Gabriel, a Kava proposal, and the Vikings stink again

Gabriel is running around the house with one of the old-school 35-mm cameras that we no longer use. Gabriel's photography subject is Heather. He pretends to take a picture, and tells his mom, "Say 'queso!' “as the camera flashes. Not bad for a two-year old, eh? Gabriel really is an entertainer. I will write about more of his antics when I get a chance.

Right now, I am working on the second of three papers that are a continuing series for my critical thinking class. I am examining the issues that would be required for my employer to establish a presence on the island of Kava. Each week, I take the examination to a deeper level. This week, I need to explain the decision-making model that will be used. Basically, the proposal involves a four-way joint venture between a gaming manufacturer, an entertainment company (such as Harrah's or Trump Entertainment), a cruise line like Carnival, and an airline (though I did not select an airline). There are three big issues, in my opinion. The biggest problem deals with a population that is 50 percent indigenous tribe members, and also the Muslims in significant numbers on the island. The second issue is the idea of having four companies in a joint venture, and actually managing to turn a profit. The third big issue is the idea of actually bringing tourists to an island that is 4,000 miles from a mainland nation, be it America or South America. That is, the island proposal seeks to develop a venture 4,000 miles from any large and modern land population. Pretty boring topic, isn’t it?

I see the Vikings are losing again. I have not bothered to climb on the Vikings bandwagon. I had a bit of hopefulness when the Vikings spanked the Cowboys in their preseason face-off. The Cowgirls were not using their marquee talent in that game, and the Vikings WERE using the best they had to offer. After that Vikings win, the wheels came off the bandwagon before it even got draft horses up to speed. Adrian Peterson is carrying the team, but not even he can win games all by himself. The Vikings are just terrible. Their defense is great, but the offense is so weak, the Springfield Tigers JV football team could beat 'em. The Vikings have several problems, not the least of which is the lousy offense and the lack of a talented quarterback. These guys just have no heart, and I really think that Brad Childress does not have a clear vision of where this team should be heading with his recruiting picks. I will give him kudos for Adrian Peterson, though... he is the one shining star on the Vikings team.

I predict that the Vikings will end the season with a 5 and 11 record, if they are very fortunate. The Vikings will finish in last place in the NFC North.

I need to get back to work on that business proposal, so I can do something besides working on assignments while there is time to do something else this weekend. I will post pictures of Jericho and Gabriel as soon as I can, in the next day or two. Thanks for reading.

Random Events of the Past Two Weeks

The last two weeks have been really busy. I spent the week of Labor Day in Grand Portage (working there, but stuck in a hotel in Grand Marais). The highlight of the week was the big storm that Thursday night, since the hotel was so close to the water of Lake Superior, only about fifty feet from the shoreline. There were some big waves and it was pretty interesting to watch the storm from that close perspective. We were installing a couple of new systems, and so I spent the whole week on the road. That is unusual lately, but it does happen from time to time. I missed seeing my family and coming home was as sweet as ever.

Last weekend was my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary and reception. Their anniversary was on the 7th, but we had a reception for them on the 9th. The reception was planned and coordinated by the adult kids, especially the oldest couple of my siblings. It went over really well, I think, with what I would guess were 200 to 300 people in attendance on Sunday. My assigned task was to take pictures of the guests. I walked around with my camera and took around 400 pictures. I ended up with about 300 photos of the guests, some candids, and a few posed pictures of the entire family and the individual family members of some of my sisters and brothers. The reason I take the pictures? I prefer to be on THAT side of the camera! In any case, I started with about 400 pictures, but ended with about 300 photos, after I dumped the pictures that I didn’t think lived up to what makes a picture noteworthy. My niece, Christina, plans to create a scrapbook for Mom and Dad using the pictures, in remembrance of that day. Guess I better get my behind in gear editing the photos and sending them on to my niece on a CD.

We actually traveled to see Mom and Dad on Saturday. We got together for a pizza buffet Saturday evening, with many family members. We stayed with my younger sister and her family (as we almost always do on holidays and for family events). Gabriel gets such a kick out of Deb’s kids, Matthew and Emily. We stayed at their home through Monday, and then I worked at the local casino before heading back home. I always look forward to the family gatherings, and this was no exception. My sisters, Sharon and Kathy, made it home from the Saint Louis metro for the reception. We don't get to see them often, so that was nice.

This week was busy. I started back in school again after taking two months off, for the birth of Jericho, and also because of traveling and training for work in Las Vegas and elsewhere. The class deals with critical thinking, and personally, I think it is a euphorian topic. Look up ‘Garage Logic’ on KSTP radio or http://www.am1500.com/gl/index.shtml , if you don't know what that means. After all, there are really no wrong answers in a class such as this one. I prefer a class that has absolute answers that can be measured, as opposed to the ‘feel good’ atmosphere of a class where the correct answers are based on your personal perspectives. When you think about a topic, whatever you do to consider all the pros and cons constitutes critical thinking. I still have about a year and a half of classes before I finish the bachelor’s program in Business. I am looking forward to that time, but I don't want to wish my life away. I will just take it one day at a time and we will see what comes next, very likely the master’s program. I figure that I will continue with my studies until I am satisfied. That may mean that I never quit school again… wait and see, I guess.

If a Man Voices His Opinion in the Woods and Nobody Listens, Does It Make A Sound?

The school district superintendent said that the budget would be cut dramatically if there is not a referendum to the tune of $5.5 million for the year, followed by annual increases indexed to inflation. The increases would automatically take effect every year for ten years, unless the school district chooses NOT to increase the levy for that year. I wrote a letter to the paper, stating that while the referendum proponents had good arguments in favor of increasing taxes for the school, it was not equitable to require tax increases across the board to pay for 29 extra-curricular athletics and music programs, when the school was having difficulty funding basic educational programs. The participants and their parents should pay for the costs, such as busing, equipment, and fees. The participants should hold fundraisers and promote their events, and interested patrons pay the gate fees that should fund extracurricular events. These are nice little frivolities that may or may not accentuate the educational experience, and the taxpayers should not be required to fund every extracurricular activity under the sun, when the benefits are dubious and immeasurable. The participants choose to take part, and they should pay for their participation.

I did not state a position on the referendum, only that equity should be considered. What can the taxpayers bear? When is the taxation excessive? Who truly controls the process? Is there democratic order and reasonable representation in spending the taxpayers money in this way? I find it interesting that the referendums never appear in the year of a regular election. Why is that? In the regular election years, the levy referendums would never pass. Who votes to increase their taxes? Very few and very far between do people choose to increase their taxation, especially when there are demands for increased funding, while utility bills, mortgage, and general expenses climb at a rate well above the rate of inflation. When will the taxation ever be enough? In one of my more cynical moments, I would say that since the interests of the taxpayer body are minimally represented, doesn’t that constitute a de facto taxation without representation? Think.

I got a call from one of the local radio stations, asking if I would mind doing a radio interview to explain my position. I said I would be happy to elucidate. I did not realize that the interview would take place at that very moment. Still, I went ahead and talked to the guy. I was somewhat surprised that I got the call in the first place. The letter was published just one day before. Oddly enough, the guy said that I was the first person he called, and he was amazed I agreed to the interview. Why wouldn’t I agree, when I wrote the letter? If I did not want my voice to be heard, I would have kept my thoughts to myself instead of submitting them for publication. The radio interviewer said it usually takes 15 or 20 calls before he can find someone agreeing to voice their opinion on the radio. I guess that was my 1.5 seconds of local attention for the decade.

Jericho is home again

Jericho was in the hospital last night, but he was released this morning and got home a bit ago with Heather. His bilirubin level was high (not breaking down old red blood cells very efficiently) and that caused a bit of jaundice, but today it is much better. Basically, Jericho spent 24 hours under a special light and it helped his body to convert and eliminate the bilirubin, so he feels better today. Sometimes it takes a few days for a baby's biological systems to get going (obviously). Not sure that the hospitalization was necessary, but as a precaution and the fact that he is feeling better makes it worthwhile. Better to err on the side of caution when babies are this young, I guess.

Mom and Dad are coming up to visit today and staying until tomorrow. They will get a chance to meet Jericho. I do plan to fire up the camera and take some pictures of them with the boys. I think that Mom is stopping in Hutch on the way up here to pick up Josh. He will visit with us for an indeterminate period of time. Josh might go home this weekend, as his dad said he might stop in to visit this Friday or Saturday. Then again, Josh might stay another week. Gabriel loves having Josh around. Those two together are a riot.

