Regular Dad

It's Hanukkah time!  At least it is now.  And I think it was a mere 6 hours (or so) away when I was recording this.  I won't lie, I don't recall exactly what I talked about nor in what order.  So I'll just list some probables here and hope it matches.  Although again, I'm not sure anyone reads this... Bears lost to the Packers.  But played them into the 4th quarter, so it's really a victory for us...

I can officially say I Thanksgivinged too hard this year.  No singular element went too far, but I turned too many dials up to 7.  I need a few at 8 and a few at 3.  And a day-ish where everything is sub-5.   Bears-Packers is this weekend.  I haven't been this legitimately excited for a Bears game in many years.  I don't think we'll win the game, but I do think we'll get a moral victory out of thi...

I did my best to keep this episode un-chaotic, and mostly failed.  Just know that what you hear is a tip of the iceburg for the tire fire in my head.   Another Thanksgiving is in the books.  This year it was us, my MIL, and our friends from up the street.  It's a strange roster on paper, but it was right.  And I only had to cook 2 turkeys and 3 pies!   New Riff 8yr Bourbon.  Are they maturing nice...

I've officially at the age when I just no longer can stay up super late even when I'm home semi-alone.  But I did have the best of intentions.   Chauncey Manor has a beautiful, new HVAC system.  High-efficiency furnace and A/C.  While I probably could have just repaired the current system and gotten another 3-5 years out of it, this will put a big dent in our utility bills and give me 1 less thing...

Vaccines have been officially administered.  And boy did they kick my butt the next day.  Like, I'm glad I picked a week when I had a couple days that I didn't really have to be my best.  And speaking of kicking my butt...Myles and I ran our annual 5k.  And he.  Kicked.  My.  Ass. This marks the first time one of the kids has legit beat me at an athletic endevour.  And I'm not taking it well.   Ov...

Another year, another birthday.  Except this year it really just a normal Tuesday, but with ice cream cake at the end.  Even for me, who doesn't typically do much for birthdays, this was pretty lame.   Brian Beyke, of Pursuit and Seelbach's fame, has put his name on a bottle of blue corn bourbon.  Money grab?  Or is the whiskey good?   The NFL was hit with some terrible news as a young star took t...

I had a lively religious debate with my friends the other night.  And somehow I was the one claiming that there is a potential place for religion in a modern society.  I just can't think of any examples where it's been done correctly at scale and didn't lead to terribleness.   Old Fitzgerald 7yr BIB.  Is Heaven Hill just trying to capitalize on the wheated craze or is this a worthy shelfer?  I wat...

Well, I feel like I'm somehow healing mentally and emotionally again.  The changes I've slowly been making are accumulating as well as some other recent changes.  Like Justin Fields says, just get 1% better each week.  Bardstown Discovery Series 13 is up.  Should they stop this whole sourcing and blending non-sense and focus on their own stuff?  Or was this is delicious double-barreled offering? ...

Both kids were back at the orthodontist for another round of not-free dental work.  Moving teeth around so other teeth can come in crooked and then get moved around again.  Kinda Sisyphean if you think about it.   My soccer message to Myles seems to have gotten through.  For now.  Which is great, because I want him to just enjoy playing sports as much as I enjoy it.  It's not about winning or losi...

I'm busier here than I've been in a long time.  Stupid work and both kids playing travel sports, and stuff.  Whatever, recording and releasing will be whenever I can get it in.  Totally on brand.  The Cubs season is over.  Just kinda fizzled out in game 5.  No drama, just slowly bleeding out.  Hey, we've got a really good core again and we should be back stronger next year.   I finally had to have...

All the stress, and activities, and not sleeping finally caught up with me.  My brain finally just gave up over the weekend.  It called slaughter rule and packed it in.  It happens.  And I need to talk about it.   The Cubbies were able to pull out a series win against the Padres.  On to face the Brewers in the NLDS.  I'm not super confident in this match-up, but anything can happen in the playoffs...

I try to keep it light and loose and humerous this week.  Things are just so dark in the world right now.  And...no whiskey review.  I had one recorded, but my palate was definitely not right and it wasn't a fair review.  So we've entered the era of...sometimes. Anyways, my MIL has a new thing: numerology.  Apparently seeing 11 everywhere means something.  Bad news for her, she opened the door to...

