DadJack.com Blog

As television rolls out the new fall season I thought it would be a good time to get back into blogging too!  I have really slacked over the summer… Really since The Insana Quotient was canceled.  I know so many of you can relate to being laid-off, down-sized, part of a staff reduction… or whatever other catch-phrase they’re currently using to cover that they have fired people.  It’s no fun, the stress and worry weigh on you.  For a long time now we’ve been hearing that things are getting better… I’m waiting, I’ll believe it when I see it.  But I figured the blog need not wait any longer, so I’m going to do my best to update it regularly… even if I have nothing to say! (Luckily there is usually something for me to complain about.)

The only bright spot of being unemployed this summer was that I had a chance to spend a lot of extra time with the kids.  I always enjoy time with my kids, but it seemed a little more important this summer… It was the last summer before they would both be in school, before they are both officially big kids.  You want your kids to grow up and gain an excellent education… But it’s a little heart breaking to see your babies grow up and not need you as much as they once did.  I know there are new and exciting things to come as they grow…  But a part of me will always miss my little babies that I could hold against my chest and soothe their worries and pains away.

Rock on, Jack

Lucy kicked butt at her final game of this years tee-ball season.  Here’s a couple videos:

This is it, make it good!  Fall starts on Wednesday.   It really never felt like summer this year… And not only because of the weather.  It seems like the failing economy caused many people to scale back (or even cancel) vacations.  A lot of the fun was sucked out of summer this year… I can only hope that things start to improve soon.

The kids and I had a nice weekend.  We spent some time with friends, did some cycling, made homemade pizza and went to a car show.

Lucy seems to be enjoying school (At least after week one) and likes her teacher… Hopefully this sentiment lasts all year!

I continue to feel just kind of Blah… It’s great when the kids are over, but things just kind of drag during the week while they are away.

The podcast is chugging along… No one can stop the pod!

Give the kids a drink!  Summer is still going strong in AZ!  Hey guys, She’s single.   It doesn’t feel like it ended.    Gnome amber alert canceled.   R.I.P.    OK, now I feel lazy! Don’t let your kids catch fat!  You mean you can’t recycle these!?!?

Rock On, Jack

It’s my sister’s birthday today… So happy birthday, may you rescue a dog, see a whale or whatever else you enjoy today!

I had an Ok long weekend… It was great to have four days in a row where I didn’t have to wake up crazy early!  Before I returned them, the kids and I got some bike riding in, went to the park with friends and celebrated Angie’s birthday.  After they left, I hung out with some old friends, went to brunch in Pasadena, did some cycling and had a breakfast with my Mommy.

I’ve decided to extend summer one more week since Lucy doesn’t return to school until next Monday.  We are going to Legoland and to hangout in San Diego next weekend… Then the white loafers get mothballed until next summer!

I’ve been in kind of a strange mood lately… Partly based on my own life and partly because of the state of the economy.  I have been more entrenched in politics and finance because of The Insana Show, and it has had me more worried, the more I know.  Although, it’s not all doom and gloom… but I think without a doubt job growth will be extremely slow.

On a personal note, I think it’s now really sinking in that this is the rest of my life… Not having my kids around everyday, spending over half my time alone, having to deal with someone I want out of my life.  I know no one truly has total control over their life, but it seems like the majority of mine is being controlled by outside forces… And the part I rule over is not that exciting.  Anyway, enough of my drivel, let’s get to some news:

Talk about having trouble finding an apartment… Do you smoke? Yes. Do you have a dog? Yes. Does your dog smoke?  I’ve had nightmares like this!  Seems very uncomfortable.   Japan does everything better.  1/3 of you are right.  You know the economy is bad when people can’t afford bullets.

Rock on, Jack

Have been keeping me busy, sorry I haven’t posted recently!

The kids and I had a great time during our two weeks together… We did all kinds of stuff (as I’m sure you could tell by the pics on FB).  We’re going to try and squeeze in a few more adventures before Lucy heads back to first grade.

Lucy and Bing have really taken to their bikes… Lucy’s a pro now, so I think it’s time to get Bing off his training wheels.  We ride all over the place… They even asked if they could ride their bikes back to their Mom’s, they could really grasp while 24 miles might be a tad far for them to peddle.

