Conception

It seems fitting to begin a blog about fatherhood with an entry named conception. I'll spare you the graphic and moderately steamy details of the evening that is most likely the literal conception of my yet-to-be-born daughter. Instead, this beginning is a nod to the conception of captainsuburbia.com and what I hope to do with it.

Timing is everything. For the past few years I've been missing opportunities to see "my favorite band that you've never heard" of play one of their reportedly rip snorting, tequila-fueled live shows. It always seemed something came up. One time they came through I was too tired and missed my girlfriend, who was away in Africa for three weeks, too much to drag myself up to the City. Then there was the time they came to town while I was away on my honeymoon with that very same girl who'd just become my wife. A third miss came when that girl/wife was deep in the throes of chemotherapy. Eventually, it just became a selfish pursuit and I shelved the idea. Then in early May, the wife was out of town on a quick trip back East and a light went off. The boys just put out a new album, perhaps they're on the road. Sure enough, the weekend my wife had left me alone for the last time before we became parents, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers were playing Slims. It was to be the closing of my "youth". Albeit a lot less beer-infused than I might have planned for such a watershed event as I'd have to roll myself home after the show. What's that got to do with any of this? Turns out that the band had included the tune "Captain Suburbia" on their latest album. Somewhere the smoke, the lights, the $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon and the lyrics to this song just kind of brought things to a very crisp crescendo. It didn't immediately hit me but stuck with me for a few days.

Jump ahead to the shower a couple days ago. With the coming new addition and the fact that our house had no roof insulation, we'd just finished putting in a new roof and an air conditioner. Along with the AC, the electrician put in an un-asked-for-but-not-unwelcome outside outlet. When I told my wife about the outlet she said, "will we ever use it"? At the time I thought not but standing in the shower, it hit me. The outlet will come in handy for the bouncy houses to be set up in the backyard… In that moment I was now, in my mind at least, Captain Suburbia. While I've always eschewed the City for the suburbs of the greater Palo Alto area, I'd never felt it defined me. But since the home purchase, the coming of the baby and likely a million other little things, my transformation is complete.

My name is Matt, and I'm having a daughter. I'm scared to death, I'm happy as hell, I'm not even near having a clue of what life or this blog might bring. I'm not sure I'll ever tell anyone about this. I may, I may not. However you have found me, welcome.

"Captain Suburbia"
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers

Come a birth, come a funeral, come a wedding bell

I can walk a straight line in a dizzy spell

I’m screening my calls, I’m whitening my teeth

Now I got a smile for every stranger I meet

And I can leap the tallest mortgage in a single bound
Hey Now…
Look at me…I’m Captain Suburbia

I’m lightin’ all the birthday candles in Utopia

It’s a bird, It’s a plane, it’s Captain Suburbia

The weeds will grow, the grey will show, and my garage will overflow now

Lucky me!

I’m Captain Suburbia!

I’m not too young for anything, anymore

I see all my friends and neighbors at the liquor store

I’m mechanically inclined, I’m blissfully insane
I’m rescuing the sacred from the jaws of the mundane

I’m livin’ the dream now…I can sleep through anything
Hey now…Hey now…Look at me…I’m Captain Suburbia

I’m lightin’ all the birthday candles in Utopia

It’s a bird, It’s a plane, it’s Captain Suburbia

The weeds will grow, the grey will show, and my garage will overflow now

Lucky me!

I’m Captain Suburbia!
I’m tucking in the kids

We’re running out of beer

And, “Honey, we need to talk…” are the only words I fear…
Hey now…Hey now…Hey now…
Look at me…I’m Captain Suburbia

I’m lightin’ all the birthday candles in Utopia

It’s a bird, It’s a plane, it’s Captain Suburbia

The weeds will grow, the grey will show, and my garage will overflow now

Lucky me!

I’m Captain Suburbia!