I shoveled yesterday

Normally this would be nothing to speak of, but I haven't done any significant shoveling during my pregnancy until yesterday. The doctor said the baby moved down a little farther, but nothing else had happened. Since the baby is considered full term now, I figured that there would be no harm in helping things along. You have to understand that my mom shoveled the driveway on the day she was due with me and it put her into labor that afternoon. I'm under no delusions that I will go into labor early just because I shoveled, but I figure that it did something to help things along. If the baby moves down that much farther just because I did something a little more strenuous than usual, that is ok with me.

Now I'm sounding like I want this all over with, and I'm in the "get this baby out of me!" mode. That is not true. I'm kind of a chicken, so the fact that I've never gone through the whole childbirth process makes it slightly scary for me. I'm quite content to go on like this for awhile, though I frequently experience heartburn, lower back pain, shortness of breath, and charlie horses. Though I have extensive experience caring for children, including caring for a two-week-old at a crisis nursery, the prospect of parenthood still scares me. I've held an inconsolable baby for hours, potty-trained several children, taught one to walk, helped one girl through her first period and another through her first crush, and even had the sex talk. That doesn't prevent me from thinking, "HOLY CRAP!!! I'm responsible for this baby, which will soon exit my body in a very painful way, from the day it is born until it is an adult!" However, I can then take a step back and say, "Women have done this for eons, so I will survive." On top of that, I have a wonderful husband, and so the baby is not solely my responsibility. We are in this together and always have been. That is what reassures me.

Snow good news today in Minne-SNOW-ta

I am a happy camper today. We are in the midst of another little snow event. I could be glum about it; this isn't a blizzard, darn it. I could be bummed; we probably won't get more than three to six inches of snow. Instead, let me tell you, this is awesome. We are getting snow! Heather and I share the same attitude is, the more, the better! Whoohoo! It's snowing and that rocks!

Now that I got that out of my system, the more important news. Heather had a doctor's appointment on Monday. I went with her, as I usually do. I have made it to most appointments since Heather found out she was pregnant, having missed two so far. She may be going through the more tangible parts of this life-changing experience, but I don't want to miss a thing. As for what is new with the baby and what the doctor said, things look very good, though the baby hasn't dropped much yet. It appears, at this time, that the due date of January 24th, may be quite accurate and the baby isn't likely to be early... at least not this week. I will change my prediction, the baby will be born on the 21st.

Heather's parents will be back in Minnesota in a few weeks, so hopefully nature will time the delivery just right and the baby will be born a few days before that. If life has its own ideas, what can we do? Punt! We are ready to be a new mom and dad, the baby's room is prepared, and all that is left is the waiting. Heather is feeling good, other than the heartburn and constant bathroom breaks, and we are both in high spirits. Life is good! It is time to get ready for work, and even knowing that, life is good, indeed. I have only one request:

SEND MORE SNOW, PLEASE!

Only 349 more shopping days 'til Christmas

Today, we celebrated the last bit of Christmas in our home for the year of 2004. Again. Heather and I, along with her parents and brother, Josh, closed out the ‘04 Yuletide season this afternoon. I am going to be having a good ol' time with the Husqvarna chainsaw that I was given by the folks. But hey, wait a minute... this means more work for me. Darn it. They tricked me, those devious little… ahem… wonderful in-laws. Okay, I seriously need the chain saw to clean up the brush this spring and I am very appreciative, all kidding aside. I truly am part of the family, and what a gracious family it is. I don’t even say that with the assumption that Heather's parental units will be reading this at some point in time. They really are warm, welcoming and caring, and I am just one of the family when they are here.

Josh headed home a bit ago so he can work in the morning, but the future Nana and Papa Jusko will be with us until tomorrow when they head home to Indiana. I edited all the Christmas pictures that were taken today. I even resurrected our website this weekend, though in a new location on the web. After I renew and edit the content, I will post the URL here for those who might be interested. Among other things, I put in a page for the baby announcement (which says "no news yet" but stay tuned).

