It’s very nice seeing the birds come back home to Minnesota, and frolicking in the leafless trees and wading in the non frozen lakes nearby. I love the sounds they make and the cat and I can easily watch them all day long. Nina was joking around that maybe we should buy a bird book…
Tag: The Dad Speaks
Target Dad
I should never go to Target alone when I am hungry because I will raid it for a Boars Head deli sandwich and chicken noodle soup from Panera – both are readily available in the store! My Target has Krispy Kreme donuts, does yours? I will also go to the chip isle and get three…
Ridgedale Center
On March 8th, and on the way home from dropping Nina off at the airport, Niko and I were going to dine at The Cheesecake Factory. But, due to construction and the way the GPS was guiding us, The Cheesecake Factory was not conveniently on the way home. So, we bypassed that idea of eating….
Chef Niko
It’s funny, because usually, I know several days prior what I will be writing about, but for this one, I had nothing. I had a few ideas brewing and they were more about me (Dad, what were you like in the 90’s, March Walking, and something else called Just Do It). It wasn’t until Friday…
Washing Machine
As a dad, with a 9-year-old and a wife, we are constantly running our washing machine. If a day goes by where we don’t use the washing machine, we are behind! I find dirty clothes (thanks Niko) in very awkward places! How many times have I told him to throw his socks in the laundry?…
FIRST MN Winter Survived
Well, we survived our first Minnesota winter. I enjoyed our fireplace and I enjoyed our heat, but mostly, I enjoyed watching the snow fall (light and hard) and seeing it shine brightly on the grass, driveway, and walking path behind our house. The weather predictions for snow was pretty accurate for when it would happen,…
One Year Ago…
Last year around this time, Nina got on an airplane, and for first time in her life, flew to Minnesota. It wasn’t a business or a pleasure trip, it was actually to look at houses and buy one! We were planning on buying a house near Cincinnati, OH, but we scratched those plans as her…
Back to Walking
Well, it’s finally warmer and the snow is melting in Minnesota (we are about 45 minutes from Minneapolis) and that means, I can walk on the walking trail behind our house again. That walking trail was one of the reasons why we purchased this particular house. The other being no neighbors directly behind us. We…
Really…
For the second time in Niko’s life, he has a “recital” in a few weeks. Last year, it was on Veteran’s Day, and he was sick, but we made him to go and perform and then afterwards, Nina waited around and took him home while my parents and I had breakfast tacos (see, I have…
Apple Watch
A few weeks ago, Niko asked me if he could have my Apple Watch. I originally purchased it around Thanksgiving of 2024. I used it to wake me up in the morning and keep track of my walking. Yeah, I could check my text messages and take the occasional call if my iPhone was not…
Doctor Dad
On Tuesday morning, and literally five minutes before Niko and I were leaving for school that morning, he complained that his foot was hurting very badly. Last year, we had this same issue and he had a walking boot for a few months and did rehab. He had a few instances in MN where it…
The Dad’s Armoire
I have had an armoire since 1990 that belonged to my grandfather. I also had a matching a night table for a long time, but I gave it to my brother. That way, we each have a part of our Pop! It’s been through a lot (stuffed with clothes, some time in storage in my…
Warm Things (that don’t SPONSOR me…yet)
It’s cold, and snow has been on the ground since Thanksgiving. But, I am very glad that I have warm things, and I don’t have to suffer. It’s not like we don’t use the heat and fireplace, we do, but we don’t maximize them. If I have to go outside to get mail or place…
Ice Day
Last Tuesday, Niko’s school had a late start in the morning due to ice on the road, and about an hour or so after we got that notification through a text message and an email, they canceled school that day and told us it would be an “E-Learning Day”. I am very glad that here…
Back To School
After three weeks off from school (one of which he was sick), Niko goes back to school tomorrow. So, what did he do? Well, me and him went to the indoor pool at the Community Center twice. The second, it was snowing lightly and I was extremely reluctant to go, but Niko told me I…
Happy 2026
Normally, I reminisce about all the great things that happened during the year from the perspective of being a dad, being a husband, being a full-time employee, being a reader, and being a writer. But, this year, I won’t go on and on and on about it. I will just say, it was a very…
The Dad Is OOO
Well, I am off from work all next and the following week, as I go back Friday, January 2nd. Last year at this same time, I was off, but it was because we moved. And, totally unexpected, I also had emergency surgery for a heart attack a few weeks before that move. Yeah, shit happened. …
Snow Shoveling/Blowing
Since the day before Thanksgiving, snow has been on the ground where we live. Wait, where else would it be? In the air? I have already used the snow shovel and snow blower multiple times to clear the driveway. Our snow blower is a Toro, and it worked very well and quick. Don’t tell anybody…
One Year Heartiversary
One year ago today, I was discharged from Methodist Hospital Texsan, one of the top heart hospitals in Texas, after an experience that changed everything. On December 5, 2024, I woke at 3 a.m. with chest pain, sweating, and a pounding headache. They were classic heart attack symptoms, but instead of calling an ambulance like…
Sushi
If you don’t know me, my name is Mark, and I like to eat. Not Sushi, though. It doesn’t appeal to me to eat raw food! I have never actually eaten Sushi, but that changed when Niko saw a video on it, and was intrigued to try it. But, Nina and I had no clue…