Son of Byford

Got An Hour And A Half? Watch This.

2007-01-04T20:40:00.000-06:00

Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions

The American Documentary Grand Jury Prize was given to WHY WE FIGHT, written and directed by Eugene Jarecki. http://festival.sundance.org/2005/docs/05Awards.pdf

What are the forces that shape and propel American militarism? This award-winning film provides an inside look at the anatomy of the American war machine.

He may have been the ultimate icon of 1950s conformity and postwar complacency, but Dwight D. Eisenhower was an iconoclast, visionary, and the Cassandra of the New World Order. Upon departing his presidency, Eisenhower issued a stern, cogent warning about the burgeoning "military industrial complex," foretelling with ominous clarity the state of the world in 2004 with its incestuous entanglement of political, corporate, and Defense Department interests.

Deploying the general's farewell address as his strategic ground zero, Eugene Jarecki launches a full-frontal autopsy of how the will of a people has become an accessory to the Pentagon. Surveying the scorched landscape of a half-century's military misadventures and misguided missions, Jarecki asks how--and tells why--a nation ostensibly of, by, and for the people has become the savings-and-loan of a system whose survival depends on a state of constant war.

Jarecki, whose previous film, The Trials of Henry Kissinger, took such an unblinking look at our ex-secretary of state, might have delivered his film in time for the last presidential election, but its timing is also its point: It does not matter who is in charge as long as the system remains immune from the checks and balances of a peace-seeking electorate. Brisk, intelligent, and often very, very human, Why We Fight is one of the more powerful films in this year's Festival, and certainly among the most shattering.Â? Diane Weyermann

http://www.whywefightmovie.com/

Happy Holidays, Folks

2006-11-02T20:20:00.000-06:00

Okay... I think I have the next few months covered.

2006-10-23T22:01:00.000-05:00

It's a wrap.

2006-08-16T15:36:00.000-05:00

I think I am done with this blog thing. I really don't have it in me right now. Maybe I'll pick it up again some other time. Then again, I may not. Who knows?

Peace.

I got an offer today.

2006-08-07T15:14:00.000-05:00

It's about freakin' time. It looks like a great offer with a great company. I think I'll take it. However, I am going to sleep on it.

We got back from the family reunion yesterday. A great time was had by all. Iris got to play in the lake. All parents of little ones got no sleep. Pictures will be posted soon.

I didn't get anything done today. Shortly after my long job search (I hadn't looked for jobs since last Tuesday due to the trip), I got the offer call and I've been too geeked to keep focused on any one thing for any length of time. I've even had to walk away from this post once. Good thing the house isn't a mess. At least I got the tomatoes staked.

Dood.

2006-07-31T16:00:00.000-05:00

This has got to suck.

LATER...

Matt's blog is one of a few regular reads of mine. Just before his last tour, I got an odd feeling when reading his posts. Out of the blue, he announced that he was going on tour. Because of my "odd feeling", I dubbed it his "Anywhere but here/Get me the f**k outta BC for a while" tour.

At first, I thought that he might have had a thing going on with his opening act, Melissa McLelland. However, I discovered that she was (or was to be) married to Luke Doucet -- who I believe was also on the tour -- this past June. Obviously, something else must have been going on. And now I think I know what that was...

Matt just needed to get the f**k out.

A new type of coffee drink?

2006-07-14T12:26:00.000-05:00

I was catching up on some of my much-neglected blog reads and stumbled across this.

"May I have a grande half decaf mocha ejacculatte, please?"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

2006-07-14T09:37:00.000-05:00

Check out the name of the second guy interviewed in this news footage. He's my new hero.

LATER...

I guess the word got out and the station took the story down. However, all is not lost... It is the Internet after all. I was able to find it elsewhere. While searching for the story, I found this funny one too.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

2006-07-12T22:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Kevin.

2006-07-04T17:50:00.000-05:00

That's why we all have the day off, watch parades, BBQ and light fireworks. We are celebrating Kevin's Birthday!

We are also celebrating Independence Day today. We are celebrating declaring independence from Britain on this day in 1776. Many 'mericans don't know this. Sad, innit?

Fireworks trade group cites "people having too much to drink and putting firecrackers up their nose" as a major cause of injuries. Read on...

Happy Canada Day.

2006-07-01T18:33:00.000-05:00

America Jr. is 139 years old today. Happy Birthday Canada, you gay-loving, dope-smoking, gun-hating, no-Iraqing, funny talking, universal healthcaring, magnificent bastard.

Cat Food Jerky... Mm-mm Good!

2006-06-28T10:20:00.000-05:00

The other day I noticed Iris chewing away at something. It looked like she was chomping on a piece of gum or something. As she is almost constantly putting anything and everything she can pick up in her mouth these days, it goes without saying that Sarah was quick on the scene. She pried her mouth open to discover that she was gnawing on a dried piece of this. At the time, we thought it was extremely gross. However, I discovered half of a black ant dangling out of the corner of her mouth earlier this morning... So, that tops dried cat food any day.

Speaking of food. I am watching 'Top 5' on Food Network. Today's show is about decadent desserts and they featured the works of Margaret Braun. Now, those are some serious cakes, man.

Still no word about the job I interviewed for last week. I saw that the company posted the position again, so I am not feeling all that confident. I can't be all that concerned until I hear something from them.

On a good note; I have a phone interview tomorrow for a real, grown-up, executive-type job. I applied for the job pretty much on a whim. Basically, because my wife thought I should... And she knows best. I never expected to hear back from them. Never. I am glad I listen to her.

I went to an estate auction the other day. They are a lot of fun. Even if you don't bid on anything, it is a good time. I was the winning bidder on two 30 foot extension ladders. I got them for $90. I only need one, but they came as a lot of two. I couldn't pass up the price. I can always sell one and make my money back. I also bid on a heavy-duty snow blower, but I bowed out at $60. Had I been employed, I would have been willing to go as high as $100. I don't know if you've ever priced snow blowers, but they aren't cheap. I think the thing went for $85. I also bid on a bench grinder and a circular saw, but I am cheap. The auction took place in and around an old tobacco warehouse that was turned in to storage. There was obviously years and years of crap stored in this place. There were hand tools to restaurant equipment... And everything in between. As I said earlier, lot's of fun.

We will have new neighbors soon. The land to the north of us was finally sold and we met the new owners. We walked around the property and discussed trees. I marked all of the trees I want gone a while ago, so it was a pretty quick talk. Sarah and I had to show them the property line because they were under the impression that the property line was perpendicular to the street (which it is not). I think they were a bit bummed and I am sure they are going to get it surveyed again just to make sure.

Sarah has taken the next few days off. We toyed with the idea of heading north to visit Iris' grandparents, but I think we are going to stay here and get some much needed yard work and such done.

Off to check email.

Getting Closer

2006-06-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

To working again. I can feel it. Maybe not with the company I had my second interview with today, but I'll be working soon.

Today's interview went pretty well. They guy had some concerns, but I think I did a good job of quelling them.

I've applied for some pretty cool gigs in that past couple of days, but I've yet to hear anything. There are also some that I am still on the fence about applying for, but Sarah has done a good job of convincing me to apply. So, I'll apply tomorrow. I'd do it tonight, but I just put the baby to bed and I just want to eat and chill for the remainder of the night.

Someone is setting off fireworks. I really wish they would at least wait until it got dark -- and until my baby has been sleeping for a while longer. Why would someone set off fireworks while it was still light out? Yes, I know there are some that just make noise, but these don't sound like the kind.

I am currently watching *checks TV listings* 'America's Got Talent'. It looks as though America has no talent. I'd be watching real "Reality TV", but I am taping the first episode of the new 'Big Brother' because Sarah is at work. Okay, I take it back. Some 14 year old girl just sang the shit out of some Whitney, so at lest one person in America has talent.

Yeah, so I watched The Oilers blow it and I have to say that there is a trend that bothers me a great deal.

Dumping.

If I dumped the puck as much a I saw in this series, I would have been benched. When I played, there were only two reasons to dump the puck. The first was if your line had been out on the ice for a long time and you had, had, HAD to switch up on the fly. The only other time would be when penalty killing. When short handed, it's okay to dump the fuck out of a puck to kill time until we were even strength. I saw these guys... These pros... Dumping the puck to (I think) set up plays or just to get it in the zone. If I did that, I would have been benched so fast and I would have had been forced to do nothing but line drills for the entire next practice.

What is with these new lines behind the goal? Are these new "Safe Zones" for goalies? I was pissed when the crease was enlarged. Now this?? Back in the day, the goal tender's job was just that... Keep the puck out of the net. Back when I played, if a goalie dared venture out of his large safe zone, he was open game -- and deserved to be plastered against the boards.

What's with all of this finesse crap? Shoot the frickin' puck at the net! Hockey is a game of odds. The more shots on goal, the more chances you might have to get it past the goalie. These goal tenders are getting paid millions of dollars to protect 30 shots on goal a game? We would have more shots on goal per game when I was a mite!

Shoot the puck.

Typing

2006-06-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am typing a post. Did you think I would only be doing video posts from now on?

Hecky naw.

I like the written word too much to stop.

So, I 'm watching some NHL finals again. I asked my wife if I was a bad American because I wasn't pulling for a team from the states. She reassured me that I was just being a good hockey fan. I've got to pull for 'Ol' Skool NHL'.

Go Oilers in OT.

So, Iris is going to be 11 months next week. I am still waiting for Iris' real parents to knock on the door to pick her up. They'd hand me a big check for 11 months of babysitting and thank me for a job well done. But then it hits me... I am her father!

I am a father. How cool is that?

She'll be walking in no time. I ran in to a mom at the grocery store today who said that her daughter started walking at 11 months. Seems about right for Iris too. She walks just fine if she is holding on to our hands or a piece of furniture. She has also started standing up with no support/help more and more often.

I just went outside for and saw my first lighting bug/firefly of the season. I guess summer is around the corner. Being on the river, we get a LOT of fireflies. It is really cool to watch. It's like a fireworks show every night.

I have a date with my weed whacker tomorrow -- as long as it isn't raining. We've got about an acre and about a third to a half of it is wild and/or wooded. Well, I've decided to tame it. I'll keep the goose berries and raspberries, but everything else is getting whacked.

Whacked... It sounds so 'Sopranos".

The Oilers won in OT with a suh-wheat short-handed goal.

Off to watch some Letterman.

NHL Ads & Grape Tomatoes

2006-06-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

Stuff

2006-06-09T12:24:00.000-05:00

Just some of the stuff that is piling up around my laptop.

Yup... I am still here.

Fun or Exploitation?

2006-05-22T20:51:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so, things have been rough around here recently.

You guessed it. It is all about Iris.

She is teething like a mad woman AND has a cold. I am sure you can imagine what a treat she is right now. I am not digging being a dad these days. However, there is something that keeps me going...

Something that grabs my nipple, twists it and yells at me to buck up. That something also tells me to hold her, make her laugh and love her.

Well, I've started doing something to help me get through this little "developmental stage" of hers. My wife says it's child exploitation, but I just call it fun.

At any rate, here's what I do; I place a Finger Food puff on her forehead while feeding her dinner and see how long it can stay on said forehead.

Tonight I set a personal best.

I made it well over an hour! I came so close to setting her down for the night with it intact. However, she rubbed up against my arm towards the end of her bottle...

So close.

So close to the joy of her waking up in the morning with the thing still attached to her cranium.

Well, I picked it up off of the floor and ate it in her honor.

I love you, little girl. I hope you wake with a smile in the morning. It's been way too long.

Listening:
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

2006-05-18T21:08:00.000-05:00

A very cool video... And a good song too.

- Peace

10 Things I Hate About Commandments

2006-05-17T18:18:00.000-05:00

Redirect, redirect, redirect

2006-05-16T16:52:00.000-05:00

When I am alone with Iris, this is all I do now that she is crawling.

Woah! Iris is crawling to the shoe rack!

Redirect!!

Yikes! Iris is crawling to Sarah's computer cords!

Redirect!

Ruh-roh! Iris is eating the cardboard out of the cat scratcher-thingie!

Redirect!

Oh no! Iris is pulling Sarah's clothes out... of... the... basket... Never mind.

Have at it, girl!

"Will work for money."

2006-05-10T10:06:00.000-05:00

Very little, even. I was getting $8.53 an hour (tax free) from Unemployment and we were doing okay.

Yeah, if you've read Sarah's blog you already know that my unemployment benefits have run out and I am unable to apply again until October unless I am hired and fired/laid off/let go/terminated/canned/you get the picture/ before then. I hear Mc Donald's in town is hiring managers.

So, we are now officially poor. I do have an interview next week. Maybe it'll turn out well? In the meantime, I wonder if we qualify for government (guh'ment) cheese?

I weighed myself last night and this morning. This is something I rarely do. I am now 190 pounds of pure bloat. This is the heaviest I've ever been in my life. When I quit smoking last June I weighed 160-165 pounds. Now, I can't blame it all on not smoking. I am sure a lot of it is from my fondness for cuh-hold Ones. Though, I had a fondness for them when I was smoking. I guess my metabolism slowed down due to the lack of nicotine in my system.

Iris has taken up an infant extreme sport known as bed-jumping. It is quite similar to base jumping, but without the parachutes! And unlike base jumping, when they reach the bottom, they don't say "DUDE! That was AWESOME!" They merely land with a thud and cry.

Oh... And look out cats! Iris started crawling forward today. Your days of peace are numbered.

On this day three years ago, my brother died. It's hard to believe it's been three years. He had a seizure during a torrential downpour and drown in a puddle. Quite tragic, really. He would have been 41. I am sure he would have hated turing 40. I think he feared getting old... More than most. He would have loved Iris. She probably would have done him some good.

It ain't gonna happen.

2006-05-05T11:05:00.000-05:00

Let's face it, I am never going to post the pictures from our trip to BC. However, my on-the-ball wife posted some shortly after our return. If you would like to see them, you may do so here. The link will open up a Flickr slide show... I think.

I said to myself that my next post would be the announcement of the posting of the BC pictures and that there would be no other posts until I got the photos uploaded.

Silly, isn't it?

Sarah and I agreed this morning that Iris is getting so tall. I took Iris to day care this morning and Stephanie -- who hasn't seen Iris in a few days -- said the same thing! I guess it must be true, then.

No more Little Peanut.

Oh... We also agreed that Iris has Sarah's monkey feet. I'll let Sarah explain that one in her blog.

Iris is sleeping better these days.

*Thanks God*

I guess she doesn't like her middle of the night bonding time with dad. What's not to like? Nothing like hanging out with an total zombie in complete darkness while drinking watered down formula from a bottle that gives you gas. Not to mention going back to bed with A&D ointment on your thigh and forearm because daddy can't seem to focus enough to get the stuff where it counts.

Yeah, I guess I'd roll over and do what ever it took to go back to sleep on my own too. My Mom said that it was just payback for all of the nights I didn't come home on time and she didn't get to sleep.

Payback's a bitch.

Our first picture taken together

2006-04-30T15:58:00.000-05:00

Taken on April 15, 2001 in Edgewood, BC

Almost five years to the day...

Taken on March 27, 2006 in Edgewood, BC

Update your stuff...

2006-04-14T23:20:00.000-05:00

If you use http://tophercam.com/ to access this page...

Stop it.

As of April 30th, it will be disabled.

Use http://sonofbyford.blogspot.com/ going forward.

Thanks.
Me

PS - Photo essay of the BC trip shortly.

Hi. I am Brian Roast Beef.

2006-04-10T18:12:00.000-05:00

Taking a break.

2006-03-23T20:55:00.000-06:00

I am sure you have noticed that I haven't posted in a while. I just haven't felt like it lately. We are off to BC tomorrow morning for 10 days. First to Vancouver for the day, then off to Vernon on Saturday. I am looking forward to it. Maybe the time away will spark me?

We are in Chicago at my parents for the night. We are flying out of Chicago, so it makes sense. However, my parents are in Arizona. We have taken over their place, munched on some greek food and I am drinking all of my dad's beer.

Later.

Here. Hold on to your gay lion while I sniff your crotch.

2006-03-13T19:47:00.000-06:00

For you non- parents out there, I am sure that sounded really strange. For those of you who have (or have ever had) a newborn, I am sure this kind of talk is commonplace. Now, for those of you that need some explanation, here goes...

Iris made the poo grunts. Often, they are false alarms. The only way to know for sure is to catch a whiff. Often times, it takes quite a while for the foul stench to permeate the room. Therefore, it is often necessary to get up close and personal. So, in this case, I handed Iris her Gay Lion as a distraction while I dove in.

Yeah, she had a full diaper.

"This has been a difficult decision",

2006-03-08T17:13:00.000-06:00

Read the first sentence of the email. Did I need to read further?

Not really.

When an email begins with those words, you know what is coming next. Where there typographical errors?

Yes.

Shame on them for sending a kiss-off letter with typos. Shame, shame, shame.

All joking aside, I wish all kiss-off letters were as good as this one. It was almost more of a kiss-up letter than a kiss-off letter. Still, I wish I didn't receive it.

And the hunt continues...

Iris is now rolling over with ease. In fact, we woke up twice last night to find her in her crib and on her stomach. I found her in her crib this afternoon gumming the crib rail.

Now that she is becoming so mobile, she now has to think before she acts. There is nothing like being stuck on your tummy at 2:00 AM, wishing you were on your back and sucking on your Binky. When in reality, you are on your stomach at the foot of the bed and your Binky is at the head of the bed.

I bet the distance between the foot of the crib and the head of the crib is, like, 50 baby miles.

Cause of death: A+D

2006-03-06T15:42:00.000-06:00

Squeezing ointment out of a new tube of A+D can be very dangerous. You see, there are air pockets that form in the tube and any ointment before the pocket can, potentially, become a very powerful projectile. There is nothing like being blurry-eyed at 3:00 in the morning, trying to change a diaper, hearing a loud POP and then a slight thud. I haven't been hit... Yet. Luckily, I've been able to locate the ones that have gotten away.

So, yeah, it's been a few days since a post. I've had the dashboard up at least once at some point during each day over the past three days. However, one thing or another has prevented me from typing something up. Oh, well. As you can see, the world continued to spin on its axis.

Does the Earth have an axis and does it spin on it?

Okay.

Iris has been ill. It has been documented by my wife. Feel free to read all aboot it. I am happy to say that she is on the mend. However, today she was a mess. She was a crying machine. She is teething. A bit of Tylenol and some cold teething toys seemed to do the trick. She was all laughs and smiles with me tonight. I was dreading being alone with her tonight, but she was a pleasant surprise. So much so, I hated to have to put her down tonight.

Still no word from Duluth. If they call, great. If not, whatever.

I can't believe I've been unemployed for over four months. It's been four months and nine days.

*Feeling scrambly*

Oh! I almost forgot. I got sick as all get-out last week. I had this awful 24-hour stomach flu. It was one of those where, when it was all said and done, I was just thankful to still be alive.

Hic

2006-03-02T14:11:00.000-06:00

Hey look! It's Kevin!

2006-02-27T13:39:00.000-06:00

Shave. Been a few days. I'm getting all George Michaely,,,,Ewww!
5 O'clock shadow turning into another beard. My scar isn't visible again...
Barb and Clairey like it. I have no idea why.

Sunny Saturday

2006-02-25T09:05:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it's a nice, sunny day. I am on the sofa with the 486 on my lap, the curtains are drawn and the sun is warming the room. Sarah is at work and I am home with the girl. She is sick. She has this awful cough. It hurts me to hear her hack. She is upstairs napping. But because of the hack, she is just on the other side of awake. I think she really hasn't had good sleep since she started with this coughing. Oh, and she seems to be teething again, too. My heart is breaking. I feel so bad for her. I just want her all better.

At any rate, I've got my coffee and I am listening to my favorite Saturday radio program... Saturday at the 70's. From 9:00 AM until midnight. You name it, they play it.

The interview went well. It was about an hour and 45 minutes of good dialogue. The first half was the director asking me questions. The second half was me asking him questions. Some good banter. Again... If I don't get the position it isn't because of the interview.

I've spent the morning reading Kevin/Reyner's latest installment. He made mention of pizza. Mmmm, pizza. I truly believe that, when done well, there is no better food. Yeah, not the Pizza Hut stuff. Lucky Vito's. Now, that was some great stuff! Classic Mom & Pop Chicago pizza. Man, I miss Lucky Vito's. There is a place in town that does pizza and isn't a chain. I think I've only tried their pie once. I recall thinking it was pretty close to Mom & Pop Chicago pizza. Maybe I should give them a try again? Yeah, I think I will. They deliver now.

Coffee's cold. Need a warmer.

The Girl just woke up. As I would have guessed, she only slept for a half an hour at best. That isn't nearly enough sleep. She does this all day and is just constantly over-tired. The only time she seems to get a good nap in is when she is in the big bed with mom. Maybe I'll give it a try after she eats. I'm not mom, but it's certainly worth a try.

'All By Myself' - Eric Carmen

Okay. Back to pizza.

Lately, I've been obsessed with this. I was asking The Internet for a good pizza dough recipe when it suggested that. Maybe I'll build one some day and have pizza parties. Mmmm... There is nothing like a true brick-oven pizza. I really like this guy's set-up. I imagine something like this (oven/grill/fire place combo) in a three-season, open and bright porch. Even in winter, we could use the heat from the oven and fire place to heat the porch and entertain.

