Yesterday, in the middle of the afternoon, Niko made an announcement, “I AM BORED.” To counter that, I offered several things for us to do, and he turned them all down. Most of my dad suggestions were things to do outside, as it was an absolutely perfect day (we had windows open and a/c off)….
Day 21: What Mattered Most to me Today?
A few weeks ago, my dad shared 365 writing prompts on his YouTube page: Thoughts from an Old Man, and I was intrigued and wanted to see if this is something I can do for a year. Well, I am doing it, and enjoying it. I don’t spend a lot of time on them (maybe…
The Sleeping Niko
Since we came back from San Antonio in June, Niko’s sleep schedule has been really messed up. In the evenings, he gets up several times for a pee, a drink, a snack, or just to complain about something. Because of that, he wakes up later. I thought it was a phase, and we could get…
The (Non) Marvel/DC Dad
Please don’t ask me which superheroes are DC and which are Marvel, because I have no clue. I have seen some of the movies and do enjoy them, I just have a very short attention span in the evenings and weekends, and would much rather read a book. When they are in the background, I…
Gone to Dust (Nils Shapiro, #1) – by Matt Goldman
I have just finished reading all the William Kent Krueger books, and was in need of something similar and funny. I searched Google for books similar to the main characters as Spenser and Mac McKenzie, and MN as the location, and it suggested Nils Shapiro. Goldman’s bio mentioned he was a writer on Seinfeld and…
Solo Trader Joe’s
The dad doesn’t often get the chance to wonder the aisles and browse all the fun things that Trader Joe’s has to offer. The majority of his visits are with his son (whom is 10-years-old), and it’s a quick 5 minutes for a grab n go! But, yesterday, the dad had a solo excursion in…
The River We Remember – by William Kent Krueger
Of all the stand-a-lone novels by WKK, this one was by far my favorite. Probably because it was a lot more aligned to the Cork O’Connor books. I liked the characters, some were flawed, some were lonely, and some were seeking something new in their lives. The suspense kept me wanted to read more in…
This Tender Land – by William Kent Krueger
The year is 1932, and Odie (age 12), Albert (his brother), Mose (who can’t speak, but signs with Odie and Albert), and Emmy (the daughter of a teacher) flee from the Lincoln Indian Training School after a tornado hits. Bad things happened at the school prior to the tornado. Beatings, quiet room, bootlegging, adultery, and…
IKEA, Room Swap, Skechers, Subway, Applebees, and No Nina
On July 6th, Nina and I swapped rooms. The furniture movement of beds and dressers went very well, and that night, we were both sleeping in new rooms. A few days later, Niko wanted to swap rooms with me, and I told him, yes, we can do it, but please give me a few weeks…
Ordinary Grace – by William Kent Krueger
Since I just finished reading all of WKKs Cork O’Connor books, I wanted to read his stand-a-lone novels. I already read The Devils Bed as that main character was in a Cork book, so I read it to be prepared. In a lot of the Facebook groups for book reviews that I belong to, a…
God’s Country (Cork O’Connor, #22) – by William Kent Krueger
I got this book from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. Now, before I do, let me preface by saying I am definitely a firm believer and follower of anything Cork does. He has a deep appreciation of helping people and cherishes his family. In one of my earlier book…
The Dad Speaks (a Book)…NOT!
Sometimes, in the evenings and as Niko is preparing for bed, he will read thedadspeaks.com (hey, that is me!). He reads them silently, I read them to him, or we have the AI voice read them and he laughs a a lot. Last month, he told me I should I write a new The Dad…
Lightning Strike (Cork O’Connor, #0) – by William Kent Krueger
I have been reading the Cork books in order, and am sad that soon, I will be finished. I have three left as I am currently reading, Fox Creek. I got the newest one God’s Country waiting as an ARC from netgalley. Even though it says this is #0, I read it as #18. For…
The Dad Does…
I don’t consider myself handy, but this weekend, I fixed a slow draining sink in one of the bathrooms, I built an an IKEA wardrobe for Nina (she helped), and I figured out where an annoying beeping from the garage was coming from (it was the backup battery in the garage door ceiling mount). For…
The Devil’s Bed – by William Kent Krueger
I was about to read Desolation Mountain, the 17th book in the Cork O’Connor series, also by William Kent Krueger, and at the beginning, there was an Author’s Note about a character named Bo Thorsen who is prominently featured in The Devil’s Bed and he is back in Desolation Mountain. So, of course, I had…
Funny Things Happen On The Way To Bed
School has been out for almost a month, and Niko’s bedtime has changed from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. However, since we visited San Antonio on June 9th through June 12th, that bedtime hasn’t been achieved yet (well, I think once, he was able to do it). We get him in bed at 7:30 and…
Father’s Day
Niko turned double-digits last month, and with that came independence for himself. By that, I mean, he enjoys relaxing in his bedroom during the day with his iPad and/or Switch 2 and most times he has a few drinks on his night-table! Every hour, Nina and I either text him, FaceTime him, or just yell…
Crossroads: A Memoir in Baseball and Life – by Dusty Baker
I didn’t know anything about Dusty Baker, except that he was the Manager of the San Francisco Giants. He was a teammate of Hank Aaron on the Atlanta Braves and there was a lot of verbiage on there relationship, and a lot of extra insight when Hank hit home run number 715. How awesome is that? …
OUR Summer Vacation
Last Tuesday, we went home to San Antonio to visit my parents (and to eat at some food places that we have missed). We arrived back to our Minnesota house yesterday. We had originally thought of visiting in April, as Niko had a few days off from school, and we would take him out for…
Not Impressed
On Wednesday and Friday, I watched the Spurs play the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals. Before Niko was born in 2016, I was a huge fan of the NBA, and especially the San Antonio Spurs. I also worked for the franchise from 1999 to 2002 in Marketing and Guest Services. My tenure…