My little girl is not so little

I had one of those weird moments this last weekend.  A kind of moment I think only Dads have with their little girls.  Maybe Moms have them, maybe you have them with boys, or maybe it was just the moment.

Lauren had her first Winter Formal Saturday night.  Holly worked very hard on a dress and it turned out perfect. Cameron's parents brought him over for a quick photo session then I whisked them off to dinner.  So far, so good.  As I dropped them off, I watched them walk into the restaurant and that's when it happened.  I suddenly realized that my little girl was walking away into a nice restaurant without me.  Full of the confidence that her mother and I instilled in her.  Yes, I gave her cash and reviewed tipping.   She had seen us and had herself ordered food before, so I knew that would work out. However, surely she still needed me for something. Didn't she?

She needed me to change her diaper.  She needed me to steady her on her bike the first time. She needed me to help her with her homework.  Why doesn't she need me now?  I watched them enter the restaurant.  It was time for me to drive away, but I couldn't.  Any moment, she would run out and "need" me for something.  I slowly lifted my foot off the brake and the car began to roll.  Through the window I saw them greeted by the hostess and taken to their table.  Though they were out of my sight, the vision of them still lingered there.  The more the image faded, the more the car began to inch forward.  Finally, I was moving down the street and rounding the corner.

I just wasn't ready to leave.  Giving in to the inner-caregiver, I rounded the block.  I was beyond rationalizing this now.  I just wanted one more look.  I wanted to see them seated.  The car slowed in front of the restaurant as I strained to see them.  Darn those dimly lit, fancy places!

I drove on this time.  I was needed at another restaurant.  The people of Haiti needed my support after all.  As I strolled into the benefit dinner to the warm embrace of waiting friends, I knew I just left something behind that I would only ever see again in those quiet corners of my memory.

Waffles, brine, and coffee

Happy Saturday Afternoon!

We are easing into the day here. I don't know who's idea it was to start a movie at midnight last night. Oh wait that was me!  I have wanted Holly to see Mary and Max since Steve and I saw it the last time we were at Sundance.  While not a terribly long movie, lets just say it was way past my bedtime.  I wasn't moving so fast this morning.

Jack had a friend, Theo, spend the night, so the first order of business was to feed hungry boys.  I need to remember that doubling recipes is not quite enough for teenagers.  I should have know by the way they consumed - well actually inhaled -  the fantastic dinner Holly made last night.  More about the dinner in our Hog Blog.  For breakfast, the boys enjoyed the waffles.  Holly and I enjoyed the dishes.  We could have probably scored one waffle to share between us if I had not been a little cocky with the first waffle.  I guess oiling the waffle iron is a good idea despite the fact we have had it for 16 years.  I guess after 17 it becomes seasoned enough where oiling is not required- it is good to test these things from time to time.

With the kitchen whipped back in shape it was time to think about Sunday dinner.  Yes Sunday dinner - brining takes time you know.  With the joy normally reserved for the Junior Chemistry Club and my leftover hubris from earlier, I crafted my own brine for the pork chops.  Stay tuned to the Hog Blog for the results. 

I guess easing into the weekend is not a bad thing.  After a whirlwind week of seeming non-stop back to back meetings, phone calls, email, and spreadsheets a little moment with a cup of coffee is not a bad thing.  I barely remember that I took Monday off.  Well tasks await and coffee is getting cold.

And Now I'm Back....

Dear Blog

I am so very sorry to have strayed. Facebook meant nothing to me, really. Please forgive me.

Thanks Blog - you're the best.

After nearly a year of not posting to the blog, I have kinda missed it.  Facebook is nice, but something about the blog still excites me. It is the closest I have ever made it to a diary.  So while this isn't a tell all blog, I still like to record the happenings of my life so that one day, perhaps the kids will Google their Dad and find something of value.  So here we go...

I think I want 2010 to be the Year of Hikes. Some of you may know that I try to choose something each year and focus on it. Some years are cerebral some years physical. Some things become a part of me, some are gone before June. Photography stuck, poetry didn't make it to April. To be fair to poetry, I don't think I gave it a good try. Perhaps Yeats wasn't the best place to start. 2010, I think, will be about hiking. I love it, it's good for me, low cost, and I can combine it with other things. Who knows, maybe poetry will find resurgence!


What lead me to this? A great hike with Holly, Jack and Calvin today. The weather was near 60 and started out sunny. Not bad for January!  I was set on Forest Park when Holly had the great idea of trying out Bagby Hot Springs. Who doesn't like a nice walk in the woods ending with a warm soak in a hot tub!  Maps, snacks, and towels were gathered and we hit the road. The trail head is 70 miles from our house but a great drive. The hike into the Hot Springs was about 1.5 miles with about a 200 foot elevation gain. The best part of the hike was walking along the Collawash River. I can't wait to do this on a sunny day. Sadly, we were not the only ones who had this idea. It was late afternoon and after waiting about 30 minutes for a tub with others still ahead of us, we decided to try again next trip.

We made it home with plenty of time to cook up some Carne Asada and play a game of checkers with Calvin!  What's next?  Who knows.  There are any number of hiking books for this area and we own several.  Holly was study the Hot Springs book tonight. Good sign!  While Lucy sleeps off this trip, my Keen Hiking Boots are eager to hit the trail again.