road race, but fails to bring home the trophy.


I meant to post this late Saturday, but I just got plain busy doing “stuff”.  I was hopping from project to project from Friday afternoon until late Sunday evening.  Physicals, 5k runs, dog park, birthday shopping, scoping out a newer trailer - one of those weekends that just seem to fly by.


Left work early Friday for round 3 of my physical.  1st round last week was the typical physical – height, weight, blood pressure, EKG, blood work, DRE.  Everything checked out 5 by 5.  Thursday I went in for a Carotid artery ultrasound (?) where they scan your neck to see what shape your veins are in.  Weird little test.  Doc told me afterwards that everything looked good and I have no plaque, but my vein wall thickness were those of a 67 year old man?  WTF?  SRSLY???  Friday I went in for a treadmill stress test.  First time I’ve done one of those.  Now, for the record, I hate treadmills.  All that running and sweating and you don’t get anywhere.  I prefer running the streets/trails over treadmills every time.  The doc hooked me up a wiring harness with about 12 wires that made me look like a marionette.  Then I got up on the treadmill to start the test.  Started with a slow pace, no elevation.  I think I had a turtle pass me up.  My only problem that speed is I want to run/walk faster than the treadmill will allow.  During the test, the doc will take my blood pressure and hold up a sign where you rate the difficulty you are feeling at the time on a scale of 1-20 (1 - easy, 10 - moderately hard, 20 - kill me now).  Every 3 minutes, my sadistic doc would dial it up a notch.  First we stepped up the pace to 2 and cranked the elevation up one level.  He kept doing this every 3-4 minutes until I was at a 7.5 MPH pace and 25 degree incline.  Not wanting to wimp out on the test, I felt that, if he took it up another notch, I was going to hurt him.  Fortunately, he finished the test and I didn't have to kill him.  Results were good, see you next year.



Couldn't sleep Friday night so I got up early with plans to head downtown early enough to find some parking close to the start.  Walked the dogs, caught up on e-mails, collected some trailer gear, lost track of time and did not leave the house until 0715 (0800 start time).  Had to fly into town, navigate a traffic jam, find a parking spot, and sprint to the starting line ½ mile away.  I made the line with about 3 minutes to spare, found my way into the herd of runners and found my pace time (9-10 minutes).  Last year there was a massive line at the registration to get your bib/packet that took almost 45 minutes.  This year, I got smart and paid to have my packet mailed to me.  By the time the gun sounded, I was warmed up.  Conditions at start time was 83 degrees, 72% humidity.  Race was pretty good, but I had the crowd at the outset.  Just like the Marathon, the first kilometer was packed with bodies all running at different paces.  Some sprinters, some joggers, some walkers.  Spent a lot of time trying to pick my way through the mob.  Took me most of the 1st kilometer to get clear of the crowd.  It may have been due to the pre-race sprint or the stress test on Friday, but I started to feel old around mile two.  I finished up in the middle of the pack with a mediocre time of 31:47 (10:11 pace), not a PR.  At 22:08 (7:06 pace) I don’t think Bernie felt any pressure from me.  All-in-all, good race.  I just need to run more to improve my time.  The lead runners were pulling down a 15-16 minute time (sub 6  minute pace).  

No way I am getting beat by a 6 year old in a tutu...

Hung around for photos and award ceremony and headed to the west side of town to look at a camping trailer I was looking to buy.  We have an older Airstream trailer and I was looking to get something a bit newer.  The trailer popped up late last week and I was interested in making a deal but the story got sideways and the deal fell through.  Will explain more details in another post.  

Was a quiet Father's Day.  Took the dogs to the dog park for another mud bath, called my dad to wish him a happy father's day, took a call from my son doing the same, did some online shopping for my wife's upcoming birthday, cooked up some steaks on the grill.  All-in-all, a good low key weekend to enjoy at home with my wife and the dogs.

Dang, I'm good.

You tell me.  Is it wrong to feel some sense of manliness/accomplishment?

