Green Eggs and Ham

It is a delicate balance that I am trying to preserve. To act as if I had done them a great favor and yet that I really did not mind having done the favor. Very carefully walk the tightrope lest they think I shouldn’t be asked again. The problem being that if they knew how much I loved it they would have me every weekend. . I want this as a part of my life , not my entire life.

My wife and I baby-sat this weekend for my daughter. Three little ones, Laura 6 years, Joey 4 years and Katie, 15 months were placed into our care. Several chores were involved such as getting Laura from a birthday party. I was announced to a large group of children and their parents at the top of the voice as” Pop Pop is here.” Then a little later the two older children and I had dinner at Mickey D’s famous place. While we were eating, the play room was hosting a large birthday party. Needless to say after dinner the children wanted to play in the playroom . The number of children in the room did not deter mine so I got their shoes off and watched from the safety of a wall. It certainly helps to be there possessing a sense of humor, trust in your charges and a prozac pill. I observed that the adults consisted mainly of mothers or grandmothers and are very friendly and talkative to adult males. I only mean this in the sense that they seem to feel that the males are out of place and should be put at ease. Back to the house and the video machine where Hook vied against Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles. I thought that my wife needed the time to bond with the children so I graciously retired to the other room to witness St Johns getting whipped by UCON in the Big East finals. This am the children awakened hungry so I went to the Bakery for buns and bagels and

everyone had a great time. Laura, the eldest had to go to Sunday School but one of the other mothers took her. As the weather was nasty and cold we were house bound but no one minded that. I even got to read Dr Suess to them and enjoyed every minute. When my daughter and my son-in-law returned I was glad-sad to see them. I made a mental note that the next time I come I will bring some food dye and make them Green Eggs and Ham, Sam I am.

Life reared its head on the drive home. I was unlucky enough to hit a pot hole deep enough to blow the sidewall out of the right rear tire. The car is new with just 3000 miles on it. I will have to replace the tire but was lucky enough that the alloy wheel seems OK. It is just a good lesson that either in my car or driving my pike cloud that I should keep a sharp eye out for bumps in the road.

This baby-sitting weekend was not a chore but a joy. Seeing the happiness in my daughter’s face and to experience the love of these children is something years ago I could not even conceive. I spent a lifetime of selfishness exacerbated by my drinking that made it impossible to do this before. I am enriching my life and experiencing things I was unaware of prior to 1989. I may be a late bloomer but I am an avid one.

Tonight I will be going to a meeting of my Home Group of AA that is held every Sunday night. These are the people who form my extended family and know me better than I know myself. Tonight I will arrange with the Group Secretary that my name will go on the cake for this month’s celebration. My three children have told me that they are attending and so are a lot of friends. My Sponsor will also be there and how much I owe to this man. He pointed me in the right direction and made sure that I did not stray from the path.

Tire and all today was a 90%