David D. Speaks

Back In The Saddle!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:51:00 +0000

EXCUSES BEGONE!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:43:00 +0000

I was in the grocery store early this morning and in my reflection of the hectic days gone by and the busy day to come, I was struck with the awareness that I have been neglecting my spiritual diet. Even as I write this now I chuckle at the irony that I did not see in that moment – that while I was busy planning and purchasing the food for my own physical nourishment, I had not made any recent trips to the storehouse to pick up food my own emotional and spiritual nourishment. I didn’t make a big to do of it or anything at the time. I am long since divorced of the guilt I once associated with these epiphanies! But what happened a little while later is rather…amazing.

I returned home and began unpacking the groceries, and decided to turn on the TV to accompany me in the quiet of an early morning kitchen. I was greeted by the comforting, now familiar voice of Dr. Wayne Dyer. I was first introduced to Dr. Dyer about 2 years ago, much in the same manner that I stumbled across him this particular morning. The family and I gathered together around the TV in our living at the time and soaked up the wisdom. He has been a favorite teacher ever since. And so this morning, after being given that loving insight about receiving fresh teaching, tuning in to Dr. Dyer was as though God himself was winking at me and reminding me that He’s got my back. I was only able to catch the last few moments of his teaching, but it was all I needed (and probably all that I could have handled) this morning.

I’m looking forward to hearing the entire teaching of Excuses Begone from Dr. Dyer. It will be airing all through the month of June as part of his yearly fundraiser for public television. I searched for a snippet to share with you so you could get a sense of what you’d be in store for. Check your local listings and try to tune into the program in your area. For now here’s a short preview….Enjoy!

Honey, Let’s Eat Out Tonight!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:56:00 +0000

I can remember when growing up as a child how exciting it was whenever we were preparing to go out to eat. As I have grown older and fallen in love with my own culinary experimentations, the anticipation of a meal outside of the home just doesn’t bring the same joy it once did. Ok, ok…let me stop lying! I love to go out to eat….with my wife. I love to try new restaurants, feel new vibes and experiment with new tastes.

The truth is that with 5 kids in tow any meal outside of the privacy of our humble abode is a feat in precision management. And why do all 5 of my kids eat like grown folks anyway? Feeding this bunch on a budget is even more of a challenge than I really stand to tackle! But I must admit, our kids are a well mannered crew, so we actually get to enjoy each other’s company when we do go out. As a parent I love being able to treat my children to the same feelings of anticipation and excitement I experienced growing up.

So when I stumbled across this article listing 50 places where kids could eat for free or very cheap, I knew all my fellow parents would also appreciate it. I found this over at frugalliving.tv, and they describe the list this way:

While the majority of the listings are places where kids eat free some of the restaurants charge a small amount - in most occasions $.99 so they are not actually “free” but a very good deal nonetheless. You will also find that some of the restaurants where kids eat free have certain restrictions whether it be limited hours on a certain day, the number of kids eating free per purchasing adult or age restrictions.

You can find the complete list on their site here. I hope you and the kids enjoy a great night out!!

This Moment

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Sun, 24 May 2009 15:36:00 +0000

I stopped by to visit my spot today, and was saddened by my own absence. I put a lot of work into creating a space that felt just like me. But you know how it is - sometimes life gets in the way of.......nothing. You know what that's a crazy statement, and we use it so often! How does life get in the way of anything? Life is for living. And living each moment calls for us to address those things that creation has put in our path. Like in this moment - this post was put in my path, and so here I am....living....writing.....blogging! Wow, this feels good!

Thank you Mrs. Charles for helping me to appreciate this moment!

Dear IRS, I Will Not Be Able To Pay My Taxes…

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:28:00 +0000

As seen on the Times Record News by Ed Barnett. I just had to share!

Dear IRS,

I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to pay taxes owed April 15, but all is not lost.

