Double Digits!

Daphne and Charlotte had their birthdays on August 18th. Charlotte turned ten which is hard to believe, and Daphne turned 29 which is even harder to believe.

We had hoped that we might be able to squeeze out a "city park party" for Charlotte's b-day. We'd meet at a shelter, have the kids play socially distant on the playground equipment, and eat pre-packaged treats. We knew that was a "no-sale" by the time we hit August and the numbers in Iowa were going up, not down.

Char had a great day, anyway. She used a "chalk rock" to tell the world that, "It's My Birthday!" (It kind of breaks my heart that she wrote that by herself, but she did it without telling us.)

The first thing Charlotte wanted to do was open gifts with her "Birthday Buddy" a.k.a. Mom. Grandma and Grandpa sent the cookies.

The b-day buddies' gift spread:

We were excited to watch Char open our present because we had an ace up our sleeve. Charlotte has been hinting, asking, and begging for a new phone. We keep telling her, "No, not until middle school. You don't need to call or text anyone right now." We kept our promise, and we got her a tablet instead. Char was over the moon.

"It's just like a phone, but it's soooo much bigger!" Daphne and I know nothing about current technology, so we had help from Rob. Thanks, man!

Char got to choose our lunch spot, and she picked Sonic. Or should I say, "SONIC!!" We discovered Sonic this summer, and it has been one of our go-to lunch spots. Since it's a drive-in, everyone is expected to eat in their cars. We all agree that the food is really good, and I can get tots instead of the fries that Char likes to dip into her slushy.

Charlotte also picked the movie for that night. She was sure mom would like it, too, and she was right. Can you guess the title from the DVD's menu?

Char's requested birthday dinner consisted of her favorite veggies and a peanut butter sandwich on Texas Toast bread. 

She didn't get have any friends over, she didn't get to go anywhere special, and she still told us what great birthday she had with her mom.

We're pretty lucky. Not only is Charlotte getting older and taller, she is also getting more mature.

Or... she just really liked her new tablet.

Sorry, Folks. The Theater is Closed.

They paved paradise 
And put up a parking lot - Joni Mitchell "Big Yellow Taxi"

In the garage, I feel safe
No one cares about my ways
In the garage, where I belong
No one hears me sing this songIn the garage - Weezer "In the Garage"

Sigh. The time had come. 

Daphne and I had already had three days of teacher in-service, and Charlotte's first day of fifth grade was only two days away. That would be our "first day of school" as well. None of us could afford to stay up late watching movies anymore. Our pandemic summer was over. 

It took less than an hour for our theater to turn back into a pumpkin our garage.

The garage door hadn't been opened since April 6. I took some pictures before I activated the button. I wanted to remember where we put everything. Our garage theater set-up keep evolving. 

The saw horse with extendable flaps made a great table. I eventually cut a piece of cardboard to size and set it on top to even out the surface. The bottom tray held the VCR and various cables.

My father-in-law gave me that red, roller seat. It worked well as a dinner tray and a foot stool.

For the image to be centered on the "screen," the DVD player would only fit on one side of the projector. The player faced away from me, and that made it hard to use the remote from the comfort of my folding chair.

I had a telescoping mirror in my toolbox, so I taped that to the freezer. It did a good job of reflecting the remote's signal to the player.



I forgot I picked up this folding picnic table last fall, and I slapped my forehead when I finally spotted it next to the freezer. Char liked using the table when we ate dinner and/or snacks during the films.

When she wasn't in her bungee chair, Char was on the carpet sharing the dog pillow with Ellie.

We kept the floor swept, and we picked up after ourselves every night, but I'm sure hanging out in a garage wouldn't appeal to everyone. I will say that when the lights went down, it was very easy to forget the stains on the concrete and the bikes hanging from the ceiling. 

The idea of the garage theater presented itself at a time when we needed something safe to look forward to each day. We are still living in scary times, but back in April the grocery stores shelves were empty and hand sanitizer was considered liquid gold. We couldn't go anywhere, but the movies would take us anywhere we wanted. Once we got the ball rolling, it was hard to stop. In all, Charlotte watched 78 films with us, and Daphne and I watched 36 more movies together. 

