Monday and last links for the Year!

Good campaign blog

Instead of looking at the actual issues it focuses solely on the campaigns and what the are doing (or not doing). Kind of nice to have a kind of running commentary. With the campaigns heating up we will see some real action. I for one intentionally ignored the campaigns up until very recently because it just didn't seem real to me. But now it is, and so my attention has focused in.

Interesting study on public library use

I have always been a library user, I try to use it more now. In fact I was there this past weekend, partly to get a book for me, but also as a way to get some books on Lego's and therefore show James that if you want to know more about something, the library is the best resource. Of course my family has always been big on the library, I think my Dad goes there everyday, or just about. So I have good examples to follow.

Perennially grumpy Hitchens on the Iowa Caucus

Of course his perpetual anger at the world, and especially anyone who is not an atheist, makes Hitchens far from an unbiased observer. But I do think that hidden deep down in there somewhere there is a valid point. Although, since these are Primary and therefore Party elections, I don't think he can truly brandish the Un-Democratic sword.

Fascinating study, blowing holes in the gifted & talented mindset

This is just a fascinating study. And it makes sense to me. From my own experience, when I was in grade school I was treated 'differently' by some teachers, and I think it was more of a long term detriment. In elementary school the teacher who probably got the most out of me was my 5th grade teacher who insisted on treating me the same, regardless of whether others had not done so. And at least as far as math, it really made a difference. And it reaffirms my feeling to not look for my children to have any special 'gifts' or at least to not treat them that way. When James came up to me the other day displaying a piece of paper where he was writing down some basic 3 letter words I just said good job, but didn't exclaim how 'Super smart he was'. I want him and the other 2 to have their mom's work ethic rather than mine. Kim has an extraordinary work ethic and I think that is why her school record is so much better than mine.

Weekend recap

A good weekend overall, got some good stuff done around the house, had some fun with James, didn't watch too much football. Saturday we mostly just relaxed around the house, although I did run down to the library to pick up a book I had on hold and a couple of Lego books for James and I.

Yesterday we spent some time making Lego things for James, then Kim got real energetic and put away all the Christmas stuff and then cleaned up the entire basement. I mostly just watched the kids, fed them, and picked up the living room and kitchen. It will be nice to start the new year with a clean, organized basement.

We don't have anything planned or New Years, the last night we went out and did anything for New Years was 6 years ago, when we just went over to a friends house for some games. For all the hosting of parties Kim & I just aren't that social outside of family and my smallish circle of friends. We are not the life of a party when we go out, preferring to keep to each other's company. Which is fine, it's probably better that we found someone we have that in common with.

Tomorrow I will be home with the kids while Kim works, so that will be a good chance to see how the boys react to the newly cleaned play area. Really the only games I care about are the Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl. So I may not spend the whole day watching football. And I will not be hosting some huge party either.

Kid's camera

So Lolly bought the boys a kids digital camera for Christmas, and they have enjoyed the heck out of it. Just wandering round snapping pictures to their heart's content. Here are a Few shots that were worth uploading.

Kim sleeping with Emily
James' friend Jon Dell from across the street.
James had to take pictures of all sorts of his presents, here is a book that he received.
Since the sharpness isn't always that great it's a great excuse to play around with effects. So here is one of me and Emily that I ran through a Sepia filter. I think it looks pretty cool that way.

Holiday Pictures

So here are some shots of us and the kids taken over the holidays. I am actually in 2 of them for a change, as opposed to normally when I am the one taking the pictures. Anyway her I am with my hands full at my family's Pre- Christmas Christmas party at Nancy & Bill's house.
Except for James missing this is an almost complete family picture. Taken at our house on Christmas day.
Here are a couple of shots of Emily on Christmas day, I would say she was enjoying her presents, except her looks are more on the line of "what are you doing now you crazy people? Can't you just leave me alone and let me sit in my bouncer or on the floor or something? I guess this stuff is all nice but I really have no idea what it is and what I should do with it."

Restless Night

So yesterday Kim finally went and saw the Dr. about her sore throat. And while they didn't diagnose her with strep or pneumonia they did at least give her something practical that she can do. Apparently Ibuprofen can assist in keeping your inflammation in your throat down, which would have allowed her to sleep better, except...

Also yesterday was Emily's 2 month check up. Which meant shots for her, and also flu shots for all 3 kids (well James had the spray as he is too freaked out about shots). The end result of that was Emily did not sleep well, ending up in our bed all night and alternating between cuddling with me or Kim. Which meant no sleep for either of us.

Otherwise Emily was just fine, like her brothers she was in 25th percentile on length and 10th percentile on weight, but everything was in proportion so she's just fine, just petite like her brothers.

Friday Links

Big Brother Inc.: Politics & Power

You see these sorts of things in movies and TV shows but you don't really believe they exist until see them. I guess in light of the book on data mining that I read earlier thisyear I shouldn't be surprised that it occurs in politics. The most upsetting thing is that it means that people don't see everything about a candidate, they will get targeted by single issues. And in our current body politic, where people have a hard enough time keeping track of personal details, it is unlikely they will take the time to look beyond a single trigger button issue when that issue is in their face all the time due to this kind of tailored campaigning.

The best graphical display of what is really going in the election cycle

So with 2008 a week away, and the football season winding down I guess I should start paying some attention. And so my first task was to find a map with dates on it like this. So I can see when things are happening and who is who. While this is not the first 'Internet' election, it is the first one where the Internet has become the primary source for news while there is no incumbent. While the Internet was certainly a presence in 2000 I don't think it had become as omnipresent as it is now. Should be interesting.


The Fundamental Principles of Colorado Football

More from Coach Hawk. Very interesting, good insight into what he is trying to build. I said it before and I will say it again, if I had a High school age athlete, and I wanted to be sure he was going somewhere where he was going to learn something other than football and how to party, where his character would be challenged and grow, I would want Coach Hawk as his coach. And if, in 12 years James is at a level where he can play college ball I will look to see where Coach Hawk is, even if (shudder) he is not coaching at CU.

Thursday Links

Very interesting summation of trends and technology that affect people's privacy

There's a lot to talk about here. I'll throw out a few: Item's 1 & 2, I am a little too libertarian to approve of either "war". I will admit it's much nicer to go places and not have to deal with cigarette smoke, but I think things might be going too far. Item 10, it's amazing how genetic manipulation can inflame the Christian Right when it might possible mean that a life is missing, but when it might mean an 'end' to homosexuality, it's OK. Get a sense of perspective folks.

Mark Cuban's business story in his own word's

Interesting stuff, very motivating if you are an entrepreneurial type, which I am not. But interesting because you wonder what happened to all those sales guys who did not RTF all those years ago, and now look at Cuban's success...

Attempting to preserve the illusion of Net Privacy

I don't worry about these types of things to be honest. My life is a pretty open book. I try to keep the financials under wraps but my personal life is right out there for pretty much everyone to see. Here's my personal view on this: If I want something to remain private, I don't write it down. Simple, to the point. When talking about people I know might get upset if they are included on my blog, I don't use their names.

