Recent content by John

There is so much on television that everything can't be filtered out entirely. When we trip over things getting to the television quickly enough to turn it off before the bad stuff comes on, it calls even more attention to it. We tend to choose our channels well and then overlook most of it. We...

We had a friend tell us once that he put his kid through college on a dollar a day. We didn't believe it at first. Then he explained that he religiously put a dollar every day into a college jar he kept beside his morning coffee cup. Over time, he added bits of money to the fund, but it's the...

I haven't seen the last Shrek movie. We loved the first ones. The special effects blew me away in that one. Animation has come so far from what it was when I was a child. I'm not crazy about all the special effects in many of the movies today, but Shrek was incredible.

Victor, I'll believe the "finished" part when I see it. You know how things go with civic projects. I didn't see any type of projection dates in the article I was reading. The one that leads to the coast won't go through my city, but we do have some already in place by the river. That's my...

My wife was so upset. She let her license tags expire, and the police pulled her. I didn't realize her tags had expired either. Luckily, all they did was ask her to bring her receipt down to the judicial center, and they voided everything. She didn't have to pay any fines. It's her first...

At least the situation gave you a chance to bring up the topic. You can never be too safe. At that age, the hormones are raging, so the issue will come up again, most assuredly. We've all been there, or at least I know most of us guys have been. That's life.

Pets are always the responsibility of whoever wanted them in the first place. Our children take out the trash, keep their rooms clean, and even learn to do their own laundry before they head off to summer camp. They also have to keep the inside of the cars clean. Every so often, when the kids...

I've always been up front with my kids about money. They know their parents and grandparents are forced to save in order to do the things they want to do later. Forced savings include vacations, taxes, contributions, taxes, and taxes. Auto insurance and savings for a car are also "forced." It's...

I, too, would have kept asking questions until I knew a little more. If the lad is around now, he'll most likely be around later. These days, you just can't be too safe. I think, too, kids in the neighborhood appreciate it when a responsible adult does take an interest in them, although we...

Do other dads find it really hard to let their children be a little independent? It's really hard to allow them to head off to an out-of-state amusement park with another family, even if you know the family well. We are always inviting our children's friends to the beach with us, but it's harder...

I'm not a single father, but my brother brought up his boys after his wife died. They were 10, 15, and 17. The toughest thing he had to deal with was trying to make their games, their activities, and take the time to listen to them. He did a great job, but he doesn't think so.

Usually, it's the kids who kick in and decide what they want to do on our vacations. If we can afford it, we do it. If money is tight, we do something as close to what they want. This time, I'm thinking she's planning something she knows I will like.

I have a temper, and I have been known to raise my voice. I'm not mean, however. I do mean what I say. Sometimes I just run out of patience. There is never any violence or profanity.

There's a big man-made lake about an hour's drive from here my kids have been wanting to go to. I would much rather head to the beach and stay there overnight at least. I just don't like the crowds at some of these places. Do you just go along and take your ear plugs?

The wife has scheduled a vacation over Father's Day for us. I'm wondering what she's up to. Does your wife ever take over some of your yearly calendar and sneak a plan or two in that she doesn't run by you?