To say the least, it was an interesting weekend. And almost all of it was memorable!

Friday evening we actually had nothing planned. The kids relaxed with a movie and Missy and watched “Glee”. If you didn’t see it, Jane Lynch had a scene that had Missy teary-eyed. OK…me too.

Saturday morning was the usual ballet class/art class/swim class/grocery shopping free for all. Like most parents, we choreograph our weekend mornings.

The fun really began Saturday afternoon. Max has been asking to get his ear pierced. I think it’s because so many football players have them, and he thinks they look cool. The only issue I have with it is that I wonder if he’s too young as a boy to get one (Max is ten). But earrings are so common for boys and girls, I realized it’s unfair of me to say no to Max when we’re encouraging his six-year-old sister to get hers done.

Plus, why not let a young boy express himself in a way that’s essentially harmless? There are relatively few options for someone his age. We let him grow his hair long during the summer, but he knows he needs to have it cut to start school. If we allow him to get a little “diamond” stud now, we’ll have more leverage in the future when the discussions turn more serious. As Missy says, “Pick your battles wisely.”

Plus, if Max decides he doesn’t like it, he can take the earring out. In fact, I know he’s nervous and self-conscious, because he wore a hoodie to school this morning…with the hood up. I wonder which of his friends will notice it first?

Anyway, we headed out to the Piercing Pagoda at Great Northern Mall. At first, Max wasn’t sure he wanted to go through with it. We told him that was fine, but it was his last chance for some time because we actually had the time. With some trepidation, he agreed to go.

This brings me to Gabby, who desperately wants her ears pierced, but is (understandably) nervous. She agreed to come along and watch Max, and then she could decide if she wanted to do it. Parker came along because she’s three and has no say in it.

Once we got there, I parked while the rest of them went in. I immediately found the Piercing Pagoda, but my family wasn’t there. I called Missy:

Me: “Where are you?”
Missy: “At the Piercing Pagoda. Where are you?”
Me: “At the Piercing Pagoda.”
Missy: “I don’t see you.”
Me: “I don’t see you either.”

Turns out Piercing Pagodas are like McDonald’s…it’s OK to have two within eyesight. I made my way to the other Piercing Pagoda and found my family browsing earrings.

Max picked a simple “diamond” stud. Gabby, if she was going to do it, chose sparkly blue flowers. Parker spotted a pair of purple hearts, and decided she was going to get her ears pierced too. This was shaping up to be quite the family outing!

Max sat down and they started marking his left ear. Originally, he had wanted the right ear done like his football hero, Hines Ward. I pointed out that Hines had both ears pierced.

I also explained that when I was younger, a boy who liked other boys generally had their right ear pierced, and boys who liked girls had the left done. Missy and I figured that was outdated, so we called Missy’s brother, Matt. Who better to settle this debate than a gay man? Matt said there really is no symbolism any more, but he recommended the left ear just in case. Max was torn, but the Piercing Pagoda women made the decision easy.

With one quick “Pfft!”…Max had an ear stud. And he never even flinched. In fact, he smiled the whole time. Kid’s braver that me!



Gabby looked on and decided she was going to get earrings! So she sat down, had her lobes marked…and then started shaking with fear. Poor kid was as scared as when she got her flu shot. I reminded her that she didn’t even feel that shot! Missy offered to let her sit on her lap, so Gabby felt a little better. She was still trembling and tense when the piercing workers (one on each ear) went “One…two…three!” Pfft!

Gabby opened her eyes and said, quite calmly, “Ow?” She realized it barely hurt and was pretty amused by it! “Ow? Ow?” she kept asking, “It sounded like someone stapled my ears!”



Parker was sold! Her brother and sister hadn’t felt a thing! Whoo hoo! She hopped on Missy lap and smiled as the girls set her up. She was still smiling when they counted, “One…two…three!” Pfft!

Parker’s eyes went wide…filled with tears…and the crying started. I don’t think it really hurt, Parker was just surprised because I don’t think she expected to feel anything. I held her, blew on her ears and within about 30 seconds she stopped crying.  Then she smiled when she looked in the mirror.

