Does Anyone Still Read This Blog?

After a huge hiatus, imposed by Real Life, I wonder... however, I'll still continue to post, simply because it's my vent place. If no one reads, well, *shrug*, no skin off my nose!

Last night, my classes ended (for the summer). In the words of Braveheart: “FREEDOM!” I will commence to be entirely too lazy for the rest of the summer.

Stinky has gone away for the week – down to his grandparents. Boy is the mothman jealous. It’s really amazing how big Tim has gotten in the past year. He’s a little boy now; the cherubic toddler is but a mist that I can only see when he sleeps. I’ve been a bit worried about him lately – he’s started wetting the bed again. I think it’s because he’s just exhausted and he’s sleeping through the need to pee. You see, John is a big believer that kids should play and play and play – especially outdoors when it’s nice. So, our kids play and get tired.

John is a good dad, though all he wanted for Dad’s day was the Dangerous Book For Boys. It’s a hit. If you haven’t seen it, and you have young boys, you should check it out.

Not all dads are so cool. This story ticked me off (reg required), so I thought I’d share:

IF LOSING HER beloved son Kenny on 9/11 was unbearable for
Philadelphia mom Elsie Goss-Caldwell, what's happened since is unconscionable.

Kenny's father, who she says abandoned the family when Kenny was a
toddler and played no role in his life, is seeking to profit from his death.

In an act of shameless greed, Leon Caldwell Sr. has filed for half of
the nearly $3 million awarded to Kenny's estate from the September 11th Victim
Compensation Fund of 2001.
…
[Caldwell Sr.] last saw Kenny in 1984, at her
mother's funeral, 17 years before Kenny's death.

And while he claims to have supported the boys financially, he was
still more than $12,000 in arrears on court-ordered child support when Kenny
died, Elsie's brief said.

At $30 a week, that's a lot of missed payments.
…
Kenny had
called his mom the morning of Sept. 11 to tell her he loved her, but had to get
out of the World Trade Center because of "a bomb."

He was an executive for a consulting company on the 102nd floor of the
North Tower - the first building hit by the terrorists. His body was never
found.

Weeks after Kenny vanished in the rubble, she left messages on his cell
phone beseeching him not to give up, that "Mommy" was still looking for
him.
...
But when she showed up to fill out a death certificate, she was told
she wasn't listed as next of kin for Kenny, who was unmarried and had no
children.

His long-estranged father had signed the papers, seeking to be a
beneficiary of his estate.
…
To some people, Caldwell's action may seem
indefensible. Yet he never really has had to defend it. His case is simple: He
is a surviving, albeit estranged, parent; Kenneth died without a will; he has a
right to the money.

It has prevailed so far. Three years ago, the New York State Workers'
Compensation Board awarded Kenneth's estate $50,000 on a claim filed by his
mother, who is the estate's administrator. Leon intervened seeking half - and
got it.

He later was ordered to return $12,460 to his ex-wife to cover unpaid
child support, but the point was made: The law didn't require a good father,
just a biological one.

I think there will be a special place in hell for people like this deadbeat dad.

(*)>