If you had to eat one food every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I'm not saying you could eat only this food, but you have to have at least one serving of whatever it is every single day until you die.

What's interesting about this question is that for some people, the answer varies depending on when you ask them. They may be in the middle of a strawberry phase or a quinoa kick, and so they'll say whatever food they're most "into" at the moment. Ask them a week later and it's likely to be something completely different.

There's also the undeniable reality that for most of us, no matter how much you love a certain food, you're going to get tired of it if you eat it every day (and I include chocolate on that list, ladies). This isn't just me, right? Too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing, in my experience.

Regardless, recognizing all of that, if I have to provide a single answer to the question, I'm going with apples. Which I realize is kind of a boring response. But then again, if one food is going to be on the menu for the absolute rest of my time on earth, then it needs to be something solid and dependable rather than flashy and quick-to-turn-repulsive, doesn't it?

And if I have to be specific about what kind of apple, as documented on this blog previously, I'm going with the tried-and-true Gala apple. Galas are sweet, crunchy and among the most reliable members of the apple family. 95% of the time, any Gala you pick up at the grocery store or the farmer's market is going to deliver in terms of taste and texture.

In fact, in the case of Gala apples, I'm really already living out this proposition. In the last 365 days – and this is no exaggeration – I would say there have been at most 10 days in which I didn't consume at least one Gala apple. I'm not kidding. I even took a bunch with me when I traveled to Germany and the UK back in February.

So Gala apples it is for me. How about you? As always, comments on Facebook or below this post are welcome and appreciated.

Hey, you guys, high school football season starts tonight!

I have an unhealthy love for high school football.

In my life I have played it, written about it, and watched a whole lot of it. When I was a newspaper sports journalist, the vast majority of my attention from mid-August through the state championship games in late November was devoted to high school football.

And now, I am a parent of a player.

Well, sort of. I mean, I happen to think Jared is a high school football player, but some would disagree because he's "only" the kicker. He also plays soccer at Wickliffe High School, but beginning tonight and for the next several Fridays, he'll put on the shoulder pads and become a football player.

Jared has made one tackle in his career, and it was the last game of last season, when he only handled kickoffs for Wickliffe (and not placekicks). A kid on the other team fielded Jared's kickoff at about his own 15-yard line, darted up the middle, avoided three or four of our tacklers, cut to the right sideline and was off to the races.

Jared had been doing kickoffs all season, but he had yet to get involved in any meaningful contact. Until that moment.

As the returner sped down the sideline, I realized the only thing standing between him and a touchdown was my son, the kicker. Kickers aren't known as proficient tacklers, and truth be told, no one had ever taught Jared how to go about getting someone running full speed down to the ground.

But to my immense pride, The Boy took exactly the right angle, put his shoulder down, and knocked the returner out of bounds at the 6-yard line. True, the other team would go on to score a few plays later, but it wasn't because of my son. My son made a tackle and helped his team.

Which brings us to this season, when he is the clear #1 kicker, handling both kickoffs and placekicks for the Blue Devils, the same team for which I served as a running back almost 30 years ago.

I realize that in the grand scheme of things, the results of these games are meaningless. But this is my son, playing for my team, engaging in a sport with which he has only one season's experience. Every time they announce his name I honestly almost tear up, even if it's just when he's coming onto the field to execute one of the many squib kickoffs the Wickliffe coaching staff loves so much.

But beyond The Jared Factor, I also love high school football for the sights, the sounds, and even the smells (crisp fall air, greasy concession stand food, stinky shoulder pads, etc.) The deeper we get into the season, the colder it gets. But no matter how wintry it is, no matter how the team is performing, the Wickliffe faithful come out to watch their team, both at home and on the road.

And I'm one of those fans. I also serve as the PA announcer for the band, and it should be noted that Jared grabs his saxophone and plays with that band during every halftime, as does my trumpet-playing freshman daughter Melanie. If nothing else, Terry and I had a lot of kids to ensure that various Wickliffe teams and organizations would be well stocked into the immediate future...

