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November 30, 2006

What Have I Learned?

It has now been thirty days since I first blogged. If this sounds like a confession, it really isn't; it's more of a cry for help.

But what have I learned after blogging for thirty straight days? A few things come to mind...
1. This takes a lot of time.
2. This takes a lot of imagination, creativity, ideas and time. (Oh, I mentioned that one already.)
3. Blogging for thirty straight days takes a lot out of a man. (Ask my wife.)
4. Having a child in the middle of the thirty days helps. A lot!

Here are some interesting (to me, at least) statistics....

One baby was born. (In my house, anyway. Okay, not in my house, but you get the idea...)
Since I started this blog, I have now posted 118 times. 30 in the month of November alone. Go figure!
One cousin in law got married.
I have been off from work for a month. Whoo-Hoo!
My car sprung a leak. What a piece...
Several trips to the Hill and back.
Take a look at the calender on the right side of the screen. Go ahead. I'll wait...See? All thirty days in November are lit up! Neat-O!

And so as I look back, I guess I have to congratulate myself, as I completed what I set out to do: Blog each and every day for thirty days. Which, as some of you know, is quite a feat, when you realize that there are some months when I didn't blog at all!

This has been a fun adventure, but by no means, is it over. To that end, while I may not be blogging each and every day, here are some things you can look forward to, right here at outofhans.com ...

Pictures from Joshua's first bath in the sink...
More cute pics of both our boys...
Whatever else comes up...

Thank you all for checking in, and supporting me during the month of November, as I blogged each and every day. I do this for you, not for me, so it is you, my adoring public who keep me motivated, inspired, caffeine addled, and satisfied knowing I completed my goal.

See you in December!

Posted by Jon at 09:18 PM | Comments (0)

November 29, 2006

I Am So Sorry...

(Thanks again, good folks at myconfinedspace.com!)

Posted by Jon at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2006

Two Days And Counting...

...Until the madness ends! What madness is that, you may ask? Well, I may tell you that if you have been a loyal friend and true to outofhans.com you would know that I have blogged, or posted at least once a day, during the entire month of November. I blogged about why I did this several days back, so you'll just have to look through the month to find out, if you have forgotten, or just don't know.

Anyway, it hasn't been easy to come up with topics, but the one thing I can count on for that is the birth of a child! Yes, that's right, I am using my new born son, and the old born son to help get through this blogging month. So far so good. Thanks kids!

And if I may, it doesn't hurt when your kids are just so darned cute!

On with the pics!

One of Jonah's favorite pastimes (besides screeching, jumping on and off the furniture and terrorizing our dog) is holding Josh. And he's getting quite good at it...

See what I mean? Look Ma'! No hands! A real pro!

Awww...Sweet!

Posted by Jon at 07:44 PM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2006

Just Thought This Was Funny...

Thanks to my good friends at myconfinedspace.com Okay, they aren't my good friends, but I felt I should give credit, since I ripped that off their website. And no, I have no idea who the people in the picture are. Except for the Flash. I know who he is.

Cute pics on the way...

Posted by Jon at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)

November 26, 2006

A Eulogy...

I didn't even know you. You were a blur to me, both in the space of time, and with the velocity that moved your multi-directional, twitching body.

I am sure you had a name, or were known by some sound or other characteristic that we humans don't yet (and may never) understand.

I am sure that you were part of something, a family to be sure, a colony of some sort, or just a group.

I am sure that you were headed somewhere, as was I, when our paths crossed.

It was in this path that you met your untimely demise, and I went about my business, albeit much, much sadder.

For today, I took your life. I snuffed out what could have been a great existence. I saw you, and you saw me, but my right front tire was unforgiving.

I slowed down, I thought you were free and clear, and then, just as fast as you had entered my life, you changed directions, and headed straight for the plane where the rubber, as they say, meets the road. And it is on that plane that you still rest, but hopefully you felt no pain, and hopefully, you are somewhere much, much better.

