Let our soldiers do their jobs

How can our soldiers get their jobs done and improve life in Iraq if their actions are being second-guessed by authorities here? Specifically, I'm thinking of 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano and any other soldier in the same situation. Lt. Pantano was working in the Sunni Triangle, th most dangerous place to be in Iraq. If he felt that he and his men were in danger, who am I to second-guess his decision to eventually use lethal force to defend himself? I'm not the one putting my butt on the line. Maybe the people responsible for his charges and those involved in his trial should think about that. Also, if we keep the hands of our troops tied, we'll never get the job done. We need to let our troops use the force deemed necessary to send a message to the insurgents/terrorists/bad-guys. Telling the military how to do its job only prolongs the war and creates more casualties. They know what needs to be done and how to do it, so we should all leave President Bush and our fine fighting forces do what they deem necessary. Stop charging our soldiers with murder! Death happens as a matter of course in war, and we are at war against terrorism. Stop giving enemy combatants rights they do not deserve. They are not fighting in a country's uniform, for a country, so the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to them. Finally, tell the UN, and certain members of the media, to go to hell!

And you didn't think there was a political bone in my body! FOOLED YOU!

Ode to Brian: My own personal Geek Squad

Who needs Best Buy when all I have to do is call up my cousin/godfather? Yes, the dual role makes him special. The computer genius makes him even more special. Brian, once again, saved my butt by solving my computer problems. This one was actually Doug's problem, since networking and wireless routers are way over my head, but Brian rescued me. The man has forgotten more about computers than I'll ever know. Of course, that isn't too difficult. I feel like such a dunce when it comes to technology. Anyway, this is a public thank you to the man who spent three hours on the phone long distance to help us when he could have been sleeping or spending quality time with his wife and child, who, by the way, are pretty stellar people. I wonder if he remembers talking me through a computer problem on a long distance phone call to Ireland, where I was in a college study abroad program? Anyway, I just had to mention how great my godfather is. Thanks, Brain...I mean, Brian.

Bored, bored, bored... Not me, not now!

Now that I have relocated Heather’s computer and the network is operating smoothly, I have a deadline to meet, more or less, with regard to my computer. Today, I received the 2005 edition of my operating system with all its annoyingly bloated new features. Microsoft calls it innovation. I call it “software obesity.” As always, there are numerous added services that I will never use. I ultimately disable much of what Microsoft considers essential, but which my computer does not.


Friday morning is my online orientation as a new student of WIU. I will have to use online software as a big part of the virtual classroom, and I need to have my PC “rehabilitated” first. Before Friday, I need to restore my computer, completely wiping the hard drive for a clean start with that new OS software. I have lots to do before Friday, and still haven’t finished my autobiography for Monday’s class. I will get it together before then, though, no worries about that. At least I’m not bored to tears, with nothing to do!

School daze

This weekend, we got our wireless network up and running. I moved Heather's computer into the living room, so that she can get online while Gabriel is sleeping. She hasn't been able to email her family much since Gabriel was born. Of course, that is to be expected, but I wanted to make it more convenient for her to at least send an email now and then. It does help me out, too. With classes starting on Monday, I will be able to study, "attend classes," and enjoy my family, all at the same time, as opposed to playing the hermit, hiding out in my little closet, er, office.

My first assignment is to write an autobiography introducing myself to my virtual class. In a way, I guess it isn't a virtual class, since we will be viewing each other's posted comments and sharing ideas in near-real time. Okay, since I will probably never meet my classmates, it is still a virtual class. Anyway, duty calls. I have a lot of work at the Lights today. Later.

Admissions (If she was? Nope. If she were... )

I "met" my admissions counselor last week. Her name is Andrea. She is feisty, pleasant and has just enough zing to make the process of preparing for years of study (again) seem less painful than it otherwise might be. Even though she is in Arizona, it seems strangely familiar, in this small world, how she has visited many of the casinos I helped set up with new games or get ready to open. She told me that she is a transplant from the Midwest, so that helps. If she were from California, on the other hand, I might be thinking, “Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!” Nah, not really. She is nice. I wonder... if I say enough kind things about her, will it get me any brownie points with my admissions counselor?

I ordered books for the first classes today. It looks like this is really happening, almost as simple and smooth as glass. Andrea told me today that if I wimp out, she is going to kick my, uh... Hi, Counselor. What’s up?

Hey... it was 54 degrees and sunny yesterday. It seems that spring is tipping the scales in the mêlée that is the transition from winter to spring. You know how it is, mild one day, snowing and sub-zero the next. Incidentally, it was snowing when I left on a service call this morning. My seasonal passion for winter is fading, and gardening fever is winning me over.

Sunday, Boring Sunday

Is it just me, or are Sundays really boring when football season ends? I like the ritual of planting on the couch or bed and watching two groups of big, burly guys beat each other up over a ball. I suppose I'll have to replace it with a movie, but it just isn't the same. I can't even say that I'd be satisfied with a Sunday baseball game, because half of the fun is watching the game with Doug. Anyone who knows Doug will tell you that he thinks that baseball ranks right up there with golf and tennis as the most boring sport. I ask you, what is a woman to do? Doug, pick a movie!

How many children will have to die?

The only good things to come out of that tragic story in the last blog? Two things i can think of. One, that the father of the those twins will face capital murder chargers for killing them, born or unborn. And two, that with this law, the fact that unborn children are receiving a modicum of legal protection and recognition is a glimmer of hope in this world gone completely insane.

How many children have died because of abortions? Nobody knows for sure, but a conservative estimate, as of today, in the whole world, including developing countries, is that about 188,182,000 children have been murdered by abortion. Check this link for the source of the numbers. The main thing is, though, abortion should not be used for birth control. Finally, people need to take responsibility for their actions! No whining. If you do the deed, take responsibility for it. As I like to say, build a bridge and get over it!

Just me, ranting again.

Another needless heartbreak comes out of a miracle of life, created through irresponsibility, another moral defeat snatched from an undeserved victorious blessing. Yet again, I ask myself, “What happened to a respect for life?” You know you can count on me to clarify until this is unambiguous.

A Texas man is facing a capital murder charge after his 4-month-pregnant girlfriend convinced him to forcefully step on her stomach in order to kill the unborn twins she was carrying. Authorities believed 16-year-old Erica Basoria had been abused by her boyfriend, 18-year-old Gerardo "Jerry" Flores, indicting him under the Texas Prenatal Protection Act.

This law was passed to protect unborn children in cases where the purpose was to cause a miscarriage through deliberate violence against the mother. The regulation defined the lawful term ‘individual’ as, “a human being who is alive, including an unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization until birth.” Praise God for small miracles! Nevertheless, the law included language that makes it irrelevant in either a criminal prosecution or a civil action to the behavior of the unborn child's mother so that the law would not pertain to a woman having an abortion.

Anyone familiar with Heather and me knows that we don’t just believe half-heartedly, we vociferously maintain the uncomplicated mandate: “Thou shall not kill.” God didn’t say, “Don’t kill anybody, as long as they have been born.” He made it clear, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me.” That is from Colossians 3:17, for sinners like me to read again. Let me be unequivocal. Abortion is the murder of innocent children. Period. That we stand by this principle isn’t news to my family, or to Heather’s family. What is news in all of this?

The manipulative, coldhearted mother of these unborn twins will not be held accountable for her actions. How can two people consciously do something like this and only one of them be prosecuted? This woman overtly attempted to cause a miscarriage. Let me define that: this woman willfully planned the premeditated murder of her two unborn children. Two precious children are dead, and their mom isn’t going to have to answer for it.

I cannot state this as efficiently as could the homicidal maniac who is the mother of these two dead children. In her words, “About two weeks before the miscarriage, I started hitting myself in the stomach. I would do this every day and I would use both of my fists when I did this. I would hit myself 10 or more times.”

Her parents, too, should be held accountable. Basoria’s sworn statement stated that her parents pled with her for more than two weeks to have an abortion. Therefore, they are guilty as well. The “grandparents” didn’t murder the twins. Erica, Mommy Dearest, convinced her boyfriend, the babies’ father, to kill them. Without question, their mother permitted it, appealed to her cooperative partner. She conspired with dad, and thus, he killed their children. Those prospective grandparents wanted their grandchildren dead. Guilty. As a parent myself, this is heart-breaking.

Whatever happened to respect for life? What happened to taking responsibility for one’s actions? It's like this: if you don't want children, if you are a teen and not married, you aren't prepared to be a parent, and you aren't ready for sexual relations, so knock it off already! Abstinence works every single time it is tried. Period. When God becomes weary of our collective iniquity, we are all accountable for tolerating a civilization that has devolved into madness. God help us. This world certainly needs a mountain of divine intercession, and I pray that we get the guidance we need.

