The 43

YEAR: 2013 AGE: Turned 43 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue CUBS' RECORD: 66-96 SONGS I LIKED: "Some Nights" by Fun.; "King and Lionheart" by Of Monsters and Men; "Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities; "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke; "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk; "Royals" by Lorde TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Arrested Development"; "How I Met Your Mother" MOVIES I SAW: "Oz the Great and Powerful"; "42"; "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" CONCERTS I EXPERIENCED: Michael Franti; Old Crow Medicine Show I've written about vacations over the past week, but I feel I must write about a 2013 trip when we took the boys to the most magical place on Earth. Disneyland? No, and we already had taken the boys there in 2010. Our destination for this vacation was a few hours north ... Vegas, baby! Salt Lake City schools used to schedule a five-day fall break (which included two ...

YEAR: 2012 AGE: Turned 42 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue CUBS' RECORD: 61-101 SONGS I LIKED: "Good Time" by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen; "Ho Hey" by the Lumineers; "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men; "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove; " TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "New Girl"; "Parks and Recreation" MOVIES I SAW: "The Avengers"; "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" CONCERT I EXPERIENCED: Maroon 5 VIDEO GAME I PLAYED: Skylanders Reminiscing about Halloween could have been a topic for any year after the boys were born -- and perhaps even a few from my own childhood. I'm picking 2012 because it was perhaps one of the last when I took both boys trick-or-treating. Michael would go with his friends within a couple years, and even Ben last year went on his own, despite what made trick-or-treating with Dad so great. I got them so much candy. We never wandered too far from our house, but I always h...

YEAR: 2011 AGE: Turned 41 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Ave. CUBS' RECORD: 71-91 SONGS I LIKED: "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele; "Lonely Boy" by the Black Keys; "Walk" by Foo Fighters; "Saints of Los Angeles" by Motley Crue; "1983" by Neon Trees MOVIES I SAW: "Kung Fu Panda 2"; "Cars 2"; "Tron: Legacy" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Modern Family"; "Off the Map"; "Terra Nova"; "The League" CONCERTS I EXPERIENCED: Michael Franti; Psychedelic Furs; Earth, Wind & Fire In my last post , I described my bewilderment at how fast time has seemingly been the last decade, starting in 2010. Today's installment doesn't cover the fleeting nature of time, but rather, how one segment of time can exemplify the concept of awesome. That sounds like a bloated statement, but I don't know how else to explain 2011 . Every year as a parent has been great. Although perso...

YEAR: 2010 AGE: Turned 40 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue CUBS' RECORD: 75-87 SONGS I LIKED: "Howlin' for You" by the Black Keys; "Month of May" by Arcade Fire; "Little Lion Man" by Mumford and Sons; "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" by Weezer MOVIES I SAW: "How to Train Your Dragon"; "Toy Story 3"; "Despicable Me" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Friday Night Lights"; "Wipeout"; "30 Rock"; "Damages" CONCERTS I EXPERIENCED: Michael Franti; Possessed by Paul James VIDEO GAMES I PLAYED: Lego Star Wars; Guitar Hero World Tour; Mario Kart Wii This year, as more people used Zoom to work from home, "Zoom" became a verb in the vernacular. Generation Z is increasingly being referred to as "zoomers." And of course, "Zoom" was a classic kids' show in the 1970s, shoes and socks optional. In 2010, "zoom" to...

YEAR: 2009 AGE: Turned 39 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue CUBS' RECORD: 83-78 SONGS I LIKED: "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas; "Sometime Around Midnight" by The Airborne Toxic Event MOVIES I SAW: "The Blind Side"; "Up"; "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "The Mentalist"; "Big Bang Theory"; "The Biggest Loser"; "Flash Forward" VIDEO GAMES I PLAYED: Final Fantasy Tactics 2; Mario vs. Donkey Kong I ran cross country and track in high school. I wasn't that good at running, but it was a good sport -- it kept me in shape and combined a bit of solitude (and music when I ran on my own) with exercise. Over they years, I've tried to maintain a regular running routine like I did in high school. I last a few weeks or a few months and fall off the wagon.  Early in 2009, I did something bold -- I committed to run a leg (actually, three legs) of the Wasatch Back...