Holy mackerel. The Packers got their behinds kicked all over Lambeau, by the Vikings, no less. My nephew said he had a funny feeling the Vikings would win the game. You called it, Marty. Good job! I am not making any predictions for the NFC Division game against the Eagles, other than to say "it would take a miracle for the Vikings to win that one" but anything is possible if more than a bit unlikely. I would love to see Daunte have another career game. Regarding the division game, Rush was right on target. Donovan McNabb IS highly overvalued, though the Eagles have more than enough cohesiveness to make the odds of the Vikings winning against them uncertain. Still... with nothing to lose and everything to gain, I want the Vikings to kick some Philadelphia Beagle caboose and give 'em hell. Moss and other key players aren’t in good health so the odds are against a win for the Minnesota Moving Company. At this point, who cares?

Go Vikings!

By the way... it is now only 8,377 hours, or 30,158,756 seconds until Christmas. I need to either take down the Christmas tree soon or make up my mind to leave it up since Christmas is just around the corner.

Good night.

Work, insomnia, and Christmas. Again.

It’s a bit early to be awake on a Saturday. I wake up at about 5:00 a.m. every morning. It isn’t spring fever kicking in, because I love the snow and winter. Then again, I love to garden, as well, so it could be spring fever, couldn’t it? Oh no! I feel torn, like an old sweater! No…. just kidding, although that sounded like a Budweiser commercial with Charlton Hesston. You had to be there.

Anyway… I don’t know why I wake up so early, especially since I got home late last night from repairing a Diamond Cinema game at Red Lake that the preventative maintenance crew of four techs couldn’t fix. These jokers had all the replacement parts and four minds to work the problem through. These guys couldn’t figure it out, so they gave up, called me and left for the weekend. I think a significant part of the reason for the very existence of my job is all a state of mind, or lack thereof. When the level 1 techs cannot work out a problem to a favorable solution, or the casino techs get stumped, I get the call, the last line of defense between a broken game and lost revenue. That is the thing that separates me from the service center techs, not due to aptitude but due to their attitude… and I say this with irritation, not smugness. Most of what I do is straightforward, even the troubleshooting and repair. The task is to keep working, troubleshooting, and trying until the game is operating like new. For me, leaving work undone is altogether unacceptable and the majority of our techs plainly give up too readily. It is all very logical. The customer is the reason we have jobs, and if the game is out of service, nobody makes money. To borrow from an old phrase, if the customer “ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”

Heather’s parents, along with Josh, and Caleb the moose-sized Black Lab are at the house for Christmas. The in-laws arrived while I was at Red Lake. I missed out on fresh Papa Murphy’s pizza, but duty calls, and what is wrong with cold pizza? Not a thing! This morning I have a busy day, as I do my strength-training, get a hair cut and then Heather will be getting pictures taken again, the last before the baby is born. She tells me that I will be in some of the pictures but I will do my best to hide from the photographer. The best place for me is behind the camera.

Once the baby is born, we will be at the photo studio on a regular basis throughout the first year. We have a membership so it is inexpensive to have photos taken with no sitting fee. This reminds me, there are plenty of unfilled pages in the baby’s journal. I need to write more before the little one hatches. (Heather’s Dad tells her that she hatched from an egg, so it seems logical that her child would hatch, as well). Someday, the baby journal will be neat, I think, for our child to read our thoughts and know how we were feeling, our plans and activities getting ready for this exciting experience. I know already our lives will never be the same.

Today is Christmas… again. Under the circumstances, it would be outlandish to wish you a merry Christmas now, wouldn’t it? That is, unless you come over to our crowded house. So, have a pleasant weekend and stay cool. But don’t freeze your caboose off. I love winter!

Marty, I hope your intuition is right on target.

Go Vikings!

Oh, by the way...

I abandoned my website long ago. Until I get around to making a new site, spurred on as the proud father I will soon be, this blog is all I have online. For rich content in the meantime, you should check out my nephew's blog site. It is fantastic.

Marty, the consummate sports nut, has more faith in the Vikings than I do. He predicted they will beat the Pack this Sunday. The Vikes are overdue for a win, and with their offensive players, when they are healthy, they should easily win more than they lose. Still, a win against the Packers is the best win of all for a Vikings fan. I am not going so far as to wish for a SuperBowl. Minnesota is cold enough, and it will be a cold day in... Minnesota when they are in the big game again. Sigh... Still, Go Vikings!