I have paid these taxes: accounts receivable tax, building permit tax, CDL tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, dog license tax, federal income tax, unemployment tax, gasoline tax, hunting license tax, fishing license tax, waterfowl stamp tax, inheritance tax, inventory tax, liquor tax, luxury tax, Medicare tax, city, school and county property tax (up 33 percent last 4 years), real estate tax, social security tax, road usage tax, toll road tax, state and city sales tax, recreational vehicle tax, state franchise tax, state unemployment tax, telephone federal excise tax, telephone federal state and local surcharge tax, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone state and local tax, utility tax, vehicle license registration tax, capitol gains tax, lease severance tax, oil and gas assessment tax, Colorado property tax, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico sales tax, and many more that I can’t recall but I have run out of space and money.

When you do not receive my check April 15, just know that it is an honest mistake. Please treat me the same way you treated Congressmen Charles Rangle, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and ex-Congressman Tom Dashelle and, of course, your boss Timothy Geithner. No penalties and no interest.

P.S. I will make at least a partial payment as soon as I get my stimulus check.

Breaking News: New Blog Construction Is On The Rise!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:19:00 +0000

After more than a year on hiatus, I am plunging back into this blog! What was previously known as What A Man’s Gotta Do, is now David D. Speaks (as you can probably already tell). I haven’t been totally gone though, Lisa’s been keeping me busy working on her incredible blog, LisaCWrites.com. Many of the recent posts you see here are reposts of articles that were guest authored on her blog during the past year. I’m really excited to be getting back into the swing of things, and I’m totally amazed at how much blogging has taken off in recent years. Through Lisa, I’ve met numerous bloggers who are earning a significant income from their daily rants, and that never ceases to amaze me. In fact today, I browsed through Blog Talk Radio for the first time, and was totally flabbergasted at how easy it has become for anyone to begin their own radio program. Yeah, look out for David D. and Lisa C, on a Blog Talk Radio station coming to an internet connection near you real soon, LOL!!

No, seriously though, the Charles family will be taking on blogging in a serious way this year. (I was told by a friend that according to my Bagua character map, this would be a good year for communication for me – so I’m psyched about it!) In addition to Lisa C Writes, and David D. Speaks, we’ll be launching a relationship site for all you single, dating, and married folks who want a heads up on how to build strong, successful relationships and family units. Also in the works, is another project I’m working on called I’m A Business, Man where I share the daily challenges, and victories of running our home-based business. And probably most exciting of all, on the horizon is a blog for our Adult friends and readers. This a special treat from Lisa C that will help the ladies to find and bring their sexy back. And the fellas……well, let’s just say she’s got some really special treats in store just for you!

Stay tuned! We’ve got a lot of good stuff coming at you in the next few weeks and months. Looking forward to making lots of new friends along the way….and I hope you’re one of them!

Tantric Sex In Atlanta - A Gentleman's Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:54:00 +0000

If you have not yet read Lisa’s previous post STOP right now go there and read it first – you’ll be glad you did. And this will make much more sense to you. So as you know Lisa and I attended an incredible Tantric event in Atlanta hosted by our new friends Kenya K and Rakhem Seku. To say our experience was incredible would be a major understatement! Lisa asked me to share my perspective on the event and our experience, and well…how could I say no?

Let me start with a little background first. For years Lisa has wanted us to look into the art of Tantra, insisting that we would benefit from what we might learn. I however was resistant to the idea. Something about Tantra sounded more weird than I could bear. Not to mention, my strict Christian upbringing (even though I don't consider myself one any longer) just wouldn’t allow me to entertain such questionable practices. I don’t know what I thought was so questionable to be honest, but it just didn’t seem kosher. Needless to say, I’ve come a long way in a short time and I was as eager as Lisa to attend this event on Saturday.

So on to the night’s proceedings. The night begins with Kenya asking all of the men to find a lady to partner with that we did not know. Talk about jumping into the fire. Honestly, considering that we were at a Tantric Sex event, I was a bit nervous about what her next instruction might have been ....continue reading on Lisa C Writes

Lifehacker Saved My Laptop!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:05:00 +0000

I'm a regular reader of popular tech blog Lifehacker. I owe them thanks to over 30% of the really cool (free) applications now housed on our various computers. But today, my greatest debt is owed to this little trick I learned over a year ago on Lifehacker - dry out soaked electronics in uncooked rice. Words can't describe the hysteria that ensued shortly after Gabby accidentally spilled a cup of water onto my laptop Sunday evening. We were sitting around the table looking at the pictures I took of Grandpa's ordination service when Gabby spotted something funny. She reached up to point it out to the others, and before you know it there was a nearly full cup of water covering the table, baptizing my laptop...continue reading on Lisa C Writes.

What is the "Perfect" Body Type? - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:12:00 +0000

My Perspective: Being the husband of a beautiful woman who has gone through the metamorphosis of motherhood 1,2,3,4,5 times, I am acutely aware of the differences in what women and men think about "ideal" body types. I think a lot of what we buy in to from the U.S. media is brought on by a mental image of a teenage boy living in a man's body. The idea that the ideal woman is built like the teenage girl you had your first crush on is small minded. I think as men mature they begin to look at women differently, learning to appreciate every bump and curve - even the one's women would rather hide. As a husband, there has never been a question as to how sexy my wife was to me, and I have never had expectations of her that were out of some magazine or from some video.

As men grow in maturity they learn to transpose the internal and the external, and the beauty of a woman that lies on the inside is more important to him than the beauty she strives for on the outside....continue reading on Lisa C Writes

It Was Intense But The Debate Is Over!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:18:00 +0000

It's been a few months now, and I have to say we gave it our best try. But much to our disappointment the Intense Debate comment system has officially gotten the boot.

Lisa had been using the Intense Debate comment system for all the reasons we covered in our previous post about it (here). While we are sad to part with all these cool toys and lovely integration with the blog, the ever illusive bugs just became more than Lisa (or I) could bear (to keep fixing). Even when, after weeks of missing comments from readers using Internet Explorer and the bug suddenly managing to fix itself...sort of, Lisa would still get emails from time to time reminding her otherwise. The list of other nuisances and quirky issues eventually became too erratic to keep up with. Ultimately it got to a point where Internet Explorer readers couldn't even access the blog. An error message would pop up as the page was loading and redirect them somewhere else. We removed the Intense Debate widget and...whalla, no problems. Put the widget back in and...Bam, no access to the blog....continue reading on Lisa C Writes

Why You Shouldn't Mess With The Zohan!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:22:00 +0000

We did it! Even though they told us not to. And now we know why, you don't mess with the Zohan!

In Atlanta, we're fortunate to have one of the last great drive-in movie theaters around. And one of the things Lisa and I love to do when we have the opportunity is to take in a movie (or 2) at the drive-in. The drive-in is a perfect spot for us for many reasons. It is one of the few places you can go to after midnight and still find something fun and entertaining to do that doesn't involve heavy drinking and loud music. This is great for us, because even when we have a babysitter staying with the kids we like to put the little ones to bed before we leave.

Also the drive-in is one of the few places where we can hang out and get as dressed up or down as we like. Sometimes we'll get all dressed up like we're going out on a first date, and other times we take the trip across town and hang out in our loungewear or PJ's. During the spring and summer months it's especially fun when we take a couple of lawn chairs or blankets and sit outside under the stars. And of course sitting inside the vehicle can be just as much fun since there's no place like the drive-in to spark a fire while you sneak in a couple hot and steamy make-out sessions!

So last night was our night to get away (thanks Mom!). We decided we'd go the the 11:10 showing of Iron Man and finish the rest of the movie without all the, ahem - interruptions (read: the bootleg version we tried to watch of this movie was so bad we had to stop it before we saw very much). Then we'd stay on for the 1:55 showing of Adam Sandler's new movie Don't Mess with the Zohan. (Yes that's A.M.!) Another great thing about the drive in is that for the price of one admission you can watch both movies showing on your particular screen. Our drive-in only charges $7 per person, so for 14 big ones we get to see 2 new releases and have lot's of fun hanging out to unrighteous hours of the morning. And if your feeling especially devilish, you can hide your partner in the trunk and cut the cost of your date in half. (well that's what we heard, you know, some other people, not us, might try to do, sometimes, you know - not us...lol!)

