Today is Father's Day. I have to say my experience of this annual holiday is a bit different this year. Living with an expectant dad has allowed me to see fatherhood through a new lens. Yep, you read that right... we're having a baby! ETA: right around Thanksgiving. (Our Club K&J members have known about this for a few weeks.) It's all very exciting! Even though the baby is only about 4 inches long, Jason has shown countless fatherhood traits over the last four months. Here are ten reasons I think Jason is the best father-to-be, this Father's Day. 1. He insists on carrying the …
Archives for June 2008
Goodbye, Strawberry Shortcake
I'll admit it. My aunt Sarah (three years my senior) had a pretty vast collection of Strawberry Shortcake dolls (I mean action figures.) If I had to count how many times I begged her to play with them, I'd surely be up in the millions. They were so cute...so colorful...so smelly (in a completely irresistible sort of way.) And now American Greetings has decided to ruin Strawberry Shortcake and her sweet-smelling pals forever. In the old "Hey, let's give this classic character a face lift to appeal to the young kids" saw, Strawberry Shortcake now wears makeup, prefers fresh fruit to …
The Monet Vacation
It's that time of year... summer vacation. "FINALLY!", the Wisconsin kids are exclaiming, after having to make up a few snow days here in June. Never fun! Rumors abound that vacations will be down this year due to the gas prices. (Debbie Downer Alert!) P.T. Barnum (yes the guy from that little thing known as the greatest show on earth) proved in his day was that even in a period as tough as the Great Depression, people will spend their last nickel on FUN. Everyone needs a break... an escape... a vacation of sorts. That doesn't mean you have to fly down to Disney or go surfing in Hawaii. It …
Friendly Confines
A friend treated Kim and me to a Cubs game last night. (Thanks Teresa!) It's been forever since I'd been to good ol' Wrigley and it brought back a lot of childhood memories. Things like the glow of the emerald green grass, the barking beer vendors, and the skewed perspective that causes certain "home runs" to fall harmlessly into the shortstop's glove. It was 80º and perfect, and the Cubbies won 10 to 5, but I think the thing I enjoyed the most was the camaraderie. I didn't know how much I missed that. That's one of the few downsides of living in Wisconsin, after having spent all but …
an interview with…Peggy Willenberg
(This is an excerpt of an interview from the Kim & Jason magazine with Peggy Willenberg, who is one half of the duo known as “The Twister Sisters.” Peggy and her friend Melanie Metz started chasing twisters together in 2001. They’ve been involved with two documentaries for The National Geographic Channel, and enjoyed their own series on WE TV.) Kim & Jason: How did you and Melanie meet and how did you become known as the Twister Sisters? Peggy: We actually met twice. The first time, Mel attended a Skywarn class I was instructing. It was my first time to present a class and I …
Kim & Jason Interviewed on Top Story
Last week Kim and I were interviewed for Top Story by Kelly Klaas & Scott Martin from 1310 KLIX AM in Idaho. The topic? Adultitis. It was a fun interview and very cool to see what sorts of things the guys recently did to try and counteract Adultitis. Even the "Adultitis Guy" made an appearance. Just click play to listen. …
Tip of the Week: Dear Hero
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #12: Dear Hero: Write a letter to a childhood hero (real or fictional). Last summer a group of us from Kim & Jason went to Milwaukee for a Get Motivated Seminar. It was an unbelievable experience. Not only did we get the opportunity to hear the perspectives of highly respected leaders like Suze Orman, Colin Powell, and Ed McMahon, we were also treated to hearing some snippets explaining "how he got to where he is today" from everyone's favorite TV dad, Bill Cosby. What a guy! The highlight for most attendees, though, was the …
Why So Serious?
A highlight for me this summer will be the release of the new Batman film, The Dark Knight, featuring the late Heath Ledger in a standout role as the villainous Joker. One of the big lines being used in promoting the film comes from the Joker himself, who says, "Why so serious?" The same question might be asked of most of us. I remember standing on the bus stop as a young boy, waiting for my early morning ride to school. My mom made me walk the three blocks to the corner much earlier than was necessary, probably ensuring that she wouldn't have to disrupt her morning routine in order to …
Say Cheese
Pictures from your childhood are simply priceless. They often remind you of different parts of your life that you may have forgotten... like the specific toys you used to play with, your dad's old station wagon with the wooden panels, or your favorite t-shirt or polyester plaid pants. The coolest thing about old pictures is the spirit of childhood that is captured on paper... that unapologetic, unfailing enthusiasm for life. There is a very cool project online, YOUNGME - NOWME, put out by Ze Frank and Erik Kastner. They invited adults to try to recreate a pose and picture from childhood …
Tip of the Week: Backyard Adventurer
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is: #13: Backyard Adventurer: Spend ten minutes doing something outside that you have never done before. As a kid I spent most of my summer vacation outside. All it took was a simple prop and I would be inspired for hours and hours, engaged in imaginative fun. For instance, one time my sister and I found two potato sacks in our garage... two hours later our front yard was adorned with an elaborate obstacle course. Of course, one of the many elements happened to be a potato sack race. I'll never forget the scratchiness of the bag …