Weekend Pictures

This weekend we took Jacob to a local water park and celebrated our 10th Anniversary. It was a wonderful weekend filled with wonderful weather. Here are some pics.

A good Father's Day

"I love you daddy."

- Jacob L. Findley

"I had fun at the water park. And I got clean!"

- Also from Jacob.

I woke up this morning to the wonderful aroma of pancakes. Jen took care of me well on Father's Day.

I then awoke Jacob by giving him a back rub. The day started off with a bang. Specifically, it started with buckwheat pancakes with blueberries in them. Although I had planned a quiet Father's Day reading and relaxing, the day was simply too beautiful to stay home.

So, we went to a new park in town that features new and uniquely-designed playground equipment and a little water park play area. We had a blast watching Jacob play. We had to roll his pant legs up so he could run through the water, but that didn't stop him from pulling his pants up as he ran.

Jacob ate his lunch at the park and kept going back in for more water fun. We walked on a path around the park together talking.

Our pancake breakfast made lunch a late affair, so we decided to just have a very early dinner. Out of the blue I decided to take Jen to Nordy's for some amazing BBQ. Nordy's is famous for its great BBQ buffet, but I understood that to only be on weekdays. Apparently, a Father's Day special meant we were in business. It was 2:15 when we arrived. Buffet ended at 3. Score!

After a great dinner, we took another walk at Centera and Jacob again found a water spray. A quick stop to run errands later, we were back home for the relaxation we all needed.

On the way home, we passed a fire engine, and Jacob was captivated as we drove along side it. He waved vigorously to the driver and received a wave back. You forget sometimes just how thrilling a fire truck can be until you have a three-year-old smiling from ear to ear at the sight of one.

At home, Jacob wound down with some Blue's Clues (a show he is now completely crazy for) and I got my relaxation by sitting with him and reading.

The only downside was when I decided to go for a jog, which inspired my knee to fall off the wagon and start swelling again.

We put a very happy Jacob to bed and now I'm finishing up some laundry.

It was a great time. I wasn't sure how this Father's Day would go so soon after the five-year anniversary of my father's passing, but I can say happily that Jacob has once again rescued Father's Day for me. He had a lot of help from Jen, and the two of them treated me to a wonderful Father's Day.

A special thank you goes out to both of them.

5 long years

I woke up this morning and remembered something.

It's hard to believe, but I almost forgot that tomorrow, June 16, marks the 5th anniversary of my father's passing. Father's Day must be around the corner. That'll mess up a day.

The fact that years 2-4 were pretty inconsequential and fairly easy to handle apparently lulled me to sleep. Being a father myself, the last three seemed to free me from the Father's Day doldrums. I'm not sure what it is about denominations of 5 and 10 that make our brains overcompensate, but it hit me like a ton of bricks today.

For some reason our brains process permanence on scales of five. Anyone knows that the march of time can be cruel and that it's always relentless, but we seem to only recognize that every five years. Who knows, maybe it's because that's how many fingers we have on each hand.

Today is as good a day as any to meander through my thoughts five years later. For one thing, so much has happened, so much has changed. I'm not even sure he would know me all that well anymore. So I thought it might be interesting to touch on the highlights of the last five years.


I was 28 when dad died. That's not a denomination of 5. But it is approximately the age of my dad when this picture was taken.
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(That's me in his arms)

First and foremost is that dad missed out on Jacob. Dad never pushed me to have children even though he knew exactly how little time he had left. He neither shared that knowledge nor pressed me to hurry up with the grand kids to selfish ends. Indeed, he was the one who counseled patience.

I'm sure he'd be happy that Jen and I waited and would tip his hat to his only grandson.


He missed my most recent graduation in 2005. I think he would have really liked to have attended that one. It was a fun time and I think he would have considered it noteworthy. It really is too bad that he missed it considering how much he emphasized school to me. I know it was important to him.

He would have wanted to help me write my law review comment more than anything. He would have probably driven me nuts trying to tinker with wordings and concepts. And, he would have understood the topic better than I could by the time it was finished. In the end, his roving expertise would have helped make it better.

I know he would be happy that we found our way back home after graduation. He might even try to spoil Jacob.