YEAR: 2008 AGE: Turned 38 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue CUBS' RECORD: 97-64 SONGS I LIKED: "Vida La Vida" by Coldplay; "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor; "I Won't Go Home Without You" by Maroon 5; "Don't Stop the Music" by Rihanna MOVIES I SAW: "Kung Fu Panda"; "WALL-E" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Eleventh Hour"; "Supernanny"; "Don't Forget the Lyrics" MUSIC VIDEOS I ENJOYED: "Long Road to Ruin" by Foo Fighters; " Love Song" by Sara Bareilles VIDEO GAMES I PLAYED: New Super Mario Brothers; Advance Wars: Dual Strike The first sports team I ever played for was coached by my father. I'm happy and proud to say, the first sports team Michael played for, in 2008, was coached by me. In the spring of 2008, we signed Michael up for t-ball. This was a basic rec league, with a short season, played indoors at the University of Utah's football facility. We...

YEAR: 2007 AGE: Turned 37 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue JAZZ'S RECORD: 51-31 SONGS I LIKED: "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon 5; "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven; "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "How I Met Your Mother";  "Law and Order"; "Kitchen Nightmares" VIDEO GAMES I PLAYED: Mario Kart DS; Brain Age When Michael was born, and then Ben, I was working nights. With Lori working days, we didn't need to find daycare. Five mornings and afternoons a week, the boys and I hung out and had fun. Sure, they watched some TV, but not a crazy amount. I would have gone stir crazy if we were in the house all day, every day, and I believed that being a great dad meant, among other things, that every day should include a little adventure. For our little adventures, I was always prepared. The Eddie Bauer diaper bag we had, though unisexed, was clearly designed with a dad in mind. It was mostly blue with som...

YEAR: 2006 AGE: Turned 36 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue CUBS' RECORD: 66-96 SONGS I LIKED: "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley; "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse; "Steady as She Goes" by the Raconteurs; "Dani California" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers MOVIES I SAW: "Cars"; "Curious George" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Big Love"; "CSI: New York" CONCERT I SAW: The Wiggles VIDEO GAME I PLAYED: Advance Wars 2 On May 18, 2006, I was in the slot -- a newspaper term for the person in charge of producing the section for the night -- on the sports desk getting the last pages sent to be typeset. Two minutes after deadline -- Lori truly was the wife of a journalist -- I got a call saying to come home. The baby was on its way. Ben was early by at least a week. True to his nature, he was impatient and bouncy even in utero. Lori's was set to visit the next week to support us during the happy time, but Ben was having non...

YEAR: 2005 AGE: Turned 35 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue CUBS' RECORD: 79-83 SONGS I LIKED: "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day; "Beverly Hills" by Weezer MOVIES I SAW: "King Kong"; "Robots"; "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "The Sopranos"; "Battlestar Galactica"; "Threshold" VIDEO GAMES I PLAYED: Advance Wars; Fire Emblem CONCERT I EXPERIENCED: Lyle Lovett "Three ... is a magic number." The classic Schoolhouse Rock song teaches multiplication but also tells the listener about how a man and woman had a little baby, making three in the family. That's a magic number. Don't get me wrong: The arrival of Ben in 2006 was as joyous and amazing as having Michael was. There's just something so unique for families with two or more kids when the family was just the parents and the one child. Every adventure is especially new for the parents as...

YEAR: 2004 AGE: Turned 34 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: SLC, Ramona Avenue UTAH FOOTBALL RECORD: 12-0 SONGS I LIKED: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day; "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers; "The End of the World" by The Cure; "Vertigo" by U2; "Behind These Hazel Eyes" by Kelly Clarkson MOVIES I SAW: "Saved"; "Shark Tale" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Arrested Development"; "Joey" VIDEO GAME I PLAYED: Final Fantasy I and II CONCERT I EXPERIENCED: The Cure/Interpol Yesterday's post discussed how parenting is solving one problem after another and enjoying everything in between. Today's celebrates how parents get the job done, no matter the circumstances. This is one of my favorite stories to tell, and I think I may have written about it on this blog but can't find it. The Utah football team that fall went undefeated, and I was scheduled to work on a Saturday, just like I worked every Saturd...