Friday night, I was home from a very long week of work kicked back trying to unwind and starting to enjoy the weekend.  Dogs have been walked and fed, garbage is posted to the curb, dishwasher emptied.  I'm sitting down and enjoying a single malt and Pulp Fiction when my cell phone chirps in from the son.  Junior's calling me on a Friday night at 1930.  That normally does not bode well.  He talked with me earlier in the day, but it was about insurance coverage with his new company.  This call sets off my internal alarm.  He is calling me from the garage at work and informs me that his car won't start (one of my  parental angst - child is stranded somewhere and I am unable to help).  This is my old '93 Camry that he inherited going to college.  163k miles, in excellent shape for an 18 year old car (I'd drive it to work if it was still at home).  I've worked on this car many times so I know it's quirks/issues, but, since it has been parked in Austin for most of the last 5 years, I am not as in tune with any problems.  Anyway, he is trying to seek my advice on how to get it started so he can make it home.  Immediately, dad mode kicks in.  I try to diagnose the symptoms and give him some pointers that I would do if I were there (hard to do via cell phone).  A couple of tricks/tests are of no help.  It's hard to diagnose a problem from 165 miles away, but I try.  Make sure it is fully engaged in park - nope, that doesn't work.  Battery ok - check.  Turn off the transaxle (neutral) safety switch - nope, no help.  All the little tricks I've learned over the years did not seem to help him.  At this point I was resigned to have the car towed in to check it out but told him to check the fuses to see if there were any that might have blown or gotten old/brittle.  This is hard to do via phone and having no visual reference, but he insisted to try it out.  He located the fuse box, scoped out one of the possible circuits and pulled the fuse and checked it out (looked ok).  He reset the fuse and tried to start the car and, shazam, it worked!   He was happy and grateful to have it running and able to drive home.  I was overwhelmed/amazed that this simple "swag" method even worked!   

I felt like I've definitely earned a few extra cool dad points this weekend. 

So, was it wrong to do the happy dance?  The dogs seemed to enjoy. 

And just for those curious minds out there, here's a close up of Blaze....



Always a lady



Pater Familias

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!  Grab the remote, pop in a Die Hard DVD, kick back with a cold one and enjoy the day.  

I joined the dad's club almost 24 years ago.  It's a tough club.  Oh, yeah, a lot of guys can have a child, but, in my mind, it takes real man to be a father.  There ain't any manuals, no classes to take, to online programs you can view to give you a clear picture.  It's not a temporary gig, it's a long term deal.  Weekends at the ball field, summer vacations camping out in the woods, recitals, band concerts, football games, braces, hospital trips in the middle of the night, bills, expensive uniforms, video games, birthday parties, college tuition.  Lots of anxiety and frustration involved.  Worrying about things you can't control.  Trying to make sure everything goes right, while not trying to interfere.  And yet, even with all these challenges, I would not trade the title for anything.  Watching your son walk for the first time, score the winning run, play a solo, achieve his Eagle Rank, graduate from High School & College, get engaged to his high school girlfriend makes it all worth it.    

My dad is out on the road again going to another rally.  As avid RVers, he and mom spend a several months a year on the road to various rallies or destinations.  Both have been members of the Wally Byam Airstream Club (requirement is to own an Airstream) ever since he retired and has gone all over the US.  The used to pull up stakes around the beginning of May and not come home until mid September.  I think it was to avoid the heat down here, but they do love to travel together.  You'd think at 88 years old, they'd start slowing down, but it is hard to nail them down.  We miss them when they are out on the road, but I consider them to be fortunate that they are able to still do these adventures.  Many of their friends have long since moved into retirement homes or given up their travels.  

For many years, my dad hasn't been here for father's day so we've made it a habit to call him and try to send some cards/gifts out to him at the rally.  With the boy scout troop, we've typically been in camp or on the trail over father's day, so I am not always able to reach him.  

Thanks dad for all you've done for me and my ne'er-do-well brothers.  We were a pain in the butt at times, cost you a fortune and your hairline, and were probably the source of all your heartburn.  In spite of all of our troubles and shortfalls, we turned out alright, which can only be testament to how you raised us.  I admire you for your strength, your patience, your leadership, your guidance, your integrity.  In everything I do, I strive to live up to your standards.  I was once asked in an interview who was my hero and my immediate reply was my dad.  I am one lucky sob to have such a great dad and I owe a lot of what I am to him.  I can only hope that I can do the same job for my son. 

Thanks, Dad.