I hung out with a two-year-old yesterday. I was watching him for about an hour while his mommy got doll'd up for some event later in the evening. He sure was a lot of fun... More work than I am used to... But a lot of fun, nonetheless. We swapped baseball caps, watched 'Bob The Builder' on DVD, tossed a Nerf football around (he has an amazing arm) and did some general rough-housing... Well, HE did the rough-housing. I just took it.

So, it was mentioned by the author of the blog I was reading earlier this morning that he didn't want a child because he was too old. Phooey. We are the same age and I don't feel I am too old. When I am sixty, she'll be 21. Twenty-one years old and on her own. No longer a kid. An adult. Personally, I think it is just kind of a lame excuse. He's always going on and on about how happy he is when he is with his nephew that you'd think he'd want that happiness around him all of the time. Maybe it is something deeper than 'Age'? Who am I to say, though? I'll shut up now.

Sorry, dude. It just bugged me. By the way, Ellen 'George' Muth was born March 6, 1981.

Here is a little story. Let's title it 'Life'. It is a quick story of the lives )or deaths) of my two grandfathers;

Grandfather number one started his family of four pretty young by today's standards. He led a pretty normal life and died of a massive heart attack at the age of 58. Grandfather number two started his family of five at the age of 40. He drank, smoked, ate salty-ass eggs & bacon every morning and was a welder (back in the day, welders masks were lined with asbestos). He lived to his late eighties, saw his children grow and have children of their own. The End.

As you can see, we have no idea what 'Life' will deal you, so we can't worry about it. We just have to live it and be grateful that we can get vertical every morning.

That's all I have to say about that. I am hungry.

If baby pee were currency, I'd be a billionaire.

2006-02-23T09:48:00.000-06:00

Is it okay to have crunchy Cheetos for breakfast? I am totally craving them right now. How about spicy pork rinds?

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I just haven't had it in me. It seems like it's been all aboot Iris lately. I don't think I've had to spend any more time with her than usual, it just seems that way. She's getting so big!

So, Flickr sucks. I've just discovered that their free accounts only allow a total of 200 photos to be posted at any given time. Because of this, the photos of her** first two months are gone. I think I'll go back to Buzznet. Not only can I post to my little heart's content, but they now have video posting!

So, I haven't heard back from the company who was looking for the operations manager. I guess they didn't like the book I wrote. Your loss, Tina. However, you'll never guess who I did hear from?

Duluth friggin' Trading Company!

I shit you not, my friends. They want me in for -- get this -- a fifth interview. This time it was the director who called me. I am to meet with him tomorrow morning. If nothing more, I'll get a nice drive in the country out of it.

My wife got her hair cut. Isn't she purdy? And who could forget the little princess?

I am thinking of changing the title of the blog from 'Son of Byford' to 'Christopher Curmudgeon'. Thoughts?

Oh! Since our family is scattered all over this great planet, I have decided to start hooking us up via live video to show Iris off. I have discovered a program that works really well. It is called SightSpeed. My father and I have tried it out and we are hooked. Now, I just have to get the rest of the family up and running.

** And by "her", I meant Iris. I am sure you all got it, though.

Iris' first encounter with the realities of independence.

2006-02-16T21:42:00.000-06:00

*Thud*

*Wails*

Iris rolled off of the sofa today and landed on the floor on her head. No carpeting... Just wood floors and a thin rug. She usually spends the morning sitting next to me on the sofa. I look for jobs on the Lappy 486 and she plays with her toys. Well, this morning I noticed that she was being extra floppy. She discovered that she can roll from a sitting position to her stomach and push off of the back cushion (or my leg) to get closer to a toy she wants. Well, I guess she rolled and pushed a bit too much. She has a small lump on her head to remind her of her little adventure. Other than that, she is fine.

So, everyone always says there is a reason for everything. I guess there is. I've just begun the interview process for the contact center operations manager position for a very well established company. It is a few steps up from the position at Duluth. I could see a good salary increase. I was sent a questionnaire to fill out. It was basically questions you'd find during an initial phone interview. I was informed that the next step would be a half hour phone screen. Needles to say, I made sure to write a book in that questionnaire in hopes of bypassing the phone screen. Again, I am not getting my hopes up at all. Because of the time spent on this questionnaire, I haven't had the time for a post... Sorry.

Sarah, Iris and I went to Evanston to visit my parents last Sunday. It was good to see them. It has been a while. My parents are enjoying their retirement and are all over the place. My cousin, Catlin, joined us for brunch. She is at Northwestern. I think she is 19? She is still five in my eyes. That is her with Iris in the above picture. I keep forgetting she is in Evanston.

We had nine inches of snow today. It is the first major snowfall of the season. Daycare called and said that they had to close because of the snow. Not a problem since I am not working... Just another day alone with the Princess. Shortly after, the city called to tell Sarah she didn't have to go to work -- as the library would not be open. A snow day for her! How often do cities close down? Heck... The Madison public schools closed today. They haven't closed in over 10 years! It is still snowing a bit. However, it is very windy, so the snow is blowing all over the place. Sarah had an interview scheduled today for a possible promotion, but with the library being closed, it was rescheduled for tomorrow. She'll do just fine.

Oh! I forgot to mention that I was summoned for jury duty! In Wisconsin, they sommons you for two weeks. Mine were for 2/13 and 2/20. My numbers weren't called for either week. *whew* I am off the hook for another four years.

Yeah. I am still alive.

2006-02-11T08:36:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the lack of posts, but I've had a bad week and didn't much feel like it. However, I received an email from Nikki with the subject line "POST!". And... Well... When Nikki tells you to do something, you damn well better do it.

So, I didn't get the job. Disappointing. So, I've now been out of work for over three months. It's getting to me. Not only am I getting that "scrambly" feeling, but I am beginning to lose confidence.

Scrambly: I feel like I have to get a job and get one fast -- no matter what kind. Salary be damned! You know... Get an entry-level position at a stable company and wow the hell out of 'em. I know I can do it. I've done it at every company I've worked for. I just don't know if I want to go through it again. Especially, since I now have the experience.

I am feeling a bit better now, though. I just have to remember to remain positive. It'll all work out eventually.

Iris is doing great! A lot of "Da da da. Ma ma ma. La la la." We just got done watching 'Little Bill' together and we are now watching 'Blue's Clues.' She's kind of bored of it, though. She got her six month shots the other day. She did really well. She is a good kid... Even though she doesn't want to sleep through the night.

So, in my post from 1/31 I stated that my car wouldn't start. Bad starter. I had to have it replaced. This is the third one. The first one crapped out while the car was still under warranty. The guy who replaced the starter last time told me that it was all rusted and corroded. I wouldn't be surprised if the lame dealer in Chicago put in some cheap, aftermarket starter and charged me for the ultra-expensive "Real Volkswagen Part".

Know what pissed me off almost as much as shelling out 300 Jr. Bacon Cheese Burgers to fix it? They moved my seat! Can you believe it??? They moved my seat!!! I thought there was an unwritten law that the seat isn't to be touched unless absolutely necessary? How annoying. It took forever to get it "just right" again. Hmmm... Come to think of it, I have yet to get my stereo out of safe mode. I have to reprogram it. They had to disconnect the battery. When you do that, it renders the stereo useless until you enter the secret codes. This is done to piss of car thieves, I guess. Do car thieves still steal stereos? They are a dime a dozen, aren't they?

Hey Kevin, Thanks for the posts! Also... Sorry that I couldn't chat last night, but we had just started a movie. A long movie.

Maybe more later...

With a quarterback like this guy

2006-02-05T14:01:00.000-06:00

There is no way the Pittsburgh Steelers can lose tonight.

Or...

How in the heck did they ever make it to the Super Bowl?

Regardless, I think The Steelers will win. It'll be close. Seven points max. I'll say three.

Maccheroni quattro formaggi villa d'Este

2006-02-03T17:06:00.000-06:00

(Macaroni with Four Cheeses Adapted from Villa d'Este, Cernobbio, Italy)

Purge all thoughts of gooey, saucy, fluorescent mac and cheese from your mind.
This very grown-up pasta dish is from a story about the historic hotel Villa d'Este on the west shore of Italy's Lake Como. The dish is seriously cheesy, but the bacon, herbs and touch of tomato sauce add refinement and complexity as well.

Ingredients:
6 bacon slices (6 oz), diced
1 1/2 lb dried elbow macaroni
6 oz Italian Fontina, cut into 1/3-inch dice
(1 cup) 6 oz Bel Paese cheese, cut into 1/3-inch dice
(1 cup) 6 oz Gruyère, cut into 1/3-inch dice
(1 cup) 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream plus additional if necessary to thin sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 large egg yolk
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently,
until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to
paper towels to drain. Cook macaroni in an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water
until al dente, then drain pasta in a colander. While pasta cooks, heat first three cheeses with tomato sauce, cream (1/4 cup), and herbs in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until melted and smooth. Put egg yolk in a cup and stir in 1/2 cup sauce (to temper), then whisk into remaining sauce in pot. Remove from heat and add macaroni, bacon, and parmesan to sauce, tossing to combine well. Season with salt and pepper and stir in more cream to thin sauce, if necessary.

Serves 8 to 10 (first course) or 6 (main course)
Active time: 30 min.; Start to finish: 30 min.

Um, yeah. I guess it's the thought that counts.

2006-02-02T23:02:00.000-06:00

Still no word about the job.

2006-02-02T16:11:00.000-06:00

Yeah. Sounds like a plan.

Sleep, sleep and more sleep.

2006-01-31T22:40:00.000-06:00

So, as I am sure you are aware, we are obsessed with Iris' sleep patterns. Right now I am listening to her sleeping over the monitor and I get freaked out every time I hear her stir. Maybe I should just go to sleep myself? I've got to watch some Letterman, though. Heck, maybe I should just turn off the monitor? All in all, she is doing quite well.

Iris is a talking fool. Blah, blah, blah and more blah. It is too cute. If she had teeth, I am sure we would be able to understand her. I wish I had a dime for every time some stranger said she is either cute, pretty or good. I'd be a rich man.

My car won't start.

6:34 AM! **

2006-01-29T10:17:00.000-06:00

Iris slept through the night!

**I am actually pulling a James Frey, here. See, I am not exactly sure what time she woke up, but 6:34 sounds better than "6:30-ish" when reporting on something so monumental.

Oh... There are new Iris photos too.

All I wanted was a bagel.

2006-01-28T15:24:00.000-06:00

I went in to the fridge late this morning for a bagel when I noticed this pink liquid all over the shelf second from the bottom.

Pork juice.

I had to remove everything (including the shelves) from the infected shelf on down. Since I was in there, I figured I might as well clean the whole thing out.

What a pain.

I made sure to eat that damn bagel when I was finished.

1:12 AM

2006-01-28T15:07:00.000-06:00

Iris woke up at 1:12 this morning. Yes, it was early again, but it was easy... A quick slurp and back down until 7:30 AM. So, in actuality, she slept two six-hour stretches. Now, if we could get rid of that one awake spell, we'd be golden. As Sarah stated in her comments, putting her down earlier in the evening seems to work out well.

Another weekend experiment.

2006-01-27T20:34:00.000-06:00

Iris has been waking up very early in the morning/night. She's been waking up between midnight and 1:00 AM. Now, we would love it if she slept through the night, but we don't mind if we have to get up once during the night. However, it is rough getting up a half hour after you've gone to bed. She used to wake up between three and four in the morning. For some reason, that hour is a lot easier to deal with and we never really minded it. Well, tonight we fed her solids, bathed her, gave her some mama juice and put her down sometime between 7:00 and 7:30.

Normally, she goes to bed at around 9:00. Currently it is 10:00 and she is still sleeping. She's had to soothe herself back to sleep a few times, but that is what we are hoping for. I hope that if she wakes up, she'll do it around her 4-hour cycle and that will be before we fall asleep. That way, we can give her a bit of milk, get her back to the land of nod and crawl in to bed ourselves... And if we have to wake up again at 4:00 AM to feed her, so be it. However, if she decides to sleep through the night, that'd be great too.

Interview? What Interview? The Update.

2006-01-25T21:26:00.000-06:00

Well, I left for the vet without receiving a call from them. Therefore, it was now up to me to make contact. I called and had to leave a voice mail message. Sarah and I were in the nursery feeding the baby when the phone rang. It was the CS Manager asking me if it was a good time for him to ask me a few questions. I said that it wasn't a problem, but I had to go downstairs. However, my mind wanted to say "No. No, this definitely is not a good time. Can we schedule an in-person meeting for tomorrow?" I hate phone interviews. I've always hated them. I know that I do much better in person. Why did I say okay to a phone interview? I am sure you can imagine how I felt I did. I'll know something by the end of next week. So, now I have to play over in my mind this less than stellar phone interview for an entire week! Fun.

However, he did say something that I didn't know how to take. He said he had to be honest and that they were definitely interested in one person, but they have three (more?) people to finish up the interview process with. Why would he mention that? Did he do that to let me know that I am not in the running and to get on with my life? Or was that him telling me that I've got it, but they have to finish up with the interviews? I guess I'll find out in a week, now won't I? Odd, though... Odd.

Sarah made chili for dinner tonight. I have to say that it was some of the best chili I think I have ever tasted. I mean, this stuff could win awards. I could eat it every day for the rest of my life.

Our baby is funny.

Interview? What Interview? Part Deux.

2006-01-25T09:24:00.000-06:00

So, I guess my personality survey thing is still out in Cyberspace... Either that, or my results came back and scared the shit out of them. Why do I think that? Because they haven't called me back yet. So, I spend the entire day yesterday waiting. I hate to wait. I have to take Bob to the vet at 10:45. If I don't hear from them by then, I'll call them when I return.

So, Iris is now babbling. I've discovered something pretty interesting. If you are only half-paying attention to her, she sounds like she is saying actual words! Therefore, I am going to start a new segment called 'What I thought she said. What she really said'. I'll try to figure out a shorter, more catchy title. At any rate, here is installment number one...

What I thought she said:

"I can keep Bob's (pause) poo."

What she really said:

"Ahh-ka kee bah (pause) boo"

I am sure that Kevin is happy that the Canadian elections are over. He's been working very hard as of late. Also, thanks for updating your blog, Kevin. I enjoyed the read. As always, quite entertaining.

I know I've said it before, but I find in quite "funny" that Blogger's spell checker doesn't recognize the word 'Blog'.

Oh. The photo is of our back yard and river the morning after our last snowfall.

Oh, again. Check out my January 15th post. Did I call the Super Bowl participants or what?

Interview? What interview?

2006-01-23T22:08:00.000-06:00

Well, I got up at the butt-crack of dawn for my 374th interview with Duluth. Today, I was to take a personality survey and meet with the CS Manager and the Ops Director -- if he had the time.

Well, I finally met the recruiter, Heather. She was exactly as I had imagined. We exchanged pleasantries and she lead me to a computer terminal on the CS floor to take the online survey. It took about seven to ten minutes to complete. I was escorted to the lobby to hang out with my new best friend, Donna The Receptionist. About 15 minutes later, the CS manager came out to let me know that my survey had not come back to them yet. I agreed to wait around a bit for it. Donna showed me to the break room where I had a cup of coffee and read the sports page. This place didn't have any Styrofoam cups... Only ceramic mugs. Nothing like a real mug to make "The Office" swill taste oh, so good. At any rate, I digress. Where was I?

Oh! I finished the paper and my coffee, so I decided to go bother Donna again. Shortly thereafter, CS Manager Dude came out to tell me that my survey was still in Cyberspace Limbo. We decided to let me go home and he would call me when my survey came back to them -- at which time I could come back or we could talk via phone. Well, I am glad I didn't decide to stay and wait it out. I bet it is pretty dark in there right about now. However, I am sure I would have been given one of these for the night, Donna would have given me a kiss good night and she would have woken me up tomorrow morning with an Egg McMuffin & a large cup of black coffee.

Another interview

2006-01-20T18:48:00.000-06:00

Is scheduled for Monday. I got a call from Duluth yesterday and they want to see me again. I wonder what they want from the candidate to warrant so many interviews? That aside, I am thrilled.

Iris is six months old today. Where did the time go? She is growing up so quickly. If the rest of her life goes by as quickly as did the past six months, she will be 18 in no time.

We had a few inches of snow tonight. At one point it was coming down like crazy! It is quite pretty. There is no wind so there is snow on all of the trees and such. Completely white. There is five inches of snow on the patio table... Yes, I measured.

Falling apart at the seams

2006-01-18T16:08:00.000-06:00

Well, it seems as though things have been shaken pretty hard at my former place of employment. I've never mentioned this, but I found out last week that my former manager is no longer with the company. Well, I received an email from one of my old colleagues today which stated that the director and the manager of the fraud department are also no longer with the company. Now, I am normally not one who gets joy from others' misfortune... However, I have to say that I am feeling a whole hell of a lot better knowing that the two people who ruined my life are now feeling my pain.

But seriously, I knew after I was let go that something kind of big was going down. I am still curious why I was part of it all? I hope to go out to lunch with the colleague who still remains to see if they know anything more about this whole thing.

And there is still no word about the Duluth job. I do know that they contacted above said colleague for a reference. That's a start, I guess.

Good season, Bears.

2006-01-15T20:52:00.000-06:00

I am sorry it had to end, but it was a good run. You gave Bears fans everywhere a bit of hope. Sadly, we again must say "wait until next year."

All in all, it was a great weekend of football. The Pats got knocked -- as did Indy. I guess it was the weekend for the underdogs. It is just hard to grasp that The Bears were not the underdog. To me, they always will be. I am hoping for Pittsburgh and Seattle in the big game. A part of me would like to see Bettis win and retire. Then there is 'The Earl Factor'. If you know someone who lives in the Seattle area, you've got to support them.

For those of you who are keeping track, there is still no word on the job. I received a call from the recruiter and they are checking my references. So, they have enough interest to check my references. At any rate, the next step would be another interview. This time it would be with the director of operations.

Our house is currently under quarantine. I feel the best out of the family, but we all seem to have colds. Sarah is pretty bad, Iris is stuffy and I have one working nostril.

I had an interview today.

2006-01-11T22:36:00.000-06:00

Yes. A second interview with these guys this morning. It was a great interview. It was two hours of me talking about me and not once did I have to tell them what kind of bird I'd be if I could be any bird.

A bird of prey, by the way. I'd be a bird of prey. Birds of prey are cool.

I can't believe it is already Wednesday... Almost Thursday, even.

*drools*

Officially Parents.

2006-01-08T21:37:00.000-06:00

Yup. It's official. We are parents. We spent the afternoon with some friends of ours. They just had their second child. We brought them lasagna that Sarah made because we know how hard it is to cook with a newborn (it must be impossible with a newborn AND a two year old). At any rate, we hung out with these folks, gave them some of Iris' "Tiny Clothes" and discussed parenthood.

You read correctly. We spent an afternoon engaged in talk of being parents. At one point, Sarah was even asked where we were going to send Iris to school. School?? She is going to school?? I mean, I know she is going to school, but that isn't for like 20 more years. Don't we have a some more time to think about it?

And on the 14th day, there was Sun.

2006-01-08T09:55:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning and I thought the Fire Gods were angry. Then I remembered there was this dwarf star named The Sun that heats our planet, Earth.

Yes, it had been 14 straight days since we last saw the sun around here. As I type, it is clouding up again. Well, it was nice while it lasted. Nothing like a little sun to lift one's spirits.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat

2006-01-07T16:43:00.000-06:00

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

"What's that?" You ask.

No. I am not trying to imitate a Gatlin' Gun.

I am, however, imitating the extremely vocal ass noises that my tiny daughter makes.

I find it hard to believe that someone so little can make such loud noises. She's louder than her old man! Not only is she loud, but it is constant.

And SMELLY!

No longer is it just air. Now that she actually has to digest her food, it is in her system longer.

Rotting.

This is just from single grains! I am not looking forward to vegetables. I don't even want to think about meats right now.

Some new pictures of Iris.

A Quickie

2006-01-04T22:45:00.000-06:00

Here is a quick video of Iris eating. If you have no desire to watch a child eating oatmeal, don't bother.

I have to blog about "rat-tat-tat-tat-tat". However, it is late and I have little to no type left in the fingers.

Yeah, I am in the midst of some "radical" changes to the site. Once I get them all sorted, I'll explain.

I saw this on SNL on New Year's Eve. As a fan of cheap-ass "mexican" fast food, I found it really "funny".

Changes

2006-01-02T23:08:00.000-06:00

Yeah... Some changes are coming to ye olde blog. Stay tuned.

Frickin' Comments

2006-01-01T13:58:00.000-06:00

For some reason, the comments haven't been registering for me. The comments from 12/28 and 12/29 registered just this morning. So, sorry to Madam D, Cassy and Kevin for not responding. It's hard to respond when you don't know they are there because the comments are stuck at zero. Therefore, I will respond to your comments now.

12/28:

Madam D - Here is the Christmas Fish...

I am sure there is a photo of it with the presents and Iris here.

And the interview seemed to go well. It was very informal... Only about a half hour or so. I should know something at the end of next week.

Cassy - I've squeezed Iris' cheeks for you. She didn't like it all that much. Luckily for Iris, she has mamma's eyes. Well, mamma's eye shape and my eye color. We've decided that she has Sarah's eyes, nose and mouth all on my head.

12/29:

Kevin - Ha! Whenever Iris is in the bath, I wait for the underwater poosplosion. Luckily, it hasn't happened... Yet. I am also waiting for the mid-diaper change poosplosion.

Madam D - Ha! Again. If Iris shit on our neighbors' porch, they wouldn't even notice. I'll post a picture of it one of these days and you'll understand what I mean.

It's 2006

2006-01-01T00:18:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Damn you 3:30! Damn you!

2005-12-30T12:43:00.000-06:00

She did it again. 3:30 AM and wide awake. She was all cries, whimpers and whines on the baby monitor. However, once I was hovered over her, she was all smiles, I love you daddy and let's play! Daddy's eyes were like two piss-holes in the snow. I was thirsty, very sleepy and had a full bladder. Can you say 'Not in the mood'? I popped her pacifier back in her mouth and promised her a convertible for her 16th birthday if she would just go back to sleep until mommy had to get up for work. She didn't take the offer. When the time comes, I'll remind her of her choice.

I had my phone interview today. I think it went well. I felt like I talked a bit much, though.

Sarah and I made some Thai food and watched Mr. & Mrs. Smith tonight. I found it quite entertaining. Okay, okay... I made it through because Angelina Jolie was in the damn thing.

We'll see what happens with Iris' sleep patterns tonight. Because neither one of us needs to get up in the morning, I bet she'll sleep right through the night.

Dave's a rerun, so I am off to bed.

Holy Shit!

2005-12-29T16:59:00.000-06:00

My, oh, my! Iris let loose the mother load of all mother loads late this morning!

I went to get her out of her bouncy seat after a nap to bring her up to get fed before we headed out to day care. As I picked her up, I noticed that her sleeve was wet. I found it odd. I thought that she may have just drooled on her sleeve in her sleep. Then I felt the wetness on her side. It turned out that her entire left side was wet. She had leaked! I mean really leaked! Until that moment, her diapers have been able to contain just about anything. Even before I got the diaper off, I knew I was in for something big.

I had no idea.

Let me back track to last night. Last night we switched her from rice cereal to oatmeal. You would have thought the oatmeal was crack the way she was eating it. I couldn't shovel it in fast enough! Well, nothing like some whole grains to clean one out.

Not only did I have to wipe her arm and back, but I had to clean the pool of poo that was her belly button.

Now, for some reason, she found this whole experience quite funny. Why? I guess I'll never know. I wound up using four wipes to get her clean. Heck. I should have just given her a quick shower. Maybe she should have a bath tonight?

Speaking of baths... She had one last night and she wound up sleeping until after 5:00 this morning!! Now, we are wondering if it was the evening oatmeal or the bath (or the combination of both)? Maybe a bath should wait to test the theory? I'll let you know tomorrow. Though, judging from the massive poosplosion, I am guessing it was due to the full tummy.

Holiday Weekend

2005-12-28T22:27:00.000-06:00

What a great weekend! I think it was the best time Iris has had to date. The trip up was pretty uneventful... Until the last 30 miles. It had been quite warm all day, so as the sun set, the fog rose. There were some serious patches of fog. Nothing like the last half hour of a five hour trip done in thick fog. At any rate, we got there in one piece AND there was cold beer waiting once we arrived. All was forgotten by the time I went to bed that night.

It was great to spend some time with the folks. They've been quite the jet-setters these days, so we haven't been able to hook up as often as we'd like. Iris LOVES grandpa! Actually, she LOVES grandma too. Grandma and grandpa took Iris for most of the weekend. It was nice to not have to hold her non-stop... And I am sure they were happy to do it.

We didn't have a tree. Instead, there was a Christmas Fish (very 'Northwoods'). I am sure I got a shot of it in one of the pictures from the weekend. Yeah, *as I check the photos* there is a shot of Iris in front of all of the gifts under the fish. I'll post them in the next day or so.

I think that Iris had such a good time, that she is still trying to adjust to boring old life with mom and dad.

Sarah and I got a fake tree today. It is a seven foot Briarwood Spruce. We got it because it has a three and a half foot circumference at the base AND because it was $26.00. There isn't a lot of room in our house for a tree, so the small circumference was key. We are poor, so the much-reduced-after-Christmas price was key as well. The tree looks quite nice and twinkly on cam at night. However, it looks pretty ghetto in real life. I am sure with some adjustments, it'll look okay.

I have a phone interview on Friday with these guys. I am excited about it. It seems like a pretty cool outfit. I wonder if they have an employee discount?

I have a bad feeling about leaving the tree up overnight with three cats on the loose. We'll see how things are come morning.

Off to bed.

Ho ho ho!

2005-12-21T22:06:00.000-06:00

Iris visited Santa today for the first time. She liked Santa. She really liked Santa's beard. She got a fist full of grey hair. My dad has a beard. A grey beard, at that. Grandpa better stay alert when holding Iris this weekend or he might be missing a handful of grey beard.

One great thing about living in Wisconsin is that old Harley biker dudes make great looking Santas! I don't think there is a fake beard on any Santa in any mall in the entire state!

I don't know if you can tell, but Iris' sleeper is supposed to be a wrapped present. It's damn cute.

So, I woke up at 9:55 AM with my wife saying "Chris! Bob has to be at the vet at 10:00!". Not a fun way to start a day. It usually takes me a half a pot of coffee to be able to start to think about how I am going to start the day. At any rate, I ran in to the bathroom to get some Listerine in me. I slapped on some cologne, put on yesterday's clothes and hit the ground running. At first, I felt bad for the folks at the vet because I hadn't showered in a while. But then I remembered that I was at the vet. I could have rolled in my own crap and nobody at the clinic would have been the wiser.

Bob seems about the same. I'll get the test results tomorrow. I am sure his thyroid is still shot.

Ho ho ho?

2005-12-20T22:11:00.000-06:00

Cereal; The Big Myth.

2005-12-19T23:06:00.000-06:00

For those of you who said that once our baby starts eating cereal she'll sleep like no one's business...

You're full of shit.

You tell that to the baby who is now upstairs and hasn't been fully asleep since six o'clock this evening. We even fed her cereal early to avoid the "rough lay-downs" of the past two nights. Tonight was no different. She has woken up crying on a regular basis since nine o'clock.

Okay. I am sure it doesn't help that she has a cold. I just raised up one end of her mattress so her head is higher than the rest of her. Let's hope that works.

I'll still feed her cereal tomorrow.

One Rex Grossman story or another has been a top five sports story on Google news all day today. It's odd to have anything about the Bears in the mainstream news, let alone stories about a Bears quarterback. I am excited to see Rex back.

The 'C' Word

2005-12-17T14:25:00.000-06:00

Cereal. Yes, the discussion of Iris trying cereal has become more intense. So much so, I believe we are going to the store to get some for her later this afternoon. As the main diaper changer in the house, this is the day I have been dreading. If I had it my way, Iris would NEVER eat solids... Well, not never. Just not until she was fully potty trained or out of the house -- whichever comes first.

Breathe...

2005-12-14T22:15:00.000-06:00

In... Out... In... Out.

At 8:30, we went up to start Iris on her way to sleep. We didn't really think twice about the fact that our dinner was still finishing up because we thought that we'd be back down to eat in 30 minutes... Tops.

Ummm... Not so much.

It is now 10:20 PM and we've just performed a complete exorcism on Iris. I've never seen her scream, arch, kick and cry like I witnessed tonight. At one point, I honestly thought I heard some phrases in Latin coming deep from within.

She had a slight fever and she was stuffy, so we gave her some Tylenol. I am chalking it up to the Tylenol trying to break the fever and her not enjoying it. I know I don't like it when a fever breaks.

At any rate, she is sleeping, we've eaten and none of us have to be up at the crack of dawn.

Sarah is now convinced Iris has meningitis.

No Weekend Posts.

2005-12-12T22:23:00.000-06:00

Sarah and I spent the weekend with the stomach flu. It was like the bad uncle (Cousin, sibling, in-law... You get the picture). He came uninvited and would not leave no matter how many times we tried to force him out. Hence, no weekend posts. Sarah came home from work Saturday night feeling pretty bad. She heaved had heaved pretty much as soon as she got home. It was like a scene out of Alien (Note: for times sake, this the 30-second version re-enacted by bunnies). This continued on throughout the night. At one point, she decided that the bathroom floor and the sofa were good places for her vomit. Now mine didn't come on until after midnight... Probably closer to three AM? We spent the day in bed Sunday... Me more so than her. I was feeling terrible. Sweating, freezing, up to the bathroom, rinse and repeat until virus is gone.

Today, we are feeling better. One thing we learned was that we need a second bathroom sooner than we thought. We are also glad we paid extra for the stain guard on the sofa.

Hey! Just in time for Christmas!

I gots the itch

2005-12-08T22:26:00.000-06:00

I received another email from my old colleague. He brought up starting a business. It's a business that could be quite successful with little effort or start up cost. We've discussed it before. Neither of us have jobs now. Heck, what do we have to lose?

So, it's been 25 years since John Lennon was killed? Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday. My daughter's diapers have drawings of animals done by John Lennon and the words "imagine all the people living life in peace" all over them. Do you think if John were alive he would have thought that it was cool and given his blessing? Who knows? Personally, I think it's cool.

I haven't forgot about poo. I am just tired and have to sleep.

Night, night.

'The Job' Day Three

2005-12-07T22:58:00.000-06:00

No word yet.

I got a good looking kiss-off postcard from Target. Very hip. Very Target. I think I'll put it up with all of this year's Christmas cards!

I don't like this new trend of HR/Recruiters taking the lazy way out. They should do their jobs. They should call candidates to give them the word. I am sure there are many people out there (myself included) who would like to know what they might be able to change to do better next time.

At any rate, I bet I'll get a call for an interview in the next day or two. Why, you ask? It's because I am breaking out! My face is a zit farm.

I got an email from one of my old colleagues who recently left and is now unemployed too. He is having the same luck as I am looking for work. So, I don't feel all that bad.

I am not all that sure how I would feel about this holiday display if it were across the street from my house. I saw this on my local news recently. This is real-time, not time-lapse. I am sure it'd get really old really fast. Luckily, I have no neighbors across the street from me... Not a one.

I've finally posted some Thanksgiving pictures on Buzznet. I have been posting some samples on the blog recently. Now you get to see them all... Lucky you.

Okay. I am off to sleep.

Night All.

**Note to self; Must post about poo.

'The Job' Day Two

2005-12-06T23:19:00.000-06:00

Still no word.

We got the photos of Iris back from the photographers. They are quite nice. Now that we have a scanner, I will post them for all to see! I am sure you all are holding your breath. Because of that, I'll make sure I get them posted soon. I couldn't live with myself if any of you died holding your breath while waiting for new Iris photos.

Adios.

THE Job.

2005-12-05T20:07:00.000-06:00

Have you seen the Monster dot com commercials where they show people getting these jobs that make them jump up and down and make them dance in their offices -- or pump their arms as they are told they have the job... You know, crazy, unbelievable crap like that? Well, I've just applied for one of those jobs. It is for an e-business account manager for a web design and e-business consultancy. With my luck, I won't get it.

Iris and I are home without mom tonight. She works on Monday nights and isn't due back for about an hour. She is napping right now and could wake up at any moment. If so, I'll have to finish this later.

We had some snow this weekend. It is nice to have the white stuff if it is going to be cold out. And, boy is it cold! Single digits right now and a high of 11 F tomorrow!

So, I am now the heaviest I have ever been in my life. It must be the beer because I don't think I've started eating all that much more food.

I am watching Monday Night Football and another former Bear has just scored for Seattle.

I spent the day trying in vain to get the windows somewhat less drafty. When it is in the single digits or close to triple digits outside is when I wonder why we purchased an old, drafty farm house?

Okay, the baby is awake. Time to go play daddy.

You know I love you so...

2005-12-03T23:29:00.000-06:00

You know I love you so.

Coldplay - Yellow

Communication

2005-12-03T21:43:00.000-06:00

Ah, yes...

communication. For as long as humans have been communicating, you'd think we would have it mastered? Au contraire, mon frere...

I was finally contacted by Target for an interview. I went in on Thursday and was interviewed by two of the managers. One of the managers got me started (and I forgot their name). Then the GM came in to ask me some questions. I felt I did well. The GM gave me the impression that I did well. He stated that the job was mine if I wanted it. All that I had to do was to meet with HR and they'd go further in to what the position entailed, go over the schedule, go over the compensation, the benefits and answer any questions I might have. He wanted me to meet with them as soon as possible. He asked me if I could meet with them on Friday... "No Problem", I said.

I went in to the store on Friday thinking that I'd be in charge. I thought I'd be listening to what they had to offer and I'd decide if I was interested.

Not so much.

As it turned out, I had not one, but TWO more interviews! When I got there, I met with the HR manager and she let me know that we'd be participating in the next half of the interview process. She said that she'd be interviewing me and once she was done, ANOTHER person would be interviewing me. I thought to myself "You've GOT to be kidding me?" Well, two interviews -- and an hour and a half later -- I was told that they'd be getting in touch with me in a few days to let me know what they've decided.

I think that, regardless of what happens, they need to be made aware that I was caught a bit off guard and that the GM needs to be a bit more clear about the next steps going forward.

I think that with all that has happened, the compensation and benefits have to really good in order for me to work there.

Now, I've been having some AWESOME communication with my baby girl. Her and I have been having some serious conversations using a lesser-known -- but effective -- language known as Raspberry**.

I spent the afternoon cleaning out the pantry. One good thing about having a large pantry is that you have a lot of space to store your goods. The bad thing about having a large pantry is that it is very easy to let it get out of hand. Over time, you just put things on the shelves. Once they shelves are full, you start using all of the wonderful floor space. Not only was it hard to get IN to the pantry, but it was extremely difficult to find anything. I am happy to say that it is now clean and neat.

** a loud, rude, flatuation sound, made with the lips(see also Bronx cheer)
You would expect the occasional raspberry from some of the people in the audience.

Officially Poor

2005-11-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday, we thought our finances were better than expected and we thought we'd be more than fine through January. We took my car in for what we thought was some simple maintenance. We woke up this morning to the voicemail from hell.

Hi Chris. Your radiator leaks, your timing belt and your who-ha belts are cracked and need to be replaced. Your blah blah blase blah is destroyed, leaking oil all over your engine and we can't believe you've been driving on the thingamajig for this long. You need to get this stuff fixed now, man... And it'll cost you... um..$1,200. Sorry, dude. I hope you've at least had a cup of coffee this morning before listening to this message.

Well, I hadn't and it was too early for vodka.

I had something

2005-11-29T22:46:00.000-06:00

To post, but it has escaped me.

I wonder if Kevin is going to be busy?

I am NOT doing a good job with this whole blog thing these days.

Ummmm.... Let's see? Uh. Oh! Iris vomited all over herself right after she got out of the bath tonight. How's that?

Can you say 'Global Warming'?

2005-11-28T22:58:00.000-06:00

So, I wake up in the middle of the night not to Iris, but to a thunder storm. Yes, a thunder storm. I know... It's almost December and we, historically, have a foot of snow on the ground. Yeah, it is a bit odd to have thunder storms and temperatures in the sixties. I've just checked the temperature and it is back at a semi-normal 33F. I guess we'll have a bit of snow instead of thunderstorms tonight. I am a bit concerned about the quick 30 degree drop in temperature.

Mmmmm.... Global Warming.

Thanksgiving... Take Whatever.

2005-11-27T22:07:00.000-06:00

Okay... Here goes...

The trip on Wednesday started off badly. The South Beloit toll plaza was under construction, so there was a back up from Janesville to the afore mentioned toll plaza. Therefore, it took close to two hours to travel from our house to the Illinois border. This is a 40 mile trip. This is all Interstate travel, so it usually takes 30 to 40 minutes. The total trip usually takes two and a half hours. Not a great start at all.

Well, once we arrived, all was good. Grandma and Grandpa couldn't get enough of Iris. It was great to see the parents. They've been on the go so much lately, we haven't been able to hook up. Grandpa was funny. He quickly offered to take Iris off of our hands when we arrived and it didn't stop until we left. Dad made Lasagna for dinner on Wednesday which was really good.

Iris didn't want to stay asleep Wednesday night, but we are very used to her not sleeping these days. We think she is growing again.

On Thursday, Iris hung out with all of us. She watched some football with daddy and grandpa. She sat in her Bumbo for a while, but then grandma had to take over. Needless to say, being in a new environment, she didn't nap much either Wednesday or Thursday. By late afternoon, she was getting a bit cranky. Not too bad, though. Just tired cranks. Grandma was a trooper and took her in her arms for a while.

Thanksgiving dinner was great. I ate WAY too much even though I really didn't have seconds. We ate early so I could digest and let the wine go through my system before heading back home. The trip home was very fast. I wanted to get home as soon as possible. Right before we left, the temperature light went on. I topped the coolant off with water and hoped for the best. Luckily, traffic was really light and Iris slept the whole way so we didn't have to stop at all.

Mom and dad sent us home with a box of food. We had no idea what was in it until we got home. They sent ALL of the leftovers home with us... And two bottles of red wine.

Well, there you go. There will be photos soon.

Thanksgiving... Take Two

2005-11-26T22:40:00.000-06:00

Okay. I am going to try this again.

Wait. It's almost 11 PM already.

I am not sure I want to get in to this right now.

Iris was a hard put-down tonight. I am scared that she'll be restless all night and I really think I should get to sleep.

I have a feeling I'll be up many times over night.

Adios.

Thanksgiving

2005-11-25T12:54:00.000-06:00

Okay. Before I get in to the whole Thanksgiving thing, I was watching my lady cat playing intently with something. I looked closely and it was the back half of a mouse! Can you say 'Eeww'? We knew that one of the cats caught something because the regurgitated remains were waiting for us on the dining room floor last night when we came home from Chicago. I guess Lady was hungry for some mouse brains? We get mice in the basement during the first few cold days. However, the mice quickly remember why they don't like coming in to our house.

I am off to bed. I'll tell you all aboot Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Shine you crazy diamond.

No Target Interview

2005-11-21T18:13:00.000-06:00

The interview on Friday never happened.

As you may know, they wanted me to come in, apply and interview once I was done with the application. It was odd; During the entire drive to the store I was kind of excited. However, that excitement turned to dread as soon as I walked in. I walked in and thought to myself, "What am I doing here?" Yeah, I love to shop there, but I went in to the store and it was completely different than any other time I've been in before. Well, I walked right out of the store and went to my car. I sat in my car for a while trying to talk myself in to going back in. I couldn't do it. I started my car and went home.

I went home in search of something. Maybe some encouragement? Maybe I wanted to hear that what I had done was okay? Who knows? After some taking with my wife, I decided to go back. Now, "back" wasn't a hop, skip OR jump. It was over 20 miles to that Target location. Two round trips equal over eighty miles for this thing.

At any rate, I went in. This time I filled out the computerized application and when I was done with the application I was told to pick up the red phone at my kiosk for further instructions. Well, I picked up the phone and the person at the other end greeted me with a generic "Thank you for calling Target". I was caught off guard. "Um... I.. Um... Just finished my...Um... Application", I replied. The voice on the other end instructed me to wait at the front of the store and someone would come get me. I first looked around to see if there was anyone watching me or any cameras pointed at me. None that I could see. So, I wander over to the customer service area and waited. And waited. I finally stopped one of the employees. This person couldn't have been a day older than 16. At any rate, I asked her if I should wait here for someone to get me to be interviewed? She said that I should. Well, 20 minutes pass (at least it felt like 20 minutes), I got fed up with waiting and went home. I'll chalk it up to the store being very busy.

It's funny how your sub-conscious speaks to you. It is just up to you to listen. I think I should have just not gone back after my first encounter. Thinking further about it all, I don't think I would do very well managing a bunch of 16 year old kids. The 20-somethings at US Cellular were difficult enough.

My daughter is sleeping next to me. She was beginning to stir, but Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' seems to have put her back to sleep. She is amazing. I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at her. She is due to eat in about 15 minutes. Mom is at work, so I have to bottle feed her. I should go to make sure everything is ready for her when she wakes up.

A bit later...

I forgot to mention this earlier;

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears.

Da Bears.

Bye for now.

I should be sleeping.

2005-11-17T22:25:00.000-06:00

But I am not quite there yet. We put the baby down about 20 minutes ago with hopes of at least one good night's sleep this week. She was out. She had actually been out for a while in her bouncy seat while Sarah and I watched TV. I brought her upstairs for some food and I don't think she ever really woke up. She didn't even open her eyes while I checked her diaper -- which was dry. *whew*

Well, I am listening to her on the baby monitor and she seems to be stirring. I hope, hope, HOPE she doesn't decide she needs to be up every two and a half hours tonight. She was doing so well, but she seems to be digressing.

I have a possible interview tomorrow with the folks at Target. I applied for a position as an area manager and they want me to go in.

Yes, it was cold out today... Mid-twenties as a high. I wasn't able to get all of the patio/outdoor stuff broken down and put away before it got butt-cold. I guess I was in denial. Well, because of that, I got to enjoy the brisk afternoon outside hauling crap either in to the basement or in to the shed. One thing I noticed being out today was that the true signs of winter are here. The Canada geese and ducks are back on the river -- where they will remain until spring. Come spring, they'll head back to the surrounding lakes. They stay on the river until the lakes thaw out. Canada geese are noisy folk. Oh! And the Juncos are back from the Great White North for the winter. If I were a Junco (or a goose, for that matter), I'd keep heading south until I saw a palm tree or two.

I am going to watch Dave's monologue and hit the sack.

Happy Birthday Sarah

2005-11-16T21:43:00.000-06:00

I am sorry that there was a blizzard, freezing temps and the baby was being a whining... Well... Baby.

I hope dinner was decent.

Much love,
Me

Snow

2005-11-15T21:47:00.000-06:00

Yes, snow. It looks like we may get our first snow of the season overnight. From viewing the radar, it looks like most of Wisconsin is getting hit and we may get the tail end of the storm. Sarah may wake up on her birthday to the white stuff. I wonder if she's ever experienced that before?

I got my first kiss-off letter yesterday. It is the first response from any of the jobs that I have applied for. Even though it was a 'Thanks, but no thanks' letter, it was good to hear something from one of these companies I've applied for. It seems to be the trend these days for recruiters to not inform you when you didn't get considered. If it was my business, that recruiter would be out of a job. I think that companies should take the time to respond to a person's request either way.

So, in last night's post, Iris didn't really want to watch Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (aka 'Don Kirshner's Rock Hour'). Don Kirshner's Rock Concert hasn't been on the air since the late 70's. She just didn't want to go to bed for some reason and that was the reason I made up in my head. Ahh... The days before MTV. I remember staying up late to see the likes of Don Kirshner, Wolfman Jack, SNL and so on.

Kevin called tonight. His number came up as 'Unknown' so I didn't answer it... Oh, well. Too bad. It would have been nice to see how he was doing.

It is now snowing.

Um... Yeah... So...

2005-11-14T23:46:00.000-06:00

Like... I am still... Umm... Unemployed.

Iris wants to stay up to watch Don Kirshner's Rock Concert and Daddy wants to go to sleep. Daddy wins. It was a rerun with Led Zepplin. Yeah, 'Black Dog' is a great song, but I have to get her to day care at the crack of dawn. So, off to bed we go...

We lost power

2005-11-13T23:50:00.000-06:00

This morning. It seems as though it was from just before 6:00 AM until about 9:00 AM. A good excuse to sleep. We were having some extreme wind outside, so when I woke up to no power, I checked outside to see if a tree took out our power line. Not the case.

I saw many flashing lights up the road, so I assumed the city was on it. In my sleepy stupor, I thought that there would be a chance of carbon monoxide poisoning from the water heater and furnace not being on. My wife reminded me that both would have to on to be a threat. With that reassurance, I was able to go back to sleep assured.

It was odd, though. I am so used to the slightest white noise that when it isn't there, it can wake me out of a deep sleep. Now, I come from Chicago, so you'd think I would love absolutely no noise. Not the case. When I moved here, it took me quite some time to adjust to quiet. Here, white noise consists of listening to the humidifier in my daughter's room through the baby monitor. Man, the minute that noise wasn't there, I was awake.

It looks as though a transformer down the street blew up. I don't see how that had anything to do with the wind. I was expecting a downed tree or something. I guess it was sheer coincidence.

Off to bed. I have a hard day ahead of me... Not.

14 Minutes

2005-11-11T23:29:00.000-06:00

Hi there.

I am going to try to limit my posting time to 14 minutes per post on average. And I am going to try to post more frequently.

I was on day two of leaf removal today. Nothing like having a boat-load of mature oak trees and maples for some awesome shade during the summer. Not so much fun once they drop all of their leaves. I am on five hours of removal and I think I have about two more to go. I have too much land to rake, so I use one of those blowers. One thing I have learned is that next year I am going to mulch the leaves with the lawn mower before I get rid of them. The smaller the leaf bits, the better.

I have an electric leaf blower. It works really well. It is quicker than a rake, but it is not any easier on your body. I am too sore for words and I can't wait to get in to bed.

'Old-Ass Cat O' Mine', Bob, is on Day 1 of thyroid meds. So far, no vomiting, diarrhea or itchy face. However, he still wants to eat non-stop. I hope these pills work.

My 14 minutes are up. I am off to bed.

Night, night.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

2005-11-10T23:25:00.000-06:00

Well, the baby is in bed. She was put down about 30 minutes ago and she is beginning to crank. Not constant. Just a quick piss-ass wail, then nothing. This has happened twice. Right now, nothing. I may have to sprint upstairs at any point now.

So, yesterday we used the leftover birthday dinner to make some wicked beef & barley soup. It was delicious. We (I) put in way too much barley, but I really enjoyed it. Mmmm, mmm, mmm... I like my soup carb-o-licious. Come to think of it, I like just about all of my food carb-o-licious.

So, I was like, 'Dude, you just got elected mayor.' And he was like, 'Nuh-uh.' And I was like, 'Uh-huh.' And he was like, 'Oh no you din't elect me.' And I was like, 'Yeah, whatevah...'

The spawn of Satan is still sleeping. I am going to join her and sleep too.

What's going on?

2005-11-09T23:46:00.000-06:00

Iris, again, has just began screaming about an hour after putting her down. I am baffled? Man... She is screaming like she is being tortured. I ran upstairs to see what was going on, I picked her up, I tried to calm her, but she wasn't having it. She was flailing. I had to raise my voice to get her to even realize that I was holding her. It was odd... Once she realized that she was in my arms, she stopped screaming and went instantly back to sleep. I put her down and as I type this, she is still asleep. If tonight is like every other night this week, she is down for the count. I guess it isn't the night light that is freaking her out.

I had some stuff to type up, but now I can't remember what I was going to post. I am a tad freaked at my little girl's actions. Maybe she shouldn't sleep in mom and dad's bed any longer in the morning? She usually is brought in to our bed in the morning when she wakes up after her early morning feeding. Maybe she gets spooked waking up alone? Or maybe she wakes up when her sleep CD is over? Maybe one of the cats is trying to cuddle? Will we ever know? I hope so. Maybe it is just a subtle f-you like in the above picture? If anyone has any insight, let me know.

I am off to sleep.

Great Day continued...

2005-11-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

Yes, I got off on a tangent last night and I never got to dinner. Dinner was great! I've always liked pot roast for a birthday dinner. I browned the meat and Sarah cut the veggies and got it all together. Man, it was good. Last night I had some leftovers and it was even better the next day. Sarah was smart enough to save all of the juice that the roast was cooked in and we'll make some beef and barley soup tomorrow.

Pot roast. Pot roast is an amazing invention. I think the huge hunk o' beef we roasted cost less than a number three combo meal from Mc Donald's. However, the hunk o' beef we used would have been used to make a catcher's mitt had we not purchased it. I guess that's why pot roast was invented. A good way to make an otherwise inedible part of a cow utterly delectable. Moo.

I slept all day today. I didn't mean to, it just happened. We woke up at around five in the morning to feed Iris. At that point, Sarah stayed up because she had to go to work at 7:30. I woke up to take Iris to day care at 8:30. I dropped her off, came home, had some coffee and stared looking for jobs. I went upstairs to go to the bathroom and saw Shadow sleeping on the bed. I laid down to hang out with him and fell out. I don't remember the last time I slept so long. I guess I needed it.

I talked to one of my old co-workers tonight. It was good to hear from him. I feel a bit better about this whole thing. I also got an email from one of my old associates. I am missed and it is nice to know that. She stated that the "family" isn't the same without me and I was the glue that held them together. Isn't that cool?

My daughter has been waking up crying like a bab... Um.. Like a... Um... Well, she's been crying shortly after she falls asleep the past two nights. I think it might be the new night light. She's used to no light at all. Last night and tonight I've unplugged it once I was able to get her back down and she didn't wake up crying... Well, last night she didn't and she hasn't done it so far tonight. She has been out for about a half an hour since she abruptly woke up screaming.

Sarah just got one of these for the kid from eBay. I am sure she'll love it, but what's with the name? At any rate, she is beginning to be able to really sit up on her own and this thing will help. She is also getting tired of the bouncy seat because of that very reason, so this will be a nice change for her.

I am watching Letterman and Matthew Broderick is a guest. He is such a **geek. I've seen his wife on this very show and she is equally, if not more of a **geek. They are a great **geek couple.

Okay, I think my 15 minutes are up and I am getting ready for bed.

Night all.

** Geeks rule.

I had a great day yesterday.

2005-11-07T23:36:00.000-06:00

Sarah surprised me... I mean really surprised me. It was great! I woke up, came downstairs and Sarah was there waiting. She poured me some coffee and had brought the Sunday paper inside. Not only that, she saved it for me. Normally, I get the paper and she reads it first.

Well, I had some coffee, chatted and figured she was chomping at the bit to get at the paper, so I grabbed the paper and took it out of the bag. I went right for the store inserts and the classifieds. I open the paper and I see this. At first, it didn't register that it was three dimensional. My brain first told me that what I saw was an advert for the CD. I thought to myself that it was really cool that Matt Good was finally getting marketed in the states. But then I realized that what I saw in front of me was the deluxe edition of 'In A Coma'. I really thought it was a great collection. Being from the US, I don't get to see Matt Good videos, so it was nice to see a CD with some of his vids.

The only video I've seen of his was 'Carmelina'. I saw it when I when I went to Kelowna to visit my then future wife. It was in heavy rotation at the time. I remember thinking to myself two things... First, I thought that the video was the best concept I've ever seen. Second, I thought that the song rocked! I thought that this guy must be new and I'd see him as a huge star in the states soon enough. Well, the next day, my soon-to-be-wife filled me in that The Matt Good Band was and has been pretty huge for a while in Canada. All I could think was "Why the hell isn't he the big in the states?" Well, I was hooked. Yeah, I am sure I've posted the story before. Needless to say, it was the best retrospective/best of I have ever encountered. Any band that ever wants to do something like this should get 'In A Coma' and use it as a benchmark. Well done.

I am off to bed.

Superstar!

2005-11-05T22:50:00.000-06:00

Today we took Iris to get professional photos taken of her. She was a frickin' natural! I've never seen so many cute smiles in all of my life! She did a great job. The photographer was giddy as well. She was having fun with her. Iris LOVED the lights and flashes. I can't wait to see the final product. Every time the photographer got a good shot, she proudly showed me the digital image. Boy, she was cute. Man! Iris ate it up. After the shoot, we went grocery shopping. Iris quickly fell asleep with two fingers in the mouth. The woman in the store who was handing out cereal samples thought Iris sleeping was the cutest thing ever and thought there should be a photo taken to record her utter cuteness. I silently agreed and grinned.

Last night I had an odd -- if not disturbing -- dream. Before I get into it, have any of you ever had a dream that you couldn't shake? The kind of dream that, no matter how many times you fall back asleep, it continues? I woke up three times to try and shake it off to no avail. At any rate, I am sure you want to know what the hell I dreamt about. Okay, here it goes...

I was at work... Well, my last place of employment... But it really wasn't. You know how dreams are that way? At any rate, There were these three rats in the office. They were not your average rats. They were HUGE. If I remember correctly, one of the faceless background employees said that they were the size of Muskies. Well, the director didn't want to get rid of the rats. She was adamant about it. I had to protest. I was all like "They are frickin' rats! They have to go!" I shouldn't have opened my mouth. I was "talked to" about going against the "direction of the company". I just kept saying that they are rats and they shouldn't be here. They are tearing the place apart and scaring everyone. They should be trapped and gotten rid of. The more I spoke, the more I felt like a total outcast. At any rate, I was made to sleep on the floor. Yes, I know that you don't sleep at work, but this was a dream. Therefore, it was work, but it wasn't. Well, the rats attacked me all night and when I awoke in the morning, I tried to show the damage they caused to my body to my superiors to show them that I was right... That they were dangerous creatures! They were not sympathetic. They thought I made it up and I was "talked to" again. I wasn't brought in to a room or anything for these talks. We walked around while I was told what trouble I was causing. Now, we weren't in your traditional office setting. It was more like a large museum. Thinking back, it was like The Art Institute of Chicago or The MET. I guess others saw the damage the rats did to me and they weren't so sure that keeping the rats around was such a good thing after all. Hrmph. However, they weren't going back on their word at this point. I was put through many hoops and job changes. I was reassigned to the attic, but quickly reassigned to the basement due to the fact that the "attic workers" began a revolt shortly after I arrived and they were able to talk rationally to someone of authority. I woke up as I was being dragged -- completely shackled -- to the basement.

You figure it out.

The weather is freaky. We are having thunderstorms! It is odd to hear thunder and see lightning in November... Speaking of November, I am going to be 39 in one hour and 10 minutes.

Night, night.

GO BEARS!!

An Iris-Free Afternoon

2005-11-03T22:13:00.000-06:00

We paid for child care, so we decided to use it even though I am home now and Sarah is off of work too until Monday. We were able to hang out all afternoon sans baby. It was cool to be able to get things accomplished at the pre-baby speed. We were able to get all errands done, go out to lunch, hang out and enjoy some time alone... AND pick her up an hour early just because we missed her.

We went to Madison on Wednesday to pick up my stuff from my former employer and they didn't have any of it ready. My old boss was caught off guard and didn't know I was coming in. Since I am no longer with the company, my one and only contact person at the company is the HR rep. I left a voice mail message with the rep on Monday morning stating that I wanted to come in on Wednesday to pick up my stuff. I asked the rep to call me if there would be a problem with me coming in on Wednesday. I also said that if I didn't hear from them, I would assume it was a go. Well, I didn't hear from the rep and I guess they didn't let anyone else know that I was coming either.

That should give you a taste of how things have been going over there recently. At any rate, I told them just to ship my crap to me. I'll put money on it that I don't get everything of mine sent to me.

On a side note, the receptionist first called the mail room to see if there were any boxes for me. Usually, they just keep the boxes behind her desk, but there were boxes for four other employees, so they had to move them all to the mail room because there wasn't any room behind her desk for all of the boxes. I guess something is going down. I've never experienced five people go in one week before. It kind of made me feel better about not being there.

Oh, and it looks like The Bears will have a post-season this year. I am keeping my fingers crossed really, really tight.

I received a call from a head-hunter yesterday. She thinks I'd be really good for this most awesome gig. We'll see if I get an interview.

Oh again! I added a bunch of new Iris photos to my photoblog. I think they have corrected thier server problems and you should be able to view them with no issues.

At about 4:00 AM

2005-11-01T17:52:00.000-06:00

This morning, Iris needed to eat. She ate and ate... Well, technically, she drank and drank... Nevermind. On with the story... Does she burp? Probably not. I couldn't be all that sure because I was drifting in and out of sleep during the feeding.

I get the hand-off. Time for a diaper change. However, first I had clean out her sinuses. She could barely breathe due to a cold. I lay her down and got at it with the ball syringe. All I seemed to do was to knock it all loose because she began to choke. What happens next? Puke fountain! After the upward splash subsided, I look at my daughter's face. It was all covered in barely-used milk and her mouth was full of it too. She had a look of horror and that's when I realized that she couldn't breathe. I quickly turned her on her side just in time for round two. I didn't think her stomach could hold so much milk. I had flashes of Monty Python and/or Alien.

Needless to say, this was a bit too much for four in the morning. I had to change her and I couldn't figure out which sleepers were three to six months or which ones were six to nine months. I finally found the last clean sleeper that fit, cleaned her up and got her changed. Now mind you, the entire time I was changing her, she was wailing like I was pulling her toe nails out one by one. Just as I was finishing the overly tedious project up, the voice of reason spoke to me from her chair. She said "why don't you give her the pacifier?"

Duh...

Anyway, I popped it in her mouth and she instantly went out like a light.

I hate my squeaky chair.

2005-10-31T17:51:00.000-06:00

I have this old office chair. Though, it looks cool, it squeaks and pops when I swivel or try to get out of it. Therefore, to ensure I do not wake the baby next to me, I have to be as still as possible. Swiveling is out of the question. Getting out of the chair takes some advanced planning because it takes about a half hour to get out of it to make sure the baby stays asleep. One wrong move and

*POP* *SQUEAK* *child wailing*

Iris got the second set of her shots at her four month check-up. We had to reschedule her appointment from November 9th to today -- as my insurance runs out at midnight tonight. Therefore, she got her shots a bit early. No big deal, though. She seems to be doing okay. She has been sleeping a bit more than usual and her temp is slightly higher than normal. She was a bit cranky before she passed out this last time. We'll see if she wakes up that way. If so, I'll check her temp again and maybe give her some Tylenol.

At any rate, as we were getting ready to go to the doctor, my wife reminded me that I haven't bathed since last Wednesday. Actually, it may have been Thursday. Nonetheless, I was in dire need of a shower. This afternoon I cut the hair, shaved and showered. I feel like a new man.

So, we didn't get any candy for the kids this year. Last year we purchased a boat-load of candy and not a single kid came by. Sarah and I wound up eating way too much of it. To play it safe this year, I am keeping the lights to a minimum until about 9:00 PM. Odd thing, though... It was never mentioned in high school sex ed class that an over indulgence of bite-sized Halloween candy could, possibly, cause pregnancy. I hope they've updated that since I've been in high school.

Happy Halloween.

I am still

2005-10-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

Unemployed.

Hunt, hunt, hunt.

2005-10-27T22:38:00.000-05:00

Sarah worked a full day today. I took Iris to day care today from 12:30 until 5:00-ish so I could hunt for work. It was worth it. I found quite a number of possibilities.

I still have cell service. It's odd... When I would term someone, I'd shut them off after 24 hours... Policy and all. I actually corrected my manager when she went over the phone plan policy with me during my termination. She said that "they" get a report of all who have been thrown to the curb the very same day and they automatically shut them down at the end of the business day. The company would like for that to be the way it works. Does it work that way? Not so much. I informed her that she still needs to call it in. I guess she didn't believe me. I may not call to cancel my service until they suspend it. We'll see how long it takes.

Even though I really have no reason to get up early tomorrow, I think I am going bed now.

Oh.. Flying Iris...

You're fired.

2005-10-26T23:58:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I was I was told to bugger off by my employer today.

Three years of hard work and dedication down the drain.

I just want everyone to know that I am fine.

So...

2005-10-21T23:03:00.000-05:00

Instead of "typing and deleting" I am now "typing and saving to draft". I've been working on the same blog post for a week now and it still hasn't been posted. I guess it'll now be...

"Type, type, type. Type, type, type. Save to draft. Type, type, type. Type, type, type. Save to draft. Type, type, type. Type, type, type. Save to draft. Type, type, type. Type, type, type. Save to draft. Delete."

Iris has been asleep for about an hour to an hour and a half. Her lullaby CD is still going, but I can here her breathing behind it through the baby monitor. She must be dreaming. I hope it isn't a bad dream. She is stirring. I wonder if mom is up there with her? Or maybe a cat?

*Looks around for the cats*

Off to bed. Another tough week. I hope I can sleep in tomorrow.

Go Sox!

Monday Night Devil

2005-10-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

Iris is a possessed woman on Monday nights. She is not much fun at all. Tonight -- like most Monday nights -- she cried and cried. She gave me about 15 minutes to myself from six until nine. I ate cold dinner and had wet laundry in the washer all night. The kicker was when mom came home, she went from Ms. Crankity Crank Yanker to Ms. Smiley Pants. Man... The second she saw mom, she was gleaming. It made me feel like Sarah could have left her alone in the house while she went to work and she would have been just fine... If not better off.

Iris made up for everything after mom fed her. Her and I had a smile-filled conversation over a diaper change and while I got her ready for bed. I am listening to a sleeping baby and all is good.

I am tired and need to sleep.

She's All Grown Up

2005-10-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

I broke down the Pack N Play tonight. It is an end of an era. Iris is now in "The Big Girl Bed". Yes, she is no longer in the bassinet in our bedroom and has spent the past two nights in her crib in her own room! I think she is enjoying the peace and quiet. Plus, she has heat in her room now. Mom and Dad don't like heat in the bedroom.

It's nice to see The White Sox ahead in the series and tonight's game. Currently, they are up 4 to 3 in the 8th. It is raining. Let's hope they finish the game.

Iris is still asleep. *smiles*

1-2-3 going in to the 9th. I wonder how Chicago is reacting to this? So close to a pennant. The Sox aren't The Cubs. I bet it is impossible to get in to a Sox game these days. It used to never be a problem to get a great seat at a Sox game... Unlike The Cubs in Wrigley. The Cubs would always suck, but you couldn't get in to a game to save your ass. Well, good for the Sox.

I became a true Sox fan while I lived in the Pilsen neighborhood. I lived in this loft apartment that had an awesome view. Looking out of my windows, I had a kick-ass view of the Chicago skyline to the north and Comiskey Park to the south. On the nights that I didn't feel like making the trip to Comiskey Park, I'd watch the game on TV. I would get to see the fireworks after every homer by looking out of my window. What I love about Comiskey (now US Cellular Field) is the food. They have the best food of any park I've ever been to... I miss their kosher dogs like you wouldn't believe.

Yeah, I used to live four blocks from Wrigley back during my college days. Yes, I used to blow off classes if I had $20 in my pocket and go to a Cubs game. However, I never felt the magic that I felt whenever I went to a Sox game. Could it be the National Leauge vs. the American League? Better baseball all around?

The Sox just won the pennant. I am so happy for them. I bet Ozzie Guillen is SO proud. Paul Konerko FINALLY has gotten his due. He is an amazing player and he has gotten the MVP for this series. He is one of those players that has been a solid player over and over, but could have gone down in obscurity. Not any longer.

Okay... Off to bed.