How ya like my hat? Fan for life

/ Jim McDonald / Leave a comment

How ya like my hat? Fan for life

 

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I’m not trying to push a point, that I’m a Redskin fan. Oh, yes I am! I am a Skin fan and I’m not afraid to show it.

 

All too often, now a days we are inundated with fandom that cheer for a team only when they win. To each his own, but that’s not me. I try to make a point the day after a loss, that win, lose or draw, I’m still a fan.

 

Most days after a win, I don’t wear my colors, but every time we lose I wear my colors the very day after. You’re not going to see my Redskin flags extending up from my car windows only when we are winning or I’m not going to scrape my decals off of my windows, because I’m disappointed.

 

I’m not saying I’m not disappointed, upset or even mad, but I am still a fan.

 

Also, I root for all my local teams, that’s how my dad taught me and that’s how it will stay. I like to keep my little bit of money in my local neighborhood, county and state. I will not root for a high school in Alaska, where I’ve never been, I will root for the high school that I went to or where my kids or grand kids are going to.

 

A Skin fan win or lose.

How ya like my hat? Skins hat 3

/ Jim McDonald / 1 Comment

How ya like my hat? Skins hat 3

 

My heart is breaking, because my Washington Redskin’s football team lost today. With today’s loss we will not be in the playoffs, that means our season is over.

 

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Hail to the Redskins ( HTTR ) last day in 2016

 

I spent last night, New Years eve, with a bunch of friends at Raymond’s party. I brought this hat for the party and for this post. I wore it first and then gave it to a friend, James, who is also a Redskin fan, because it was too small for my big head.

 

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Fellow Redskin fan, James.

 

Between them two heads came another good friend, Victor, who is a Dallas Cowboy fan. I asked him to wear it for a picture and he was nice enough to do it. Pretty cool.

 

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Dallas Cowboy fan, Victor.

 

I had a great time with friends, food and fireworks. Thank you Raymond for the party and friendship.

 

Happy New Year everyone. I hope every day in your 2017 is a great one and they bring expected and unexpected joys.

 

Random thoughts: What if someone online dies?

/ Jim McDonald / 3 Comments

Random thoughts: What if someone online dies?

 

If a friend of mine dies, I get the information from; a text, word of mouth or maybe the obituaries. This is how it works if I know the person in a tangible sense, another words physically.

 

What happens if an online friend died? If I have never met them in person and we chat on a weekly basis. What if they die?

 

Some of my online friends live somewhere in the world and I have no idea what corner. Are they married, do they have kids, what country do they live in, what state, how old are they or really who are they?

 

I don’t need the answers to those question, but after a few conversations with the same person, those questions arise.

 

All of a sudden they stop posting. At first I might think, maybe they’re moving or something else minor is going on in their life to keep them from the net. What if they had cancer and didn’t let us know or maybe they were in a bad accident of some sort. What if Colonel Mustard killed them in the Kitchen with a knife?

 

Life comes and goes, that’s the way it is. It has to be that way or we would run out of room. It’s a sad thought, knowing a friend could die and I wouldn’t know anything about it.

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This is Ben and I just met him at the La Plata Starbucks. I might not ever see him again, so he might fit this little story.

Random thoughts: Dad’s replacement

/ Jim McDonald / 13 Comments

Random thoughts: Dad’s replacement

 

Dad died at the age of fifty eight years old, when I was twenty one years old. He gave my first wife, Mickey, a ride to the hospital, when my youngest son, Billy, was born. I was working and by the time I got to the hospital, Billy popped out and she was sleeping.

 

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Dad died in 1975 is buried at Arlington National Cemetery

 

No one could ever replace my dad. Even though he was an alcoholic and he scared us sometimes with his drinking, he was my dad. He seldom scared us though, so I still loved/love him dearly. His smile was the biggest around town and he was a great dad otherwise.

 

About twenty years ago, I realized I was adding a father figure in my life. I never called them dad or never told them of my obsession to have an older man in my life. They were someone to sit with and talk of old times in each others lives.

 

I think my mom pacified that need until she died. My first father stand in was a man from church, we became very close when mom got sick with cancer in ’98. He left by way of cancer shortly after she did. Since then there have been several other alternates. Their course out of my life was moving, death, or a number of other ways.

 

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Mom died 1998 and is buried on top of dad at Arlington National Cemetery

 

I was wondering do you think this is a normal thing? I’m fine with it.

Random thoughts: Single fathers

/ Jim McDonald / 2 Comments

Random thoughts: Single fathers

 

Sitting at my favorite coffee shop, Starbucks, in La Plata, I was doing my favorite things. Yep, people watching, talking and making up stories.

 

I see a little, maybe two year old, dark hair girl with her father and grandfather. She looks so content and happy in either set of arms.

 

The grandfather’s smile looks natural, but not his touch. He’s afraid he’ll break her or at the very least drop her. The kid won’t let that happen though, she’s holding on for love of life.

 

Her dad knows what to do though, she doesn’t even wiggle with him anymore. He lays his left cheek on top of her head, breaking contact only to kiss the line that parts her hair.

 

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Top row, left to right: me and Linda Left to right: Jamie and Billy. Linda wasn’t their mom, she was my first girl friend as a single parent.

 

I raised my two sons from the age of two and four without their mom, they’re in their forties now. I had help from my mom and whatever woman was in my life. So naturally I started reminiscing of the pleasures and difficulties of being a single dad. The scene took right back to the giggles and laughter.

 

I wondered what happened to his marriage, does he get the kid once or twice a month or does he have full custody, like I did. I regret the closed doors he’ll face as a single parent, but I’m happy for the open hearts that will be willing to help them in times of need.

 

As he gets up and walks to the trash can I ask, “How old?”

 

He replied, “Almost two.”

 

“Big brown eyes.”

 

“Yeah, she got those from her momma. She’s home making supper.”

 

There I am, the great storyteller wrong again, “What are we having?”

 

He laughs and says, “Not sure.”

 

“Have a good night and be safe.”

 

“You too.”

 

I did have the pleasure of Jamie and Billy bouncing around in my head for an hour.

 

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Billy and Jamie in 2006 at Dulles airport.