Jericho Tonight

Jericho was admitted to the hospital today. It does not appear to be anything serious, though the name of the problem sounds dramatic. He has hyperbilirubinemia, with some jaundice. Basically, that means that his body has too much bilirubin, which is a normally-occurring substance that the body creates in the process of getting rid of old red blood cells. Apparently, this isn’t serious and is a common occurrence. The resolution isn’t too dramatic, other than the actual admittance to the hospital in the first place. Basically, Jericho has to spend most of a 24-hour period under a bluish light, which helps his body to break down the red blood cells and reduces the bilirubin to a normal level. Heather and Gabriel are in the hospital with Jericho, Heather so that she can nurse and attend to Jericho and Gabriel because he loves his mom’s company.

I went to visit the three of them at the hospital tonight. I brought Heather and Gabriel our favorite Papa John's pizza (pineapple and ham with extra black olives). Gabriel loves that pizza! He usually eats more pizza than Heather, but he is so active, he burns it off in a hurry. We were watching Curious George and Aladdin, while Gabriel was busy writing on the dry erase board. He drew a picture of the waves in the ocean with a blue dry erase marker and then made sure that we all not only saw but also heard the sound of the waves that he created. His imagination is definitely active, and that is a good thing!

Jericho has been nursing frequently, almost hourly tonight. His feedings will be reduced to every two hours now, so that he is not trained to see it as a method to be pacified. You know, we want him to come looking for mom when he is hungry! Everything is showing improvement for Jericho tonight. Along with being more active and awake longer, his increased appetite is a good sign. So far, it looks like Jericho will be home sometime tomorrow. The house is too quiet without my family, and I am looking forward to everyone coming home.

Proud Father Shows Off His Sons. Film at 11.

This picture was taken this weekend. Aren't my boys about the most beautiful thing you have ever seen? Let me tell you: They have changed my life in countless ways, and so much for the better. I am a lucky man!

Jericho, one day old

Jericho is already making faces and showing his sense of humor at one day old. I guess he is a chip off the old block then. I try, I really do. Thank goodness Jericho looks like Mom. Lucky kid.

Jericho George James

15 minutes old in this picture, Jericho George James: 7 pounds, 7 ounces, and 19 inches long.

A Star is Born

In brief, on Thursday, we added a new member to our family: Jericho George James. The name George is in honor of Heather’s uncle George, who was in large part responsible for finding the surgeon who saved her life when she was a child and had a rare brain tumor. The name James recognizes our close family friend, coincidentally also named James (but going by the name of Jim).

Jericho was born July 19, weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces. He is 19 inches long and has the thickest chocolate brown hair imaginable. The oddest thing about his birth might be that before the anesthesiologist could get to the room to administer an epidural, the nurse checked on Heather and found out that there was no time for pain relief. That is, after 14 minutes of hard labor, Jericho was born. That is not a typo… 14 MINUTES of labor. Heather and Jericho left the hospital on Friday, with the nurses in awe and calling her a superwoman. Apparently, babies are not typically born like that. Who knew? Jericho obviously did not read the manual of instructions for babies about to be born. Go figure.

Last Post of the Day

I really need to get some sleep, since my day starts at 4 a.m. tomorrow. First, I wanted to throw a few more things out there.

Heather’s mom planned on coming to Minnesota at the end of July, so that she would be here when our second baby is born. Unfortunately, she had an accident a few days back, and I am not sure if she can make it. I know that she reads this, so of course, I will say what I would have said even if she did NOT read this. Come on out anyway! Well, we hope that Laura can make it when the baby is born, but she has so much to deal with in getting better that if she cannot make it, we will understand and will visit her and the rest of the family in Indiana as soon as we can. Heather’s mom headed home from the hospital this weekend, but has a lot of healing to do on the road to complete recovery again. We are all just thrilled that she is okay. It goes without saying that accidents are scary, especially when family and parents are involved.

Gabriel does love his nana, so whenever we get together, he will get a big kick out of seeing the rest of Heather’s family. Oh, he also really enjoys the antics of his uncle Josh. Their immediate family is smaller and they are a close-knit bunch. Getting together with them is great fun, so I am looking forward to the next visit. I know I can safely say the same thing for Heather and Gabriel. We eagerly anticipate the family visits that will be coming this year and in the future.

Okay. I am off to bed. Rest well, good evening, and when you awake and find yourself immersed in a Monday, remember that Friday is just around the corner. Hang in there. Good night, folks.

Just Stuff

I see that I recently mentioned the names we have chosen for our baby. Oops. Thanks for overlooking my forgetfulness. =)

A couple of days ago, Heather, Gabriel, and I went to see 'Evan Almighty.’ I loved it. The movie is appropriate for all ages, which is a good start. The movie is funny, right from the beginning. I expected a cameo from Jim Carey, but I did not see him, unless he was in disguise or I missed it. Heather and I both agree that this movie will have a place in our movie library. Without being too preachy, Evan Baxter follows the commands of God, even though what the Lord is telling him to do does not make sense to him. At first, Evan worries that others will think he is nuts, especially since he was just elected a U.S. representative based on his slogan of “Change the world.” As time goes on, he becomes more comfortable with just doing what God wants, even though it makes him look a bit out of place in the world of politics. Ultimately, the movie reveals that it is a great tale, is funny, isn’t too preachy to give the positive message to the general public, without causing discomfort to those who see it as either just funny from a secular viewpoint, or a modern-day retelling of the story of faith of Noah, from an allegorical perspective. I could go on and on about why I really loved seeing this movie. Briefly, the movie is entertaining, funny, and I can take my kid to see the movie, without worrying about the content whatsoever. For a parent, that is a good start when it comes to movies.

We watched another movie today that fits the same description of superb and family-friendly fare, though with less of a modern-day retelling of a Biblical story. The second movie is ‘Bridge to Terabithia.’ My little sister said that she did not really like the movie, so I was not sure what to expect. I like this movie. It has its emotional moments that tug at your heartstrings, to throw out an overused cliché. The message was about friendship and the importance of family, among other things. It rather parallels some other stories from a decade or two ago, such as ‘The Neverending Story’ and tells you that by using your imagination, your life can really come alive. Of course, that is my interpretation. Anyway, ‘The Bridge to Terabithia’ is a good movie, and is ideal for families. Oh, by the way, this is another great movie from Walden Media. I do not own stock in the company. I just really am happy to see these family- and faith-oriented movies. Other movies in the same vein that Walden released lately include ‘Because of Winn-Dixie’ and ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’, both of which I really enjoyed and will watch with my children again and again. Along with Fox Faith and its wholesome movies, finally, someone is getting it right, for families.

Baby Talk

Last weekend, the brother also known as Dave, was here visiting. We installed the air conditioning in the bedroom, but have not had it running until this weekend. Rumor has it that being pregnant in the summer is not a pleasant thing, due to the heat of biological normality for pregnant women… or something of that nature. Heather has not really said much about the heat. She is now about five weeks from the due date of our second child. We both went to the ob-gyn appointment a week or so ago. Heather is a couple of weeks from the point that is considered ‘full term’ for the baby, in terms of gestational development. Gabriel was a large kid when he was born, so Heather is lobbying her MD for a delivery a week early. Stay tuned on that front, but if the pregnancy goes full-term, before August 1, our second child will be out in the world.

We have names chosen already. Whether this is a boy or a girl, we have it covered. Heather and I just did not want to know the gender of our baby until he or she is born. What can I say? We like surprises. I would have to read in earlier blog postings myself to be sure if I already mentioned the names that we have chosen. If not, well, here goes. If our baby is a girl, her name will be Avigayil, which means ‘My Father’s joy.’ On the other hand, for a boy, the name will be Jericho, with a middle name honoring our close friend, and Heather’s uncle, who helped her find outstanding medical care when she was a kid with health problems. As crazy as it sounds, I am hesitant to put the full name of our baby here, first and middle names, because with identity theft being what it is, why give some creep out there any ideas?

Manic Monday

While I have not written any updates lately, I am going to try to make up for lost time tonight. My apologies go out to those who read the blog and look for updates. My schedule is full lately, but I am sure that is a familiar statement for many people, or more accurately, I would guess, life is just hectic for most people, myself included.

