Jason's Untimely Thoughts

Adelaide’s birthday was yesterday — she turned 10.  Every parent everywhere says it, but it’s hard to believe how quickly those 10 years have gone.  She had some friends over for a sleepover this weekend, we’ll be going to dinner with family tonight, having another gathering on Saturday, and she had flowers delivered to her at school and at home.  In all a good birthday, I think.  But at bedtime she said “I wish mom was here to tell me happy birthday.”

Tears, then and now.

I generally don’t let the kids say “that’s not fair.”  Even if it’s not, learning to get through the unfairness is part of life, and too often there’s nothing you can do to even the playing field.  However, it’s simply not fair that Adelaide and Jack lost their mom.  It still sucks, and I don’t want them to think otherwise.

All that said, things are going pretty well.  Kim has taken to the family, and us to her, and the same with Brandon.  In all, everyone gets along great and we are chugging along.  We’ve been married almost 5 months, and in a good way, it seems like a lot longer than that.  It’s a happy, busy time.

It’s also a weird time.  We’re all living multiple lives, while we figure out how the new life works.  The kids all have new siblings, or in Brandon’s case multiple new siblings in separate houses in separate cities.  Kim’s adjusting, I’m sure, to having two new kids depending on her as well as my idiosyncrasies.   And a lack of closet space.

As for me, I’m still married to Sarah.  Her family is still my family.  All the goods and bads that come their way also come my way.  Obviously, though, I’m also lucky enough to be married to Kim.  Through circumstances and good nature, Kim understands much of what I’m dealing with intuitively, and has made considerable effort effortlessly to respect and honor my first marriage and that family as well.  I appreciate it.

But the hard part to reconcile, as good as everything is with Kim, I too wish Sarah was here to tell Adelaide happy birthday.  And there’s no way to say/type/think that sentence, without feeling guilty or wondering if I’m hurting Kim’s feelings.  And then, obviously, if I don’t say/think/type that sentence, it’s being disrespectful to Sarah. And on and on and on.

It’s a weird place, to be living in two worlds.  It would possibly be better if one of those worlds had a job, I suppose.  Soon enough.

Late in the week greetings, Tiger Fans,

This week Mizzou hosts the Sun Devils from Arizona State University, kick off is at 6:00 pm.  We’ll be tailgating by 2:00, after another U10 girls soccer game at Noon (go Qatar).  Mexican is the fare this weekend, with the group combining to bring makings for tacos and burritos.  Really, it’s like Taco Bell, we’ll have the stuff there, you assemble it in any combination you like and call it what you will.

Arizona State beat the Tigers last year in overtime, so it’s REVENGE! again this week.  They fired their coach and hired some new guy that evidently believes in playing two quarterbacks and a locker room that smells like theirs in Arizona.  Seriously, I’ve seen more articles this week about him bringing special locker room air fresheners so his team is comfortable than I have about the game.  I haven’t read any of those articles though, because really, headline writers, trying to reel me in with some clever quip about locker room odors isn’t happening.  I’ve been in locker rooms.  They stink.  Like a mythical shoe-wearing bird stinks. Especially, maybe, one that had more Rice than it could handle and explodes might stink. (*Note:  Those birds don’t really eat Rice, because those birds are fake.  They don’t exist.  Secondly, I heard several versions of that joke this week, so I give credit to the interwebs.)

Go Tigers, Win.

Football season starts for real on Saturday, as the Tigers host the Georgia Bulldogs at 6:45 p.m. After attending the 10U Girls soccer game in the morning (go Qatar!) we’ll be at the tailgate around noon or so. Kyle George (Kim’s brother) is frying fish and ShutUpBulldogs (hush puppies). Others are bringing cole slaw, candied pecans, peach cobbler, little smokies, peanuts, pork, and grits. And other stuff, I’m sure. Bring what you will, as you like.

It’s extremely weird not to hate all the teams we’re playing this year. Except Southeast Louisiana of course, who has a Lion for a mascot? Seriously, stupid Lions. I’m sure the hatred will come for the SEC in time. For now, though, finally, revenge! for Georgia’s 14-0 victory over the Tigers in the 1960 Orange Bowl. REVENGE!

The only reasonably current things I really know about Georgia are two kids from Columbia played football there recently, Mizzou interviewed their head coach (Richt) but hired Coach Pinkel instead, I like their uniforms, and they’re in the SEC so there’s no way Mizzou’s tricky spread offense and tiny players on defense can possibly compete. And that their mascot bulldogs are all raised by a weird attorney family in Georgia. I assume some of their fans also walk fake dogs around the park and keep flies attached to strings (read this book if you haven’t).

Go Tigers, beat the Bulldogs, and screw ku.