After a week off the pod is back in full effect, today we chat with Monica from the old radio show… It was great to get to speak with her.

I can’t believe summer is over… OK, after this weekend it will be over (A few more days to sport my white loafers left!)  It doesn’t matter how old I get, I remember that feeling you had as a kid on those final few days of summer, knowing you had to return to school.  This summer was so cool that it never really felt like the season… I know many of you liked it, but it was not a Southern California summer, and I love Southern California summers.

Lets get t some news:

All he wanted was a towel and a hug!  I hope they catch the ****** that did this!  You don’t kill puppies!!!!  He does his own stunts.   She was probably just looking for a date… Wait, wrong kind of cougar. Balls!!!!  I want to party with this monkey. My lawyer just wanted a retainer!?!?  One bank you would think wouldn’t get robbed.

Rock on, Jack

But summer is finally here!  And it came just in time for my two weeks with the kids!

We’ve been having a great time, we’ve hung out with Grandma, saw Toy Story 3 at The El Capitan (Which I highly recommend, it runs through August 29th … the fun zone afterward is worth the price of admission alone), did some bike riding and played with toys!  Last night the kids and I got to play with toy cars for a while… Something we all enjoy!

The podcast is on vacation next week… Not to worry, we will return Monday the 30th for our new fall season.

Hey single people… According to CNN, we’re not alone, in fact there is a bunch of us.  But bad news ladies, there are 100 of you for every 88 of us.

It kind of sucks, I could be done for the day at work right now (I’m writing this at &:30am Friday morning), but I’m watching KTLA and the 5 has a bunch of accidents so I’m waiting it out… That’s a negative to Santa Clarita, anything happens on the 5 and you’re trapped here!

never trust anyone nicknamed “Mr. Hugs!”   His Mommy stood in.  Good luck with your new boyfriend. What could there be they haven’t already told?  I think a road trip is in order.   Finally, what strippers think of the mosque!  He needs a wallet!

Have a great weekend!

Rock on, Jack

Yesterday was the longest day of the year and summer has officially started… The only bummer of my new apartment is no swimming pool.  The kids swimming was getting very strong with all the pool time we got last summer.  My favorite part of this season are the warm nights… there’s nothing like sitting out on a patio on a warm summer night (Unless you live somewhere with a lot of bugs… then you need that bug zapping light thing!)

The new car is amazing… But I have to re-train myself, I keep rolling down the window and opening the door from the outside (That’s how you had to get out of the “Busty Old Car”)  Speaking of the B.O.C., I found a way to hopefully subside some of Lucy’s sadness over getting rid of it… I pried off the emblems and printed out some photos of us with the car and made a shadowbox with them (I’ll have to take a pic and post it, it turned out pretty good) and hung it in the kids room….  Kind of like a shrine to that beat up piece of metal.

I haven’t had a chance to watch much of the summer programming yet… I’ve caught the show with Jillian from Biggest Loser (Didn’t like it) and Last Comic Standing (Like it), but that’s about it so far.  Has anyone seen the new Betty White sit-com?  Any good?

Right now kids shirts are on sale at Threadless … $9 bucks, got Lucy a shark shirt and Bing a cat shirt (They didn’t have any featuring bowling balls or golf balls).  While I’m plugging sites, Gilt has some cool kids stuff on sale too… They always have cool kids stuff, the adult stuff can be kind of pricey, and Groupon is perfect for Non-Diet Stench today with a great BBQ deal.

Farrell’s tomorrow!  Can’t wait to have a sundae… You cannot go to Farrell’s and not have a sundae!!!

I know he’s my kid, so I am a little biased… But I keep rewatching the Bing golfing video, no matter what that kid does he makes me laugh.  When I was a Michael’s getting my shadowbox I picked up some art supplies for Lucy, she is a very talented artist and is now into sketching … If she ever becomes a famous artist I will have the complete early years archive, I have hundreds of drawing and painting shoved everywhere.

I’ve always been super paranoid of this!  I can’t believe I missed this.  Beware of what you say to Rolling Stone… It may get you a quick trip to the President’s office.  What? L.A. didn’t make the list?  Has anyone seen this clown?   A 75M fixer upper.  Yeah, so? At least he’s clean.

Rock On, Jack