My father, my son

One of the things I frequently say about my son is that he has never met a stranger. He, like most kids, just shines when he's around new people. Peakapoo, waving, smiling, raspberries blown to stewardesses or Singapore security.

Like his curly hair, tendancies to pick up colds and inability to stand still in airports, I wonder how much of this is from me. And yet I see it even more so in my father.

Dad will talk to anybody. I learned about how to catch crawdads in the Current river because of overhearing him talk to...anyone. It's a very Donald Miller sort of thing. Why thinkwe can only learn from books or in classrooms? It used to bother me but I've learned that the worst people will do is pretend to read or ignore you. I wonder what Dad learned in his years of simply talking to people he didn't yet know.

So much can be picked up by zooming in on someone who might just know something you don't. We found a hotel room here simply because Amanda noticed a westerner reading Blue Like Jazz. The city was booked but we followed this expat to where she was staying and it was amazing! We could see Malaysia from the rooftop pool. We walked the beach and at Jacob's Cafe. We slept. It was great.

Now I'm off to see if I can find a particular stranger on this plane who is going to the same place we are and might know the friends we're staying with. Lisa? Are you out there???

Back to school

After some paperwork, persuasion and a lot of prayer, I managed to get the OK to finish one of my degrees. This means Amanda, @ and I will be moving to Mattoon for a short while at least.

We leave for Asia tomorrow morning to scout for jobs (for after the schooling).

Keeps us in your thoughts.

All until July...probably

Leaving tomorrow for Colorado, then on to Asia until mid July.

Some things:

I love eating with chopsticks. I own four sets of them from Pier One and keep a disposable pair in my backpack. Anything involving rice is fair game.

My wife has me eating and enjoying food I would, as a kid, have tried to hide under a napkin or tried swallowing whole with a gulp of milk.

I am seriously considering moving to a place where I won't need to own socks.

I sometimes don't want to sleep for fear of dreaming of Africa too loudly.

I have officially started wearing my American (read: fat) wedding band.

I drink hot tea (not coffee) every morning from one of two cups, both have roosters on them.

I am a charter member of an organization I have never participated in or can even pronounce the name of correctly when I say it quickly. Illinois Philological Association.

I used to tell lies. Now I tell stories.

I have never lived in the same house longer than seven years.

My wife looks great in button down dress shirts.

I watch the same movie more than once only when I have to.

What's on my bookshelf is more important to me than what is in the fridge.

I don't have any of my t-shirts from college. I still have a tie or two from highschool.

I am over a hundred pounds lighter than Shaq. My junior high free throw percentage is slightly better than his is currently.

I do not remember my highschool locker combination but I do remember my phone number from when I was six.

When I think of childhood, I think of the farm and the hours I spent in the pasture and barn thinking of brilliant things I would one day do but haven't (mostly because only superheroes can do them) .

My son is charismatic and caring. Only sometimes is he trouble.

I spend a lot of my day thinking.

A slight twist???

Amanda, @ and I were planning on moving from Indy sometime near the end of August but may not need to if the friends who were going to use the house choose to take a Residency during the fall semester. As much as I would love to be closer to our Illinois friends, it would be nice to stay put until we permanently move overseas.

We leave Saturday for what will be something like a 20,000 mile trip. In the course of 3 weeks we will go to Colorado and Asia.

Mmmm...frequent flier miles.

Toddler CSI

Odd event this morning. Walked into @'s room after hearing the normal sounds of him talking to his stuffed animals, shaking the rails of his crib and greeting the day. When the lights came up, Amanda and I noticed blood on his face. Not graphic, "jump into the car, we're going to the emergency room" amounts of blood but any amount on a 20 month old is too much.

As Amanda begins cleaning the otherwise contented baby we begin looking for clues. Blood on his face, head and hands. We look to see the cause (his nose) and check him for other wounds (none). I begin to examine the splatter pattern on the bed, taking note of the small amount located in one corner, the dried fingerprints nearby. No signs of foul play, no signs of undue trauma. Time of accident - recent. Cause of accident...hey it's a bloody nose. No big deal.

Given his cold and prior iron problems, we decided on a quick trip to the doctor. No problem. He's fine.

Ah, the joys of fatherhood.