I have a class in the morning in the Twin Cities. I need to be out of bed by 4 a.m. so I can hit the road, but that is fine. I usually do not get that much sleep, so it is cool. One of my techs is heading down here and riding with me to the office for the training session. Then, we get to clarify and audit his service vehicle inventory. It is as much fun as it sounds. I figure that the class will be under four hours. I do not go to the office that frequently, so when I do stop in, I try to get a lot of work done. No doubt tomorrow will be a long day, five hours of driving and about six to eight hours of shuffling papers, filing and expense report justification, and administrative work. Such is life...

I do not hate Mondays. Hate is such a strong word... I just really dislike Mondays. Alot.

Traveling man

I am going on the road for a couple of days, starting tomorrow. Honestly, I should probably be trying to wind down to get to sleep early, so that I can get out of bed by 3:30 a.m. for the drive. I am removing four systems tomorrow, and installing four new systems. This is partly a training exercise for Raul. I am sure that he will do well and we will get a lot done. We work together very well, having known each other and worked together for about five years already. I figure that I will have to stay in a hotel for one night, but it could turn into two nights and three days.

Tonight, I feel like the guy who is having his last meal before he walks the green mile. I know, it is an obvious embellishment, but I just hate not seeing Heather and Gabriel every day. The night before I hit the road to do some traveling, I always feel an odd sense of loss or anxiety, and I know that I will be missing something special when I am away from home. Heather and Gabriel are the two people who light up my life. Of course, the little person kicking Heather more and more frequently also is blessedly important. The formal introductions are scheduled for late July. Until then, I can listen to Heather’s comments, especially when she gets a good kick from our unborn child, who we assume is saying, “There is barely any womb to move in here!” and invariably, Heather responds with, “Hi, Baby!”

In July, Heather’s greetings will address our second child as “Jericho” or “Avigayil,” though I think that if we have a daughter, I can live with calling her “Abby.” I am not too big on abbreviating some names. For example, I cringe when family members refer to our son as “Gabe.” Yuck. If I figured that his name was going to be “Gabe,” I would not have even considered that name. Besides, his given name is Gabriel, and that is what we always call him. I always will, too. Some names just abbreviate well. For example, maybe Jericho could be shortened to Jerry. I can handle that. Jerry suggests the nice neighbor who will do anything for you. Abby sounds like a precocious, petite cherubic girl with pigtails and smiling eyes. Nevertheless, Gabriel will always be Gabriel, and never Gabe. No thank you!

I predict that our second baby is a boy. If that turns out to be the case, we will save Avigayil for our third child's name, assuming a girl, of course. Heather tells me that when I am on the road and sending her text messages, the baby gets more active, as if in response to some biological change in Heather when we get a chance to connect, even if it happens to be via text. With that thought, I was beginning to wonder if we are actually expecting a baby girl. Lately though, I feel that it is likely to be another boy, which thrills me to no end. By the way, Avigayil is Hebrew, and it means “My father’s joy.” Whether this is a boy or a girl, being a dad brings me joy. Gabriel brings me delight, Heather fills my life with bliss, and our new baby will do the very same thing.

Good night, world. I am out of here.

Somewhat Pregnant

Heather is in the 27th week of the pregnancy. Oh… so is the baby. The young ‘un is moving quite a bit. When she gets kicked, Heather just says, "Hi, Baby!" and puts her hands on her stomach to get the full experience, and to really appreciate the movements of our second child. Heather has an appointment next week. My scheduler adjusted my calendar so that I can be there, too. Unbeknownst to you, but knownst to me, I am the guy who sets my schedule, so I was kind enough to coordinate my schedule with myself. I try to be accommodating, especially with Team Me, Myself, and I.

I don’t want to miss a thing whenever I can be at the appointments. Besides, Gabriel is a handful and I can occupy his time and distract him so that the Doc can check out the momma-to-be. I admit, Heather is looking "mostly pregnant" now (in the words of her doctor, as she has progressed from somewhat pregnant to the current state of progress). Soon, she will be very pregnant, but that is more than a month away yet. Heather has her misgivings about the way she looks and feels. Mostly pregnant or not, Heather always looks good to me!

There is No "I" in Team? Riiiight!

I received the spiffy copy of my AABA diploma yesterday. It isn’t an advanced degree, but I feel pretty good about sticking with the program, especially when the demands of work are stressful. It is worth it, and I feel that I am accomplishing something worthwhile. One step at a time, I will reach the masters degree that I set as the minimum academic finish line (for now). I want to earn a doctoral degree, but whether I complete that without a break after the master program or not is something on which I haven’t decided. I have abundant time to decide.

I finished my portion of a learning team PowerPoint dealing with organizational structures. The assignment is due tomorrow, but nobody posted a thing all day. I have been working a lot of hours, so I didn’t lead the group. Besides, I was the group leader for the last assignment, so I figured it was someone else’s turn to lead. I wasn’t sure what everyone else was contributing to the assignment. I got tired of waiting for the group tonight, so I sat down and did five slides for the assignment and posted it. Hopefully, I didn’t upstage anyone else who was doing the same content. But nobody told me squat about their plans, so that is just tough tiddly winks if my work conflicts with other team members. So much for communications among the team members. Tonight, everyone apologized for not being online all day to get their work done. If I have to, I will post the assignment myself and leave off the names of anyone who has been slacking. Why should they get credit for not doing their fair share?

I posted about fifteen times throughout the day and into the evening, asking for input from the group. It wasn’t until after 8 tonight before the others actually started working on the project. I will probably edit the compiled work of the entire group and create transitions to put it all together logically. Oh well. I want it done right, and usually the only way to make that happen is to do it myself! I admit that I am particular about correctness of format to APA standards, and I expect the team members to contribute to the perfection of assignments. This is college-level writing, after all. I have another paper to write tomorrow, but until then, I am not thinking about work or school anymore tonight!

Please hold on to the bar...

Gabriel is so funny. Heather said she was hungry and took out a luscious-looking Granny Smith apple. He took it away from her, and is currently eating like it was the best apple ever. It is kind of funny, in that he commandeered the apple after Heather managed one bite. The apple is huge, and Gabriel has to use both hands just to hang on to it. Thankfully, he is such a healthy eater. He turns down chocolate in favor of fruits and vegetables. I hope he always makes such smart food choices. Oh, by the way, Heather says this is the first apple he ever ate (in the non-apple mush format). That is one great thing about living with a toddler. There are so many “firsts” to enjoy. Being a father is great. Being a daddy is even better!

Today, I started working on a handrail for the stairs. Gabriel can navigate to the basement in record time, scooting on his behind and using his hands to control his course and speed down the stairs. One of these days, he will climb the stairs and want to use the hand rail. When we bought the house, the inspector noted that was one thing that should be added soon. Only four and a half years later, we are adding the rail. I stained the handrail today, and after I seal the wood tomorrow, I will hang it on the wall. It’s a cheap project, but it makes me feel like a productive DIYer.

Early mornings

I am getting ready to head out the door again. I am training Raul on the procedures for removing gaming systems today. It is pretty simple stuff, though there are lots of little steps. It will be easy, I think, as the casino is going to have a lot of work done by the time I get on-site. If not, I get paid by the hour, so I will deal with it.

I don't mind the variable hours. I just hate when a long day is followed by an early start. Honestly, today I could just go back to bed and fall asleep in a minute. It's okay, though... the weekend is coming soon, just not soon enough. I will take it day by day, enjoying life as it comes.

Catching up on the blog

I had oral surgery last week. I need to have the sutures removed this Friday, and will stop at the office at that time. I need to stop in Hutch to drop off some chairs at Dave’s apartment. Mom has been oddly silent lately. I do not think that I have received an email from her all week. Weird. I hope that everything is okay there. I will check how Dad is doing after his knee replacement. The last I heard, he was in some pain, but it was getting better. That is a major procedure, so it will take time. I am glad that Dad went through with the procedure, though I think it was tough on him at his young age.

This year, Mom and Dad are celebrating their 50th anniversary, so I am working on a little thing for them. It is not extravagant, but even if it was, Mom and Dad are worth every penny!

Maybe we can go on a family trip to the zoo this weekend. We might as well take advantage of our family membership. We want to stop in at the Rainforest Café, too. I mentioned to my nephew about going to a Twins game sometime. I am not the huge sports fan that he is, but I think that Gabriel would get a kick out of visiting the Dome while it still is in use. I do know that Heather loves baseball. Maybe we can all go to a game when the Twins play the White Sox this year.

