This Is The Moment You've All Been Waiting For

After a 50 day sabbatical from writing, I'm back. And, boy is there a
lot to talk about. Here's a laundry list of some of the things that
have happened since our last episode:

* Samantha's Birthday/ear piercings.

* The Jayhawks sharing the regular season league title, winning the
conference tournament and crushing the spirits of all who follow them
with another first round NCAA tourney loss.

* A trip to Boston/Portland, ME.

* Jackson County voters securing their place as some of the most uninformed voters in history.

* The Royals beginning their annual quest for 100 losses.


So, there's a little bit here for everyone. We can start from the
top...


Allison and I decided that it would be alright for Samantha to get her
ears pierced for her 10th birthday. Sam didn't know this, though, when
I told her that I would take her to Oak Park Mall for lunch and her
present. When we got to the mall, she asked if she could guess where we
were going. I replied that it would be fine and she went on to guess
Build-A-Bear and a handful of other stores but she didn't guess
Claire's, which is where we were headed. As we passed through the
threshold (she later told me), she was going to ask if she could get
some clip-on earrings. But before she could get the words out of her
mouth, I told the girl working there that we were here to get Sam's ears
pierced.

Samantha looked at me as if I had just pushed her over. Her amazement
soon manifested itself in short bursts of questions: "Are you serious?",
"Really?", "Does Mom know?" Soon thereafter, the amazement was coupled
with nervousness: "Is this going to hurt?" "Is it like a gun that
shoots through your ear?"

She picked out the earrings she wanted and cautiously climbed into the
chair to await her glorifying and terrifying moment. With eyes as large
as large as hoop earrings, she winced at the first piercing. A half
second later she realized that it didn't really hurt and eagerly turned
her head for the next puncture. Once the impalements were completed,
the paperwork was filled out and the cleaning materials were purchased,
she was a human bobblehead, jittery with elation.

"Dad, I'm so excited, I'm shaking!"

Happy Birthday, kiddo.

***

I'll pick up on the next topic tomorrow...