Silly and Sweet

 Much like its predecessor, 2021 has been a blend of silly and sweet. One month into the journey, here is a review of the most memorable ingredients in the 2021 blender:

Sweet

Two weeks before last Christmas, my wife gifted me a haircut. This was the ultimate gesture in the new normal. I was gifted the opportunity to be publicly groomed. When she told me my appointment was set and I was to enjoy self-care, my mind almost exploded. What had 2020 done to me? I was emotionally charged up to be free from home and work in any capacity. 

I strutted into Noble Haircuts disheveled. My hair and beard were a crossfire of color; a mix of brown, red, and silver. It was as if every species of fox surrounded my face. This is when I met Olivia. Noble had recently just opened. This was her first day working for this establishment. It felt like my first day in a public forum of any kind. 

Needless to say, it was a great experience. I returned this week to get spruced up. The beauty of the haircuts and the beard basking has been not only the enhancement of my physical appearance, but the emotional benefits of human interaction. The awkwardness and randomness of meeting others; connection by conversation; allowing a stranger to use a sharp object dangerously close to my jugular and be relaxed to the max. 

Thank you, wife. Thank you, Olivia. Thank you, Noble.

Always thank your wife first. (Fox beard cleverness)

Silly

During the pandemic, my wife and I have made late night escapes. I would classify it as guilty pleasure if I felt guilty. In 2021, we started The Americans, a FX spy thriller that ran from 2013-2018. The plot has us travel back to the 1980s. After surviving the nightly war that is our daughters' bedtime, the Cold War is ours. Mother Russia. The United States. The decade we were born. 

Majesty.

Every time the theme song plays at the beginning of each episode, I do a blustering dance that makes my wife laugh. The dance is a celebration of my flexibility and fatherhood. 

The girls are asleep. I am alive. Adrenaline in my veins.

20-30 minutes after the dance, I fall asleep. 

We are on Season 2. There are six seasons. At this pace, we will be wrapping up the series around Easter. 

Silly

Here is a conversation that recently played in my imagination between the Easter Bunny and the Trix Rabbit:

Easter Bunny:  "What are you doing here?"

Trix Rabbit: "Just wanted to point out that you said we would be back to normal by Easter...last year"

Easter Bunny: "I NEVER said that. It must be easy selling cereal. I'm responsible for an entire holiday."

Trix Rabbit: "Well, no one is going to want to take pictures with you this year. One, because of fear. Two, because of bitterness."

Easter Bunny: "Has anyone ever wanted to take pictures with you?...that's what I thought."

Trix Rabbit: "Well bunny, Trix are still for kids. Not sure if the Easter bunny can claim that..."

Easter Bunny (middle hare finger)

Sweet

My 6-year-old brought home a drawing from school that was completed during free art. It was an opportunity to color whatever the heart desired. She drew a picture of me, my brother, and my once faithful dog Ralph. It is an awesome work of art.

Today when I took a Stackhouse hike on snowy trails, I enjoyed the solitude and silence. I passed an older couple walking their pooch. On a 3.6 mile journey, they were the only people that served as passerby. The woman looked at me and said, "You look like someone who could use a big dog".

I smiled and kept marching on. I imagined Ralph running those trails. I remembered my daughter's picture. 

Sometimes I feel the most connected in moments of solitude in Mother Nature.

Silly

While I was using the bathroom, my 3-year-old casually walked in and let me know that she was looking for me. In an unfathomable high-pitch and as calm as can be, she stated that she had the Disney trivia cards ready for me. She was courteous enough to let me know that the first question pertained to the movie Cars. She went on to describe how she believed it was most appropriate to leave the trivia cards on the sink so that I could bring them down and fulfill my responsibility as question asker. 

I remained seated and had not said anything until uttering, "Ok, thank you..."

She proceeded to slowly walk out, almost in a prance or a glide. 

"Please shut the door" I declared as she had not intention to do so.

Her response, in the highest of pitch, "SURE DAD!"

And like a ghost, she vanished. 

Silly

The pursuit of sled riding is always an adventure. It takes around 17-23 minutes to get out of the house and the actual riding of sleds lasts 13-20 minutes. Today, my wife and I found ourselves doing a double sled, screaming and filming the conquest. 

Our 6-year-old tapped out about 5 minutes prior. Our 3-year-old actually never came outside. She watched like a proud grandmother in her pajamas from the window. 

And there we were, in our 30s, zipping down the hillside. 

Freedom. Silly and sweet freedom. 