All three of my kids were pierced! There was a second stud from Max’s set, so Missy had her left ear cartilage done since piercings were free with purchase. Pfft! Apparently, that one DID hurt.

So all four of my family members were pierced, and they all looked at me, “Your turn dad!”

“Uh…I don’t think so,” I responded. Piercing my ear is never something I wanted to do. I have a tattoo, which I did want, but I have no mid-life crisis desire for an earring. I think it looks stupid on Harrison Ford, and it would look stupid on me. The kids were disappointed, but they’ll get over it.

All three are very proud of their pierced ears, and the girls now have another Christmas gift option!

Later in the evening, Missy and I attended the Mayor’s Charity Ball at The Beck Center. It was black tie optional, so I broke out the tux I rarely get to wear. I wish we’d taken a camera, but our neighbor Mel was outside with her cell phone when we left.



The event was terrific and we had a really good time. I volunteered to tend bar and Missy checked people in. We didn’t get to bed until around 1:00am.

And that was tough, because we went to Pittsburgh for the Steelers-Bengals game Sunday with Mel and her husband Rob. Despite the loss, we had a great time! We tailgated with gin and tonics, homemade guacamole and hummus wraps. Rob made sweet potato chips! I think his mouth is full of them in this picture...



By half time, the sun was out in full and we were hot in the nosebleed seats. It was hard to believe it was mid-November!

We were home by 7:30 and got the house straightened up and the kids in bed. They were all excited to show off their new accessories to their school friends and teachers today. Especially Gabby! If you know Gabby, then you understand.

The weekend was tiring, but a lot of fun. As I cuddled with Gabby this morning, I realized again how lucky I am. I have kids who are fun and expressive. A wife that makes me so proud I can feel it in my heart. And I have friends I want to spend time with.

I am a lucky man with a wealth of blessings.

But I don’t have an earring.

Parker's hair is long, but it's so curly that you can't tell. At ballet class on Saturday, she wanted "hair ponies"...what she calls ponytails or pigtails. So Missy wrapped the bands and she looked adorable. I tried to get a picture, but it wasn't easy.



The kid takes after her big sister in only wanting to wear skirts and dresses. By the way, Gabby's new 1st grade picture is posted to the left.

Another thing popped to mind. When we interview people in the phone, we usually say, "Let me get a tape running." When we say that, it's just habit. We haven't used "tape" in about a decade. It's all digital now.

So instead of the old-fashioned reel-to-reel tape of newsrooms gone by, it's now all .wav files. This is an interview being conducted with Cleveland FBI Special Agent In Charge Frank Figliuzzi about Anthony Sowell...



Cool, huh?

It looks like a nice house! Inner-city duplex with a well maintained yard and exterior.

Walking down the street, the only second glance you might give it would be one of possible approval.

But then there's the police tape. And the police car. And the tent in the backyard to shield the coroner's workers from prying eyes.

Essentially, it's a house of horrors.

Anthony Sowell is charged with five counts of aggravated murder for strangling African-American women and then storing their decomposing corpses in the house and backyard. As I type this, ten bodies have been removed. Will there be more?

What's shocking is that this all happened on a somewhat busy, residential street. Sure, people smelled something rotten, but the blame was mistakenly placed on a neighboring sausage manufacturer (dark brick building to the right).

So how could ten people be murdered, buried or stored and then left to rot with no one figuring it out? That's for police and others to figure out. I don't even want to speculate. That does no service to the dead or the grieving.

Sowell will likely never see the outside of a jail or prison again. If convicted (and that seems likely based on all we've heard), a serial killer will be off the streets. A man who preyed on women, many of whom likely dealt with alcohol or drug issues, will deal with his own issues back behind bars. Hes already served 15 years for a 1989 rape.

The house? I don't see any option other than tearing it down and establishing a memorial to the victims. No one is going to buy this place as a "fixer-upper". Leaving it stand would only lead to vandalism and ghoulish curiosity.

