Shoveling In Shorts

12/29/06

In a blatant sign of defiance to the gods of cold and snow, I decided to shovel my driveway and walk wearing boxer shorts and boots.

The snow kept falling, I cleared the driveway, and a neighbor, who was shoveling her walk dressed in full ski gear, shouted over to me that she was now disgusted by the snow, she had had enough. She couldn't see my bottom half due to the height of the snow barriers that separated us. Nonetheless, my wife came outside and told me to stop showing off, that I might die, and to get in, and put some clothes on. (I was also wearing 2 shirts, a baseball cap and gloves.)

I told her to chill out, I was not showing off, was not going to die, and that no one was checking me out.

I may have been wrong about the last claim.

A man and woman walked passed me in the street where they were able to see me in my entirety. The woman held a small dog beneath one arm, and they both carried to-go cups of coffee from You-Know-Whos. The woman was talking into a cell phone that she held in the hand of the same arm that cradled the dog.

"Nice weather!" the guy said smiling at me.

"Beautiful!" I replied.

"I'll have to come back with my camera to take your picture!" he waved.

Of course I never told my wife that I was about to become a calendar boy for the man down the alley. I love the gods' sense of humor.

Winter At The Denver Zoo With Dakota

12/28/06

My daughter Dakota and I went to the zoo today in the middle of a snow storm. It was her idea. We had a blast! We hid in a "termite hill", saw the arctic foxes run, and watched the polar bears frolic. We had cheeseburgers for lunch inside the warm Samburu Grille while a peacock watched us from the other side of the glass.

I counted only eight other people in the zoo during the hour and a half we were there. It felt as though we got a lot more personal attention from the animals, many of whom seemed surprised to see us there. The seals took absolutely no notice of us (even when we tried barking hello to them), but Rhama, the female Kimodo dragon, took interest in Dakota after she began talking in snake tongue to it a la Harry Potter. I bonded with a Queen Triggerfish that kept swimming straight at me - she had such beautiful eyes - I had an instant crush on her

In the giraffe house I made melodic, percussive sounds by taping my cheeks and popping my lips. The younger giraffes stopped eating and stared at me. Soon the elders did too. The giraffes appear to be very in touch with music: earlier in the summer I blew over the opening of an empty water bottle, creating a tubular whistle, and all the giraffes stopped what they were doing (eating) to check it out. The buffalos were the only other animals that seemed interested in the water bottle that day. I am guessing that the zoo animals get pretty accustomed to all the typical sounds humans make (talking, laughing and screaming), but that they do not get much chance to hear our more musical sounds. Next time I am going to bring a wooden flute along.

We headed over to the bird house but were intercepted by a zoo official in a golf cart who told us the zoo was closing early because of the storm. I gave him the, oh-really?-I-had-no-idea look. "You're the last ones in here. Come on. Time to go."

We really just wanted to know what the elephants do when it snows.

A Father's Pride

12/10/06

Something great happened to me today. The depth of emotion, bewilderment and pride, didn't register with me until the event was over.

Today my wife and I watched our 5 year old daughter Dakota perform in her first ballet recital on stage. Dakota had only one concern leading up to the show. Stage freight. I asked her what she was afraid of. She said she was afraid that the audience would boo if she made a mistake. I tried assuring her that everyone in the audience would be supportive.

Last night the issue came up again and as I looked into Dakota's eyes I knew that whatever I said next would shape the way she dealt with these challenges. I said, " Dakota, do you know what the most important thing to do is at your recital?" "What Daddy?" "It is to have F-U-N. Do you know what that spells - it spells fun!" And her eyes lit up and she smiled and we laughed.

She performed brilliantly, completely at ease. Afterwards she admitted that her only concern, while on stage, was that the large, blue bow in her hair didn't fall off.

Leaving the Newman Center parking lot it hit me. Dakota had just performed in the same venue that I had performed in! I immediately felt so proud. I had performed in the orchestra a few years back for Colorado Opera's production of Salome and Carmen. Dakota was only 2 at the time.

I explained to her that the stage she just danced on is as professional as it gets, the only thing that changes is the size of the audience. It was absolutely mind boggling to me, and yet it made complete sense. I only now recall how, as a small boy - 5 years old - I appeared on stage with my mother in a college play she was in. I played the role of a poor and hungary Russian boy. I don't remember having any lines, only that I sat on stage next to a drum set. I was transfixed by the deep and repetitive thumping of the bass drum.... A life of music is what followed for me. I wonder what will follow for my daughter.

Quotes Of The Week

"I remember my first psyllium husks!"
- customer at health food store to her friend.

"Money makes people stupid."
- oil man to a new aquaintence at coffee shop.

"Dad, who made God?"
- Dakota, my 5 year old daughter.