The world according to Keith Richards

This is what the future holds - surly teenagers with black eye liner

The Rolling Stones had a lot of insight into the human condition.  I'm not sure if that's surprising or not.  They had a lot of worldly experience I'm sure.  But it was not the clearest vision most of the time.  Let's just say they saw the world through a certain, self-induced fog half of their lives.  But nonetheless, they got a few things right.

For instance, take Sympathy for the Devil.  Actually, that's a bad example.  I don't have a lot of sympathy for the guy who killed the Kennedys.  But Jumping Jack Flash really is a gas, you know?....that might not be that great of an example either.  For the longest time I never knew what that was talking about, and now that I kindof understand it it's really not that great of a life metaphor.

Okay, so the Stones may not have hit the nail on the head every time, but they got it right once at least.  I tell my kids over and over - "Kids.  Mick Jagger says - "you can't always get what you want.  But if you try sometimes, you'll find that you get what you NEED."

This is an especially powerful line at the checkout counter, when they're asking for impulse buys of chips and binaca breath spray.  I swear if they put cans of dog food at that checkout aisle, my kids would ask "Dad, can I get this?"  I don't know how many times I've been asked to buy them hand sanitizer and carmex.  But then I'll belt out Mick's line (bonus points if I sing it in a raspy voice) and generally they stop.  It's mostly because now they're moaning for my to please stop for the love of all that's holy, clutching their ears and writhing on the floor in pain.  But hey, whatever works.

Now, to the lesson learned in all of this: It's okay to deprive your children.  In fact, you MUST deprive them.  I don't think I've ever met a kid who was given everything he ever wanted, and he came out to be just a naturally good person.  Any kid I see who is constantly given whatever he/she asks for usually is a complete "meany" (to use a mild, kid friendly phrase.  I had a few more colorful phrases up my sleeve, but I think you get the point.)

The country - NAY, the WORLD, is going downhill.  The reason is because more and more kids are being born with priviledge.  The way I grew up was not easy or rich - I was the kid with the hand me down clothes and just a few presents for Christmas.  But I never had to go without.  100 years ago the way I grew up would have been considered rich.  That's why the spoiled rich kids a century ago now would probably be considered the standard now.  We have everything we want.  And now we're passing that along to our kids.  And our kids are growing up into jerks.

Please, for the sake of the planet: tell your kids NO.  Tell them Mick sent you.  One day your Grandkids will thank you.  Wait a minute...what is "Brown Sugar" about again?  Those Rolling Stones are crazy.

Always look on the Bright Side of Life...

As crazy as it sounds, Monty Python often helps me through the day.  The context of that skit is unimportant (and possibly disturbing), but at some point a character sings "always look on the bright side of life..." and when things are getting me down I whistle that once in awhile.

We all have things that pump us up, I think.  I do at least.  Things we think of or remember to keep us motivated.  Keep us going.  It's like running or weight lifting.  There comes a point (for me it's about 4 miles, for fellow blooger Amanda over at THE WINK its apparently 6 miles, but I'm not being jealous or competitive or anything) :)

But at that point - the point where you want to slow down, or stop, or give up - you can repeat a mantra to yourself to keep pushing through.  Keep holding on.  Any other cliche' you want to add here.  It's just trying to trick your mind into being positive.  Don't think of anything else but that mantra.  I used to say to myself "take the pain, go for the gain."  Some people I've heard just chant one word, like "win" or "go" over and over.  Whatever works.

I have those for life as well.  Life hands out a few pretty vicious lemons once in awhile.  Another blogger, ApocalypticDad, feels my pain.  His story about CAR TROUBLE reminds me of my own.  And when those kinds of things get me down, I usually think of Monty Python or Jerry Maguire (one of the best Tom Cruise movies ever, if you've never seen it). 

Jerry had a mentor in the movie who would come on once in awhile and give sage advice.  Among these were my morning mantra "I love the morning!  I clap my hands and say, "Today is gonna be a great day!""  Gotta say that when it's 5 in the morning and cold and dark out.  Those covers are very comfy, very tempting.  Jerry helps me out of bed.

The other is "At the end of the day, I love my life, I love my wife, and I wish you my kind of success."
Gotta measure success on your own terms, and when life hands you lemon curve balls, remember what's important.  If you love your wife and kids, and they love you too - nothing else matters.  I wish for that kind of success.

