Sugar Daddy Son

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is on strike. It's a stressful time when the money is as tight as it is right now. And there's Christmas and the attendant expenses looming just over the horizon. A submariner died in a fire last week, and out of respect for him, those of us in the Public Service who work for the Navy were exempt from the general strike action that was happening everywhere else across the country. The Lieutenant (N)'s service was held on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, I woke up to go to work, and like the stinkbucket he is, the Boy woke up too early and came downstairs to see me off. You can hear him upstairs as he gets out of bed and his footsteps carry along the upstairs hall. He then tries to sneak partway down the steps where his little face pokes slyly around the bannister. "Boo!" he says but his stealthy approach has failed and I'm already looking up at him. Then, oddly, he asks me:

Boy: Daddy, are you on strike today?

Me: No sweetheart. Not today.

I'm wondering how he's heard of this. The question takes me by surprise. More surprising is when I show up at work and, wouldn't you know, I'm on strike. I and two others in the office didn't get the phone call and we show up for work. There was no picket line at our entrance, so who knew? I was at work for over two hours before I found out why it was so quiet. I leave work and gets lots of chores done during my day without pay, and I go home to verbally fret about losing about $100 a day while the strike lasts. So today is Day One and at the time there's no word to say go back to work tomorrow - that'll be $200 dollars.

It's Thursday evening and I'm in the commode while a Boy is getting ready for bed, the day almost done. His little voice is heard outside the door.

Boy: Daddy, I have money. You can have my money for when you're on strike.

Everyone's A Critic

Today, Thanksgiving's Day, Boy and I went to the movies for the first time in quite a while. We went to see, Shark's Tale. On the way home, I asked him:

Me: What was your favourite part of the movie?
Boy: When I went to the bathroom. And getting popcorn.

And this is what Roger Ebert said. You decide whose review is better.

You Say It's Your Birthday?

Birthdays are big in a Boy's life. Not just his own. Anyone's will do. Today happens to be mine. When it's over, Boy will be keen to know who's next on the list. Cakes and decorations and cards and prizes. It's a delight for him.  He's asked me and Mamma on a couple of occassions how old I'm going to be on my birthday. Well, today it got here and I was serenaded on the phone with a duet of "Happy Birthday". When it was over, Mamma asked the Boy if he remembered how old Dada was:

Boy: It's either 41 or 61.

Trash Talkin'

The rain started to fall as we were making our last putts on the last hole. There were four of us in the group.: Me, the Boy, our friend Wade and Wade's brother. We left the course and sat around a table to enjoy our après-golf - a muffin and a (soft) drink. I mentioned that the Boy had beaten everyone on the first hole with a score of 4.

Me (to Boy):  You played really well today. You made a four on #1 and a four on #4. Good job. Hey! That's two weeks in a row you've made fours on 1 and 4.

Wade: Yeah and you beat me on #1. And last time I played with you you beat me on 1.

Boy: Well, come out next time and I'll beat you again!