Anyway, game #1 is tonight, as Wickliffe travels west to Rocky River, Ohio, to take on the Lutheran West High School Longhorns. I can't wait. Go Devils!

The pros and cons of a 45-minute daily commute to work

My office is approximately 35 miles from my house. In some parts of the country, that wouldn't be especially remarkable. Here in Northeast Ohio, it at least puts my commute on the long-ish end of the spectrum.

Not that I'm complaining, exactly. I actually enjoy that alone time in the car. But after a while, it gets to be a lot of alone time. Too much alone time, maybe.

My daily drive takes me through Downtown Cleveland, then southward to the little community of Olmsted Township. There is relatively little traffic, especially once I make my way through downtown and start travelling in the opposite direction of all the south- and west-siders trying to get to their office buildings.

For me, it's just a matter of distance. And it's the longest distance I've ever had to drive in my 24 years in the full-time workforce.

I pass the time in a variety of ways. Audiobooks are good, as are classical music CDs and WCLV, our local classical music station.

I also flip around to other radio stations, particularly the ones focusing on sports talk and 80s music. I can take both of those genres in large doses. Other stuff on the radio? It gets tedious even after a few minutes.

I know people who drive a lot farther every week than I do, but I have to say, that daily 70-mile round trip pushes my patience to the brink. I'll get to the half-hour mark or so and think, "OK, I don't want to be driving anymore. I'm just going to stop here, open up my laptop and do some work on the side of the freeway."

Which I never do, of course, but don't think I'm not tempted.

This is a First World Problem of the highest order. I get that. The fact is, I have a job to commute to. I make enough money to support my family of seven people. I can actually put an English & History degree to good use and for the benefit of society, which is a lot of more than many liberal arts majors can say.

Those are all blessings. But between the boredom, the frequent trips to the gas station and the constant worry about the wear and tear I'm putting on my (admittedly very durable) Honda, I'm starting to wonder whether those "Make $5 million a year working from home!" ads may hold some attraction after all.

The commute from my bedroom to the living room to start the work day would be heavenly. That I could handle, though I guess the audiobooks I listen to would need to be confined to short stories.

For the good that I would I do not...

I feel a certain kinship with the Apostle Paul when, in the seventh chapter of his epistle to the Romans, he writes this:

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."

I have the very best intentions in life (I think). I want to be a good Christian, a good husband, a good father, a good professional, and a good coach. And I have a pretty clear idea of what I need to do in order to excel in each of those areas.

The problem, of course, is just what Paul says: "For what I want to do, I do not do..." I want to read the Bible every day, get the right amount (and right kind) of exercise, eat the most healthy foods, give my kids the best advice, etc.

But at any given time, I only do some of those things. And just when I think I have one area mastered, I move on to address another, and the first area goes back to its old, substandard ways.

I realize nobody is perfect. I know I'll never be at the top of my game when it comes to every role I have to play in life.

But my greatest flaw – the most limiting of my many less-than-desirable characteristics – is my inability to appreciate what I already have and what I do well, but instead to focus on the never-ending list of things I don't (and perhaps cannot) do well.

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, right? I want to make so many changes to my life that sometimes I don't know where to start. I should begin with one thing, I know, but which thing? And how do I improve it? And how much improvement is enough?

Rather than just starting somewhere and concentrating on one thing, I allow myself to be paralyzed by the whole.

I need to get better at that.

I trust you'll see the irony there...

I got married sort of young...would I advise my own kids to do the same?

I got married 20 days after graduating from college.

I was 22 years old at the time, and Terry and I had been engaged for nearly four years. We had been a couple for more than six years, having gotten together when we were both 16.

That's how it worked out for me. I married my high school sweetheart. Doesn't happen all that often these days, but it did for me. And 23 years later, we're still going strong, thanks be to God.

