Andy Smallman

So I told Chloe that I want to honor her birthday throughout this week by posting a picture to her Facebook page each day. So far, I’ve used the photos I’ve been using here on the blog, including today’s. In fact, I posted this photo with the caption, “Is this what Chloe looks like without makeup?”

I hope she appreciates my attention. At least I know she’s used to my “sense of humor.” She’s experienced it for 19 years and 2 days.

Another interesting thing about today’s photo is that it was taken on Halloween night, 1998. Chloe’s & Ella’s cousin Olivia was born the day before and we all went to meet her at the hospital with the girls dressed in their Halloween costumes. Somewhere around the house is a picture of Chloe looking just like this with her 1 day old cousin. Funny stuff.

Today’s Prompt: What’s a fun way you relate to your family?

Today’s “photo” is a scan of a post-it note I put in Chloe’s lunch back in April, 1999 (when Chloe was 5 and in kindergarten) and on which I had drawn a comic featuring my alter ego Heartman. Each morning I’d pack her lunch and quickly draw a Heartman comic, each one having to do with something that I’d recently done, most commonly with Chloe. She’d discover the comic in her lunch and even though I knew she couldn’t read the words, there was enough familiarity that she’d figure it out. For instance, each comic included Heartman saying, “Hi, Chloe!” This one has us doing something we’d done together the night before, make pudding.

I got to thinking about these little comics when we were in Chloe’s dorm room over the weekend. She has several of them taped up on the wall above her bed.

Today’s Prompt: Share a family ritual.

There are some very special days in my life but February 28, 1993 ranks right at the top. It was, of course, the day Melinda gave birth to Chloe. I remember the day, and the one before it (considering Chloe was born at 3:04am), quite well. It involved Melinda going to a baby shower for some other mom-to-be and me staying home with a cold. It involved me dozing on the couch at 7:30pm on 2/27/93, groggily watching Hockey Night in Canada on TV when Melinda emerged with the following statement:

“When do you think we should start timing these contractions I’ve been having?”

Less than 8 hours later we had become parents.

Happy birthday, Chloe! To celebrate I’ve chosen this photo of you when you were two, one of my all-time favs.

Today’s Prompt: Have a birthday (literal “birth day”) story to tell?

I used to play a bit of poker when I was younger and learned that nothing beats a Royal Flush. But on Saturday I learned something that’s better than that! That’s right, it’s a pair of Ellas, on evidence in today’s photo.

My cousin Eric and his family live in Squamish, BC, a short distance from Quest University and Chloe’s dorm. We stopped by their house on Saturday afternoon to not only connect, but to have the two Ellas meet. If you haven’t figured it out, Eric and Jenny, his wife, have a daughter named Ella (and another younger daughter named Zadie). They are a wonderful family and much fun to spend time with. They have also invited Chloe over for dinner a couple of times. She reports that a home-cooked meal really hits the spot.

Today’s Prompt: What’s your best “poker” hand, metaphorical or otherwise?

It’s Chloe’s 19th birthday on Tuesday so to celebrate as a family, yesterday Melinda, Ella & I drove up to Quest University in Squamish, British Columbia where Chloe is a very happy first year student. We hadn’t been up there since late summer, when Melinda and I dropped her off to begin her university experience. It was great to see her in her element, and wonderful for her to show Ella, her little sister, around.

Melinda had reserved for the four of us a night on the town in Vancouver, about a 45 minute drive from Quest along what must be one of the most beautiful stretches of rolling highway in North America. For dinner, we had Chloe’s favorite food, East Indian. The restaurant at which we ate was very unique in decor and presentation. We sat on what I can best describe as a day bed and ate incredibly delicious food served buffet style off our laps (yes, we had plates). We then stayed at a very cool hotel in Vancouver that has recaptured a 1960’s feel. It was like something out of Mad Men. Very hip.

This morning we drove Chloe back to school and I snapped several pictures in her dorm room, this one being my favorite.

Today’s Prompt: Recall a place you stayed in college (dorm?) or an early apartment.