YEAR: 2003 AGE: Turned 33 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: Cottonwood Heights, Pinnacle Highland Apartments; Salt Lake City/Sugar House, Ramona Avenue CUBS' RECORD: 88-74 SONGS I LIKED: "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes; "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne; "Honestly" by Zwan; "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 MOVIES I SAW: "The Runaway Jury"; "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "The Osbournes"; "CSI"; "Without a Trace"; "American Idol"; "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" CONCERTS I EXPERIENCED: Hall and Oates; Styx VIDEO GAME I PLAYED: Final Fantasy Tactics A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how I couldn't imagine myself driving -- the immense responsibility and scariness of it all -- but of course would learn and was looking forward to it, no much how it scared me. Multiply that by 10, and you have where I was at in becoming a dad. I...

YEAR: 2002 AGE: Turned 32 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: Cottonwood Heights, Pinnacle Highland Apartments CUBS' RECORD: 67-95 SONGS I LIKED: "Without Me" by Eminem; "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5; "Hands Clean" by Alanis Morissette; "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton MOVIES I SAW: "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"; "Minority Report" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "The Amazing Race"; "Project Greenlight" CONCERT I SAW: Chicago VIDEO GAME I PLAYED: High Heat We moved to Salt Lake City basically because of the Olympics. I was shooting for a slightly bigger newspaper while I was applying for jobs from Madison, and frankly, we held so many misconceptions about Utah and the culture that it wasn't exactly topping the list of destinations to move our lives to. However, the Winter Olympics would be held in Utah in 2002, and for a sports journalist trying to add more experience to his resume -- and to simply ...

YEAR: 2001 AGE: Turned 31 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: Cottonwood Heights, Pinnacle Highland Apartments CUBS' RECORD: 88-74 SONGS I LIKED: "Leaving Town" by Dexter Freebish; "AM Radio" by Everclear; "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige; "South Side" by Moby and Gwen Stefani MOVIES I SAW: "Ocean's 11"; "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"; "A Knight's Tale" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Six Feet Under"; "Band of Brothers"; "The Sopranos" CONCERTS I EXPERIENCED: Billy Joel/Elton John; U2/No Doubt; Styx/Billy Squier; The Fixx VIDEO GAME I PLAYED: The Sims When considering what to write for 2001, the first thought that naturally sprang to mind was Sept. 11. I decided not to -- maybe I'll save that for the 20th anniversary of the tragedy next year, and I want to stay sort of positive. However, that left me wondering what to cover for this year. What distinguishes 2001 (a...

YEAR: 2000 AGE: Turned 30 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: Madison, Harbor House Apartments; Cottonwood Heights, Utah -- Pinnacle Highland Apartments WISCONSIN MEN'S BASKETBALL RECORD: 22-14 SONGS I LIKED: "Beautiful Day" by U2; "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon; "Sundown" by Elwood; "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy MOVIES I SAW: "The Perfect Storm"; "High Fidelity" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Malcolm in the Middle"; "Will and Grace" CONCERT I EXPERIENCED: Rick Springfield VIDEO GAME I PLAYED: Heroes of Might and Magic III I've already written about the weeks leading up to our move to Utah , as well as my first month here . I was considering looking back at the Wisconsin men's basketball team making the Final Four -- which, professionally, besides being crazy fun, was something else I could put on my resume that appealed to editors -- or describing our first autumn in Utah (with Lori waking me up on...

YEAR: 1999 AGE: Turned 29 on Nov. 6 LOCATION: Madison, Harbor House Apartments WISCONSIN FOOTBALL RECORD: 10-2 SONGS I LIKED: "What's My Age Again?" by Blink-182; "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega; "Smooth" by Santana; "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit MOVIES I SAW: "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"; "The World Is Not Enough" TV SHOWS I WATCHED: "Freaks and Geeks"; "West Wing" MUSIC VIDEOS I ENJOYED:   "Steal My Sunshine" by LEN; "The Saga Begins" by Weird Al Yankovic VIDEO GAMES I PLAYED: RollerCoaster Tycoon; NBA Live 2000 In May 1999, Lori's sister got married in central Wisconsin. During the reception, after dinner, I walked out of the fairgrounds building the celebration was occurring at and took a little walk, just to get out side. The sun was on its way down getting ready to set, and the evening was just perfect. I thought about how much I was looking forward to summer, how ...