Stories for Dads and Moms who Need a Laugh

"Beat the drum and hold the phone. The sun came out today. We're born again, there's new grass on the field." - John Fogerty, "Centerfield"   "Um... No, that's okay." - The Boy A backyard just perfect for a game. Note the chair that would be handy for the strike zone. Summer Vacation means a lot of things to a lot of people. For me as a child, it meant being able to stay up late so I could watch the Red Sox game on television. In the morning I got the behind the scenes information from the morning paper and made sure the division rivals lost so the Red Sox would be able to pick up a game on everyone. After I had finished my research for the morning, I went outside to meet my friends and play baseball. Baseball was what we did in the summer and on the weekends during the spring. My father would pitch in games where I played against my brother. Games would be played in the driveway. I asked my father if he would park the car in front of the dr

We recently finished our road trip into the Midwest. We saw a lot of great things and ate a lot of great food. After returning home, emptying our bags, and contributing to the never-ending pile of laundry, it was time for me and Slugger to pack our bags again and get back on the road. Slugger had signed up for Job Corps, an alternative education program. This program would allow students to earn a G.E.D. and learn a trade. Job Corps has locations all over the country, including New England. When Slugger and I went to sign up for the program, we knew we could find a location that would be relatively close to us. The campus for Slugger was going to be in Vergennes, Vermont. Population: 2,559. The smallest town in the Green Mountain State. Making Preparations for Vermont Unfortunately, this would not be a project tackled by me and Wife, as she needs to go to work. The task  A slice of life in Vergennes. of keeping a child alive overnight through multiple states fell squarely on my shou

 Chicago. The Windy City. The setting of "Chicago Fire", "The Fugitive", "The Blues Brothers", and the ultimate destination of our road trip. A view of Chicago from Lake Michigan. We pulled into the Windy City and checked into our hotel. We dropped our bags and then we dropped down on our beds. It had been a long trip from Massachusetts to New York to Ohio and into the Land of Lincoln. Wife and I couldn't wait to see what Chicago had in store for us. It's a city she had always wanted to visit. Our first experience was at a gas station. There was a little bit of sticker shock when we filled our gas tank. Gas prices are tough wherever you go, but we weren't expecting it to be this tough. We were too tired to give the price at the pump too much thought, though. It was 9:00 and it had been another day on the road. The Boy wanted to see the pool and make sure it passed muster. While checking in, he and The Oppressed went to check things out. It l