So in the not to distant future, this will be a grassy lot and people will point and say, "That's where Sowell killed and kept his victims."

And it looked like such a nice house.

The time went quickly! Less than six weeks after breaking his left arm, Max had the cast cut off this morning!



Whoo hoo! Now just two weeks in a brace and he should be good to go!

Did everyone have a good Halloween? Ours started off with Missy's treat on Friday. She had 10.5" of her hair cut off to donate to "Locks of Love", which provides wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy.

That evening, she wore her t-shirt that said "Bad Witch". When our neighbor Mel realized that she had the opposite shirt, Halloween night was complete!



While I love Mel, I'm in love with my bad witch!

Halloween in Lakewood is an event. Parents enjoy treats of their own, while the kids load up on candy and debate whose house was scariest/coolest/best candy. My kids were...



A vampire...



A witch (in cowgirl boots with her little dog too!)...



and a pirate girl!

The Halloween party at the Toms house went late into the night with neighbors sharing good spirits and many laughs.

The day after? The 50% off sale at Target!

Today is Clear Channel trick or treat. It's when children (and family) of workers at our six stations bring their kids for an in-house candy free-for-all. It's always popular and a LOT of fun.

Many of the staff members wear costumes. I am usually not in that category, but this year I will wear something. A few weeks ago, I bought a vintage 50's fedora. I've always wanted one, but never found one my wife didn't chuckle at.

A few weeks ago, we were at Flower Child, a vintage clothing and decoration store on Clifton Road. I found a brown fedora that fit perfectly, and when I showed it to Missy she didn't laugh. Instead, she said, "That looks really good on you!"

So now when I dress nicely and it's cool outside, I wear the fedora. Being a journalist, I have a perfect use for it today. Tom Moore kindly took the picture...



I've also had people ask about our dog Sarah. We adopted this red heeler (Australian cattle dog) in mid-August from the Parma SPCA.



Yes...she's descended from dingos!

It used to upset Missy.

Every once in awhile I'd come home with someone else's trash. It's not like I pick up their garbage bags; it's just that sometimes people throw away things they're no longer using.

Missy informed me that I could no longer pick up anything off tree lawns that we didn't need. Well...how do I decide that?! Maybe I'd find something we didn't even KNOW we needed.

Since Missy's directive, I have become a more discriminating tree lawn browser. I have acquired a terrific computer desk for Max with matching pleather chair on rollers. I got a 1960's bedroom cabinet that only needs a handle. Then there was the almost-new futon frame that is now in a guest area of our attic.

The hose reel was kind of a bust.

But this week I found the coolest thing yet. I was walking the dogs (or, rather, they were walking me) down our sidewalk when I had stop.

Is that a church pew?

I took a closer look and found that, sure enough, it was a small, two-person pew made of unfinished wood.

Are you kidding me?! Just two weeks earlier, I had mentioned that I always thought it would be cool to have a pew. But where to put it?

And how to get it home. With two dogs wondering why the walk had stopped suddenly, I had to get the pew back up the street before someone else found my treasure!

So with the dog leashes in one hand, I carried the heavy pew back up to the house and set in on my sidewalk. It would be safe there until I finished with the dogs. With their paws tapping impatiently, we finished our stroll.

When I got back, I put the pew on the porch where it fit perfectly between the door and window! When it was light the next morning, I looked for any serious problems with the seat and found none. It just needs some TLC.

Over the winter, I will clean it, sand it and then paint it to go back on the porch. Missy has suggested a nice purple with white trim.

Have I mentioned that I didn't get chastised for this find?



The cords, by the way, are for our outdoor Halloween decorations...

Over the weekend, we attended Lakewood's "Spooky Pooch Parade".

Essentially, people dress their poor, patient dogs in ridiculous costumes and walk them down Detroit Road. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun.

Gabby insisted that we take part! So we dressed Brucie in a dog skeleton shirt and she wore her Halloween witch's garb. They looked so cute, they made the photo gallery.



