I would really like to say I was able to post this last night, February 21st, but I have had a headache these past few days that has gotten progressively worse, and last light I was in bed early.  My wife gets migraines, and I do NOT want to compare my headache with those.  Anyone who has been around people who get migraines know that there is a massive difference between the two.  But that does not make my headache insignificant, as it is to me.  And having it from Wednesday, and still till now, wears you down.

So I will post two today, this one for yesterday, and another later (hopefully not tomorrow) for today. And today I have decided to post a picture of a person Ben thinks is himself, but is actually Scotty around the same age or a little older.  Ben insists that it is him, but Ben has not played a day of baseball in his life.  Scotty however was a very good baseball player, and primarily a catcher.  And yes, for those of you who know anything about baseball catchers, this picture had to be taken PRE-game as catchers are always filthy.

This picture however is not quite enough retribution for their sister, who’s picture of her and her telescope has resulted in endless ribbing and the use of it as a background picture for the phones of some of the younger teammates on her college lacrosse team.  Oh don’t worry Steph, we will get there, but Amanda and I decided to not post any of the Scotty “fro” pictures until after the wedding and we have Kenzie as a daughter-in-law.  Up to then it just risks too much.

But this will do for now, both in terms of a picture and a post.  Ben still thinks it’s him, Steph will still think it is not enough, Scott still will be thankful, and I still have a headache.

See you all tonight!

Tommy+

Yes, let me begin with a sincere apology to our local “Greek’s Pizzaria” who in no way is connected with this post, nor should it be implied that it is.  In fact, I know the owner of it and he is quite a delightful guy, although we have not ever eaten there.  Tonight’s title is only to indicate DNA, and when I say “DNA,” I mean the geeky, nerdy, DNA that Ben has inherited from his mom.  The kid is meticulous.

But earlier in the week he decided he wanted to make pizza.  Last time we ventured into this world he made a calzone, and he used crescent rolls for the crust.  This time however he made his own dough, as he wanted to be authentic, as well as the fact that he always takes all of mine.  So yes, all this is to say that Ben Tirman made pizza from scratch.

Since however I was his tutor, mentor, or slave (depending upon your perspective) I made sure that the “measuring” was more to my suiting than scientific.  He was like a little mad scientist pouring things in and mixing them up (with the big Kitchen Aid blender too), and he even waited patiently as I not only explained yeast, but as he waited for his dough to rise a bit.  He even made his own sauce.  Granted I opened the can of tomato sauce for him, but he chose the spices and amounts himself (I had set out common pizza spices) and there was NO sugar.

Of course much of the kneading included the words “Hi Yah,” if those really are words, and karate chopping seems to be his technique of choice.  I will say that it was actually very good, and far better with the crust he made than the pre-made one.   He did a great job and was very proud, as he should be. Both his brother and sister learned to cook in the same way, but Steph and Scott are gravitating more towards the “Amanda Timan Exact-a-mundo”style, so Ben is my last chance.  Otherwise my style will just pass on when I do.

But the end result was awesome pizza and proud parents.  He’s smart and he can cook, so if he just didn’t need to have someone to tell about Minecraft he could probably avoid getting married someday. But for now we will not jump the gun.  As most of us know, cooking skills can go south in a moments notice (my apologies to the Confederacy, as this is clearly a negative northern expression), so we just have to wait.

But waiting with foods like pizza is a pretty sweet deal.  If only he would take the same kind of interest into something just as useful, such as cleaning his room.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Today has been quite the adventure!  I have been to Indianapolis and back, I have purchased out tax program, I have dropped off and picked Ben up from school, I was able to FINALLY find a pair of tennis shoes (though I do not play tennis) and I ended the day with Ben at Panera in Noblesville as we waited for Amanda to get done with her haircut.

Such adventures always provide quite a bit of “thought” material, and most of mine tonight has been thinking about what I was thinking when I became a parent.  I was trailed by Ben all through the Kohl’s and the Walmart for about an hour and constantly apologizing to his incessant talk about Minecraft. Yes, just ask him if you dare.  I do not remember him heading to any special school for this, but he obviously has a PhD.  And, his talk is one constant lecture that he is giving.  Tonight, much to the horror of those Minecraft neophytes around us, he spoke of spawning animals and their eventual arrival at some sort of Minecraft pig/cow heaven where they even have wings.

