1. If you could live in any TV series home, which would it be?
Even at 16, I can recall watching The Cosby Show thinking, I want to be a calm, cool, collected dad like Cliff Huxtable. I had a Cliff-Theo moment with my 13-year-old son recently. He had an inordinate number of gaffes within a 24-hour period. I didn’t want to ride his case, but my nonverbals were speaking. So, after we dropped his sister off at school, we were riding in silence as I was composing myself thinking of how I could validate him because I completely understood why he wasn’t thinking clearly. So, I broke the silence by giggling aloud. He said, “What’s so funny, dad?” I replied in jest, “How in the world did you forget…” With the tension now interrupted, he said, “I don’t know dad. I just…” Then, I extended my arm around his neck. As I pulled his head to my nose, I sniffed his hair. Shocked, he said, “WHAT are you doing, dad?” I replied, “I’m smelling your head for BUTT because that’s where your head has been!” We both laughed together…I think we’ll both remember our Huxtable moment.
2. Who's your favorite Disney character?
Gus, the field goal kicking mule.
3. What was your most recent trip more than 50 miles?
We traveled to Corpus Christi for a conference I was attending at the education service center. My wife, kids, and parents spent all day at the beach while I sat through 12 miserable hours having slide after slide after slide read to me as I sat and stared contemplating jumping out the second story window. (My colleagues took the plastic ware from lunch away from me for fear I might use it in ways other than its design. (If you’d have been there, you would have thought about using it too.))
4. Have you ever been in a food fight?
As an innocent bystander ;o) I now know that mashed potatoes stick to the wall quite well.
5. What is the best way to relax?
2 Dos Equis + 1 Hot Tub = Relaxation
6. If you could retire tommorow what would you do?
I would go into business for myself (without anyone [over me] telling me I can’t do so for some unknown reason other than fear or ignorance) traveling the state training teachers and administrators effective teaching strategies to reach today’s students (based on modern brain research) using methods that are outside-the-box but are both engaging and relevant. I would embark on a quest to put an end to the tired and untrue strategy of reading the chapter and answering the questions at the end once and for all. (Now, if my children come home with these assignments a few more times, I may be forced into early retirement to start this journey now!)