Little bit of a mental regression early this week.  Could be thanks to that f'n 50-mile bike ride through the hills, could be me just finally dealing with some realities.  But I righted the ship and come up with a clever analogy.  Win-win. In a truly shocking twist, the right is now all-in on cancel culture and the left is getting punished.  I never thought I'd see it.  Although we might be able t...

Well I did it.  I completely unrecognized both episode 100 AND the end of season 2.  I'm just really bad at acknowleding any milestones.  Ever.  In all facets of my life. Our country is once again facing a crisis.  A radical right-wing influencer/public persona was shot and killed in Utah.  No, cold-blooded murder is never acceptable.  Even when it's directed at a person like Mr. Kirk.   It was a...

Summer Vacation is over!!  But...was this a return to the disasterous last trip to OCMD, or have things improved.  Did we have a relaxing double-trip?  Did I continue my reign of terror on the minigolf pitch?  Is my wife "secretly" trying to off me and collect on my life insurance policy?   I have finally brought closure to the Pancake v waffle v french toast debate.  It's a simple question once y...

Another grind of a week, all of my own doing.  Almost screwed up a party pick-up, and just couldn't keep my focus all week.  Doesn't help having a middle schooler to shuttle around. This week has been giving fall.  Even though it's not fall.  False fall.  But it's got my chomping at the bit for some real football.   Barrell Seagrass.  Superb summer sipper?  Overhyped marketing gimmick?  Let's pop...

The minivan already didn't have a cool horn, didn't have a cool paint job, and now it's also NOT ramped over a flat-bed!  Could it BE any more lame? Thanks to my "friend" Bill, I got roiled into another debate over what is and isn't a sport.  But this actually brought some clarity to my stance.   Myles's Bar Mitzvah festivities are officially over.  We had a great night at the Union game.  Duncan...

Even though it turned out to be a very busy, almost chaotic, weekend, I'm oddly content right now.  Even today as I post this, I feel weirdly mentally and physically healthy.  Don't worry, I'll take care of at least 1 of those tonight... Barrell Bourbon is up for review.  Batch 37.  Some really old components in this blend.  Is it older and wiser, or should it be put out to pasture? Ah yes, the fu...

It's a somber day in Wrigleyville, as we learned of the passing of baseball legend Ryne Sandberg.  A consumate Cub and just great guy in general, he lost his battle with prostate cancer last week.   And since we're talking sports, I touch on a slightly older story; Scottie Schaeffler doesn't really get any joy from winning tournaments.  You know why?  Because golf isn't a sport and it's just anoth...

The kids hath returned from sleepaway camp.  And that was a pretty hard transition to go from 4 weeks of peace and freedom to immediately back into the mixer.  Might need to plan that better next year. I hate to say it, but I think more people need friends like mine.  Friends that love to challenge anything and everything and require proof before they'll believe something.   I'm sure it'll come as...

Our sleep-away camp experiece is down to its last week.  It's been a fun journey for everyone.  Which is great.   My favorite social media starlet had a book signing!  Dr. Karen Tang, OBGyn superstar, had her book published in paperback and did a little signing, Q&A session at a local bookstore.  Of all the parts of this new bill, I talked to someone who pulled a very odd choice to complain ab...

It turns out homeownership is just a game of discovering ever more circles of hell.  At least for those of us that don't just throw money at the problem and try to do the work ourselves.  You think there's only 7 circles?  Ha!!  I've found 7 in plumbing alone.  This week's installment is a little thing called Garage Door Maintenance.  I give it 2/10; don't recommend.  However what is predictable,...

Definitely not the proudest birthday for America this year, but it's a birthday none the less.  I'm still going to celebrate and keep my spirits and future optimism high.  Kids are loving sleep-away camp AND Duncan made the call to stay for the full 4 weeks!  Expected, but still great to confirm it.   For the first time in a great many years, Hayley came out to see me play real hockey.  Not just c...

The time has finally arrived!  For at least the next 1.5 weeks, we're temporary empty nesters!  And maybe for a full almost 4 weeks.  It's a weird feeling.  Editing and getting this pushed out on a weeknight?  That never happens!  I have like, 2 extra hours on a work day to accomplish things.  I got so rambly last week in the Bar Mitzvah talk that I forgot to mention a couple thoughts about our Te...

Myles is officially an adult in the eyes of Judaism.  So that means I can hold him to a higher standard at home, right?  Getting a job, paying bills, making pastrami, stuff like that.   But really, that first full day of summer vacation hit like it was a holding a roll of quarters.  I'm here trying to work while also running an Uber service.  Really glad sleep-away camp is right around the corner....