That was Quick

I am done with the class for today. This afternoon's conference was, indeed, Game King hardware. The bulk of it related to the processor board and the assorted voltages, which power supply unit created what voltage, and that sort of material. There were some practical reminders in this course, so I don't mind the review.

The other Minnesota tech, Huntz, and I were discussing ways to accentuate the caliber of training at the service center. We agree that the material in this part of the training should be reviewed for all techs annually, because of the level of detail. Though it involves component-level training, and we only troubleshoot to the sub-assembly, it is helpful to recognize what process each component on a PC board actually performs. Knowing where each of the various voltages originates helps focus on troubleshooting the pertinent structure in a machine more quickly. I may mention my thoughts to the management. Annual in-depth hardware training for all the service center and remote techs would be beneficial and training dollars well-spent. I am not sure where that suggestion leads, or if the bosses would consider it. They usually do, though, so I may throw the idea out there to see what sticks.

Most of the lottery techs in the class are from Sioux Falls and are new to the field, i.e., less than a year of experience. Regardless, the Dakota techs have daily exposure to hardware explicitly adapted to South Dakota jurisdictional requirements. I did get some interesting insights based on their experiences. That alone makes the training worthwhile.

Tomorrow is the class on the VLC platform. I don't mind the refresher, even though we don't have any VLC assets in Minnesota. Lacking an immediate practical application, additional insights are useful to expand a well-rounded technical understanding of proprietary hardware. I am the alternate tech for some locations in South Dakota and the primary responder for others. This is going to be a beneficial opportunity to renew the knowledge base in my mind. Okay... I have probably bored my two or three blog readers enough talking about gaming hardware nomenclature, so I am going to post this and give my mind a rest for awhile.

I am one day closer to heading home to my beloved wife and our two adorable sons. Life gets sweeter as the days go by. I am rewarded and blessed, but eternally grateful and happily shout it out! Thank you, JC, for everything!

Later, Gator.

After awhile, Crocodile.

Not too soon, Baboon.

Break Time!

We had a break from the training, so I came back to the hotel room to have a salad, vegetables, and grapes while everyone else went to the trough, er, buffet. I like a good buffet, but it just isn't the same with a bunch of lottery guys. So, I am eating my rabbit food while the rest of the class is eating dead cow.

The class this morning was lottery-related, but was tech I (in title AND content). So far, this is the stuff that my brother probably learned in his first day of training in Vegas. The one and only thing that was new to me in the first four hours was the lottery ticket printer. The rest is 100 percent review. This afternoon is the lottery tech II class, and it sounds like it is mostly review as well, dealing with Game King stuff (the stuff I have worked on for the last 10 years). At least I get to add to the class by commenting on things the instructor isn't familiar with, so I still get to participate.

Tomorrow's class is on the video lottery terminals made by VLC (a subsidiary of IGT). I worked on VLC games back before Anchor was acquired by IGT, so much of that will be review as well, but since I haven't touched a VLC game in about five years, it will be a refresher course. Then again, the only VLC games out there are in the Dakotas, since they have video lottery and Minnesota does not. I may do the odd service call once in a blue moon, but mostly, I will be the backup tech for the video lottery equipment.

I need to get to the next training class. More later. It's about 15 degrees here, downright tropical weather we are having!

Monday, Monday

Ugh. Is it Monday morning already? The only thing good about this Monday morning is that it means I am one night closer to being on my way back to the wonderful blustery cold of Minnesota's icebox. Freezing my kiester off never looked so good as it does, when I think about going home Wednesday. The negative temperatures do not bother me that much, and the vehicles are parked inside this winter, so the temperatures are a minor inconvenience. We just tend to not be outdoors much this time of year, other than to take care of the dogs and to clean up any significant newly-fallen snow.

I start a class tomorrow, but am not worried about it too much while I am in the hotel. The first day I need to really contribute anything significant, I will be home, making it easier in that regard. For a hotel in the middle of nowhere, this joint has great Internet access, both wired and wireless. Some of the hotels where I stay (e.g., Shooting Star) have NO Internet access at all. That is the dark ages of the hospitality industry. Sheesh.

I didn't sleep very well last night. I remember being awake half a dozen times, and I woke up again at 5:30 this morning, and decided to not stay in bed at that point. I am a morning person. Maybe once we get heat in the garage-gym, I can work out and I will be energetic enough to be a morning and a night person, the way I used to be, especially on weekends. These days, a weekend evening doesn't get much better than lounging around in front of the TV, while Gabriel jumps on the bed like a hyperactive kangaroo with a double mocha latte caffeine buzz. Parenthood is good, and the boys make being a dad great.

I need to order a part for a casino this morning before I head to the training in the conference center. See ya on deck later.

A Revelation

Ok...so this is a long time in coming. I usually can't figure out what to say. My world consists of caring for an infant and a 2 year old, along with many animals of various temperments and ages, answering the Crisis Line every Wednesday morning (though I wish I was doing nights again), and going to MOPS two Tuesday mornings a month. Since I have nothing profound to write about, I forget my password. Doug reset it for me last night. Lucky you.

Anyway, if I was able to get into this thing sooner, you would have been able to read this the morning I thought about it. But then you wouldn't have gotten this wonderful color commentary on my limited sphere of existence and bad memory. Ok...so you've been suffering through my blah-blah-blahs, and this is going to be anticlimatic, but my husband and mother will enjoy it:

I was changing Jericho's diaper and started thinking (I can hear Doug now: Oh no!). We had just been talking about Gabriel and how smart he seems to be. The words he comes up with, comments that are two complete sentences in length, counting to 14, differentiating between a square and a rectangle. I really wish I could introduce him to my high school Geometry teacher, Mrs. Jumper. She had the personality perfect for working with young kids and would love to teach my kid math. I often show Gabriel Donald in Mathemagic Land in her honor. This teacher, God love her, tutored me before and after school to get me through her class. Thus my comment to Doug that I thank God every day that Gabriel got his brains and not mine. Doug can deny this all he wants, but he's the genius. It certainly isn't me.

That is when it occurred to me: the clean-cut, all-American boy look isn't what I'm most attracted to...it's brains. Ask my mother and she will tell you who my high school crush was. Dan Olson may have been fun, clownish, good-looking (a redhead), a good cook (I was in Home Ec with him), and the first-string receiver on the football team, but he was also the president of the National Honor Society. He had the 4.0 or better to prove it, too. Doug took AP classes in high school and graduated with a 4.0, I'm sure. He can get nearly a 4.0 in college without having enough time to put into it. And, along with all the brains, I got a great guy, too. I think I made a good choice.

At the Hotel Sunday Night

I arrived at the hotel, finally, at 8:00 tonight. Funny, Mapquest said it was an 8-hour drive, but ten hours later, I am finally (NOT) at home at the hotel. This place is like a ghost town. Judging by all the hunting-related signs, this place must get a lot of hunters. There are signs in the hotel room to the hunters to not use the nice white towels to clean the dogs or their shoes or grimy hands, to clean their firearms, etc. Where the hunters are today, I cannot say. but they are definitely not here. There are about ten cars in the parking lot, but room for, I don't know, maybe a hundred or more.

It was -4 degrees when I left the house this morning, but during the drive, the temperature steadily climbed, and it is 12 degrees above zero here in the middle of South Dakota. I packed all my food in the cooler, and what wouldn't fit there, I put in a plastic bag in the bed of the truck. There is a topper, mind you. I was surprised to find out that the bottles of soda were frozen solid, along with the ham and everything else. Fortunately, the lettuce in the cooler didn't freeze or I would be bummed. By the way, the food I brought with me is so that I have something healthy to eat, instead of eating fast food or the same old franchise dinners. Besides, that is too expensive! I am going to log off, but thought I would mention that there isn't a microwave in the room, so I am warming my sandwich by putting it on a plate on top of the lamp. It fits perfectly on top of the lighted (and toasty warm) lampshade. You know, when I am roughing it out here in the wilderness of central South Dakota, I need to improvise, so I don't go hungry. =) Besides, ham is not that good to eat with ice crystals in the middle of it.

It looks like we will be here with some South Dakota Gaming Commission personnel and various other people, maybe from casinos and the company, too. The good news is that I get to go home on Wednesday, barring the unforeseen. As a quick aside to Heather: A few inches of snow on the ground here, not shin-deep snow like at home.

Good night, folks. Back to Heather now... everyone else can go on to the next post. H, I know you will read this tonight. I just wanted to tell you to give the boys a hug and a kiss from me. I love you all and can't wait to be home again. Wednesday night can't come soon enough for me. Now, Heather, stop reading this mushy stuff, and get some rest while you can! Why are the rest of you still reading this section? Sheesh! =)

Over and out...

On the Road Again

I have my things together so that I can hit the road for South Dakota. I will be staying in a hotel in the middle of nowhere until Wednesday or Thursday. I figure I will be home the 12th, but I won't guarantee that. In this business, you just never know what will happen. I sent Heather, Gabriel, and Jericho off to work and church, knowing that when they got home I would be gone for four days. I know that stinks, but it is part of the job, maybe the hardest part of the job. Is it harder to leave, knowing that your family will come home to a house where you will not be for awhile, or to not see your family and your kids? Of course, I worry that something will happen, and I will not be here to fix it, but Heather can handle anything that life throws at her. I just hate to miss a single day with my family.

But duty calls and I need to hit the road. The drive is around 450 miles to the hotel, and the clock is ticking, though I have tried to slow it down, and had no luck at all. I need to meet with another tech to unload and set up a prototype game that will be used for training the South Dakota techs and anyone who will be working on video lottery terminals. It is about as exciting as it sounds... After more than a decade in this business, it is not very exciting, believe me.

Gotta run. I am out.

The Christmas Letter

We have the Christmas letter printing on three printers in the house. By the time it is all done, it takes 300 sheets of paper, so it takes a little bit to print it out. I actually priced what it would cost to have a printer or Kinko's (also known as the UPS here in town) do the printing, and it was so expensive, I could print a thousand pages for what that place wanted to charge.

I find it so amazing how technology has changed. We have two all-in-one printers that we are using, and also Heather's photo printer. I have another printer upstairs but I don't have that one networked with the rest of the computers and printers. On the two all-in-one printers, I use a higher image quality setting, and yet, the photo printer has better image resolution. On top of that, the photo printer is printing 18 pages at a higher resolution in the time it takes either of the two all-in-one printers to print three pages at the normal resolution. I am working on other things at the same time, and occasionally checking the progress on the printers. When one stops, I start it printing a few copies again, but I don't want to run out of ink and waste paper while any of the printers is running unattended.

I am heading for South Dakota in the morning. I am not thrilled that I have to leave for the hotel while Heather is at work. I will return on Wednesday evening with any luck. I thought about stopping at a casino to work on the way home, but it depends how I feel during the return trip, and of course, the weather. No snow of consequence is predicted, so that isn't an issue (bummer, dude!) We are looking forward to more snow. I figure that we have received about 16-18 inches of snow, although at the airport, the official record says we have received around 10-12 inches. I don't know how they measure it, but it is typically less than what it appears to be here, for whatever reason. Maybe being next to the lake makes a difference, but I wouldn't think so, since this isn't among the Great Lakes... and is not a large lake for that matter.

Back to printing... more later. Urge Heather to get blogging! Of course, she may be blogging while the world sleeps, but she told me that while I am gone this coming week, when she can't sleep, she figured she would stay up and work on the house. I am confident that means she will blog and clean, wrap gifts, decorate, and blog some more, before she cleans some more. I am not sure if it has rubbed off from my influence, but I thrive on pressure. Last-minute work and deadlines make my engine hum along like crazy, and I am starting to think that the same is becoming true for Heather, more than ever before. She never gets enough sleep, though, so as much as I would like her to blog, I would much rather that she gets adequate sleep, too.

Okay, seriously now, back to printing! Good night, Jim-Bob. Good night, MaryEllen. Good night, Elizabeth, etc., etc. All is quiet now on Walton's Mountain. My brother would appreciate that reference, but would add in more lines such as Elizabeth saying, "Jim-Bob, you're a name!"

Christmassing with You

First thing, I just wanted to note that the subject line here is wholly for Heather's benefit or detriment (negligible but amiable needling between husband and wife). You see, it drives Heather crazy when her favorite singer, other than Celine Dion, namely Karen Carpenter, uses the word ‘Christmas’ as a verb. As a self-styled affiliate of the grammar police, it is annoying, but I overlook the English language syntax mishandling long enough to play Carpenters songs whenever Heather is within earshot of the music. Ugh, where in the wild, wild world of sports are my earplugs? =)

We put up the Christmas tree in the basement, but it still needs the ornaments. I am guessing that by the time we finish it, and put up the large tree upstairs, Heather's brother and mom will be doing much of the decorating, indubitably aided, by Gabriel and the cats. I note here a potent extrasensory presentiment that sometime later this month, either Heather or I will walk by the Christmas tree late at night, half-asleep, and will abruptly become conscious of a cat's face peering back at us from about six or eight feet off the ground, snugly perched within the branches of the Christmas tree. Okay... full disclosure time: I am not psychic, but Heather will tell you that I am 'one with the cats'. Further, the last few years' Yuletide experiences have revealed that the cats enormously love to climb, and occasionally, to sleep, up near the peak of the Christmas tree. For this reason (along with the fact that we have two boys), we do not have any fragile ornaments on exhibit in our home. Maybe someday, but for now, lots of resin decorations, mostly the characters from the ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ movies, adorn the tree.

Heather could not access her blog account, but I reset it for her today. Undoubtedly, as soon as I desert the PC, she will start writing. That is okay by me, since I do most of the blog entries here. Encourage her to write! I may write more later, as I need to run an errand. Ho ho ho (and other Christmas salutations).

Christmas planning 2

I finally made the time this morning to write our annual Christmas letter. I have been working on it off and on all day. Heather wrote a bit of the content, mainly the parts about the birth of our second son and about the additions and goings-on within the populace of the zoo. I put it all together and am in the process of printing out the letter for our Christmas card recipients while I work on other things at my desk. Occasionally, I read the letter again and see something that I should have added or grammar that bugs me. So, this will be a continuously-edited letter. If you happen to be one of the people who receives our family letter, consider that you may very well be reading an edition that is uniquely yours, since I keep adding and editing the thing throughout the day. So, yes, you are special... and no doubt, your mommy used to say that to you, but meant it in a different way. =)

Christmas planning

Heather and I finished our Christmas shopping ages ago. Okay, it was two weeks ago, but by deliberate design, we were done by Black Friday. We stopped at the local big-box retailer today (you know the one that is so close to our home that we can smell the b.o. of the workers). The store was a madhouse. Everyone was pushing and shoving and courtesy was, I dare to say, at an all-time low. If you ever watched the Ron Howard-Jim Carey version of the Doctor Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and saw the way all the Whos were obsessing about the material side of Christmas, then you know what I saw today. We stopped to pick up a gallon of milk for Gabriel, and the Toys-For-Tots volunteers were in front of the store with a pickup trucking, accepting toys for kids. One of the guys was so friendly and gave Gabriel a candy cane and a high-five as we passed. We asked what they were running short on, and they said that the toys and gifts for poor teenagers were in short supply. So, we picked something up to donate and Gabriel got another candy cane on the way out when he wished all the volunteers 'Merry Christmas!' a half a dozen times. I think that is the best way to be charitable at Christmas, to give anonymously and not to seek glory for generosity. This time of year, everyone is so busy, and it is easy to forget that there are many others far worse off than we are at this time. We are blessed far beyond what we have ever earned from the good Lord. A thought and a gesture for those who are less fortunate is the very least I can do to give thanks.

Busy Month

We all know that December is a busy month, with Christmas, shopping, baking, sending greetings, getting pictures taken, etc. Well, we had our Christmas pictures taken before Halloween, so that is our answer to getting done with that before the rush. We had our Christmas shopping more or less complete before Black Friday. We are just too busy to bake our usual 120 dozen cookies for Christmas, and there is enough junk food for everyone this time of year, so we are foregoing the distribution of sweets this year (though we are going to bake cookies for my dad, like we do every year). The one thing that we haven't managed yet is to get our Christmas cards sent. I haven't even finished our Christmas letter (I loathe brag letters!) We try to write an informative letter as an overview on the year without boasting about our huge successes that make everyone else's life seem small by comparison (note the sarcastic emphasis-brag letters stink, or as my mom used to say, 'Self-praise stinks!)

The one thing that stands in the way of finishing the Christmas cards soon is that I found out I will be traveling and away from home quite a bit in the next two weeks. The solution, as far as I am concerned, is to get our Christmas cards all done before Sunday.

Back to Sunday... I am leaving Sunday morning for South Dakota. I have training classes on Monday and Tuesday at a hotel in the middle of nowhere (also known as the middle of South Dakota). I have to help our 'esteemed' tech 3 unload a training game at the hotel Sunday night, and it is an 8-hour drive from the house to the hotel. So, I have to leave Sunday morning. Yuck. I would rather not sit in a hotel for a number of days, but in this case, it can't be helped.

The training involves South Dakota lottery terminals (since I now cover South Dakota territory). I just found out about the training this morning. Thanks for the heads-up on this! I figure I will be gone from Sunday morning until Wednesday night.

The following week, I am working far enough from home that the install work will probably take three days and involve staying in a hotel two or three nights. Some consolation in this case is that the casino in question is close to Mom and Dad and other family members. Maybe I can at least visit some of the family during that work.

I need to get some sleep. Signing off... over and out. Guten nacht, auf Weidersehen, and, uh.... stuff.

Thanksgiving

We didn’t stay with my sister's family the night before Thanksgiving, the way we usually do for all of the holidays when we get together at Mom and Dad's. Heather worked Wednesday night so we drove down on Thanksgiving Day. It was a nice visit, with the usual family members present: Mom and Dad, Karen and her family, Mike, Dave and Josh, Uncles Richard and Herbert, and our little family. Other family members dropped in off and on later in the day. Mike and Karen did pretty much all the cooking this year. It did go over pretty well, but for about two seconds, I missed cooking and cleaning, and then, I just relaxed and enjoyed a relaxing visit. We thought we might stay at Deb and Tom's house Thursday night, but their whole family went to bed early so that they could go out for the Black Friday deals. Ultimately, we drove back home on Thursday, but in reality, by the time we got home, it was about 1 a.m. on Friday.

Dave and Josh stopped in at the house on Friday on their way back up to the Hibbing area. They stayed with us here until this afternoon. We did a little Christmas shopping and I put up some of the Christmas lights outside. Then, Josh and Dave headed home. We watched 'Mr. Holland's Opus' tonight after Gabriel finally went to bed around midnight.

We are about 90 percent finished with our Christmas shopping. In reality, we started shopping for Christmas this summer. We usually start our shopping with the after-Christmas sales and then keep our eyes open all year long. We just want to be finished before the madness begins in the stores. Then, we can focus on the really important facets of the holiday season, and yes, the true meaning of the Christmas season. It is nice to not have to worry about finishing the Christmas shopping. There are two big projects we have left to finish before I can feel that we are truly ready for Christmas. We have to put up the indoor decorations and the Christmas tree. The other task is to write our Christmas ramblings and add in pictures of our boys and the zoo. It usually turns out to be a two or three page letter, but if we didn’t insert so many pictures, I think it would fit on one page. We avoid the 'brag letter' aspects as much as we can. It isn’t supposed to be about boasting of accomplishments, but an overview of what has changed this year. Without giving up too much, the main three things that changed most in my life are that our son, Jericho, was born, that I earned my management degree, and that I got promoted to a position with some responsibility for other techs, scheduling, and I can put that on my resume some day. I do love working for this company, though, so that may just not be necessary for a very long time... “God willing and the creek don’t rise.” That bad grammar would bother me, but I put the quotation marks around it. It’s a quote, so I can tolerate a bit of misguided grammar on the blog, just this one time. =)

Enough rambling for one night, I would say. Keep smiling and get to bed. It's late and past your bedtime, and mine. G'night.

Let it snow?

The first snow of the season is upon us. It started snowing at 10:26 this morning, and is picking up in size and intensity now. That is my play by play on the weather. Exciting, huh?

What do you expect this time of year?

Dave called and said it has been raining and snowing in the Hibbing area since last night, and I heard from another of the techs who happens to be near Detroit Lakes this morning. It is snowing there, too. So, it is snowing northeast of here and northwest of here, too. Oh crap! We are surrounded by snowshowers!

One quick question

Just a quick question and then I am finally going to bed for a few hours.

Here is the question:

How can you tell when Hillary Clinton is lying?






Her lips are moving.

The Rookie in Training

Before I get some sleep, I just wanted to note that my brother is almost done with his second week on the job, and the first week in the field. He is seeing firsthand what it is like when important supplies needed as part of the job, such as the machine bases, are not delivered as scheduled. Dave told me today that he feels like he isn't earning his money. I had a little meeting today. I can't go into all of that, of course, but suffice it to say that when my boss asked how the rookie is doing, I told him about how Dave feels like he isn't earning his pay this week so far. My boss just said, "Not to worry... it will get really busy again soon, and then I am calling in that I O U." Then, he will feel like the company is getting its money's worth out of him.

That is how it works in this business. Sometimes you work like crazy, until you are so tired you can hardly concentrate, taking service calls on your days off, and providing telephone support at 3 o'clock in the morning. Then, there are days when you spend hours driving, and very little time doing difficult work in the field. Well, when my brother is knee-deep in the hoopla, troubleshooting a game with an ambiguous heat-related issue, with an assertion failure, or a brain box constantly rebooting, and he has tried every remedy he can think of, to no avail, he will definitely see the flip side of the coin. Sometimes, we don't work that hard for our money, and sometimes, the company reaps the rewards for investing in the techs, rewarding the company in spades. This is time for my brother to learn the ropes, including the hardware, the technical support aspects, the customer service expectations, the importance of face time, quality performance, and the basics of the business.

In no time, Dave will feel like a pro, and he will understand what I mean. By then, he will understand the difference between the days when you are the windshield, and the days that you are the bug. So far, he is the windshield, enjoying the gravy, but what happens tomorrow is anybody's guess. After two weeks of work, seeing not-so-demanding assignments, here is a question for my brother, the rookie in training: Dave, are you a betting man? If so, this is the right business for you (in more ways than one).

Flat Land, No Trees

What does a post with a title like that mean? Well, this will be a quick post, as I have to get to bed and get some rest. The title refers to my working agenda for tomorrow. I am working in North Dakota, beginning the drive from home at 4 a.m. The drive to the location is four hours, so I hope to arrive by 8 a.m. and head home by noon or 2 p.m.

If you haven't ever been to North Dakota, the area where I will be working, a couple hours north of Sioux Falls, is flat as a board, and there really are very few trees in the area. It is always windy (probably due to the flat land and lack of trees, obviously). The people in the area are laid back but when they aren't working, I honestly do not know what a person could do to stay occupied, other than watching TV (or maybe planting trees!) I don't mind the drive. As they say, its a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

Good night. That's all folks.

Today, MEA Break, & Lousy Public Education

I worked at the same location today. I didn't get done, but I got mighty close. I actually think that I got more done on my own than I did with another tech helping me, though that may have been because I got into the rhythm today, not sure. Sometimes we have really productive days, and sometimes we deal with delays and problems. In any case, the work will be complete tomorrow. Basically all that is left is audit, accounting, and the compliance checks. I have to leave earlier tomorrow, but hope to get home at a more reasonable time. I didn't get home until 9 tonight.

Dave was at the house and dropped Josh off while he went to look at another rental up near his future territory. The MEA weekend is going on. It is so nice to see the teachers having workshops during the school year, when academic achievement stinks more with each passing year. Why don't the teachers interrupt their summer vacation for three weeks of workshops, instead of interrupting the school year for three lousy days of training?

Ultimately, the Minnesota Education Association and the teachers' union agenda of incremental moral relativism only affects this household in a "public policy" sort of way, though there are obviously direct effects from second-hand exposure to public school's implicit encouragement of ethical standards in decline. Heather and I are completely in agreement. Our children will never attend a public school, no way, especially with the indoctrination agenda that is incrementally getting more extreme. Speaking of that, I see that in one school district in Washington, the school board voted to authorize the nurses to administer and make available birth control pills and other forms of birth control to the students. Okay, the real problem here is that a student is not allowed to even have an aspirin in their locker, and yet, the nurses are allowed to give the students birth control. The biggest problem of all here is that this is an explicit school district endorsement of irresponsible behavior among children. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders ARE CHILDREN, and they do not know what is best for themselves, least of all irresponsible sexual behavior. Most important of all, dealing with this is neither the right, nor the business of the schools. The parents should make those decisions, and the schools should butt out, and should try to ensure that American students graduating from high school have the same quality education as middle schoolers do in more than 30 other nations. Hey, now, to be fair, that would be an improvement for American students.

Gabriel's Halloween Pictures

Gabriel and Jericho have a bunch of Halloween pictures. I plan to take more, especially since Jericho's Nana and Grandma sent him other costumes that he can wear while his camera shutter-obsessed Dad takes plenty more pictures to share with both sets of grandparental units in Minnesota and Indiana.

In any case, here is a picture of Gabriel, taken last weekend. I posted Jericho's Halloween photo, so I figured it was only fair to post a snapshot of Gabriel, too. Here he is! Buzz Lightyear! To infinity and beyond!

Gabriel, still two years old, but not for long!

Installs and removals today, general thoughts

Sorry, no clever tag line or weak attempt at being punny in this post. This is just a quick comment or three, and then I am hoping to get to sleep a little earlier than I have been lately. By the way, it looks like Heather's parents are coming to visit this weekend. We are expecting them sometime on Friday afternoon. They haven't met their grandson, Jericho, yet, so this should be a good time and a happy introduction. I do have to work on Friday, but if that involves a trip to North Dakota, I expect to leave the house by around 4 a.m. so I can return home by mid-afternoon on Friday. I haven't seen my in-laws in months, so I don't want to miss this weekend either. Besides, I am trending towards way too much overtime. Uncle Sam collects enough of my money, so I should try to avoid the OT and the excessive income tax when I can!

I started three system installs and completed three system removals near Bemidji today. It looks like the install work will last at least through tomorrow night, though I will be surprised if it is completed without a third day of work at that same location on Thursday. I still need to work in North Dakota again this week, but in that regard, I wouldn't be surprised if the ND work gets pushed off until next week. The monitoring room won't be happy if that happens, but there are only so many hours in a day, and I am temporarily short-handed. One of my techs is on vacation through next week, so I need to cover his service area as well as my own (actually all of the MN service areas are mine either primarily or as a backup. I supervise areas where the other guys work). Speaking of North Dakota, when the primary jackpot got hit this weekend, I was informed that the casinos located in eastern North Dakota just became my responsibility. It was news to me, and at 12:15 a.m. on a Sunday morning, it wasn't the news I wanted. In any case, I have plenty of job security.

Everyone has been sick off and on around here for the last two weeks. I just have a sore throat, but occasionally feel chilled. Heather was surprised that I didn't have a fever, and has been guessing that for some reason, my cold or whatever this thing is, has not shown its ugly head in the form of a higher than normal temperature. I haven't had much sleep since Saturday morning, and that could be part of it, too. I have to wait for a UPS delivery before I can leave in the morning, so I think that I will sleep in at least until 7 a.m. tomorrow. I will take what I can get when it comes to sleep! It isn't always this way. Once in a great while, I stay in bed until 8, but those selfish pleasures are for weekends. Sleeping in late rocks!

Jericho's Halloween Picture

Jerico will be 3-months old at the end of this week.

Where does the time go?

Just a Couple More Thoughts

I am shocked that the Vikings managed to win the game against the Bears. I watched the last part of the game, and it was pretty sloppy. The Vikings had a safe margin with only a couple of minutes left in the 4th quarter, and yet these jokers did everything in their power to give the game away. The bright spot on the Vikings hasn’t changed, other than that I think this racehorse may be getting better and even more motivated to steamroll his way to breaking offensive records. Adrian Peterson played his heart out to win, and he did, in fact, break at least one record today. He has gained more yards in one game than any running back has ever done in the history of the Minnesota Vikings. If the Vikes could only get a team full of cloned Petersons, they would be hard to beat. Until that happens, I will resign myself to the prediction I stated a while back. The Vikings will win four games this year. That stinks!

I am going to bed soon. I hope that the rest of the work is posted this evening, so I can get that done by morning. I think I will get out of bed at midnight or 4 a.m., somewhere in that timeframe, and will finish the team assignment so that I can post a preview for the team by the time the rest of the group get out of bed in the morning. I probably won’t sleep much the next day or two, but I will make up for that later, when I get really sleepy. Life is too short to oversleep!

Saturday Morning, Sunday Morning, Its Just a Blur

I worked on the greenhouse Saturday afternoon, and we finished assembling the whole thing, other than the door. I had to modify the roof vent, but I am used to that. Anything we buy, I find that there are better ways to assembly the thing, and usually the hardware is the cheapest and most malleable junk the manufacturer could find. This was no exception. Eventually, we finished the greenhouse, but the tomatoes and flowers in pots are still under plastic in a makeshift greenhouse made of two ladders and electrical conduit. We will probably move the plants to the greenhouse in the next couple of days. I still need to put river rock on the floor of the greenhouse, but we will use the greenhouse in the meantime and add the gravel in spring, if the weather trends toward wintry weather soon.

Saturday night, we planned to watch Evan Almighty. Dave and Josh spent the weekend, so that Dave could look at housing situations in the area where he will be living when he gets trained and situated in his service area. To be accurate, the rest of us abandoned Dave, who watched Evan Almighty, while Heather and I planned to go to bed. I had just closed my eyes, literally, and the telephone rang. There was a primary jackpot in North Dakota at 12:15 a.m. So I got out of bed and hit the road. I didn’t get to the casino until 4:30 a.m. and didn’t get back home until 11:00 a.m. I slept about 45 minutes today, and didn’t sleep at all last night. It was a big jackpot for this area, just a few thousand under $3 million dollars, not a bad haul. I was pretty tired when I left the house, and when I got home, I figured I would sleep so well, after about 30 hours without sleep. I woke up Saturday morning, and here I am, still awake, and the Sunday sun is setting.

Picture This!

Yesterday was an eventful day. Little did I know, the day would become a lot longer than I had expected. In the morning, we took Gabriel and Jericho to get their pictures taken. We get a large picture of Gabriel in his Halloween costume every year, and this year, we added Jericho to the mix. Then, we had Christmas pictures taken, too, though the only people in those pictures are the boys. We just had a family picture taken in July, when Jericho was two days old. I figure that once every year or two, I can get in front of the camera, though I definitely prefer to be the one taking the pictures. I will start posting the pictures of Gabriel and Jericho soon, though I did order some pictures for Nana J, and for my parents, so they don't have to worry about printing out pictures from the blog. (Yes, I am speaking to the grandparents on both sides of this family!)

Followup: Something I realized

When I woke up this morning, for some reason it dawned on me. The reason that the Democrats cried foul when W used a PHOTOGRAPH of himself at Ground Zero and yet, it is perfectly acceptable for Hillary to use VIDEO of herself in a surgical mask at the WTC is obvious. The Dems know that George W. will never publicly criticize them for doing precisely the same thing that they criticized him for doing. Further, the Democratic Party and the mainstream media are two cogs in the very same political machine, and the Dems fully know and realize that their media machine (also known as CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Herald, AP, Reuters, Chicago Tribune, Minneapolis Star and Sickle, et al.) will blast G. W. for his actions, with loud and ugly outcry. Yet the Democrats further know that they will never be criticized for doing exactly the same thing, supposedly exploiting 9-11.

What a bunch of hypocrites and phonies. All they care about is their political power. They certainly do not care about the welfare, safety, and longevity of the United States, as long as their dirty tricks keep them in power for another day. Beware. These people cannot be trusted!

Gabriel in cowboy mode

Hey, guess what??? The Minnesota Vikings didn't lose this week. Don't be too impressed. It was their bye week. No worries, though. Next week, the Vikes will be back in the game, and will have no problem losing. Again. I figure that they will win about 4 games this year.

In better and brighter news, this is my kid, Gabriel. He will be three years old in a few months. Where does the time go???

A Brief Observation

Does it ever occur to anyone else what a bunch of hypocrites the Democrat politicos really are? Here is my brief example for the day.

In 2004, during the presidential campaign, W used a picture, a photograph of himself meeting with firefighters who risked their lives at the World Trade Centers during the cleanup after the terrorist attacks. The Democrats were outraged, saying that W politicized 9-11.

This week, Wannabe madame president Hill has a campaign video running, showing herself in a surgical mask at Ground Zero. The voice-over for the commercial says, "She stood by Ground Zero workers who sacrificed their health after so many sacrificed their lives, and she kept standing up against this administration's inaction."

Why is it that when Dems use footage from Ground Zero, it is an honorable thing to do, while when anyone else uses footage or even a still photo from the WTC site, it is gratuitious politicizing of the victims of 9-11? Why is it an offense against hallowed ground, exploiting the victims of 9-11, when W or any Republican mentions the WTC attacks, but it is perfectly acceptable for Dems to do the exact same thing?

That is the epitome of hypocracy in America today. But what is new? The Dems are a dangerous bunch of gas bags and, in their lust for power at any price, the dirty tricks the Democrats will use to feed their hunger for power simply knows no boundaries. They will sell out American interests at every turn in their hunger for power at any price. Do not trust these people. Do not be fooled by their trickery.

America's future should not be subject to political gamesmanship from either side of the aisle.

It's raining, it's pouring (finally!)

Finally, the rain that we have not had all year is coming down. I feel a bit like Noah, here, if only in that this is the third day in a row that it has rained. Please understand that this is not a complaint on my part. After all, the ground moisture is very low. We need all the rain we can get before the ground freezes, so that the trees can get rejuvenated. I think that if it had not rained, we would lose many trees over the winter. Fortunately, for this area, this is a nice, light to moderate rainfall, and it has continued for three days. Thank God for the rain.

Dave and Josh came to visit this weekend. They arrived Saturday and stayed until Sunday night. We didn’t do much Saturday night, just worked on the greenhouse, in the dark, during a break in the rain showers. Then we watched an old movie that is interesting and engaging, though there is an underlying implied commentary about things that the U.S. government did during Viet Nam, experiments with psychotropic drugs that were used on soldiers without their knowledge. That is part of the storyline, but it is not preachy, so it doesn’t get in the way of the story. The star is a raving Marxist wacko in the real world, but he is a gifted actor, so I can only separate the acting from the delirious political rage of the actor. The movie? Jacob’s Ladder. The actor? Tim Robbins.

Dave and Josh drove up to Hibbing on Sunday morning to have a look around. Sometime after the end of November, Dave will be living in the Hibbing area, so he wanted to familiarize himself with that area. He sounded upbeat about the amenities there, and located the school (filling Josh with unending joy, I am sure), the stores they will frequent, and looked at places where Dave’s Significant Other, Melissa, will work. It sounds like she will be in Minnesota soon. Dave is in high spirits and that is a good thing. I am glad for their whole family.

I finished part 3 of the paper I am writing about business proposals for the island of Kava. That is for my critical thinking in business class. It is pretty bogus, and if I remember correctly, it is the third critical thinking class I have had in three years of college. I know that a large part of college is training the mind so that an employer can be confident that you know how to learn. Then, a college graduate gets a job where the employer retrains their mind again anyway. Rather ironic, but that is how I see it. In any case, I finished the third part of the paper. I have two group assignments left for the class, and I will finish the class this weekend. I do not remember what my next class is, but it will start a week from tomorrow. Moving on….

I could walk five hundred miles (or drive it, I guess)

I put on a lot of miles today, working at Grand Portage. The round trip included ten hours of driving and six hours working at the location. I worked on scheduling and work-related email for another hour after I got home tonight. It is so odd to leave before the sun rises and not get home until long after darkness falls again, but what the heck… it pays the bills, I suppose. The one thing I really dislike about the long trips to the end of the gaming world in Minnesota is that I miss seeing the family at all that day. The two best things about the trip this time of year are that the autumn colors along the North Shore of Lake Superior are breathtaking right now, and that this involved five hundred miles of driving today. That makes this five hundred miles closer to getting new tires on the service truck. The reason I mention that is because on Tuesday, I was driving home from Fortune Bay and it was raining pretty hard. I kept the speed to fifty miles an hour, because the tires have little tread left, and even though the truck is one heavy beast, with that little bit of tread, the truck was still slipping around on the road, like butter in a hot frying pan. (You just pictured melting butter in a pan, didn't you?) Our maintenance company is ridiculously tight-fisted with OUR money, and won’t let me get new tires yet. I think that when I go in for an oil change again, I will be able to finally get new tires. In a way, I don't mind, because I will have brand new tread for the winter. Oh, and I plan to tell them I want A/T tires instead of the cheesy road-tripping crap that is currently on the truck. For the uninitiated (Heather and Mom, this means you), A/T means the tires are all-terrain and have meatier tread. That is useful for Grand Portage trips in the winter.

While I love the scenery along the North Shore, the winter weather can be nuts. I have been on drives to Portage and in the course of twenty miles, it changed from sunny skies and clear roads to white-out blizzard conditions and glare ice, and then back to sunny skies again. Superior is such a big lake; it literally induces its own weather. I personally think that getting two feet of lake-effect snow in one day would rock! Heather would agree with me. Since our lake country winters have yielded the most pathetic snow levels lately, the idea of all that snow sounds like a blast. Besides, Gabriel is getting old enough that he can really begin to appreciate the snow. I want a snowstorm that is hardcore, the kind of storm that keeps you snowed in for two or three days straight. Those were the days!!

Come on. Let it snow!

postpartum lecture

I went to my OB/GYN today for my postpartum check-up. The whole thing started out with Gabriel seeing his picture on the wall in the waiting area and saying, "He's funny!" He likes Dr. Leland's sense of humor. The man has as great of a bedside manner for women in labor as he does for children. He always gets a high-five from Gabriel and makes him laugh.

After befriending Gabriel for the millionth time, he proceeded to ask me if I am having the baby blues. I said that I was generally feeling fine. He asked me how long I planned on breastfeeding. I told him that I would probably do it for a year, like I did with Gabriel. He asked me if I was having unprotected sex. I told him that I don't care if I get pregnant again and wasn't really worried about getting pregnant since I was breastfeeding so often (the wonderful child likes to eat just about every hour and that is why he is such a pudgy thing) and I have yet to have a period. He looked at me and said, "Now...you realize that you can get pregnant without a period and while breastfeeding?" I acknowledged that breastfeeding is not foolproof birth control, and that it was my husband's fault that I have two boys. He just laughed and said that he guessed that I knew how it all worked and what made him feel better about the conversation was that I started it all out by saying that we didn't care how soon we had another one.

Help?

Does anyone but my mother read this? Any mothers out there. Here is the deal: Maybe the child is just a night-owl. Today is a prime example. Gabriel woke up at 8:30am, fell asleep for a one and a half hour nap at 1pm, and is still awake now at half past midnight. He only slept more than a hour for a nap, because it is impossible to wake him up. Factor into this that the child is currently sick. You would think he would need to sleep more. I've tried eliminating the nap. He isn't ready for that. That will just cause him to sleep at 5 or 6pm. He never lasts an entire day without sleep. So what do I do? Wake him up at 7am? I know that part of the problem is that I can't wind him down. But, if I can't manage to get him to sit quietly in front of the tv or with a book, then what can I possibly do to get him to slow down and get tired?

Gabriel

Gabriel at the mall

Jericho

Jericho, October 1st, 2 months

Gabriel

Gabriel, 2 1/2 years old, September 28 at the mall

Billary Clinton, Universal Health Care, and the 10th Amendment

Let me quickly remind you of what the Tenth Amendment says before I get on my soapbox for a bit:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Hillary Clinton has been promising that there will be guaranteed health care for everyone. This drives me crazy, and indeed, bugs the shit out of me. What is happening here is that Billary Clinton (that is not a typo… Billary = Bill + Hillary “the Mad Dog” Clinton) is using the scare tactics that she claims the conservative side of the aisle use against the common folk out there. Don’t believe that, for it is a bold-faced lie used tirelessly by the wacky socialist left in this country. Face it: too many people just do not know the facts. Seriously, nobody in the United States is denied health care. They may not have health INSURANCE, but in no way is that the same thing as not having HEALTH CARE. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something, and again, Hillary is my “snake oil” selling case in point.

