Pat Glennon is annoyingly boring. He really is! He writes a blog called Annoyingly Boring? and honestly, he's quite the opposite. Pat is another dad I met online through DadStaysHome.com and he is also wildly popular on the new cre8Buzz site with his page here. He comes from a large family and I don't mean tall (he is 6' 5", though) but I mean he has five brothers and one sister. Pat is a native of Boston and looks forward to his swim in the harbor every New Year's Day - because he's crazy like that. He had a lot to say when he came into the Daddyshack and none of it was annoyingly boring.

Pat: I will answer that; honest... but first let me say that I think it's ironic that you say "at-home" and not "stay at home." It's just a little thing, but fitting. I work 25 hours a week, evenings. So in many ways I am not a typical stay at home dad, or even a stay at home dad at all. My wife, an incredible woman by the way, pointed this out to me. I had started to identify myself as a stay at home dad I think as a defense/coping technique. I was not bringing in as much income as I had previously and to make myself feel better about that I took on the persona of primary care giver.

Truth is that without my income our family would be hurting and without my wife's child rearing, especially when I am at work, we would be in trouble. Anyway, what factors made me take on a home during the day role? Financial mostly. I got laid off from a brokerage firm back in 2006. My wife was expecting our fourth child. Great timing on the lay off! Well, we sat down and crunched some numbers - and when I say that I mean she sat down and crunched the numbers - and going back full time days somewhere made little to no sense since the amount that we would be paying in childcare costs would be as much or more than the difference I would make full time vs. part time. And now I get to be with the kids days to get them on and off the bus, do swimming lessons in the summer and so on. So that was the other big factor. Why have somebody else doing all those things when one of us could be doing them.

James: Absolutely. It's nice for one parent to be there when the kids get out of school and other times. Many families don't have that opportunity.

I use the term "at-home" out of habit mostly. Many dads (and moms for that matter) that I have met online or in person also work jobs from home and are not just "staying" home raising the kids and keeping the house, which is also work in itself, so the term "stay-at-home" seems to not really describe what the parent does to me. I guess "work-at-home" should be the term!

Where is your favorite spot to go when you have time without the kids?

Pat: It doesn't happen as often as I would like, but probably Fenway Park. But if we had the time and money, and there wasn't a waiting list a mile long my wife and I would be all over season tickets to the Red Sox. We try to get in a handful of times a year, and usually one of those will be with some collection of the kids, but it's always great to have a date night at the ballpark. I grew up in a baseball loving family and although I was no good at it as a kid - I mean I was really bad, I went an entire season in Little League without getting a hit - I still love the game and the Sox. Either I was lucky, or smart, enough to marry a sports fan. So it's something we can share too. My wife wasn't a baseball fan when we met, but she has come around.

James: That sounds like a great time! I love watching baseball at the ballpark but can't make it through a whole game on television.

You are the youngest of seven kids. I'm the youngest of two kids (one sister) so my childhood was probably much different. Did having that many siblings and the experiences you all shared make you also want to have a large family?

Pat: Who said I wanted to have a large family? I am just the picture of virility! You can't stop me, you can only hope to contain me.

Being part of a large family had its ups and downs, but everything in life does. We had a saying at the dinner table, "He who hesitates is thin." Not that we didn't have enough food, but with 5 older brothers the food went quick. And our bedroom was more military barracks than bedroom, what with two bunk beds and footlockers around. But there was always something to do, a wiffle ball game or strat-o-matic baseball to be played, things were never dull. Oh, and we could shovel the driveway in no time.

Anyway, to answer the question, I really don't think that I set out to have a large family. My wife was one of two children and she wanted a large family for sure. I was by no means opposed to it but I didn't come into the marriage with a defined hope or plan to have a large family. This all assumes that four kids is a large family - which I guess is in today's age. Larger than average at least.

Pat: My sister was the third child and, what maybe, 13 years my elder. So by the time that I was out doing the grunt work she was sitting back enjoying her tenure. It's funny really, there were groupings - oldest two, next two and last two for the most part. There were times when those groups intermeshed, but for run of the mill stuff not so much. After all, by the time I was really a useful member of the household the old goat group was going off to college.

It's nice that as you all get older those age differences don't matter as much and next to my wife, I probably go to more Sox games with my sister than anyone.

James: You are definitely a sports fan. If you could play one sport professionally, what would it be?

Pat: Which one do you think requires the least amount of work?

Well, if I could play anything professionally, if I was magically good enough and committed enough to want to go through all the hassle that comes with staying good at it, it would probably be basketball. It was my game growing up and probably still the one I enjoy doing the most. Thankfully nowadays the shorts are more reasonable. I would not have played in the NBA of my youth. Waaaaay too much thigh in the league those days.