Professor iPod Tells How IPods Insulate City Dwellers

An interesting article on the very general impact that iPod's (and probably by extension MP3 players) have on society

Since I received an iPod for Christmas (thanks again Mom) I have been reading up more on them and what they can do. It is pretty amazing that I can set up a calendar, keep track of contacts, and also play games on the device. Between the iPod and the new phone I am feeling far more up to date technologically now. Which is a good thing.

One of the presents James received was a replacement Leapster. And he has been playing it pretty incessantly, and when he isn't playing it Daniel is. Which makes me ponder the impact of technology on children. On the one hand I understand and appreciate the health reasons of separating kids from electronics, and I think James 'gets' more from his Lego playing time in terms of stimulating his imagination.

But they are growing up in an ever more digital world, and I want the kids to be able to compete and operate on an equal footing with their peers. So if that means working with electronic devices at an earlier age, so be it.

Happy Holidays

Well Happy Holidays to everyone. We managed to survive the craze of the Holidays intact. Had a bit of a scare as Daniel started showing all of the signs of an ear infection: temperature, tugging on his ears, generally miserable. So I took him to Dr. on Monday morning where he was given a clean bill of health, just a cold. Which eased up after a lazy relaxing Christmas Eve.

There is lots to talk about, but I would rather tell the stories as I add pictures. So I will leave it with saying we had a good vacation, I think everyone had a good Christmas.

Holiday changes

So King Soopers threw a monkey wrench into our plans. Kim was scheduled to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. She was able to negotiate down half of the Christmas Day shift though.

So the upshot is that we will not have a Christmas Eve party this year (but next year it should return). But instead we will host a Christmas Dinner at our house at 2. So for those of you who read this who were planning on attending the Christmas eve party, if you don't have plans for Christmas Day at 2, come on over.

Why the NFL needs to expand it's rosters

This guy really has a point.

I was commenting just the other day that the impact of injuries is so damaging in this era of the small rosters and salary cap. All it takes is a few key injuries and bam there goes the season. It's a domino effect: a starter on the offensive line goes down, the blocking is disrupted, so the timing is disrupted, leading to the QB, RB and WR more likely to just get killed, then they are out of action etc. placing greater stress on other players. Plus the depth that was needed for areas like special teams is also gone because the backups who used to play are not starters. It's just a vicious circle.

And I think that the last thing we as fans deserve is having luck become THE factor in determining if our team, that we spend time money and energy supporting, fails to win. I understand that some luck is involved, but as a fan I would prefer that my team won or lost because of coaching and team management, not pure luck.

Holiday plans

So here are our current plans (times subject to change based on Kim's schedule):

Saturday: day spent cleaning house, organizing the boys toys, coordinating Christmas Eve party (expect calls from me)
Saturday night: Christmas party with friends, followed by drive to see Christmas lights

Sunday Day: cleaning house, picking up last second gifts
Sunday Night: Christmas treat cooking at Mom's house (expect a special guest)

Monday Day: Final cleaning, cooking and preparation for...
Christmas Eve Party! Our annual event, it may start without Kim, but she should show up at some point.

Tuesday: something important, can't quite remember... oh yeah
Christmas! The boys (spurred on by James) will awake at some god awful early hour no doubt. Then the destruction of the wrapping paper will commence.

We don't currently have plans for a brunch or lunch or dinner at this point. We usually don't make the final plan for that until the Christmas Eve dinner.

So there you have it our plans for the holiday weekend. Sounds pretty busy huh? Not very relaxing. Well we shall see how it all turns out.

My letter to the Editor was published by the Gazette!

Opinion: Letters - Wednesday | assault, giuliani, romney - Gazette.com

I have no idea how mine was picked but hooray none the less. Of course, because this is the Gazette, it was followed by a gun advocate letter.

House repair time

So the plumbers were at the house yesterday. Dug up and replaced the entire outside sewer line. Unfortunately also cut up some of the sprinkler line and chopped down my holly bush. But they also took the top off our front porch so now Manual should be able to get out on Friday or the weekend and replace the porch with some better deck materials, including a hand railing. As I mentioned yesterday, it's not a big holiday event without us starting a big household project just ahead of it.

The holiday stress is starting to kick in because we still don't know what Kim's schedule is for next week. Which makes it near impossible for us to plan out the holiday events. And for those of you who know me, I am a planner, and not being able to do so drives me a little nuts.

We shall see what happens.

Kids Pictures

3 Kids

Emily

Daniel

James

So here are some recent shots of the kids for folks to upload what have you. We have the first good shot of the 3 of them, dressed up fancy for Megan's birthday party. Plus individual shots of each of them.

Sitting at home sick

So today I am at home. Woke up with a worse sore throat than I have had and decided to call in. Plus this way James will not be subjected to his cousins, which means a true day of rest. He didn't get all the rest he needed yesterday as Megan watched the kids and that meant Dillon came over and they were pretty active.

I am keeping busy screening pictures from the camera. I have uploaded the raw shots from the preChristmas party and Megan's birthday to the Picasa site. I will also do a separate post with some selected shots of the kids that we have taken recently, with them all dressed up.

Weekend Recap

A busy and tiring weekend. Kim was fighting a cold, so I had to take up some slack from her with the middle of the night feedings. We had some errands on Saturday, then a big family pre-Christmas gathering. Which was lots of fun, and since we didn't host, not too overwhelming.

Then yesterday we got to relax some, but it appears James' strep has caught him, so no Sunday school. Followed by a birthday/graduation party for Megan. Then we finally got home to relax a little more, get some cleanup done at the house.

So busy, a prelude to the holidays. And today I will take James to the Dr. to keep him from getting worse.

Which might give me the opportunity to upload the bunches of pictures I took this weekend to Picasa and Facebook.

Stop the Insanity

So the Events over the weekend have me thinking. And then something I was told on Monday night made it worse. James, my 6 year old son, was telling me how they were practicing a lock down drill at school in case of an attack like Columbine or New Life. James is in Kindergarten.

Then this morning in the paper I read an article detailing how the New Life killer bought all of his weapons legally, including 2 assault rifles, only one of which he used in the attacks. Thank you NRA and George Bush for ending the Assault rifle ban. The Omaha Mall shooter was also carrying an Assault rifle, an Ak-47 to be precise. Again thank you George Bush.

When is this all going to stop? What is it going to take for things to change so that things like this don't happen anymore? So that people can attend church without fear. So that children can attend school with only the normal childhood fears of bullies, gym class and tests.

First, a substantive immediate change is to reinstitute the Assault weapon ban, so that no one can gain access to these weapons without being a member of law enforcement or military or theft. There is no reasonable justification for owning an assault rifle in my opinion. Ideally I would implement the Lynyrd Skynyrd solution:

"So why don't we dump 'em people
To the bottom of the sea "

Second, we need to address mental health as a culture. We need to remove the stigma. And we need to provide funding for reasonable facilities so that people who are mentally ill have a place to go and get help. I am not talking about a return to the dreadful mental health facilities of the past century. But there needs to be an alternative location for these people. And have that alternative be decent enough that parents and families don't feel like they are committing their loved ones to a fate worse than death.

I have a number of other thoughts on this but I will leave it at these for now. I think these are the 2 most important lessons we can learn from the events of the last week. And if we don't learn those lessons and take action as a society New Life and Omaha will not be the end.

Brady Campaign

Go here to sign the petition and send an e-mail to the President, Congress etc. to reinstate the Assault weapon ban.

Wednesday

Will Michael Vick play football in prison?

Everyone wants to talk about a real life Longest Yard scenario. Which would be interesting. You just team up Mike with CU Alum Rae Carruth and you have an almost unstoppable passing combo. Of course I think that Vick's time should not be easy, he needs to be treated just like any other inmate. But I also wonder if his life might be made just a little worse because he is Mike Vick.

This looks cool

Kind of a compromise between James' former obsession with trains and Thomas the Tank Engine, and his current love of Legos.

Interesting commentary on the results of absent fathers

While the commentary is focused on the African American community I can tell you I see the effects of this everyday. My sister in law has 4 kids, and 3 of them see their dad maybe twice a year, while the youngest sees his dad once or twice a week. And you can see the effect this lack of an adult male role model has on them. Lately I have been reading James stories or songs from Free to be you and me and while sometimes Kim gives me a hard time for my 'weird' music I think she understands the impact these stories have. And most of these lessons are things that have a much bigger impact coming from a man than a woman. It means a lot more for a man to sing "It's alright to Cry" to his son than it would be for a mom. And that is the kind of impact that a Dad has. And when I see the sullen, resentful boy that my nephew is becoming I just count my lucky stars that I had a dad in my life, and that I can be there for my son's.

On the lighter side

One thing I picked up from my father is that seeming chaos really isn't. Apparently Steven Leavitt agrees.

R.I.P. I guess...

Ike Turner, Rock n Roll Pioneer, great musician and band leader, abusive husband and drug addict.

Mark Cuban on taxes, government accoutning and politics

And he actually raises some really good points

This is an interesting read. And I am for most of what he proposes. I think he hit the nail on the head with his point that 250K is not the point that should be considered 'rich'. People at that level are comfortable, but they cannot afford the luxury items that Cuban talks about.

And his idea of eliminating taxes on small businesses is very interesting. I would be interested to see a study done on the feasibility of it.

And last I have not made a study of the financials for the government but sometimes you do wonder. Where does all that money go and where does it really come from?

Sad Commentary

So first of all my thoughts and best wishes are with those shot on Sunday (as it turns out the family most affected are cousins to one of my sisters friends). It never makes sense when these sorts of shootings occur.

But between this shooting and the shooting last week in Omaha I think it is time to reopen the national dialogue on the assault rifle ban. I think it is ridiculous that these weapons are available again. And after 2 shootings made all the worse because of the firepower available to the killers I would find it hard to agree with any justification for the legality of these types of weapons. Will ridding the country of these weapons make everyone safer? Maybe, maybe not, but it might at least reduce the carnage. New Life was lucky that there was a trained security officer there, and that the killer was not better trained.

Friday

Why the Patriots will lose

While he certainly makes his case, and many others I have have made similar cases, I am not certain I agree. I think that the history of this Patriots team, at the core, has been they play at their best in big games. I think that Bill Belichik has something up his sleeve for a game like this. And given how the Steelers have a bad road record, and the game is at Foxborough, it is not a clear case for the upset.

Another example of a writer talking himself into a Patriots loss

This may end up being the best sub plot of the undefeated season: how writers talked themselves into believing that other teams would win. I really think this team, love it or hate it, will go undefeated, at least for the regular season. The playoffs might be different if they have to face the Chargers, Colts and/ Steelers and possible Dallas. Although if they played Dallas on a neutral field with Belichik given 2 weeks to prepare, it could be real ugly.

Finally Friday

It seems like it was an extra long week. But the bad news with the plumbing probably had something to do with that. We have the other plumber coming today to give an estimate on the work. Then we make our choice on who to go with and schedule the work.

No plans this weekend, my normal every 2 week game night was cancelled until January. So it will be a weekend at home. Now the problem becomes one of finding something to do for James. He is such a social child and he is not happy just playing on his own or with Daniel. And it gets a little draining trying to keep up with him and Daniel and Emily on days when Kim works.

Thursday

A Cool Christmas gift in case anyone is interested

Particularly the 'I Just Go Berserk' and 'The Power' shirts. Those 2 really capture the spirit of what made Billy Jack such a powerful symbol.

I think someone has finally broken the 'Code'

As my father would say. It is strange that this viewpoint, also known as Theistic evolution is really downplayed. Like there is no middle ground in the battle of religion versus science. But there apparently is a pretty widespread system of beliefs that occupies the middle ground in this battle. And it is a middle ground that makes sense really. If you believe in God, or similar Supreme Being, but also embrace science it is possible to accommodate both beliefs.

Mitt Romney delivers his big speech on religion

And he did the politically safe thing, hedging his bets whenever possible without coming out and saying that being a candidate meant he was renouncing his beliefs. Some interesting excerpts:

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone,"

I am not entirely certain that he would get a lot agreement on this from a number of Middle Eastern countries. But a good point none the less.

Romney said he thought some have taken the idea of separation of church and state beyond its original meaning by trying to remove any acknowledgment of God from the public arena.

"It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America -- the religion of secularism. They are wrong," he said.

I am not sure I agree with him there. I think the idea was that religion would have no place in the government. Not saying that leaders cannot be religious but their religion should have no bearing on their political choices.

All in all this is a very interesting test case for the politically active Evangelical Christians, what is really important to them: electing a Christian or someone who shares their political beliefs?

House saga continues

So the plumber came out yesterday and it was pretty much the worst case scenario. 3 cracks/offsets in the line by the house, major collapse right by the street. So we spent some time last night trying to determine exactly how we will pay for the work. We have worked out a solution for the financing, and it won't be hugely painful. But the overall effect is we have to forego any thoughts for any big family presents like a new TV for the downstairs or a new PC or anything like that for Christmas. Bummer, the joys of being a responsible adult with a family and house.

Wednesday

This is humorous

Especially the updated Live interpretation of it's a Charlie Brown Christmas:

Plus Charlie Brown gets hit in the crotch about two dozen times!

A very interesting spin

On the impact of divorce. Also at the end it glosses over an endorsement of couples living together, and even 'commune' style living.

More House Problems

Well if it's not one thing it's another. We thought we had our plumbing problems under control last time I ran the sewer snake in the front yard. Well it turns out I was wrong. The sewer is backed up to the cut out again and overflowing there. Which means we have a nice green patch in the lawn, but with the nice weather the smell can get pretty strong. So it is time to put a call into the plumber to have them run a camera down the line and see where the problem is. And hope that it is just a clog that the standard 50 foot rented snake can't handle. Because if that isn't the issue and we have a collapsed or cracked line that gets real expensive.

Tuesday

Mitt Romney to talk about his beliefs

I am looking forward to this, it's really a make or break moment for him. And also for the Mormon Church in this country, because if your defense of your beliefs makes those beliefs look bad then it pretty much eliminates any chance of that belief system becoming a major player. So it should be interesting to read about. Although I will probably not read Hitchen's response as this column pretty much cinches him in my mind as crazy as a loon.

Is there a difference between an MP3 and Vinyl?

An interesting commentary on the state of technology, audiophiles and what really matters when listening to music. I am not an audiophile snob. I have never cared that much, so long as I could play it loud and the medium was durable is all that mattered to me. And convenience is crucial for me now. But I have friends who are audiophiles and they are all about how the right equipment does make a difference.

Patriots-Ravens game last night

So I only watched the first half, before family pressures overcame my control of the TV. But from what I saw and what I have read about this morning I think that the Ravens did have the right idea. And what is surprsing to me is that the recipe to defeat the Partiots is the exact same one that the Patriots used to defeat the Rams in their signature victory. That is beat them up, hammer the receivers, jam them at the line, let loose the dog blitzes from all directions. And on offense play keep away, ball control, power running.

If I was a big Patriots fan I would be getting worried right now, because there are teams in the AFC capable of playing that game. This is a team that is built to beat the Colts, but if they have to play the Jaguars, Steelers or Chargers they could be in trouble.

That being said I would not be surprised if Bill Belichik is not just keeping his running game under wraps. That he doesn't just switch gears in the coming weeks and start pounding the ball. He's too smart a coach to not realize what has happened to his team. Of course I hope they stick with the high wire passing attack so I can get all those points from Tom Brady in my fantasy league.

Monday Links

Link to an interesting article in Rolling Stone

This is a review of an article in Rolling Stone (The actual article ), I will read the article next, but this review makes it very intriguing. I have long thought the War on Drugs was not that effective. And judging by the easy availability to those people I know who are or have been regular users I don't think it has been that effective. I do think that the culture has changed from the alarmist stage it was in in the early 90's. But I don't think you can lay that at the hands of the War on Drugs. The actual article is pretty dense so it may be a while before I finish it.

Tonight looks to be a hectic TV night, with New episodes of 4 of our favorite shows, plus a big night for my fantasy football team. Loks like the Tivo and VCR combo will get a serious workout. I can only guess this perfect storm has something to do with the Writers strike and networks trying to dump the shows that they have taped.

Weekend Recap

Well a good weekend overall. Relaxed at home with the kids on Saturday while Kim worked. Yesterday we got the Christmas tree and decorations out and up. Which was a little frustrating as we tried to maintain some control over the proceedings while the boys just wanted to be involved and hanging things up. But it is up, as are the decorations on the Mantel piece. So that much is complete. Now the hope is that when Tammy watches the kids at our house, that they don't destroy it.

Very disappointing loss by the Broncos yesterday. They are just a young team that is making young team mistakes. But I had really high hopes for them, so it is pretty disappointing. But the Rams won, I should win in my fantasy leagues this week, and the Buffs are Bowl bound!

Some new photos

 

 

 

 

Daniel and his interesting fashion choices coupled with his potty training. We think this is The Trend of the year for 2008, underwear with cowboy boots.

Since James just started taking piano lessons I doubt this will be the last shot we have of him at the piano. And Daniel like all little brothers wants to do just what big Bubba is doing. Hence the dueling maestro's.

The boys like to curl up close to their little sister and talk so here are a couple of examples. Daniel curled up with Emily and James curled up with Emily, she's not so sure about this of course, but she was quiet for a minute.

THere a bunch more new photos at the Picasa site on the left.

Various updates

So, no big plans for this weekend, maybe get the Christmas tree and decorations up. Depends on Kim's work schedule.

1. So James has been throwing the little fits lately, just out of the blue, for minor little things. Such as yesterday morning when I took him to school he refused to wear his winter coat, then last night we let him skip his bath for more play time with Jon Del, but when it was bed time he broke down over not taking a bath. So after some thought I decided that this is probably because he feels like he is not getting full attention, what with Emily and now Daniel is potty training so he is getting lots of positive attention. So I will be focusing some extra time on James tonight and over the weekend.

2. Well I thought I was going to be able to put off the surgery on my foot. I had pulled out a pair of shoes I had, and they do not bother the bunion, which is good. But they are heavier shoes, and after 2 nights of painful foot cramps at bedtime it is clear those shoes are not a long term solution. So today I will bite the bullet and call the Dr. to schedule the surgery. Which is very annoying, because I have been going kind of crazy not being able to get any decent exercise. I was hoping that a different pair of shoes would be all that was necessary, I was wrong. So it will have to be surgery, so I can hopefully resume exercise in a couple of months.

Jason WHitlock Chimes in on Sean Taylor

And Pulls no punches whatsoever

And for that he and Michael Wilbon will probably get castigated and raked over the coals by the community at large. When instead they should be supported for speaking out.

Best quote:
"Watch the documentary and ask yourself why nine poor kids in the '50s risked their lives to get a good education and a thousand poor black kids today ignore the opportunity that is served to them on a platter. "

Again, I won't pretend to know exactly what it's like to grow up black in America today. But it seems to me that what people face today is almost worse in some ways than the institutionalized Jim Crow era problems. No it is different, what the Civil Rights movement sdealt with had to be fixed, it was a terrible injustice. But what is faced today seems just as bad in a way.

How to Win at Monopoly ®

A very interesting read and strategy

Of course this is based on a) all luck going your way, playing the game exactly as written. Since my luck in dice games, particularly 6 sided dice games is never great I cannot count on that. Plus the way we play always involves the huge payoff for Free Parking. But I would be interested to test this out, especially the chart on the payoffs for each property based the number of houses, hotels etc.

Wednesday Thoughts 11-28-07

So this morning when I went out to my car I discovered that someone had got in and rifled around in it. Nothing of any value was taken, it was probably just some kid checking car doors, but it was still odd and disturbing. I will have to make sure it is locked, which I thought it was last night.

Sent out invitations today for our Annual Christmas Eve bash. Not planning for as long of an event as in years past as we don't know what Kim's schedule is yet. This started as a way for me to see my family for Christmas events so we could focus on Kim's family on Christmas Day, but it has evolved into a much bigger deal. It has also taken the place of Kim's Grandparents annual Christmas Eve event at their house as well. It's Pot luck, pretty much all friends and family in the area are invited. I also created it as an event in Facebook.

Michael Wilbon on Sean Taylor's Death

Wilbon always finds a way to address the bigger issue in the best way. At least to me, raised in an upper middle class background and being white, what he says makes sense. The concept of having to make that decision at some point to cut everything off in order to succeed is alien to me. Yes at some point I had to cut off certain people and behaviors in order to get my drinking under control, but it wasn't all that hard, and it certainly wasn't a question of leaving my childhood and home behind. It must be tough.

Tuesday Thoughts 11-27-07

First, RIP Sean Taylor, Washington Redskins Safety, 24 years old, shot in his home in an apparent Robery attempt. It's sad when anyone dies, and terrible when it is due to senseless violence. So I will post this for this player, but think of it as a tribute to the many faceless victims of violence who were not also professional athletes and therefore did not make the national news.

Bill Simmons on fatherhood

What a great story about taking a young child to a sporting event. We've dragged James and Daniel to just about every sporting event we could: football (NFL, College, Arena), Basketball (NBA), Hockey (CC) and Baseball (Sky Sox). And Simmons really hits the nail on the head as far as how easy it is to get your kids to watch sports, so long as you make them exciting. James is not a total convert yet, but he's getting there, and so is Daniel. Which means it should be that much easier to draw in Emily mwahahaha...

Ole Miss get's it right

Nutt is a good coach, he knows how to win in the SEC, even when he doesn't have the resources of an LSU or Florida. He's not afraid to be creative, his use of QB Matt Jones and RB Darren McFadden are excellent examples. He is a good recruiter. Plus we don't have to play against him every year now.

Christopher Hitchens attacks Mitt Romney

In case you are not familiar with him Hitchens is a vehement atheist, attacking all religious beliefs with an equal hatred. But he does raise some valid points in this little diatribe. Why shouldn't Romney be asked the same questions we asked Kennedy about his Catholicism? Of course he answers his own question with this last observation:

we should expect him not to obfuscate and whine anymore but to give clear and unambiguous answers to them.

Of course it is to laugh to expect a politician to actually do the above.

Ole Miss get's it right

Ex-Arkansas coach Nutt agrees with Mississippi

I am pretty excited, Nutt is a good coach, knows what it takes to win in the SEC, even when the school doesn't have the resources of an LSU or Alabama or Florida. He's not afraid to take risks or be creative: witness what he did with Matt Jones at QB and Darren McFadden in the Wild Hog formation. He's a good recruiter. Plus it means we won't have to play against him every year too...

Links for thought

A particularly slanted view on e-waste

This is a big topic lately, getting a story on the Freakonomics site last week as well. It's a puzzling problem. I have an old PC sitting at home, that is ostensibly for James, but he's really not old enough for it. Plus it is really pretty decrepit. And if I ever get the disposable cash for the laptop I want then I will probably look for a good way to dispose of the old PC, as I would then be able to set up James on our current desktop. Does anyone out there have any ideas on how to avoid letting the disposal of old PC's become such a horrific thing?

Food for thought concerning Holiday spending

We stand as examples of this, despite planning every year to start in the summer with paying on lay away, and then Kim's annual fall job change, the planning is never there. Then when Thanksgiving hits, we hit the stores, because we want the kids to have a good Christmas. I know it is outrageous, and maybe not all that smart, but we do it anyway. And I know my parents did it too to a certain extent. Best line in the article:

Archaeologists in Rome recently unearthed the hitherto unknown Epistle to the Keynesians, a fifth-century tract in which an economist frets that an impending invasion by the Visigoths and the lack of a must-have toga would sack the Christmas season.

There is an almost instinctual response to do what we can to make the kids happy. And it is almost impossible to overcome. There is an intellectual feeling that we know it will all come out okay in the end for us, but still spending is one of those things that usually overwhelms sense. One of my buddies volunteers at Ecumenical Social Ministries and he was telling me the other night that he often has conversations with people seeking aid where he explains that for the cost of one month of their cable service they could have a year's subscription to the Gazette, and they always say that 1 month is cable is better.

This story just gets bigger and bigger

Remember the link I alluded to a week ago about the horrors of the Internet. Well this article goes into what has become a dramatic fall out. I believe that the one woman deserved some punishment and calling out for her actions. Although the brick through the window, death threats etc. are out of control. One of the comments here raised a very good point and angle: what if it had been the Dad who was posing as the teenage boy? Boom, straight to jail for solicitation of a minor etc. There is a very deep double standard there which has only been worsened by the Internet. But again, I think the most important point here is that people need to not point there fingers at the "Big Bad Internet" and instead look at the people involved and make them accountable. I have been on both sides of the anonymous mob fights in various Internet forums, and I can attest that people need to realize this is not a perfect media, it lacks the sophistication of even phone conversations. And that the most important thing I would impart to any kid starting out with all of these tools is to explain that things will almost never be what they seem.

Monday Sports Links 11-26-07

So not exactly a good Sports weekend, with both the Rams and Broncos losing heartbreaking games where they had a lead. But at least the Buffs won their game. Although I did not watch the second (and clearly more exciting and satisfying) half. I was at home with all 3 kids while Kim was doing our Christmas shopping, so when CU fell behind I turned off the game for the sake of my own sanity, not needing to add the stress of CU losing to the existing stress of dealing with the kids.

Coach Hawkin's Blog

Celebrating a win without going into specifics. I would hope they could go to a bowl game. It would be a nice reward and recruiting tool. But for now I will simply bask in another record setting win over Nebraska and chasing off another Nebraska coach.

DJ Gallo's take on the week in the NFL

Gallo's stuff is almost always very humorous. And this was an excellent week for the humor. An Example:

Vikings vs. Giants
Eli Manning delivers a memorable, convincing performance as a bumbling, overshadowed and talentless little brother. (Drama)

Holiday weekend Recap

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving Holiday. We had a good weekend overall. Thanksgiving was nice at Dad & Marcella's as always, excellent food. Had a nice game night at Nancy & Bill's afterwards. Friday I stayed home with the kids while Kim braved the holiday shopping crowds with Connie. Then I had dinner with Kernan and game night at Forrest's.

Then Saturday we left Emily with Grandma Cella while we took the boys to the Bee Movie (fun little movie, I enjoyed it). Then a relaxing evening at home. Then Sunday James went to Sunday school, Church and then started piano lessons with Grandma Cella, which helped offset the absence of Jhon-Del. James seemed to enjoy the Sunday school, and will probably be attending semi-regularly for a while, in an effort to broaden his horizons.

Endeavoring to keep awake on what promises to be a slow day at work.

First, a Happy Birthday to my buddy and minister, Forrest Oates! Forrest is one of my best friends, we game together, hang out, we officiated each others weddings (hence the minister comment). Out of courtesy I won't mention his age (although there is a reason we call him Old Man).

Is Thanksgiving a Religious Holiday?

Like most such things my approach is: can't we all just get along? I was not raised in any religious fashion. The only times I attended church was when I visited my grandparents. And occasionally I might attend a service with my step-mother. And Kim is even less religious. What is funny is James, he is raised in a completely non-religious way, but his good friend Jhon is from a very religious Jewish family. So he often comes home speaking of Yah. What is funny is that I think James has this picture of Yah or God as some kind of Super hero, not a particularly spiritual viewpoint. But I digress from the article at hand, the point was that Thanksgiving in my experience was not a religious gathering, it is about family, good food and the accompanying entertainment (be it football, reading ads, playing board games).

I'm gonna keep the post short today, have some work to catch up on before the Holiday weekend. Have a Happy Turkey day everyone!

What Reagan meant by "states' rights."

This article dovetails nicely with the point of my Master's Thesis

Which pointed out the same thing, comparing the speeches and writings of Theodore G. Bilbo to George Wallace, ending with the echoes of Reagan's speeches. It's nice to see some validation, albeit 15 years later. Although it is somewhat comical that people are still arguing about it. This was considered more or less a fact when I went to school in the early '90's. And now apparently some people are trying to say that the Republican message of 'States Rights' wasn't a veiled message of opposition to the Civil Rights movement, and the ensuing policies. That's just downright foolish in my mind, talk about revisionist history.

I'm not downplaying the impact of Reagan, I voted for him twice, he really changed the body politic for the better. But there was a dark side to the Reagan Conservatives, and this is one example.

Very happy today as I was able to accomplish a rare trifecta: both of my NFL teams won and I won in Fantasy. This is the first time that has happened this year.

Interesting view on the effects of Facebook and other sites

While I can't say I have reached the 150 number yet (Up to 16 on Facebook with the vast majority being family) I do think that if all of the friends/past acquaintances I would like to contact did become friends I might push to that number. I can see how tools like this will allow this so called magic number to grow in one sense, but I agree with the writer that the 'friendships' won't be the same as ones made in person.

Priceless line I found on ESPN today:

"Lil' Romeo to play basketball at USC. (Lil' Mercutio declared academically ineligible, forced to attend Santa Monica College)"

Jay Cutler growing into his role

I was really impressed with the offense last night, and the defense to an extent. There are definitely times when you can see what Shanahan saw in Cutler, plays like that first TD last night where he made a pass very few people could make. Of course there are times that he attempts plays that make you scratch you head, but those are getting rarer. And I thought the defense actually played pretty well, they really only gave up on Touchdown Drive, the other TD was on a short field after the fumbled punt. Otherwise they did a good job of bending not breaking, which is the best way to play Vince Young, you can't blitz him because he is such a good runner.

Daily links for 11-19-07

Celebrating the Ram's 2 game win streak and another dominant victory in Fantasy football.

The ongoing feud between Mark Cuban and Bill O'Reilly

Is getting really interesting, another example of how the FoxNews folks just aren't all that smart. If O'Reilly and the folks at FoxNews are that vehemently opposed to a movie that they haven't seen, it stands to reason they wouldn't support it by advertising it. And you gotta love Cuban calling O'Reilly out for his supporters threatening Cuban and his businesses.

Another article illustrating why current electoral politics frustrate me

It not only shouldn't even be an issue that someone eschews attacks on their opponent it just turns me off. This brings to mind 2 of my favorite TV shows, for different reasons. First West Wing, a very good show, but frustrating because it's idealized world where super intelligent people could get elected without destroying their opponents, and who could share that intelligence with the electorate is unfortunately right now more or less a dream world and a cruel tease. And Deadwood for the episode where there are campaign speeches for mayor and Sheriff and one candidate bases his entire speech on pointing out that his opponent is a Jew and viciously attacks him. Unfortunately I think that current politics are closer to the Deadwood campaign that the West Wing.

Interesting article on teachers and social networking

I think this is a good topic for discussion. I know of at least 2 highly inappropriate relationships that took place at my high school, and there were probably more. And my favorite show, Friday Night Lights, looks like it is gearing up for a sub plot of the same issue. But like the article states, if a teacher is willing to cross that boundary, preventing use of these sites will not stop what they do. But these sites are becoming ubiquitous, and expecting someone to not have one because of their profession is kind of ridiculous. I think it is time that people stop blaming the Internet for people doing Horrible things . Blame the people, not the technology. Gun advocates would have us blame people for crime, not guns, well I think the same applies to the Internet.

Because I have to say something about football

I think this theory is very interesting. And like I noted in a post last week, Professional coaching has become too conservative in my opinion. Which is not uncommon when you start investing large sums of money i.e. paying coaches and players millions of dollars. But at some point these ideas start to percolate. I remember when the USFL teams first began to use the Run N Shoot offense, the NFL scoffed. Then a few NFL teams adopted it, and later trashed it, but the essence survived. Heck the Patriots this year run a variation of the Run N Shoot most of the game. So eventually a college coach will try this, and within 10 to 15 years an NFL team will adopt the strategy at least for portions of the game.

The boys Helping Out

Daniel Holding Emily

James Feeding Emily

So the boys have really taken to caring for their little sister. James is becoming a willing helper, including the picture above where he fed her so I could eat my breakfast. Daniel likes to hold her, and he loves nothing more than to just lie down next to her and talk to her. It has been great to watch.

So we started a new step with Daniel, having him wear underwear instead of pull ups for part of the day. He already peed his pants once but that was partly my fault for not watching the time and having him go potty at a decent interval.

We also are implementing a weekly chore for James: cleaning his room and the kids area in the basement. He protested at first, but started to get into it. He gets the picture that if he keeps the area clean on a daily basis the weekly cleaning won't be so onerous, now we just have to keep on him about it. I figure just saying every Sunday morning before he can play with Jon Del, he has to get those 2 things done. And Daniel will help out with it.

First, a quick comment, thanks to the people who already joined Facebook, I think it is worth your time as a way to see what is going on in people's lives in a simple fashion.

Go here, then open the slide show

For a slide show about Charlie Brown, Charles Schulz, and Peanuts. Specifically the new biography of Schulz. I have many fond memories of sitting in my grandparents lake cottage at Fern Glen reading Peanuts collections. And looking back it is striking how different the strip was from it's contemporaries in that it was never just a laugh track. I always sympathized with Charlie Brown, except I was able to grow up and marry the little red haired girl.

Would you sell your vote, and for how much?

An interesting theory, even if it is contradictory to what we are all led to believe in the grand scheme of things. What I find especially fascinating is the break down of cost per vote for the presidential candidates. Doesn't that seem ridiculous? Almost a billion dollars spent on an election! I really think that the first candidate to successfully figure out a viral campaign will just blow things a way. I would really like to see a word of mouth Internet campaign get some publicity.

Remembrances of Thanksgiving Family football

This is just a blast to read. Playing football and/or basketball has always been one of the things I have looked forward to every thanksgiving (and one of the secret reasons we go to my Dad's house instead of the in-laws). The tradition has declined considerably over the years due to medical reasons. But with a new generation finally arriving (my boys and their cousins) maybe we can resurrect the game, at least in subdued fashion. I have very fond memories of trudging up the street to the Junior high field as a family to play, even though I could barely catch.

Daily Links (New Format)

Instead of the multiple post attack like I did yesterday (4 different posts) I am going to try something different. As I come across a link I will add it to a single post, then post all of the links at the same time. I will also put up another Poll asking for feedback as to which approach works better.

Interesting article on the future of electronic communication

This hits home for me as I am kind of a bridge between my semi-technophile family, my technophobe in-laws, and working for a tech company. So I have become fluent in all of these forms, although I don't do the text message thing much if at all. It's one of the reasons why I am concerned about my kid's ability to become comfortable with a computer, because long term, that will be the portal for communication. And I really like Facebook, I think there there are some real possibilities in using it.

My Facebook page

I am inviting loads of people here, I think it would be a great way for folks to keep updated with family and friends. I have also created a Family Group as well which can act as a central repository for family news, phots, etc.

Just a fascinating paper on College football polls

Is it better to lose early or late? Is it better to beat a strong or weak opponent (or lose to same)? Does margin of victory really matter? In a college season where we have seen a return of the 70+ point wins, and where coaches get into near fist fights over decisons that can only be construed as runing up the score, and where all of the unbeaten teams appear to have little chance of winning the mythical National Championship this is just fascinating.

Story on one my favorite sports writers

Dan Jenkins is one of the writers most responsible for my love of sports and appreciation of the art form. I haven't always agreed with all of his views one every team, and since I'm not a Texan I certainly don't have the same love for all things Texas that he does. It's always nice when you see how someone else has the same appreciation for something you love.

Busting out the NFL

Good analysis of the failure of the NFL to innovate

This is a big theme this year as far as the sports writers I read regularly: the NFL (and the NBA for that matter) is simply too conservaitve for it's own good sometimes. The person who came to my mind when reading this article was Warren Moon. When he came out of college the NFL was not willing to take a risk on a black quarterback with yhis skills. It took the arrival of Mouse Davis and the Run and shoot to showcase his talents, which eventually led to a Hall of Fame career. I understand there are good, valid reasons why a true spread offense wouldn't work in the NFL, but at some point a coach is going to come along and take a guy like Alex Smith or Troy Smith or Tim Tebow, build their offense around their talents and just kill people.

Too much of NFL coaching is built around coaches with their 'system', and the system is bigger than the players. One of the best quotes about Bear Bryant was he could beat you with his players then tun around and take your players and beat you just as bad. One of the most amazing coaching moves I ever saw in the NFL was how Don Shula, who for years had a team built on Defense, running game and an almost point blank refusal to pass the ball, totally reversed course and became a passing team when he had a great QB in Dan Marino.

Billy Jack to come back?

Another Article on Tom Laughlin and his persona

It is interesting to read an article like this to get a different perspective than what you find on the billyjack.com website. On the one hand it is difficult to picture an old Tom Laughlin when the only picture I have in my head is from the movies he made in the 70's, 30 years ago. And I know some of his views are pretty radical and out there, but one of the things I have realized in recent years is that those radical ideas did a lot to shape my views. And it is comforting to know that I am not the only one.

More Bloggin' With Hawk

What can I say, he impresses me more every week

Yeah we may not make it to a bowl game this year, but I know 2 things from reading his blogs:

1. The program is on the right course and I think we will see a return to the continued success of the later McCartney, and Barnett Era's. The difference is when we see that success it will not be accompanied by the thug like behavior and attitude that we saw in those era's. I just don't think Coach Hawk would recruit those types of players.

2. If I was on the fence as a parent, and education and personal growth for my child were important to me, I would want Coach Hawk as my son's coach. If he left CU and went to (shudder) Nebraska or Miami or OU, that wouldn't change. He just seems like the type of coach who 'get's it'. The only other coaches I would compare him to are Phil Jackson in the NBA and Mike Leach (although not insane like Leach). I really think that the players are not just getting coached as football players, they are receiving an education as men as well.

Do Conservatives watch 60 Minutes?

Here is an interesting study which looks at that and other questions

Basically the study looks at what people watch, play and read and what effect their political views have on that. An interesting read. Not unsurprisingly I find myself in the Moderate category.

TV Shows

So a while back one of my favorite sports columnists, Bill Simmons, defined a good TV show or movie as one where you don't look at your watch when you watch it, and you're not ready for it to end. Well I had not encountered too many shows like that. Really the only one that I can remember before this year was the Soprano's. Well that is over, I now have 2 shows like that: Mad Men and Friday Night Lights.

Mad Men was so entrancing that not only was I not ready for any episode to end, when the season ended I wasn't ready, I had to go on the web site to find out that it was over. This was really just a great show and I can hardly wait for the next season.

Well up until recently I liked Friday Night Lights, a lot. But recently I have been recording the episodes and watching with Kim. Well this last week when the show was over, I was totally taken by surprise, I was so immersed in it that I didn't realize it had run it's full hour. The surprising thing is that Kim has now been sucked into the series and is watching it with me, when normally she doesn't care about any football unless it's the Broncos. But this show is not a football show, it just happens to involve football players. So I will continue to press people to take the time to watch it, you will not be sorry.

This is what is bothering my foot

Tailor's Bunion

After my Dr. Appointment on last Thursday (which was really a waste of time). He told me he could schedule the surgery mentioned here, but I elected not to do it at this time. So basically I need to invest in some good wide walking shoes for my day to day wear and for getting my exercise. Maybe look into a shoe stretcher for my current shoes. The good news is I can wear my Crocs so long as the weather is nice. With everything else going on, plus the holidays, I really don't want to have to deal with surgery. Maybe next year, in March I might do it.

Back at work

So here I am back at work, in my dark little cubicle, sipping on Diet Coke, waiting for a call. It's kind of nice to return to the routine of work. Emily woke up at 4:15 but Kim was nice enough to get up and feed her so I could get an additional hour sleep. Since we made a few changes in her sleeping arrangements and some of her bad congestion cleared up she has slept well the past couple of nights. Yesterday while Kim was out, after her afternoon feeding I was able to lay her down in her room and she slept a good hour and a half there. I think she is on the right track. And fortunately Kim doesn't have to contend with getting James to school today as he has the day off for Veterans Day.

So I was talking to a friend yesterday about how much of a change it is to have multiple kids. When you have just one kid, as a parent it is a lot easier to still try and live your life like there has been no change. You just take the one child everywhere you go, and try and do things. But once you have 2 to keep track of (or more like we do now), everything changes. And for me the birth of Daniel was a real change in my attitude, everything became family first. So with the birth of Emily it was easier, not much adjustment.

Kim's Birthday Party

Mike delivering the cake

Kim & her boys blowing out the candles

Admiring all those candles!

So the party went quite well I thought. Despite my operating on 2-3 hours of sleep. Everyone got to see and visit with Emily. James and Daniel got to wrestle and play around with cousins and aunts and uncles. And everyone had a fun time I thought. I have posted all of the pictures on the Picasa site as well. Thanks to everyone who brought presents, food or helped me keep things going smoothly (or did all 3 of the above). I also think everyone enjoyed the opportunity to see all of the pictures via the TV, that was a great hit! So all of my hard work getting that set up paid off.

Weekend plans and Recap of time off

So today is my last day of vacation/time off for paternity leave. I head back to work Monday. Saturday is Kim's birthday party, we moved it forward so it wouldn't interfere with her nephew's birthday or ask people to attend 2 parties the same weekend. It should be fun, the weather should actually be nice enough to spend most of the time outside.

Well I am very glad I took the 2 weeks off instead of just 1. I think it was good for the boys as far as adjusting to having Emily around. Plus it helped Kim get herself on something of a schedule. The past 2 days I have gotten up around 5 to feed Emily as part of adjusting myself for going back to work. Which hasn't been that bad, it actually has been nice to be up before the boys, made it easier to get James to school. But I don't think I would want to take another week off, and I don't think Kim will take very long off herself. We aren't the types to just sit at home and keep ourselves occupied with doing stuff with the kids.