Sweet

Tomorrow brings on February. I feel lucky and blessed to have my health, family, and that freedom. The key ingredients of 2021 remain the same from 2020: faith, humor, and hope. 

Blend on, Johnstown. 

Top 10 Books 2021

My daughters were both back in school this month for the first time since Halloween. To celebrate education, here are my Top 10 Books of the Year in no particular order:

10:  The Complete Runner's Day-By-Day Log 2021 Calendar 

Over a decade ago, I impulse bought a red running calendar written by Marty Jerome. This was back when walking through the mall was cool. Amazon was a mere river in South America. I have a stable of red runner's calendars documenting my physical fitness; from heroic years in my 20s to rough and tumble years in my 30s. The cover is always red and features human legs. This year's edition has a woman's legs and her torso. Marty never shows the runner's face. All of Marty's cover photos are of individuals in the Witness Protection Program. 

And for witnessing, I hope no one captured my last run. It was this week in Cambria City on a brisk winter's morn. The blast of cold air united with the breeze from the Stonycreek. Pumping my arms across the river's bridge, my feet floated on a thin layer of snow. I looked up and got lost in the clouds. A wintry sun greeted me. I breathed in my hometown..

And then I slipped on ice and crashed onto my buttocks. JWF industries surveillance footage might have my body going Looney Tunes onto the pavement. 

Marty's first question in his 2021 book: "Can you outrun your own biology?"

Um...apparently not, Marty.

9. Animal Coloring Book: Packed With Animal Facts

Coloring might be more my speed. The 2020-2021 interrupted school year was an invitation for homebound creativity. A single Animal of the Day lesson plan ignited a zoological conquest. For my daughter's 6th birthday, my wife helped me order this high class coloring book off of South America's largest river. For 2021, we have 100 animals to learn about. We also have a copier machine so everyone in our family can color each animal. We have a copier machine in our bedroom. We have a copier machine in our walk-in closet. We have a copier machine on top of a folding table in our walk-in-closet. My wife has a home office in our bedroom with a copier machine on top of a folding table in our closet. My wife put up a curtain so she can work out of our walk-in closet. 

Sometimes I don't even know she is in there. 

"Excuse me honey, sorry to bother you...can you make 3 copies of this Komodo dragon?"

8. How to Fight A Bear...And Win

My brother-in-law plays to my strengths. He and his wife got me this survival book and a wealth of products for my beard. If a bear attacks me this year, not only will I know what to do but my beard will smell damn good. 

The book starts with this line from Teddy Roosevelt: "There were all kinds of things I was afraid of at first, ranging from grizzly bears to mean horses and gunfighters. But by acting as if I was not afraid I gradually ceased to be afraid."

I responded with: "I fear not the bear for the bear fears my beard"

7. Who's Who In the Zoo

My mother frequently gifts my wife random items often in the categories of clothing, beauty, or grocery. I rarely get such gifts. A body wash here or there. Maybe a bottle of Aleve if I disclose an ailment. But, over Christmas, I got a real gem. She delivered me this 1937 hardback. I believe the discovery was from a neighbor. Knowing the wildlife wonderland I had created, she was spot on when donating this book to the cause. 

My favorite chapter so far is the 3rd animal identified in "Primates". It is the Orang-Utan. Not Orangutan. Apparently in 1937, zoologists were not ready to commit a full word to this creature. This is how I imagine the conversation:

(swampy coastal forest, location unknown)

Man 1: "What is that? I've never seen anything like it!"

Man 2:  "A new species! We shall toast tonight!

Man 1: "What shall we name this joy of the treetops?"

Man 2: "How does Orangutan sound?"

Man 1: "Stupendous!...is that with a hyphen?"

Man 2: "Well, I do believe so! The Orang-Utan!"

The book also claims I can refer to the Orang-Utan as the "Wild Man of Borneo". 

Ok, now we are getting a little carried away. 

6. The 50 States

This colorful gigantic book is a dream for adult and children travelers. Since our travel adventures have been limited over the last 12 months, we have booked flights across the country in this cartoonish summary of our nation. Our kids know less about the division that exists in those 50 states and more about the unique landscape and history of those places on the map. My wife and I reman steadfast in our quest to experience all 50 of those states. 

Travel may be delayed. Teaching our kids never stops. 

Tonight they are sleeping at my wife's cousin's house. 

Correction - teaching timeout tonight. 

