Adventures of Darth Daddy

Friday, September 15, 2006

Back from the dead

I'm very sorry for not having posted in the past 2 weeks. I've been lazy, busy, and honestly downright disinterested. I've had fantastic things to share, some twists of stupidity, and some heartfelt questions to pose to all - and just never got the spirit to type any of it. Partially cause of the stress of dealing with family matters. Partially because of the limited time I get on the computer anymore. And partially because I still feel under the microscope by readers at my dojo. But we'll get to that another time.

I'll try to put things by topics - so you can skip the boring sounding ones.

BIG BIG BIG OH SHIT with the truck.
At the end of 2004, a drunk driver hit the wife's Blazer. We all went to the hospital, and had no problems. Darth lance was only 1 month old at the time, so we were very fortunate that no one was hurt. The truck (hit from the front/drivers side) was totalled. We used the insurance money to purchase it back, and I went to work to repair it. At the time, I was fevorishly trying to restore my 1977 hearse into my primary vehicle. My Firebird was unsafe for the babies, and too damn small. When the truck accident happened, the wife wanted something else, and I saw opportunity in the shape of a green metalic blob that used to be a Blazer. I fixed it up, and it was back on the road in about a month. The plates (this is the important part) wer valid until Aug 06. I was unaware that the plates were negated because of the buyback. So all this time (Oct04-Aug06), I've been driving around with "ficticious tags". If I had been stopped by poice, they would have impounded the truck, and I'd have had to walk home with the babies.

I found this out when I tried to renew the tags, and got a ration of shit from the DMV. 3 weeks and about $250 later (after a DMV inspector looked the truck over for $125), I now have legal tags. (actually, 30 day tags, cause I got personalized ones. I'd post what I got, but I'm afraid some asshole will be able to trace me that way). I wanted KURGAN, like I used to have, but someone else had snatched it up.

I've been wanting to tell about that big "OOPS", but being persona nongrata at the dojo (1 student being a cop), I figured it was better to wait till it was all taken care of to share it.

LOGAN'S DAYCARE
Logan started preskool. This was his second week. He seems to like it, although I'm starting to have my concerns. The wife assures me that preskooler just take longer to establish bonds and friends. Hopefully, the MIL will be able to take Lance for the day (next week), so I can squat in on his class and see what goes on. In my experience from the YMCA, I know a shitload more of what goes on than their staff would like me to know. It's never wracking to knwo I've given my son to a preskool for 2 weeks, and haven't seen first hand what goes on. I don't expect him to coem home preped for college , or with a list 3 pages long of friends, BUT learning and socalization are the main reasons we enrolled him. They are also primary reasons we returned to church, and that ended up getting shitcanned. At least that was free. And we were there to observe the "goings on". I guess time will tell. Lance has sure enjoyed his "daddy time". We get up around 8am - eat breakfast, play , watch some cartoons, go for a bike ride or drive to a park - have a nap, and then head off to pick up big brother. I was pickign Logan up at noon (after his lunch), but he got really fussy at home. By leaving him at skool from noon-2, he gets to nap with his class. He hasn't napped since he was about 2 years old, but those 2 hours really make a difference at home/in his attitude. And if I just bring him home, he refuses to nap , and we fight more. So, leavin him there to nap seemed the logical conclusion. I try to put Lance down at noon as well, so that they are both napping around the same time. That way, when i pick up big boy, he and little man are refreshed and good to play.

STRESS WITH THE WIFE's work
Actually, it's not her fault. The kids started to get hungry, and very fussy. I got them snacks, whiel waiting for the wife to get off work, but I didn't want to give them too much snacks, and ruin their dinner. And, I have a window in which I can eat, or I have to wait until dojo is over. (Not smart to woof down dinner, and then spend the next 2 hours being thrown to the ground.)