I miss the days of Bud Grant and the Purple People Eaters.

As to the subject at hand, my nephew, Marty, has that great blog site. Check it out here: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=marty_b11

I'm outta here.

It's Christmas all over again.

Today, Heather's parents and her brother, Josh, will be with us for a few days. Better late than never, we are celebrating Christmas with the Jusko family. Why am I sitting here writing when I should be working? Oh well. Life is short, and some days, you gotta blog.

This should be an enjoyable weekend. I always have a good time with the in-laws. Besides, this is Christmas, even if it happens to be January 7th by the calendar's reckoning. I still have more Christmas cookies in the freezer, waiting to victimize the Juskos with my baking. *evil laugh*

I predict that Heather's parental units will return to Minnesota two weeks from tomorrow to see their first-born grandchild. I have already guessed that Heather will have the baby next weekend, and I even put it in writing. Doh. I hope I am right, but it doesn't really matter. This is just for fun, after all. As long as we have a healthy baby, the rest is just details.

Since today is Christmas in our home (again), I would say "Merry Christmas" but that seems a bit out of place with spring around the corner (I'm an optimist!) and no snow storms (drat anyhow). I guess I will defer to the closest holiday. Happy New Year! Yeah, yeah, so it is late. Get over it, you filthy animal. I have work to do. See you on the flip side.

We sure could use a little good news today.

Have you noticed that the media, whether it is cable news broadcasts, newspapers, radio, or magazines, all focus on the bad news? Why doesn’t the good news get kudos for a change? We hear about how 5.4 percent of people are out of work. What about the 94.6 percent of people who are working? First of all, 5 percent unemployment is considered full employment. You cannot ever achieve 100 percent employment or the economy will stagnate, job conditions will depreciate, etc. Economics 101. The point is: why doesn’t the media ever put a spotlight on the good news to give some hope to the world?

Case in point: the tsunami and its aftermath are heartbreaking, and it is sad that many have lost their lives, homes, and families. There is good in everything if you keep looking. What about the thousands, even millions of people, corporations, and organizations who are coming together with their time, contributions, and support? Some good comes in this cooperation of the many, instead of terror campaigns, hostilities, and awful news. This has become the largest humanitarian endeavor in the history of the world. Gee, is that bad news?

It is time to focus on the good people can do. No matter who you are, there is some good that you have done, I am sure. What are you best at, what do you offer that is really great? I should ask myself the same question, and maybe there is some work for me to do. We can all improve and give more of ourselves, after all. When you do well, I say, way to go and keep it up! When the media exploit the fact that sensationalism and bad news sells the papers, is it any wonder we lose sight of what can be accomplished? Working together, we can achieve anything. Some day, the fixation with bad news will fade into the rear view mirror of times gone by and it is said, the lion really will lay down with the lamb. Much more bad news will come first, but I look forward to the day when the good news makes the headlines.

Doug's long trip

At 9:30am this morning, Doug got called to bring a monitor (the screen in the slot machine) to his coworkers in Warroad, MN at Lake of the Woods Casino. I would have gone along, but I have trouble sitting still for a long time and didn't like the idea that the last 150 miles of the trip has no bathroom stops. Besides, Harry, Buster, Daisy, and Kiwi needed their cages cleaned and I need to get my hair cut before my last pregnancy pictures this weekend. I figured that I could get some stuff done here and not slow Doug down if I got hungry or had to go to the bathroom. After all, I want him to get home as soon as possible and Warroad, MN is approximately a five hour drive (one way) from our house. He shouldn't have to spend more than fifteen minutes at the casino, since he is just taking a monitor to some nimrods, but the roads up near the border aren't stellar. It snowed last weekend, and roads up there are not that frequently travelled.

So why does Doug have to run a monitor up there, and why am I calling these guys "nimrods"? Well...they are. They are up north doing "preventative maintenance" at several casinos and will be gone for two weeks. They obviously have either no common sense or insufficient foresight, because they brought two monitors to visit nine casinos, and they used both in the first casino. Some of those casinos are so far away that they don't get a tech up there unless there is something really wrong. They might get visited twice a year. You've got to figure that there is going to be lots to do when you do visit. Maybe I'm being to kind in calling them "nimrods".

