Growing up I can remember my mom trying to explain to my brothers and I that we had an especially fantastic father. Being a sincere kid, I can remember trying to take that information to heart. I knew I shouldn't take Dad for granted, but I didn't really understand. Dad was Dad. Isn't this how dads are?
I didn't know that most kids didn't have dads that went to work before 5 am every day of his adult life so that he could be home by the time we got out of school. I didn't know that most dads didn't go outside to play with their kids every day -- even after working a physically demanding job. It didn't occur to me until later in life that Dad was the only coach I had for any sport until I was in junior high. He was the only baseball coach I had until high school (and, frankly, my dad deserves most of the credit for my high school team being one of the best in the state). I didn't realize it was abnormal for a dad to spend so much time with his kids. Once I was in high school and Dad wasn't my coach anymore, he attended everything I ever participated in. I didn't know other kids' dads didn't do that.
We hear about study after study after study telling us how hard it is for kids who grow up without good father figures. My brothers and I don't suffer from those hardships.
I don't know if I've ever given my dad a gift (t-shirt, mug, etc.) with "World's Greatest Dad" written on it somewhere, but in this case, that statement would be no exaggeration. Thanks, Dad.
Happy Father's Day.
Showing posts with label Dad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dad. Show all posts
June 18, 2011
May 30, 2011
Future Me: About coupons
Dear Future Jake,
Is your wife still a couponer? Let me remind you of the funny story that started all this. You'll enjoy it—it's about dad.
A couple of months ago this new show started airing on TV called Extreme Couponing. This show documents people around the country who spend hours and hours collecting coupons and analyzing prices at different grocery stores. It's ridiculous. I watched a woman today who rang up almost $2,000 in groceries, and then handed over her coupons. She paid $44. Pretty cool, right? Well, the downside to these "extremists" is that to be that kind of couponer, you have to stock up on food. BIGtime. They all have guest bedrooms and garages overflowing with 75 bottles of ketchup and 150 years' worth of deodorant. It's quite silly, really.
Well, after seeing this show, dad kicked it into gear. As you well know, he's always been a "coupon-clipper,"* but after seeing this show, he got much more serious about it. According to mom and Jaron, he went online and signed up for numerous offers to receive coupons by e-mail (poor mom—she has to wade through all the spam now). He also called up every store within a 30-mile radius to find out if they double their coupons. Fortunately, after his knee-jerk reaction, mom got him hooked up with a couple valuable websites about couponing and saving for normal people.
Dad's response to the Extreme Coupining show had a kind of trickle-down effect. Your lovely wife thought it would be fun to buy a Sunday paper and see what this was all about. You both discovered that there really is a lot of money to be saved with a little bit of work and a paper full of coupons. So a week ago, you subscribed to the Sunday paper. Now, skype calls with mom and dad regularly include a few minutes of coupon-collecting conversation with dad. It's really pretty funny.
So, I was just wondering if you two have continued to "coupon" over the years, and if it's still saving you money. We're pretty early in the process right now, and I'm curious as to whether this'll last. I just hope you haven't turned into someone who might be on that TV show. They're a little bit cuckoo.
Jake (2011 version)
*Here's a story that illustrates dad's life-long couponing habits. You remember, don't you? Once when dad was at the store he went to buy a food item for which he had a coupon. When he found the item, he discovered that it was on sale for the amount of the coupon, and it said, "No Coupon Needed." Dad wouldn't buy the item because, in his own words, "I didn't feel like I was getting a deal." Goof ball.
Is your wife still a couponer? Let me remind you of the funny story that started all this. You'll enjoy it—it's about dad.
A couple of months ago this new show started airing on TV called Extreme Couponing. This show documents people around the country who spend hours and hours collecting coupons and analyzing prices at different grocery stores. It's ridiculous. I watched a woman today who rang up almost $2,000 in groceries, and then handed over her coupons. She paid $44. Pretty cool, right? Well, the downside to these "extremists" is that to be that kind of couponer, you have to stock up on food. BIGtime. They all have guest bedrooms and garages overflowing with 75 bottles of ketchup and 150 years' worth of deodorant. It's quite silly, really.
Well, after seeing this show, dad kicked it into gear. As you well know, he's always been a "coupon-clipper,"* but after seeing this show, he got much more serious about it. According to mom and Jaron, he went online and signed up for numerous offers to receive coupons by e-mail (poor mom—she has to wade through all the spam now). He also called up every store within a 30-mile radius to find out if they double their coupons. Fortunately, after his knee-jerk reaction, mom got him hooked up with a couple valuable websites about couponing and saving for normal people.
