As the economy implodes, it's nice to focus on life's simple pleasures. Like Halloween. The kids and I carved this beauty of a jack-o-lantern over the weekend, and we're pumped to go trick or treating, my boy as Bumblebee the Transformer and my girl as Tinkerbell. I'm thinking I'll supervise the shenanigans costumed simply but proudly as Guitar Dad. Happy Scary Day to all you buggers!
Over the years I've performed as a rock guitarist and singer at frat houses, bars, nightclubs, outdoor festivals, corporate parties – you name it. But I think today's gig was my most important one. My wife and I played a handful of fun tunes for my son's kindergarten class, me strumming the acoustic guitar and the two of us sharing vocal duties.
From upbeat renditions of "Old McDonald" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to a couple of gentle Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel numbers, we delivered an inspiring little show to a super-cute and appreciative audience. The kids even sang along here and there and joined us in some amusing between-song banter. Music truly touches the hearts and souls of everyone, especially children.
What a pleasant surprise it was to receive 18 personalized thank you notes later in the day from our newest fans! Move over, Wiggles!
I finally joined Facebook. All the kids are doing it, right? I wasn't sure what real purpose it would serve, but then three days after I set up shop on this "social networking" site a dear friend from high school found me – after we'd lost touch 15 years ago. It was delightful to say the least, and since then I've connected with a few other old pals.
You've got to be careful with these absorbing networking sites. They can burn the hours at a terrifying rate. And if you're like Guitar Dad, you've got too much other important stuff to do – work crazy hours at the office, raise kids, nurture a marriage, scare your neighbors with snarling electric guitar sounds, pull weeds, save the world.
Even so, I will duly celebrate my initiation into Facebook and look forward to expanding my network of "friends." I may be a graying middle-aged father who long ago shed his "cool' quotient, but you can't say I'm not embracing technology, or social media, or whatever it's called.
Best known as a top vacation spot – and home to the world's largest concentration of theme parks – Orlando is actually quite a satisfying place to live. I realize that Disney and the tourism machine around it put this town on the map. But the community has evolved into a multi-dimensional, and dare I say multi-cultural, mid-sized metropolis. The city's youthful energy and variety of family entertainment options, along with its agreeable (if a bit sweaty) climate, make Orlando an invigorating home base.
Sure, we're defined by our famous attractions. But we've got beautiful community parks, lakes everywhere, a few respectable museums, a buzzing downtown where people actually live, tons of restaurants and great shopping, a handful of remaining orange groves in the suburbs – even the cottage where Jack Kerouac penned The Dharma Bums, which sits wistfully under a shady oak tree in the College Park neighborhood.
These appealing qualities do translate into too many people, too much traffic and other drawbacks associated with over-popularity. But count me as one of Orlando's boosters, a proponent of life in the sublime sunshine of swampy Central Florida. See this New York Times article for more on the "real" Orlando.
Living in Florida has its merits, but man do I miss North Carolina barbecue. Specifically Lexington-style barbecue – the variety that's prepared in just the right, heavenly way, in a tomato-and-vinegar-based sauce and accompanied by a side of slaw and hush puppies.
This kind of barbecue is not to be confused with its eastern North Carolina cousin, whose sauce is a vinegar-and-hot-peppers-based concoction.
You see, the world of slow-cooked pork is complex and emotional, and aficionados tend to passionately take sides over which type is superior to the other. Florida barbecue, by the way, is completely different than its N.C. counterparts and just downright disappointing, I'm sorry to report.
Can someone please tell me where I can get good barbecue in Orlando? I'd settle for just a glop of the delicious N.C. stuff between two buns. Something tells me I'm out of luck.
It’s hard to get much computer time at my house. My son can easily spend an hour or more at a single sitting, playing shoot-'em-up games on the Transformers website or staring at lengthy Power Rangers videos on You Tube. He's also a diehard Webkinz fan, which can obliterate the hours like you wouldn't believe.
At the same time, my daughter makes it known that she deserves quality screen time, too. She's only three, mind you, but she can work a mouse like nobody's business. Her favorite sites: Playhouse Disney, Noggin and PBS Kids. "I don't need assistance," she'll bark at me when I offer to boost her onto the desk chair.
My wife, meanwhile, typically has lots of incoming email to manage and can fire off quite an impressive number of messages herself. Then there's me. I've got to post all this Guitar Dad drivel, update my iTunes library and surf the web pointlessly.
All of this just makes me realize we're a bunch of geeks and need to unplug and head outdoors. This is ridiculous.
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