Red Letter Day in the Life of a Dad

As a newspaper editor, which I am, when looking at our staff written stories, more goes into the story than meets the eye. There is news that happens on the spot, like fires and murders, but that does not fill the paper on a daily basis. And I don't know about your, but I get more than my fill of the news of the Democrats and Republicans, Iraq, China, local politics, etc. So I am here to tell you, like any business, there is planning that goes into stories that involve the idea, the planning and the ultimate execution.

I will not go into more detail, but I need the example to set up the Friday that I had on June 29, 2007. Idea, plan and execute. This time, perfect. Some background, first.

I work Sunday through Thursday, so Friday and Saturdays are my day off. I make OK money, but my wife works in the medical field as a specialized technician and for an average middle-class job, what she makes is off the charts. She make probably what some casino workers make in our area. She hates for me to talk about money, but that's the facts, Jack.

We have a 10-year-old daughter, who will be 11 soon and with two working parents, we send her to summer camp at a local college. With me having Fridays off, I told her I would take her out of camp some Fridays. This Friday was one of those days. It was to be a busy day, but with the Lord's help (and thankfulness) I would accomplish it. I thought about it going into work on Thursday and had to calm myself.

What did I have in front of me on Friday, June 29, 2007? I was getting a new lease 2008 Ford small SUV, my second SUV, and traveling 60 miles to attend a Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets game at Citizens Bank Park at 7:05 p.m. with fireworks after the game.