End-of-Year Donations

Mr. Curmudgeon Parenting

This year, we allowed the Mini-Yin to direct a portion of the family’s charitable donations. He chose Austin Pets Alive!, Doctors Without Borders, and Adblock Plus. That last one is somewhat dubious, but the Mini-Yin insists that they block a lot of ads on his Chromebook. He wanted to reward them for their efforts.

For at least a few minutes today, the Mini-Yin thought of other people (and animals) and their welfare. That’s heartwarming and a parenting win. He earns a pass for a future transgression.

Asian F

Mr. Curmudgeon Parenting

According to Mrs. Principled Curmudgeon and the Mini-Yin, I am a tiger dad. Instead of fighting the moniker, I have owned it. Not only do I demand excellent grades, but I also send the Mini-Yin to Mandarin immersion classes twice a week—including Saturdays. I’ve clearly earned my stripes.

When it comes to grades in our household, it’s understood that an Asian F is unacceptable. We also subscribe to the second definition of Asian F, which is an A-. Why would anyone accept anything below an A?

Table Tennis Elbow

Mr. Curmudgeon Sports

It turns out that you can develop tennis elbow from playing too much table tennis. Start by swinging a 200g racket violently with poor form for 2-3 hours per day. Repeat month after month and voilà—(table) tennis elbow. While the prescribed remedy is rest, I can’t fathom not playing.

Instead, I take performance-enhancing ibuprofen beforehand to dull the pain and apply ice afterward to minimize the swelling. Until platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections become affordable (currently $500-$2,000 per treatment), this parsimonious quadragenarian will stick with the more cost-effective solution.

Like Father Like Son

Mr. Curmudgeon Parenting

For Christmas, the Mini-Yin received the same Jansport backpack model I sported over 30 years ago. This would have been an unlikely coincidence had I not added the backpack to his holiday gift list. Seeing the backpack hanging in his closet evokes acute nostalgia for my high school years.

His current backpack has held up well all throughout elementary school (K-5th). The new one will likely take him all the way through high school. I will credit Mrs. Principled Curmudgeon with steering me towards (initially) spending more for quality items. In the long run, buying quality ends up costing less. That’s math I can get behind.

Falcon Warriors

Mr. Curmudgeon Sports

Three valiant warriors descended upon the North American Teams Championship. Hailing from Austin, TX and Tucson, AZ and sporting custom designed shirts, they demonstrated that mental toughness and guile can often overcome the advantages of excellent technique, formal training, and youth.

The trio finished second in their division, leaving a trail of tears in their wake. While none of these guys was caught crying immediately after a loss, tears may have been shed later on.