It's impossible to predict how he would feel about things as they are today. After all, I can't even be sure everything would be the same. For example, I was inspired to work in my specific field because of the experience I had trying to tie up my the loose ends after his death. Without that change in my life, who knows what I'd be doing.

Still, as the combination of Father's Day and the big fifth anniversary collide, it gives comfort to think about how he would react to the world as it is. I don't get caught up in the notion of loved ones peering down from above. I neither believe nor disbelieve such notions. I just like to think about having him stop by for a visit. We would have so much to talk about.

It isn't just the updating of information, but the recognition and joy I imagine he would display as I told him story after story. We would talk about great albums of the past five years, movies he would have loved, jokes told and everything in between.

I know every single person dies. I know I am no victim. But, it's been five years, so apparently it is acceptable for me to grieve.

33 and content

I turned 33 on Saturday.

June's a big month for me every year, but this year is bigger than most. Birthday, Father's Day, and my 10th Anniversary all happen this month. Throw in our annual trip to the zoo with Jacob, the fifth anniversary of my father's passing, the annual family picnic and the beginning of Jen's new status as a commuter to work and it's going to be one heck of a month.

As if any of us need yet another reason for introspection in a year, birthdays have a way of giving a boost to New Year's resolutions. Well, at least mine does. It happens right in the middle of the year.

Aging doesn't bother me. At least, not yet. But, my semi-annual sharpening of the saw sometimes reveals certain gaps and changes. These gaps are not bad things, but curious nonetheless. We are all our own study subject in life.

I am not on top of the music scene at all anymore. I carry a dinosaur of a cell phone and have no desire to carry one that allows Internet connection. I like the convenience, but fear the leash. I no longer know anything about pop culture outside of the very select few programs I watch - usually at the behest of others, and often to satisfaction. Our household is behind most others mainly because of our choice to forgo cable television or any other regular programing.

I do miss all the movies I would otherwise be sure to see, but I read a lot more books, so I can live with it. Besides, I make sure to see all the movies I really want to see. No harm, no foul, I guess. Heck, looks like a win.

Increasingly, our world seems more and more connected through such media. Although I consider that to be neither positive nor negative, it is simply interesting to me. I do not necessarily mourn my loss of connection to the most commonly-shared media of our culture. But it does provide a unique paradigm.

Still, it is important to keep a toe in the pool so as to avoid becoming too out of touch or, God forbid, boring. I am trying to walk the line between connected (I now read my books electronically via my Kindle) and oblivious (I don't text... and I wish no one would while driving).

If I could pinpoint some positives of aging, the list would include the ability to slowly and deliberately disconnect from old patterns and explore new ones. And old patters are usually the inspiration for change. I just don't think "new" always involves "advancements" (such as with technology). Backward movement, in life as in cell phone usage, can create a "new" peace. As long as it's new to me, I guess. "New" in that sense would mean less connectivity. I can live with that if balanced.

Thus, my proposed changes came to mind, and now will be memorialized for accountability's sake.

I'm hoping to accomplish as much of the following as possible:

-- Read to Jacob at least once per day.
-- Get back to taking vitamins every day.
-- Exercise more (what would a list be without it?).
-- Eat better (ditto here).
-- Intensify focus.
-- Drop the casual cursing (amazing how easy it is to slip in front of the little guy).
-- Walk with my family every evening after work (weather permitting).
-- Do not begin evening media routines until after the walk or reading session.
-- Get back to regular family visits (easier after the worst flu season we've had here).
-- Listen to and enjoy music more.

Honestly, there isn't much I really want to change right now. I'm still going to try, however, because it's a good habit. Sometimes you need to inspect just to discover that you are indeed happy. There are no guarantees in life, so I guess I'll add "appreciate the good times" to my list.

Update

... I had my 33rd birthday yesterday. Good times. Went out with the guys on Friday, family picnic Saturday afternoon, more hanging out on Saturday evening. All this is followed by a completely relaxing Sunday.

... My birthday/father's day/anniversary gift was a Kindle 2. I am addicted to it already. I can read books faster with it and will now be able to read whatever book I feel like wherever I may be. Good times.

... I am slowing starting to work on Jacob year 3 vid. Kindle 2 has taken away much of my motivation for anything else, though, so we'll see how this goes.