By the way, Mom, Dad... and God, thanks for giving me life!

The Joys of Homeownership

I see Doug already posted about the momentary malfunction of our heating system, but I must tell you my thoughts on it. I sleep under a blanket and sheet and like to be toasty warm when I sleep. So when I wake up to nurse Gabriel in the middle of the night, sometimes I shiver. I didn't really think anything of this particular shivering session until I picked up Gabriel and noticed his hands were cooler than usual, bordering on cold. Then I looked at Doug. Mister sheet-around-the-waist had the sheet pulled up to his neck. I put a second, warmer blanket around Gabriel as I held him to me and went to investigate the thermometer/clock we have in the kitchen. My jaw dropped when I noticed that it said61 degrees. I checked to see if the thermostat had been bumped and found it set on 68 degrees. I went over to the register along the wall and it felt cold. That was when I woke up Doug. I knew it was in the teens or something like that outside, and the temperature in the house would fall fast if we didn't do anything. My first thought after keeping my baby warm was that the birds need it to be 70 degrees in here. I was glad Doug was home for this little problem. I would have been panicking if I had to try to figure out how to make the boiler kick on while trying to nurse Gabriel. I'm no good at that fix-it stuff anyway. I probably would have run over to our neighbor across the street and pleaded for help. I'm incredibly clueless when it comes to this stuff. The ironic thing is that I just finished checking the boiler and thermostat again because it is now 78 degrees in here. I'm roasting! I've concluded that it is only the sun pouring in that is heating up the house. We'll pretend it is summer for a few hours.

Baby, it's cold... inside.

Heather woke me at 4:30 this morning and told me that the house was chilly. It wasn’t an icebox, but it was 61 degrees, definitely colder than it should have been. It turned out to be a minor issue, though that is a bit cool for the birds. We turned on the electric registers while we waited for the boiler to heat the hot water registers. Come to think of it, the cost of electricity has actually gone down in the last ten years, while the rate for natural gas continues to rise. Would it make more sense to heat the house with the electric heaters? We aren't sure, but it is something we are considering.

We decided to use “dual heat” for now, turning the registers up to a few degrees less than the optimal temperature, with the thought that it would help moderate the temperature and maybe save us a buck or two. If the hot water boiler doesn’t kick in, the electric registers will keep the house from getting icy cold. Oh… the problem with the boiler? I have no idea. I turned off the breakers for five minutes and turned the power back on. Apparently I had to reset an electrical relay or something. The house is toasty warm again.

After much deliberation and procrastination, my conclusion is that I need to think about where my career might lead. I decided I should do what I can now, while my kids are still young, so that I have more education. In this case, only one of my kids has been born so far, but you already knew that. With that in mind, there is no time like the present.

Heather can tell you, I have always planned to get more education. I just never took the initiative to get started. With my irregular schedule and on-call status 24 hours a day, every day, I assumed that I couldn’t make the time to get edumacated. That is the reason why some genius came up with distance education, I imagine. I submitted the truckload of paperwork to get started. Other than tying up the loose ends, and getting the books, materials, etcetera, most everything is in place. I will start college (again, and feeling old in doing so) on March 14th. I will take a full-time credit load (think in terms of semesters) but only take 2 classes at a time, for 9 weeks each, instead of 4 classes for 18 weeks. The classes will be comprehensive but for a shorter period than in a typical college environment.

The school I chose has a high level of accreditation, which makes me feel comfortable with it, obviously. I wondered if an AA/BA could be equivalent to a traditionally earned degree at a ‘brick-and-mortar’ university. Would it be as genuine if you never made an appearance at the school, in the flesh, so to speak? After researching this matter, I found that it doesn’t make one bit of difference. The powerful equalizer is the accreditation, the reputation of the school and the quality of the education. I really want to do this. In four years, with God to give me strength and my family’s support, I will have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. When I graduate, my kids will still be young. I don’t want to miss the big games and concerts being on the road, after all.

I love what I do and couldn’t imagine wanting to quit. Not only that, but also I have years of experience, self-confidence and I do my job well. But in ten years, will I want to travel 1,000 to 2,000 miles a week for my job, and work up to seven days a week? What kind of advancement opportunity is there for me? With that in mind, I am planning for the future. I am excited about the possibilities. I know I have plenty of hard work ahead of me. Speaking of that, I need to get to work. I have a road trip of 500 miles ahead of me today. See what I mean? I will probably put close to 2,000 miles on the odometer this week. Job security is nice. I want an education to back it up.

On Friday, a judge in Florida extended a court order to keep Terri Schiavo's feeding tube in place until March 18, allowing her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, an opportunity to get medical tests that might demonstrate Terri has greater cerebral function than previously thought. This momentary reprieve from what may be their daughter's vindictive and inhumane death sentence – death by starvation – is at least temporary good news. Why on earth should they have to prove such a thing? They love Terri and value her life as she is.

Deuteronomy says: "I have set before thee life and death … therefore choose life." The Schindlers have chosen life for their daughter! Should a court do anything less?

This is insanity. What a chilling precedent it would set for Florida, and conceivably for the United States, this ostensible “right to die.” In the case of Terri Schiavo, it seems apparent that her determined breathing is a nuisance to her wretched excuse for a husband, and in his eyes, it is obviously a “duty to die.” God help us all.

T. G. I. F.

As soon as I post this, Heather and I are heading for the service center. I have a collection of junk to pick up for upcoming service calls. Junk, in this case, either figurative or literal, I would be hard-pressed to differentiate. We will try to make this a brief stop of an hour or so, and then head home again, with any luck. Keep in mind, it is Friday, and casinos tend to call for service on Fridays regarding problems they have been letting slide all week, or longer.

Josh, as in, Uncle Josh, not nephew Josh, will be visiting this weekend. That is another reason we hope to head home in a judicious manner. That is the theory, in any case. My cell could ring at any minute and then all bets are off.

To follow up the last post, the major media have picked up on the story that Randy Moss is on his way to the Raiders. Do I think this is a reckless move for the Vikings? Does a bear crap in the woods? Oh yeah. The universal response I get when asking "casino people" about the loss of Moss is that each and every person thinks this is stupid with a capital "S." There is a lot of anger and frustration and people are wondering, basically, 'What are they smoking at Winter Park?' Moss wants to be with a team he feels can make it to the Big Game, and for him, that isn't the Vikings. Hopefully, the new Viking, Napoleon Harris, has a blatant Napoleonic complex with results to back it up, or this trade will surely come back to haunt us. Okay, I am absotively posolutely convinced that it will.

Randy Moss has left the building?

Rumor has it that the Vikings and the Oakland Raiders have agreed to a trade that will send Randy Moss to Oakland in exchange for the Raider's first-round pick this year, a seventh-round choice and linebacker Napoleon Harris, who was once a first-round pick himself.

I should be worried about this impending hole in the Vikings line and the Minnesota Moving Company's offense. When these guys play up to their potential, they are formidable! This year, though, with his hamstring injury, Randy Moss wasn't the performer he was in past years. True, he did have 13 TD catches and over 750 yards, which is excellent, but he wasn't the All-Pro he was in his first six seasons, with over 1,000 yards every year of his professional career until this year. Injuries will do that to the best of 'em.

So far, this is just a rumor, but once the new NFL fiscal year starts at the end of next week, we will see if this is true or not. I hate to see Moss go, if he does. But in the last minute of that Washington game, when he walked off the field before the game was over, talk about a morale crusher for the other Vikings who were playing their hearts out and didn't give up. Maybe Randy Moss and his colorful antics aren't what we need in Minnesota, not if it will cost the team its cohesive strength on offense. In any case, this is just a rumor so there is no need for panic. Or celebration. Take your pick.

The topic came to me while I was reading

I was reading a few articles from a website that I enjoy. That website is Spirit Daily. Check it out here. The article that made me decide what to write about today was about the visions and the death of Sister Lucia de Jesus dos Santos. She recently passed away at the age of 97, the last survivor among the three people who had visions of Mary at Fatima, along with her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

What I write about, though, is a personal experience of my own. I remember when I was an elementary school student at Saint Raphael School in the second grade. I don’t remember what the assignment was, in particular, but I do remember what I wrote about, my mother’s work with a few other people, organizing people to make a sort of pilgrimage to Necedah, Wisconsin to a site where a woman named Mary Ann (Hirt) Hoof was purported to have had visions of Mary appearing to her, claimed to have stigmata and was told future events. I hadn’t yet gone to see the site in Wisconsin, though some members of my family had.

