Kids Journal - 07/28/02

July 28, 2002

I took you, Gabriel, my baseball-nut of a son to the Yankee/DRays game this afternoon. When Uncle Tim worked for the DRays, we'd go to about 30 games a year (tickets were free!). But, since he left, we can only afford one or two games a year. The event was so disheartening that it inspired me to write a letter and send it to every single baseball team and the commissioner's office about how unbalanced the teams were due to financial disparities.

And, while we were at the game, you Gabe, did two things that were adorable. First, when the game was going sour... Petite was on his way to striking out twelve, Ventura had just hit a grand slam and Jeter was knocking the ball around, you turned to me and said "Dad, when I get six, and taller, I'm gonna go down to the Devil Rays and say 'hey, can I help?'" It was so sweet and sincere. You really thought that just being six and a little taller would make you able to help them out... it was very sweet.

And the other funny thing you did was, at one point, you started digging your hand way up into your shorts. Worried that people would look, I leaned over and quietly said "Gabe, what're you goin?" And you replied "My peepee fell out of my underwear." That type of honesty I did not anticipate!

Overall we had a great time, considering the game. We got Brent Abernathy and Joe Kennedy's autograph on one of the Devil Ray balls Tim got you for your birthday. And afterward, you got to run around the bases.

It was a nice Father/Son day.

Some Headway

After days of reconstructing in ways that showed no visible progress, we're finally getting stuff done that makes it look like we're getting stuff done.

We ran out of tile... need about three more pieces. But it will look nice when we're done. Since we have to let it set for 24 hours, tonight we actually have the night off!

What to do... we could go out to dinner. We could watch a movie. We could play a board game.

Oh wait! I know! We can sleep because we're totally exhausted! Yeah, that's it!

Tile Me Exhausted

It started out simple enough. A single tile moved slightly in the master bathroom shower wall. A week later part of the wall fell down.

Now, four days after that, we've completely gutted our bathroom. We've rebuilt the shower walls from scratch. We're having to fix and level the threshold moving into the shower.

But we still have SO much more to do. We have to tile the shower and the floor. Fix the flange for the toilet. Prime and paint the walls. Install a new bathroom exhaust fan that, conveniently enough, is located directly under a new duct work junction box in the attic of our recently upgraded air conditioning system. Plus install a new vanity, mirror and toilet.

I'm tired. My hands are raw. Our house is covered with a thin layer of concrete dust and I wake up every morning sneezing about 1000 times in a row.

However, I am impressed by the work and assistance of my children. I have totally enjoyed experiencing the project with my wife.

And, many times, I have felt as if my father were with me, guiding me during the process.