As for why Doug usually likes to leave at 5am to go to Warroad, MN, and thus why he was unhappy about leaving at 10am to go there, why don't you check out the road atlas I know you have in your car. Look way up northwest, that is, on the North Dakota side of the state, but the Canadian border. Look for Lake of the Woods. It is a huge lake that is partly in the USA, but mostly in Canada. Notice how few roads are up there. The first time I was there with Doug, it amazed me to see the US Coast Guard station. I expected the Border Patrol. I like going up there and seeing the lake. But anybody reading this is probably thinking that I shouldn't be in that rural of an area so far from home so close to the end of my pregnancy. I wasn't worried about that so much as being hungry, uncomfortable, and having to go to the bathroom at an inopportune moment. After all, if I went into labor, I'd have my husband with me. He's participated in the birthing of many animals, and they aren't devoid of civilization up there. Warroad isn't that far from Roseau, which I guarantee has hospital. It doesn't matter, because I won't go into labor today, and I chose to stay home and clean bird cages, anyway.

When personal responsibility is lost...

You know, I am amazed. No offense to our lawyer friend, H1, but some lawyers apparently will defend anything, no matter how clearly incorrect it is. This isn't an "O.J. Simpson" or Scott Peterson event I am talking about, but for some young people suffering because of their irresponsible parents, I am certain it is as dreadful as can be. What I am referring to is a family court judge in New York who has stirred a controversy for ordering two women to NOT reproduce. That sounds awful and audacious, doesn't it? Where does SHE (the judge) get the right to tell the parents they cannot have more children? The background would suggest this judge is onto something... it is called COMMON SENSE.

The first case in point, a 31-year old woman, who has seven children, lost custody of her children, ranging in age from eight months to 12 years, with six being in state-funded foster care and the seventh child living with an aunt. The youngest child and two others tested positive for cocaine at birth, and all seven were removed from her custody and care because she could not take care of them. This is a fundamentally free country but for the impoverished, drug-addicted or parentally insufficient, how many children are too many? True, one does not want to open that can of worms carelessly, but it begs the question, what can be considered parental inadequacy? Certainly, caution is required, as the answer is an ambiguous designation, but with drug addiction and seven children removed due to neglect, it can be safely assumed the mother isn't competent to bear more children or even raise those she brought into the world.

What is fantastic about this story is the level-headed raison d'être of the judge, who made a prudent decision: "Because every child born deserves a mother and a father, or at the very least a mother or a father, this court is once again taking this unusual step of ordering this biological mother to conceive no more children until she reclaims her children from foster care or other caretakers,'" Judge Marilyn O'Connor said.

The second woman I refer to, in a case decision from last March, the same judge, Marilyn O'Connor ordered a drug-addicted, homeless mother of four to refrain from bearing children until she won back care of her children. The decision, the first of its kind in New York, is being appealed. APPEALED? APPEALED?!?! While the rights of procreation and parenthood shouldn't hastily be abridged or constrained, doesn't common sense dictate that a homeless woman who just happens to be drug-addicted and cannot provide any manner of shelter for her children, gee, Wally... maybe she shouldn't bear any more children?

There are "big picture" questions here that can apply to everyone, and for anyone with a conscience, the questions should apply, insomuch as in living the principles taught by our parents, knowing right from wrong and living honorably as best we can. For one, what happened to personal responsibility? Dare I say that the woman has no business bearing children that she cannot provide a good life for? (For the record, I am staunchly pro-life, so the children shouldn't be conceived in the first place if they cannot be properly cared for). Then, what crosses my mind next is, where are the many fathers of the eleven children in question? Can you guess how many fathers sired these eleven children? Eleven children, eleven fathers. There is something to be said for a stable home and hopefully, two parents. In this case, eleven children are paying the price for their parents being completely inadequate.

