Tales
From The Dadside
Entries from November 1, 2007 - December 1, 2007
Horsepower Sucks
Marcus: Dad, can you get a smaller engine for your truck?
Me: What?? Why would I ever want to do that?
Marcus: ‘Cause when you go in the morning your engine wakes me up, and I get sad that you’re leaving.
Ugh. I think that’s the best argument for going green I will ever hear.
Gratitude Long Overdue
In my short time as a blogger, one thing that has simply blown me away is the fact that people whom I have never met stop by regularly to enjoy the stories that I write. What started out as a diversion to kill time during my 4 hours a day on the Los Angeles Metro System has evolved into an endeavor that matters. It matters if I go a few days without posting an entry. It matters when people leave a kind word or forward my tales to others. It matters when the latest Fury antic makes someone LOL 2,000 miles away. I knew it mattered when I discovered that I had 14 subscribers two weeks after launching my blog and I told d wife in jubilation “I don’t even know 14 parents!” For someone who gets excited over 14 RSS feeds, you know how much it means to me when the folks who visit my blog give me a pat on the back. I’d like to take this opportunity to say a long overdue thank you to a few bloggers who have given me awards in the past month (my first ones ever!).
The Thanksgiving Road Trip. Fast Food, Slow Cars and an Extreme Makeover.
A photo essay of our 9-hour Thanksgiving trek from Los Angeles to Santa Rosa (all the way up in wine country) to spend quality time with relatives, enjoy ungodly amounts of food and grant a needy family of turtles the home of their dreams.
BusyDad
in Stories and Adventures, Photo Posts
|
21 Comments
| 
Email
Beware the Prophecy
Don’t mess around with fate. It’s a powerful thing -- especially when driven by a five-year-old on a mission. I may be the head honcho around these parts, but destiny and Bionicle make for a formidable opponent.
Living Dangerously at the BusyDad Household
The annual “10 Worst Toys List” was released yesterday. Number 1 on this list? The Go Diego Go Rescue Boat, one of this year's high-profile lead paint recall items.
I had to break it to the boy...
Me: Well Fury, looks like we need to return that boat to Toys R Us.
Marcus: Why?
Me: It has lead paint on it. If you lick it, you will die.
Marcus: Oh... What about Diego? Can I lick Diego?
Me: Um... No. No, you can’t lick Diego. Even if Diego were painted with certified organic soy-based paint...
Marcus: What’s certified organic—
Me: Oh hey! Let’s build something!
Eat Lead, SUCKA!
The XXX Meme
Sorry to get you excited. Nothing racy going on in here. I’ve just been tagged three times by three bloggers with this meme, so before I get tagged a fourth time, I thought I’d get this one out of the way. Four X’s just isn’t as eye-catching. Read on if you want to know seven random things about BusyDad (I’m already referring to myself in the third person? Ok, I’m getting too big for my britches).
You Better Stay Busy, Dad
I like my job. My boss is cool, the work is fun, and I am compensated fairly. I also love my night job, as playtime associate for the Lin household. I love my boss there too, but boy oh boy, do NOT let him catch you slacking during your shift!
Darwin Would be Proud
Marcus: Dad?
Me: Yeah?
Marcus: Why are you socdej?
Me: Huh? What’s sock dedge?
Marcus: Why are you sojek?
Me: Come again? So jacked?
Marcus: Why. Are. You. SHOJEF!
Me: What??
Wife: He’s asking, WHY ARE YOU SO DEAF?
… because, dear family, the human body has the ability to adapt to its surroundings to survive in its environment.
What's in a (Middle) Name Meme
Warning: Meme ahead. This isn't MySpace, so I won't rail you into reading this. But if you want to learn random things about me that start with various letters, come on in! And for you MySpace fans, I've even included my superhero match and celebrity look-alike! Oh the suspense! Click now! Now! Now!
La Revolucion will be showing at 6:25
It’s illegal to yell “Fire!” in a movie theater, but what about inciting a popular uprising? I guess that’s ok, because Amnesty International hasn’t added Marcus “Fury” Lin to their roster of political prisoners to campaign for. But I’m afraid this episode only inched my son another step closer toward a coveted spot on the CIA watch list for future political rabble rousers.
Total Recall
Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls Toys. All of Them.
WASHINGTON , Nov. 1 – Following the recent increase in toy and children’s product recalls stemming from lead-based paint, choking hazards and “those damn Chinese,” the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued today a recall of every toy ever made.
“We figured parents have better things to do with their day than to catalog every toy in the playroom and perform a match query against all the serial numbers we provide,” the agency said. “By simply recalling every toy ever made, we’re sending a message to parents that we care about their children’s safety, but recognize that they need to make dinner.”
This “clean slate” recall is being touted by industry analysts as a move in the right direction. Similar strategies are being considered for the furniture and pharmaceutical industries to protect consumers from their growing tendency to not read instructions.
To help parents and their children adjust to the impact of this latest recall, the agency recommends playing outside. “So far, our research has indicated that carbon based life forms, such as insects, pets and friends do not pose any significant health risks.”
This recall does not come without controversy. Lobbying groups are already ramping up efforts to organize a concerted anti-recall campaign.
“I’ve got thousands of elves on my payroll with highly specialized skills. It’s not like they can just pick up and do tech support,” argues a visibly frustrated Mr. Claus, co-chairman of the North Pole Council on Commerce & Industry. “What ... they gotta raise hamsters now? You and I both know that rodents don’t travel well in sacks, nor do they do so well in the cold. The last thing I need is [expletive] PETA on my ass.”
(For real news on the latest recalls concerning all things parental, check out FreshDad – he sifts through all that junk and wraps it up nicely for us, minus the pretty bow. Meta-Dad also jumps into the recall/alert fray from time to time.)