I need to go to bed. I have to remove a couple of gaming systems tomorrow morning. I need to be on the road by 5 a.m. so I am going to call it a night. I love being this busy… the days fly by and the weekends come sooner. The only problem with this hectic schedule is that I want to spend more time with Gabriel and Heather.

Anyway, it is bedtime! Later days!

More comments

Gabriel is growing fast and still as energetic as ever. He is a great kid and so energetic. He really keeps Heather busy, and he entertains everyone he meets. He is a nut, but I do mean that in a good way! Being a dad is a lot of fun, and I love my life. Having another baby due in July will be interesting. I cannot image how that will change things, but we will find out soon. I think that Heather is really looking forward to the baby being born, as her body is too easily remembering the first pregnancy, and she is feeling about 15 months pregnant, though she looks ravishing to me now. She eats so healthy that she is not gaining weight beyond what she should be, not at all!


I am itching to start gardening soon, but the weather has to stay warm a bit longer. Heather started many plants in pots, so we can get a head start on long-season plants in our short-season climate. She planted morning glories, moonflowers, tomatoes, watermelons, and gourds, among others. Many will go on lattices, for decorative and whimsical purposes. The best part is that we grow many of our vegetables in summer. Every bit helps, and the homegrown vegetables are generally so much tastier than the food shipped to the grocery store from parts unknown.

School daze

I talked to the financial office for the college yesterday. I found out that I was awarded a scholarship for college, which will cover $2 Gs for this year. I will try to get the same scholarship for next year as well. I wish it was more money, but I will take whatever assistance I can get, especially the aid that I do not have to repay later!

It is hard to believe that I am a junior in college already. It is amazing how fast this has gone so far. I do intend to continue at least through a master in business administration degree. I have been considering pursuing a juris doctorate, and maybe other degree programs later, but it depends what happens with my career and with our family needs. I am not sure where my future will lead, but time will tell. Only God knows about our future events. I am entrusting my future to Him, and leaving it in His hands to show me the next move.

I have to write a paper on the ethics of Halliburton’s business practices. The goofballs who believe everything they read in the newspaper will think that Halliburton has zero ethics, but the fact is that Halliburton is the only corporation that does much of what they do. When they got no-bid contracts, it was because this is the only company that CAN do what they do. Anyway, no business is perfect, does everything for completely altruistic reasons, or is entirely malevolent, no matter what the papers might suggest. Halliburton is no exception to that rule. I get tired of the folks who act like mind-numbed drones who believe everything they read. If you are one of these people to whom I refer, you know who you are. So there! That doesn't actually refer to any specific person. I just like to tweak the gullible kool-aid drinkers out there!

This week, work, training and installs

I have a frenetic calendar this week. I am still training the new tech, Raul. He is not only a fast learner, but I admit with a bit of bias, that he is a great tech. The full disclosure here is that Raul is a close family friend, and his wife and kids are, too. I am glad that he got a job with the company. I think that he is going to do very well, and the first two weeks since he started training are a positive hint that he is going to be a great asset to the company. In my infinite wisdom, I recommended Raul for the job. So far, things are very, very good!

Today we started the SuperSpin installation at Mille Lacs. It went fantastic, and I expect the games will go in service on schedule, barring some unexpected setback. Speaking of the install, Heather made some big brownie points with the techs, because she brought over four pizzas for the casino techs and for the company techs. It was a nice break from the work. We all returned to the installation refreshed, and our progress went even faster after the ravenous interlude at the trough. =) That was really thoughtful. Heather saved the day. What can I say? My wife rocks!

Are you having a boy or a girl? Yes!

After the level-2 ultrasound in March, I became convinced that Heather is carrying a baby boy. However, in light of the experiences that Heather has been having with the baby stirring when she is messaging me, I have to wonder if the little human incessantly kicking my wife in the bladder is, in fact, a girl. Of course, this is very unscientific and simply speculation on my part.

Heather and I have theorized that when she starts text messaging me while I am traveling, it causes some hormonal fluctuation that is imperceptible to her, but energizes the baby. Alternatively, maybe the baby is just in tune with his or her little world and is excited when mom and dad put their thoughts together. Maybe the guardian angel who watches over our child informs the baby that mom and dad are fondly carrying on a conversation, despite the many miles between them. Keeping in synchronicity with Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, I guess there is a time to use a cell phone. Likely anyone reading this who knows me will find this to be old news, but, as odd as it sounds, I absolutely loathe cell phones (almost as much as I hate the dangerously inattentive people who drive while talking on a cell phone. Even worse are the wannabe Italians who 'talk' with their hands, or more precisely, talk with both hands while they are on a cell phone wedged against their ear, between their melon and shoulder, begging the question, "Which hand is on the wheel?") Heather will definitely attest to my fondness for cell phones (haha, fondness, yeah right!) Despite my lack of affection for telephones, technology has good points, too, when high-tech connections allow us to stay in touch across the miles. To talk with my wife, even when we are not together, using the telephone is a worthwhile sacrifice even for a guy who absolutely despises telephones. I like my wife. What can I say? But I digress...

Many people ask me if we are having a boy or a girl. My answer is always a resounding “YES!” I am convinced that we are, indeed, expecting a boy or a girl. To answer the inevitable and recurring question about my preference, my answer is the same as that of every parent in the history of the world. Heather and I want a healthy baby. If this child is a boy, we will be thrilled. Gabriel will love it. If this is a girl, then Gabriel will love that, too. In my mind’s eye, he will be the big brother who picks on his baby sister for fun in the coming years, and then plays the role of the protective older brother in high school and beyond. That is, if this baby is a girl…

I do not want to get ahead of myself here. Life goes fast enough, and I want to enjoy the time with Gabriel now. In fact, that is what I am going to do now. Later!

Daddy's little girl????

I don't know whether this will be a girl or a boy, but, whatever the gender, the baby certainly reacts to Doug, or maybe my feelings for him. The past couple days I have noticed that the baby stirs a lot when I am text messaging back and forth with Doug. Last night, I decided to experiment with the kid. I leaned against Doug while he was shaving and brushing his teeth. When my huge gut was touching Doug was when I felt the baby moving around. I find it very interesting. Doug was thinking it was a boy after the ultrasound. Now I'm wondering if it might be a girl. You know how little girls are with their daddies.

Annual review

I had my annual review at work. I actually had very good marks on everything, so that is nice. Apparently, my boss felt that I was doing something right, as he added that he had a proposition for me. It turns out that the plan is to add another technician in Minnesota, to share my territory. After that, the proposition comes into play.

You know, I really loathe those Christmas newsletters that brag about how Dad was promoted to CEO, Mom is head of every militant soccer mom’s group, Johnny was MVP of all the teams, and little Bertha was the prom queen and smartest in the class to boot. We write a newsletter ourselves, I admit. But mostly, it gives me a chance to show off how much our son has grown, how he is such a little character, that sort of thing. I don’t spend much time talking about my working and financial life. I figure that is private enough that anyone who needs to know about it will hear about it in our day to day communications. But I digress…

Not wanting to sound like a brag letter, let me just put this out there and let the words go where they will. I was promoted to the Minnesota customer service lead. It isn’t a chief executive position, but I wasn’t aspiring to that. I assume that earning an AABA helps make me the most viable candidate for the promotion, but more important, I think, is that I am working on a BSBA degree. Still more important, I hope, and most significant is my personal feeling that I need to give enough to my job that the management feels that an investment in me is resulting in winning the golden ticket. Okay, I expect a lot of myself. I love what I do, and the working week rarely seems to be long. I love the weekends, but I don’t feel that I am living to work, but instead am working to live. That is an important distinction, isn’t it? When it comes to my working life, I love what I do for a living.

My review was very, very positive, and this is exciting for me. It gives me the opportunity to get my feet wet in a management role, albeit only covering the Minnesota service area. Eventually, I will complete my masters program, and then, well, we will see where it leads, one step at a time.

Gabriel loves his bed

Gabriel loves his new bed. He always runs into his room and bounces on his bed. I was actually surprised that it took no effort at all to transition him from the crib to the bed. I probably shouldn't be, but I thought it would take a little bit of coaxing to get him to sleep in it, instead of just playing in the bed. Today, he surprised me by telling me that he was ready for a nap. That was the first time he has ever done that. I wish I could have grabbed a camera quickly enough for his comedy routine this afternoon, but it didn't last long. He crawled into his bed with his sippy cup, drank a few sips, shut his eyes tight, and feigned sleep. I just about cracked up. I found myself wondering if he would start snoring for good measure. What a clown! I actually did put him to sleep then, but only after telling him that he was a nut.

Today I remembered....

Today I remembered why I don't clean fish tanks while Gabriel is awake. When he was younger, he would play in the dirty water and tip over the buckets, if I didn't catch them in time. Now he takes drinks out of the buckets of dirty water. I guess this is typical 2-year-old antics, but it is still frustrating. He always has a sippy cup sitting near him. Maybe he is mimicking the cats, who drink out of any open container of water they see. I am just not happy with the diarrhea he got from it. At least he drank out of the water from the tank with no fish. It was just algae and dirt...and snail poop? There are still freshwater snails from the water plants living in that tank. I guess I'll go back to cleaning tanks at nap time.

Ultrasound Update

Heather had the first ultrasound yesterday. Of course, I went along to tend to Gabriel and to keep him entertained. Even if this was our first baby, though, I wouldn't have missed this. When Heather was pregnant with Gabriel, I went to every appointment until the last month, when the appointments were scheduled weekly. I hope to do the same thing this time around. There will be a level-2 ultrasound coming up in about a month. The last time, I didn't realize it was the last ultrasound of the pregnancy. Otherwise, I would have been one of those guys who brings the camera along. I do plan to bring the movie camera for the detailed ultrasound. It is amazing what you can see, especially with the baby moving. I figure I will add that to a movie that I can show our kids when they are a bit older and can appreciate it. That is, I will make a movie that shows all this stuff, sort of a history of the life of our second child, the same reason I have been saving video for Gabriel. Another reason? The grandparental units are far from here, and this way, they can share in the experience. I have gotta tell you, seeing your baby moving is cool, even if it is an electronic image that requires some interpretation. Being a parent is just really cool.

This is the first ultrasound picture of our baby. The dashed line across the picture is being used to measure the baby from head to hip. The measurement is used to accurately estimate a developmental frame of reference. Based on this picture, Heather is 16 weeks into the pregnancy. That is very accurate, based on our estimates, too. Four months already. Wow! Another reason to digitally record the little things: the time just sails by so fast, and I don't want to miss the details.

What Doug doesn't know

No, I don't specifically read to this baby, but anyone in the room when I read to Gabriel gets to hear the story. For all I know, he or she is learning new words along with Gabriel. I don't do anything specifically for this pregnancy yet, though, because I don't feel pregnant. I just feel fat. If I ever get a craving or feel a movement, then I'll feel pregnant.

In the later stages of my pregnancy with Gabriel, I was working at a Northern Tool call center. During my lunch, before it got too cold, I would sit in my car, eat my lunch, and read to the baby I hadn't yet met. Someone gave me a book called "Oh, Baby, the Places You'll Go". It is, as it says on the cover, "a book to be read in utero", adapted by Tish Rabe from the works of Dr. Seuss. It introduces the child to all of the characters in Dr. Seuss' books that he or she will meet when they get out and can see the world. It starts out pretty quick talking about Horton Hears a Who, saying, "He saved their whole town, for he knows, after all, a person's a person, no matter how small." Being a prolife person, that makes me emotional at any time in my life. Under the influence of pregnancy hormones, I start crying and have trouble reading this book aloud so my baby can hear it. I have to take a few deep breaths, then I go on to the next parts that describe other Dr. Seuss books that I love. I can read this part with excitement, thinking about my child loving the rhymes and crazy plots like I do. Then I get to the last page and the first line is enough to make me cry:

So now, as my voice
burble-urps in your ear --
with a bump-thumpy sound
that is not very clear --
the words that I am saying
you hear in my heart,
and
know that I wish you
the very best
start.

It's a scrumptulous world
and it's ready to greet you.
And as for myself...

well...
I can't wait to meet you!

That page sends me into uncontrollable sobs. Then I dial up my mother's cell phone. Sometimes I get her, and sometimes I get her voicemail. Either way I tell her what I am doing and that I feel like an idiot for crying. No matter how many times it happens, I continue to read the book and call my mother.

Now, given my reaction to that, do you think I could get through the first line of Psalm 139 without a tear? I would have trouble reading it outloud. That doesn't mean I won't. It just means that the poor child might not understand what I am saying. That's ok. Maybe God will translate.

Psalm 139

Heather started playing music for, and reading to Gabriel before he was born. Apparently, it was a useful endeavor. He first counted to nine a couple of weeks ago. He is working on his ABCs, but isn't consistent with that yet. We aren't going to rush him, but are going to let him be a kid while he can. Heather reads to him before bed every night, and he chooses his favorite books regularly. A couple of weeks ago, Gabriel impressed me. I pointed out every member in the Scooby Doo cast of characters, and he responded by naming them off correctly, not bad for being less than two years old at the time. He turned two years old this week. When people ask his age, I guess we can use years now, huh? No more of the “He’s 17 months old” chronological descriptions. I think that is so silly, when parents tell you that their kid is 29 months old. Gee, can you also tell me how old your child is, in weeks, days, and hours? Thanks.

I don’t think that Heather has started reading to our second child. It is a bit early yet, as we are guessing that Heather is nearing the end of the first trimester. In about two weeks, there will be an appointment with the ob-gyn, and then we will get a prediction based on the obvious evidence of the baby's development. This will be the first ultrasound. I have plenty of faith in Heather's doctor, as his assessment was accurate to the exact day with Gabriel’s birth. Still, I have heard that assessing the day precisely is an art as well as a science. I imagine that he will tell her that she is "somewhat pregnant" or "slightly pregnant" in his usual bedside manner.

But I digress from the topic at hand, the tradition of reading to our children, born and as yet unborn. I do believe that I am going to encourage Heather to read Psalm 139 to our unborn baby. It is fantastic and so hopeful. Check it out:

You formed my inmost being;

You knit me in my mother's womb.

Wonderfully You made me;

wonderful are Your works!
When I was being made in secret,

fashioned as in the depths of the earth,

Your eyes foresaw my actions;

my days were shaped

before even one of them came to be.

I wonder if Gabriel ever waved to God before he was born, or if our second child, as yet unborn, can feel God's loving embrace. Somehow, I have little doubt that that is true. One thing I do know is this: God smiled on us and blessed us, and later this year, we will be a family of four. More accurately, in some ways, we already are that blessed family of four, thanks to Him. As the song says, my God is an awesome God!

Two years old

Our son is two years old today. Holy cow, where does the time go? I have been sitting here doing my paperwork and trying to get some homework done, with great success with the former, and little progress with the latter. I am on DTO Friday, and I expect to spend the morning working diligently on the final assignment for my class dealing with ethics and legal briefs. It is kind of bogus material, especially the depth of the content. This isn't law school, after all. Still, the class is almost done, so it is tolerable irritation.

I just finished my paperwork. I am going to go enjoy being a Daddy with my two-year old son, before he has to go to bed. It's his birthday. I don't want to miss any more of this day with my family.

January 21-28, 2007, is Sanctity of Human Life Week.

January 21-28, 2007, is Sanctity of Human Life Week. Deal with it, you pro-abortion death-mongers!

Unless you are the unborn baby of a liberal, relax and enjoy while you continue to RESPECT LIFE!

Let's Talk About a REAL Inconvenient Truth

Yesterday was the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Heather didn't make it to D.C., and we say that is because she was volunteering for the crisis line. Maybe next year, we will all be part of the March for Life, but since money doesn't grow on trees, we will likely march locally, instead. Heather, along with Gabriel, was part of the local March for Life. The point was simple: Respect life.

The declaration by pro-abortionists that a life is subject to the whims of an irresponsible adult makes humanity, collectively, look like a bunch of egocentric, irresponsible brats and barbarians. The fact that there is a huge market for what some coldly consider the salvageable body parts of aborted babies destined to be sold for medical experiments and for transplantable tissue, this fact denigrates humanity. As the Josef Mengele-like 'Angels of Death' continue the fetus-harvest, these same people defend socialism and nanny-state governmental tyranny, while insisting that government should say nothing about abortion to end an inconvenient pregnancy. Well, which is it, extreme liberalism or extreme libertarianism? It can't be both!

