Ode to my father

On my dad's special day, commemorating when he was born, I just wanted to take a second to reflect on the person that he is. Granted, my perception is tinted by my vision of him as a father, but I also think that over the years we have grown to appreciate each other for the individuals that we are. So however biased I may be...

My father is the type of person who has:

* Been to my aid, when I have screamed, in two leaps and a bound (when he was on the other side of the house).

* Inserted my name in a song that I loved that he would play and sing me to sleep with.

* Worked hard at his job and never had the phrase "good enough" in his vocabulary.

* Loved my mother in a way that makes me not want to settle for anything less.

* Known the wisdom of the one nut.

* Worn his hair long, played electric guitar in a rock band, and owned a Harley.

* Let me see him cry.

* Always been there for me, even when I know he's exhausted.

* Made people laugh and feel at ease in stressful situations.

* Taken his dogs on long walks, even when it's really cold.

* Created the Arkabarkoo.

* Made our family run around the car on long road trips.

* Been a good, kind, and just man.

* And apparently... taken Snowzilla in a fight:

I Love You!!!

Winter Holiday

Well, it's been a little time since I updated my blog... I've been a bit busy :)

We're heading into the final weekend of "Steel Magnolias." If you're in the area and wanted to see the show, this weekend is your last chance! I've really enjoyed the character of Shelby, so it will be a little sad putting the show to rest. Not to mention that the cast members are all wonderful people! I'm glad this show afforded me the chance to get to know them all.

Next week is Thanksgiving in the United States. It's my first Thanksgiving since moving to the Midwest, but fortunately I have some family in the area! My cousin Khadijih and her husband Gino live in Madison, Wisconsin, which is about a 4-hour car drive from here. Shelly and I are going to drive over Wednesday night after work, stay the night, and then spend Thanksgiving Day with Khadijih and Gino, along with Lua and Hadi (Gino's sister and brother-in-law, who I know a little bit from serving at the Baha'i World Center in Israel). Then we'll drive back that day, early in the evening so that Shelly can work on Friday. It's a bit of a whirlwind, but we're both really excited! We have family to go spend Thanksgiving with--I'm certainly thankful for that :)

I'm also gearing up for a trip to Alaska! It seems like I just can't stay away :) But it will be so great to spend time with family and friends, and the timing was perfect! I'm finishing a temp job in the middle of December, so I can just hold off on starting a new one until I get back! And it's perfect timing, because at the end of the year people have more time off work around the holidays, so I'll get some good quality visiting time in. I'm so excited to see my immediate family, but also my cousins (and cousin's children!) and friends. And, to those non-pet people out there, this might not make sense, but I'm sooooo excited to see my dogs! Living in an apartment, along with my crazy schedule, doesn't allow me to have a dog down here... but I love my dogs in Alaska! And I'm really excited to see my brother's bulldog too--he was just a puppy when I was last up. Here's a photo of the two of us when I was visiting this summer--who wouldn't be excited to see that face?

Come see "Steel Magnolias"

Photo credits: Mark Jungmann

If you're in the area, come see "Steel Magnolias" out in Lakeville! We open tomorrow night, and Truvy's hair salon is the place to be!

Performances will be at the Lakeville Arts Center :

Nov. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 ~ 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 12 & 19 ~ 2 p.m.

Tickets: $6 opening night, $12 adults / $9 students & seniors

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Arts Center at (952) 985-4640.