On a typical summer night, I would go to the basement and listen to music after Charlotte went to bed. Daphne would go to the living room to watch something British. Not this summer. This summer we watched Marvel's MCU together, Kill Bill 1 and 2, The Extended Lord of the Rings trilogy, four Indiana Jones films... 

It was nice to have the movies to talk about on our daily walks. When you spend months together at home, it is hard to have new conversations. Sometimes we wouldn't talk at all. We'd just walk in silence enjoying each other's company.

I also got some of my attention span back. Before covid season there is no way I could have watched Open Season 2 without my laptop open during the entire movie. Now I can watch a whole film without my phone near me. 

So, I felt a little depressed when I drove our cars into their assigned spots inside. I knew I was going to miss our evenings in the garage. Daphne tried to comfort me by saying we could put the theater together again at Christmas time. But when I think about it, I really hope we don't do that. 

By then I want to be too busy planning our lives outside of our house with a new vaccine and new, real places to explore. The theater helped when our lives were on pause. Now we're ready to hit play. 

Can't Mask My Excitement

Celebrating at Flix is our family tradition. We like the food, the movies, the special programing, and the staff. Our favorite employee brings Charlotte a lemonade as soon as he sees us, and it doesn't matter if we're in his section or not. I'm not a bar-guy, but I am very comfortable at Flix.

After doing her best at her piano recital, we took Charlotte to Flix Brewhouse to celebrate with a shake.

That was on March 7. We had no idea what was coming our way. 

Businesses were still open when spring break began the next weekend, but shopping started to feel sketchy. The people at the grocery store were beginning to look desperate. Their carts were overflowing. We had heard about toilet paper disappearing from store shelves, but that idea seemed ridiculous. On that Monday we ate at a disturbingly empty Tasty Tacos. 

It was almost noon, and the restaurant should have been packed. There wasn't even a line at the counter. Char didn't notice my unease, but I started to get a little freaked out. I think this was the moment when I started to think, This doesn't feel safe. I think being here is a mistake. 

We drove over to Flix after lunch to fill up a growler for me and then headed home. Flix, like most of Iowa, shuttered their doors the next day.

As the weeks ticked by, businesses began to tentatively open. We stayed away from most of them. We were getting by okay. What we couldn't get at Hy-Vee could be ordered from Amazon. 

If you checked the Flix website during the past five months, then this is what you'd see:

I also stopped by the mall in mid-July to check for signs of life. It was bleak. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't a locked fence. 

As I walked back to my car, I tried to figure out why I missed going to Flix so much. Flix isn't the only place in town where I can get a beer, a pizza, and some ice cream. More theaters are now offering food and drinks during their movies than ever. So what is it?

I decided that what I really missed about going to Flix is that it's a family event.

Charlotte has a blast when we take her to see a movie there. Char isn't hard to please, almost any movie will do, and it is so much fun watching her laugh at the screen or hide from it when the tension rises. Charlotte was tell us her favorite parts on the way home, and if it was a funny scene, she'll squeal with laughter as she tries to retell it.

Daphne and I don't have many date nights, and so when we do go to a movie together, it is always one we really want to see. We both order our favorites off the menu, and we know that we are in for a good time. I suppose that is a far cry from a "night on the town." But it works for us.

I think we have done a pretty good job of keeping Charlotte entertained during the pandemic summer, but it would be so nice to let someone else do the cooking, planing, and clean-up.

When other theaters began to open but Flix did not, I was beginning to get worried. But then this appeared on their Facebook page last week:

I put that in my Google Calendar and began counting down the days!

I'm not interested in seeing any of the movies that Flix is showing, but I'm all for supporting the business by picking up a crowler or five. 

And then, around noon on August 27, the Governor made a new proclamation. 

I get it. The Covid numbers have spiked in Iowa counties where students have been returning to four-year colleges. I have no idea how people thought college kids were going to keep a social distance from each other. 

But then again, are you serious? I waited 162 days to have the Flix Brewhouse close on the same day it re-opened? I figured I had at least an hour after work to briefly enjoy the atmosphere. I high-tailed over there as soon as I could.

Whew. They have Covid-19 protocols in place, but the place was open!