Dad's response to the Extreme Coupining show had a kind of trickle-down effect. Your lovely wife thought it would be fun to buy a Sunday paper and see what this was all about. You both discovered that there really is a lot of money to be saved with a little bit of work and a paper full of coupons. So a week ago, you subscribed to the Sunday paper. Now, skype calls with mom and dad regularly include a few minutes of coupon-collecting conversation with dad. It's really pretty funny.
So, I was just wondering if you two have continued to "coupon" over the years, and if it's still saving you money. We're pretty early in the process right now, and I'm curious as to whether this'll last. I just hope you haven't turned into someone who might be on that TV show. They're a little bit cuckoo.
Jake (2011 version)
*Here's a story that illustrates dad's life-long couponing habits. You remember, don't you? Once when dad was at the store he went to buy a food item for which he had a coupon. When he found the item, he discovered that it was on sale for the amount of the coupon, and it said, "No Coupon Needed." Dad wouldn't buy the item because, in his own words, "I didn't feel like I was getting a deal." Goof ball.
June 16, 2010
Coaching
I love baseball. I love watching it, I love playing it, and I'm sure with a little more time and experience, I'll love coaching it.
Right now the "coaching it" part is kind of frustrating. I'm an assistant coach of a 15-16 year old rec league team. Most of the kids on our team do NOT seem like they've played much baseball before. Some of them don't have a clue about the most basic rules (didn't realize I needed to teach some of them what it means to "tag up"). Also, we were allotted about 4 1-hour practices prior to the start of the season. And now that games have started, we no longer practice at all (so even though we see more things to work on each game, we have no time to actually work on them). Evidently, rec league baseball isn't a very serious affair around here.
It would also be easier if I were the head coach. My head coach is great (he's an assistant pastor at the church where I work). We get along fabulously, and I think he's doing a good job of trying to impart some baseball knowledge while not taking the thing too seriously. But being an assistant coach means I feel uncomfortable being very assertive about things. It would just be easier to be in a position where I could command the team a little more (and I'm not at all suggesting that I would make us any better... I'm just saying that for myself I would probably feel better about the job I'm doing if I were in charge).
My dad was the only baseball coach I had until high school, and he was very good at it. He also had a slight advantage though, in my opinion: He started coaching us at 5 years old and continued with pretty much the same group of kids for about ten years. He helped us from the ground up. When we were 15-16 we knew baseball because we'd grown up with it and had been coached well. Now I'm trying to coach 15-16 year olds who have the baseball experience and knowledge of probably 7-8 year olds (with a few exceptions, of course).
Anyway, my points here, to sum up, are: I love baseball. My current coaching gig is a little frustrating. My dad's a great coach, and I want to coach like him someday.
P.S. We've played one game. We lost 10-7. Found out that this level of ball is determined solely by the quality of the pitchers. We had a great pitcher for 4 innings, and we were winning. Then we put in a not-so-great pitcher, and we were suddenly down 10-2. Fortunately, they put in a not-so-great pitcher in the 7th inning and we scored five runs to make it moderately close. Interesting.
Right now the "coaching it" part is kind of frustrating. I'm an assistant coach of a 15-16 year old rec league team. Most of the kids on our team do NOT seem like they've played much baseball before. Some of them don't have a clue about the most basic rules (didn't realize I needed to teach some of them what it means to "tag up"). Also, we were allotted about 4 1-hour practices prior to the start of the season. And now that games have started, we no longer practice at all (so even though we see more things to work on each game, we have no time to actually work on them). Evidently, rec league baseball isn't a very serious affair around here.
It would also be easier if I were the head coach. My head coach is great (he's an assistant pastor at the church where I work). We get along fabulously, and I think he's doing a good job of trying to impart some baseball knowledge while not taking the thing too seriously. But being an assistant coach means I feel uncomfortable being very assertive about things. It would just be easier to be in a position where I could command the team a little more (and I'm not at all suggesting that I would make us any better... I'm just saying that for myself I would probably feel better about the job I'm doing if I were in charge).
My dad was the only baseball coach I had until high school, and he was very good at it. He also had a slight advantage though, in my opinion: He started coaching us at 5 years old and continued with pretty much the same group of kids for about ten years. He helped us from the ground up. When we were 15-16 we knew baseball because we'd grown up with it and had been coached well. Now I'm trying to coach 15-16 year olds who have the baseball experience and knowledge of probably 7-8 year olds (with a few exceptions, of course).
Anyway, my points here, to sum up, are: I love baseball. My current coaching gig is a little frustrating. My dad's a great coach, and I want to coach like him someday.
P.S. We've played one game. We lost 10-7. Found out that this level of ball is determined solely by the quality of the pitchers. We had a great pitcher for 4 innings, and we were winning. Then we put in a not-so-great pitcher, and we were suddenly down 10-2. Fortunately, they put in a not-so-great pitcher in the 7th inning and we scored five runs to make it moderately close. Interesting.
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