Of course on countless points I could have corrected his theology, but I was so enjoying people’s reactions that I just let it ride.  After all I thought, Steph and Scott turned out okay, and it was pretty entertaining then too.  What surprises me is just how different each of them is!  And I just hope someday they all come to realization that endured them all.  Maybe, just maybe, it will keep me out of the nursing home.

But for now I will just enjoy the time I have.  I am living the dream, no, certainly not like he is, but then again that would be a clear sign I am well off the cliff.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Well it has been a rough couple of days, but I appear to have made it.  I have a myriad of things (problems) to deal with and quite often I discover that they have a common connection………me!

As an example, tonight’s picture is of my right shoulder.  It is a “repaired” shoulder, that was fixed by one of the greatest orthopedic surgeons I know, my ortho, Dr. Sexson.  So the question is, “Why then when I have a problem with it, do I wait for it to get better on it’s own?”  The answer quite simply is that I am a guy.  AND, this is exasperated by the fact that I am a guy from the generation where in athletics you could fix “anything” with athletic tape…..this included compound fractures, the reattachment of limbs, and heart surgery.  So when this started bothering me about 6 months ago, and I could not tape it away, I went into the guy-mode of “I think I will give it just one more day.”

Of course this logic will baffle any female readers, but to any guy over 40 they will go, “well of course, right!”  But in all honesty, looking back other than athletic tape miraculously healing President Reagan when he was shot, I can think of no time when it really worked for me.  But as a young man that was just part of the rite of passage to old manhood…..being able to recount to the following generations all your old sports injuries because YOU FEEL THEM STILL.  It seemed cool then, and still kind of does now, but all guys know deep down that it is probably not the best philosophy of life.

My body is a living (barely) testament to poor care of sports injuries as a young man.  My favored side, the right, has seen my rotator cuff repaired, including a labrum tear, and a simultaneous scope on the top of my right knee and with a complete opening and patella dissection on the lower part.  Those things don’t happen just watching cartoons.  My back, upper and lower, my right ankle, my right wrist, and left knee have never been cut open, but perhaps are all waiting their turns.   And as for me, I am still waiting and willing to get that Motrin tattoo if they will just sponsor me, as I clearly sponsor them.

But another cortisone shot and the advice that “I shouldn’t wait so long next time,” has done the trick. My belief that I would just heal in time, as well as my belief that if I go in they will tell me they need to do another surgery were both unfounded.  All I can say is that I am thankful to be wrong.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

My disappearance from this blog these last few days has been intentional, as we went to visit Stephanie in Missouri for her home opener.  Lindenwood is rated #14 in the NCAA II Coaches’ Poll, and as it is her Senior year, we wanted to be there.  With Viper having arthritis and narcotics simultaneously however, we decided to take him with us rather than boarding him in a kennel at our vets.  Sleeping on the floor at a hotel is far more comfortable for him, plus he got to see Steph and a few of his other friends out there.  With that however, we left the house only “cat-ed” and alarmed, rather than having people stay there, so I didn’t want to advertise that or post pictures away as I didn’t want to invite trouble.  After all, my copy of Dr. Phil’s “Life Strategies” is worth probably about 4 bucks on the black market.  My wife always quotes her grandma who said, “you don’t borrow trouble,” and I say “you don’t invite it either.’  And doing this on a whim just made these decisions prudent.

But we had a great time!  It was as cold (not as hell as hell is hot), but to the extent that I was quite uncomfortable out by the field.  Yes, they did provide indoor seating which Ben and Amanda took advantage of, but I am a purest.  (Plus I cannot see from the athletic center’s room as I have the eyes of a mole).  But I do not regret one dang second of my choice to stay outside.  It’s important to me as her dad, and if regular readers remember I left my position as head coach of the Noblesville High School Lady Millers Lacrosse team in order to be able to support Steph and her team.  So had I not been there, I would have been out on some sub-zero field anyhow everyday for practice and games.  Watching the Lions I only do so at games.