Turns out, I should not have been worried. Flix is considered a restaurant because they don't make more than 50% of their profit from alcohol sales. I can't be sure, but our favorite employee sure looks like he's smiling.

The photo booth isn't there right now, but I took a selfie in its place anyway. I am smiling. That's for sure.

I'm taking the family to Flix this week to get some diner to-go. The menu is limited, but something is better than nothing by a long shot. We're still nowhere close to being "normal," but I'll take what I can get.

How Did You Spend August 26? (National Dog Day)

We knew we could finally take off Ellie's cone on Wednesday. Yesterday just happened to also be National Dog Day. You are supposed to do something extra nice for your dog on this day, and this definitely fit the bill.

After Ellie's surgery, the vet told us to make sure Ellie didn't run or jump in order to preserve the staples in her belly. We warned Charlotte to play easy with her, but how were we supposed to keep a puppy from being a puppy and a girl from being a girl? We did our best to keep them both calm around each other, but it wasn't easy. 

Removing the cone was a relief for everyone. 

FYI: I hadn't heard the phrase "cone of shame" before Daphne and I watched the movie Up! in 2009, but it is still popular. When we took Ellie on walks through our neighborhood, I think everyone that waved from their lawns or driveways, or stoped to talk to us, made a reference to the "cone of shame." 

Here Comes 5th Grade!

Hermione Granger shirt  ✔
Deathly Hollows necklace ✔
Gryffindor tie ✔

Cat mask ✔

Looks like we're ready for the first day of 5th grade!

The Urbandale School District is in a "hybrid model" right now. Char will go to school on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and on every other Monday. Daphne and I teach everyday, and our class sizes are much smaller.

I have had students tell me today that they are relieved to be back, but I haven't heard much laughter in the hallways. I don't think it is because of the masks that everyone has to wear. This isn't the school year that anyone wanted.

But according to that wall behind her, Char grew more than a brick since last year:

And she will be standing in front of a middle school wall before I know it.

I am going to try to remember that when I'm having a bad mask-day. Although the dark days do drag on, time flies by, and eventually all things must pass.

Our Back-to-School Supplies...

are a little different this year.

Step Up: a Bicycle Tip

Years ago I spotted some vintage bicycles parked out in front of the Irwin's Bike Shop in Johnston. There was a 70's campus green Schwinn Varsity 10-speed for sale for $49.99. The some-what snotty sale tag suggested it might be good for lawn art. I liked the bike, so I bought it anyway.

It looked like this one:

I hosed it off and filled the tires with air once I got it home. I lowered the bike seat so I could get on easily, and took it out on its maiden voyage around the neighborhood. 

I hated it. It wasn't long before my thighs were burning up and my back was throbbing. What was wrong? Riding bikes used to be a lot of fun when I was kid. This sucked. Was I that far out of shape? I pedaled home in disappointment. 

I polished the chrome, waxed the frame, and scrubbed away all the grease, as is my nature. The Varsity sparkled in the sunlight, but rides up and down the street were still miserable. I eventually gave up and sold it on Craigslist. 

Later that year, the UHS library had this book in their discard box:

I didn't need Glen's New Complete Bicycle Manual, but I liked the cover, so I brought the book home. It sat on my book shelf for a year before I actually opened the cover. I was grilling low-and-slow in the back yard, and I brought the book out with me to kill time. 

Page 20 was an epiphany. I actually stood up and shook my head when I read these two captions: 

What? I thought you were supposed to be able to touch the ground when you were sitting on the seat? Nope. That's not the case at all:

No wonder I was so uncomfortable. I didn't know you were supposed to use the pedal as a step to get you up to the saddle. That was a game changer. I was making my legs work so much harder than they needed to. My knees were coming up well above the frame when I pedaled. It wasn't the Schwinn's fault. I was the one who didn't know how to fit the bicycle to my body. Dang.

I passed this information onto Daphne when she was shopping for her World bicycle. When Daphne took a test drive, the bike shop employee applauded the way she mounted the bicycle, "Nice. About one in fifty shoppers know how you do that right." 

