Before and After

Birthday Boy

That's right, everyone. Today is a national holiday. At least it should be. I was born at least 21 years ago today. I am old enough to do whatever I want and still too young to care about the consequences. I'm thinking about getting a tattoo. Any suggestions?

Happy birthday to me!

New Links

Please note the addition of three new links on this blog.

1. My mother has joined the bloggosphere. Her site is a must read for anyone interested in the human experience (and for the answer to the question: Where did Travis come from?)

2. Jane Almirall is the wife of Bethany's cousin Brian. Her website displays many of her works of art. They are haunting in their beauty (just like me.) She is an incredible artist. Check it out.

3. Jodie Hurt is the wife of my longtime friend Doug. She is an art teacher and has a unique and beautiful style. The future artists in her classes are lucky to have her as an instructor. Her works are displayed on her blog.

There you go. Get yourselves some culture, dammit. You'll be glad you did.

PS: Stay tuned for pictures of the new "tailgatin' truck." (Talk about a work of art!) It should be finished this weekend.

Top Ten Naughton Headlines of the Last Week or so

10. My finger was bitten by a girl named Sasha (one of Alex's rats.)

9. Bethany and I went on a float trip with friends in Steeleville, MO and realized we are not as young as we once were.

8. Thinking he may have had another heart attack, (which it turned out that he did not), my dad went to the E.R.

7. I have decided to paint the Mean Green Machine black and gold in preparation for tailgating at MU games.

6. My little sister Karah was named "Queen Soya" and "Miss Congeniality" at this year's LaPlata, MO Soybean Festival.

5. Days later, a carload of Karah's friends were in a horrific car accident that left one friend dead and two others on life support.

4. Six year old Alex read aloud a 140 page book (entitled "Captain Underpants") from cover to cover this evening.

3. Sales at my dog food and supply store have increased 37% since this time last year forcing me to actually work (and earn my paycheck) to keep up with demand.

2. My beautiful bride celebrated her birthday by picking out a brand new fridge and stove as her birthday presents from me.

1. In a blatant and possibly successful bid to unseat me as the #1 son, Blake surprised our mom with a trip to New York to watch the semi-finals of the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament.

That's a look at the events of the past week in my world. What's going on in yours? If you have news that you would like to share, then please post a comment on this page. Let's get interactive, people!

A Cut Above

Labor day proved to be a labor of love this year. My mother called this morning to ask a favor. She wanted a hair cut. This was not such an unusual request considering that I regularly cut the hair of Alex and myself. (I am pretty handy with the clippers if I do say so myself.) However, this is the first time a woman has asked me to shave her head bald. Yes, the radiation that Mom has been subjected to has caused her hair to start falling out in clumps. Rather than fight it, she did the smart thing and said, "To Hell with it!" She says she never liked her hair anyway. My clippers don't give a perfectly smooth finish, so I encouraged Mom to use a razor to remove the stubble. Ever the optimist, she donned a "do-rag" and remarked that the stubble helped hold the scarf in place. "Kinda like Velcro," I commented. She laughed and agreed.

Since her energy level is not as high as she'd like, Mom hasn't been able to mow the yard. So I cut the grass while she swept up the hair on the bathroom floor. While out pushing the mower, I thought about how things balance out in life. Mom used to cut my hair when I was a kid. Now I cut hers. She used to take me to doctor appointments. Now I take her. She was there for me whenever I was scared. Now I'm there for her. I'm glad I can repay the favor. I'll says this, though- she was much better at giving a haircut.

After cutting Mom's hair and her yard, I came home and cut our dogs' claws and brushed their hair. First, I brushed and trimmed Elwood. He tolerated it alright and didn't give me too much grief even after cutting one claw too short and drawing blood. Then it was Princess's turn. Ten minutes and a half-gallon of slobber later, she was looking lady-like again. That left old man Jake. His hair was falling out in clumps as I used the de-shedding comb. I had noticed lately that he was looking pretty rough. He's almost 14 years old now, you know. Well, he got tired of being brushed so I switched to cutting his nails. He made a feeble attempt to escape and succeeded only in crapping on my leg. I sighed a "thanks a lot" sigh and finished up. When all was said and done there was a pile of fur and claws that covered approximately three square feet of the porch. I was covered in hair, drool, blood, and poo. And I was grateful. I was glad to have three neurotic dogs that need to be groomed. They need me. They love me. And I love them.

I was glad to have a mother who needed me, too. She loves me. And I love her. In life, there are times when we do unglamorous things for the ones we love. Be it cutting hair, cutting the grass, or cutting a dog's claws we do what needs to be done. Joy can be found in even these tasks when we realize how lucky we are to have people (and pets) in our lives who love us unconditionally and only occasionally need us to do something for them in return. We should all be more than happy to oblige. I am. Indeed, this Labor Day proved to be a cut above the rest.