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    Tuesday, September 28, 2010

    Pride of my Fathers



    Two nights ago I set about creating a birthday cake for my son. When I was young, I remember nights spent outside in the garage with my father, working on cakes for the Cub Scout cake auction. "What?" you say. "The garage?"

    Yes, the garage.

    My father the engineer never made a regular cake. One year it was a windmill, complete with working (rotating) fan. Another time it was an airplane with propellers, and yet another time we made a lighthouse - complete with light of course.

    I used to stand amazed at how smart my father was. How could I ever be like him? When would I ever learn all this stuff? (I still wonder this, since he is an engineer and hence infinitely smarter than myself). Our cakes always took first place (unless the took second place to my brother's cakes - also made by my father) and raked in the most dough. Ah, how my chest swelled with pride!

    And so, when my son's birthday got closer, and my wife asked me to make the cake, I immediately started getting flashbacks to those nights in the garage. A Thomas the Tank Engine party only deserves a train cake with working light, right?

    So two nights ago I set about making my first simple circuit since college. When I flipped that switch and the light shone, my chest swelled with pride again. Perhaps I did learn a thing or two from all those nights watching my father? Next step is placing the circuit properly in the cake and cake board. Then my son can turn it on at his party.

    And then my chest will swell with pride again.

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