Anyway, after finally getting out of the house 30 minutes later than we'd hoped (thanks Joshy), we made it to the drive-in at about 11:45. And wouldn't you know it we found our parking spot, got comfortable and it turned out that the movie was at the very point where we quit watching on our "copy". So Iron Man, although we were late, worked out perfectly as we got to see practically the whole movie. And while I'm not convinced it was worth all the hype, it was a pretty good movie. A decent attempt at a "different" type of superhero story, though the conflict and ending suffered from a horrible lack of creativity. The truth be told though, we were really excited about seeing Don't Mess with the Zohan. We're pretty big fans of Adam Sandler's work. Some of the favorites in our own collection are his movies Click, Meet the Parents, and Meet the Fockers. So though this movie begged for an eye raise, we were anxious for a good laugh.

Ok, so maybe it was just me. Maybe it was the fact that it was after 2 a.m. Maybe I was a bit distracted by the gorgeous set of legs sitting across from me. Maybe I didn't have enough to drink. Maybe I had too much to drink....continue reading on Lisa C Writes

You ARE A Role Model - STUPID!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:26:00 +0000

I don't care what your boy Charles Barkley might have told you, but when you get paid an insane amount of money for shooting a ball into a hole - guess what, you are a role model! And when you are a role model you can't do stupid sh*t and videotape it for the world to see. You can't do stupid sh*t that will get other (more stupid) impressionable young people killed because they saw their role model do it.

Somebody needs to take this dude out back and break him off some common damn sense!

Here's the video of Kobe Bryant (not) being a great role model:

....see the rest on Lisa C Writes

A Moment With Joshie

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Who knew that when we won this incredible new camcorder a few years back that it was probably just one of the last of an old model on the shelf. We've found much good use for that camera over the years, and have hours of video to show for it. So when it came time to want to share some of that priceless footage, we thought we'd just hood it up to the computer and....., well not so fast!

It turns out our camcorder is not digital (no matter how much we swear that it looks just like one!), and so therefore the simple task of transferring these captures would be quite an undertaking - one we're not quite prepared for...yet. Well you're smart and you have already peeped that little video box just below, so you must know there's more to the story. Ok, maybe we're just a bit slow (or some people should actually start to read the instructions) but we recently discovered that our digital camera can record short video clips. Wow!

So we've been playing around with it for a little while and decided to share a candid moment with father and son. Hope you enjoy!

Pregnant Man, Thomas Beatie On The Oprah Winfrey Show

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:36:00 +0000

Seen On News.com...

Thomas Beatie now, about five months pregnant insists his pregnancy is real and claims he is "perfectly capable" of giving birth - despite years of hormone treatments to make him a male.

Beatie will emerge from hiding tomorrow after reportedly striking a deal with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey to appear on her daytime show. "I'm a person and I have the right to have my own biological child," he tells her in an excerpt of the show. He and his wife Nancy, 45, are said to show off his prominent bump on the Oprah show and maintain he is expecting a baby girl in July. "Who hires a surrogate if they are capable of carrying their own child?" he says.

Doubts continue to surround the bizarre story, which was revealed in a gay magazine alongside photos of Beatie's growing stomach. Sceptics claim it is a hoax. Doctors, however, have confirmed that Beatie's pregnancy is possible. Although, he legally became a man after undergoing a sex-change operation, Beatie still kept his female reproductive organs....continue reading on Lisa C Writes

Earth Hour 2008 Takes Us To China And Brazil

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:39:00 +0000

What an enriching experience Earth Hour 2008 was. We knew well before Saturday evening what we'd be doing during the momentous hour of darkness. With 5 kids in tow, darkness on the horizon and 60 minutes of quality time on our hands, we couldn't leave the planning of this event up to circumstance, so we decided we'd spend the hour traveling the world.

