academic shenanigans and father’s day follies on Tiger’s tricycle
t was a most unusual week. Last Sunday..
“We’re going to Jeannines for breakfast, Dan.” Nazy announced.
“Jeannines?” I replied. “You’ll never let me get the pancakes.” I thought.
“I want to be there at 10:00.”
“There’s no rush, Nazy. It’s a weekend.”
“10:00 Dan. You must be ready.”
“Of course, my dear.” I replied. “How very strange,” I thought. “Nazy insisting that we be ‘on-time’It’s unheard of.”
“It’s Father’s Day, Dan. I want you to have a special breakfast.”
“Pancakes and Maple Syrup?” I asked. “And bacon?” I thought.
“We’ll decide when we get there,” Nazy replied. “Granola and fruit,” Nazy thought.
I should have realized that Nazy’s anomalous activity meant that a surprise was in the offing. Thus,
I shouldn’t have been shocked to see both Mitra and Stefan at Jeannines. And Nazy shouldn’t have been gobsmacked by the realization that they had ordered blueberry pancakes (and maple syrup) for me.
“… and, at the six week mark, Darius, your Mom let me take care of Mitra — on my own — while she went grocery shopping.”
“All by yourself?”
“That’s right, Dar. But she called twice to check on me during the 90 minutes she was away.”
“Only twice?”
“This was before cell phones. She had to ask to use a land-line phone.”
“Land-line?”
In addition to a new baby, Darius and Christiane will be moving to a new country.
“Did you run into politics when you were a professor, Dad?”
“Politics in academia, Dar? Astonishing!” I replied. “I wonder if I should tell him about the time Dr. Sledd had to stand on the table to quiet a faculty rebellion at Georgia Tech?” I thought.
“Dr. Vladimir Slemecka, Chair of the Information and Computer Sciences Department at Georgia Tech had a tape recorder built into his briefcase, Dar.” I continued. “Vlad was an early promoter of taping and collusion,” I thought.
“Briefcase?”
“He told my thesis advisor, John Gwynn, to wear a tie to my thesis defense.”
“And?”
“John wore tennis shorts, one black and one white tennis shoe, long white socks with purple tops, a turtleneck sweater and, underneath the sweater, a tie.”
“A tie? Underneath..”
“I think it was the one he used to clean his soup bowl. Politics is endemic in an academic environment, Dar.”
Note: Regarding the white and black sneakers. John was a very good tennis player. But, when he served, he dragged his right toe on the ground. Thus, the right show wore out before the left one. When a local K-Mart closed, they had a big sale on black size 13 tennis shoes. John bought several pairs — of which he used only the right foot.
Nazy’s brother, Shahriar and his wife Fay, also joined us in Santa Barbara for the Father’s Day celebration. We toured Santa Barbara and had breakfasts both at home (with colorful juices and tomatoes) and at Hendry Beach with a great view of the Pacific Ocean. Melika and Arrow joined us.
Exhibiting the good judgment developed as a result of decades of corporate experience, I ‘chose’ a healthy fruit dish. Nazy was happy, but I think Arrow was laughing at me.
The re
mainder of the week was a bit challenging. Melika’s car was being repaired and she didn’t have a car seat. The old nanny had graduated and moved on. the new nanny hadn’t started. Tiger’s pre-school was in the midst of the summer break. Accordingly, we had a lot of time with Tiger who is learning to act independently and creatively. For example, we were playing with his cars when..
“Look, Dan! You can clean your boogers with your shirt!”
Arrow, who hasn’t learned to talk yet, has figured out how to communicate. For example, he really likes to sit on Tiger’s tricycle and in Tiger’s model mini. (If, while carrying him, you walk by either of those wheeled vehicles, he lunges and points.) This issue of The Weekly Letter includes a couple of photos of Arrow playing with Tiger’s machines. Readers are asked to not share these photos with Tiger.
“We’re going to Jeannines for breakfast, Dan.” Nazy announced.
