BEING "HOME ALONE" IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE WHEN I WAS KID

Man, times do change..

This is code for "gee, I'm getting old."

I remember when I was child, that being "home alone" was so cool! I couldn't wait to have the house for myself and act like I would go to bed early just so that I could invite my friends home. I remember that when I was in high school and my mother would fly out to Chicago and it was PARTY TIME!

Eventhough my mother was extremely intelligent on trying to prevent me from using the car when she'd leave town, somehow I was one step ahead of her. Oh no, I'm not even going to give my secrets away because my daughters will read about how I got the better end on the vehicule usage.

Two and a half decades later, I find myself "home alone" again for a week. My wife is in Wichita Falls, Texas while my two lovely daughters are in church camp.

I'm alone working the business and making sure the bills get paid.

I have a car outside in the driveway staring at me. I have a few hundred dollars in my pocket, not to brag because its my truck payment and not for me to use, but hey, I've got a few bucks in my jeans. I have a playstation, top of the line and a laptop to use all to myself. I've got three televisions at my disposal so that I can watch three sports channels at the same time.

ALL TO MYSELF!

I don't drink alcohol but I could have as many soft drinks as I want, with all the junk food I want. I can have two pints of ice cream in front of my wife's picture without her telling me not to do it.

Hey, I could sleep as late as I want as well.

One could say that I'm in "guy's heaven", right?

WRONG!

I've become a prune or something because this is what I have done instead:

a. I limit spending money when my family is not here. Not because I'm a penny-pincher.

b. I drink water instead of soft drinks, I've come a long way from childhood.

c. I haven't used my playstation, where is the fun now that I'm older?

d. I go to sleep before midnight!

e. I haven't had any junk food, not even my traditional "fajitas" on Saturday night.

f. Let me state for the record that "fajitas" are not junk food. I will continue.

g. I have only used one television to watch my sports channel.

My God, I have become a prune.

So what do I actually do when my family is gone?

I spend time on the internet reading about current events, watching documentaries on youtube, but that only carries me so far. I spend the rest of my time thinking. I think about life, about my past and especially about the future of my entire family.
The majority of my brain power is focused on the gorgeous and beautful wife that God has given me. I say "GOD" because with my looks its only a miracle that I have been honored to share my life with Claudia. She is my life-witness, the one who is recording with her eyes and ears that I have existed on this planet. She is stunning isn't she?

How could I not fall in love with her?

SHE IS FINE!

If someone sees her in the mall in Wichita Falls, could you tell her that I love her?

I spend my time thinking on my first-born, Faith Abigail. She looks just like her mother but acts just like her father. For obvious reasons her face could not fit in this picture. She is an extemely intelligent teenager with an enormous future ahead of her. This summer she is staff in "Katie's Kid Kamp" and I'm so blessed in watching her grow into the beautiful women that one day she will become.

I also spend lots of time thinking about daughter Claudia, A.K.A "PIP". Very few chess fathers have the privilege of having a child play chess, much less actually excel in the game, Claudia is one of those daughters. She has brought me lots of joy in and out of the chessboard. As long as she is dedicated to the game, she will one day be in the top spots in the world.

Yeah, "home alone" is not what it used to be when I was a kid - its better. I have a family that consumes my thoughts, my life and my heartbeat.

I wonder what stories my daughters will tell about when they were "home alone."

Now that I think about it, may be I don't want to know.

LOL.