We have already seen so much of the world thanks to the DVD collection of our local library. This Saturday we spent learning about the lives of 2 families in China. It was really interesting for us to learn how different the daily experiences of 2 families living in the same country could be. Our kids got the chance to see how other children in China prepare for school, and other daily tasks and chores. Having the opportunity experience life through the eyes of others always renews our appreciation for how blessed we are...continue reading on Lisa C Writes

Xobni Rocks! Invites Available At Lisa C Writes

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:49:00 +0000

For years, we have been die hard Gmail users. We had long turned our backs on Outlook and its little brother Outlook Express. Until recently when I had to begin using Outlook to collaborate with other people in the company through Exchange. We discovered that we could IMAP our multitude of Gmail accounts and have them all synchronized on our respective computers. That was absolutely awesome, and made using Outlook lots more fun and useful. In fact we've seldom been back to Gmail since.

Just when we were getting nice and comfy with our new Outlook setup we came across this incredibly sexy application called Xobni (that's Inbox backwards). After watching the video which we've shared with you below, we knew we had to have it. Xobni is free while still in Beta, and from what I hear should remain that way for personal use when it is launched. Bill Gates has referred to Xobni as "the next generation of social networking". Because of it's incredible popularity there is an extremely long wait for a download invitation when you request it directly from the company.

Well we're not much for waiting so we went to work to get our Xobni on! Believe me, it took some James Bond, Ethan Hunt & Charlies Angels moves just to get an invite to download this incredible application - but We Did It!!! And we are happy to share our good fortune with you.

Thanks to the good folks at Xobni, we have 9 invites that we'll be giving away in a special Lisa C Writes Xobni Giveaway. The giveaway rules are simple....continue reading on Lisa C Writes

Possible F2 Tornado Hits Downtown Atlanta

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:53:00 +0000

Something incredibly unusual has happened in The City Of Atlanta. This morning we are waking up to find incredible damage to numerous structures throughout the city. It's not often you hear (in fact, I've really never heard) of a tornado ripping through a metropolitan city with as many tall buildings as are in the downtown area.

These pictures only show a glimpse of the damage. Severe damage has been reported as several landmark structures including: The Georgia Dome, CNN Center, Omni Hotel, Westin Hotel, Georgia Convention Center, Centennial Olympic Park, The Equitable Building, The Suntrust Tower, and many, many others. Severe damage is being reported in many communities including the historic Cabbage Town neighborhood around the downtown area.

Amazingly, no deaths have been reported as a result of this incredible tragedy, and the reports of injuries are minimal considering the damage.
(see this post on Lisa C Writes)

Nicca Please!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:55:00 +0000

Embattled Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick in a State Of The City address (they actually do that?) complained to the audience of hundreds about the use of racial slurs and threats that he has been subjected to. In front of a Live T.V. and Radio audience he makes these remarks: "In the past 30 days, I've been called a nigger more than anytime in my entire life," said Kilpatrick, 37. "In the past three days, I've received more death threats than I have in my entire administration."

What's fascinating about this is that Mayor Kilpatrick is the same man who just a few months ago was at the head of a movement to "bury the -N- word". In fact he and other black leaders in the community conducted a mock funeral last summer to symbolize the obliteration of the term.

Kwame is a man who has disgraced his family, disrespected his children, desecrated his marriage union, deceived his constituents, disappointed his city, dishonored his mothers legacy, and derided his own accomplishments.

Are we supposed to feel sorry for him now because he showed his ass, and the media put it on the evening news? I have just one thing to say to him - NICCA PLEASE!!!

(see this post on Lisa C Writes)

Thursday's Thought Of The Day...02-14

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:11:00 +0000

We Think Too Small.

Like the frog at the bottom of the well. He thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well.