Don't you love the gap-tooth on Gabby and the snaggle tooth on Brucie? They're quite the pair!

Is this just the beginning?

Missy and I have noticed something recently in our ten-year-old son. It seems that on the cusp of being a teen, the brain begins to melt away. Most of the time we file certain actions away with an, "I did that too at his age." But this has been quite the week.

It started Sunday morning before church when I asked Max to get a bath. Since his left arm is broken, he cannot take a shower. I wanted him in the bath early so we could get his sisters cleaned before we left as well.

I listened to the water running. "Are you OK in there?" I asked.

"Yes."

More water running.

Since Max is in the cast, I have to wash his hair (a luxury I assured him will NOT continue once he's healed). I yelled in again, "Are you ready to get your hair washed?"

"No!"

More water running.

"Max! Hurry up! We need to get your sisters in their bath."

More water running. Finally, I felt I needed to violate his privacy and check things out. I open the door and start to say, "Max are you almost done?" when I notice him sitting on the toilet. Fully clothed.

More water running.

"Why aren't you in the bath?!" I asked in frustration!

"The tub isn't filling!" he blurted back, "I don't know what's wrong!" I reached into the tub and pulled up the drain stopper. I turned and looked at my fifth-grader, an eybrow raised at him questioningly.

"I forgot!" he said. It had been ten minutes since he went in.

We, like most parents of fifth graders, are dealing with our share of pre-teen attitude. He's sneaked off the corner store to buy candy without permission. Forgets to take his clothes to his room to put away. Doesn't bring home study materials for a test. Scams his little sister out of money.

Guess I should explain that last one.

On Tuesday, Gabby comes bounding into the bathroom with a little rubber penguin. "Look what I got from Max!" she says, "A little penguin! Isn't it cute?!"

I lied that it was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen. Then I asked Gabby why Max gave it to her and she said, "Because I gave him a dollar!"

I rubbed my head in my hands and thought about how to handle THIS one. "Max made you give him a dollar for that?" I double checked. Yes indeed he had.

"Max," I said as he walked into the scene. "Did you make Gabby give you a dollar for this?"

"She wanted to!" he responded with a desperate voice.

"Dude...you don't sell toys to your little sister. Give her the dollar back." I watched as they swapped back the goods. That's when my son began lecturing me on why I should let Gabby make her own decisions.

*Sigh*

With these things in mind, I should also point out that Max is an awesome kid. He is kind, usually helpful and a lot of fun to be around. But if this is what ten is like, will we survive through his teenage years?!

I'm sure most parents have similar stories. Someday we'll all look back on these moments and laugh.

Especially when Max is 23 and I remind him how to work the tub.

Nothing competes with Christmas in the kid calendar. But at our house, Halloween is a close second.

With the calendar barely tipping into October, our place is already decorated for scaring! We pulled out the decorations and turned our Lakewood home into a haunted house.  Every year, Missy and I hit stores for their 50% off sales and get even for decorations for the next year.

We added a new trellis to our front walk this year. It's metal with orange lights and looks really cool. I tried to get a picture that shows what we do outside.



You can see the trellis. The oldest decoration is the specter on the porch. We pruchased him about five years ago, and added the red light the next year. The black lights along the porch roof were added about three years ago.

Missy did a great job with the cobwebs!

Gabby and Parker tried on their new (and heavily discounted costumes) that we got last year. Gabby desperately wanted to be a dragon this year. She even tried to con Grandma and Grandpa into getting her one. Fortunately, they didn't fall for the batting eyelashes.

Instead, Gabby is a witch and she's accepted that. Parker will be a girl pirate. So on Sunday, they each wore their costumes most of the day. Parker practiced her "Arghs!" and Gabby waved her wand.

Last year we also bought our dog Brucie a costume that makes him look like a dog skeleton.  To call him tolerant this year would be an understatement. He took everything those girls could dish out. He had to wear that thing all day.

Anyway, we are ready for Halloween. The kids are excited!

Just wait until Christmas....