So given that experience, should one of my kids come to me today and say they want to get married, would I be OK with it?

Ugh, I don't know. Just because it worked out for me doesn't mean it's something that everyone should do. And nowadays, it's not something most people even want to do. Last year, the average age for Americans getting married was 27 for women and 29 for men, an all-time high (and I'm surprised the averages were that low).

On the other hand, just because you're young doesn't mean it's impossible for you to meet the person you're destined to be with the rest of your life. It does happen. It's not out of the question. It's not even uncommon. It's just that it's unlikely the person you're dating at 18 is the person you'll still be with at 68.

My oldest daughter, Elissa, who is 21, has been with her boyfriend Mark for a year or two now (I honestly don't know exactly how long it has been...I have trouble keeping track of my car keys, let alone the lengths of my children's relationships). I like Mark a lot. He's a good guy, and he treats my baby well. Can't ask for much more than that.

If it should come to pass in another year or so, after they're both out of college and presumably have stable jobs, that they should inform of us of their intent to marry, I would probably be fine with the concept. I would make sure they fully understand what they're getting into and how people change inevitably over time, but ultimately I would probably give my blessing or whatever.

Because that's the thing, people do change, right? No one is the same person at 40 they were at 20. Your essential characteristics may still pretty much be the same, but the way you see the world and the way you react to it will inevitably shift over time.

The question in a marriage is whether the two parties will change in roughly the same direction. You might get along great and agree on almost everything when you're fresh out of school. But will that still be the case when you're getting ready to collect Social Security? It's a hard thing to predict, but it's still something important to think about before you tie the knot.

Now if 9-year-old Jack told me he was going to get married, well...I'd tell him at least to wait until he's 22. That's what smart people like his mom and dad do.

We bought a $1,000 dishwasher

(NOTE: This is our once-a-month Blog Rerun, in which I bring back a post that has appeared on this blog at some point in the past. Today's post about the $1,000 dishwasher first ran on May 23, 2012, and it's one of my favorite things I've written. Flint Parker still makes me laugh.)

We bought a new dishwasher.

I realize how unimportant this is to you, but I'm thrilled about it. I end up being the one who loads the dishwasher most nights, so this is one appliance that matters to me.

The old dishwasher cost something like $400. It lasted four years. The new dishwasher was about $1,000. Can I assume it's going to last 2-1/2 times longer? Probably not. But I'll tell you what, it had better hold up longer than four years.

We bought the dishwasher at B&B Appliance, one of those family-owned stores that has been in business since the Stone Age. Seriously, I'll bet these people were selling hand-crank washing machines and wooden TVs in the Oklahoma Territory 150 years ago. They may not always have the best price, but their service is excellent and they stand behind their products.

I know this mostly because my father-in-law Tom shops there. Tom is not a guy who just rushes into things like buying thousand-dollar dishwashers. He has many years of experience in buying (and fixing) appliances. So if he says B&B is good, I'm with him.

The guy who sold us the dishwasher is named Flint Parker. Really, that's his name: Flint Parker. Isn't that great? If I'm being honest, I'll admit that part of the reason Flint was able to close the deal with us was because of his name. Plus, he looks like Morgan Freeman, and I like Morgan Freeman.

Another reason we bought this particular dishwasher is because it's a KitchenAid. Some years ago I bought my wife a KitchenAid mixer. The thing not only weighs 5 tons, I think it could mix concrete. Terry only uses it to make cakes and stuff, though, so I can't confirm the concrete thing. But it's definitely heavy duty and will last for decades. I'm hoping the same is true for the dishwasher.

Yet another reason we bought it is because it has four spray arms across the bottom. Most dishwashers (including our old one) have only two. Flint walked around the store opening up various dishwashers and showing us that, unlike the KitchenAid, every one had only two and occasionally three spray arms.

I asked why four spray arms is better than two, and Flint looked at me like I was slow. I guess I understand, but if four spray arms are so revolutionary, why don't other manufacturers make their dishwashers that way? I didn't ask Flint because I was afraid he wouldn't like me. And I'm not sure I could handle having Morgan Freeman not like me.

