Yeah, but...



...what do you have against Volkswagens? (and there's only one "o" in Volkswagen, doncha know, or doncha?)

-ol' 2long

Nothin at all... MOF DD wants one of those cute little speedbumps for her 16th birthday..

Please legislature.. follow through on the threat to up the legal driving age to 18 this year.....

OH, how I wish!

DD15 has her learners permit and could go THIS MONTH to get her license. I'm not going to let her quite yet. After she hung my truck up on the pillars getting into the driveway at work, she got kind of scared and doesn't want to drive it anymore.

My truck is kind of a monster and it's hard to tell where the corners are sometimes.

I have HRG working on an older ('87) GMC Jimmy 4x4 for her to drive. It should be done in the next couple of weeks and I'll keep her driving it with me and THEN take her in to finish the test and get her official license. It's much smaller than my truck and should be easier for her to navigate.

It's scary - what if she doesn't pay attention?

Fox

Heh.. I know what you mean.. I've been slowly working with DD.. taking her out in parking lots after businesses close... etc.. just to get her used to the feel of it.

She stays with my mom a lot and does a lot of things with her now that she's retired, so her knowing how to drive may be more and more important with my mom's osteoperosis worsening and strokes/heart attacks being common on her side of the family.. so she worries.. it puts her mind at ease a bit to know DD can do in a pinch.

MOF one of my first vehicles was an 89 GMC Jimmy 4X4.. they're a lot of fun. Had a buddy of mine with a Chevy S10 which was essentially the same vehicle but with a bed instead of a back seat.. same year... we used to play hide and seek all over town with em.. CB radio and all..

Dang.. those were the days.

Uh... er... not to imply your DD would do ANYTHING like that in hers... uh.. by the way.

I mean... I lost my virginity due to the lay-down back seat of that ride.. but still..



AHem... well..



I'll stop now..

Ah, the joys of having a teenage driver in the house. On the plus side, you don't have to drive carloads of kids all over town nearly so often. But it also means you won't have your car when you need it either. And when you get it back it will be out of gas. I now completely understand why my parents were so strict when I was a teen!

Thanks alot, James.

Now I have to have the nanny cam and GPS installed.

AND little shock sensors so if ANYONE gets in the back seat, they are toasted.

MT has graduated driver's license laws and she will not be allowed by law to have anyone other than a sibling under the age of 18 in the car with her without an adult present for a certain amount of time.

Hmmmm....I might have to look into a Rottweiler, too. You have to have security systems, ya know. I just have to train him to attack anyone under the age of 18 that is male.

Fox

How is James doing in 'peaceful' country?

He's probably freezing his bald stallion off

Thanks for asking Luna.

I'm actually feeling better than I have since before all this mess started.

I really don't know how best to describe it, but I'm already waking up in the morning and she isn't my first thought.. the D isn't my first thought.. the A isn't my first thought.

I still catch myself thinking about the A, and occasionally will feel pity for her and her terrible choices. I'm no less sad for DS and DSD regarding the destruction of their family, but I've come to realize that the BEST thing I can do for either of them is to carry on and be the best father I can be to DS when he is with me.. Perhaps one day DSD and I can rekindle our relationship, but today is not that day and I can't let myself dwell on something I have absolutely no control over.

On the other hand I've found a 'me' that hasn't been around for a long time is starting to shine through the surface. I'm -truly- happy again, and while I still have my moments they are growing fewer and far less severe.

I just had my first 'two overnight' stay with DS this week, and I think the schedule is going to work out beautifully. He and I have already settled into a weekday rhythm again like one might slip on an old comfortable shoe. I'm sure that having had him with me all week last week probably helped that quite a bit, but he seems very happy and comfortable with it, and that's really all that matters. It gives me some continuity in the 'parent' time, and some consecutive nights of downtime that will allow me to have fully charged daddy batteries when the next grouping of days comes around.


Funny you should mention that BC.. Yesterday I took the day off work to take DS and some of his little friends to the Children's Museum in Indy to see their special holiday exhibits. They have a big slide and a visit with Santa, and I managed to convince a young tow headed boy with dark rimmed glasses to ask Santa for a Red Rider BB gun.. Santa didn't miss a beat, and quoted his lines perfectly. It got some really great laughs out of the adults in the room.. Which of course facilitated a nearly 10 minute discussion with the boys and a promise to show them the movie sometime.

Afterwards we went to the local zoo, and we got the kids all bundled up and wandered around looking at their special Christmas lights display that they do every year.

It was a magical day for the kids, and an exhausting one for me.. and I -think- I may actually have a spot of frostbite on the dome... so

Forget the BB gun. I want "Electric Sex" baby!!

and take better care of your dome, you might want to use it again some day, remember, it's FRA-GEE-LAY!!

It's French?

No, Itallion

Couillion!!

Sorry... I only watch the Ferrari...

James,


...like music to my ears!

Hi James,

How's the "ME" doing these days.

James,

You sound really good!

I love that the schedule is working out well with DS,,,,,that alone is something to celebrate!

I'm with you on finally getting to a point where Drac and the D isn't the first thing I think of when I wake in the morning. Kinda nice to feel like you have your own life again, isn't it?




Good for you!! I was just having this same discussion with another friend of mine. It's nice to have 'me' back again. Even friends and family have commented on it to me recently.

So,,,,,,,,,,things are sounding great. Love the stuff you did with the kids!

Now,,,,,,,,,,,what's this I read somewhere about an upcoming date???????

ME is doing fantabulous. I think I've really hit my stride in the last week or two. It's unbelievable the difference I feel being on the other side of the D. I'm still sad for the children from time to time, but I really don't feel anymore like I have lost anything anymore. I'm reclaiming to a large extent what is mine.

Didn't even trigger much putting together a few last boxes of 'her' to get out of the house, so I'd say that's progress.. something I couldn't even bring myself to do a month ago, and today it's just something on my 'to do' list around the house.

Contact with the ex is very infrequent, though she's missed a court ordered payment already so I'm going to have to deal with that. Not entirely sure what she's trying to pull, or if it's just her being irresponsible. I'm actually inclined to think it's just her being lazy and irresponsible... it fits her pattern. Anyhow.. even that hasn't ruffled my feathers.

All in all I'd say I'm in pretty good shape.. looking forward to the holidays, and have been off work since Friday and I don't go back until next Monday.. a much much needed break to reclaim myself.




Don't know why.. but today I feel just beyond really good.. no plans, a clean house, DD and I hanging out.. took my mom to dinner and a movie for her birthday yesterday... it's good.


It is sooooooooooo nice to have my life back. Getting everything organized with the budget, shifting a few things around and I gotta tell you, the future is lookin pretty dang bright for this SBSofaBP.




Actually had my best friend come stay with me for the weekend, and he and I had a similar conversation. My good friends certainly are glad to have 'me' back.. and DD, and even coworkers have even made a few passing comments to that effect, so it's noticable it seems.

Man o man, I can't wait for this. Still in the limbo line, waiting for the D, property settlement and such. Limbo lower now...

James,

I hope you and the kids had a wonderful day!

:MerryChristmas: