I Hear The Secrets That You Keep

Getting ready late last night to go to bed. I checked on my sleeping beauties and nearly giggled them awake.

Le Freak, C'est Chic

The wiry boy that can't sit still looked at me as I desperately tried to get him to work on his assignment. He stared and blurted out in a Tourettes-like way, "You have a weird face!" A speck of his slick saliva from his stabbing mouth landed on my upper lip.

I looked at the clock and realized I still had half an hour before I could quietly slip my disfigured poisoned head out of the classroom.

Don't Need Reason, Don't Need Rhyme

As newlyweds, my wife and I lived in my in-laws guest house in Sedona, Arizona. My beautiful bride was finishing up her teaching degree while I worked about 45 minutes away at my firs "real" benefit-provided professional job.

I owned an ancient Honda Civic station wagon that had been a trusty friend throughout my college days. I was reminded about the vehicle recently when my kids began screaming for music to be turned on the car stereo the moment we buckled our safety belts.

"I once had a car that had no radio in it." I lectured. They sat puzzled. Dumbfounded and I believe a little confused as to what the hell that had to do with playing the Sponge Bob Square Pants movie soundtrack they desperately craved. My statement stopped their fingernails-on-the-chalkboard shrieks just long enough for me to clarify myself. It appeared they thought that Daddy was completely going insane. "So I would go everywhere in silence, without anything to listen too." I emphasized.

I think I heard crickets.

"That means that you can live without a song, or noise in the car once and awhile." I continued to ramble since I was given the crazy-guy space they felt I needed at the time.

Then the silence ceased. Anguished heart-broken cries of injustice wailed.

In the winter months, I would leave for work in the dark and return in the dark. It could of been depressing, but I was living the dream man. Later that year, as the aspen buds began to bloom, I noticed one afternoon an oncoming brown Isuzu Trooper approaching ahead. The headlights flashed a couple of times. I thought there was an accident ahead. I lifted my foot off of the accelerator, and stared at the driver of the approaching Trooper. I don't know what I was expecting, but as we passed each other, a woman with long, straight brown hair lifted her arm and waved vigorously at me with a beaming smile on her face.

I was completely shocked. Talk about a random act of kindness. It made my day, although I had forgotten all about it by the time I pulled into our driveway.

Not long afterwards I saw the same Isuzu Trooper flashing it's lights at me as I was going to work in the morning. The straight, long, brown-haired waiving and smiling woman passed me again. This time I had a better idea of what was happening, so I jerkily lifted one hand off of the steering wheel in a classic Chief Cigar wooden statue manner.

This was the start of our game. From there on out it was something to do on the road between here and there. As long as I was on schedule, we usually saw each other and spread a little happiness along Highway 89A.

It was something special, but I never thought about sharing it with anyone. Actually, I never really thought about it until one afternoon recently, I saw the woman coming into town. The same Isuzu Trooper. The same long brown hair. I just about flipped out of the driver seat waving. Then I realized, she did not know who I was because I was no longer in my Honda station wagon.

Then I had to explain to my wife, who sat in the passenger seat next to me, the commuter affair I had years ago.

Brass Monkey

Our friends told me this one. Their daughter, lets call her "Darlene", just turned six. She is my oldest daughter's best friend, "In the whole wide world!" (exaggerated high-pitch voice needed to accompany to get the full effect).

It was getting close to her birthday, and the family was singing the version of "Happy Birthday" that I enjoyed most at that age.

"...You look like a mon-key...... And smell like one too!"

They had a bout of laughter before "Darlene" who is very shy and hates to be laughed at, pulled her father to the side and asked in an elf-like whisper, "Daddy, what is a 'one too'?"

Like A Surgeon

Emma and Abbie were having a discussion following her Kindergarten teacher's recent surgery that kept her out of the classroom the end of December. Emma wanted to know why she wasn't attending.

"Well, you know, she was probably sore after the surgery, so that is why she wasn't in your class." Abbie said.

"How do you know?" Emma interrogated like a cynical teen.

"I had surgery when you and your sister were born. So I know how sore you are after having an operation." Abbie reminded the vigorous 6 year old mind.

Emma thought in her casual, silent way she always does before she added to the conversation.

"And Daddy had that surgery on his leg so you and him can't have any more babies?" she added with a nod of complete understanding.

Nor Does The Wind, Nor The Sun, Nor The Rain

It has been three years and a handful of hours since my brother died.
Metaphorically I have decided that he is my martyr, for I am still striving to be a better person.
Ironically, I have less good intentions than before his death.
And Honestly, I recognize that I need them more than ever.

Cheers Hermano.

Rudolph The **fill-in color here** Nosed Reindeer

Discovered this holiday classic in Emma's school work from last week.

All I Want For Christmas

The girls got their chance to meet Santa Clause last week at the Flagstaff Mall. Emma is a veteran on the ritual, but everything was new again for her three year old sister. Neither were afraid or expressed nervousness when it became their turn to sit on his lap. We snapped our photos, as each girl gave St Nick a single item they had been wanting from him. The big man in red would then sweetly whisper this in their ear, "I have what you want."

He gave each of them a little treat and waved goodbye to all of us.

Ellie held back, puzzled. She kept searching her surroundings as we approached the glass doors to exit the mall. Glancing between all of us, she would turn around and stare back at the plastic North Pole decor, heavy in search for a clue. She finally stopped and demanded an answer before we left the building.

"He did not give me my castle."

Abbie consoled her, "Well, he knows what you want and he might give it to you on Christmas. You have to wait for Christmas."

The youngster quickly replied, "Yes, but he said that he had it."

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Driving with my six-year old in the back seat, Christmas carols are playing over the automobile's speakers.

"I really can't stay."
"Baby it's cold outside."
"I've got to go away"
"Baby it's cold outside..."

Emma stares out the window as the song continues...

"I simply must go"
"Baby, it's cold outside..."

I see her head tilt like a parakeet, as if allowing the words to fall into her ear more efficiently...

"I've got to go home"
"Oh, baby, you'll freeze out there..."

Finally, she shares with me her deep concern,
"Daddy, why doesn't she just get in her car and go?"

Six In The Morning

Ellie had been working us for a couple of weeks. She would visit us bedside about an hour before our alarm clock would start our day. To avoid her from preventing our slumber, Abbie let her join us in bed until we got up. Before we knew it, Ellie began joining us earlier and earlier.

In order to nip this practice in the bud, we decided that she would not be allowed to sleep with us at all. The night of our decision, she came in around 2 a.m. Abbie denied her access and sent her back to bed. "You are not going to sleep with us," she told Ellie.

Around 3 a.m. Ellie shuffled into our room, whispering to herself loudly, "I want to get into bed." She then stopped, and swiveled her dwarfish body around, and began staggering back out of the room as she reminded herself, "I can't sleep in there."

She then stopped a second time, paused, and returned to our bed. "I can't get in bed. I can't get in bed. I can't sleep in there," she convinced herself in a reminding whisper. She then converted her voice to a normal tone and asked my wife, "Can you tuck me in?"

Abbie, half awake and laughing agreed, and they swaggered back to her room.