It was a beautiful Saturday morning. I wouldn’t have known that, except that my son did a flying leap on top of me and yelled, “Good morning, daddy!” during his descent. I woke up to the unsolicited onslaught and started our morning tickle regimen that keeps his laughing muscles in shape. He usually wouldn’t be up this early on a weekend, 7 a.m., but I had been prepping him the entire night before to go and ride the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, the only steam train that I am aware of in our area.
He was excited, if not confused. He knew we were going to ride the steam train, but he was unaware of exactly how we were going to do that. We were in Yosemite the week before, and I explained that we were going back to the mountains to ride the train, but I could not convince him that those mountains were not around the ocean. During breakfast, while I packed our day pack and snacks, and even while we were getting into the car with our two friends who were riding with us, Brenda and Mike, he kept on saying how he couldn’t wait to see the ocean.
Every time he talked about the ocean, I explained that we really weren’t going to see the ocean today. Maybe we would see a bear or some deer, lots of trees and mountains, possibly a stream or river, but we were definitely not seeing the ocean during our outing today. Finally, after both Mike and Brenda confirmed that we were not going to the ocean, Brian Jr. realized that there was no possibility of an oceanic adventure today.
With my son somewhat disappointed that we were riding a train that was nowhere around the ocean, we began driving. His earlier enthusiasm was somewhat diminished, and he fell asleep in the truck on the way to the train.
He woke up a bit before we arrived at the steam train turn-off, and was now excited about riding the train, which he happily pointed out, “is in the mountains, not by the ocean.”
We got out of the truck and had our obligatory race up the hill. Upon completion of the race, we bought our tickets, checked out the rustic shops (where, oddly, Brian liked checking out the antique tools more than he cared about the antique toys), and waited for the train to start our epic journey through the wild countryside.
We boarded onto the log seats, which is where Brian insisted we ride, much to my pleasure. It is always wonderful when you and your son have the same ideas. A German family boarded right next to us with three dogs. Brian was far more interested in the dogs than anything else going on around him. Suddenly, though, the train’s whistle blew and Brian almost jumped out of the train with surprise. I sat him down next to me as we began moving. Hitting Brian’s funny bone, the Cocker Spaniel started barking without even knowing who he should be barking at just because the train was moving. Junior thought it was so funny, and he wanted to go over and pet the dog to calm him, but I wouldn’t let him since getting up was against the rules once the train was moving.
Brian really enjoyed the ride, but his favorite moment was when we hit the halfway point of the first leg and the steam train started working hard and released a lot of steam everywhere. The entire area turned from a beautiful, clear day to a foggy, misty forest fit for any Friday the 13th movie (maybe a Jack the Ripper in London moment, you choose the scarier scenario). Brian was completely impressed. As we were going around the next turn, still in heavy steam, I looked at the engine and noticed how hard it was working. The fire box beneath the train was pulsating with red fire, and I drew Brian’s attention to it. I explained that the fire was heating the water and making it into steam, and the steam was what was driving the pressure to make the engine move the train. Brian was very unsure about what I was saying, until we reached the top of the little hill, and the engineer released the excess steam. Within moments, we could no longer see the engine or its fire box and even the forest was fading. It was impressive.
On the drive home, Brian was getting tired. I had fed him and the walking/running at the train station and subsequent hiking afterwards had wore out his little body. Mike, my friend, and I were enjoying a bunch of friendly banter in the front seat, though. After a while, Brian’s “pay attention to me” meter was pegged, and he knew he was about to fall asleep anyway. He butted into the conversation Mike and I were having, and I started talking with him.
While we were talking, Mike made a joke about what we were talking about. I started laughing, and Brian quietly said, “That’s not funny.” I started laughing a little louder, with Mike and Brenda joining in, and Brian more loudly stated, “That’s not FUNNY.” Now I was laughing even harder, as everyone except Brian Junior was, and Brian, in his tired state, screamed, “THAT’S NOT FUNNY.”
At this point, I realized that Brian was getting very tired, so I told Mike not to egg him on. Brian kept saying, “That’s not funny; that’s not funny; that’s not funny…” probably because we all laughed when he said it every previous time. Finally, I had to tell him that it was funny, but it isn’t anymore. Mike, trying to help me out, said, “Knock-Knock.”
Apparently, however, tired Brian was still mad at him for taking my attention away. Brian, despite the fact that I am positive he didn’t want to talk to Mike right then, but who had never dealt with a situation where he couldn’t answer a knock-knock joke screamed, “WHOOOOO’S THEEEEEEEEEERE?!?”
I just about jumped out of my seat, but Mike was unfazed. He immediately continued his knock-knock joke and Brian laughed at the fact that he was, apparently, happy that Mike didn’t say banana. Brian fell asleep within minutes after the joke.
Once we got home, I asked Brian if he had fun. He said that it was really fun, and still had his ticket in his hand. I asked if he wanted to ride the train again and he said, “That’s not funny,” while laughing giddily at his own highly developed wit. I guess next time we will hit the ocean.
FDC member and devoted dad
"0 to 5 in 30 Minutes," the premier locally produced television program for parents of younger children, broadcast a very complimentary profile of the Fresno Dads Club as part of its June 4 episode. Shown on KVPT Valley Public Television just in time for Father's Day, the profile segment showcased the Fresno Dads Club's efforts to serve as a community for fathers in and around Fresno, and explored the importance of fathers in the lives of children.
"The makers of 'phpBB,' the program that powered our old Forum, announced a couple of months ago that they had been hacked, and this has caused our old Forum to receive huge amounts of spam over the last couple of months," said Club charter member and website contact Tim Savage.
The annual Babyfest event is one of the biggest draws for new parents in Fresno. And this year Fresno Dads Club was there, shaking hands, telling passersby about our events, and welcoming several dads-to-be to the world of fatherhood.
"A lot of folks who stopped by were surprised to find something like Fresno Dads Club even existed, and just about everyone who spoke to us found the idea of a locally managed club for dads to be what they were looking for," said Tim Savage, FDC charter member. "We met a lot of great dads today, and we want to encourage Fresno dads of all ages to consider joining us."
Aside from housing expenses, forking over for food is usually the biggest expense in a household. But with a house full of little mouths open like baby birds in the nest, cutting the budget without cutting their intake can be quite a feat.
Got lawn sprinklers? Instant water park! Add a few cheap squirt guns and it may even help the older ones get over their “Halo” addictions.
But the result did not come without controversy. After the first round of competition, one top-finishing beer had to be disqualified, and one Club member raised the possibility of a flaw in the testing procedures.
Also, one club member raised the possibility of a flaw in the testing procedures. Club member Mahwy1, who stated a preference for Coors products and offered as full disclosure his Colorado background, said in a message posted to the Fresno Dads Club forums, “I rated 3 beers ‘Good’ and gave Coors Light a high ‘Meh,’ and only really went that way because of the ‘Is it a beer for frak’s sake or is it water?’ category.
“I can certainly understand Mahwy1’s position, and our supply issues with Pyramid Hefeweizen could certainly cast some doubt upon our selection of Newcastle Brown Ale as our 'Official Beer,'” said Club member and event host Thorne. “But I think we made a sound decision in choosing Newcastle Brown. And besides, I can think of worse things than having to do this competition all over again.”