A Novel Idea

Bryce and I arrived at the author reading at Bookshop Santa Cruz a few minutes early, but there were no seats left. We stood in the back and waited. It had been a lovely summer day and now I was excited to bring Bryce to the bookshop. 

Earlier in the week, my wife Amy asked if I wanted to take Bryce to an author reading at the bookshop. I said I did as it would be a fun outing for us. We'll all readers in our house, but our youngest daughter Bryce is our little super reader. She's always reading multiple books at the same time and we've been reading together before bedtime for a few years now. Amy takes her on regular library runs, too. 

Reminds me of me when I was her age. At 13, I read all the time, too. And even though she has devices today to watch shows and listen to music, something we monitor with both girls, reading is still the winner. I remember staying up late in the summertime (and during the school year) reading chapter after chapter of a good book. 

The author reading was about to begin. I did find an open bench with a great view left of the stage area in front, but Bryce didn't want to sit there. I don't think it was because she didn't want to sit with me, she just liked the view from where she was standing. At least, that's what I told myself. These teens today. 

The author reading was with Karen M. McManus who wrote the One of Us Is Lying series. This reading launched the newest book in the series called One of Us Is Back. She writes young adult mystery thrillers, a genre Bryce really enjoys. Reminds me of my Stephen King obsession back in the day. 

I bought a copy of the new book for Bryce to get signed after the reading was over. During the public question-and-answer session at the end of the author interview and reading, I texted Bryce to ask a question. She said she didn't have one, but I did.

"What is it about good thrillers and mysteries that engage you the most?" I asked the author. 

"Good character development with all the suspenseful mini-mysteries interconnected throughout that drive the over-arching mystery," Karen M. McManus said. "That's what engages me."

"Thank you." Good answer, I thought. 

Afterwards Bryce and I waited in line to meet Karen to have her sign Bryce's book. 

"Did you like this?" I asked.

"Yes," Bryce said. "I did really enjoy it. I just didn't have a question for her."

"You heard mine, right?"

"Yes, it was good."

I smiled. "This is inspiring me to write my novel."

"You want to write a book?"

"Yes. I've written a couple of business books, but I really want to write a novel now."

"What about? Will it be young adult?"

"It won't be young adult or be a mystery thriller, although someone will die in my story. It'll be a small town family drama," I said.

Bryce frowned. "You're not going to write about me, are you? Don't write about me." 

"It won't be about you. It will be fiction with made up characters."

"Good. You should write it. I would read it."

That meant a lot coming from a reader like Bryce.

I laughed. "Maybe there will be a character like you who I name Bruce instead of Bryce."

"Dad!"

I loved watching Bryce as she talked with the author Karen M. McManus and told her how much she enjoyed her books. Karen signed Bryce's book and told her she loved her hat. When I was her age, I never got to meet authors whose books I loved. I'm so glad I took her this author reading and will do it again and again. And for Bryce to tell me she'd read the novel I've always wanted to write made the moment even sweeter.

This wonderful bonding experience with my daughter was more than just us having a good time together. It again sparked the idea of doing something new and different that I never thought I'd ever do in life. Like have children. Or travel the world. Or try different careers. Or write a business book. Or play the drums. 

Or, write the great American novel. As parents, we're supposed to be the ones who encourage our kids to dream the big dreams, but they can do the same for us. What a novel idea. 

Why We Celebrate Our Crazy Little Thing

“This thing (this thing)
Called love (called love)
It cries (like a baby)
In a cradle all night
It swings (woo woo)
It jives (woo woo)
It shakes all over like a jelly fish
I kinda like it
Crazy little thing called love…”

—Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love

I didn't really get it until days later. Yes, it was our Valentine's Day family date afternoon/night, and we did spend quality time together as a family, for the most part.

First, the girls and I needed to get our flu shots, being overdue in that department and still in the throes of flu season. Plus, I'm going to be traveling again soon, and will be exposed to all sorts of bugs Americana. The Mama (what I lovingly call my wife) had already gotten hers months earlier since she works in physical therapy and helps older, more susceptible patients who live in assisted-living facilities and also those who have home health care.

Kaiser Permanente is new to our area and now has a downtown office in Santa Cruz, so that's where we went for our flu shots. We switched to Kaiser recently due to the rising costs of health care for families (don't get me started) and the fact that their services are more reasonable (by far and so far) compared to what we had (which had increased by over 25%), along with us having Direct Primary Care, all of which is a whole other Get Off The Ground article for another time.

The shots didn't take very long -- I went first, and then Beatrice, and then Bryce -- but before the nurse practitioner had the needle ready and poised for Bryce's arm, Bryce erupted in tears. She's never been a fan of the shots. Who is, right? She cried and shook her head and said she didn't want the shot and cried and shook her head.

We all told her it would be a quick pinch, but she just kept crying and shaking her head while the Mama held her. Finally she stood still enough for the nurse to give her the shot, and then Bryce wailed and cried even louder. The nurse left and came back in with rubber duckies for both girls and that perked Bryce up.

Then we were off to Bookshop Santa Cruz to buy books the girls had earned and for a Reading Flash Mob -- of which I had no idea what that was. Bookshop Santa Cruz has been an iconic community bookstore for over 50 years now. I came to learn that the reading flash mob was a gathering for kids and adults alike to come and literally read any book in the store for about an hour, whether purchased or not.

What I didn't know about the event (even though I'm sure the Mama told me more than once) was that the Live Like Coco Foundation, a Santa Cruz-based nonprofit, and the Santa Cruz Playground Project launched this series of “Reading Flash Mob” fundraisers to fund literacy panels at Leo’s Haven, the county’s first playground for children of all abilities.

And so we read for a great cause. Wait, two great causes. No, three great causes that included our own love of reading. We also found out that the Live Like Coco Foundation's executive director had a daughter named Coco who had died in a car crash at age 12. And so the foundation was founded to celebrate her spirit and for us all to "do good things" in our lives and in our community. Right on.

Out of all the amazing books at the bookstore, Bryce of course chose Dog Man Unleashed, another silly graphic novel series for kids from the creator of Captain Underpants (tra-la-la!). I read nearly the whole book to her during that inspirational hour while the Mama and Beatrice read to each other.

After that we were off to our family Valentine's Day dinner. All of us were hungry and we had a wonderful time -- until we didn't. Well, not the girls, the Mama and me. This is what happens sometimes in the adulting world. Life trips up your mindful happy along the way and fall flat on your fallible face. We both started worrying about our work and our commitments and the weeks aheads and all the other American crazy breaking down all around us, and then when one of us nearly dropped a plate at the end of the meal -- ka-boom.

We both got angry with each other unnecessarily and it deflated some of fun Valentine family we'd been having since the flu shots. For us at least, but thankfully not for the girls. The Mama and I survived the adulting fall and apologized, reminding each other that it's okay be get mad sometimes as long as we acknowledge it, own it and reconcile it. It still takes longer for me than the Mama, and yet we always get back to the heart of each other.

I didn't really get it until days later. Yes, a family bond is a crazy little thing called love, no matter how mad we may sometimes get with one another. And we will. And there will be more ka-booms between all of us as the girls get older. And more tears and shouts and laughter and love. And yet I cannot imagine, do not want to imagine, if any one of the ladies in my life -- these suns that rise in my heart each and every morning -- were gone.

This is why we stay in our moments as much as we can, hold fast to each one and each other, and celebrate our crazy little thing.