Before the March for Life began, the president of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) made a speech that echoes those who feel that children, born and unborn, have an inalienable right to life. In the words of Dr. Wanda Franz, president of NRLC:

Since 1973, more than 48 million living unborn Americans have died from abortion. This is many times more than the number of lives lost in all of the wars we have ever fought since our founding. About 95% of these deaths occurred because the babies were inconvenient to someone. Human life has become cheap. Indeed, in accepting abortion we not only declare the unborn child to be worthless, we render the same judgment about ourselves (2007).

Wow. Very well said.

This family is pro-life, anti-abortion, and extremely proud of it. We are the face of the real pro-choice America. Clearly stated with no rhetoric, no ambiguity, and no liberal distortion, here is that choice: In nearly every case, abortion is the result of consensual carelessness. Stop having sex if you can't handle the inconvenience of an unplanned pregnancy.

Americans need to own their actions, and to accept personal responsibility now!

Franz, W. Dr. (2007, January). Understanding what motivates pro-lifers. National Right to Life Committee. Washington, D.C.

Border Patrol

By now, you have certainly probably heard about the two Border Patrol agents who are spending the first week of 11-12 year terms in prison. Why? Well, for actually showing some backbone and defending our borders. Now, if you listen to the news, you may hear all this rhetoric about how these Border Patrol officers didn’t follow the protocol as required. At this point in time, I think that is somewhat irrelevant. The United States is plainly in the midst of an invasion that is designed to take over the Southwest and reclaim a number of states, including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. While Mexico is never going to reclaim the Southwestern United States, in a legal sense, what Mexico is working diligently to do is the de facto theft of American wealth, security, and prosperity for Mexico. Don’t get me wrong. It isn’t the fault of the work-a-day Mexican citizen that their government is corrupt, incompetent, and controlled by criminals and drug cartels.

It makes me sick to see that our much-maligned president doesn’t appear to care about securing the borders. The border fence bill that became law is a joke, and was paying lip service to the more than 70 percent of Americans who call themselves moderates or conservatives. Most Americans are demanding that we secure the borders. One would think that, being a Texan, G.W.B. would actually care about what happens to Texas. It appears otherwise. One has to wonder if the man has sold his soul and sold out this nation to the misguided socialists living south of our borders, all for a legacy. I have supported G.W. in many of his actions, but in recent actions, I believe that he is adrift and the leadership rudder of the current administration is irreparably broken.

I have great admiration and respect for the Border Patrol agents who put their necks on the line to defend our southern border. The illegal alien creep trying to cross the border wasn’t an angel or a boy scout. The guy is a drug pusher who was transporting more than 800 pounds of marijuana across the border INTO America, obviously not for his personal consumption!! Sometimes I wonder when defending America will become a case of doing what is best for the United States first, and taking care of the rest of the world second. If that offends some people, so be it.

Regarding the border agents who are in prison, they didn’t act completely appropriately. I acknowledge that. However, in a thankless job, they should be used as an example of the support we should and must give our border patrol agents. These guys are Hispanic, but so what? They were looking out for America. God bless them. George Bush, please, for once, reclaim your cowboy swagger and pardon these upstanding American citizens. If not, what message does that send to the thousands of agents who are trying to defend our borders against these criminal invaders? Enough is enough! I signed a petition calling for President Bush to pardon our Border Patrol agents who put their lives on the line in defense of America. Consider signing the petition, too. Thanks.

Oh, and God bless you, too.

Christmas Eve Morning, Duty Calls

After finishing the work project late last night, creating a database of slot machine attributes (serial number, game theme, software information, that sort of thing, for every game in the state), Heather and I went to sleep around 3:00 a.m. We woke up at 7:00, so that Heather can start packing and other things (filling bird feeders, doing the last of the baking, wrapping a few more presents), and I need to get to work again. I still have two work projects that I MUST finish before I am allowed to take time off. I am hopeful that the work will be done by noon. I should be done today, thank goodness. These 5:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. work days are getting tiresome. It will be worth it to be able to relax with Heather and Gabriel for a couple of days this week, so if that is the price I pay, so be it. I am even turning off my cell phone! I have only turned off my cell once in the last seven years, when we were married and went to Jamaica, so this is an exciting and novel idea, no cell phone calls from work for two days. Cool!

I can hear Heather upstairs, already getting things together so that we can leave this afternoon. We have been compiling a list of things to bring with us for the Christmas celebration at Mom and Dad's tomorrow. The list is longer this year than usual, for reasons that will become obvious in the next few days of blogging.

We are spending Christmas Eve with my sister, Deb, and her husband, and their two children. The kids are still at the age where the night before Christmas and Christmas morning have that special magic. It is especially fun to spend this time with them, even more than at other times of year. I heard from my sister that the kids are excited to see Gabriel, and he loves being around other kids, too.

I need to start on my work, so that I can finish and start to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere that is filled with building anticipation, and waiting for me. I've got Sirius satellite radio to work by, and chocolate cake for breakfast (oh yeah!), and I am ready to work (Yuck!) But it's Christmas, so I will get through the work just fine. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and may God bless you!

A working vacation

Until I post again, here is a picture of Gabriel, clowning around with a drum. He looks like an astronaut... astronut, maybe.

I finished the big project that stands between myself and my vacation later this weekend. Of course, it is 1:42 a.m. and here I am, in the middle of the weekend and I am still working. I wonder if the other people in my office are sitting at their computers working right now.

I have two more projects that I have to finish before I will be allowed to take time off, but thankfully, I should be able to finish those projects in about three hours on Christmas Eve morning. I have to get some sleep first, but I think that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... or else I am just so tired that I am hallucinating. I'm going to bed. Later, dud.

Gabriel's Mr. Potato Head Impression

Gabriel's Nana and Papa gave him a bunch of Mr. Potato Head toys when we celebrated Christmas with them way back in the first week of November. He thinks it is pretty funny to run around the house wearing the glasses from Mr. Potato Head's noggin, er, his potato, (I guess?) The glasses are just a bit too small for Gabriel to wear, but he tries anyway. Gabriel is a nut. Ask his Mommy, if you don't believe me. By the way, Gabriel will be two years old soon. Wow! The time really flies!

Three Days Until Christmas

Wow! It is only three days until Christmas. I still have a few projects to finish before I can take vacation. The boss told me that I have to finish all of these jobs before I will be able to have time off. Sure, I am off work on Christmas, but I can't actually take any vacation until I finish all of this work. So, I have been working from 5:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. five days a week, sometimes more, for the last few weeks. I probably have another ten hours of work to do yet, and I hope to finish that by noon on Christmas Eve. I did get another project today, which stinks, but I think I can finish that in a couple of additional hours between tonight and throughout Christmas Eve day. I will have four days of approved vacation, and I can't wait. I will turn off my work cell for the first time in seven years. I figure I can keep my phone powered down for two days before the office will start calling me at home, so I think I will spend two days of my vacation with the cell turned off, and the other two with it powered up and taking calls again. I am willing to do that if it means I can just relax at home for a day or two. All I can say, once I am allowed to power off my cell phone, is "Thank God!" and "Merry Christmas!"

The rest of the week

I am scheduled to be off work for the rest of the week. This is because of having oral surgery in the morning. I could just say that I am going to a dental office to have a number of different procedures done, but being that the entire process is supposed to take 6 1/2 to 7 hours to complete, calling it surgery sounds accurate, since there will be an incision and bloodletting (so to speak), with a laser, a dentist, and an oral surgeon thrown in for good measure.

We have to leave at 4 a.m. to get to the appointment on time. I was approved for this time off, but today, I found out that there is a project that was given high priority. Now, I do get Wednesday and Thursday off, but this project has to be complete by Friday. Given that I will probably be asleep most of Wednesday and Thursday, I was given the privilege of having the weekend to complete this new, urgent project, which, for me only, must be completed by Monday morning. It does beg the question, what is approved time off good for, if my approved time off is always withdrawn a day before I actually take a discretionary day off?

On the bright side, at least I have job security.

Today is Friday for me

Today is my Friday. I know, it is also my Tuesday, according to the calendar. I will be off work for a few days, for oral surgery and recovery. Mostly, the recovery means I might actually get some of my projects done around home, but more likely, I will sleep a lot more than usual for a few days. I am looking forward to not taking painkillers anymore! I am a bit leery about not taking anything after 8 tonight, as it is tough to get through an 8-hour period without at least taking some sort of pain reliever. This is going to be a spendy little enterprise, but on the bright side, I will not be paying a lot of taxes this year. I know, you pay less taxes, but the same money goes to a dental surgeon instead. Out of one pocket or the other, the money just goes and goes...

Today, I am installing two progressive signs a few hours from home. Both will be Wheel of Fortune signs, but one will be for a quarter progressive, and the other for a dollar system. It should be a piece of cake. With luck, I will be home early, but that remains to be seen. You just never know what complications may arise, especially with issues of having adequate power circuits. The sign company has various qualities of technicians, just like any other company. If I get experienced techs today, it will be easy. If these are greenhorns, well, I will work a lot more. Either way is fine. I am used to it. I guess I will venture out into the cold now... yippee, joy, rapture, blah blah blah...

The Nativity Story

Friday afternoon, Gabriel, Heather, and I went to a matinee movie. I worked earlier than normal that day, so I was done working early, as well. As made clear by the title of this blog entry, the movie we went to see was The Nativity Story. The subject is plainly obvious, of course, by the title. It was a very good movie. I enjoyed it, as did Heather. This was, incidentally, Gabriel's third movie. He was well-behaved through most of the movie, largely due to the fact that he hasn't been feeling well for a few days. He sat on his Mom's lap most of the movie, as he tends to get snuggly (is that REALLY a word?) when he isn't feeling well. During the last fifteen minutes, Gabriel and I walked the periphery of the theater, and he checked out the theater lighting on the floor (the lights that mark the way, so you don't fall on your caboose when you are interrupting the movie to go buy popcorn and carbonated sugar water). We didn't interrupt the movie, either, incidentally, as we stayed at the back of the theater, and kept quiet. The one thing that Gabriel and I did discover while examining the theater floor lighting is that Gabriel finds it fascinating that the lights shine right through his little fingertips.

Anyway, regarding the movie... Nobody knows exactly how the Nativity Story really happened. Still, the movie is presented along the traditional lines of what took place, as written in the Bible (though the Gospels offer varying details while telling the story of Jesus' Earthly birth). It does explore the relationship between Mary and Joseph, and the idea that theirs was an arranged marriage, as was typical of the time. Everyone but the Roman soldiers were very "Jewish", and it is very likely that is accurate, too. I don't know if it is historically accurate in all the details, but it was really a well-made representation of the Biblical story of Jesus' birth. The actors did a fine job, and included several who have been nominated for Academy Awards in the past. The scenery in the story was breath-taking, and was filmed in Morocco, the same location where the Passion of the Christ was made. In any case, Heather and I both give the story an enthusiastic thumbs up. Any movie with a wholesome message that is suitable for families with small children is a good thing. Hopefully, if enough people check out the movie, more movie makers will be encouraged to create movies with a family-values oriented message and positive content. This movie will be completely, totally, and in all ways artistically ignored by the Academy, though it may be considered for the musical score or technical direction, but it hasn't got a chance in any other category. Why? It is about Jesus Christ. Let's be honest here about Jesus: In Hollywood, He hasn't got a prayer.

Oh, by the way, the soundtrack was as breath-taking as the scenery. Excellent movie, good for families, good for you.

Its a bird, it's a plane, its... no, it really is a bird.

This weekend, we worked outside in this crisp pre-autumn weather, cleaning up the yard and tending to the birdfeeders. There were a couple of feeders that haven't been getting used very well. We moved those around. Then, we hung a corn feeder for those goofy squirrels. We haven't seen any squirrels on that feeder, but almost immediately after we rearranged things, we started seeing birds that neither Heather nor I have ever seen before. I did some research on the Internet. The result is that the birds are listed on all the rare bird sighting lists in Minnesota, but are rarely seen here. The last sighting in Minnesota that was reported was in 2005. Apparently, the birds are not native to Minnesota, which makes it more interesting. Not that this is that exciting to the average person, I suppose, but also, not to built too much suspense here... We have three pairs of black-headed grosbeaks that have been at our feeders for three days, and still are feeding here today. I tried to take a few clear pictures of them so that I can forward the photos to the rare bird lists. Hey... our bird feeding efforts paid off in that way: we have birds here that do not live in Minnesota, and the birds have hung out with us for a few days. I see the grosbeaks are still on the feeders this morning. I hope that they stay awhile... at least until that four-letter word is reality: SNOW. But that isn't a profane word around here. We love winter and we love snow. Bring it on, but not until we are done gardening!


With the cool weather, our gardening will be done soon, but I hope that it lasts a few more weeks. We still have some sweet bell peppers that aren't quite ready, but one can't control the weather. Duty calls... gotta go to work. Phooey. But that's life.

Gimme a break, gimme a break...

After this coming Sunday, I will be on break from college. The break will be for one month, more or less (28 days). I am really in need of the pause in classes, to be honest. Lately, I just don't have the energy to commit to doing the very best work that I can do. I figure that if that isn't reason enough to take a little break, what is? College courses are not cheap, and I don't want to waste the tuition money doing this half-way. My GPA is very good, so that isn't the worry. I just need a little break. Besides, this time of year, there is so much else to do, with gardening and home improvements taking center stage. The roofing project is coming up, too. By the time that project actually, finally starts, it will almost be time for me to go back to school. I will have time to prepare during the break, though, and that is good enough for me.

Random Stuff

Things have been very busy lately, between work, school, gardening, parenthood, and generally maintaining this household that I haven't taken time to write an update lately. Since I have an early morning validator update scheduled for tomorrow, this will be brief (for me).

Heather and I spent Saturday night in the Twin Cities. We went to see the Gaithers' Homecoming with our former neighbors, Janet and Paul. It was a fantastic show, albeit a bit shorter than usual. It only ran about 4 1/2 hours (seriously, ONLY 4 1/2 hours... this show is that good). This was my fifth time seeing the show in ten years, and Heather's third. Mom couldn't make it, due to a baby shower for her first-born great-grandchild, Brady (more on that later).

This is supposed to be brief, so back to the concert: It was a first for Gabriel, along with other new experiences for him. Instead of driving downtown (blasted one-way streets!) we rode the Hiawatha light rail transport system from the Mall of America. It was not a bad way to travel, being so convenient, quiet, and speedy. The cost to park at ramps near the Target Center was 15 bucks, but the LRT ride was only a buck and a quarter, and saved gas money! After the show, Heather and I were tired, so we stayed at Janet and Paul's home and came home on Sunday morning. It was a nice break from the hectic life we normally lead (doesn't everyone, though?)

I will write more about the concert, but not tonight. I need to get to bed! I am up late doing end-of-month paperwork and I need some sleep. More later. Guten nacht... and stuff.

Delays

City bureaucrats suck donkey rear end. They clearly are forgetting whom they work for and who provides the dollars to pay their wages.

We got a call from the contractor this morning. Brad went to get a permit for the roof, but was told that we had not had our septic inspected in too long. Too long in this case means 3 years (it has been 3 ½ years since the last inspection). Consequently, before the city will allow a roofing permit, the septic must have a successful inspection. If the septic fails that scrutiny, we have to hook up to city water. Immediately. We are looking at a 350-foot connection between the water main and sanitary sewer, and the house, at an indefinite expense between 10 and 20 thousand dollars. We are waiting for a septic service company to become available to inspect the drain field and tank. The question is, just what in the @&%#@ does a roof replacement project have to do with a septic tank? Absolutely nothing.

What is happening is that the city is trying to force everyone onto city water immediately, due to the large number of city bonds outstanding. We already paid the $17,500 cost for the city assessment. Our portion of the bonds is already paid. In fact, we paid the assessment within five days of issuance of the bonds.

We are waiting to be scheduled for an inspection, which may take a week. Then, we will wait about a week for the inspector to give the results to the city. In the meantime, the contractor is near to finishing the last job before us on his schedule and the roofing was supposed to start on Monday of next week. We are being bumped back on the schedule at least a few weeks due to that delay, and the setback while we wait for the results of an inspection.

We are being held hostage by city bureaucrats. We have to have a new roof this year, before winter, due to the ice dams that build up to depths of a foot or more. (How much do you suppose a sheet of ice a foot thick on your roof weighs?) The roof replacement is not optional, nor is this a voluntary upgrade.

