Well - maybe I do want to go to the game.....

So, my oldest tells me yesterday - "I'm not sure I want to go to the game tomorrow. I'll think about it."

WHAT?????

An almost 9-year-old doesn't want to go watch the greatest game ever invented....at Disney's baseball complex?

Again......WHAT?????

So, in the car on the way to Sunday School this morning, my oldest says - "Remember how I said I'd think about going to the game? Well, I think I do want to go."

"Do you want to go? Or, sort of want to go," I ask her.

"Well, I sort of want to go. Actually, I sort of want to go because I love the food."

So, had this conversation happened yesterday, I would have accepted that as "good enough for me" and I'd be applying sun screen right now.

HOWEVER, the late acceptance is too late for today and my 4-year-old is eagerly awaiting our return to Winter Park so she can go swimming as soon as we get home (that's the deal my wife crafted with our 4-year-old).

Bottom line......don't ask the kids whether they want to go to a game.....buy the tickets immediately and know they'll at least love the food!




PS - where is the pool guy to clean out those leaves?

Spring is here!

Today is the big day - PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT TODAY!



My favorite day of the year as a kid and young adult living in the frozen tundra of PA. The day you knew that it meant that soon it will be warm again. Soon, it will be time to shed the snow suit for the mitt. Soon, you won't need gloves anymore. Soon, it will be time to watch the Phillies in those beautiful pinstripes.



As much as things change from year to year, you always knew that Spring Training was on its way.



I like change when it's healthy - but, I also like tradition. It's like I said to good friends of mine over Christmas break in PA - we may work somewhere else, or we may live somewhere else, but it's great to know that you can always "go home" and enjoy the company of good friends....and, that they support you no matter what your flaws.



Well - welcome home good friend......PLAY BALL!

2011 Resolution

So much continues to happen in my life - I always view things as "good" changes even when they may seem not-so-good at the time. All those cheesy sayings are relatively true in my mind - it's not how many times you get knocked down that matters....what matters is how many times you get back up.

Oh yeah - I butcher cliches a lot, too.

In any event, I owe it to myself to actually take this blog somewhat seriously.....in terms of putting some thoughts down. I hope this blog turns into something that isn't really too serious, at least not all the time.

So, my resolution is to write. And, capture thoughts. And, become a better person through the capturing of my thoughts.

For now, it's off to dinner for my 10-year anniversary with my beautiful bride and our adorable daughters.

I'm back

So much has transpired since my last post - I know that no one is actually reading or following my blog, but perhaps some day in the future that will change.

After our dear Murray passed away and started terrorizing sprinkler heads in the Great Backyard in the Sky, we went through many tough days but slowly we started to realize that we wanted another dog to complete our family.

Enter Gracie, a.k.a. Speed Gracer. She is a Maltipoo (sp?) - half-Maltese and half-Poodle. We adopted her from a fantastic rescue operation in Orlando. They do wonderful work on such a shoestring budget. It is clearly a labor of love for all those involved.

It took Gracie a few days to acclimate to our family, but then there was no looking back. Here is a quick picture of her....she does think she is part cat - why is she up on the sofa like that!?!?!

Goodbye, Dear Friend

My Dearest Murray,

They told us your liver was actually doing a little better (which quite frankly is un-freaking-believable since it was supposed to completely fail around 18 months ago). However, your potassium levels were low, your calcium levels were low, your Electrolytes were low, you had become anemic, and the list goes on.

We could have kept you breathing and got you back to eating again, but that would have been selfish on our part as you really would not have been alive. We didn't want you to live in a decrepit state. That is not who you are. That is not what you symbolize. That is not what you would want us to do.

You have now moved on to richer pastures - hopefully, to a place where you can run around again with reckless abandon. And, bark at anything and everyone. And, extol kisses on everyone. And, dig holes in the yard. And, pull the socks off of everyone's feet (as they are walking around their house!). And, make everyone smile as soon as they see you saunter into the room. And, provide levels of joy for all the angels you are now keeping as company.

I trust you are thanking us.

I pray you are thanking us.

We watched as extreme care was taken to make sure you were comfortable and we watched you finally be at peace. When the lethal dosage was administered to you, it only took a few seconds for your legs to go limp and for your soul to rise from your body and head up to heaven.

Perhaps I do believe in God after all.

Thank you yet again, Murray.....somehow I feel like I will be learning lessons from you for many years to come.

I thought you'd want to know that Sasha told me tonight that she is most sad because she won't be able to give you a piece of cereal tomorrow morning - traditionally, one of the highlights of our morning.

Eliana recognizes you aren't here, but she doesn't understand the brevity of the situation. That's okay as we have plenty of pictures and videos to show her as she gets older.

I have a feeling you (and Dudley) will be spliced into Bat Mitzvah and Wedding videos as the history of the Klein family has been irrevocably altered in the most positive way possible since the two of you joined us in February 2001.

Lastly, Kristi will be okay. She loves you so much. You kept her great company for many years as she waited for me to come home from work, and school, and volunteer obligations, and so on, and so on. Your strength up until the last second is inspiring. It did not go unnoticed to Kristi. She held you even as your legs were giving way today. She will love you forever.

Well, My Friend, I will truly miss you. I already do.

Until we meet again.....

Love,
Matt

PS - Save me a spot on the back patio so I can watch you chase the sprinkler heads as they activate one zone at a time!

Reality Has Set In

Murray has 90 minutes left with us. At 4:30 pm, we have an appointment at our vet's office to have him euthanized. This is extremely surreal. As I try to type around my tears the finality of what has happened to Murray, and what is about to happen, has really set in.

Wow - this is an extremely strange feeling....I know we'll all get through this as best as we can, but I'm at a loss right now.

His pain is about to end.

I'm not sure I've ever been this emotional before. I guess I do have the ability to truly love.

Yet again I learn another lesson from Murray even as he is about to pass away from this world.

What a great dog....and, what a great loss.

You can also learn a lot from a 7-year-old

My wife had the conversation this evening with our two daughters about how sick our dog, Murray, is right now and that he may not get better this time.

As was expected, our 3-year-old, Eliana, did not really comprehend what my wife was explaining to her.

Our 7-year-old, Sasha, completely understood what my wife was telling her. She was completely distraught. She cried. And, cried. When she calmed down a little bit to tell my wife her feelings, she said she was very sad because Dudley wouldn't have his brother any more....what would he do without his brother?

We should all be so blessed to possess half the compassion that Sasha possesses at age 7.