Video - Meathead Ideas Gone Bad

Here are a couple of my favorite meat head videos I've come across in my travels.  These guys are just plain whacked out.  They are definitely worth watching for the 2-1/2 or so minutes it will take to get through them.  I am reminded that even though I call myself Wacky Dad, I ain't got nothing on these boys!







Unbelievable morons right?  I'd love to see some links from some of my fellow meatheads out there of their favorite dumb stuff.  Bring it on!


Humbled,


Wacky Dad

Mia's Breakthrough On Skis At Cannon Mountain

A photo I took of Mt. Lafayette from the summit of Cannon.

Well anyone who has been to this website in the winter knows that my obsessions switch to 2 things, skiing and snowmaking.  I am a life long skiier, and on most weekends between January and April you will find me at my favorite ski haunt - Cannon Mountain in Franconia, NH.  I have had a life long love affair with this place.  I grew up skiing at a lot of different mountains, usually the one we could get the deepest discount tickets for, but I had a special place in my heart for Cannon Mountain.  My father used to have a map of New England in his glove box, and I would always read about all of the ski areas that were listed in its margins.  Cannon had the most imposing sounding description, a whole lot of vertical drop, a ton of expert terrain, and a lot of history.  Before I even made it to the mountain I had already dubbed it the best of the bunch sight unseen.  Once I finally skiied it I was infatuated.  I had never witnessed a more hardcore place, where most of the skiiers, were truly great skiiers.  Back in those days Cannon didn't have the greatest snowmaking, but boilerplate ice and all I was totally hooked. I talked dad into skiing the place quite a bit over the years, and although it was never the place we skiied the most it was my "true love".  When I proposed to my wife Cathy, it was the summit of Cannon Mounatin that I chose as the place to pop the question.  I told her afterwards that if she said no I had plans to throw her off the top, of course I was joking, I think.  As life has gone on and we have started raising our family, naturally it was Cannon that we have gravitated to as our family's mountain.  I am now on child #3, my little Mia, and I have been determined to give her a love of skiing that Abby and Ailey both share.  It started last year when she was 2-1/2 years old.  I thought she was some kind of prodigy, and figured she could hack the beloved Junior Development class called the Polar Bears.  Truth is, she was just too young to hack a 2 hour class with the kids.

After a couple of weeks we pulled her out of the class, and I started working with her as much as I could.  I got the little sucker skiing pretty well, but at 2-1/2 the attention span just wasn't there, so I didn't push my luck, but I could see the potential for her to be a great skiier.  Even if we only did one or two runs sometimes, we got out on most days and we had a good time with it.  I have been really excited to get her on skis this year, and this weekend we finally made it to the mountain for the first time after the holiday rush was winding down.  I knew it was going to be great when we put her skis on and her perpetual little smile just lit up the instant she started sliding around on the things.  On our first day out she did 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.  What can I say, she is just beautiful on those little K-2 skis of hers, and she totally loves it.  She is now in the polar bear class and is keeping up just fine.  Today she even graduated to the larger of the two beginner lifts, and she did it with style.  I think the only one smiling more than Mia was her goofy old dad skiing down behind her.  She even tried to hit a jump on the Huckerbrook trail (she kind of stalled on the top of the jump luckily!).  I am just so proud of her, and relieved that we have created another Cannon lover, and skiing lover out of her.  As far as Mia is concerned there isn't anywhere else in the world to ski, and hell for that matter her old man is right beside her.  I will be on this hill for the rest of my life, as long as my body will allow, and I hope I will be skiing right alongside my awesome family, Dad, Cathy, Abby, Ailey, Mia, and the rest of all the hotshots I have the privilege of skiing with on a weekly basis.  God Bless Cannon Mountain!


Happily,


Wacky Dad

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS - WACKY DAD VERSION!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a Meathead was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that Santa soon would be there.

The rug rats were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Home Made Snow danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long bloggers’s nap.

When out near the snow maker there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and fell on my ass.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a tangled up sleigh, and eight angry reindeer.

With a livid old driver, all covered in snow,
I knew in a moment it was St. Nick - Oh no!
More pissed off than snakes, his coursers they came,
The Elf Meathead whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on Donner and Blitzen!
Untangle yourself from that snow maker hose! Please hurry and get your ass out of that snow!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away now!"

They shook off the snow, the compressed air, and water,
and finally took off which was still quite a bother.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and the Fat Meathead too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The stamping and pawing of sixteen angry hooves.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney the mad Meathead came with a bound.

He was dressed in wet fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all covered with ice and with soot.
The bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
Were snow covered and smashed, a really sad sack.

His eyes-how they squinted! his dimples no fun!
His cheeks were like roses, from the spraying snow gun!
His droll little mouth was drawn up in a scowl,
And he looked over at me and said go get me a towel.

The stump of a pipe was all smashed in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a great big beer belly,
That shook when he toweled off, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, one pissed off old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A twinkle in his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had something to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
he poured a bucket of poo on the floor like a jerk .
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He shuffled to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, deer poop raining down like a missile!
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, never make snow on this night!"


I gave him the bird as he flew to the right
and hollered I AM WACKY DAD, AND WILL MAKE SNOW JUST TO SPITE!!!!  




MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL  IN THE WACKY DAD HOUSEHOLD!
rhode island snow

My Magnificent Mia!

How many 3 year old kids would grab onto
that lunker?