Being a youngster at the time, of course, I didn’t understand that the Catholic Church doesn’t recognize that location as having been the site of a valid apparition. When I wrote about it, my essay was posted on the bulletin board along with every other second grader’s work. When I brought that assignment home, mom told me that I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, because of the implications for some of the believers who had gone with mom to the site. There weren’t one or two local people who went, but dozens. One person who I mentioned in particular, I wasn’t supposed to reveal. She has since passed on, so there isn’t any risk of her being ostracized, and I can now say that she was Sister Marina, one of my favorite nuns at the school. She was an elderly woman but so full of life. I recall how entertained I was each time I spoke with her. Thinking back, I wonder if she wasn’t younger than I remember. Being seven years old, almost everyone seems elderly to you.

As I said, I wrote this assigned composition before I went to Necedah. I don’t remember how old I was when I actually went to the site, but my visit was within a year or two after the essay. I suppose I was 8 or 9 at the time. Mom worked with some others, though I don’t remember their names, and they arranged motor coaches that would take many people at a time to the site of the visions. The coach we traveled on was full to capacity. I had to stay in my seat. I remember that, because I was a kid, and I wanted to roam around the bus.

We went to the site in the spring. I remember that the grounds were muddy so I am assuming this was early spring, before planting time for the farmers. There was a house standing there, where the woman who witnessed the apparitions lived. Nearby was a circle of stones around a tree, the tree above which Mary is said to have appeared. After we toured the site, Mom bought a rosary with a silver chain for me. When the afternoon arrived, we all knelt down at the appointed time to recite the rosary. I remember this part clearly. Being a kid, it was difficult for my to be still for so long. I truly wanted to be part of this whole experience, so I tried very hard to focus on the prayers with my new rosary. I recall stories of how people went there to pray and purportedly, their rosaries would occasionally turn to a gold color (not actual gold as far as I know). We prayed the rosary and when we were done, I put the rosary in my pocket and ultimately, we got on the coach to return to Minnesota.

During the trip home, mom stood at the front of the coach to talk to everyone and to lead everyone in a prayer. She said that every so often a rosary would turn gold during the visit. Well, I took out my own rosary and, guess what? It didn’t have a silver chain any longer. The chain was gold.

You would suppose that I would be one of the most saintly, faithful people after that incident. I count myself among the faithful but I have struggled with living the way that Jesus lived and still wants us to live. As I get older, I have become more conscientious and mature, thank God for that. I have thought about that experience, looking for an explanation. The color of the rosary chain changed that day, and it wasn’t simple tarnishing of the chain. I say that with conviction because I got the rosary during the noon hour, and by 3 p.m., it had changed to a gold color. Can tarnishing happen that quickly? Everyone knows that inexpensive jewelry can turn your skin green, right? I suppose everyone has seen that at some point in time or heard of somebody who had that happen. In the course of three hours, the chain turned from a silver color to gold, not various shades or irregularly as tarnishing would. It was a solid color of gold. This is something that I cannot explain to this day, other than what I have just stated, which is God’s honest truth.

In researching the stories that this woman has told, I don’t know what to believe. Many say that she was a devout Christian who sought God in prayer. Others say that Mary Ann Hoof was a fraud and led a life that would make a sailor blush, that she came up with peculiar stories. Apparently, some of those who believed her elevated her to cult-like status. I was too young to base anything solidly upon my own insights at that time.

I do not know what I should read into what happened from my viewpoint, other than to say two things. One, my rosary did actually change. It can be argued, I suppose, that maybe it was Satan’s influence to bring another soul to venerate a false representation of God’s image. Alternatively, it could be something to demonstrate the splendor and supremacy of God. I choose to believe in the infinite power of God, gently nudging me in the right direction.

Secondly, Mary, the mother of God, when she has appeared, as acknowledged by the Church, has had few requests, other than to say, fundamentally, “People, you need to pray, live righteously and believe in God.” Some people elevate Mary to a place so near God that it is dangerously simple to worship Mary, from our flawed human view. Losing a perspective on what I will call the hierarchy of Heaven is fraught with peril. Mary was Jesus’ Earthly mother, and the Bible states clearly she was chosen to be “the hand-maiden of the Lord.” As such, she was born without sin and raised Jesus knowing it wouldn’t be a bed of roses, but a crown of thorns, literally and figuratively. She knew that he would suffer and die to save those who accept him and believe. Of course, she was grief-stricken, as any mother would be, and yet, she fulfilled her obligation to the Father.

I feel that praying to God through Mary is fine, as long as we bear in mind that Mary is not a god, but one of the deservedly honored people through which God is working his great eternal plan. God unquestionably knows our intentions, no matter how we might try to conceal our human failings.

Regarding the whole Necedah experience from my perspective, this is my conclusion: Discernment of reports of miraculous occurrences needs to be carefully and prayerfully done. Anyone willing to place their beliefs and actions solely at the mercy of a particular "visionary" is courting disaster. Before making a decision as far-reaching as this, any sensible person will examine and evaluate all the evidence for the claims being made, find out what the local medical and religious authorities believe is occurring and then prayerfully consider the possibilities.

When impostors misrepresent His message for their acclaim and attention and are exposed as being self-interested hypocrites, it denigrates the messenger while it muddies the message. The Catholic Church has condemned this woman’s message and her claims. About one third to one half of the research I have read seems to indicate that she was a phony who was seeking attention and recognition. A group formed around her, most likely not at her behest, to collect donations from those who believed or wanted to believe. Sadly, it seems possible that she was out of her mind or purposefully acting in her own interest. Her early “vision days” drew tens of thousands of people, the curious and the earnest crowds that wanted to believe. Years later, Van Hoof said she still talked regularly with the Virgin Mary, but few listened. And fewer believed. It seems she probably was telling the truth, at least in the beginning. I wonder, though, if she deviated from that truth, when her claims grew to be fantastic in detail. Assuming that is a true statement, whether she intentionally misled or was just a sick woman, it is very regrettable and it detracts from God and his message.

Maybe you disagree with me on some parts of this. Maybe you think I am a raving lunatic. So be it. I feel the power of God in my heart, and I try to live my life for his glory and not my own. I have accepted Him into my life as my personal savior. I have a long way to go to be even a little bit like Him. No matter… God loved me enough to sacrifice his own son, paying a penalty in Jesus’ blood that I can scarcely comprehend. I know one thing. My God is an awesome God.

If only we had leaders like this today.

"First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding; his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting.... Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues.... Such was the man for whom our nation mourns." --Official eulogy of Washington, written by John Marshall and delivered by Representative Richard Henry Lee, December 26, 1799

If only we had leaders like this today. Our forefathers were loyal to the ideals of liberty, not available to be bought and sold by lobbying groups. These men loved America and risked their lives for future generations. Our country's fathers knew that they could be executed when they fought for our liberty, and yet they placed a value on freedom for future generations which exceeded their personal interests. These men did what was right for America. This is so unlike the luxurious lifestyle our modern leaders are basking in, with their unearned and egocentric celebrity not born of a desire to protect the American legacy of freedom. Sadly, the question of "Is our Congress really protecting our American interests?" today doesn't have a clear and resolute answer.

Of course, our children will understand the history of George Washington's birthday (which is tomorrow). Today, for the history of President's Day, check out this page.

God bless America, freedom, family, and you. Happy President's Day.

Visiting the old neighborhood

I worked on a Wheel of Fortune Special Edition game Saturday, with Heather and Gabriel along for the ride. It seems the malfunction is an intermittent problem, but fairly inconsequential. After that casino crisis was remedied, we stopped at the store where Dave works and he walked by on his way to clock in after lunch. We had a good conversation and then he had to work.

We spent the afternoon visiting with our former neighbors, Janet and Paul. They wanted to meet Gabriel but since he is a cute kid, who wouldn’t want to meet him? True, I am a bit partial, but aren't all dads?

Visiting our former neighborhood brought back memories. There were no police cars or street brawls, and that was encouraging. Snow was falling so that may have kept the delinquents indoors. After having dinner with Janet and Dave Saturday evening, with much conversation and catching up on things, we headed home in the snow. Whoohoo! My excitement is not about driving home in a snowstorm. That part reeks, primarily due to drivers who don’t slow down in poor driving conditions. The snowstorm itself is cause for enthusiasm. We both love snowstorms. Did I ever tell you that?

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Heather and I are holding off the spring fever but we did browse the garden center this weekend. Clearly, our gardening mania will kick in before long. Our love of winter still holds sway, but soon, the balance will tip the other way and we will wish we could be playing in the garden.

Trippin' Hippies in Foam Rubber Costumes

I have gotta tell you, our kids are going to grow up watching some of the 60s and 70s classics, like H.R. Puffenstuff, Sigmund and the Seamonsters, Doctor Shrinker, and the Land of the Lost. I have no solid information here, but it seems evident that it took the influence of some mighty potent hallucinogenic mushrooms or an exotic psychotropic substance to inspire Sid and Marty Krofft when they created this stuff. Still, in a very cheesy way, these programs are wholesome entertainment compared to the garbage on TV these days. If you disagree with me, too bad... you're wrong. Right, Heather? The Magic 8-Ball says... "Without a doubt."

A succinct summary of a great book

I borrowed this summary from a site offering this great book. The link is here, too, if you want to check it out. From the Faith and Family Bookstore:

Michael Reagan’s life is much more than just an interesting story. It is a testimony of how Christ allowed him to find healing from many of the issues that confront our culture today, such as sexual abuse, divorce, loneliness, the feeling of rejection, and the belief that God does not care about us. Michael Reagan’s first adoption gave him an identity, but he did not find his true identity until he found Christ. In this book, Mike Reagan shows how others can meet a God who loves them, and who wants to embrace them and bring them healing, salvation, and meaning to life.

Twice Adopted

Heather and I gave her Dad a book on CD for Christmas and it has come back to revisit me. Now I say this in a very positive way. The book I am talking about is “Twice Adopted” by Michael Reagan. I now have the audio recording from Heather’s dad, so I can check it out, too. Michael Reagan does speak through the first hour of the recorded version of the book. Then, another narrator takes over. On the long road trip to Thief River Falls and back today, I listened to the first 7 hours of the book. It is exceptionally well written and at times, the story of Michael Reagan’s childhood takes you on a roller coaster from tears to hope and even an occasional chuckle. When you are in a truck a hundred miles from nowhere, you don’t have to worry too much about other drivers wondering why you are looking like a sappy, emotional doorknob, all because an audio book has your heart in knots. As a sidenote, whoever heard of an emotional doorknob anyway? Maybe Sid and Marty Krofft and their H.R. Puffenstuff world of foam rubber-costumed characters has a few doorknobs that aren't just inanimate objects. But I digress.

“Twice Adopted” is the true story of many things. One part in particular is the story of Michael Reagan and his relationship with his father, Ronald Wilson Reagan. At least as enlightening is Michael Reagan's childhood experiences from self-loathing to accepting Jesus Christ in his life. It was a journey that began with his adoption by Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, parents in a setting that his peers assumed was the idyllic life. The behind-the-scenes story of his life is remarkable and painfully familiar. That is, he was the son of the 1950’s version of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, and yet, he is just like you and me in so many ways. Michael Reagan has many anecdotes that anyone can relate to, with insight and candor that came from surviving a mixed-up childhood. His “wonderful life” began to unravel when he struggles with the divorce of his celebrity parents, and seeking the reasons why his biological mom “didn’t want him”, feeling worthless and unloved. He finds a verse in Deuteronomy that seems to state that a de facto fatherless son and the ten generations following him are condemned and banned from Heaven forever (in the mind of a child, incorrectly understood to say he was doomed). Thus, he turns his back on God for thirty years, after concluding that God has forsaken him. He leads the listener through his victimization at the hands of a man he trusted, when a trusted camp counselor molested him when he was 7 years old. The story continues with his bitter adolescence and his misguided attempts to shield his parents from his shameful secret by acting so disruptive that he hoped to ultimately force them to forsake him. Michael tells the story of finding comfort in his middle-aged years after a lifetime of hating himself and hating God, blaming both for the sexual abuse he experienced as a child.

This isn’t a story about being a “woe-is-me” victim. It is a story of survival, faith and praise to God for peace and understanding, through the dark days, and from the dreadful past into a hopeful future. It is a story about the end of innocence for one child, which concludes with hope and joyfulness, knowing that God never turns from anyone who trusts in Him. The story moved me, and maybe it will move you, too. Check it out sometime.

Cure #3

The Friday before Valentine's Day I called the clinic and the nurse suggested straight vaseline for Gabriel's diaper rash. That wasn't working so Doug and I took him to the doctor and got prescription #2: "1:1:1 butt cream". I called the doctor back yesterday, though, because every where that I was putting the stuff (a wider path than the existing rash) was getting irritated. So, cure #3 is Bacitracin 4 times a day and A & D Ointment at every diaper change.

You can imagine that having a sore butt is making Gabriel a bit cranky. Keeping that in mind, the two of us decided to stay home instead of accompanying Doug on a road trip to Thief River Falls. I would have liked to go, but I didn't think Gabriel could handle 3 hours straight without being fed and held. That only works during long naps, which are completely unpredictable. So Gabriel and I are hanging out.

Gaining weight isn't a bad thing

We took Gabriel to his pediatrician. I needed a pause from the work I was doing so it worked out well in that regard. I try to be at the doctor’s visits when it is possible. Gabriel is only 3-weeks old and the reason for a visit is evident, to make sure everything is going fine. The thought of taking your child to the doctor frequently when there is no sickness or concern, i.e. “well child visits” seems a bit wasteful once your kids are old enough to have a healthy history with no evident concerns. At any rate, that wasn’t the situation yesterday.

Gabriel has that wicked rash that Heather mentioned. It looks very uncomfortable and hasn’t improved enough to reassure this Mom and Dad. Gabriel’s doctor agreed and wrote a prescription for some mysterious concoction that should aid in the healing process. The good news is that Gabriel has a healthy weight gain. He has gained 28 ounces in 19 days. Actually, the pediatrician asked if we have been feeding him turkey and mashed potatoes and said that his weight gain is unbelievable, so that sounds like an affirmative doctor’s opinion. When we can get this rash to clear up, Gabriel will be a happy little guy.

How could something be so painful?

No, I'm not talking about childbirth. I'm wondering aloud how something on my baby's body could be so painful to me. Gabriel has some really wicked diaper rash. Since I'm always putting stuff on him when I change his diaper, and I change his diaper every time I feed him (about every 1.5 to 2 hours), I wonder how he got such a bad case of diaper rash. Mom tells me that it could be something I ate, since I'm breastfeeding. Anyway, my point was that I see how painful it is to him when I change him. It is not the tangible pain of being pinched. It is looking at his raw little butt and cringing from the pain that I imagine he is feeling. I'm normally very empathetic, but I suppose this is the empathy of motherhood. I can't stand to see my baby in pain, and I would do anything to bear that pain in his place. It has started looking a little better, but if it doesn't clear up in a couple days, I'm calling the doctor.

We have a full house this weekend. Heather’s parents and her brother are spending a few days with us. Josh has been here a few times since Gabriel was born, but for Laura and Dennis, this is the first opportunity to get acquainted with their grandson. Heather and I always look forward to their visits, particularly because it is a long drive from Indiana. The absences and time commitments required to visit make the efforts very meaningful.

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Gabriel isn’t a happy camper with the rash he has, but otherwise, he is satisfied with his feeding and sleeping. Ah, the life of a child is nice, isn’t it? How ironic that when we were children, the benefits of maturity are “obvious” and we long to magically leap into adulthood without delay. (What autonomy adults have, right?) Then adulthood arrives, with career, mortgage and responsibility weighing profoundly on the mind. How fantastic it would be to revisit the age of innocence.

The call center gave me a call last night, though my cell phone never rang, which is very normal. Eventually, that, ummm... wonderful piece of... technology, started beeping, to indicate once again I didn't answer the call when the phone never rang. Understand one thing, that cell phone almost never rings; messages just show up from time to time. Anyway, I have to a service call to attend to this morning at Fortune Bay, near Ely. I am not thrilled about leaving during this weekend, since Heather's parents arrived last night from Indiana. However, that is how it goes sometimes. I am on-call and it is part of the job responsibilities. Heather and I, long ago, learned to deal with the unpredictability that comes with the job. The benefits of my job far outweigh the occasional interruptions.

Since my in-laws are only here for the weekend, I want to come home as early as possible. Therefore, I am leaving at 6 a.m., a few hours before they wake up. With any luck, I will return from the service call by 2 p.m. Wish me luck.

I am not at home tonight, but instead am staying at the Wingate Hotel in Oakdale. I was in the middle of a Fort Knox progressive system install at one of the Lakes-area casinos, when I got called to the office. Since the manager said it was urgent, I left within minutes and stopped at home long enough to pick up a change of clothes and paperwork to be turned in during the inventory process. Some of the Rapid City personnel are in Minnesota to inventory the service vehicles, and they want to head home Friday and as early as possible. Admittedly, a bit more notice that I would be traveling would be helpful, but that is how my job works now and then. It goes with the territory and both Heather and I are used to unpredictable schedules with this job. We deal with it as it comes. I will be in the hotel one night and should be home by tomorrow afternoon.

Heather’s parents will be traveling to Minnesota, leaving before morning. They are coming to meet their grandson for the first time. I am sure that they are as excited as we are about our son and their first grandchild. Work has been a lot busier this week for me, keeping me away into the evenings. While I am absent, Heather keeps busy being a stay-at-home Mom. Gabriel is doing quite well, with the usual things a 16-day old baby does, sleeping, eating and, well, polluting, so to speak. Gabriel is an adorable kid, but of course I am inclined to say that since he is the most perfect baby I have ever seen. =) As he becomes a bit more energetic, his random smiles are enough to make my day brighter than ever.

I don’t mind traveling, mostly because I truly enjoy my job and I like the variety that comes with this work. Nonetheless, a hotel room will never measure up to the warmth of having your family nearby. This hotel stay is a necessary situation, being away from work, and though it is essential, it makes me appreciate the comforts of home. When I travel, coming home to my family makes the inconvenience that much more meaningful.

I had my annual review today. I am not going to go into the details of it, but I am pleased with the outcome of the evaluation. I am committed to the demands of the job and it is nice to be recognized. There are days the job drives me nuts, but in the big picture, this is an extraordinary company to work for and I wouldn’t change jobs for anything. Tomorrow, I am going home to my Heather, and our beautiful son, Gabriel. As ever, I am exceptionally blessed. Life is good, very good indeed.

Woo-Hoo!!! SNOW!!!

It is currently snowing, folks. Yes, I'm very excited. I wish Doug was here to see it, but he got called out of an install earlier today to go down to the office and have his truck inventoried. Big deal, right? Well, it was annoying to him that they didn't give him any warning and expected him to be there ASAP. It is annoying to me that he has to spend the night in the Twin Cities so they can do this. I got his stuff together while Doug was on his way home. Hopefully, the supplies I packed him are adequate. I hate when he spends the night away from home. Even with our entire zoo here, I feel lonely. Nope, 2 toy poodles and at least 2 cats in the bed still aren't enough to convince me that I'm not alone. Nobody can take Doug's place. Just in case anyone reading this is thinking that I'm suffering from hormonal/postpartum issues, rest assured that this is how I always react to Doug spending the night in a hotel without me. I can survive a night without him, but it is not as much fun.

Need to get down here more

Ok... so I've been delinquent when it comes to the blog. Gabriel takes up much of my time. Consider this: a half-hour to feed him, five minutes to change him, ten minutes, if I'm lucky, to get him back to sleep after changing him, if he'll go to sleep...and he eats every hour and a half. That's time consuming! If the computer was upstairs, away from Harry, the loud-mouthed Moluccan Cockatoo, I'd probably write more. However, I don't want to damage my baby's hearing by bringing him down here. That's ok. I'll just write when I can.

I should be doing laundry and cleaning right now. My parents are coming this weekend to meet their first human grandson (Mom calls my cat her grandson). I'm excited for them, and anxious to tap my mother's experience with certain parts of motherhood that one can never learn from a child care job. I'm going to go back to cleaning now, or my pathetic attempt at it anyway. "Mother" is a role that I am confident I'll be much better at than "homemaker". For the sake of our child, thank God.

Back to work

I went back to work today. I didn't mind the idea of returning to the daily grind of casino service and support. However, my first day back at work was spent on an install of new games. It didn't go as well as it could have. The casino hadn't installed enough electrical circuits. We were supplied with 3 circuits, when we needed 8. Let's do the math. Fourteen games plus three 40-inch LCDs, 2 media controllers and 1 progressive controller, drawing a total of 128 amps of current. Three circuits? Only if each circuit can carry more than 42 amps. Not good, since the three circuits we had only supplied 20 amps each. Oops. Finally accepting that it wasn't going to happen today, I gave up and headed home. I will try again tomorrow, and hopefully, the casino will have added enough circuits for the work to get done. I love job security...

Ronaldus Magnus

In 1948 the liberal historian Richard Hoftsadter wrote in that Franklin Roosevelt's passing "left American liberalism demoralized and all but helpless." Conservatives mourn the passing of Ronald Wilson Reagan, but will never be demoralized and helpless because they have taken to heart the message Reagan always wanted to be his legacy, never more poignantly stated than in his last public message in 1994: America's best days are ahead.

Ronald Wilson Reagan's life gave truth to the platitude that just one person - possessed with vision, integrity, the courage of his convictions and an unshakeable sense of optimism - really can change the world.

Happy birthday, Ronald Reagan. Rest in Peace.

My son IS named after Ronaldus Magnus). Heather and I gave Gabriel Reagan Denis his name in honor of Ronald Reagan's humility, compassion and faithful ideals, something we endeavor to raise our children to embrace in their lives.

Heather called her Dad to see if the packet of pictures and other things we sent arrived. We have been taking pictures of Gabriel and printing them, and saving them to surprise our parents. The CD that contains Gabriel’s birth announcement had arrived, so Heather asked him to look it over to ensure that it works correctly. The word we got back a bit later is that it did. Papa J. planned to cover the kitchen counter with pictures of their new grandson and turn out the lights so that when Nana J. got home, she would have a surprise. Heather's parents haven’t met their grandson yet. Admittedly, I wish that Gabriel’s grandparents lived closer but since they don’t, I want to make it easy for them to see their grandson growing, in whatever means are available to them, and me.

My prediction for the Superbowl? The majority opinion is favoring the Patriots. I don’t like to tag along with popular opinion, but my feeling is, in this case, that the crowd is correct. The NFC is a weak conference compared to the AFC, and few question that. With that in mind, the Eagles are one of the best NFC teams in recent years. Put them up against the AFC's powerhouse Patriots, and I see the Eagles a little flat. Donovan McKnobJob is a weenie and he isn’t going to bear the pressure, with at least one interception, probably two. The Eagles will not fall on their faces, theoretically, though the Patriot defense will sack McNabb one time too many and his self-confidence will wither. The Superbowl will not be a blowout, and the Patriots will win the game by 3 points, as they have done in their last two bowl games, world champions winning by a field goal . That is my prediction.

I called Mom tonight to see if her packet was delivered. We had a good time while I walked her through the steps to load the CD. Mom and Dad watched the announcement and I showed them some other things on the disk and stepped them through the contents of the CD. One of my brothers emailed and said he couldn’t access the birth announcement. That had me worried, but as I created the disks, I tested the CDs on two different computers. I am speculating that the difficulty was a copying error or miscommunication on which file is the birth announcement. Hopefully, it will work when tried again.

Being a new Dad, it is in my nature to be excited to want my family to see Gabriel's photos. With the many CDs we sent to our siblings, parents, friends, and extended family, I am anxious and hopeful that there haven’t been problems with accessing the pictures and particularly seeing Gabriel’s birth announcement.

Like a lead Zeppelin?

In lieu of a birth announcement to introduce Gabriel to our family and friends, we chose to do something special. We created a PowerPoint presentation, with music, sound effects and pictures of Gabriel with those people who have met him in his first 5 days of life. We waited a week after he was born to start working on the project, so that we could take plenty of digital photos and have an abundance of material. This is our beautiful child’s introduction to the world. Of course, I will announce his birth enthusiastically!

I have spent some free time in the last few days burning CDs. I thought, ten for my family, ten for Heather’s, more or less. The reality is often far removed from the anticipated, I assure you. The end result? After consulting with Heather’s mom to be sure we hadn’t missed anyone, we burned 50 CDs and family-specific customized labels. I produced two unique CDs so that the material was pertinent to the side of the family who would be viewing the content. Between feedings and diaper changes, when Gabriel was sleeping or babbling contently in his bassinet, we worked on his birth announcement.

Only time will tell how well our efforts work out, as computers are funny creatures, so to speak. What operates flawlessly on one PC may not function on another. Hopefully, everyone is able to navigate the content and this little project doesn’t fall flat on its metaphorical face. We wanted to create something a bit distinctive, unique and contemporary.

Will this go over like a lead zeppelin? I don’t know yet… but hey, did you know that is how the band got its name? Robert Plant said his new and as-yet unsigned band would probably go over like a lead Zeppelin…. And the rest is history.

Spring fever in the middle of winter

If this warm spell continues, we will soon be suffering from spring fever and wishing the winter was over. Now, don't take this the wrong way. For the record, Heather and I both love winter and we hope for record-breaking snowstorms that last for days. The more snow, the better, we say!

But, once the snow starts to melt and we are out shoveling slush off the driveway in t-shirts and shorts, we start to wish we could be gardening. We have 2 vegetable gardens, strawberries in a raised bed, and flower beds all over the yard. As Heather always says, "You can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the farmboy."

I am still hoping for significant snowstorms this year but with each passing mild day, the hint of spring makes me that much more eager to play in the dirt. One day soon, spring fever is going to overwhelm my love of winter and snow. When you hear me say "I don't want any more snowstorms!", you will know, spring fever is here to stay.

Another day, another dollar

It is nice to not think about work for awhile. I was just going over finances and being on vacation isn't the same, financially, as working. You would think it shouldn't matter, but the on-call pay and overtime make a significant difference. Anyway... that was just an observation. I am not looking forward to going back to work on Monday, but admittedly, I do love my job, if you can believe that, and so I am not dreading the return to work either.

Visiting

It was great to visit with my family. Almost everyone made it, and those who couldn't were working or had other acceptable excuses. I will overlook it this time as long as they make it to the farm at Easter. =) Life is so busy for everyone that we are happy to visit when we can. It used to be that we only visited on the big 3: Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In recent years, though, we have been getting together at least once in the summer and on other occasions as well. It is like we have a healthy family. I know, scary thought. Heather and I enjoy the visits and look forward to them.

The one thing I have a problem with is that we are still waiting for Dave to contact us. Its a tired, long story and not one I am going to detail here. Speaking for the Doug and Heather Juenemann family, we want him to rejoin our family gatherings and hope someday that he will. If you don't have family, what do you have?

Gabriel, meet the Juenemanns

Today the extended Juenemann family will meet the youngest member of the clan. Heather and I are spending the day at the farm, with my siblings and parents. Many will be coming, which has me in high spirits, though I am sure Gabriel will mostly just want to eat, sleep and, uh... pollute. He is six days old, so I am sure that we can cut him some slack.

Heather's brother, Josh, spent the weekend with us. He is completely excited to be a new uncle and it shows. Josh is coming with us to the farm, too. My family has readily welcomed him, and has noted that he is just like family, as he joins in and makes himself at home. He is great with the kids, something that isn't difficult to see.

The Juskos are the type of family who communicate their fondness for each other; they hug and are very close. Of course, my parents love each of their children, but it hasn't been something that is overtly displayed. I didn't grow up with that closeness and affection. But my wife did, and with this beautiful newborn baby boy, it is easy to open my mind to the ideals of family warmth. I could get used to that loving expression of familial contact.

In this Juenemann family, nothing beats family time. Hugs? Just like the MasterCard commercials. Priceless.

First checkup

Today Gabriel had his first doctor's appointment. As first impressions go, Gabriel's pediatrician has a good bed-side manner. He makes a parent feel comfortable easily, which is, obviously, a good thing. We chose to take Gabriel to a pediatrician, because we were told that if we went with a general practitioner, he would refer us to the pediatrician anyway.

Gabriel has been getting into his routine better already. His first days of life, he was hungry constantly but not enough to be satisfied. His feedings were almost continuous and unfortunately for Heather, more nocturnal than not. Now, he is sleeping longer and nursing so much better. He is a quick learner, though, so all three of us are getting more restful sleep. Of course, this is new to Gabriel, being out in the world, so it is expected. Like a Chinese man when you spin him round and round, of course Gabriel is disoriented. =)

Birth Announcement

Our baby boy is here. Let me tell you about it.

Gabriel Reagan Denis Juenemann was born on Monday, January 24th, at 2:20 p.m. at Saint Joseph's Medical Center.

He is 21 inches in length and weighs 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

As a first-time Dad, let me tell you, he is just about the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on. Gabriel and Heather are coming home today. In case you never hear me say it, life is good!

About yesterday...

I was chatting with my mother-in-law via email tonight and she said it would especially hit home that I am now a father once I bring Heather and Gabriel home from the hospital tomorrow. I am sure in some ways that will be the case, given that this almost seems too good to be true. I am sure that Laura speaks from experience and there is more than a grain of truth there. It's a life-altering event in my life, and one thought keeps jumping to the forefront of my mind. I have been sitting upstairs working on the truck inventory for most of the last eight hours. Every now and again, the thought just leaps into my mind... I am a DAD. Wow!

The experience where it really hit me, though, began when Gabriel's head started crowning during the delivery. I saw the intense concentration on the face of the doctor who was using a device called a vacuum extractor to help our baby along. It had gotten to a point of exhaustion for Heather and it became apparent that the baby was too large; Heather couldn't do it on her own. The nurses and doctor were working, almost holding their breath while hastening with great care, if you can imagine.

Maybe it was routine to the medical staff, but for me, it was an extreme moment where I didn't know what to feel, so I felt it all... fear, excitement, apprehension, concern, and total elation. Everyone was concerned because the labor couldn't progress further, since the baby was so large. It could have just been the intensity and urgency of what was happening. In any case, the moment that the baby's head was free and the doctor could bring the baby's shoulders out, I knew everything would be all right. What hit home for me was seeing my son for the first time. When it came time for me to cut the cord, I had to walk away for a minute to compose myself because I was shaking, completely overcome with more happiness than I have ever felt. I had tears in my eyes when I came back to see the beautiful baby Heather and I had created.

There were two days that will forever stand out in the history of my life. The first was the day that Heather and I were married. The second particularly significant day in my life was the day that my wife, the strong woman that she is, brought our son into the world. I cannot imagine anything in this world exceeding that complete happiness, and yet, I am a Dad. I know the best is yet to come. Life is very good.

Good news!

Good news! After working hard for about 14 hours, Heather and I have a healthy, beautiful baby boy.

Our son, Gabriel Reagan Denis Juenemann, was born Monday at 2:20 p.m. He weighs 8 pounds, 13 ounces and is 21 inches in length. He has a head full of dark brown hair.

It has been a long day and I need to get some sleep. I spent 14 hours at the hospital. I would have preferred to stay at the hospital with Heather all night, but came home to take care of our zoo. I will post more information soon. Our website will be online within the next week once I put the finishing touches on everything.

Tonight, I am a father. Wow.

Life as we know it is never going to be the same

Well, this is the last post I will make as a father-to-be. I finally figured out how to correctly install that, ummm... blasted car seat. Heather really wants to have Dr. Leland deliver our baby, so I hope he can make it. Heather's contractions are lasting 60 seconds or longer, and coming every 90-120 seconds so I decided it was time to stop torturing her and take her to the hospital. Actually, she told me that it is getting to be that time, and we have medical reasons such that we want her to be where expert assistance is readily available, just in case. Therefore, it is time to call this post complete and get out of here. We will have news soon. Stay tuned.

When I make my next post, I will be a daddy. Oh oh... I gotta go. I think the stork is knocking at the door.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

The "times" a-changin' in this case are the things we have gotten used to in our lives. Heather woke up at 3 a.m., having her first "true" contractions. Certainly, it is early and the contractions are irregular, from 5 to 13 minutes apart. We aren't making a mad dash to the hospital. We will make sure we have everything in order here and feed the birds and other animals so that they are in an orderly state during our absence. The hospital isn't more than three miles away, in the middle of Brainerd. The menagerie will be fine for a day or so, however long I need to be absent until our young one comes into the world. When the opportunity comes later, it isn't an impossible time commitment to feed and clean up the zoo. I will come home for that when the baby's schedule allows.

One thing Heather will tell you about me is that I detest tardiness. It drives me crazy to be anything short of punctual. I don't care if there is a whiteout snowstorm, because I will account for that and alter my activities or travel or whatever. Reliability and presentation are so important and nothing but the most extreme circumstance is going to stop me from being on time. Perhaps I should work for the postal service. I just do not like to be late.

Our baby's due date is today. I couldn't be more proud... our firstborn (soon-to-be born, that is) has already learned how essential it is to stay on schedule. =)

"It has a good beat and its easy to dance to."

Since the predicted date for the birth of our child is nearly upon us, we do not want to lose the chance to preserve photo opportunities or other natal things we might like to revisit when we are old and gray. I am referring to things like pictures of, in Dr. Leland's words, the now "mostly pregnant" Heather. We have saved many sonogram photos and regularly listen to the the baby. This weekend, Heather and I recorded the baby's heartbeat with the acoustic fetal monitor.

A baby's heart doesn't sound at all like an adult's heart, which is much slower and the sound of the individual heart valves is more clearly evident. An unborn child's heart sounds more like a very rapid drumbeat. I am not entirely satisfied with the sound quality, so we will possibly make another attempt today. The biological actions that influence the sound quality are numerous, and include the baby stirring or nutrients flowing between Mom and infant, even the sound of food absorption. It is a bit peculiar and yet awe-inspiring, the life we have created, with God's hand helping us along.

I read that the baby can somehow savor the distinction between sweets and salty foods, but since nutrition isn't introduced by mouth, that seems weird and yet, quite wonderful to me. Another thing, since the seventh month, the baby has been able to open their eyes (Grrrr. That is grammatically so incorrect since we are expecting ONE child, but I hate to say "his or her" which Heather will tell you drives me nuts. Still, we don't know if we are having a boy or a girl so I will have to allow myself to mangle the language at this time). The baby has been able to see bright light for a few months, too. That reminds me of how you can shine an intense light at your hand and see bone structures. In our baby's case, being in cramped quarters, so to speak, any bright light is subdued, especially for still-developing optic nerves. Irregardless, we regularly say, "Hello in there!"

