Tidy Husband

Eligible for the seniors discount and the Happy Meal deal at the same time.

  1. Getting Down and Dirty

    Today, we went digging in the dirt.

    of course she found the only puddle for miles.

    And I have to tell you, it was a lot of fun.

    We went to Penn Dixie Fossil Park

    Here’s what AI has to say about it:

    Penn Dixie Fossil Park in Hamburg is a great example of Western New York accidentally turning its industrial past into something pretty remarkable. The site was originally a quarry, where companies mined shale and limestone beginning decades ago to supply the nearby cement plant.

    In the 1950s, the quarry came under the Penn-Dixie Cement Company, which hauled the rock about a mile to its plant along Lake Erie and used it to make Portland cement. Quarrying ended by the early 1970s, leaving behind a seemingly barren pit—but that exposed rock turned out to contain an extraordinary record of a shallow sea that covered Western New York about 380 million years ago.

    After years of abandonment and illegal dumping, local residents and scientists fought to preserve the site, and the Town of Hamburg purchased it in the 1990s. Today, that old industrial quarry is Penn Dixie Fossil Park, where you can walk into an ancient Devonian seafloor and actually take home the fossils you find.

    We went early for a 10 am slot and stayed almost two hours, digging in the dirt.

    We picked a spot to dig and then we started to …well, dig. At first we didn’t do too well for some reason - she found a few but a few feet away other families were having much better luck than us, but that’s okay because Dad brought snacks so we drowned our sorrows in orange slices.

    We finally decided to move, and she found a little puddle about 2 feet wide that she decided that the fossils must have lived so she dug there. She dropped her hat, got both feet in the mud but had a great time so whatever. Today it was all about the water for her.

    It took me about ten minutes to get back on my feet. This is a young person’s game. There were a few seniors out there, and I am pretty sure they have been there since last week sometime.

    Then I mentioned we might go to McDonald’s for lunch because it’s a special treat with Dad mostly because rightfully so Mom doesn’t want to go and Mom had a meeting at home so we had to kill a bit of time. Besides, it was lunchtime and the toy was Hello Kitty meets Godzilla or something like that.

    Home, and a much needed shower for her and a nap for dear old Dad and that was our day!

    Oh, the roof: ALMOST DONE. We just need to have gutters installed sometime next week

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

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  2. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.

    Welcome to day two of “is the banging ever going to stop?”

    brown roof across blue sky

    Photo by Verstappen Photography on Unsplash

    The roof project continues. We are afraid to go outside and watched these two poor guys work 12 hour days wearing full black outfits with masks on in 80 degree heat. Weird, but they seem to be doing a good job so…whatever.

    The hard part was we were trapped inside for the morning at least - due to falling debris from the sky.

    The whining started about 11am: “I’m bored, I want to go ride my bike”.

    We told her that we can’t go outside because there are nails everywhere and bike riding in the driveway is unsafe.

    More whining.

    Sigh, fine. I will toss the bike in the car and we will go to the school to learn how to ride

    The entire episode did not go well.

    Today we learned that she can fall off and I go down too trying to not have her fall off. I learned that it’s hard to run sideways and grab a seat and handlebars at the same time. I have a scuffed elbow as a souvenir.

    But, she’s getting there. I would guess she rode by herself for about 40 feet or so before she realized that she was doing it and then instead of doing more of the thing that is working. She stops.

    There’s a park there - so in between all this bike riding fun1 she played in the park and eventually met a friend. They played and then they planned a surprise for me. The child tried to grab the hat from my head and while I was trying to get the hat back, the little friend threw dirt at me. OK, not fun - but not my kid, and the parent was around somewhere - so whatever.

    Then five minutes later, they come up again and this time the child wants to throw dirt at me. I told her that she should not throw dirt or else. She ignored me and threw the dirt and ran away.

    I put the bike back in the car, and went to sit down and waited until she came back around and then I introduced her to the “or else” of the day. I told her she was done and we were going home.

    Say hello to my friend: Consequences.

    First, whining and protesting happened.

    Then cue the screaming when she realized I meant business.

    She screamed in the car, she screamed on the front lawn while were were trying to navigate a minefield of roofing nails, and she screamed inside where I pulled the ultimate Dad move:

    “ Go to your Room”, I told her. More screaming, and then a little less, and a little less and then silence. BW and I had a conversation for the first time in a few days. It was nice.

