Dad's House

Dating & Parenting
by a Single Dad


Good Samaritan Cyclist Loses the Girl

Posted on October 27th, 2009 | 14 comments

I was out cycling this past weekend when I came across two preteen girls on their mountain bikes. One of them was totally frustrated with her bicycle, so the two of them swapped and they started pedaling again. In short time, the other girl became frustrated, too. Seems the chain on one of the bikes [...]

My Dad Invented Google

Posted on October 23rd, 2009 | 15 comments

I showed up at a local Laser Tag place to pick up my son from a youth group outing. He was paling around with some boys a year younger than him. No one I knew. But they were excited to see me.
They came over to me, bowing, proclaiming: We’re not worthy!
“Did you invent Google?” one [...]

The Boys are Back – Movie Review by a Single Dad

Posted on October 19th, 2009 | 15 comments

I recently saw The Boys are Back, a movie starring Clive Owen (who gave an outstanding performance), about a single dad who gets in way over his head trying to raise two boys after his wife suddenly passes away.
The film is at times sweet and sentimental, and other times wild and overreaching. It gives a [...]

Parking Ticket at Astronomy Class

Posted on October 2nd, 2009 | 10 comments

Our local junior college has an astronomy class with a reputation for being very good. The school has a decent-sized telescope, and the instructor co-wrote the textbook they use. He’s not quite Carl Sagan (“billions and billions of stars in the universe…”), but might be close. People of all ages flock to his class.
With my [...]

Boys Soccer is a Contact Sport!

Posted on October 1st, 2009 | 19 comments

My thirteen-year-old son is playing soccer this fall, and let’s just say it’s been an eye opener for me. I know from watching Italian Serie A, as well as my daughter’s high school varsity team, that soccer is a contact sport. There’s plenty of body to body contact when going for headers or protecting the [...]

My Teen Son Wants a Golf Cart

Posted on September 21st, 2009 | 10 comments

Saturday was school beautification day, so my civic-minded son and his friend volunteered their afternoon weeding weeds and planting plants at their middle school.
Oh, and driving a golf cart.
Turns out most of the volunteers at the school beautification day were adults, so the handful of teens who showed up were given special treatment. (Not to [...]

Name That Tune

Posted on September 17th, 2009 | 11 comments

My teen son plays trumpet in his middle school band. Last year, the band played popular music like the theme from Harry Potter, and Viva la Vida by Coldplay.
This year? They’ve gone classical, at least for the fall.
“We’re playing some Hungarian thing,” my son said.
“Hungarian Dance Number Five?” I asked.
“I think so.”
“That’s famous!”
My dad played [...]