If he surfaced, he would have an Entirely differnt view.
-Mao Tse-Tung

Thursdays's Thought of The Day

Wordless Wednesday 02-13

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:29:00 +0000

YES WE CAN!!!

Don't Be A Statistic!!!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:35:00 +0000

I can remember growing up as a young black man in the inner city, I used to think that statistics were things that were made up to tell me how jacked up my life would probably turn out. I hated statistics! I was determined to overcome every statistical obstacle and premonition they through at me. Unfortunately, I wasn't always successful. But I am the man that I am today, because I am still driven by that determination to prove them wrong!

When I came across a blog entry the other day on Cash Quests, something resonated in me and that same feeling arose. The post there mentioned the fact that the majority of bloggers only last 3 months! Only 3 months? I realized immediately how dangerously close I was coming to becoming one of the "lost" blogs. And I'm just not havin that!

I can see how easy it is to jump right into blogging. You think that you have all these wonderful things to say and to share, and it's really exciting to see people visit your space in the cyberworld. You add all the gadgets and widgets to track your exposure, then join communities and social networks to drive traffic to your blog.

Blogging can be a lot like working out. At first the thought of attaining that perfect physique is so inspiring. So you run out and buy all the workout clothes, videos, weights, balls, jumpropes and a host of other props to make sure that you are, ready. And if you're really enthusiastic, you may even go all out for the 2 year gym membership because you know that you'll be there every chance you get. All of that, and you haven't even taken your first deep breath. People are great at getting ready to do something. And then it happens!

You get going, and your first day of exercise is wonderful, pushing yourself to limits beyond what you thought you could bear. Every bead of sweat is treasured as a deposit into future gains. We parade in front of the mirror looking for any sign of improvement until we're convinced that we've found it. And the story goes on from there. Before you know it, the props begin to collect dust, the gym hasn't seen you in weeks, because you're just too busy, and if you broke a sweat, you'd be pissed because it would ruin your nice outfit. And so it is with blogging. You've managed to write a few stellar posts, and your readers seem to have enjoyed them. Over-analyzing your traffic meters, you're thrilled anytime it gets into the double digits! But then your posts become more irregular, soon you're just doing the old copy and paste - reposting material you saw on some other blog that seemed interesting enough. And in less than 90 days - vamoose, you're gone! You're A Statistic!

Happy Birthday TT!!!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 05:46:00 +0000

Isn't amazing how fast time flies? This is a picture of TT taken exactly 2 years ago. She was just turning 1. It's hard to believe that today my little 2 year old angel is going to become my little 3 year old angel. Sometimes when you're around your children all the time you can miss how fast they are growing up right before you.

When I think back over the past year and all that she's learned to do, I'm really impressed with this young lady. This year she conquered the potty, learned how to buckle herself into her car seat, has been a great big sister to Joshy, she has grown comfortable with her glasses, she's gotten comfortable sleeping (the entire night) in her own bed, she's become a participant and not a distraction during homeschooling hours....
My little lady has had quite a year, and I'm so very proud of her!

We spent the afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese's yesterday to celebrate TT's birthday. What a blast we had! One of the things we all love about homeschooling, is that we get to do things like this when everyone else is in school. So today we practically had the whole place to ourselves. The kids had a great time, and surprisingly TT wasn't the least bit uneasy about the 6 foot Chucky that came out to sing her happy birthday.

It's days like today when I get to spend such precious time with the fam that I am impassioned to do all I can to become a full time stay/work at home dad. I was inspired to continue developing my window into that future world....something that I have been calling Project Stay At Home Dad. This will be the umbrella under which I'll foster/market all of my resources to replacing the income from my traditional J.O.B. Look out for more info on Project Stay At Home Dad in the near future. But I digress - today's is her day......

Daddy loves you lady!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Pops, just Put the Puppy on a Payment Plan.....Please!!!