And this is it too.  They won 16-10 and with a strong season can qualify to play for the National Title in May.  As a coach, even just while watching, I always go play by play, minute by minute.  Execute in the now, recover and adapt to mistakes, and to not lose sight of what it right in front of you.  Not every moment will be spectacular……..refs with make bad calls, players will get frustrated, teammates can lose focus.  But good players see that and work to rise above that.  Great players set it aside for the play in front of them.  This is a great team, with a great staff, and a lot of vision.

As a coach on a almost completed hiatus, and a former player (although it was ice hockey) I will say confidence and belief in oneself change the dynamic.  To me, every puck was mine to take from an opponent, every shot a goal I expected to make, and every pass one that I expected a teammate could take if my options seemed shut out.  A team in not one in individuality, it is one by it’s collective commitment to team…..no selfishness, no egos, and a common vision and mission to win each game.

No one likes a coach, particularly a good one, and even more particularly one who coached quite a few players now playing at these levels, to chime in on The Lindenwood Staff.  I will do so to say they are FANTASTIC, and with  record speaks for itself.  They teach me too.  And I have complete confidence that they are not only contenders for a title here, but will be often in many year to come.

It was a pretty awesome weekend and we were glad to be a apart!  Go Lions!

So goodnight my friends and God Bless.  And please enough tonight’s picture of Ben and Steph celebrating there genetic goofiness together.  After all, you’ve gotta be able to also cut loose off the field and recharge with that which gives you life!

Keep it up Lions!  You are a very strong and balanced team, and you will go far, and hopefully this year too!!!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!


Tommy+

Since our day is packed tomorrow and since he worked so hard, he asked me if he could give his mom her Valentine’s gifts that he made tonight rather than in the morning.  The schedule is very tight in the morning and knowing that we have something for him then made this a good idea.  PLUS, if you ever had to deal with a 6 year old that is excited about something you know that you can be in bed and here him knock on your door every 5 minutes for 6 hours about how he cannot sleep, or you can just deal with the issue directly, which is what we did.

All and all it worked out quite well, as they were able to spend the time looking at her gifts and keeping all the attention, particularly his.  There is nothing so distracted as a child who is anticipating a gift, and it was a real blessing to see his pride in all that he had done (and yes, I only helped and gave a little direction).  And in addition to all that, she was deeply moved by it as well, and had he not been such a nitnort, I am guessing the tears I could see welling up would have just came.  So they sat and looked at it all together.

The frame is pretty self-explanatory, but he has those pictures in order.  And every picture is of them both, including in the book…..just him and her.  He picked out all of them and decided which ones went where, and of course designed his own cover.  He almost didn’t make it to the real Valentine’s Day though as in “our office” together, (past his bedtime) he decided on a more elaborate design.  His “editor” urged him to not, and “warned” him that this would not be a good idea.  In fact, the editor told him to “just draw a heart,” which after a bit of “discussion” he did.  After it was all done however, that little snake took a pencil and drew arms and legs on the heart and then just looked at his editor and laughed.  It reminded me of my mom once telling me that she hoped I would have the kids I deserved, yet tonight I thought God would think I had already paid…..and twice.  Of course I did think He might be saying (God) you will do this until you get it right, but I am always heading in the wrong direction!

Anyway, I suppose it doesn’t matter as it was not about me, but about him and his mom.  He did a great job too and I enjoyed working with him.  Mind you I don’t want to do it again, but it was fun while it lasted.

And speaking of things that last, I have lasted to the end of the day and quite honestly considering it all, it is a miracle.  But while he worked I finished my stuff for her too.  We are all on a schedule……and with Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I do not want to be behind in mine!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

There were a lot of neat things that happened today, but the best was the end of acute depression for our dog Viper.  On Monday, my truck went in for a recall which took three days.  Toyota provided me a rental car, and it was nice (BRAND NEW), but it also was a car that prohibited pets.  But every morning Viper and one of his toys, usually his squirrel meet Ben and I downstairs by the door.  He loves to ride, and he is a celebrity everywhere he goes, but especially at the school.  So being cut off was very difficult for him to understand and he clearly hated it.  But I was able to return the car and pick up my truck today at about 2, and even though it was out of the way, ran by the house to pick him up.  He was so happy he could hardly stand it.  And it really did make my day.