Do I dare say that Hillary is a big fat liar? By gum, I just did. First, she has no right to make these ridiculous campaign promises assuring universal health care to the gullible American sheep (the naïve sheeple) following her lies. Furthermore, the entire U.S. Congress and the federal government, in fact, have no constitutional right, to authorize federal health care, to fund it, or to mandate it. This is a states’ rights issue, plain and simple. Nowhere in the constitution does it say that the federal government is authorized to mandate, sanction, finance, subsidize, or provide universal health care. This is more of the socialist agenda of the left wing welfare crazies in the wacky loony bin of the left.

In our governmental system, arranged as it has been by the Founding Fathers, one thing that Hillary forgets is that the states are the de facto and constitutionally provided uppermost governmental authority, and the states themselves are constitutionally subservient only to the willful consent to those governed by the states, the hard working citizens of each singular state. The states have the power to bring suit and legal action directly to the U.S. Supreme Court (the court that has the original and premier influence), in order to dispute the constitutionality of federal regulations at the national level.

The individual states also have the power to join in a constitutional convention to approve amendments to the U.S. Constitution entirely without U.S. Congressional approval, through the constitutional conventions process. These are some fantastic powers. The states’ governments (collectively) unconditionally have the authority to rescind or substitute part or all of the U.S. Constitution if they so choose. Say the states choose to do this, the likely means would be to use the process of creating amendments to replace the Constitution entirely, or to take back the powers that the federal government has illegitimately stolen through the years (and I say firmly that ‘stolen’ is the validly descriptive term for what the U.S. Congress has been incrementally doing for decades… stealing power from the states. I am frustrated in saying that the states are by no means becoming fragile or defenseless against uncontrolled authoritarianism from the federal government, despite the many higher court rulings attempting to misappropriate state powers and reassign these states rights to the federal government against them.

What frustrates me is that the states do, in fact, seem to be losing ground to the federal government. It is in reality a case where the individual states do not have the nerve and the resolve to step up to the plate, to shelter and secure their constitutional rights. Why? The states no longer stand up for their rights and demand that the federal government back off and let the states govern their people as each state sees fit to do.

The cynic in me says that while the states are the final check on the federal government’s power, when the U.S. Congress does not act in their interests, the states just do not have the guts to take back what is rightfully theirs to begin with. Hillary Clinton cannot offer you universal health care. It is not her right, nor the right of the United States Congress or the federal government to make those promises. To put it bluntly, it is a states’ rights issue. For the federal government to adopt a socialist stance and provide health care to the sheeple not only breeds dependency and fosters the state of welfare addicts demanding more and more welfare benefits, the fact is that socialistic medicine is blatantly and absolutely unconstitutional.

Update on Dave and the job

Here is an update on my brother and the company. He is waiting for the official job offer. My boss has assured him (and me) that the offer is forthcoming. Dave will start working around the 22nd, after the background investigation is complete. I was grandfathered into the company when the Borg of gaming acquired us, so I did not have to go through so many investigations. I do still have to have my fingerprints taken and new license applications filled out from time to time. Now that South Dakota’s service area has been folded into the Minnesota service territory, I have to be licensed for both North and South Dakota, so I got to fill out all the regulatory paperwork again last month. It is not a big deal, but then I have documentation of every place I have been for ages for this specific reason, to simplify regulatory applications.

Dave will get used to all the regulatory documentation… eventually. Will he become accustomed to the telephone calls in the middle of the night? Oh, he will, without a doubt, though it gives me smug fulfillment to know that he can see what I have been going through for eight years. Hehe… a slightly malcontented gratification, but he will come to appreciate what a great occupation this can be, if he works it effectively. I am elated for him and wish him much success. Besides, he works for me, so it behooves me to want him to succeed. That plainly will make my life easier, too.

Dave gets his shot at the big leagues

Dave got a job with the company. He starts today. I was not sure about whether he got hired or not, because my boss called me on Friday and wondered why he hadn’t gotten a call back from the brother. Of course, I called Dave right away and mentioned that the boss was trying to reach him. Dave called the boss and found out that they wanted him to come in on Monday for “20 minutes” and that he was then being cut loose for the week. Apparently, that meant that he was working in the office all this week. After that, I am guessing he will go for training in Reno or Las Vegas for a couple of weeks, but the good news is that Dave got his foot in the door. This will be a good opportunity for him. He deserves a shot, and having trained him on automated robotic equipment in the past, I know that he definitely has the technical ability to learn all of this. Not having experience is going to be a challenge for a while, but if anyone can learn this, that would be Dave. He picks up on technical subjects quickly, and I truly believe that he will do the same thing again. Besides, once he is in the field, I will almost certainly be providing his advanced training, the same training I have given other techs who now work for, and with me, all over Minnesota. Dave will do fine.

The long-term plan is for him to be a remote technician with a home base wherever he chooses to live up near Hibbing. This could be a life-changing turn of events for him. I hope that he really applies himself. If so, I think that he will become one of the techs who really make a difference in the customer service field. I would not have given such a strong recommendation if I did not believe that he could do this so well. After all, he will be working for me, and I do not need any headaches or to baby-sit for guys who don’t know what they are supposed to be doing to stay busy. I figure that he will work hard and become a great success in the field. He is a total rookie with zero experience today, but he knows that this is a big break, not having previous related work. I honestly believe that he will do great things. We will see, but today, he gets his shot in the big leagues.

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.