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:20:00 +0000

A few years ago I had this wonderful idea that I would surprise my kids with a puppy. One of my coworkers had been trying to get me to take one of the remaining puppies from his dogs litter. After much debate about the matter around the office, my sensibilities were weakened and I became the proud owner of an adorable Labrador retriever. I'm fanatic about surprises, and this one was a doozy. Not even Lisa had a clue that I'd be bringing home a new addition to our family, and although I wasn't sure if that was a good idea, it went of without a hitch. The kids named him Koda. Our new addition needed to be fit with all the comforts of home, so off we went to Petco. A few hundred dollars later (omg!) we had everything we needed to make Koda right at home.

Things were great....at first. Koda loved the kids and they loved him back. Daddy was a hero! But as Koda grew, so did his teeth and his insatiable desire to sink them into anything in sight - including the kids. Koda was a charm as long as Daddy was home, but with my long hours gone at work he soon became The Commander in Teeth! It eventually had gotten so bad that the baby gate we used to keep him from coming upstairs became the prison gate that prevented the kids from coming downstairs.

It was only a few weeks before Koda finally grew big enough to jump the gate and parade around in the upstairs bedrooms. That was the straw that broke the camels back, and it was off to find Koda a new home! With great sadness, Lisa and the kids took Koda to the local shelter. They were fortunate to meet a lady in the parking lot who had a home with a large yard and she was thrilled to take him.

Fast forward to present day, and all of a sudden the fam is on this kick about getting a dog again! Maybe it's just me, but the last time I checked we pretty much had our hands full. Oh, and not to mention the girls still get jumpy anytime they get around a dog. But hey I'm a good sport, so against my better judgement I agree to go to Petco to see the dogs they have up for adoption. I was determined that we weren't coming home with a dog today! And believe me that would be no easy task, I'm a sucker when they all gang up on me.

We go into the store and immediately Lisa spots the cutest little beagle. Lisa and Nish find books about Beagles, and are bombarding me with more than I'd ever want to know about the breed as we walk through the store. My palms start getting sweaty and my heart starts racing. In my mind, I begin to justify the $300 we're about to spend to bring this dog home. The better of me knows this is a bad idea, and I'm desperately looking for a way out of this trap. Then Lisa turns to a section in her book that explains all the things you should know before choosing a Beagle. It tells us that the Beagle may not be the best choice for people who have sensitivities to airborne allergens. SAVED!!! I didn't even have to say a word. (Thanks to our years in the pollen capital of the world, Lisa and I have both become more sensitive to airborne allergens.) The Beagle would not be coming home with us today!

Just when I thought the coast was clear, and we had put this behind us, I get a call from Lisa. She's all excited about this pet store that she and the kids found while they were out driving. Apparently this place is some kind of pet boutique. They keep the animals in the back, out of the general viewing area. The associate that helps you assumes the sale from the moment you walk in and begins quizzing you about what kind of dog you'd like to take home today. So after they spend a few moments chatting the sales agent goes to the back and brings out a heartbreaker. She invites Lisa and the kids into a private room where they can "get to know" the dog a little better.

So I finally get around to the question, "How much does this dog cost?" Lisa says, $1,500. Fifteen Hundred Dollars!!! My eyes must have popped out of my head. I have five children, and none of them cost me $1,500 I told her. Very calmly and sweetly, my wife responds, "But honey the lady says that you can put the puppy on a payment plan". I was speechless...for a moment. I had never heard of such a thing. I mean, what happens if I stop paying for the puppy, do they send the repo man after little Rover?

Well needless to say we are still puppyless. We finally agreed that adding a dog to the family would have to wait at least until Mommy stops nursing Joshy. And I promised the kids that as soon as Daddy is able to work from home that I'd get them a dog!
Hey, that's what a man's gotta do!

BTW, we eventually discovered at a Vet visit that Koda was actually a Girl!
(I tried to tell 'em, I swear I did!!!!)

My Wordless Wednesday this week is in memory of Koda

Wordless Wednesday 09-12

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0000

9/11/2001 - Last Moments INSIDE the World Trade Center

noreply@blogger.com (David D. Charles) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:43:00 +0000

*Warning - Graphic Audio*