Flint said he has been working at B&B for 26 years and selling appliances for 50. That means he's at least in his late 60s, but he didn't seem that old to me. He was wearing a button-up sweater vest and he looked good in it. Not many people look good in a button-up sweater vest, let me tell you. I guess it takes someone with the confidence of a veteran appliance salesman to really pull off that look.

Anyway, we went ahead and bought the dishwasher, which now that I think about it didn't really cost a thousand bucks. The total was a thousand with delivery and installation, and I was happy to pay extra to have the thing brought to my house and hooked up. I suppose I could manage the job myself after much reading of the instruction manual and the requisite weeping and gnashing of teeth. But really, it was worth the extra cash to come home and see it correctly installed and ready to use.

It's really quiet. And it has buttons on top of the door instead of on the outside. It feels very space age to me, like the sort of dishwasher you would see on Star Trek. If I had the money, I would equip our house with nothing but Star Trek appliances. That's a very tempting thing to do, especially when you walk into a store with all of the latest models.

And believe me, B&B had all of the latest models. Washing machines, dryers, TVs, ovens, refrigerators. They were all there, and they were all insanely expensive. They had a model kitchen that Terry very much wanted. I did some quick math in my head and calculated that all of the appliances together in the model kitchen would set you back about 25 grand. That's some serious cash...cash we didn't have.

So for now we'll content ourselves with the new dishwasher. And with the fact that we now have a friend named Flint Parker. He was nice enough to give us his email address. I think I'm going to email him and let him know how quiet his four-armed Kitchen-Aid dishwasher is.

My kids just got out of school 5 minutes ago and now they're going back tomorrow...

I have been guilty, on this blog, of being very "BACK IN MY DAY!" when it comes to complaining about the way school is for my kids now vs. the way it was for me back in the 70s and 80s.

Which is unfair, really. I like our local school district a lot. I think they do a good job educating my children.

So when I whine today about the fact that my youngest three children go back to school tomorrow (yes, on August 18th), please know that I do so with the understanding that Wickliffe isn't the only school district following this trend of ever-earlier start dates.

I just sort of wish we could go back to the way it used to be.

As I've mentioned before, when I was in elementary school (and maybe a bit beyond?), we never used to go back to school until after Labor Day. Of course, we also didn't get out for the summer until mid-June, but I liked that schedule. Once you get into early September, summer is much more "over" than it is in mid-August.

Because that's the problem, you see: IT'S STILL SUMMER RIGHT NOW. I'm writing this several weeks in advance and thus don't know what the weather will be like in mid-August as you read it, but I'm betting it feels a lot more like summer than it does fall. And "fall" is when you should be going back to school. Not summer, when 90-degree temperatures are far more likely in Northeast Ohio.

Now, having said that, I will also say that I'm a proponent of year-round school. If we're going to mess with the traditional academic calendar, let's go all the way and do it for the right reasons.

The fact that schools let out for so long every summer is a remnant of an age when kids were needed to tend the crops and bring in the harvest. That's not the case for 99% of American students anymore, so why can't we have the kids go to school 9 weeks at a time, then take a 4-week break and do that year-round? If you want the summer break to be a little longer, than make two of the breaks from other times of the year last only 3 weeks.

The point is, the kids don't need to be off for 11 or 12 weeks at a time, do they? I'm not an educational expert and am happy to be corrected on this, but I would venture to say shorter breaks would mean increased retention of learned knowledge and skills, no? I remember back in my school days that the first several weeks always seemed to be spent in review anyway, so why not shorten breaks and get right into new learning?

Am I wrong there, teachers? Let me know if I am.

In any case, if we're going to stick with the current set-up, my vote is to keep summer vacation going until early September and then let the kids out round about June 15th. If one of you could look into that for me and make it happen, I would appreciate it.