Promise-ary Note: Playing Catch-up

It's been radio silence here at WTF for too long.  I've been swamped lately with the end of the term approaching, family birthdays, holiday weekends, bar work, and other such madness, but I've been missing the blog tremendously.  I've sat in front of my computer a couple of times and simply stared at the screen, wondering what to write.  In the end, I abandoned my commitment there, which made me feel awful, but I am here now, and I will be here again tomorrow, or the next day.  The writer's life demands forgiveness when one steps away.  So, I've forgiven myself and I'm ready to march on.

For those of you who don't remember, my last promise posted was:

After a trip to several Long Beach, Washington, bars in search of live music that weekend, my wife and I had to call it quits.  We weren't going to find any music for the dancing.  So, my wife has offered me a rain check.  She isn't getting away from me though.  She hasn't offered me an out, but simply a rain check.  I'll make sure to document our "swinging" times when we get a night out.

The next promise I pulled was:

On the same beach trip, my family and I got the chance to sit down and play some good old fashioned "Uno."  For those of you unfamiliar with the card game, check it out here.  It's a game my family and I used to play when I was a child, and Shea is catching on quick.  She played card-shark to her mother and I a couple of times, and now she has found a new favorite.  Like any kid, Shea loves it when she gets to beat the grown-ups at something.  Tic-Tac-Toe and Uno seem to be where she's finding the best success.  Although she has plenty of choices.

Sitting around a dining room table with your family while playing a game is, for me, the quintessential experience.  I remember playing all kinds of board/card games with my family when I was little.  I remember feeling embraced by them when we played, even if the banter was less than affectionate and a little competitive.  The dinner table and the game table were often the only times my family slowed down enough to all sit in the same place.

I want Shea to have that same experience as she grows up.  I want her to look back fondly and remember the times we shared engaged in play, in fun, in a pursuit that had no other purpose than to provide us with some pleasure.  It's hard to find that time sometimes with two working parents, school, family commitments, etc.  I'll never regret it though, so I need to make a greater effort to find that time.

The next promise is an easy one (if I can find the time as we approach the end of term):

I have a tendency to give all my time to other people: to the family, to my students, to my coworkers, my employers, etc.  I have to remember that sometimes its important for Kyle to do whats best for Kyle.  My mental wheels are already aspinnin' as I think of how I could use this time.  I have a feeling it will be something simple.

Until next time, y'all.  I've missed writing to you and writing FOR me.