    Eventually, she came out of the room as if nothing had happened, but I gave her the debrief: You do not throw anything at anybody unless you’re playing catch or something. No throwing, no hitting.

    Remember - Yes Dad = fun. Dirt Throwing = a long day for all.

    Oh, speaking of long days - the roof is done, but the eaves and gutters still need to happen. I didn’t get a chance to get a picture because I was dodging minefields all day of one kind or another.

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

    1

    I thought I was going to die. you try running beside a bike bent over trying to keep a moving human that has zero sense of balance upright.

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  3. International Travel

    Today is day - what - two of 18? of the child being home. That means we had to find something to do today.

    We went to Niagara Falls!

    It’s funny, we live 12 minutes away from the US side and until today we’ve never gone together. Meanwhile, people are travelling internationally to see it, and I have to tell you it’s quite impressive from both sides. But, if you want the full t-shirts and tourist stuff in addition to the better view on the Canadian side, here’s what you need to do:

    BRING YOUR PASSPORTS and GO TO THE CANADA SIDE

    So that’s what we did. We walked over the American side, looked over and decided all the fun was on the Canadian side….the walk over is where I took the photo above today.

    And then once we crossed over the border., I turned into the Dad of “NO”.

    I answered NO to requests for overpriced ferris wheel rides, dinosaur golf and a trip to the rainforest cafe. In short, Dad sucks.

    But, we did explore the parks on both sides, wandered in and browsed almost every t-shirt, candy or souvenir store in the country I think, and we only came out with a lemonade and some sour gummies.

    I offered ice cream, some candy from the store that only sold candy and numerous toys and trinkets at the souvenir store. I also said no to getting a cast made of your hand. A hollow one, at that - It wouldn’t make it to the car.

    This was just a day with Dad, and the walk and sights were being seen today and not all the touristy stuff.

    The highlight of her trip? A fountain on the corner that got her a little wet.But that wonder of the world that’s a block away that people come from all over the world to see?

    “Whatever”

    a few photos - proof we went :)

    Oh, the roof!

    It’s taking a little longer than we thought to get done, but I can share the progress to date:

    Stay tuned for more roof news tomorrow:

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

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  4. Rain Delay

    The plan was to share some photos of our new roof.

    aerial view of suburban neighborhood houses

    Photo by Breno Assis on Unsplash

    It didn’t happen.

    Igor the roofer sent me a text message at 6am that they were not coming and that tomorrow would be a better day.

    You don’t argue with a guy named Igor that knows how to use an air hammer, and carry a package of shingles up a ladder with greater ease than I have reaching for the remote.

    So…what then? Here’s today:

    1. She accompanied BW to the university and while Mommy was at work she watched shows, read books and ate “Big Honking Muffin”.
    2. She had to bring her doll, because you can’t go out without a doll in your arms.
    3. The bike riding: we’re getting closer folks. not yet, but closer.
    4. We went and investigated the new playground set they are installing at the park on the corner.
    5. She told me she was going outside for a bit, and I found her struggling to bring her bike home from the corner - turns out she had to show the neighbor her new wheels. I helped her drag it back because those pedals stick out when you walk beside it.
    6. We have a big honking dumpster in our driveway because we are ready for the roof.

    Bring it, Igor. Let’s do this.

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

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  5. The Breakfast Age

    I woke late today.

    top view of corn flakes in bowl with milk and silver spoon

    Photo by Nyana Stoica on Unsplash

    I may have heard the “Dad, get up”, but Dad wasn’t getting up today. Dad was tired.

    She figured it out all by herself.. She found a banana and a drink and was watching “shows” bundled up in a bright pink robe with hearts.

    Folks, we may have hit peak weekend morning. She’s too young to have 6am gymnastics class and too big to have to watch her every single minute of the day. And I’ve got tell you that sleeping in on a Sunday is awesome.

    Cleaning up the disaster that was my kitchen when I woke up was less fun but nobody said she would clean up after herself- that’s the next milestone to celebrate.

    In other news - we’re this close to her riding her bike all by herself. Hopefully a few more laps down the street and she will be biking on her own. The switch flipped for her today - it went from not wanting to at all - to the bike being the most fun ever and that’s the big change - the skill will come.

    Big day for us tomorrow: NEW ROOF DAY here. You should have seen the excitement at the front window when they came to drop off the dumpster in the driveway this evening. You would have thought it was Santa Claus.

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

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