Finally, the ACLU, malevolent extremist organization that it is, has stuck their figurative legal nose into the middle of this argument, saying, "The right of procreation is a fundamental right that should never be limited." Their words, not mine. I consider myself a constitutional constructionist and therefore, would have to insist that the government should be small, efficient and should stick to what it was constitutionally mandated to do, defense of the state and administration of the rule of law. Less government control is almost always a very good thing. In this case, what about the rights of those children? I do not believe that because a child can be born, either parent should create children just because they can, and should, in fact, take pains to prevent children they cannot support from being conceived irresponsibly. We are not fascist Nazis here, and obviously, the government should not have the right to mandate sterilization or require contraceptives against the will of the mother and father, but there comes a time when irresponsibility has to be tempered with a firm hand. The judge in this case has stated that the women, should they reproduce again, will be held in contempt of court and jailed. At what point does irresponsible behavior become not just immoral, but illegal? Certainly this is not a victimless act, even though irresponsible reproduction is not a crime per se. When it becomes negligence and neglect, it then becomes an unambiguous criminal act.

I am going to be a father this month. I am eager and happy about the upcoming birth of our child. I have to tell you, truthfully, it makes me anxious, or I would be misleading you. This is a constructive nervous energy, asking myself questions, how will I be a good father, how can I provide a good home, good leadership and role models, that sort of thing. This baby is a precious gift in my life and I am delighted and determined to be a good parent and to have a solid, joyful home where my children know right from wrong and where personal responsibility is held in high regard. As a father-to-be, this does frustrate me that people would bring children into the world without the means to provide for them, not just a good home but an upbringing with ethical principles and integrity. Last question: what about adoption for those children, when there are many childless adults who long for children of their own? It is a sad state of affairs when no one is held accountable for their self-seeking misdeeds.

Thinking about all of this leaves me with far more questions than answers. What do you think?

The Chronicles of Narnia

This is the description of the Chronicles of Narnia, as written for Focus on the Family.

Be Transported To Another World
Between the lamppost and Cair Paravel on the Western Sea lies Narnia, a mystical land where animals hold the power of speech ... woodland fauns conspire with men ... dark forces, bent on conquest, gather at the world's rim to wage war against the realm's rightful king ... and the Great Lion Aslan is the only hope. Into this enchanted world comes a group of unlikely travelers. These ordinary boys and girls, when faced with peril, learn extraordinary lessons in courage, self-sacrifice, friendship and honor. Brought to life with a cast of over 100 actors, an original orchestral score and cinema-quality digital sound design. Includes The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle.

I can't tell you enough... these stories are fantastic. We look forward to one day sharing them with our children.

Long drives aren't so bad

Heather gave me the C.S. Lewis collection called The Chronicles of Narnia for Christmas. The version I have is audio drama created by Focus on the Family Radio Theater. With H off work now, she rides with me frequently and we listen to the stories of Narnia painted in words so masterfully by Clive Staples Lewis. Three hours of driving flies by, as we become absorbed in the stories. The Chronicles have such amazing depth, and realizing the parallels to the Bible, the power of the story-telling makes one appreciate the Biblical references that much more, references written into the stories brilliantly. This isn't like listening to an audio book, though. It is actually a group of over 100 talented voice actors who bring the stories to life with many sound effects and an orchestra. All that is left is for the imagination to paint the visual images and to let your mind, and your heart soar. I will have to encourage other family members to check it out, too. Heather knows me all too well and I love this gift. Any gift that encourages this soon-to-be Mom and Dad to share quality time together is close to priceless.

If you want to check out the Chronicles of Narnia, here it is. Thanks H. http://www.family.org/resources/itempg.cfm?itemid=3631#inside

Parenthood is on the horizon

Heather looks less than comfortable these days. I can only wonder when the baby will be born, though I have predicted it will be the weekend of the 15th. Heather has been right on with her weight gain, a pound a week. She eats so much healthier than anyone else in this household (that would be me), and I admire that. One good thing that has come out of this pregnancy is that I have been watchful to bring home healthy food for H, and it has influenced my habits as well. We are both eating healthier than ever.

Sometime in the next three weeks, we will be new parents. Admittedly, it is enough to scare the feathers off an armadillo, not an easy feat, as you can imagine, not a lot of feathers to be had there. We will be healthy and ready to take on this new challenge. What more could we ask for? Life is good.