I’m spreading the 50th birthday joy of my brother Steve out over two days. I went hunting for a photo that I thought would be fun to include, ultimately choosing this one of Steve, our mom, and me from sometime in the mid-1960’s. And I’m pretty sure that’s our older brother Scott along the water’s edge in the background.

Given her hat, sunglasses and “bikini” (heck, is this straight out of Mad Men or what?), this photo may be more of a tribute to our mother than Steve, especially when you consider that any woman with three young sons can be looking this good. But Steve with his orange life jacket is looking mighty fine himself.

I certainly hope Steve is enjoying his 50th birthday weekend. I hear he is spending it in California with his family: wife, Deb, and kids, Jessica & Nick. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy one’s half century mark.

Today’s Prompt: How did you spend a milestone birthday?

According to my mother, with whom I am sitting right now, “It was kind of snowy in Omaha but dad still went to work. I was in the apartment with Scott. Dad would call every now and then, knowing that the baby was due. At noon I told him to come home and take me to the hospital. I had the baby, Steve, at 2:30pm.”

This was in response to me asking her to tell me about what was happening 50 years ago today, which so happens to be my brother Steve’s birthday. Yes, my big brother Steve turned 50 today. I hereby salute Steve, the person who turned me on to Elvis Costello and was so supportive of me the year I graduated from high school and was not interested in attending college. He opened his apartment to me. Thanks, Steve!

Today’s photo was taken seconds ago in my parent’s current apartment and as a further “happy birthday’ message to Steve. To go back a time, take a look at this photo.

Today’s Prompt: Share an inspiring story about a family member, ideally a sibling (if you have one).

I am a big fan (HUGE fan) of the old American TV show from the 1970’s, Kung Fu, and today salute one of its characters, Master Po. Turns out I can even “Like” him on Facebook (perhaps one can like anything on Facebook). The show was especially meaningful to me the year I lived in Alaska in my late teens. I picked it up via WGN in Chicago, one of two TV stations I got in Seward that year. I’m not the least bit embarrassed to say that the show taught me many things, and fueled my interest in Eastern philosophy.

Today’s photo is is of another Master Po, this one a not yet two-year-old Ella on Halloween in 1998. Not a bad costume. 10 points to anyone who gets the character reference and posts it below. Here’s a clue, if you need it.

Today’s Prompt: Have you been inspired by a fictional TV show character? If so, who?

It’s a little past 11pm and we wrapped up our last PSCS meeting about 20 minutes ago. Fortunately for Melinda and me, this meeting was at our house so we didn’t have to add in transportation time (like the four committee members who came over). In case you were wondering, it’s the time of the school year that has a lot of added meetings, most having something to do with enrollment questions.

Anyway, my point is that I have PSCS on my mind right now so went looking for an image in support. I found this one, one of a handful of original PSCS webpage icons drawn back in 1995 by Brenda, Melinda’s sister. I always liked this icon a lot. It was used to accompany a page we had to promote people’s homepages.

Speaking of the old PSCS webpage, you might be able to view it at the Internet Wayback Machine. I did the HTML coding myself. By hand.

Today’s Prompt: What were you doing in 1995?

So do you think by calling this entry “safe sex” the blog will get more hits than usual for a Tuesday, typically one of the lighter days for visitors?

Actually, though, it was in finding this picture as part of my scanning marathon than inspired the entry. Yup, that’s Melinda and me from the year 2000, just before heading outside to attempt to remove the asbestos siding from our house, part of the remodeling efforts. We got it in our minds that we could save a lot of money doing this work ourselves.

Now let me say that this is probably true. But removing asbestos siding is no walk in the park. After a half day of breaking siding and undoubtedly spreading asbestos throughout the neighborhood (okay, I’m exaggerating again), we hired professional asbestos removers. And the marriage survived.

Speaking of which, if you ever do undertake a major house remodeling effort, be sure to include marriage counseling in the budget.

Today’s Prompt: Tell about a time when you bit off a project that was too much for you to chew.