8.31.26

Sights, Sounds, Smells

Flickers of memories in my eyes

The smells, the sounds, the feels

Oh, if only I could bring them back for a minute, an hour, a day

My grandpa shouting "Get Outta My Chair!"

Sending us screaming

Being a father of young children and having the gym getaway

The pool and the hot tub restoring sanity

Being a father of young children and rocking them to sleep

Making my brain a garden

Feeling that little body relax

That's a poem in itself

The voices I'll never hear again but can't forget

The smell of lunch in the basement at Golda Meir

The ceiling shaking at the library there when basketballs bounced above

Life

 It's been over a month since I've written, basically since school got out. What an eventful month! Naomi's currently at Girl Scout camp and Levi's just in summer school and kids camp. Summer School drops out after this week, so the routine will change yet again. No school bus to catch in the morning, so it becomes slightly less frantic.

I've noticed lately that I have a hard time relaxing. I think I'm too online during work and searching out bad news. Yes, doomscrolling. I'm trying to cut down on that and just let myself breathe. There are no threats. There's no reason to really be nervous about anything.

Part of it, I think, is that I get very few chances now to spread out and be alone. Sarah's home ALL THE TIME. It's been ten months now. I'm not angry about it, it is what it is. But I would just like to come home and just relax by myself. Last night I was with Naomi for over three hours, which was fine, but she was defiant about changing her clothes, so I got upset at everyone, pretty much.

Levi and Naomi both enjoyed their time at the lake immensely. Both tubed and found buddies to hang out with. Cruz and Quincy and Levi were inseparable, and Naomi and Sienna were friendly. Violet also wanted to hang out with Naomi as usual.

Maybe I'll plan another solo baseball trip in September, or a trip to Chicago. I just really need the separation. It's great that the basement is looking more normal, but I just need to be alone and not "working-alone".

OOTP: 

The AAB rolls along. This week the 1980s will be done. Wisconsin just won its first title and looks to be perennial contenders. 

I'm also managing the 1956 Cubs, or the 1956 Cubs as OOTP history has them. It's an interesting team. They finished 81-73 for the past two seasons. Can we improve on that?

School's Out 2026

In about 10 minutes, the 2025-26 school year will be over for Levi and Naomi. I'm trying not to get too worked up about it, but these days are milestones. No more third and first grade. No more Mrs. Gaedtke and Mrs. Kim. Nine months of school are over, and you have changed, as we have.

I'm so proud of our children, even as they drive us kind of crazy. Forget a tornado or a bomb going off. The house is wrecked very quickly when the two of them are around, and they're about to be around a lot more. I seem to be the one they gravitate to, as I play way more physically than Sarah will. I should edit that sentence to say that I am the one that plays full stop. But I'm getting off track. 

Levi is still peppering me with hypotheticals and math questions, as a nine year old will. Does he remind me of myself at his age? Not really. I'm sure he talks a lot more in school. I still marvel at his speed and I still get annoyed by his propensity to lose it and cry when he doesn't get what he wants. But he's also a good person to talk to one-on-one, and I love playing catch with the football in the backyard. He might not want to do organized sports, but he does like tossing a ball around with me.

Naomi is finally nearly almost completely toilet trained after all this time. She also really likes her Poms class now and is taking Tae Kwon Do. She's still immature in places (regresses to a baby attitude) but is also extremely funny and loves to snuggle. She's also doing just fine in school.

Solo Trip

Mitchell airport

Early Friday morning

At the gate

Watching a young family and smiling

I'm not traveling with kids

I'm all alone for this trip

To see the sights in Cleveland

My stomach flutters

Can I do this by myself?

Of course

Of course I can

I'm forty-six

But admittedly used to being surrounded

Surrounded by my family

Naomi eager to snuggle

Levi keen on playing a game

I smile as I think how strange it is

48 hours without them

Without their constant need of attention

Without hearing them bicker and whine

And also

Not needing to care for them at the airport

Levi cramming his tablet into his backpack before boarding

A few deep breaths 

It's not like I'm hyperventilating

Just getting used to the idea that I can do what I want

In a few minutes I'll hear the ultimate permission

Relax and enjoy your flight

Washington Nationals vs Cleveland Guardians

Guardians hold on to beat Nationals 3-2.

Forgot to switch from Nats to Guardians broadcast, but Nats broadcast a breezy listen.

Box score:

MLB Gameday: Nationals 2, Guardians 3 Final Score (05/27/2026)

RLS 5-26-26

 5.26.26
RLS 45 Mins
until 3:10 pm

Alfie's Theme Differently (1) +
The Stone Interlude
All The Way (2)
Everybody's Changing -
You Never Give Me Your Money -
Stumble And Pain
Anthony
Swahililand (3) (OK) -
What You Need
Boris The Spider
Cuckoo Cocoon
Driven To Tears
Scrapple from the Apple (4) +
A Night In Tunisia (5) -
Pale Shelter

1- Sonny Rollins (tribute) 
2- Sinatra
3- Ahmad Jamal
4- Charlie Parker
5- Dizzy Gillespie
- can be left off future installments

Thoughts- many jazz debuts and kind of misc tracks from various artists, so this one wasn't a great hour.