TonyL

Sad to hear about the passing of Patrick Stewart. I met him well over 30 years ago (‘92 or ‘93 I think) through some Shakespearean actor friends while he was still on Star Trek Next Generation. I had never watched the show at the time. I remember him saying how he really thought that show would fail after the first episode! Years later I watched them all and it’s now one of my all-time favorites. He was friendly and gracious. At the time, you wouldn’t have known he was a famous actor when chatting with him.

16YO: [frustrated] Me: What’s wrong? 16YO : I need a good ‘couples costume’ idea. Me: I have the perfect idea that’s totally original. 16YO: Really? What? Me: Captain and Tennille

Drivers of the new Tesla roadster in a few years…

My 16YO went to a Halloween escape room with friends. Time ran out and they lost because they couldn’t figure out how “this weird thing from the 1700’s” works…

*Saturday Morning -Up at 6:30AM -Go get a McDonald’s black coffee and sausage McMuffin w/Egg (my favorite breakfast) and read -Do jobs around the house, yard, or fix/maintain cars -Take a nap Oh Lord, I’m turning into my dad…🤦‍♂️

*call Me: You have around 200 stuffed animals sitting in your old closet. We’re donating them. 21YO:[in Boston] Nooooooooo… Me: You haven’t lived at home in 3 years. I don’t think you need them. 21YO: But you can’t get rid of them! Remember Toy Story?!

Explaining to my kids how in the 80’s, birthday parties at McDonald’s and the outdoor “play place” were a huge deal. Seems like a 100 years ago…

Me: Why are you wearing a hoodie? It’s 80-degrees outside. 16YO: It was cold this morning. Me: It was 65. 16YO: That’s cold.

16YO:[washing dishes] When I eventually move, I know of a way to never have to wash dishes ever again. Me: How? 16YO: Use paper plates, disposable cups, forks, spoons… Me: Your aunt does that. 16YO: The crazy one? Me: Yes.

With a 16YO who can drive himself to school, work, his sport activities - my wife and I can actually go out with friends or just each other more now. It’s like living a different life!

16YO: My friend was fired from a sushi restaurant. Me: How long did he work there? 16YO: They never hired him. Me:

Me: Are you getting along with your co-workers? 16YO: Yes. They’re all pretty old. Nobody is my age. Me: How old are they? 16YO: 30’s.

16YO: DAD!!! I’m getting ripped off at work. [shows first paycheck]. All of these weird things with no explanation appeared on my check making it lower. How can I get rid of them? Me: You can’t That’s taxes. 16YO: WHAT?! 😱

*back from getting gas in the car Me: What took so long? 16YO: The credit card reader said it was broken and “see cashier inside”. Me: Did you go inside? 16YO: No! I got back in the car and drove to another gas station.

*first day of school Me: Your first day! New adventures, new teachers, new classes, new learning subjects, making new friends, seeing old ones. What are you most excited for? 16YO: I get to drive myself to school.😐

Saw Spider-Man: Brand New Day last night…it was FAR better and more enjoyable than The Odyssey - which is completely overrated and an hour too long.

Saw the new Masters of the Universe (on Amazon Prime Video) and it wasn’t bad. Was a huge fan of the show as a kid. My only complaint was Skeletor’s voice was opposite of his cartoon one. And missed opportunity - when he was in “the real world” it should have been the 80’s and not current day. Other than those, it was pretty entertaining.

My son is taking an Algebra 2 class over the summer. Helping with geometry was simple, straightforward, and easy. But personally, I HATE algebra with a strong passion. It’s gotten worse in how they teach it now. How in the world they can take arbitrary confusing rigid garbage and make it worse is beyond comprehension. I’ve never once used algebra in my adult life. Not once. Ever. To me, it’s still the most useless and confusing ‘subject’ ever to exist. I just can’t tell my son that - yet. I still have those occasional arguments with teachers I know. And with my wife! Now with the advent of AI, schools should just to teach basic math and personal finance for real world use. Teach “algebra” for those wanting to be algebra teachers and fringe cults that use it.

Me: I finally finished watching Avatar Fire and Ash. Took me a few days. Wife: Why did it take you a few days? Me: I watched it on my iPhone, at the gym, while on the elliptical runner…exactly how James Cameron intended.

My 16YO got a job! Taking school photos for the photography studio that does a ton of local schools. He’s taken 100’s so far. Me: Do you tell the kids to smile before taking the picture? 16YO: No. Me: 🤦‍♂️ *the pictures (probably)