While I did not know you personally, I knew your kind. To me, your kind are cute, furry little creatures who jump from tree to tree, searching for the finest acorn, and delivering us pleasure simply by being you.

But others do not share my view. Others think you are rodents, (and you are) but place you in the same category as rats or other nasty vermin. Some think you are pests, but not me. I never had a problem with you or your kind.

I am sorry that I took your life today, Little Squirrel. It made me sad. It made Megan sad. Jonah didn't see it, but I am sure if he did, and if he knew what was going on, he too would be sad. Josh was asleep. But that doesn't change the fact that I was saddened at your passing, even though I tried not to cause it.

Rest in peace, Little Squirrel, rest in peace.

(All Pictures Courtesy of JessicaSteward.com All Rights Reserved. Batteries Not Included. Some Assembly May Be Required. Limited Warranty. Shipping And Handling Charges May Apply. Made In China.)

Posted by Jon at 07:47 PM | Comments (2)

November 25, 2006

Bad Drivers Beware...

...You are officially on notice. Thanks to the great folks at Platewire, the habits of bad drivers can now be recorded, and then the bad drivers themselves 'publicly' humiliated.

On Platewire, you can anonymously post a bad driver's dastardly and dangerous deeds, while providing a license plate of the offender, the make and model of their car, and other pertinent information.

Why do this? Well, to begin with, I am a grudge holder. Most of us would let the cretin go on about his or her way and forget about the whole nasty affair, but in most cases, we all have stories to share about the jerk who cut us off, or did something to us just this side of murder.

I am also a driver. I like to think I don't have bad habits, but tailgating, speeding up to get one car length in front of me in a mad dash to get to the red light that much faster just pi**es me off!

So here is a forum in which bad drivers will get hammered, and hopefully, stop endangering my life, and the lives of good drivers everywhere!

Enjoy!

Posted by Jon at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2006

Black Friday...

Today is 'Black Friday', the day when all good Americans get up earlier than on any other day of the year, and go shopping. I am sure that my blog brethren out there in the blogosphere having been blogging about this all day long, but I take a different view.

First of all, I do no shopping on this day. None. There is no sale so deep, no discount so dramatic that would make me get up, fight for a parking space, fight crowds and then wait in an endless line to pay for the crap I fought so hard for.

I love my friends and family, but the gifts I get them didn't come from attending some after Thanksgiving ritual that most people think they have to follow. Sheep. That's the word I was looking for, sheep.

I know that a lot of people love to shop, but I am just not one of them, and that's because I don't have a lot of money to spend on shopping. I also lack patience, persistence and stamina.

And another thing...Why is it called 'black'? Yes, I know, it's an accounting term, meaning that businesses are in the money if a lot of people at once shop their stores. But if it's true that the stores make money, shouldn't it be called 'Happy' Friday, or 'Whoo-Hoo' Friday, or 'Hot Damn' Friday? 'Black' sounds so dark, so ominous, and so dreary. However, it is clear to me that you could name the day 'Vomit' Friday, and it wouldn't matter. The sheep would just do as they always do.

If you are reading a little bit of yourself in here, please do not be offended. If you like to shop, like to get frustrated, fight like the devil for the same discount you can get a week later, then more power to you.

You just won't find me in that same line.

Thanks for listening.

But just because it's 'Black' Friday, doesn't mean you should go without cute pics of my boys.

So, here is Jonah holding Joshua, twicet. Yes, that's spelled correctly, here in the south.

Enjoy!

Posted by Jon at 07:35 PM | Comments (1)

November 23, 2006

Thanksgiving 2006...

It could have been a Sunday. Football, lots of food, family...It felt like Sunday, but it was today, the fourth Thursday of the month, Thanksgiving Day. (The best part - well, there are many best parts - but what's really good is that it will be Sunday again in just a few days, and that means more football, food and family!)

Here are the ingredients for our Thanksgiving Day:

1. Low key atmosphere.
2. Abby (for family)
3. Turkey
4. Mashed potatoes
5. Corn
6. Dinner Rolls
7. Stuffing
8. Green bean casserole
9. Apple Pie w/vanilla ice cream
10. Peanut Butter Pie
11. Chocolate covered strawberries
12. Football

Combine ingredients until food is cooked just right, serve food, eat food, watch football, get sleepy, eat dessert.

And that's about it. We went out and bought a 20-pound bird, at my insistence. Why? Because I thought we would eat a lot, and if nothing else, we would have lots and lots of leftovers. Well, we didn't eat that much, but we do, in fact, have lots and lots of leftovers. Abby brought with her a fantastic peanut butter pie that was super delicious. (And a green bean casserole that I didn't touch, but I Megan and Abby both enjoyed it.) Add to that the fact that this was Joshua's first Thanksgiving, and you get the perfect amount of family, food, and football!

I would have taken more pictures, but when the food came out, we ate. No time to snap photos, just time to eat.

So, here is what is leftover:

(Well, I guess technically this is leftover, but it won't be eaten.)

Mashed P, stuffing, turkey...

Corn and the green bean casserole. (No pics of the casserole, 'cause there were green beans in it.)

And then on to dessert...

Megan's apple pie...

Abby's super delicious Peanut Butter Pie...

And chocolate covered strawberries; my idea, because of course, I wouldn't just eat a plain strawberry!

These are truly the things I am thankful for. There was football, my boys, my wonderful wife, and her equally as wonderful sister, Abby.

There is no question that I am better off with Megan, and thankful for her. She takes such good care of our boys, and me that I would be nowhere without her. Abby made the list because she represented my in laws at our home this year. Without the fantastic relationship I have with my in laws, life would be much more difficult. I am thankful that I have a job that allows me to help people, and that so far, I have been able to come home each and every day. (That's a big thing for Firefighters.) I am thankful that our boys are growing up in a house full of love and caring. I am thankful even though I am not close to my family geographically, I was able to talk to them today to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful that I have this 'blog, to share these pictures and stories with whoever wants to take the time to look at and read them. Mostly I am thankful that I will not do any shopping at all tomorrow, and will do everything in my power to avoid malls, shopping centers and other places of commerce.

Last year we were in New York for Thanksgiving. I just thought these two pictures were cute, so I put them here for no other real reason...

What? Where's the New Boy? Why no pics of him on his first T-Day? Good question. No, great question. He pretty much slept the entire day. Tryptophan, and all that. Consequently, there are no cute pics of him eating turkey, watch football, etc.

But here's a cute pic of Zoe resting on Binky. (She had Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, stuffing, gravy, and carrots!)

Okay, truth be told, I did take one picture of him and Jonah. It isn't great, so in an effort to not leave anyone out, here it is...

And then it was time for Abby to leave. There was just enough time for me to take two really great pictures, and then run back to the TV for some more Turkey Day football!

Our entire family hopes that your Thanksgiving was as awesome as ours was!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by Jon at 09:03 PM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2006

A Promise Made, A Promise Kept...

Between diaper changes, feedings, changing the oil in my car and chasing The Boy, I have somehow managed to capture several really cute pictures. I promised you them yesterday, so here they are today!

Here is The New Boy with The Old Father...(tee-hee!)

Here is father-in-law, next to mother and daughter-in-law, with the New Grandson!

But wait, there's more! Doesn't this look eerily similar, except with a different boy?

Sleeping comes at a premium with a newborn, so I'll catch my Z's when, and where I can, with my boy and my dog!

If you haven't already noticed, the New Boy likes to sleep. A lot. And on people. We wouldn't have it any other way!

Here are three pictures of The Boy holding The New Boy. One enjoys this little session, while the other doesn't. Can you guess which one?

Now I'm just tired of this!

And here is Mom's first picture with both her boys!

Keep checking back here for pics of T-Giving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Gobble!

Posted by Jon at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2006

This Ain't Easy, You Know...But It Is Fun!

Blogging each day for a solid month. A daunting task perhaps, and it is, especially when you can't think of things to blog about, or you have no pictures to accompany what you finally decided to blog about.

That is where I am right now. No ideas. No pictures. No imagination.

Megan and I are sort of crashing right now, after Josh's birth, the Bris, and all of that. So while we've taken a bunch of great pictures, I've pretty much put them all up, and we haven't taken many new pictures since Sunday. Yow.

So, since I lack ideas, pics and imagination, I will leave you with one picture never ever before seen here at OutOfHans.com

It's exclusive! It's new! (No, it isn't. It's from March of 2005, when Jonah was just three months old.)

Anyway, more cute new pics will be up tomorrow!

Posted by Jon at 07:55 PM | Comments (0)

November 20, 2006

Has It Been A Week Already???

You can't be serious. Seven days since Joshua joined us? A week since The New Boy arrived? Say it ain't so!

Well, the truth is, it is one week and one day, since the New Boy joined the other 300 million or so Americans. And so, to celebrate his one week and one day anniversary, here are few pics of Joshua, Jonah, and us!

Enjoy!

This is Jonah's 'Awww!!!' face, after giving his little brother a kiss...Awww...

Is this about the sweetest thing you've ever seen?

"And let us never forget, people, that this baby papason was mine first!"

"I'm sooo wasted. Who's got the munchies?"

Thanks Jodi, Aarika and Kevin for the awesome Edible creation! Yum!

Is this about the second sweetest thing you've ever seen?

Then where does this one rank?

Three generations...Wow...

Posted by Jon at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

November 19, 2006

It Was Just Like Thanksgiving!

Let me begin by saying that Joshua is fine, and is resting comfortably.

Let me continue by saying that Mom is fine, and resting comfortably.

Let me add that just a mere seven hours ago, Joshua was not fine and was not resting comfortably.

Let me finish by saying that just a mere seven hours ago, Megan was anything but fine or comfortable.

Trying to understand a Bris is difficult enough, but to watch your eight-day-old son go through it is even more difficult. But like his Father before him, and like his Father's Father, we have all been through it, and have all survived. Moms, however, might tell a different tale. When Jonah had his Bris, Megan couldn't wait for him to stop crying, and desperately wanted to hold him. The exact same thing happened today, but it lasted only moments, and since Megan, Jonah and Joshua are such strong people, all came through it with flying colors, and I am so very proud of all of them. Megan is my hero, and watching her watch someone else perform a surgical operation on our son in our home, I felt those feelings for her grow stronger. She is amazing.

In less than a week, we will gather with good friends, family, football and food, to enjoy Thanksgiving. While I won't get to see my family, we will spend the holiday with Megan's, and that is something I really look forward to. But today, my Dad was here, my sisters were here in spirit, along with all of my many nieces, nephews and brothers-in law. It really felt like Thanksgiving! We are thankful that all of our friends and family were able to join us, and we are extra thankful for our two wonderful boys. But this post is not about Thanksgiving, it's about a Bris, so on with the pics!

Here is my Dad holding his newest Grandson...

Here is an awesome picture of four generations, Great Grandma Sara, Grandpa Larry, Megan, Jonah and Joshua.

And here are four more generations, with the aforementioned Grandpa and Great Grandma, now adding Megan's brother Keir, his wife Jennifer, and a very wiggly Caroline!

Here I am lighting the candles just before the Bris. The man on the right Is Dr. A., the mohel who performed the ceremony! (Jonah stayed away from him. I wonder why???)

Just another awesome picture of my amazing family!

Wouldn't you sleep after going through something like that?

This is our friend Sharon, who is sitting next to her brother-in-law Seth, who are all talking to Seth's father. Sharon did a fantastic job catering our party, and she is welcome to feed us anytime!!! Thanks, Sharon and Marc and No-No!

Here is a beaming Grandma Sara with our tuckered out New Boy.