The skool my wife teaches at has denied her a planning hour, as well as a lunch hour. She teaches special ed, and has 1st, second, and third graders in her class. WHen it;s time to teach a subject, she has to teach ALL 3 GRADE LEVELS at the same time. Often times, her aid is removed from her class, to help out other Speced teachers to are too incompetant to do their own damn job. The skool further decided to spring "mandatory meetings" on her, for several days, for after skool. So she's in meetings, and I'm losing my fuckin mind - we're all hungry, the kids are beligerant, and I don't want to take off for food in case we miss her. When I finally decide "LETS GO!!", it takes 20 minutes for the kids to get preped. Shoes, socks, new diaper, wear these shorts, put this shirt on, OK GO NAKED, I DONT CARE! It all escaltes until its almost out of control. Then she walks in and gets the brunt of it. None of which she deserves. This happened 3 days in a row. By the 4th, I was prepared and ordered pizza.
I know it's not proper form, but Im considering going to her office and politely askign who's ass I gotta kick (or sue) to get my wife a lunch period.

Martial arts stuff
Although it's lessening, and still has not "come to a head", I'm still being treated like a leper at dojo #1. In contrast, things at dojo #2 couldn't be going any better. I've been kinda "taken under the wing" of the head instructor - and under his close watch, have had pretty good success teaching classes. The kids have responded the best of all. After the kyu ranks go home, the dans and I (black belts) have been staying after for an hour or more working katas, judo, grappling , or whatever. It's such a good feelign to have that kind of comrodery (sp?). When I left dojo #1 last time, the students were staying after class to review testing stuff. I was unwelcomed to join in. It was lead by a student to was supposed to loan me instructional dvds before my first test, and left me hanging. I passed the test, thanks to other classmates who went over technqiues with me. But I've always been bitter about how he stiffed me. Since then, he's become the Blockbuster of our dojo - openly swapping movies with everyone. (cept me). Oh well. I've heard tell that a testing is comin up soon. If Im not sure of the testing material, I can always cruise the web. Too bad no one at dojo #2 trains in that art. In dojo #1 I feel like I'm not a purist, but at dojo#2 I end up defending all the dojo #1 stuff. I dunno - just rambling I guess. Now, watch THIS come back to bite me in the ass somehow tomorrow at dojo #1. people pissed off because I DARED mention their dojo in a less than favorable light.

RECAP:
Let's see -the truck is running good OH YEA, almost forgot. I had resuracted the Firebird from our driveway. I wasn't sure if the truck would pass, or how long before the DMV inspection would be over, and it sucked having to pick the older boy up from preskool by bike (see previously posted pics of my multi-person bike transport device). I get the car insured, registed, and new plates, and am in the process of getting new tires for it. The fucker stalls out a mile from home, and leaved the baby and I stranded. I had to walk home - baby in one arm and the car seat in the other. When we get home, I put the car seat in the (then still illegal) truck, drive back to the abandoned firebird to get the OTHER car seat. Then we drive home, and later, drive to pick up the boy from skool. When it was dark, I used the truck to tow the car back home. If I had been stopped, I would have gotten a ticket for not having the firebird inspected, and would have had the truck inpounded. It was not a happy day for Sith Dad. But it all worked out. Still have to work on the firebird. It's gotta be sold, but i'll get nothign for it if it won't even run. Gonna replace the fuel filter first - it's gonna suck if it's the fuel pump. My 87 had it on the exterior of the engine - easy to get to. This bastard has an electric fuel pump located INSIDE the gas tank. You have to drop the tank to get to it.

I'm off to cruise the web a bit. I'll be posting some pics soon .

2 Comments:

  • At 9:26 AM, Blogger Margaret said…

    Great to see you resurface Darth Daddio. Did I hear the codename "Firebird"? Please don't tell me you've got a Formula 400 stashed aside. I would literally faint and fall off of my desk chair.

    I am so not wanting to do the Daycare thing. In fact, I don't even want to do Public School Kindergarten. Not while in Georgia. Anywhere but Georgia. The Jungles of Congo would be better than what is available here. Poisonous spiders, snakes and all. =O)

     
  • At 9:37 AM, Blogger Mike said…

    Glad you're not dead. Sorry the bird is. And kill some bastages at my wife's school while you are at it.

    She did well over 75 hours in 5 days this week.

     

Post a Comment

<< Home

 
Site Meter