“Jeannines?” I replied. “You’ll never let me get the pancakes.” I thought.
“I want to be there at 10:00.”
“There’s no rush, Nazy. It’s a weekend.”
“10:00 Dan. You must be ready.”
“Of course, my dear.” I replied. “How very strange,” I thought. “Nazy insisting that we be ‘on-time’It’s unheard of.”
“It’s Father’s Day, Dan. I want you to have a special breakfast.”
“Pancakes and Maple Syrup?” I asked. “And bacon?” I thought.
“We’ll decide when we get there,” Nazy replied. “Granola and fruit,” Nazy thought.
I should have realized that Nazy’s anomalous activity meant that a surprise was in the offing. Thus,
I shouldn’t have been shocked to see both Mitra and Stefan at Jeannines. And Nazy shouldn’t have been gobsmacked by the realization that they had ordered blueberry pancakes (and maple syrup) for me.
Dan and Mitra
Santa Barbara, CA
As you can see in the photo, Mitra and I both like colorfully patterned clothing.
While we were celebrating Father’s Day in Santa Barbara, Melika, Tom and the grand(est)sons were in Hawaii.
And Darius, the new(est) father was ‘Sleepless in Beirut’. For some reason, Leandra, the grand(est)daughter wakes up frequently (in the middle of the night.
So far Darius has accumulated 3 (whole) weeks of fatherly experience. I shared my memories of that time.
“… and, at the six week mark, Darius, your Mom let me take care of Mitra — on my own — while she went grocery shopping.”
“All by yourself?”
“That’s right, Dar. But she called twice to check on me during the 90 minutes she was away.”
“Only twice?”
“This was before cell phones. She had to ask to use a land-line phone.”
“Land-line?”
In addition to a new baby, Darius and Christiane will be moving to a new country.
“Did you run into politics when you were a professor, Dad?”
“Politics in academia, Dar? Astonishing!” I replied. “I wonder if I should tell him about the time Dr. Sledd had to stand on the table to quiet a faculty rebellion at Georgia Tech?” I thought.
“Dr. Vladimir Slemecka, Chair of the Information and Computer Sciences Department at Georgia Tech had a tape recorder built into his briefcase, Dar.” I continued. “Vlad was an early promoter of taping and collusion,” I thought.
“Briefcase?”
“He told my thesis advisor, John Gwynn, to wear a tie to my thesis defense.”
“And?”
“John wore tennis shorts, one black and one white tennis shoe, long white socks with purple tops, a turtleneck sweater and, underneath the sweater, a tie.”
“A tie? Underneath..”
“I think it was the one he used to clean his soup bowl. Politics is endemic in an academic environment, Dar.”
Note: Regarding the white and black sneakers. John was a very good tennis player. But, when he served, he dragged his right toe on the ground. Thus, the right show wore out before the left one. When a local K-Mart closed, they had a big sale on black size 13 tennis shoes. John bought several pairs — of which he used only the right foot.
Nazy’s brother, Shahriar and his wife Fay, also joined us in Santa Barbara for the Father’s Day celebration. We toured Santa Barbara and had breakfasts both at home (with colorful juices and tomatoes) and at Hendry Beach with a great view of the Pacific Ocean. Melika and Arrow joined us.
Exhibiting the good judgment developed as a result of decades of corporate experience, I ‘chose’ a healthy fruit dish. Nazy was happy, but I think Arrow was laughing at me.
The re
“Look, Dan! You can clean your boogers with your shirt!”
Arrow, who hasn’t learned to talk yet, has figured out how to communicate. For example, he really likes to sit on Tiger’s tricycle and in Tiger’s model mini. (If, while carrying him, you walk by either of those wheeled vehicles, he lunges and points.) This issue of The Weekly Letter includes a couple of photos of Arrow playing with Tiger’s machines. Readers are asked to not share these photos with Tiger.
For last week's letter, click here
Arrow on Tiger's Tricycle
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