5. The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age

While in a book store in Virginia, this book found me; green cover, ladybug on a leaf. And this line might speak to me more than any other: 

"Spending time in nature, particularly in wilderness, can pose physical dangers, but rejecting nature because of those risks and discomforts is a greater gamble."

Bring on the bears. 

4. Vet Academy

My 6-year-old has veterinarian aspirations. I love animals too, but I don't do graphic scenes; I almost passed out when my wife got the epidural. Never had the veterinarian call. 

This paperback is full of facts and activities for future vets. From treating animals on the farm to the zoo, it is powerhouse prose. It also has stickers, which spices up any and all literature.

Currently, we have 34,567,234 stickers in our house. 

3. Disney Ideas Book

We began 2020 in Disney. In 2021, we have this book. Less thrilling, less expensive, no lines. We can make Zootopia Balloon Faces, Winnie the Pooh Party Hats, and Alice in Wonderland Playing-Card Costumes. 

My wife volunteered to lead these projects while I am hunting bear in Stackhouse Park. 

2. Dapper Animals Coloring Book

My mother did gift me something else. It was this sophisticated adult coloring book. This book is coloring royalty. There is a picture of a cow wearing a fancy hat with the quote, "Fashions fade, style is eternal." How about a giraffe in a bowtie with the caption, "Attitude is everything."

And on wintry weekend nights, you will find me coloring Dapper Animals. 

Rough and tumble years. Rough and tumble years.

1. The Bible

I have been reading the Psalms to start 2021. The four word line, "I FEAR NO DANGER" in Psalm 23 is my 2021 slogan. Not bears, not Orang-Utans, not ice, not aging, not my walk-in-closet that you can't walk into anymore..nothing. 

Cheers Johnstown. Read on. 

Peace in the Park

 Tonight our family went to Central Park in downtown Johnstown for one last hoorah for oh Christmas tree. We danced around that towering, shiny evergreen as if dancing was the only thing that mattered. 

I refuse to concede to the notion that these are "dark days". I choose to live in the light. To dance under the glow of that Christmas tree. To be a role model for my girls. To appreciate my freedom of speech yet enjoy moments of joy without having to voice anything. To go into a public place to enjoy the view instead of singularly motivated to express a view.

And defining greatness is not neccessary and utterly subjective. As a responsible adult, why not just dance. Let kids know it is perfectly ok to be vulnerable. This world is far from perfect and nothing is normal. Life is abnormal. Get use to it, mask or no mask. As my oldest daughter turns the corner to age 6, her wisdom, empathy, and curiosity continues to amaze me. 

I am grateful that during these days of light, I shared some unbelievable experiences with her. I am far from perfect yet I am grateful. Grateful that I did not waste precious time judging others entangled in a world wide web of adult arrogance and ignorance. My daughter and I reflected upon the idea of letting tomorrow worry about tomorrow. Let's be our best today. Let that curiosity parachute in each and every day. Let creativity explode. Ride a tidal wave of kindness. If you do, you will end up on the beach. If you forget about kindness, you will find yourself lost at sea. 

I challenge everyone who reads this blog to enter a park this month. Breathe in fresh air. If you are lucky enough to have the legs and lungs to walk a path, do it. There are plenty of people who don't have that fortune. Plenty of people who lost that fortune over the last 12 months. And you don't have to wear a t-shirt or hat declaring an affiliation. You don't have to pick a side. Pick a path. You don't have to protest. By keeping your thoughts to yourself, you might actually gain perspective. There is scientific evidence that suggests that simply being amongst trees is therapeutic. Watching my family dance around that tree tonight, it probably didn't look like therapy and more like lunacy. I choose to be that lunatic. That Girl Dad unafraid of hip shaking and risk taking. 

The Christmas spirit was present tonight in downtown Johnstown. It was present because of the tree. It was present because of the music. It was present because we were present. Living in a moment. Showing our kids that Christmas is not one day. It is a season. It is a celebration there for the taking. All we have to do is show up. 

And as adults, maybe we just shut up and listen. 

Maybe a curious and creative kid will teach us something. 

 

The Food Awards

Unless you have been living and eating under a rock, you are well aware that the pandemic has threatened the restaurant industry. Restaurant owners have had to rethink, retool, and rebuild throughout the Covid-19 culinary crisis. In honor of all the restaurants still making food and making it work, I give you my favorite dishes of these times. They have helped fill my soul and my Dad body. In no particular order and without further ado:

NyKo's Love Roll

Before falling in love with the woman who would become my wife and the love roll (in that order), I did not eat raw fish. She introduced me to sushi during our courtship. I had limited knowledge of sushi as a Neanderthal bachelor. My chopsticking was as raw as the fish. I would pay the price when I used too much wasabi in the soy sauce. The more I ate sushi, the more I developed a joy for rolled up sea creatures. Chopsticks became mighty extensions of my phalanges. The love roll melted into my heart and bones. 

