Hell yeah, kids are f'ing detached these days. I insist my kids get out and kick the ball around for at least an hour each evening (although they don't play video games.) The bottoms of my feet are completely caloused (sp.) from playing on the concrete as a kid. I still hate shoes.
Rough concrete pools? Luxury lass! When I were a lad...
(Continue Monty Python impression here) 
Regards, C
Actually, my youngest has admonished me that he LOVES to play outside. Which is true.
The rest are pathetic indoor freaks...
My feet were rough when I was young and I do still hate wearing shoes, but they are soft now cuz I pamper them a bit.
I remember spending entire days of my summers in the neighbors pool. I had the rough feet too. I also had horrible chest pain when I breathed in the evening because the smog was so bad back then. Horrible in fact. You would be amazed at the difference between in the air in SoCal now compared to the lates 1970's and early 80's.
I also remember that we were always scheduled to serve the Saturday evening vigil Mass and my brother and I, after swimming all day, would nod off during Fr. Ernest's homilies.
Definitely the good ol' days.
I got a magic kit for my 12th Birthday, and I couldn't have been more overjoyed. The kit had not only all the props necessary to allow me to do the disappearing milk into the newspaper trick, the ball of fluff into the hidden thumb, the ball & cup, and it even had the linking rings.
I was very excited, and I practiced and practiced. Back then I had dreams of becoming a professional magician, and used to perform my Magic act to anyone who would watch. I performed for my mother's Aunt Betty, my Aunt Betty, my friend Ron Nieto, my friend Maxwell Reid, my parents, my sister, and anyone else who came by the house.
I was taking piano lessons at the time to, and one day I asked my piano teacher if he wanted to see a magic trick, but he declined.
A few years later I got a different Magic set with some money my Aunt and Uncle in New York sent me, but it wasn't as good as the set I got for my 12th Birthday.
I often get ribbing from my wife about not always taking my shoes off in the house. She loves being in socks or bare feet in the house. My feet get cold, so even when I'm done being out for the day, I will usually wear slippers! I'm a non-smoker and in good shape, so I don't know why that happens.
Anyway, I wouldn't fret too much. You had TV as a kid too, of course it was probably four channels (like I had too since I lived a bit too far outside the closest city). We all have different interests. Plus, your kids can do very well working for the video game industry if they want to! I'm not sure if there is quite so much in the pool industry for good career options!
Oh, and that fence does sound scary. I wish we could grow sugar cane and palm trees around here though!
Oh what??
Can I come and house sit when you guys go away... your pool sounds great
It was 15 miles. Uphill. Both ways. And we dragged ourselves through the snow with our hands, because we were just a torso. No legs, just a torso.
But we were PROUD.
Why no post on the 18-year old who got 40 years on the Texas Taxpayer's dime instead of heading of for college for standing on his 16-year old girlfriends stomach at her request resulting in a miscarraige?
Link here
Really? thats about the most amazingly stupid thing i've ever heard.
jandre, what's to say? A horrible crime. Too bad ony one is being punished.
Guess her "social and college" plans will go forward.
They planted palm trees all over Frisco. How about pineapples in Nome?
Sparkle: How many of the neighborhood kids ripped themselves up at least once on the barb wire as they tried to go pool hopping --- I imagine if a pool like that was in my neighborhood, at least half of my circle of friends would have had at least one tetanus shot in our teen years
Nope, not one. We are talking serious barbedwire here. My dad was a lawyer, he wasn't taking any chances.
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