Charles Apple

‘Scuze me while I take a moment to wish a happy VizEds birthday to my daughter, Elizabeth Apple. She turns 15 today (Sunday).

Elizabeth examines the model used in the movie
‘Close Encounters’ at the National Air & Space
Museum, 2006.
—

She’s a good kid. She’s a ninth grader and she makes good grades.

She’s very excited because she began photography classes last week. I even loaned her my old Sears/Pentax when she was told she’d have to supply her own 35mm camera.

Ah, film. I didn’t know they still taught that stuff. How quaint.

Elizabeth has way too much time on her hands, though. She reads my blog religiously and asked me if I planned a birthday post for her.

So, yes. I must now embarrass her:

Baby Elizabeth as she was fifteen years
minus two days ago. Mom Sharon on the
left. That’s me on the right, providing
proof that yes, at one time I had hair.
—

Her full name is Mary Elizabeth Apple, but she’s going by Liz these days. Those of you on Facebook, feel free to look her up — she’s always delighted when my pals realize who she is and request ‘friend’ status with her.

Although it does mess with my head from time to time. I’m sitting at work, toiling away on some boring task, when I get an e-mail from Elizabeth: “Who is Kevin Hand?”

Um… Why do you want to know?

Elizabeth (left) and Sharon take our cocker
spaniel, Spock, for a walk on the oceanfront,
January 2006. Spock is old and grouchy and
has a tendency to snap at Elizabeth. Or perhaps
that’s me that does that. I get confused sometimes.
—

Elizabeth has no freakin’ idea what she wants to do when she grows up. She’s long been interested in ambulance services and EMT — my cousin owns an ambulance service in Anderson, S.C. She also has a huge interest in crime enforcement. She’s fascinated by the F.B.I., among others.

I think she just likes blue flashing lights. I should take her down to Kmart more often.

Like many kids her age, she loves Miley “Hannah Montana” Cyrus, Disney’s High School Musical movies and The Jonas Brothers. She spends her spare time watching DVDs, listening to her iPod and playing with her Nintendo DS — sometimes doing all three at the same time.

Plus, she spends an awful lot of time text-messaging boys on her cell phone. “They’re just friends, Dad,” she barks. “They’re not my boyfriends!”

Yeah, right. Uh-huh.

Elizabeth enjoys watching DVDs with her Dad. She’ll watch anything: Sci-Fi movies, superhero stuff. She keeps running off with my Justice League and Teen Titans boxed sets.

I don’t know what the hell she’s doing with them. Memorizing them, I guess.

Elizabeth also loves photography. I’m curious to see how she does in her new class. I’ve posted these before, but…

Brandon Stuck on Christmas Day 2006, giving
Elizabeth tips on how to use her new digital
camera. But when she tried to take a picture
of him, what does he do?

Yep. He turns into Gene Simmons.
Charming.
—

By the way, one can obtain a Virginia learner’s driving permit six months after one’s 15th birthday. Which gives everyone in the state until August to get the hell out.

You’ve been warned.

Elizabeth shares a birthday with:

* Lon Chaney Jr., a movie actor who was famous for old monster roles.

* Laura Dern, an actor who played the teacher in October Sky and also starred in Jurassic Park.

* Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz, who won seven gold medals in 1972.

* Pro golfer Greg Norman, “The Shark.”

* Composer Jerry Goldsmith, who wrote the music used as the main theme in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

* And George Stephanopoulos, former advisor to president Bill Clinton and now a TV host.

Plus, today is Umbrella Day. Seriously.

Happy birthday, Elizabeth. Now, please take out the @#$%& garbage. Thank you.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 10th, 2008 at 10:28 am and is filed under Amusing stuff, Charles Apple, Getting a life, Happy birthday, VizEds Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.