I see more people biking as a safe way to exercise, and when I see someone struggling on a bike, I often notice that their saddle looks to be way too low. I want to yell, "Hey! Raise your seat. It will make riding so much easier!" But I don't. Yelling is rude.

Char took her bike out last spring when the weather turned warm. She had grown quite a bit over the winter, but Charlotte wouldn't let me raise seat for her, "Don't Dad, leave it the way it is." I think she was afraid she would lose her balance sitting on a higher seat. I watched her ride down the side walk with her knees almost hitting her chin.

A few days later Char whizzed past our house while I was standing in the front yard. She flashed me a big smile and she yelled, "See. Dad? I can pedal just fine!"

What Charlotte didn't know was that I had been secretly raising her seat 1/4" after each ride. Dads are sneaky like that. 

We took a family bike ride this afternoon, and I noticed that my seat on the Rollfast was too low. I took my own advice, and the ride was much better later when I raised the seat post and the (handlebar) stem. 

The more I learn I find how little I really know - David Baerwald "Good Times"

A Day at the Park

I haven't blogged much during the past few months, and my writing chops are getting rusty. I wasn't being lazy, though; I just haven't had much to write about. 

Each day is basically the same:

We take Ellie out for a walk in the morning, and Daphne and I go for another walk while Ellie naps and Char watches YouTube on the computer. Lunch is either from a drive-thru or it's leftovers. Char plays with the other kids in the neighborhood in the afternoon while Daphne quilts, and I take a nap. Daphne usually meets me on the deck between 4 and 5, and then we make dinner. We have meat and cheese on Friday nights, Casey's pizza on Saturdays, and I usually grill on Sundays. We walk Ellie again after dinner, and then we watch a movie. Sometimes Char watches with us; sometimes she goes out to play again. 

There. I wrote my entire "How I Spent My Summer" essay in one paragraph. Of course there have been slight variations, but that really does sum up how we spent our time. 

In fact, we haven't traveled beyond the city limits since we brought Ellie home three months ago. That's sad. We needed to air ourselves out. We decided to surprise the girls with a trip to Pella, Iowa. Why Pella? There's a park there that Char really enjoyed playing at during last year's Tulip Time celebration, and there is also Jaarsma Bakery. Daphne and Char love that bakery, and it is in walking distance of two meat markets that I enjoy. So, we hit the road.

Ellie was a bit concerned when "Mom" and Char left to explore the bakery.

Cat Char arrived a few minutes later to calm her down.

Charlotte talked Daphne into buying her a fish cookie. The truth is that Char could care less about fish or the cookie. She just wants whatever shape has the most frosting. And Mentos. Char likes Mentos.

The park is impressive. There are so many things to climb on, around, under, and over.

Char and Ellie were raring to go.

I thought I'd be holding a leash the entire time, but Ellie was game to play, too.

Ellie wasn't very good on the balance beam.

We spent three hours at that park running around and playing follow the leader, tag, and hide and seek. We'd stopped for a snack break, and then with frosting on her cheek Char asked me, "Dad, can we play hide and seek some more?" I nodded, and she giggled, "This is so awesome!"

Daphne and Ellie got some bench time at the end of our visit.

We knew we'd pass by Prairie City on the way back, so we stopped by Goldie's Ice Cream Shoppe for a late lunch. We ordered in the drive-thru and ate outside.

Char had chicken strips, fries, and then vanilla ice cream. Hello, red and white checked paper! 

For my money, the only thing you need to order at Goldies' is the pork tenderloin sandwich. It won best breaded tenderloin a few years ago, and it is still great. Hello, tenderloin. I like your little bun-hat!

Daphne and I split the sandwich and cheese balls. I claimed the bonus fry as my own. 

We weren't home for more than three minutes before the doorbell rang. Soon, Char was off to the races with her friends, but our other little girl was pooped. 

I'll admit that I also took a nap. But not before I unpacked my fist full of dynamite beef sticks. 

We later decided that after going nowhere since mid-March we had set the bar so low that anything different was going to be fun. Char had such a blast that she asked if this was part of her birthday celebration. I said, "Nope. We just wanted to surprise you with a day at the park." 

Char beamed, "Well, I loved this day!"

That's more than we could have asked for.