There is so much going on here. It is all very exciting for us. Heather is a bit more tired and sore lately. I think that the baby isn't going to wait much longer, and that will be a relief, though of course, Heather is a bit apprehensive about the intensity of labor. Who can blame her? Still, she is strong and says many other women have gone through it so she can do it, too. Heather has a good attitude about everything. No wonder I love the woman. =)

Winter storms are awesome!

Okay. My sister and her hubby are winter wimps. =) Of course, I figured they weren't going to travel with a snowstorm in progress. Thank goodness Deb was blessed with common sense (brains, on the other hand... just kidding). I didn't know, however, that they were blessed with a snowstorm, too, until after a quick phone call. About eight inches of new snow fell yesterday. Heather and I are both glad as can be. Of course, we are mildly disappointed that the snowfall wasn't measured in feet, but what can you do? This new snowfall rocks! I hope it keeps snowing like this every week 'til March!

We are expecting at least one and possibly two individuals to stop by to check out some furniture we no longer need. We posted the furniture with a "recycling" group, the Cass-Crow Wing County chapter of FREECYCLE. You can check it out, too, at http://www.freecycle.org. We got a quick response, 17 inquiries the first day. Having been out of the area for work on Wednesday and Thursday, one or two of the respondents sent emails wondering why I didn't get back to them the first day. People do get wound up about freebies, don't they? FREECYCLE has groups all over the United States, hundreds of groups. We will see how it goes, but anything that keeps usable items out of the landfill is a good thing. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Speaking of trash and treasure, the new Wal-mart Supercenter that is less than a mile from our home opens Monday. Gosh, are we thrilled. If you believe that, can I interest you in buying the Brooklyn Bridge?

It is time to play in the snow now. Whoohoo!

Will they or won't they?

I heard a rumor that my dorky sister, Deb, and my bother-in-law, Tom, might be coming to visit this weekend (yes, I did spell it that way intentionally). I hope that they do visit now, since the baby is due to be born on Monday the 24th. Since when do babies follow a schedule? The baby isn't going to be born this weekend. My schedule will not allow it! Note: I said that extra loud so the baby can hear.

Deb and Tom's kid, Matthew, wasn't feeling well last night so we may or may not have visitors. Our house isn't quite the disaster it usually is, so they are welcome to visit. Saturday is the big fishing derby on Gull Lake. Last year, there were over 14,000 people ice fishing on one bay and this year is rumored to be bigger, so we cannot pawn them off on some hotel for the weekend if they do visit. Just my luck, having to put up with my little sister for a whole weekend.

The winter weather advisory is now a heavy snow warning. Whoohoo! The prediction is for 6-10 inches of snow. If that keeps Tom from driving up, he is a disappointing version of a die-hard Minnesotan. Hey, we like snow around here. Sue me.

Dr. Leland told us on Monday that when the barometric pressure drops, lots and lots of babies are born. I woke up at my normal time this morning, Heather was already awake, (something that never happens). She was in the baby's room, and, get this... her activities were the epitome of that pre-labor symptom called nesting. Hey, I read all the books. The baby is coming soon! Batten down the hatches, boil the water, and, oh... the baby isn't going to be born this weekend. My schedule will not allow it!

The truth is out there. Blatantly.

It always amazes me that so many people who support the Democratic Party do so mindlessly. Before my Democrat friends angrily disavow knowing me or worse, let me explain. Condoleezza Rice, having been confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 16-2, is now waiting for confirmation from the complete Senate. Why? Who is holding this up? I find it ironic that the man who is, in typical partisan fashion, delaying Rice's confirmation, is a white supremacist and an avowed racist who was a grand wizard for the Ku Klux Klan, and advised them for years AFTER he left the organization. Of course, I am talking about West Virginia Senator-for-life, Robert Byrd, who, by the way, has been in Congress since the start of the Korean War, a total of 52 years. Talk about an argument for term limits!

But I digress… I cannot explain Byrd’s position that Condoleezza Rice should not be the Secretary of State, so I will let him explain succinctly, in his very own words, against which, I cannot imagine how he can even defend his stance. Sen. Byrd was also a fierce opponent of desegregating the military, complaining in one letter: "I should rather die a thousand times and see old glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again than see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen of the wilds."

I find it ironic that the decision by Democrats to make Sen. Byrd the point man in the continuing assault against such a prominent African-American academic and leader as Doctor Rice, the position is a particularly awkward one, given his long history of racial delinquency. Only 3 years ago, he was forced to apologize for using that awful n-word twice in one of his ranting sessions. Isn’t it ironic that he is holding up the confirmation of the first black woman to be nominated as Secretary of State?

Do you need another example to convince you, and if so, how about this? Byrd filibustered the 1964 Civil Rights Act for 14 straight hours. And years after he said he'd left his white-sheeted brothers behind, he wrote to Georgia's Grand Imperial Wizard, urging, "The Klan is needed today as never before." Ironic, isn’t it?

Dr. Condoleezza Rice is a leader I have great respect for. She came from very humble beginnings to rise to the pinnacle of leadership. She came from paucity in Alabama to college at 15, graduated with high honors, holds several advanced degrees and has received many awards and accolades. That she is now the most powerful woman in the world is something I find comforting, with her wisdom, experience and her unwavering faith in God. To top it off, she is fluent in four languages. Crikey! Why is Byrd holding up her confirmation? The woman is certainly qualified after four years as National Security Advisor, more qualified than Byrd will ever be.

On a side note, I find it interesting the absurdity of protestors screeching that Bush is a racist and a sexist. Let's do the math: first woman National Security Advisor, first black Secretary of State, first Hispanic Attorney General, first black woman Secretary of State, among others. In sum total, with four years and 24 appointments, Bush has named to his Cabinet five women, four African-Americans, three Hispanics and two Asian-Americans, more than any other president. Wow. That proves he IS racist and sexist... doesn’t it???

Back to the point at hand, that black Americans and other minorities continue to stand with the Democrats when that party doesn’t represent their interests, uses them as pawns, is ironic, isn’t it? Before you think this is my defense of the Republican Party, here is my disclaimer. I am not a Republican. I believe in constitutional constructionism and holding to the ideals of the constitution, something that the Republicans only do marginally better than the Democrats.

I believe that less government is almost always a good thing. I know that the federal government has no constitutional authority taking money from the industrious and using that money to buy the votes of the so-called downtrodden, who often are in fact the indoctrinated slothful, who feel entitled to the government giving them "free money." Here is a news flash. That isn’t free money. It is money taken from the hard working to give to the shiftless, the illegal aliens, and the weak-minded dregs that follow dollar signs to the ballot box. America didn’t become great through idle hands and needy minds. Our nation became strong and free because the dreamers' reach exceeded their grasp. Our fathers accomplished the impossible. Thank God for that.

The people providing the “blue” votes in metropolitan areas are not ideologically descended from those dreamers. Naturally, the "blue state" populace will continue to support the Democratic Party when the Dems pander to them, buy their votes, and keep their constituents as mind-numbed robots spouting political myths and believing the Dem lies. I wish these citizens would occasionally think for themselves and see the power of their freedom, not the “free” government handouts, which do these entitlement addicts a disservice and this wastes their potential! We all can achieve a measure of success in our lives if only we understand it is up to our own actions to succeed.

There was once a great Democrat, John F. Kennedy, who said in his inaugural address, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

The ideals of that party do not exist in the Democratic party of today, not one bit. Certainly the survival of this party depends on keeping the minorities from success by their own actions. Maybe the party should be renamed the Dependent Socialist Party? There is nothing democratic about being the financially co-dependent stooge of a Maoist party that is all about suppressing the followers successes while enriching themselves. Wait a minute. Mom used to say "Self-praise stinks!" That sounds familiar and it is the self-congratulations of people like Hillary Clinton, Robert Byrd and Ted “Hiccup” Kennedy. Ironic, isn’t it? I can see the secret of the Dependent Democratic Party, and can hear it plainly manifest before us… “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. I am Oz, the great and powerful!” Are you now?

I really hope that some day, in America, there will be a viable third party that can accomplish good things for the future of America, without leaving what is left of our constitution behind, after the special interests and attorneys, (a.k.a. distortion artists, extortion artists, and what have you) are done deconstructing it. My child deserves better than this. America deserves better than this.

Managed to hold things off

Ok, not like I really had a say in whether or not the baby was coming when Doug was away, but I'm going to say that I managed to not go into labor. Now that he is back anything can happen. I hear that he drove through some heavy snow. I'm bummed that I missed it. You never know what you'll encounter when on a trip with Doug. That is why I like to go, not to mention that I enjoy his company.

Oh well, maybe we'll get the snow here that they are saying is possible. Notice that I didn't say "predicting"? We have a winter storm watch, not a warning. If it comes through, though, we could have around six or more inches of snow. That would really thrill me. I especially love to watch it falling. Snow coming down from the sky is something I find very beautiful. I hope to see more of it soon.