Oh, and Australian Rules Football would be a close second. But they still haven't gotten around to normal short lengths. If you could guarantee me I wouldn't me maimed and make the team wear normal shorts I would play AFL football. I have an inexplicable taste for things Australian!

James: Those are some of my favorites as well, especially "having an excuse to act like a kid." Not that I really needed one before but it's more justifiable now. I have a hard time blaming my farts, though. My kids make sure I excuse myself. It can be embarrasing in the grocery store.

Pat: Good question. I don't know. maybe that I am serious, some may even say boring, all the time.

I tend to be pretty shy and introverted and don't really let loose until I am really comfortable around someone. So people who don't know me that well haven't really seen me be the funny engaging guy I can be.

That is one of the things I have found I like about blogging, I can just post as I would talking to a friend and people can get a feel for who I am at the core and I don't have to feel all nervous about it.

Pat: I am a "mmmmm'er" When I am eating, if I really am enjoying it I unknowingly make a sound when I eat. It's not loud, but it's there. It's something like, "hmmm, hmrmr, mmmm, hmmmh" as I chew. My wife will ask me something like, "That's good, huh Pat?" and I will instantly know why she is asking, but aside from that I can't control it and am unaware I am doing it.

Oh, and I seem incapable of putting things back in the fridge/cupboards once I am done making a meal. This one no doubt tests my wife's patience sometimes. I just get distracted. Just this morning, milk (luckily I caught that once quickly), cereal, and peanut butter all on the counter after I made breakfast and school lunches. Clueless.

James: My wife does that, too! Not the, "hmmm, hmrmr, mmmm, hmmmh," part but she leaves stuff from the fridge and pantry all over the counters. It drives me nuts! As a former bartender and waiter I'm constantly putting stuff away when I'm in the kitchen "cooking." That's a habit my wife didn't keep from her bar and restaurant jobs.

Pat: Keeping the Boston connection - one of the Affleck brothers. We'd call Ben, but he'd probably pass. On then to Casey.

Pat: Casey sometimes has the goofy kid look to him. Not too far off in some fashion.

It would be hopeless, I wouldn't last a week. But if I were going to make a go at it....Unlimited Cherry Coke Zero, a cellphone, and Les Stroud's number. I don't think Les would be pleased with my first choice though. I should probable rethink that one.

Pat: Yeah, the brew would be a good choice, but a) I think I could go longer without a beer than I could the coke. I am soooo addicted. and b) unlimited beer? I wouldn't ever get anything done. Would be counter-productive to my survival. But as I said, I would have to rethink my first choice. Don't think SurvivorMan would be any more pleased with Sam as choice #1 anyway.

My theme song? I knew this one was coming and I don't have a quick answer. If I had to identify myself with just one artist it would be Springsteen, but nothing jumps out at me. How about John Wesley Harding's Scared of Guns. Yeah, I'll go with Wes.

James: Good choice! What is your favorite kids movie of all time?

Pat: Newsies! I am a sucker for a good musical, go figure. My kids aren't into it. I tell them it's directed by the same guy who directed High School Musical & HSM2, but they don't care. I guess 21st century High School kids are more interesting than 19th century striking newspaper boys. Maybe I will start pointing out to my boys that it has Batman in it.

I used to manage a Blockbuster in my younger days. I am pretty sure every time somebody gave their notice it was because I had Newsies on AGAIN!

James: That is hilarious. They couldn't take it anymore!

Pat: First off, that #1 Ranking? There's got to be a glitch somewhere!

Words of advice from my Dad?

NIHIL FACILE.

Growing up there was a sign over the door of our house, on the inside so you would see it each time you left the house, that read NIHIL FACILE. It's Latin. It basically means "Nothing is Easy". My Dad is not the starry eyed optimist I am, more of a pragmatic realist. And it was just his way of trying to make sure that his kids were prepared for the real world.

That sign was there for as long as I can remember. Must have passed under it 10,000 times. On year for Christmas my Dad had a sign made up for each of us. It hangs over my kitchen door now. I am sure that when the day comes that my kids head out on their own I will have a sign made up for each of them.

And you know what, He's right. Life's not easy, but it is great!

James: Pat, thanks for the taking the time to come into the Daddyshack for an interview. Great job!

Pat: Thanks, it's been fun. I don't think I have ever been interviewed before. next time you are in Boston I will buy you a Cherry Coke Zero........... or a Sam Adams!

James: Now there is an offer I can't refuse!

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