“I can’t believe they’re going to turn nine next week,” Donna said the other day. To use an old cliche: where did the time go? In another nine years Eric and Christy will be 18 years old. EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD! Hard to believe that only nine years ago we were looking at a sonogram. Sigh. Happy Birthday Eric and Christy.
So there I was, minding my own business, working in my office, when this was slid under the door….. I’d say too much “Call of Duty” on the PlayStation.
Eric: Hello, I’d like to speak with Ian Hassell.
(Ian’s mom gets Ian)
Ian: Who is this?
Eric: This is Eric Long, your best friend since we were in pre-school.
Ian: Oh, hi Eric.
After this semi-formal introduction, the two went on to discuss strategy for playing Star Wars on the Nintendo DS; Eric had the phone set to “speaker.” Apparently the call went on for an hour.
Note: these two third-graders see each other every day in class.
I’m an assistant coach this year for Eric’s team, so Donna took the photo of him in goal; I was pre-occupied with a gaggle of rugrats. But I’ll take credit for the shot of Christy scrambling for the ball.
On a more somber note, the games began after a moment of silence in remembrance of those who died on September 11, 2001 – nine years ago today.
We watched “Ice Road Truckers” the other night (not sure why), but it seemed to inspire Eric, age 8, to start his own trucking company, courtesy of Legos. I thought the shiny hard wood floor, with a little imagination, produced the “ice” effect.
Uncle Martin invited Eric and me for an evening of Bluefishing last night. We put the boat in the water in Cowesett, and then set out for waters near Rocky Point. An hour or two of trolling produced no results, so we headed back – but not before we tried one last time at the pilings. Success! We used a spoon, called a Crocodile, and a plug. Eric successfully landed his first Bluefish, and he’s eager to go back. And speaking of back, mine is killing me. That’s what warp factor 10 on a 17-foot Whaler will do to you. No pain, no gain.
Click here for the (music) video.
Eric preps his rod and lure for one last cast before we head home. We came up empty tonight. We often see fish breaking the surface at Brickyard Pond, but we’ve had no luck catching them. Not sure whether they’re Trout, Large Mouth Bass, or what, but they’re just not interested in our lures. Maybe next time.
Once again, the kids just had to strike their overly ostentatious trademark pose upon seeing the camera. At least this time the silhouette added an interesting effect; maybe American Idol could use this in its opening credits next season. Anyhow, this was taken at Haines Park, one of several nearby stops when we just need to get out of the house.
Eric and I were in a tight spot today at the Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, MA. It’s about a foot wide through 30 feet of rock. Glenn took this photo. Don’t even think about this if you’re claustrophobic. Christy wasn’t far behind us.
My eight-year-old son shot me tonight. Then I shot him. Then he shot me, and so on and so forth, and now there are Nerf bullets in every crook and cranny this house has to offer.
The real victims here? My wife and daughter, who were caught in the crossfire. I believe it’s referred to as collateral damage.
Same time tomorrow, Eric?
Long Days and Nights 