I'll be back posting more non-family stuff next week, so be prepared for the focus of the blog to change back. Although the focus will always be on my life and the family.

What to do?

So after a week and a half at home, I truly wonder what my sister-in-law can possibly have a messy house. If you have little kids, unless you are spending all the time interacting with them (which very few sane adults can do), there is a considerable time in the day when you can pick up the house, take care of laundry etc. And yet Tammy astoundingly lets the house get worse and worse, and then blames the kids for it.

I have become somewhat bored sitting around here today. Admittedly I have a few small projects that I am neglecting, but even those won't kill a full day or even several hours. And Daniel is pretty much self sufficient as far as playing on his own. Now this does not mean that I will have different expectations of Kim after I go back to work, because it would be much harder to get truly bored with a little one around that you have to keep a closer eye on. But still I cannot see how anyone could do this for too long and remain sane. I doubt that Kim will want to stay out of work the full 6 weeks now that she is no longer breast feeding, I think she will feel the same way that I do after 2 weeks at home with just the kids.

Sports Update

So this has been a strange couple of weeks. Normally at work I inundate myself with sports all day, gorging upon all that ESPN.com has to offer as well as CNNSI. But the past week and a half I have been somewhat cut off. Which has been good and bad. But it probably helps when the following things have happened: The Rockies got swept, the Rams continued their 0 fer 2007 campaign, the Broncos first choked away 1 game followed by a brutal loss. And my Buffaloes were embarrassed at home. About the only positive has been the performance of my fantasy football team which has been dominant.

But having all this happen at a time when I was at home, watching kids, taking care of house work etc. has eased the pain. On Sunday when the Broncos fell apart I just turned the game off and turned to Kim and stated that it was only football. I won't pretend that I have staved off my addiction to sports news, but my perspective and distance have improved considerably. It's a lot easier to stomach these losses when there is so much else going on.

Happy Birthday Kimmy!

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful wife a man could have!

Kim is the best friend, companion, mother to my children that a man could ask for. She is selfless, always willing to pitch in and help others in need. She sacrifices so much for her children, and also for her family. Many people would have given up on siblings like hers, but she is always there when they call. And she has survived so many setbacks in her career, first her losing her dream job on the CSPD, then running up against incompetent sexist management at Papa John's. But she has persevered and kept her head high.

So for all that and more I wish my wife Kim, my goofygirl, the most wonderful of birthdays.

Big Brothers taking care of Sister

 

James and Daniel taking care of Emily

So here are a couple of great shots I took yesterday morning. The one with James alone with Emily was especially great I thought. James has really taken to Emily, he always wants to hold her and help take care of her, at least on his terms, when he's not busy with other things. And Daniels is slowly warming up to her, mostly following the example of his brother. Like he does all the time anyway. Daniel always works hard to stay with James and do what his Bubba is doing. So with James being so good with Emily Daniel just follows that example.

Emily is well as is the rest of the family. Kim made the decision to stop breast feeding Emily, it was just not an enjoyable experience, and it was really for the best. And since she did so her emotional attitude has been like Night and day compared to before. So it was definitely for the best. I am really looking forward to this next week, I think Kim and I can get some things done. Get a good routine established for everyone that she can keep going until she goes back to work.

Also we went to Dillon's birthday party (Dennis' younger boy, 11 years old). I added a new folder to my Picasa site containing the photos, the ones of note are Danny and all of his grandchildren. And the expressions of Austin and Dustin. Nothing like a sullen teenager and an emotionally troubled 11 year old to bring down the party.

Halloween

Harry Potter and Mickey Mouse (aka James & Daniel)

So last night we crossed a major obstacle for the 2 weeks I am off: Halloween. Because we did hand made costumes instead of store bought ones we had to do some hard work to get everything together. Which ordinarily would not have been quite as big of an issue, but this week of course we had to squeeze it in with everything else baby related. Which was pretty big as Kim was in the ER Tuesday night Wednesday AM because she thought her stitches might have torn, producing some really intense pain. So Kim was exhausted at the same time that we had the following to do: Lactation consultant appointment (went well), pick up some breast feeding accessories (don't ask), pick up some last minute costume accessories, pick up paperwork for Kim's work. Then back to the house to get costumes together, then off for trick or treating.

First we went to the Manitou Springs trick or treat crawl. Which is a tradition where all of the shops hand out candy, lots of fun, but pretty chaotic. Then it was home for dinner for our kids and Tammy's. Then over to Connie's for some neighborhood trick or treating. Overall the boys had a good time and were only 30 miutes late for bed. Pretty tiring for me, but fun to watch the boys, especially Daniel who got really into the idea of opening his bag and having people give him candy.

Unfortunately all the walking brought home to me that the cortisone shot did not have the desired effects on my foot. So it appears I will be keeping my appointment next week to likely discuss surgical options, yuck. But if I want to be able to walk without pain, and therefore get exercise, it is necessary.

Daddy's Kids

Daddy and his kids 

So here we all are, with James holding Emily. A nice looking picture. So Daniel started complaining about his head last night, had a temperature. So I gave him some Tylenol, then he woke up around 10 just kind of crying, gave him some Ibuprofen. He managed to sleep through the night, waking up when I got up, came and crawled in bed with Kim and went back to sleep. So I was able to get James to school, then went to Kings and picked up a thermometer (our old ear one just isn't that reliable). When I got home Daniel had a temp of 100.6, I called the nurse and she said it was probably just a cold, if we stay ahead of the fever he should be good, and not a danger to the baby provided he isn't holding her, coughing in her face etc.

Yesterday was a tough day for Kim, when we got home she was in so much pain from cramps, the stitches, her back and from Emily not latching properly that she was in tears most of the night. But I think she turned the corner during the night because she got up with Emily both times and was able to feed her. And she appears more energetic today, less in pain. I am just very glad I am able to be home and help with cooking, cleaning laundry and especially Daniel. She had pretty bad post partum with James but not as much Daniel. I think she will be okay, especially with me being around to relieve the stress.

The boys are ready

In the car, going to get Emily

One of the adjustments the boys have to make is James at least will have to sit in the back of the van. And Daniel wants to be with his brother so here they are. James has been great about everything so far. And Daniel is slowly getting the picture and is taking to it. This morning I was sitting on the coauch feeding Emily while Kim rested. And Daniel cuddled right up to me, draped my free arm around him and sat there. Making sure that he was still a part of things. Which is normal, and to be expected. I think my being able to stay home these 2 weeks will help get him started as far as realizing this is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Well baseball is over, very frustrating end to the season, you never like to swept. But there are worse things that can happen, ask any Red Sox fan. When the season started, or even at the All Star Break no one would have expected the Rockies would be in the World Series. So here's a salute to them and all of their achievements. And hopefully they will be back in a few years like the Cardinals after getting swept by the Red Sox and take it that time.