Both Nate and Barber have recently blogged about the parental frustrations of bedtime and/or sleep pattern problems with kids. As a (very tired) father of four I am all too familiar with these stories. I still battle it with my 9 and 12 year olds. Anyway, I wanted to link a column by Anne Lamott on this subject. I try and read it periodically as her perspective challenges my hard-ass tendencies and confirms the worldview I claim to hold but have trouble living out. Just something to chew on.

Stuff I'd like to do (or have)

1. Spend a weekend away with my wife.

2. Sing some jazz/standards like Sinatra or Connick. "the very thought of you...and I forget to do..."

3. Go back to Montana

4. Hang with Larry for a couple of days

5. Sleep for two days

6. Spray Dan down with a power washer

7. Drink beer on my back porch with any one or combination of the following: Nate, Dan, Roach, Darrell, or Larry

8. Epiphone Casino (Cherry w/white pick guard)

9. Fender Telecaster (natural w/ tortise or brown sunburst w/white)

8 and 9 are an either-or kinda thing

10. Taylor 12 string acoustic

11. Santa Cruz Vintage Jumbo

13. See a movie...in a theater

"...It isn't what she's got to say
Or how she thinks or where she's been
To me the words are nice the way they sound.
I like to hear them best that way
It doesn't much matter what they mean
She says them mostly just to calm me down

And I feel fine anytime she's around me now
She's around me now almost all the time
And if I'm well you can tell that she's been with me now
She's been with me now
Quite a long, long time - yes and I feel fine."

JT

Take a look at this great site about a classic drama. Here's an excerpt:

"…… Steve Austin. Astronaut. A man barely alive." Oscar Goldman gave them 6 million dollars to rebuild Steve. He called it "chump change." Oscar told them to make Steve "better, stronger and faster." He wasn't very specific but they did a good job anyways. Oscar was kind of screwed up. He wanted to call him the "Chump Change Man" and make him wear a cape. Instead, O.S.I settled on calling him "the Six Million Dollar Man." Instead of a cape, he wore jogging outfits. My Dad bought me a jogging outfit once. It was signed by Bruce Jenner. My Dad said I looked "sharp."

It was quite a weekend, musically. On Friday, Nate, Dan, Roach, and me got to play for Jesus and about 6 of His friends at a coffee shop downtown. It was fun to play together and to watch Ms.J, A2, and Wylie dance the night away. I was disappointed that Darrell never got his groove on.

Then Saturday and the BBQ. See the list in the previous post. Nuff said.

Then Sunday Morning. Back with the boyz again. I am not sure we have ever played better. Nate was hot, Dan was like butter, and Roach kept the train on the tracks. It was a great morning and a great weekend. Got got to do everything I like to do with the folks I most like to do it with. AND, I got to eat ribs and drink beer. God truly loves me.

The Cap'n's set list at the Saturday Night BBQ
1. Kingdom Come - Pierce Pettis
2. Steve’s Last Ramble - Steve Earle
3. Heart of Saturday Night - Tom Waits
4. Goodbye - Steve Earle
5. Pancho and Lefty - Townes Van Zandt
6. Sunday Morning Coming Down - Kris Kristofferson
8. Big City - Merle Haggard
9. Can’t Let Go - Rom Weeks (Lucinda Williams)
10. Satin Sheets (If I Was a Millionaire) - Willis Alan Ramsey
11. Tecumseh Valley - Townes Van Zandt
12. Desperados Waiting For a Train - Guy Clark
13. Copperhead Road - Steve Earle

Followed by an encore / singalong of about 20 minutes including the following John Denver songs
1. Country Roads
2. Grandma's Feather Bed
3. Back Home Again

We moved into our house about a year and a half ago. We built the house on five acres at the western border of Outer Ferndale. During construction, Kim and the kids went out to check on the week's progress. My son Alec, who was about 8 at the time, was walking the perimeter of the foundation with his soon to be neighbor and best buddy, Jake. Jake's dad is a homebuilder/contractor and Jake is quite savvy with all the builder's lingo. Kim overheard the following exchange:

Jake: So, how many square feet ya gonna have?
Alec: I don't know...but my Mom and Dad are gonna have to share a bedroom.