I also learned that my youngest son is a great big pig!!  When I dropped off my truck I had taken all the stuff out of it in the dark.  But today when I picked it up it was light.  I almost felt like I would get in trouble for putting his booster seat back over the tons of crap that moving it must of uncovered.  He never eats anything in the truck that can spoil, but some of these artifacts were unidentifiable.  And for a kid who is really not all that big, his swath of destruction is mighty wide.  I didn’t know whether to be appalled or amazed.

And then finally, although there is certainly more, Ben and I cooked dinner again tonight and he made himself what started as a cheese pizza.  He made it out of pasta sauce, crescent roll, and mozzarella cheese.  But when I mentioned if we fold it over we could make a calzone, he acted like he had morphed into some Italian culinary aficionado.  We folded over the crescent rolls, but it was as if we discovered the Holy Grail.  He thought he was pretty cool.

And it was pretty good, and he enjoyed making it.  My wife and I are both good cooks, but we have different styles, each of which he thrives in.  Amanda is a scientist by training.  She follows recipes, everything is measured out and timed.  Ben likes to measure stuff and follow those directions, especially as Amanda makes the goodies whereas I am more a dinner guy.

I however grew up in a place where recipes were in the head of the cook, and they were passed by example, and finished by taste.  It’s never exactly the same, and sometimes a little chaotic, but you cook to produce what you want, and what you want THEN.  It is I suppose a variation of “seasoned to taste,” perhaps “cooked to taste,” but it really is all I want to do.  And I am glad he likes both styles.

But his calzone has been devoured and Ben is now in bed.  My truck is still a biohazard, but the dog will not mind.  I will just pray it is not -50 tomorrow as we begin the day.  But regardless, I got my truck back and what guy wouldn’t be pleased with that?

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!


Tommy+

Sometimes you just don’t have it, and today is such a day.  I am exhausted, and as I cannot take a picture of myself passed out from doing too much, please enjoy an older picture of Ben doing that for me.  I am hoping to get to this state soon.

What I can say though is that my life is always “interesting” and providing me with many joys as well as challenges.  Of course like anyone, I would rather have a bit more joy and far less challenge, but as they say where I come from, (and I do not know who “they” really are) “You play the hand you are dealt.”  And that I do.

But no big post for today, nor anything remarkably insightful, witty, or informational, but as regular readers know, these postings rarely ever are.  But the day is done, and so I am.  I hope and pray for you it was a good one too!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tommy+

These are pictures I had to scan from an old photo album of mine, and the young woman in them is perhaps the funniest woman I have ever known…….my sister Sarah.  And since I appear to be in somewhat of a remembering phase in my blogs, and since I posted mainly about Steph last night, I thought I would talk a bit about Sarah tonight.  Sarah passed in 2004.

And yes, that is a raccoon with her on the right, we need to just put that out there, and yes it is hers, although she did not bear him herself.  But that raccoon was my first nephew…….Biff.  My second nephew, her oldest human child is Griff, and her daughter is of course named Katie giving up the pattern.  Her husband Steve (as well as husband Gary) were both told by me that they were insane BEFORE they were married, but Gary got to live a more serious existence, whereas Steve did not.  I always thought that Biff may have been her payback for the time she, Steve, and I were driving back to Mishawaka from my Aunt Susie and Uncle Phil’s house and Sarah was in the back.  I was driving and at a good clip when this raccoon appeared out of nowhere and BAM!  I hit it without even having the opportunity to slow down, and since we knew it could not have even survived we kept going.  Steve leaned over and mentioned that I suppose we were lucky that Sarah was asleep in the back, and it was then that I saw her face.  She was not pleased, as if I could do anything, but Biff may have been Steve’s compensation and Biff’s visit to my house after graduating from seminary where he got into my pool and single paw-edly popped $6000 worth of inflatable pool toys may have been mine. Katie and Griff have been a blast (as is Amelia, Steph’s daughter) and none of them feel like payback at all.
Steph’s

But Sarah we used to call “Fish,” as she was always swimming at the pool.  She always had a joke, and often wrote her own, and even if no one would laugh she would.  Her speech classes in high school and college both included instruction on how to “bunny hop” of which she was not just a big fan, but owned her own personal set of ears.

