Triple The Dad

No, not to blogging; though you'd be excused for thinking that, based on my posting rate lately. Instead, I'm talking about saying goodbye to a long-time friend: our dog Duke. We had known the decision to put him down was coming. It was no surprise. At somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 years, he had already lived a longer life than was probably normal for a dog of his size and assorted minor health issues. Add to that the fact that his health slowly faded over the last year, and then took a nose dive over the summer. By the time August rolled around he was not doing well. We managed to make him a little peppier, and more comfortable, but there is only so much you can do for a 15-year-old dog with what I'll paraphrase the vet as describing as "either 1 big problem, or 10 little ones." I had honestly hoped I would just walk down one morning and he would be lifeless. As bad as that would suck, at least I wouldn't have to make the call. But no. Man in the ...

We were at the playground the other day when I saw the words on the right scrawled into the playset. I'm 37; I realize people die.  I realize my kids will grow up to learn and hear about all types of awful things and also live to be a relatively well adjusted 37 year old. But this play set is at an elementary school. An e lementary school . At a high school, sure, I can see that.  Believe it or not, 18 years is a long time and things happen during long times.   By graduation my class had lost 2 students that I can recall.  One to murder and one to health. But this was an elementary school. Its funny, because a few short days later the entire interwebs blew up about the inappropriateness of a dance Miley Cyrus did during what amounts to a celebration of inappropriateness. But people were asking how they could explain Miley to their kids, their daughters. Honestly?  If yours kid witnessed Miley's dance that night, her dance was probably about the 3...