Vol. 75 - A (very cute) Wrench in the Gears
Because being a dad is hard as f*ck.
I have a crazy week ahead.
I’m on three deadlines, one of which is for my first story with the New York Times Magazine, making the stakes a whole lot higher. Each of these stories in quite serious in nature and all shine a very bright light on their subjects’ personal plights, so I had better fucking get them right*.
The band I’m playing with is performing on Friday night, to celebrate our bass player’s show opening at a local art gallery. So I need to prepare for that.
My weekly journalism class at Wake Forest University is tomorrow and we’re discussing cultural sensitivity and awareness in storytelling. So again, I had better fucking get it right**.
And late next week, I’m heading to the mountains in South Carolina for an 89-mile bike race that counts some 10,000 feet of vertical elevation and I need to get some serious training rides in this week.
I have a crazy week ahead.
Which, thanks to Murphy’s Law, means that our daughter woke up this morning with a 101-degree fever and won’t be able to go back to daycare until Wednesday at the earliest. And while I do look forward to all the snuggletime that comes with a sick baby, I realize that this week is suddenly, and very fully, screwed.
Whoever said that being a dad is hard as fuck really hit the nail on the head.
*I had better get all of my stories right. But you get what I’m saying.
**I had better get all of my classes right. But you get what I’m saying.
I always love reading your stories, thank you! I play in a band here in Chicago and have a 5 (almost 6!) month old daughter with my wife. Two weeks ago, she picked up Covid at daycare, and then the NEXT week, had a 101 fever. I had my first band practice since becoming a dad last night, felt so fucking amazing, but I feel unbearably guilty leaving my wife and kid sometimes (like you, I'm eternally grateful to have a partner who will practically push me out the door for band practice). Hope your daughter is feeling better, good luck on all the busy things ahead!
I'm sorry to hear about your sick kid. That's never fun. I commend you for still be able to cycle with kids and work. My cycling days are behind me for now. I basically do three things these days: work, take care of kids, and sleep. I feel ya.