Another edition of.. Holy crap I AM turning into my parents!

No need for deep philosophical discussion on this topic, but here's a few things I've noticed about myself lately..



New music sounds like crap to me
I kid you not, even the so called good music doesn't sound good to me at all.  I hear maybe half a dozen songs a year from new artists that I like.  I find myself ever more listening to older music from the 50's through the 80's and sorely missing the good old days. 

I have more coupons in my wallet than money
I may not be loaded with scrilla, but by god.. I can get a heck of a good deal on two pizzas with garlic bread, or a four wheel tire rotation and alignment!
 
I get irritated with cheaply made products
My regular readers know what I'm talking about.  I sometimes get on rants for days about cheap plastic crap that Wal-Mart sells.  Whether it's a cheap sprinkler, a spatula, or hair dryer, I'm steadily buying more and more vintage items for everyday use, and laughing all the way to the bank.

Fast food doesn't taste as good as it used to
Two years ago I was the king of fast food, and even had a web-site dedicated to artery pounding monstrosities that I had conquered.  Due to a health scare, I've greatly changed my eating habits since that time.  When I do dine on fast food..  it really doesn't do anything for me.  Well.. except for maybe giving me an upset stomach, and feelings of guilt for treating my body like a tent rather than a temple. 

I'm more at peace with the way I look
Everyone has things about their appearance that they don't like.  Suddenly this year, none of my old personal hang ups seem to matter as much as they used to.  Life is too short to sweat superficial things, and it will just take away from a whole lot of living I need to do.

I guess these things aren't necessarily bad, just a wake up call that I've really changed, and will probably continue to do so as I get older.  The thought of becoming more like my parents used to horrify me, but now I don't view it as a bad thing.  If I ever start mowing the lawn in slippers and black socks however, someone will need to slap me.

Retro Dad trick #221.. "The snack decoy"

With a family of five, it's a safe bet that somebody in my household, may be hungry at any given moment.  During the course of my trip through fatherhood, I've developed a few tricks to ensure Daddy-O is never lacking in the morning, afternoon, or midnight snack area.  Here is one trick that's worked particularly well for me over the years..

1.) Pick out any random food package.  

(the less appealing the food is to young folks.. the better!)

2.) Hide your favorite snacks within the package.  

Voilà! A decoy to preserve your "Dad Snacks" for emergencies.  

By chance.. your brood may get suspicious or wise to this trick, so it may behoove you to be a little more sneaky err.. creative.  A simple way around this problem, is by further camouflaging your snacks as shown above.


The snack decoy trick has always worked well for me personally.  Just don't tell my kids, or bride!

Knott's Berry Farm photo circa 1975

A couple of years back, I found a box of old slides at my parents house, and slowly converted them  into digital format.  The picture below is of my brother and I at Knott's Berry Farm in 1975. (I'm the little fella on the right).

We lived in Southern California at the time, and while I lived to go to Disneyland, my old man couldn't get enough of Knott's Berry Farm.  We visited the park quite a bit, and the old man would snap pictures at every turn.  I may have to post more of them in the near future.

The entrepreneurial spirit of a Retro Dad's kiddo

As my kids get older, I often sit back and reminisce about their younger years.  Back when my daughter was eight years old, she ran quite a successful business from her bedroom.  Behold the sign that used to hang from her door..

Yes, my daughter ran a veterinary clinic for "Stuft Animals, and American Girl Dolls".  Out of the goodness of her tender little heart, all services were even offered pro bono!  That being said, imagine my surprise when I came across the following sign later in the year..

Darn it!  Yet another casualty to the lousy economy that we were deep in the midst of a few years back!  I couldn't stand by idly, so I offered the veterinary clinic a bail out to keep the doors open.  I threw some business their way in the form of a few old action figures that needed rehabilitating, and paid handsomely for said rehabilitation.  

In the end, I'm happy to say that my little one decided to tough it out and run her clinic for a considerable amount of time thereafter.  I guess in a way.. I ended up reforming the Stuft Animal and American Girl doll healthcare system in my home, and it felt great!