Blog post - http://mredie.com - Post Turkey depression, Pre Holiday Lethargy, and how do I wake these sleeping kids?
Sent from my BlackBerry� smartphone powered by Inland Cellular

The Flan Incident

Life throws curveballs.  No doubt about it.  I suppose it would be boring if it wasn't like that - if we knew what would happen every day, and it was the same as the day before, that would be torture.  It's good to have a little variety once in awhile.  A little bit of a challenge.  To a point...

When I woke up yesterday, I could not have predicted I would be running with flan at the end of the day.  That would have never crossed my mind.  But that's what happened.  Observe.

I went on a long run about a week ago, and slightly injured my left foot.  So I haven't been out for a run in about 5 days.  So I was itching to continue my regimine yesterday.  I woke up and got ready to go.  I had a staff meeting at lunch time, and some fighting on the playground for dessert.

So, when I finally made it home around 5:00, I was a little exhausted and a little fed up.  I was ready to put my aching foot up and relax.  I was greeted at the door by 5 smiling faces, and a little song and dance number besides. :) I was told we were having takeout mexican for dinner, which suited me just fine, but then I wanted to make sure I got a run in, or I'd feel too guilty.  So I went and picked up the food, but when I got back it was pushing 5:30.

So, the forgot the side of sour cream.  That's okay, but we did pay for it so I wanted to go back and get it.  We fed the kids, but I wanted to wait to eat until I ran, so I didn't run with a belly full of rice and beans (not a good throw up combination).  So around 6:30 I took off out the door for a run.

On the way, I thought I'd go ahead and pick up the sour cream.  The restaurant was very nice, but I was in a hurry.  When the guy came out with the sour cream, he also had a to-go container.  I gave the perfunctory "no, that's okay, you didn't have to do that, etc..." but then he was gone.  And I was holding a flan.

What do you do?  I don't want to waste the flan.  So I picked up the dog's leash and started back toward home, running at a 25 minute mile pace (a little ahead of my normal time!).  How did I get here?  I'm sure if anyone saw me I was a little peculiar.  "He went for a run: great!  He got take-out while he was running? - not so great" they would say as I passed by.

But by that point, with custard sloshing about so much it was running down my arm, I was not going to waste this flan.  I was not going to be another wasteful American - I was an ingenious pioneer American who took what life threw him and made the best of it. I was running with the flan.

When I got back it was basically sloshed around so much it was soup, and most of that had run out the sides of the container.  So it was a waste.  But I had never felt so alive.

I think he's a prodigy (don't all parents?). Best male 5 year old colorer I've seen in years!
Sent from my BlackBerry� smartphone powered by Inland Cellular

Rex doesn't love the camera. Or else he's just hiding from the world. You can't put your head in the sand forever!
Sent from my BlackBerry� smartphone powered by Inland Cellular

Putting up the Christmas Decorations

You might think it's too early to put up the Christmas decorations, but this Saturday was the perfect time for me.  Why?  Because I was already out in the yard taking down the Halloween decorations, and I'm not crazy enough to sign up for Thanksgiving decorations.  Next thing you know I'll have to put up Memorial Day decorations and Columbus Day decorations.  Don't we have enough days we have to put out a specific themed tablecloth and towels for?
I am all about efficiency, and if I'm out on the ladder taking down a bunch of pumpkin shaped lights, theres no reason not to put out a few candy caned shaped ones at the same time, right?  And the brilliance of that system is, it was pretty good weather this saturday.  The worst part about Christmas decorations is the wet, cold, miserable weather you have to endure while doing it, always picturing the ambulance ride after you slip on the icy ladder.  And picturing the 500 dollar deductable attached to it.
So we put them up.  The kids helped me, and did a great job at it.  The littlest only broke 4 bulbs, the new 5 year old only choked one other person with a cord of lights, and the two girls did a great job when I asked them to wrap the rope lights around the fence posts.  Of course, they wrapped all the rope lights around only one fence post, but I didn't specify the quantity of posts to light up, so I think they did a great job.
It's fun for the kids to help you out with those sorts of things, and a test of your patience besides.  I got a B- this weekend on my patience test, and I think that's pretty darn good.
But, they'll remember those things forever. Just think about when you're old, and they're tellilng stories about their childhood.  If you don't pay in memories now, it's going to be hell in the old folks home later.  Remember that.