Katie Couric, I’m Ready for My Close-up

If you’re near the TV today when Katie Couric’s talk show Katie comes on (for those in and around New York City, the show airs at 3 p.m. on WABC, Ch. 7), you’ll see these handsome blokes (and me) at one point:

That’s NYC Dads Group members Joe McLaughlin to the left of me and Lance Somerfeld to the right as we wait patiently in the green room of the show.

They waited. According to Joe, I just trembled a lot.

Look over Lance’s shoulder! It’s Katie, smiling down on us like the angel she is!

Sigh.

She interviewed us about our lives as at-home dads. It went … well – well. I think. Lance and Joe killed it. I had one joke kinda go nowhere but I did get a nice smattering of applause with with one statement I made the end about gender not being a measure of parenting talent. I hope that made up my other multitude sins, many of which went on in my head and which I promise to detail along with the whole story of me having to bribe my way through the New York City transit system to get to studio for the taping that morning.

But first, watch the show. It’s the same one with Julie-Louis Dreyfus. Go to the Katie website to find the show time and channel.

It’s worth it if only to watch me blush uncontrollable when Katie Couric calls us “sexy.”

Uh-oh. I’m trembling again.

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BTW, one of the many reasons I haven’t been blogging much is I’ve been busy working at the editor of the NYC Dads Group blog. Read the gripping announcement!

Father’s Day Gifts for the Modern At-Home Dad

Father's Day is Sunday and, speaking on behalf of my fellow sperm donors, it’s time you stopped shortchanging us on the gifts.

We deserve better because studies on modern parenting, such as the recent Pew Research Center report on “breadwinning moms,” show a growing conspiracy against dads’ well-being. Moms “leaning in” to advance their careers and decades of badgering dads to be more involved parents have heaped unprecedented amounts of housework and child-rearing duties on fathers everywhere.

No longer can we come home from a hard day’s corporate dronery and Ward-Cleaver-it in our cardigan and easy chair, answering Junior’s inquiries about life with clichés or a deft “go ask your mother.” Now we cook meals, participate in PTAs and iron sharp creases into our wives’ business suits to help them shatter glass ceilings. Fatherhood has evolved into a high-stress, guilt-ridden occupation with longer hours and less pay.

Holy Betty Friedan! We dads have become our mothers!

Birthday Presents Wanted to Save Kids’ Lives

UPDATE: You folks helped us raise $2,600 in 24 hours! Speechless. Good thing this is a blog, eh?

(Singing): “Today is my birthdaaaaay.

“DEH-NA-NA-NA-NAAAAAAA

“I’m older than diiiiirt – yeah!.”

At least dirt doesn’t wake with knuckle joints that feel like overstuffed sausages.

Or have its left arm suddenly fall asleep on him if he leans back the wrong way in a chair.

Stupid, lucky dirt.

I have no plans for the big day other than visiting the person who made it possible, The Mother of All Uncoolness, in the hospital. She went in Sunday with chest pains. Looks like a second bout with congestive heart failure.

Seriously, Mom, giving me birth to me right around Mother’s Day was more than enough to ensure I wouldn’t forget you this time of year. Stop hogging the spotlight.

Actually, she doing OK so far. And meds make her goofy, which is not a natural state for her. That’s a nice change of pace from her complaining about when I’m going to shave and get a real job.

So what did YOU get me for my birthday?

What’s that?

Oh.

Well, it’s not too late.  Here’s an idea:

Sponsor me and the rest of the Uncool Clan as we run the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon and Mini-Marathon on July 21 to try to find a cure for Juvenile Myositis.

That’s right the whole gang is going to run this year. I’m going to suck it up and slog it out again in the Mini-Marathon (a 3-miler) with Li’l Diva and Excitable. My Love is doing the Half. Frickin’ showoff wife.

Li’l Diva, who as you recall has been fighting JM since age 2 and had a relapse two years back, is actually pumped to run. She’s already started training, going on short runs with My Love. Obviously, she’s getting ready to hit me up for One Direction tickets or a pony or something.

I’m dragging Excitable to the track this weekend. I’ll get him to stay with it this year even if I have to dangle a cupcake on a stick in front of his nose.

All the money we raise, as usual, goes to Cure JM Foundation, the nonprofit searching for better treatments and a cure for Juvenile Myositis diseases. Unlike most major nonprofit groups, Cure JM is a volunteer-run organization (Disclosure – it’s chairman is My Love. Again – what a showoff.) About 95 percent of the money we raise goes directly to fund medical research, JM education programs or efforts to help children and families affected by the disease. Your donation, big or small, will help Cure JM continue its vital mission to one day make sure no child suffers from these diseases ever again.

You may make your donation in one of two ways:

1) Make a secure online donation via credit card online. Our family’s fundraising page is: http://tinyurl.com/CureOurMegan

2) Write a check to "Cure JM Foundation," put in the memo section that you are sponsoring The Uncool/McKeever Family, and then mail it to:

Cure JM Foundation
Attn: 2013 Chicago Fundraiser
836 Lynwood Drive
Encinitas, CA 92024

If you work for a company that does matching charitable donations, go to http://www.curejm.org/get_involved/corporate.php for info on squeezing The Man for a few coins for a good cause.

Now, I gotta run before someone calls the fire department to get my birthday candles under control.