It ain't often that I get on my blog and straight up brag about my kids, but tonight is that night.  My third daughter Mia is my inspiration.  This little kid just isn't quite like any other kid I have fathered or met.  She is just pure happiness and fun.  Maybe it is the whole third time is a charm thing, but the kid just lights up a room when she walks in.  She is smart as a whip, and has a great sense of humor, and is outgoing.  She is really the type of person that can make a great big difference in a world like ours.  Another thing that inspires me about this little 3 year old whirlwind is just how tough she can be.  The other day I was out in the yard splitting wood, and Mia was playing on the swing set, occasionally coming over to cheer me on when a knotty old piece of oak might be vexing me.  Any way, I was keeping a loose eye on her as she was swinging and I noticed her fall right over backwards and land straight onto her head.  She was still moving, and I didn't hear the trademark scream that comes with a hurt kid, so I didn't rush in to check on her, I just watched.  The little bugger got up, shook herself off, and jumped right back on.  I know it had to hurt, but she just pressed on instead of making a scene.  I take no credit for the way this kid turned out.  I am of the mind that we have about 20% control over our kids personality.  The rest is simply innate.  I must say that my little Mia is innately one of the greatest joys of my life.

My kids are all so special to me, and the each hold a special place in my heart.  Abby is my first, sort of like a soulmate.  We still read together every night, and we hold a devotion to each other that I believe is uncommon.  Each of us will do things for each other that nobody else would bear.  She even laid under my truck with me the other day and helped me change a brake line from start to finish - boy did that bring back memories of my childhood.  Ailey is my little partner in crime.  The kid looks like me, acts like me, laughs like me.  We are carbon copies, which sometimes makes for some feisty arguments and head butting, but we truly love each other for our commonality.  My Mia is simply the smile on my face, the joy in my heart, and my elixir to the daily grind.  Thank God for them all, but tonight I thank God for my third, the Magnificent Mia!

Much Love,

Your Wacky Dad

Another Friend Lost To Pancreatic Cancer

Peter with his trademark smile

This week has started off roughly.  I got a call on Sunday night from my friend Peter's wife Sue.  The pancreatic cancer that he had fought so valiantly took him from this world so quickly that I couldn't believe it was real.  In fact I listened to the voice mail twice before I actually accepted that it was a fact.  Peter's fight lasted about 2 years - a milestone for anyone fighting this disease.  I have only known Peter for a little over a year.  We met at a meeting for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.  I became involved in this organization after a life long friend of mine, Karen Petty, passed away due to this disease after a valiant 2-1/2 year fight.  Peter and I instantly hit it off.  I had just completed a one day 200 mile solo bicycle ride to raise money for pancreatic cancer in Karen's memory.  Peter, being a cyclist for much of his life, instantly found a common thread with me.  He thought the bike ride was just great.  We went on to work together, along with other volunteers, in planning a large walk called Purple Stride Rhode Island in May 2011.  Peter's incredible energy and positive attitude, in the face of fighting one of the most deadly cancers, was totally awe inspiring to me.  I am a guy who is impressed by grit and toughness, but Peter did it without the tough guy act.  He just went on with his daily life while fighting his cancer as a matter of course.  I know he suffered, but he did not show it outwardly to us.  Pure guts.  I instantly fell in love with the guy.

Leading up to and after the Purple Stride Walk, Peter showed an intense interest in helping me make the Karen Petty Double Century Bike Ride Against Pancreatic Cancer an even bigger success than it was the year before.  We spoke at least once a week, and planned our fundraising efforts together.  Peter even enlisted his nephew Tyler to ride along with myself and my good friend Greg.  Together we raised about $18,000 for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.  The most impressive part of the whole day was the fact that Peter was there at 3:00 am in the morning when we started from Karen's House in West Warwick, RI.  He was so pumped up!  I swear the guy had a smile on his face all day.  As we rode up he fixed bicycles, kept us from getting lost, waved signs and cheered like a maniac, and just was totally incredible.  He spent 14 hours in a car just to make sure we got there in style, all while fighting the pancreatic cancer in his body.  Never once did I see him appear tired or out of sorts.  Pure guts and love.  When we arrived at the end of the ride in Thornton, NH, Peter met most of Karen Petty's family, and he knew instantly why it is that I do what I do to honor Karen and her family.  He couldn't say enough times how much he enjoyed all of their company, and how welcome he felt.

More recently, leading up to November, Peter helped me plan our annual awareness event and vigil for Pancreatic Cancer survivors and those who have passed.  That was Nov. 20th.  Peter as always stepped up to the plate to help me out with everything he could.  He showed up to the event with tables, chairs, extension cords, and a whole lot of energy as always.  He got up in front of a crowd of 300 people and made an awesome speech, and presented me with a quilt made by a family member that has photos of our bike ride adventure together.  I was truly honored to feel so important to a guy that I admired so much.  I will treasure that quilt for the rest of my life.  After the event I knew Peter was having some health issues, but it didn't sound like anything he hadn't been through before.  I read his Caring Bridge posts, and he sounded upbeat as always, talking about new treatments.  Pure guts.  Three weeks to the day after the Purple Light event that we attended together so successfully, Peter suddenly succumbed to the disease he fought so valiantly.  For him to be beaten by it, I now realize that it is an unstoppable force.  Money can't beat it, Steve Jobs passing proved that.  Peter's passing proved that even the toughest and bravest man I have had the honor of knowing couldn't stop it.  Basically if you beat pancreatic cancer, you were lucky enough to catch it early, or you are a miracle.  I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend, but I know Peter would want me to take something good from it.  It has reinforced my resolve that I must not stop until this disease is gone.  I will be finding a way to honor Peter in my own way, and I will smash the disease that took Karen and Peter from us before their times. I swear I will with all of my heart.




We Will Miss You Peter,


Your Friend - Eric Costantino