Elvin Bishop

Things I stopped doing once I got married:

*Dating women I wasn't married to.


Things I stopped doing when Maggie was born:

*Wondering if I was sterile.

*Wondering what it felt like to be a Dad.


Things I stopped doing once I got a full-time job:

*Watching Maggie and Connor (when he got home at noon from kindergarten).


Things I stopped doing once the twins came along:

*Sleeping all night.

*Wanting to go on business trips (poor Carrie had all four 24/7 while I was gone; sometimes the trip was so cool [snorkeling, spa, great dinners] I tried not to talk about it).

*Wanting more kids.

*Wanting fewer kids.

*Taking my time while changing a baby (Gavin got me good with his attachment once. Once.).


Things I stopped doing when I got laid off and became a Senyor Madre:

*Keeping up with The New Yorker (I am now three months behind; business trips and lunchtimes kept me at a month behind).

*Earning money.

*Wondering why my wife would call me every day around 4 p.m. exasperated, and be mad at me for getting to drive to work and back all alone.

*Wishing I had more time with the cuties and to play catch with the Conman.

*Worrying about my weight and gut (getting to gym 5 times a week now).

*Sitting on my ass five days a week.

*Listening to internet radio.

*Wearing pants.

*Wishing I could start a blog.



Ok, gotta go continue the job hunt. This time I think I'll scare one out of the tall grass right into the waiting pack.

On the advice of a teacher friend, I have begun applying to ESL jobs even though I am five classes short of the ESL certification, and will not have completed them until next summer. There is that much of a shortage, he says, as if that wasn't apparent by the fact that National Louis U. is offering ESL classes at two-thirds less than regular courses.

You can tell I'm excited.