And you see how this cool phone works? You stick your finger in the dial and spin the phone number

The Bandit just turned nine. He was supposed to be born on 5/5/2005. What a cool birthday, huh? I had the C-section scheduled for that day and everything. Sadly, suggesting that he would be difficult his entire life, he insisted on coming on 5/3 foiling all my plans.

For his birthday this year, his uncle got him a cool crank radio. He was showing me all the nifty things the radio did – like requiring no batteries, charging cell phones with a solar panel, all kinds of weather channels and such. All very cool for a cub scout to have.

The one he was the most impressed with amused the shit out of me.

“When you don’t get very good reception you can raise this thing–” he extended the antennae “–and voila, the radio is clearer.”

“That’s awesome, little man.”