Before we bought the house, we hired a highly recommended home inspector, part of a franchise called Gold Key Home Inspections, to examine the house. Feel free to NOT hire them to check over your house. I can only assume that the “experienced professional” who inspected our house did not know what he was doing or what he was looking for. He never noticed that there are virtually no functionally effective soffit vents and too few roof vents. I didn’t know much about home ventilation three and a half years ago, but today, I am nearing expert status, due to the progressive decline in the condition of the roof and the kitchen-living room ceilings. This deterioration is due to poor and inadequate ventilation, the fault of mistakes or shortcuts by the homebuilder, whoever that might be.

Regarding Gold Key Inspections, they checked out the roof and told us that the roof was in good condition. The fact is that the guy was incompetent, inexperienced, or both. He missed the two most serious flaws in the home's construction, the lack of soffit vents and the inadequate roof vents. Today, we are looking at a roof replacement cost of about $11,500 and also may be forced to spend $10-20,000 to hook up to city water BEFORE we are allowed to repair the roof.

Essentially, what we are looking at is that we absolutely must fix the roof, may be forced to connect to city water, and then may not be able to afford to even stay in the house anyway, unless I work a second job. Big deal, right? People do it all the time.

My job precludes working a second job, simply because I am on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every week, including holidays. How can a second job be possible with that condition? I am also a full-time student and a parent. We have already cut expenses and discretionary spending severely. I am looking at working two jobs, while a full-time student, so that we can assuage the asinine capriciousness of free-spending city bureaucrats. I have heard from many people in the area who are being forced out of their homes due to rapidly rising costs, driven by citiots (idiots from the Twin Cities) who have second, or third homes in the lakes region. You know, these are the jackasses who drive like they do, in fact, own the road.

If we are ultimately forced out of our home, the dollar amount we can expect to get from its sale would not cover the cost of the repairs and city water connection, on top of the mortgage. We couldn't even consider selling the property without repairing the roof and connecting to city water immediately, while demolishing the septic system and backfilling the resulting hole next to the house. The appraised value of our home increased by $25,000 this year, despite the fact that we have not done a single, solitary thing to improve the property. In five years, this will work in our favor as our improvements are completed and then-current appraisals reflect the modifications. That is tomorrow. Today we are damned no matter what we do.

Roof, roof

No. That was not an impression of any of the people in our family (i.e., family members of the canine variety, obviously). It was a clever heading to a blog entry about the roof. Okay, so it was not that clever. It was probably even a little sophomoric, jejune, or annoying, but I like it anyway, so sue me.

Anyway... Brad, the contractor, stopped at the house tonight to discuss the roofing project. If the weather cooperates, the roofing project will be getting underway next Tuesday. We are adding a number of skylights and ridge vent, among other improvements. Some of the improvements are functionally very significant. It’s like this: Brad looked at the house and in a nutshell, said, “No wonder you have problems with the roof. The house can’t breath.” Seriously, how did the contractor get in a nutshell in the first place? Whatever moron built this house, they didn’t put any venting in the soffits, causing ice dams that accumulate up to a foot thick in the winter. The project is taking on a life of its own, and it is just in the planning stages, as we add in soffit vents, ridge vents, proper venting for the bathroom exhaust fan, and on and on. The plans changed a bit, because the skylights will not fit in the kitchen quite the way we envisioned. We will have six skylights spaced more or less equally in the kitchen and living room, instead of eight. In our bedroom, we will have two skylights instead of one. However, we have one more skylight that we thought we might put in Gabriel's room. Because of where the valley between the two roof peaks ends up, there is not going to be room for a skylight in Gabriel’s room. Bummer. We have until Tuesday to rethink our plans for the last skylight. Any suggestions?

Sticks and stones do not a racist make

Saying that there should be a limit to the number of immigrants who enter the United States does not make you a racist, just because most of the illegals invading America happen to be Mexicans and Latinos. Anyone who wants to enter legally can get in line, take part in the legal process of naturalization, and be welcomed to America as a land of opportunity. But these illegal aliens protesting suggestions that the laws be enforced, while demanding amnesty reveal their true agenda, to refuse to assimilate and to remake the US of A in the image of Old Mexico. When they stand together, demanding legal immigrant status, while holding Mexican flags, what does that say? Their actions speak louder than their words about what they really want. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, "What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself."

The arrogant calls for rights that illegals have no basis to demand will catch up with them when enough Americans get tired of getting kicked around by illegals. My simple advice? Leave the Mexican flags at the border, and at least act the part of eager American-in-waiting. Act as if you want to actually be Americans with a right to be here. Right now, you are neither Americans or justifiably present in the United States. Assimilation is not an option. English is spoken here. Period. If you disagree, congratulations. You have a right to dissent in America. If my statements offend you, boo hoo. This is America. There is no constitutional protection against being offended. Deal with it or go back where you belong.

Telegram for Screamin' Howard Dean

I know this is so unlike my usual posts, but I am going to make this one rather brief. Screamin' Howard Dean, embarrassment to the Democrats that you are, I got a kick out of another flamboyant show of ignorance on your part. Today, you said that amnesty for illegals was a civil rights issue. As a man with several advanced degrees and years as a politician, if you were not so focused on partisan political pandering to illegals, you would know that illegals have human rights, not American civil rights. By definition, civil rights are reserved for citizens and lawful residents. The unfortunate news is that the constitution calls for legal redress of persons, not citizens. You can count on wacko judges to decide, by that ambiguous definition, this means any person in the entire world... including apes and other primates. Seriously. For example, the Socialist government of Spain is pushing legislation giving Great Apes status with full human rights. Thank God that in Spain, abortion is not only legal but also encouraged. More room for the Apes, after all. Think I am making it up? Look for yourself:

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/apr/06042702.html or http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=spain+%2B+apes+%2B+rights&btnG=Google+Search

Stealing American civil rights

If you had your TV or radio on for more than a few minutes today, you had to hear that the illegal aliens are collectively demanding amnesty, stating emphatically that they have every bit as much right to be here as you or me. Riiiiiight. And, uh… further, these so-called undocumented workers are saying that they are angry because they are being called criminals. Oh, the horror of it all. How dare Americans slander these honorable people? After all, in this politically correct world, they steadfastly maintain that they are not breaking any laws, and that Americans are hurting them by insulting their [cough, cough] honor. In their words, these people are not illegal invaders challenging the sovereignty of the United States. Further, the words I heard today from one wacko Mexican woman, loaded with resentment towards American citizens: America has no right to admit or deny entrance to whomever we choose, and that we have no right to secure or close the borders. Political correctness demands that we understand that illegal immigrants are merely citizenship challenged… and you [pointing at YOU] are at fault, for not being a welcoming party to the invasion of the U.S.A., you, you… American.

By the way, the definition in Webster’s dictionary states that a criminal is “One that has committed or been legally convicted of a crime.” Most illegal immigrants who have invaded America have not been convicted of a crime by entering unlawfully. However, by definition, entering illegally is just that… illegal. Therefore, these invaders are, in fact, criminals. One who commits a crime is a criminal. So why in the blazes should they respect the rest of the American laws when they don’t give a rat’s rear end about our border security and immigration laws? Now, we cannot ship the indefinite millions back where they belong or charge them with felonies, even though that would be a well-deserved reward for invading the United States. Can you imagine a criminal trial for every illegal alien who was taking part in a de facto invasion of the United States? That would tie up criminal court in America for years, maybe decades. As it stands today, the clowns in Congress, on both sides of the aisle, are frantically pandering and kissing Mexican ass in the hopes that when the Latinos far outnumber those damned gringos, the legislators can hold onto their insatiable, demented Congressional grasp of power. I admit, I say that in a way that suggests that my opinion is that being a politician is a foul or wicked profession. Given that these Congressional creeps will never secure the borders (not close the borders, SECURE THE BORDERS!) or represent the genuine interests of Americans, who can you trust? Politicians are intrinsically narcissistic and arrogant.

Maybe it is time to get together a posse comitatus and take back our country, before these horses’ rearends throw it all away for the votes of illegals. The last time I checked, influence peddling was a serious crime, at least for a constitutional originalist conservative. Never forget, Dems, your expertise with voter fraud will go a long way towards attempting to steal another election. The failure to steal the presidential elections of ’00 and ’04 for radical liberalism must bear a nasty sting, eh?