If the father of your kids wants to spend more time with them, why would you prevent that? If you could have more free time, why not take advantage? If your only weapon left is to use the other parent’s time, maybe you should end the war.
I actually had to ask for extra time with my daughters for Father’s Day. Even more hilarious is that I got pushback and had to show it was permitted in the divorce decree.
Fathers and such
I am currently listening the to This American Life a piece they call “Go Ask Your Father“. So far it is good, but I was really rubbed the wrong way by the story of Lennard Davis. The gist is that his father may not be his father. Spoiler Alert>>>his father was not his biological father. What burns me about his story was not feeling a little confused, or wanting to know for sure. I get being curious and having to process the idea that the person who raised you was not your biological parent. But that was it, he kept saying the guy who raised him was not his father. Not his Father…he never says biological father. Sure he had some problems with the guy. He even sounds like he could be a real ass, but he raised the boy the best he could. He was the man’s father, like it or not. To top it off, it takes Lennard 24 years to finally reach a definitive answer, with lots of cost and worry no doubt. Why spend so much time tracking down an answer you may not even want?
The story did make me grateful for my dad. There is no doubt I am his son, but even if there was…SO WHAT. He raised me, he was there. I cannot imagine spending anytime at all trying to prove otherwise.
Down the Brazos
My father found out he has prostate cancer about four months ago. As a result, he wanted to go down the Brazos river with his sons. He had read the book “Goodbye to a River” and had talked about doing the trip with his dad, but did not get around to it before my granddad died. So my brother and I put it together and headed out today.
We decided to keep it a little closer since we had not done anything like this before. Travel tip, avoid Hillbilly Haven. While we did have fun, the price to value ratio was way off. $15 each adult for an uncovered tube and a REALLY rough ride to the drop off point. The bathroom facilities should have had dirt floors since the toilet seemed to be optional to some previous guests. I felt dirty just walking in and out. Next time I think we’ll do Rochelle’s. I had spent the night there with my wife some months back when we headed out that way to camp without reservations. Although the site was very primitive, the water was clear, cool and moving. We had a great time there and I think it would be a fun time down the river. Also, while I lathered on the sun screen, twice, and spent much of the time waist deep, I still got plenty toasted.
I also had a milestone while on the river, I finally wore a hole in my Vibram KSOs. It is a small one and I am going to see if I can repair them, but it may be time to retire my first pair.