Sarah made people laugh, and did so with ease.  She didn’t seem to take herself very seriously and just always seemed to be wearing a smile.  Oddly enough, I was the one who taught both my sisters to drive and I had a stick shift.  Neither one picked it up quickly, but Sarah nearly killed us.  She just laughed it off though, and kept at it.  She lived on her own terms and it was pretty fun to see.  She and Steve even got married when he was home on leave and she told our mom and dad months later!  (I would have LOVED to see that!) But she was just that way, very comfortable with herself….at least that is the way I saw and experienced her.

And I with both of them was the big brother.  No, they couldn’t give a dang what I thought back then, but where we grew up being that protective big brother was just what you do.  But I never got to do my job.  My best friend Randy and I were one day hanging out front when some kid said some boys had Sarah pinned down about a block away and they were trying to kiss her.  Randy and I took off to get them, and when I say get, I mean beat them to a pulp….this was my sister.  Sure enough, we turned the corner and there was a guy, a neighborhood kid, trying to kiss her.  We never made it there in time, but in retrospect I bet that kid wished we would have……Sarah got a leg free and kicked him in the groin so hard that I am sure he needed surgery to stop singing soprano years later.  She said she was fine and I laughed pretty hard.  Both my sisters could take care of themselves.

Later in life we all connected differently.  We all shared in the care of our mom in her early stages of Alzheimer’s, but Sarah took on the lion’s share.  She was a good daughter, a good mom, and good wife, and a great sister.  (I put good in all the others as I am not qualified by role to define!)  And quite honestly I miss her a lot.

You know, God blessed me deeply to allow me to grow up with these two goofballs, (the one I write about tonight is their QUEEN).   I am the oldest of my dad’s five children (that he knows of) and each one of us brings something unique to our family.  Steph and Sarah have left a big hole in our hearts, too big to fill in fact, but really we shouldn’t even try as neither of them would probably want us to.  They were just great people, and my only regret is that I would have taken the time to spend more time with them, or write down some of Sarah’s stupid jokes.  Here are the two I will leave you with (they are riddles)

Q: What is green, wears a cape, flies around and fights crime?   A: Super Pickle (from a book)
Q: What kind of pickle can you just not cut?  A: A sweet pickle (yes, a Sarah nee Tirman Kentner original)

I miss you Fish and I love you!  See you (hopefully not too) soon!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.  I am off to play some bunny hop music!

Tommy+

Yes, we are engaged and still married each and every day.  Amanda and I decided to replace her old wedding/engagement ring set and the size of the new ring was not quite right.  So we needed to have it re-sized.  The rings I had bought her were nice, but the engagement ring in particular, stuck up pretty high (almost all 8 carat diamonds do).  But being pretty “old-school,” neither of us like to take off our rings.  But a few years ago, after snagging that ring on our covers many times, we bought a $7.00 wedding band at Kohls for her to wear as her “nighttime wedding ring,” and it has worked well so far.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE – There are videos come out sideways on the blog but correctly on Facebook.  The one with Ben is the one to watch first.  His mom is elsewhere in the store and we were plotting.

But we have talked about this a lot, as she also takes Taekwondo and would have to switch to this nighttime ring so as to not injure other people or equipment.  We decided to have her go to just one ring, that looks like her current wedding band, which is soldered to engagement ring, and that would solve it all.  But both her wedding band, as well as that pricey $7.00 ring, were meant to be in a set, and apart from being soldered to an engagement ring, you can hardly even see them, even close up.

So we made arrangements to get this new ring, which kind of looks like both of the ones she has in terms of bands, but much wider.  She will no longer wear the engagement ring or a set, but as I said, it needed to be re sized.  That takes just a little time.

But being purists, I wanted her to have something to wear, so as she and Ben were checking out at the Walmart, I ran over to the jewelry counter and dropped close to 10 full dollars for a SET, big diamond (which I am just sure is real) and all.  I then met them at the front of the store where I enlisted Ben to help me in what I refer to as my “RE-proposal” by serving as my cameraman.  The video of him is my interview of him prior to filming the “main-event.” But the videos are only up on Facebook as they do not post here right side up.

(Spoiler alert) I won’t try to spoil the ending here, but I asked her in the Barnes and Noble (on video…..although they both come out sideways on the blogger, but right side up on Facebook) to “stay married to me.”  It is probably not all that hard to guess what happens as we both still live in the same house.  Enjoy!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+