<p>Years ago, I had one of my worst days as a parent on the 4th of July. My wife was at her office immersed in a massive project. It was 95 degrees and muggy. Our kids were 6 and 4. They were getting on my nerves, and I on theirs. They were bored, I was short-tempered. It was awful.</p>
<p>So I packed them in the car, and we went to the racetrack.</p>
<p>We watched the horses before the races. We placed $2 bets based on which names were funniest, which colors we liked best, which horses were prettiest. We drank forbidden soft drinks. We had a great time. It was borderline child abuse, of course, but not a bad “Dad” afternoon.</p>
<p>p2n – Thanks for creating this thread. With my son off at college, that leaves just my wife and daughters at home with me. Even our pets are mostly female. I’m tired of watching Gilmore Girls and need to see more Nascar races and John Wayne movies. Thanks for giving me a place to hang out and drink beer.</p>
<p>There was a great My Turn in Newsweek(?) years ago, written by a carpenter. he said he could happily clean, parent, cook and all that cause his use of Big Tools and Manly Work kept him sure of his manliness.
He claimed it was “pear bottomed office workers” who couldn’t do those jobs and were threatened by women.
btw this Alpha married a carpenter!</p>
<p>Big Tools and Manly Work kept him sure of his manliness.
lol
My H works with big tools- but he hides his prowess in the kitchen.
It wasn’t until he had to observe my cake baking skills when forced to do so at birthday time, that he finally admitted that he knew how to bake-so he was put in charge.</p>
<p>He has to be in charge of so much stuff at work, that I think he really likes to come home and veg out ( yes in front of a football game)
He does wash his own clothes, but anything else he begs ignorance- or he is * too tired* from his very physical job</p>
<p>I too was the only male in a household of females; despite being raised in the complete opposite situation. When my younger daughter is home it’s tough to get away from the gilmore girls or the style channel or watching so many estrogen-laden movies I start wondering if I should have monthly moods swings. :rolleyes: Fortunately, the older daughter watches the history channel with me or similar documentaries on soviet Russia. Younger daughter, however, is the runner…</p>
<p>Check out sinner’s alley on women and breaking wind. Unfortunately, the scales have fallen from my eyes…my virginal image of women in general has been forever changed from the postings over there. (lol)</p>
<p>My H piled the boys, ages 8 and 11, into t he car one hot Memorial Day. They went to the Indy 500 and slept in the car in the parking lot along with thousands of other retro-guys (see marite’s illustrations) . The boys reported that dad filled the cooler with soda, licorice, apples and beer. Lots of ‘topless’ pics from that man event.</p>
<p>cheers – Funny you should mention the Indy 500. Since I just turned 50, I am being allowed to check off one of the to do items on my list of man things, and that is to attend the race this year. I am taking my son to join me, and I also anticipate doing other man things like eating steaks (with no salad) and complaining about the temperature at the speedway. For folks like us from near Seattle, temperature/weather is something both men and women discuss.</p>
<p>My H (a FABULOUS cook; the primary reason he is undumpable) once took our two sons to a Raiders game where they witnessed a brawl in the parking lot invoving chains and knives. More good man times, I guess? OTOH he and our littlest S also enjoy watching cooking shows on cable together. He must be a retro/metro hybrid.</p>
<p>I have five cars and four are older two-seater sports cars. My wife would love to see most of them gone. I just tell her how much they are appreciating and change the subject. I will never sell them so long as I can drive them.
We go to races together and she actually enjoys them. She wants to go to major Nascar race. I’m pretty lucky.</p>
<p>SBmom – I’ll bet you are right. Were you including hot flashes as a part of the temperature discussion? Besides, I prefer to use the temperature thing as a reason to either stop doing what it is that is making me sweat, or to get an appropriate beverage to offset the problem.</p>
<p>^^ Yes, I believe you can. Apparently, an important ingredient in his charm is his androgynous look. So bring both the Man and the Woman cards, take a spin in one of barrons several two-seaters in high heel shoes while guzzling beer; the open top will bring down the temperature and cool down hot flashes. :)</p>
<p>Ugh…I detest that show. It interrupts “House”. :eek:</p>
<p>The Man Council has decided that American Idol is persona non grata for discussion by card-carrying males. So let it be written, so let it be done.</p>
<p>However, discussion of anti-aircraft artillery WWII-vintage proximity fuses is encouraged. </p>
<p>(how the heck did they ever get tiny vacuum tubes to survive the stress of firing? )</p>
</p>
(lol)</p>
OTOH he and our littlest S also enjoy watching cooking shows on cable together. He must be a retro/metro hybrid.</p>
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