2020 marked my highest consumption of NyKo's love roll. Our world needed more love in general so I filled my world with this crab based romance that dances with avocado, cucumber, tuna, salmon, and mysterious sauces. The crab is what really captures my Dad buds (taste buds of a Dad). Whenever I eat a love roll, I instantly become more empathetic and passionate. 

Santo's Chicken Parm Sandwich

In my lifetime, our family has spent a preposterous amount of money on Santo's pizza. Every penny and piece of pizza has been worth it. Yet, it is the chicken parm sandwich that lifted me to new heights in 2020. Imagine a man standing on the top of a mountain eating a chicken parm sandwich. The cheese is melting, flowing down the mountain, trailed by a red sauce river of goodness. The man roars. The echo breathes in that glorious chicken and welcoming bread. 

I am that man. 

Clark's Corner Store Breakfast Pizza

On the morning of my wedding, I carbo loaded on Clark's breakfast pizza. It was going to be a hot June day and I needed a base of egg and bacon in the shape of pizza. It was a brilliant breakfast that has fueled my marriage since Day 1. We returned to the breakfast pizza this Christmas Eve morning. While leaving out cookies and milk for Santa is a moon lit tradition, there is no doubt in my mind that Santa eats breakfast pizza at sunrise before delivering toys to all the girls and boys. How do you think he grows that hearty beard?

By the way, most of my Christmas gifts were related to my beard. Washes, oils, balms, combs, and more. Needless to say, I'm not shaving any time soon. 2021, the groom boom. 

Balance Crusted Lamb

On New Year's Day, our family did a lot of exercise - Zoom yoga, Youtube dance workouts, and I completed a 2-mile trek into the icy abyss of Stackhouse Park. We championed all that is cardiovascular to earn a midday Balance extravaganza, a mouth watering bombardment of meat and vegetables. I was a sophisticated caveman with my cavewomen tearing into ribs, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and beets. My beard grew exponentially as barbecue sauce soaked into thy hair follicles.  

The most scrumptious part of the feast was the crusted lamb, a memorable loin to begin 2021. It sat on a sweet potato puree. It was a tender, flavored cut of baby sheep. My wife and I did not speak much during the eating. There were some savage affirmations and unanswered questions from our children. 

Shortly after, we all counted sheep and crashed. We balanced the recliner and drifted off into a naptime for the ages. 

Boulevard Grill Nashville Hot Wings

Back when you could travel without shame or outcry, my wife and I experienced Nashville, a community of history, music, and Southern fare. The hot wings are iconic Nashville grub. Boulevard Grill has paid homage to the spice and adventure that are Nashville hot wings. Add pickles to the punch, you get a flamethrower of a meal. And, it is not that hot you get sweaty and delirious. The perfect amount of heat that needs tamed by a cold drink. I could close my eyes and travel back to Nashville honky-tonks. Thousands of people flooding the streets. The sound of guitars and drums. Shouts of joy and admiration. The experience that is eating. 

Thank you Boulevard for taking me back to Music City. 

Ryan's Artisan Goods Everything Bagel

The everything bagel is one of the most audacious foods. It claims "everything" and struts around the other bagels like the majestic bagel that it is. Do you know how embarrassing it is to be a plain bagel? Whoever named bagels did not hold back. "You guys are plain. You guys are everything. Sorry, look at you. Life's not fair".

Ryan's Artisan Goods just opened up a new store front in Cambria City. When dining makes a triumphant comeback, you can watch the world go by out of a giant windows overlooking Broad Street. I coated a Ryan's everything bagel with cream cheese, like snowfall on a ridgetop. I had everything all over and in my beard. Plain bagels cursed me as I spoke highly of the fanciest damn bagel the world has ever known. 

Support local restaurants. The six establishments above are well-established in our family. Some date back to my childhood. Others have been a part of the childhoods of my girls. All of them have brought good tidings and good food. 

To all restaurant owners, chefs, waiters, waitresses, and bartenders: hang in there. Keep those doors open. Keep those creative juices flowing. Cook with love. 

We will love you back.

2021, Johnstown. Make it a year to celebrate community!