Back home where it is COLD

Well, by the time I got up the other day in Texas at 0400 it was already about 50 degrees. I can safely say I won't see that again for a few weeks. Less than 8 hours after leaving BOB (I do hope he's doing well without me) I landed at home in a blissful 12 degrees. (-10C for those of you Europeans or Canadians keeping score at home).

So, now I'm home and reaquainting myself with my children - the four year old who refuses to go to sleep and the 8 year old who in the past five months has discovered a whole new world of vocabulary -- the swear words section. I'm fortunate in that the 8 year old doesn't actually say these words, but he does rather ferret about the fringes. A typical conversation will go something like this, "Dad, does this song have any bad words in it?"

"No."

"Oh, because I was driving home with a friend the other day and his mom's radio had a song with a swear word. It was the really bad one... with an 'F'... like duck..."

Now, the part of me that is supposed to care about these types of things is mildly annoyed because of all the song and dancing it takes to skirt around some of this stuff. You know, let the childhood last as long as possible as far as I'm concerned. If he's a naive 8 year old who becomes a naive 9 year old so be it. It won't last forever I'm sure. Plus, let's not forget, I'm the guy who as a first-grade enrollee punched a nun in the gut and told her to F-herself. Paternally speaking, I'm on pretty thin ice here.

What I really find myself proud of, however, is that he says "an" F as opposed to 'a' F. From the point of view of a former newspaper editor, that kind of thing is just money.

Speaking of which, full props to USAA insurance for finally reading the police report on my car accident and making that other doofus pay the whole tab plus my rental car expenses. The car is coming along nicely. The last couple installments of photos from the body shop show the cutting surgery and the grafting. I don't even want to know where that skin is grafted from.

Thanks to all of you who sent some nice comments through this site and through Facebook regarding my last couple posts. We're up to 9 followers here - still not sure who 2 or 3 are, but I'm not complaining. And the fact that all of the recent comments are from people who aren't followers means at least a few people actually read this thing, which is kind of gratifying. (By the way, I don't think Shadow has actually read that last post, when I got home and said happy anniversary to her she told me what I'd been waiting to hear: "oh, I completely forgot!"  I think that's really part of her charm now because she forgets every year. (Actually, she forgets twice a year - both December and our church wedding in June). Guys, when your woman complains that you forget important stuff, feel free to relay this little story.

In other non-news news, Christmas is next week obviously and we'll find out at least one truth. The truth being - is that list prepared by the 8 year old real, or is he just testing the limits of this whole Santa thing. Because I know for a fact, Santa is not bringing him a laptop or an Ipod Touch. Thankfully though, he still likes Legos.

That last thought makes me want to ask another question no one will answer:  What has been your most unusual or funnest/funniest Christmas gift? You know where the comment link is. For the record, I once got a bag of flour, a bottle of water and a newspaper. ... It was a do-it-yourself paper-mache kit!