You might have noticed that posts have been a little light on the ground around here lately. I was out for most of last week on work travel; regular posting will resume when I get caught up on everything.
Thanks for your patience!
–The Managment
Author: Shane
Father’s Day Part 2
Last week I mentioned the special father’s day activity that Evelyn planned for me, and this weekend it was Oliver’s turn.
He and Sara had secretly planned a one-night camping trip, just for the two of us.
Unbeknownst to me, they had made reservations and hidden all of the camping stuff in Ollie’s closet (which Ollie had helpfully labeled “KEEP OUT”). In fact, the day before Sara had sent me to the grocery store to get hotdog buns, and I still had no clue. 🙂 When I opened the envelope on Saturday morning containing my instructions, I kept saying, “Really?”
It turns out that there is an honest to goodness campground inside Cook County. Who knew? It’s called Shabbona Woods and it was actually quite lovely, especially for our purposes.
We had a lovely campsite, hotdogs, smores, and a couple of miles of hiking trails. Perfect!
In fact, perhaps we had a little TOO many smores, because Ollie was a bundle of energy. Even after I made him run laps around the campsite, he still had no desire to go to sleep. I told him a story, and then he told me a story, during which I promptly fell asleep. Then he quized me on parts of his story and then said, “Let’s keep going back and forth, telling each other stories!” I was like, “Uh…I don’t think so,” and he said, “Do you want to run a mile??”
But the REAL story of our trip was the story of the incomparable Buddy. Let me tell you about Buddy, the most wonderful firefly that ever lived.
It turns out that Ollie has never seen fireflies before. We don’t have them in Chicago, and when we’re camping, he is usually in bed before they come out. Naturally, he was enthralled; not so much by the glowing, but more on how easy they are to catch. They just sort of hover slowly at 6 year old eye-level, and even if they escape they go right back to hovering in front of you.
So this particular firefly was just sort of hanging out on his hand, and I made the mistake of throwing out a comment, “Oh hey, I think this one likes you!”
*Boom*, Ollie was smitten. Suddenly he had his life all laid out: he and Buddy were going to live together forever, travel the world, possibly fight crime… Buddy was suddenly the best friend he ever had. Periodically I would say, “Eventually you’re going to have to let Buddy go…” and he would scream “NO!” at me.
Unfortunately, during a game of release-and-catch they were playing, Buddy made a break for it and escaped into the woods.
Desolated does not describe the way Ollie felt. I am talking the absolute depths of despair here. He was inconsolable. Somehow he had so internalized the “this one likes you” that he couldn’t believe that Buddy had left him. In panic, I asked if he wanted to call mommy and tell her about Buddy, but he was crying so hard he couldn’t even talk.
I kind of thought it would be over soon, but every few minutes he would remember his good friend Buddy and start wailing anew. “Buddy!” he cried into the woods. “BUUUUUDDDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!” I don’t know how many times he asked me if he would ever see Buddy again.
Even the next day, he was still crying about it. We were leaving and he sobbed, “I saw a flash from the woods, but I don’t think it was Buddy. I think Buddy told the other fireflies to watch over me, and they were letting me know Buddy was okay.”
He even told me that he was going to write to Santa and ask to be reunited with Buddy. ::sigh:: What is it with this boy and testing the limits of Santa’s magic?
Father’s Day #1
This year for father’s day, Evelyn and Oliver have each planned a special day for just the two of us. Evelyn’s day was up first. She decided to treat me to a day at the theater (no surprise there!) and to a restaurant I have been wanting to go to.
The two of us got all fancied up, then went to see “The Flying Housewife, A True Story“. This was the true story of Jerrie Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the world. I had never even heard of Jerrie Mock, so it was very interesting. The play was written and directed by Jerrie’s granddaughter (Jerry only just passed away a few years ago).
Evelyn was completely enraptured by the play, needing me to put my arm around her during the scary parts, and bouncing in her seat otherwise. Afterwards, she informed me that she would be doing her next biography project on Jerrie Mock, which is high praise indeed.
The lead actress, Suzy Brack, had previously been in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with Evelyn, and she really did just an amazing job as Jerrie Mock. I would say she stole the show, but she was the lead actress, so it’s not really stealing, right?
Afterwards, we went to Chicago’s first cider bar, The Northman. It should come as no surprise to readers of this blog that I love apples, and after all those years of making applesauce, it turns out I have pretty strong opinions about apples. Who knew? (Don’t get me started on Red Delicious…)
I tried both the house cider, which was excellent, and a German “rough” cider, which was made from Braeburn and Jonagold apples (two varieties I am very familiar with!), and was even better. I think I’m going to say it was the best cider I have ever had.
Evelyn and I even split some maple glazed cider donuts, with brown butter ice cream and pecan crumble. It was that kind of day.
Overall I think that Evelyn felt very grown up and fancy to be all dressed up and sitting at a grown up restaurant (i.e. bar) with her daddy, and she really had the best time ever. When we got home we couldn’t get her into bed; she was just talking a mile a minute. And really, what could be a better father’s day present than that?
Everyone agrees that Oliver’s day is EVEN BETTER, so now I am very curious as to what he has planned for me…
Free Fiction By Me – “Jackrabbit’s Revenge” now available at AE
My story “Jackrabbit’s Revenge” is available in the latest issue of AE Science Fiction, which you can read online for free!
I always kind of thought the Hare got a raw deal. I mean, the Tortoise happened to win that one time, but slow and steady only wins the race if your opponent is a COMPLETE MORON. Tortoise didn’t do anything to deserve it; more of a “right place at the right time” kind of thing.
High time for a rematch, I say. (Except, naturally, everything’s better in spaaaaaaace…)
(Best Golden-age-y asteroid mining illustration of all time)
Although being published in Canada is *not quite* the same as being published in another language (or is it, eh?), I’m always happy to be published outside of the US.
Quote Monday has been doing it wrong
Ollie: “A car is passing us on the right.”
Me: “No, that’s on the left.”
Ollie: “No, because you read right to left.”
Me: “No, you read left to right.”
Ollie: “I’ve been doing it wrong.”
::Me, hiding under the covers::
Me: “How’d you find me?”
Evelyn: “Well, I saw something sticking out, but I didn’t know if it was your bald head or your bare butt.”
Evelyn: “…and she was singing Christmas songs. Wait, what was she singing? Sweet Child O’ Mine?”
You know you’ve raised your child right when they think Christmas carols were written by Guns N’ Roses.
::We saw two ducks swimming in the lake::
Ollie: “Evelyn is like that duck, and I’m like this one.”
Me: “Why’s that?”
Ollie: “Because this one just has to follow wherever that one wants to go.”
Shane Halbach 