firsts and lasts

this morning,
i'm reppin' my usual Tea'N'Toast jauns.
uh-huh.
the first few slices of the new year.
yesterday, however, was a whole different thing altogether.
that's right.
we had ourselves a burly barbarian bring-the-thunder big breakfast,
and it was expert.
check the teleport:

c'mon!
panniecakes!!
with sour cream, twice the usual butterpats,
as well as exxxtra regular sugar, brown sugar, and coconut flour, too.
they were definitely breakfast cakes, make no mistakes.
tofu scramblers, with baconic confetti sprankles,
and homeboy homestyle homefries to complete the trinity???
yep.
that's the right way to kickstart a fresh-start as the very first thing.
hmmmm?
EW, no.
it wasn't a hearty hangover cure.
it was just a celebration of excess and indulgence,
complete with oily excellence and starchy color palette,
but without the headache, nausea, and diarrhea that accompany
overdoing it on the idiot juice.
and speaking of juice.
cran-apple juice and ginger ale mimosas?
mmmmhmmmm.
me and my girls know how to begin on the right foot,
stepping correctly off of the right side of the bed.
that's real.
and then,
after a loooong day of more of the same at the tattbombing studio...
*three completely unrelated 'merican flag-inspired tattoos in three days*
...i got home,
and made us some mackin' mutha-flippin' 'ronis for supper.
we doo-doo that noodoo-style sh!t
uh-huh.
teleport:

caramelized onions, asparagus and brussels sprouts,
vegan italian sausages, and olive-oily al dente linguine,
for our wide open mouths to munch up so hard.
we love food, neighbors.
and we make sure it's always invited to everything, everywhere,
forever and ever and ever.
that's no joke.
we eat our vegetables,
and we clean our plates.
***********
so,
we've had our first few meals,
and now,
already,
we're gonna have our last few for a few.
y'know?
yeah.
tonight is our last night of family togetherness for a while,
and i can honestly tell you-
i'm very sad about it.
yep.
our tiny trio is good for me.
we genuinely enjoy each other,
and we interact effectively,
with respect and affection,
interest, involvement, and humor.
like,
we get along better than i get along with everyone else,
and it's not just because they rely on me for anything.
actually,
i think it's the opposite.
because we don't see each other all the time,
we all make an extra effort to get the most out of the time we've been given.
it's not dependence, it's appreciation,
and it's so good.
i'm not the world's best dad, not by any means,
but i am a worthy warrior poet,
imparting the benefits of my information and experience,
and all that wisdom business,
that comes from generating spirit and memory,
gratitude and generosity,
and all the quality commendable commandments that constitute
the crucial, capable, and competent cause-and-effectiveness
of full-blown Folk Life & Liberty.
that's all i've got to offer.
well,
all that and treats, obviously.
the thing of it is-
it's good.
i love these two girls, and what's just as important, i think,
is that i really like who they are.
we're spanning time together,
and we're affecting each other in positive ways.
the best versions of ourselves emerge when we team up,
and actively participate in each others' lives.
it's ALL really happening,
and i wouldn't have it any other way;
never quiet, never soft.....