New Year's Resolutions

I didn't plan to make any New Year's resolutions, and technically haven't. I have felt more motivated to work out and have gotten back into my workout routine, every morning for 90 minutes. Since I have worked out every day of 2005 (which would be impressive if it were October, not January 4th), this could be construed as a resolution in action. Work is a bit slower this time of year so I have free time to work on being fit, and for some unexplainable reason, I have the motivation, too. Weird, I know.

Heather and I haven't heard a word from the prodigal brother since the Harry Potter incident on Christmas. Of course, we aren't happy about that, since we have endeavored to make Dave feel welcome in our lives. Hopefully, things will become more peaceful in time. I do not want to lose a familial relationship over something as silly as a difference of opinion about a movie, but the ball is not in my court and it is not my decision to make.

when will I pop?

This seems to be a great topic for speculation. Doug's brother-in-law, Tom, seems to think it will be this coming weekend, January 8th or 9th, when my parents are here celebrating Christmas with us. Doug, himself, believes it will be sometime around the 15th of January. Obviously, no one but me believes the obstetrician and ultrasound technician who are measuring the baby and predicting the 24th or 25th of January, which is a couple days short of my birthday. I figure that no one but God knows, so I'm not going to try to predict, though the doctor can estimate. No matter what Doug says about a date, he wants the same thing that I do: for the baby to come when it is ready. Goodness knows, I'll never be truly ready. At least the crib and changing table are in place. I just need to wash the sheets and clothes in case I do get surprised before my due date. I suppose I should get on that just in case Tom is right. I certainly feel like I have no more room to expand! Does anybody else have a prediction?

We want more snow!

My agenda for today, a solid workout on our gym, then blowing snow off the driveway and finally, relaxation time with the Mom-to-be, and her brother, Josh, who is visiting our little zoo and adding a visiting zoo creature of his own, Caleb the black lab. I guess I better think about cleaning up that snow. How awesome is that? You may never meet another who loves to fire up the snowthrower as much as I do (maybe Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor, more power!!!). Yes, we DO love snow in our little neighborhood. We want more snow!

Happy New Year!

Today begins our weblog, something I thought about, but never got around to doing. I am off work for the New Year's holiday, and we are enjoying the tail end of a snowstorm, so i thought, why not? This snowfall was a geeky 98-pound weakling as snowstorms go. We got five inches of snow. Curses! We wanted snow measured in FEET! Whatever happened to the shut-down-the-state blizzards I recall from childhood when everyone was snowed in for at least a day or two? Old memories often bring exaggerations of reality, and memories receding into the innocence of a youngster’s past make childhood events all the grander, but I still wish for enough snow to be able to look down on my house from atop the smaller snowdrifts... just like “the olden days”, or in hopeful daydreams of how I wanted it to be in days gone by.

I am going to be a father sometime this month. Heather is in her 36th week of pregnancy, though lately more than a few people have declared that the doctor's estimation of her due date is off by a few weeks. The role of fatherhood looks easy as viewed from the outside, when it is somebody else’s problem and privilege. As the thrill of parenthood grows near, what person, generally considered rational and not too far from sanity, as I like to consider myself somewhat sane on most days, would NOT have at least a hint of trepidation looking at the big picture and asking questions. I cannot help wondering, "Can I handle this? Will I be a good father? How will we make ends meet? And, will the Minnesota Vikings EVER win 3 games in a row again?” I am not going to be so boldly presumptuous as to imagine the Vikings victors in the big game, not in one lifetime. But for my kids... I can hope.

I keep expecting Heather to go into labor at any moment. I assume any first-time prospective father would be that way. I am energized, thinking about the upcoming changes, seeing the baby developing day by day, and, watching Heather, the glowing Mommy-to-be, and how idyllic our lives really are. We are blessed beyond belief! This is the addition that will make our zoo a full house. Then again, we hope to have several children and so we may find ourselves one animal short of an Ark with this baby. Still, we must take one thing at a time. The resounding truth reverberating in my brain like a mantra, butterflies in the stomach, giddy like a child as Christmas draws near, is the reality that has been making itself at home in the corner of my mind… I am going to be a Daddy.

Welcome to our blog. Happy New Year..