Modern Dad
As Father’s Day approaches, be sure you hug your mom
By Jon Show. This Father’s Day marks my 11th year as a parent, which means I’ve been raising animals for almost a quarter of my life. I mean children. Raising children. I know sometimes I’m a lousy role model but I try to make up for it by explaining the important things I want my […]
Modern Dad: Some people should spend more time alone
By Jon Show. My kids are entering the ages where sports become more prevalent in their lives. Future Man plays lacrosse, soccer and basketball. The Blonde Bomber, after trying nearly every sport known to woman, chose soccer. I don’t care what sports they play, I just want them to play sports. The Shows, I tell them, […]
Our man’s war against neckties
By Jon Show. Last week the Blonde Bomber walked into my closet while I was putting away laundry and asked me why I don’t wear ties. “I hate ties,” I said. “Why,” she responded? I shrugged, not knowing how to answer the question. I began my professional career as an account manager in a manufacturing […]
Modern Dad: Nit nabbers need noggin gnats (to feel fulfilled)
By Jon Show. Five years earlier we were sure we were doing all the right things as parents! But I confess: We have cooties. I know a lot about lice. Too much for any person, really, but definitely too much for a bald man in his forties. My first run in with galloping dandruff came when I […]
Camping. Why not just call it a torture test?
Prior to having kids I’d only slept outside two times on purpose. Both were rafting trips in Western North Carolina and it rained each time. I vowed never to go camping again. Two years ago our kids begged us to go camping so now we go once a year. We do what I call “Check […]
I don’t want a partridge in a pear tree, just flush the d#$% toilet
By Jon Show. As a child, I asked my dad every year what he wanted for Christmas and his response was always the same, “I just want you guys to be happy.” Nice in theory but I can’t wrap that up in a box and put it under the tree. My kids have never asked […]
Modern Dad: Thankful for a life well lived
By Jon Show. Bob Herberger would have been 98 years old this week but he died last month in a nursing home in Texas. He was my grandfather. Bob was quiet and kind. Thoughtful and giving. He loved desserts, prime rib, reading books, fishing, and smiling at a pretty lady. He had one beer every […]
My brother cried at my wedding because one-eyed Butkus died
By Jon Show. I’ve had eight animals in my lifetime but none as an adult. When I was born my parents had a mutt named Barney, named after my grandfather’s best friend. I don’t remember much about him except that he loved pizza crust. He got cancer and for years after he was put down my […]
The heat is on, or off…It depends on your point of view.
By Jon Show. I love summer. I love summer so much I originally campaigned to name our daughter Summer. The Mother of Dragons said we couldn’t name our kid after a season so we gave her the same name as a ‘90s cult movie star. I have no idea how that’s better. I could rattle […]
Modern Dad: A night out with the Mother of Dragons
By Jon Show. Once a month we take our kids to Charlotte to spend a Saturday night with my sister in law – Nurse Ratched. It’s amazing for reasons that require no explanation to anyone who has young children. The Nurse lives in a swanky apartment in Plaza Midwood that has a pool, outdoor TV, […]
