On January 14, 2024 – Best Day Ever!

Boys,

Lot to get into with this one so buckle up, buttercup. Today, we went to the train show at the Columbus Fairgrounds. This is the second straight year we’ve done this, and we’ve even recruited some friends to come with us this time. You, Miles, and Nash all got these paper train conductor hats and we were calling you the “train boys.” It’s funny how in your element you, Reagan, are at this place, just mixing it up with the other train enthusiasts whose average age either starts with a 7 or an 8…

Side bar: last year we came, and getting into the place was simple enough. But there are so many misleading exit signs that take you from here to there and back again with two double spirals and a cartoon-fork-in-the-road situation where the bad guy moved the arrow from <– to –> and long story short, your mom and I about killed each other trying to get out. Point is, we did better with that this year and spirits were a bit lighter leaving that they were last year.

So anyway, your mom needed both gas and air in her tires (sorry Jim and Kathy), and when you asked if you could help put gas in the car and air in our tires, you exclaimed, “best day ever!” Your mom and I decided that if that is all you needed for the best day ever, just wait until you get to do other cool things like take your car in to get an oil change or sit down with your wife and discuss budget for the month… you know, REALLY exciting stuff!

But January 14, 2024: Best Day Ever didn’t stop there, believe it or not. We put football on when we got home and you (Reagan) and I started to put together your model train that you’ve been asking about for a long time. By the time you read this, you might have a whole collection and shining your vendor’s license for next year’s train show. But we saw the Packers beat the Cowboys, which meant that if the Lions were to win their game afterward, we’d have a second home playoff game and a better chance to win and eventually make it to the Super Bowl.

Now, there is a lot to unpack about why I’m a Lions fan and what that last sentence in that last paragraph means. Most NFL teams have played for a Super Bowl. I’d guess about half of the teams in the NFL have even won a Super Bowl…

You know what? Emergency bang-bang post for why I am a Lions fan.

OK, now that’s out of the way, back to YOUR best day ever, Reagan. You were going to stay up late with me and watch some of the Lions vs. Rams game, but decided that you might be too tired after your big day and our usual book/talk about our day/song routine was more in line with what you needed. We did put your Lions at on your nightstand and I was to report to you who won the next day.

This is the point of the day when the transition between YOUR best day ever and MY best day ever happened. As the game started, I had to put my phone on airplane mode because I needed to focus and didn’t want to be distracted by texts coming in or out. I’d periodically turn airplane mode off and check on things, but knew if the Lions were going to win a playoff game for the first time since I was your age, Reagan (literally), they needed my whole focus.

I won’t get into the game, but I will say your mom troopered on with me until halftime, when she went to bed and I did my best to keep the energy up, but not so up that I’d wake anyone up, but up enough to carry the team to our first playoff win in 33 years and the second playoff win since Kennedy was assassinated.

So big day all around for at least two of us, but I think your mom had a lot of fun too at the train expo and she at least tolerated me while we were watching the game — I even got a few high fives when I told her we scored! As for Koen, well he ate and didn’t yell at anyone so if nothing else, leans slightly more toward January 14, 2024 as being the BEST DAY EVER!

Love,

Dad

PS – Go Lions!