Today was our son-in-law, Mike's, 36th birthday. He's been married to our baby, Sarah, for 11 years and they have three beautiful, well-behaved children.
Last night I conducted a phone interview with Mike and, of course, he was very friendly and agreeable. The interview went something like this:
(Oh, and as usual, the pictures accompanying the questions might not have anything at all to do with the question.)
I suppose you've been looking forward to this fun interview with your mother-in-law all day right?
I have actually.
You're going to be 36 tomorrow. Does that number have any significance for you or is it 'just another birthday'?
I haven't felt any angst about an age yet. Maybe at 25 or 28 I might have started to feel like a grownup but nothing's made me feel old yet - except 3 kids - lol.
No, the birthdays don't bother me at all.
Is there an age you anticipate that might make you feel uneasy?
Some people say 40 but I don't foresee it being an issue. Whatever age I don't feel young and spry will be the one that signals another era for me but I don't anticipate that for quite awhile.
Do you have any special birthday activities planned.
Let's see. Dinner with the family then maybe opening a present or two.
Any special gifts you're hoping for?
No, it's one of those things where it's so close to Christmas that I usually just throw out a list and I get some for Christmas and some for my birthday. I never know what to expect when.
You were a stay-at-home dad for almost 3 years right?
Yes
Did you enjoy that role?
Not particularly. It was okay but I prefer to be working outside the home.
What was most challenging about it?
I think when you work outside the home you make an extra effort to have meaningful time with the family; and when you're always home, sometimes time goes by without those meaningful moments ever happening.
Was it difficult to juggle your work-from-home job with child care?
Yes, there were times when I'd have phone meetings that I'd have to work around nap times. It helped that my parents were close by so I could loop them in and get into the office when I had to; but sometimes an unexpected phone call would have me struggling to juggle everything.
Okay, so everybody knows you're a sports enthusiast. What's your favorite sport to participate in.
Golf
What do you typically shoot?
Right now probably like 82.
How often do you get out?
This year is the least I've been out. I've missed 5 or 6 tournaments that I usually play in. I don't know exactly why it happened - it just did.
What is your favorite sport to follow?
College football. I'm first and foremost a Louisville Cardinal fan - mainly football and basketball which are televised and I can sometimes attend. I also enjoy reading about and following their golf and baseball programs.
Are you a fan of any professional teams?
No. We're kind of in the middle of about 5 or 6 teams - Bengals, Titans, Bears, Rams, Colts. I guess the Colts would be the team I'd follow most - of the ones nearby anyway.
Did you find it overwhelming at all to become part of such a large family?
Well at first I felt like a spectator. You know, by dating Sarah, I'd paid admission to watch and now it just seems like old hat. I'm pretty used to the numbers and the chaos that comes with a family this size. At first I was Sarah's boyfriend,
then her fiance,
then her husband,
and finally Mike. Now I feel like part of the action.
What do you like best about your present job?
It's somewhat challenging and yet I'm able to be successful at it.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I don't know. I see us in Louisville although now that my company is multi-national, there's always potential to move up and go to a different city. And, I wouldn't be surprised at some point, to see myself with a business of my own.
What haven't I asked about that people might find interesting about you?
I like creating physical challenges for myself whether it be a mini marathon or p90X. I like having goals to attain like dieting and training for a mini. Right now, because of the weather, I'm doing p90X but earlier this year I took a month and ran 25 miles a week. Sometimes I don't run for a month and then I might go out on a Saturday and run 7 or 8 miles just to get out there.
And recently I started trail running. I have a GPS watch and I'll take marked trails or head out to parts unknown. I don't have to map out a route in advance or even stick to streets and sidewalks. I enjoy running on new trails.
Sarah and I also share cooking duties. I enjoy cooking - not super healthy things but scratch biscuits or pancakes from scratch. And I can make some different entrees like pork butt and things like that. I have my little specialties that I can do pretty well.
Are you looking forward to Christmas week?
Absolutely!
And I can add some more interesting things about Mike. He's always helpful.
He's always fun.
He has one of the best senses of humor of anyone I've ever met.
And he's one of the most personable people you'll ever meet.
He's a good sport.
A real family man.
Who always helps with the 'kid' responsibilities.
We love Mike and we're proud and happy that he's a member of our family. He's kind, considerate, and always a joy to have around! Although it's a little late in the day, we hope he had a fabulous birthday!
Happy Birthday, Mike
P.S. You never seemed like a spectator to us!
Today was our son-in-law, Mike's, 36th birthday. He's been married to our baby, Sarah, for 11 years and they have three beautiful, well-behaved children.