... I am plowing through the Battlestar Galactica series on DVD. Great show. I can't stop watching episodes.

... I am very pleased that Summer is finally upon us. I love Summer and had grown tired of the Winter.

... Many ideas for posts have been coming into my head, but none have been sufficiently focued to actually sit down and write.

Hoops

I'm loving the NBA playoffs this year. Deep down, I'm a basketball junkie, and the Denver Nuggets have me absolutely buzzing these days. The current playoff run also gave me occasion to remember when basketball reminded me who I am.

I've been a big fan of the NBA for as long as I can remember, and I've always loved to play. Because I grew up in Virginia, I rarely got to see the Nuggets play. I did make sure to watch them on TV when they played the Washington Bullets, but that happened only once or twice a year. It seems like ages ago, but there was a time when fans couldn't just pick a game to watch. We actually were slaves to the TV schedule.

The Nuggets weren't very good and almost never on TV, so, to get my NBA fix, I watched the only team you couldn't miss on a given weekend: The Chicago Bulls. I remember watching Michael Jordan take over the league. Those Bulls teams were my favorite teams ever. I could watch youtube clips of Jordan embarrassing the league for hours. In fact, I have already done that many times.

But, this year is quickly becoming my favorite basketball season of all time.




I remember playing basketball for hours until it was just too dark to see the ball anymore. I remember playing entire summer days and bringing ice chests to keep us cool in the humid Virginia sun. I miss those days so much sometimes.

I also remember leaving basketball for awhile and dabbling in some dumb things. I tried smoking a few times and was caught so red handed it was pathetic. I even answered "breath mints" when asked what that smell was. I think I had the most pathetic rebellion in the history of mankind.

New "friends" came along and it took me a little too long to realize they didn't have my interests in mind. My very pathetic mini-rebellion led me to dabble in some curiosities. Mostly, that included parent-upsetting bands and their video cassettes. One specific video featured a rather disturbing stage performance. Out of the blue, and completely out of character, my dad decided to screen one of the videos. It was mostly for show, but the scenes bothered him enough that he insisted I take it back.

The rub was that I got to choose what to replace it with, but it had to be something acceptable to dad. I picked NBA's Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers. I was bitter at the time, but ended up wearing that tape out. It featured footage from each dunk contest to that point and I watched it more time than I care to admit.





Somehow, over an indeterminable time, I was reminded who I was and what I needed to do. During that time, the "friends" (short lived friends as they may have been) faded away. My association with them was a forced-fit anyway.

I reunited with true friends and met them in the most fitting place: on the blacktop. Much of the rest of my youth was spent playing basketball.

Moving to Colorado meant another new start and good-bye to all those great hoop friends, but this time I stayed on track. I even started hanging out with the Fuzz by playing locker hoops H-O-R-S-E during lunch in high school.

Just in time, the Nuggets got good and shocked the NBA world in 1994 by winning in the first round and nearly making the Western Conference Finals. I even fretted about missing a playoff game to graduate from high school. I rooted for the Nuggets and Bulls and NBA life was good.

I lost track of the NBA again in 1999 after Michael Jordan retired for good (he never came back or played for any other teams... I know it didn't happen... LA LA LA LA LA). I caught the occasional Nuggets game, but really came back to the NBA when the Nuggets drafted Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Ever since then, the guys and I have been loyal and regular attendees at the Pepsi Center.

Now, as I watch the Denver Nuggets this year, I finally know what it's like to truly experience the NBA playoffs. It's better than all those Bulls titles because its finally my true hometown team. I watched Chicago out of respect for the rare quality, but I've watched this team grow and I'm loving the ride.

Even if the Nuggets don't win it all, this has been a joyous ride, and more fun than any previous season. Chicago's six titles seemed like foregone conclusions, but this time there is real drama and anticipation. The team even traded for Chauncey Billups, who I used to cover while a student journalist during his dominating tenure at CU.

Really, it couldn't get any better. I smell a running diary on the horizon.

NBA PLAYOFF FEVER

New Pics

Nuggets Playoff Fever.

Jacob fell asleep on me both Friday and Saturday night.

Showing off his new Nuggets hat. Jacob picked it out.

Helping clean his table.