Home again

I am not going to write much tonight, tired and not in the frame of mind to be inspired. I just got home an hour ago from Grand Portage. The work went smoothly and I left by noon. The sky was gray but the roads were good. After about an hour, snow started falling. Literally, within about ten miles, it became so heavy that the road was in poor condition and the drivers heading north were weaving all over the road. I was driving about 25 miles an hour for fifty miles or so, and then, by the time I reached Duluth, the sun was shining and the roads were dry. Weird. I have heard of the influence of Lake Superior doing that to the weather, though I haven't ever actually driven in it. As cold as it has been, Lake Superior was all open water. Other than the monstrous icicles covering the overhanging trees and the rocky bluffs, there was no ice at all, not even on the North Shore.

This was a short road trip, simple work and not a challenge in any way. Some days, that is okay. In any case, it is nice to be home. I'm going to go see my wife. Later.

Missing Doug

Yep. Doug is missing. Nowhere to be found. Oh wait, that's because he is in a hotel room five miles from the Canadian border. No, what I really meant was that I miss my husband. I hate trips that involve him staying overnight somewhere else. Actually, if he didn't have a hotel room set up for him already, I probably would have gone with him. I love the drive to Grand Portage. It is beautiful and woodsy. I like stopping by Lake Superior on the way. Anyway, the casino hotel does not allow dogs, and our lap warmers can't be left alone forever. So, tonight, they will have the opportunity to occupy Doug's side of the bed, though I suspect that they will mostly curl up against me instead. They miss him, too.

Well, I'm taking my emotional, pregnant self up to bed, because I'm tired, too.
Now I lay me down to sleep...

Road trip, no baby yet

Today, I am leaving on a road trip to Grand Portage. I will be gone from this morning until tomorrow night. Unfortunately, on the way to Grand Portage, the north-eastern-most point in Minnesota (directly north of upper Michigan across Lake Superior), I have to detour to Red Lake, which is about two hours from Fargo, North Dakota. With service time, I figure the drive to Grand Portage will take me around 11 hours. Boy, am I excited. Not really.

Heather had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning. Of course, I went, as I always do if possible. The latest news? Most likely, the baby isn't going to be born early, and it is very unlikely that Heather will be in labor before I return tomorrow night. You know what they say about Murphy's Law? I don't think it applies in this case, since this isn't anything going wrong. Our new baby is something going quite right! As for old Murphy, he can go away. I am still predicting the baby will be born on the 21st, though if anything, I am predicting earlier, not later, than the baby will be born. That is my take on it anyway.

The road is calling. Time to go. Later.

Doing an inventory is so much fun

If the baby is born by next Monday, I will be off work for a week to welcome our child, to make things easier for Heather, and to be an involved new Dad. Whenever the baby IS born, I will be off work for a week, to be more accurate. Today I have such an exciting project ahead of me, in anticipation of the baby being born sometime soon. I need to inventory spare parts on my truck and update the detailed list I maintain, so that the tech who covers the MN service for a week isn't completely clueless. Then again, some of the guys we work with are a bit lost even with guidance. All I can do is to make a list to explain where every single part can be found. Piece of cake, right?

I was going to take off two weeks when the baby is born, but Heather and I have been thinking better of that. We have concluded that it would make sense for me to take a week off now and another week in late spring, when the baby is a bit older, but, before everyone else takes a break during the summer. I never take DTO during the summer because everybody and his brother take one or two weeks of vacation during that time. I like to stay busy, and I can only have so much time off without going stir crazy. Therefore, it makes more sense in that regard to take off a week in January and a week in May.

Heather has a doctor's appointment today, so there may be news to report later today. Stay tuned. That inventory work awaits, so I am now just a figment of your imagination.

* P O O F *

The Vikings, NFC final and the Super Bowl

A quick follow-up to my predicted outcome in Sunday's Vikings-Eagles NFC divisional, I didn’t expect Minnesota to win, as you can see in my recent entries. I still look forward to Donovan McNobjob going down in flames, choking in the NFC final, precisely the way he has done the last three years in a row.

While I am airing things I want… I want the Super Bowl to be a real nail-biter competition won by no more than 3 points, and won in overtime. I want better commercials during the Super Bowl. No oh-so-quixotic flaming horse farts in commercials this year, PLEASE? Okay, Budweiser? Advertisements can be hilarious and effective without sophomoric humor and witlessness. I want this over-choreographed stupefaction that is allegedly music in the loosest sense of the word, displayed on live TV (with a 7 second delay, of course) to be talented musicians just this once. It does beg the question, if a performer has to have a blatantly purposeful licentious “wardrobe malfunction”, what are they hiding by this so-called mishap? A lack of talent, perhaps? I want a brilliant, even interesting halftime show instead of the horse hockey I tune out due to absolute boredom within minutes of the start of the half-time show.

Other than that, as any true Vikings fan says this time of year, “There is always next year.” As for my disdain for the over-rated performance of Donovan McKnobjob, I don’t wish bad fortunes on anyone. After all, losing a football game isn’t a life-or-death occasion. It is much more important than that.

Georgia on my mind... And other things

Another early morning... I got bored with reading the fiction we call the news and thought I would write something. It was, in fact, good news to see the U.S. district court judge who rebuffed Michael Newdow, the busy-body atheist who wants to force us all to change to his way of thinking. After all, we can't have a president swearing on the Bible, even if W. happens to be a Christian and it is his personal decision to invoke his belief that God is in control, and he does so of his own free will. Nobody is forcing Newdow to pray or believe in anything. It would be nice if he would mind his own affairs instead of attempting to force his theologically-barren arrogance on the world.

I see that another judge decided that the concerns of six parents were more important than those of 2,000 parents, in ordering the removal of a sticker from inside the cover of science books in Georgia. The sticker in question says,

"This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

What is wrong with that? Nothing, since all accepted scientific knowledge is based on theory. Even when research studies support a hypothesis, it remains a theory supported by empirical evidence, except in the rare cases it is so evident that it becomes law after many years of study, such as Newton's Laws. Darwinism, however, is now and always will be nothing but a theory. The decision was handed down by another activist judge who routinely legislates from the bench. Is it just my imagination or have these wingnuts all sold their souls? As the saying goes, "If you're living like there is no hell, you better be right."

Enough of that. Now, for something really serious. *wink* The NFL today announced their fine against Minnesota Viking receiver Randy Moss for his faux mooning incident. Initial reports were he would be fined $5,000. They hit him for $10,000, due to his past antics and bad boy image. If 'The Freak' keeps playing with the results he just had when the Vikings stomped the Packers, he can run around with a rubber glove on his stylish afro and shout "I'm a squid!" as far as I am concerned. Brett Favre doesn't get a word of criticism for the throat-slashing motions that he displays regularly, and isn't that more offensive than pretending to moon the people who razz you constantly? Anyway... I still say McNaab is overrated and I would love to see the Eagles out of the playoffs. Of course, the Eagles have a tradition: choking in the NFC final every year lately, though I wouldn't mind the Vikings ending that tradition so the Vikings can choke in the NFC final instead of the Eagles doing it. I don't think the Vikings will beat the Eagles, but I will cheer them on and hope for their best performance.

Finally... Heather mentioned the Pro-life rally next weekend. IF she isn't in labor or in the hospital with our baby, and she wants to go, as long as I do not get dispatched to work, I will be marching for life with her. We must stand for what is clearly morally right, though it saddens me that there is even debate about taking the life of an innocent child. What is abortion really about? Three facts come to mind. One, selfish and irresponsible behavior and the convenience of birth control through infanticide. How cute. Two, the fact that we as a society have lost respect for life is a dangerous precendent and a slippery slope that leads to nothing but more death. Third, abortion on demand is about money. Planned Parenthood wouldn't care one bit about the so-called reproductive right of women to murder their children, if not for the dollar signs. Abortion is obviously not a reproductive right. Abstinence... now that is a reproductive right.

Planned Parenthood and the abortion clinics are making a fortune blatantly harvesting and selling the body parts of the unborn children they encourage to be conceived and aborted, strictly for the purpose of opportunistic greed. Sick as it is, there is a fortune in dirty money to be made selling dead babies. What about the lives and rights of those innocent babies who didn't ask to be created? Don't believe this is true? Please, don't take my word for it. Take the word of medical professionals who got out of the 'infanticide for profit' business, thank God. Look here, and be warned, this isn't a pretty site, but it is the shameful truth. The world needs to know the truth and defend life. Heather and I will defend life at every turn, and I hope you do, too.

I will become a first-time father in the next week or two, and every day it becomes more clear just how precious life really is. Ask Mom. She chose life and what a great decision that was! Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. Later, guys.