Last night I conducted a phone interview with Mike and, of course, he was very friendly and agreeable. The interview went something like this:
(Oh, and as usual, the pictures accompanying the questions might not have anything at all to do with the question.)
I suppose you've been looking forward to this fun interview with your mother-in-law all day right? I have actually.
You're going to be 36 tomorrow. Does that number have any significance for you or is it 'just another birthday'? I haven't felt any angst about an age yet. Maybe at 25 or 28 I might have started to feel like a grownup but nothing's made me feel old yet - except 3 kids - lol.
No, the birthdays don't bother me at all.
Is there an age you anticipate that might make you feel uneasy? Some people say 40 but I don't foresee it being an issue. Whatever age I don't feel young and spry will be the one that signals another era for me but I don't anticipate that for quite awhile.
Do you have any special birthday activities planned. Let's see. Dinner with the family then maybe opening a present or two.
Any special gifts you're hoping for? No, it's one of those things where it's so close to Christmas that I usually just throw out a list and I get some for Christmas and some for my birthday. I never know what to expect when.
You were a stay-at-home dad for almost 3 years right? Yes
Did you enjoy that role? Not particularly. It was okay but I prefer to be working outside the home.
What was most challenging about it? I think when you work outside the home you make an extra effort to have meaningful time with the family; and when you're always home, sometimes time goes by without those meaningful moments ever happening.
Was it difficult to juggle your work-from-home job with child care? Yes, there were times when I'd have phone meetings that I'd have to work around nap times. It helped that my parents were close by so I could loop them in and get into the office when I had to; but sometimes an unexpected phone call would have me struggling to juggle everything.
Okay, so everybody knows you're a sports enthusiast. What's your favorite sport to participate in. Golf
What do you typically shoot? Right now probably like 82.
How often do you get out? This year is the least I've been out. I've missed 5 or 6 tournaments that I usually play in. I don't know exactly why it happened - it just did.
What is your favorite sport to follow? College football. I'm first and foremost a Louisville Cardinal fan - mainly football and basketball which are televised and I can sometimes attend. I also enjoy reading about and following their golf and baseball programs.
Are you a fan of any professional teams? No. We're kind of in the middle of about 5 or 6 teams - Bengals, Titans, Bears, Rams, Colts. I guess the Colts would be the team I'd follow most - of the ones nearby anyway.
Did you find it overwhelming at all to become part of such a large family? Well at first I felt like a spectator. You know, by dating Sarah, I'd paid admission to watch and now it just seems like old hat. I'm pretty used to the numbers and the chaos that comes with a family this size. At first I was Sarah's boyfriend,
then her fiance,
then her husband,
and finally Mike. Now I feel like part of the action.
What do you like best about your present job? It's somewhat challenging and yet I'm able to be successful at it.
Where do you see yourself in ten years? I don't know. I see us in Louisville although now that my company is multi-national, there's always potential to move up and go to a different city. And, I wouldn't be surprised at some point, to see myself with a business of my own.
What haven't I asked about that people might find interesting about you? I like creating physical challenges for myself whether it be a mini marathon or p90X. I like having goals to attain like dieting and training for a mini. Right now, because of the weather, I'm doing p90X but earlier this year I took a month and ran 25 miles a week. Sometimes I don't run for a month and then I might go out on a Saturday and run 7 or 8 miles just to get out there.
And recently I started trail running. I have a GPS watch and I'll take marked trails or head out to parts unknown. I don't have to map out a route in advance or even stick to streets and sidewalks. I enjoy running on new trails.
Sarah and I also share cooking duties. I enjoy cooking - not super healthy things but scratch biscuits or pancakes from scratch. And I can make some different entrees like pork butt and things like that. I have my little specialties that I can do pretty well.
Are you looking forward to Christmas week? Absolutely!
And I can add some more interesting things about Mike. He's always helpful.
He's always fun.
He has one of the best senses of humor of anyone I've ever met.
And he's one of the most personable people you'll ever meet.
He's a good sport.
A real family man.
Who always helps with the 'kid' responsibilities.
We love Mike and we're proud and happy that he's a member of our family. He's kind, considerate, and always a joy to have around! Although it's a little late in the day, we hope he had a fabulous birthday!
Happy Birthday, Mike
P.S. You never seemed like a spectator to us!
I agree! I can't even think of a day when he might have felt like a spectator! It just seems like he's been part of the family forever! It's true, he has such a great sense of humor and he a lot of fun to be around. We're lucky to have such a great bro-in-law! Happy Birthday, Mike!
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