See? Just like Thanksgiving. Someone is sleeping, while someone is watching football!

For the record, Grandpa Larry did watch more of his grandson than the football game...

And so, the day ended with Great Grandma Sara making dinner, and Grandma Deb making dessert. We ate a lot, cried a little, laughed a bunch, and had a fantastic time with our friends and family. Jonah, Megan, Joshua and I all thank each and every one of you who were here, and those who were with us in spirit.

Posted by Jon at 07:35 PM | Comments (1)

November 18, 2006

Check This Out!

Cool Slideshows

Posted by Jon at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2006

A Large Weekend Coming Up...

Living here in the south has changed my life in many ways, and challenged my northern sensibilities. Of course, I met my wonderful wife Megan here, and we have two wonderful boys. I now talk a little slower (though I still talk just as much, if not more), I eat a little slower, and I speak much, much differently. For instance, the title of this post is 'A Large Weekend Coming Up...' Here in the south, I have heard, if something good (or bad) has happened or will happen to you, you would have had a large something or other. Joshua, Jonah, Megan and myself are about to have a large weekend. That's because a large contingent of Megan's family is coming here for Joshua's Bris. We'll have grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters and great friends to share this day with us. But it all surrounds The New Boy, and he is going to have a large weekend.

Pics of the weekend will be up as soon as I find time to put them here!

Posted by Jon at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2006

Buffalo, Beer, Bills, And Brothers...

In 1990, after graduating from the State University of New York At Morrisville, I continued my "education" at the State University College At Buffalo. I put education in quote marks, because I didn't really learn very much, except how to get drunk (er). I learned a lot about that subject at Morrisville, but since the education I wasn't receiving at Buff State wasn't doing me any good anyway, I might as well have some fun not learning anything. Along the way, I met some great friends, and had a great time at Buff State, including meeting a bunch of guys who helped found a chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa there.

Jason, Anthony, Eric, Chris, and myself, along with a few others, became Founding Fathers of the Kappa Septaton Chapter at Buff State. Over the years, a lot of us have lost touch, but recently, we decided to get together in Buffalo, for a small reunion. Jason and I went, and we met several of the other guys who still live in, near or around Buffalo.

Several weeks before the reunion, some of the Buffalo crew thought it would be fun to go to a Bills game. But, money and the Jets stood in our way. (The Jets/Bills game in Buffalo (Orchard Park, really) is a big AFC matchup, so getting tickets is difficult.

Spending almost 10 years in a place teaches you things. One of the important lessons that I learned was that if you can't get into the game, the next best thing is to tailgate outside the game. Which is exactly what we did.

The view from the outside isn't nearly as good as it is inside, as you get to see the field, the game, the players, you know, that sort of thing.

But our little encampment was built with the best of intentions, and with a panel truck brought by Mike M.

The shot here is after the storm clouds moved on to harass someone else. I couldn't take many pictures for fear of being swept away in floodwaters. The tarps we had weren't great, but except for the holes in them, they kept most of the rain off.

"Roughing" it didn't seem so rough since Tim C. brought a portable T.V...

There were several grills there, lots of food, and much beer. The thing about tailgating is you park and drink, no matter what time the game starts. It's a little easier when it's an afternoon or evening game, but since this game was at 1:00pm, we parked around 10:00am or so, and began drinking. See?

It's frightening, really, but I am to blame. I took the picture. Yikes.

So not being able to really watch the game, the focus was on beer, food and catching up. Here, the guys check out photo albums from our time at the 'Buff.

Speaking of catching up, I was able to track down some old radio buddies of mine, specifically Ted and Tom. (Ted's the shorn one.) Both of these super funny guys recognized me immediately, after not having seen or heard from me in almost ten years. They put me on the air, and I won a goofy contest. What a blast!

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Here are Jason, Barney and Pat. Brian and Jason are brothers. Pat and Brian are brothers, but only two of the people in this picture are related. Get it?

Before you leave your tailgating area, you are supposed to extinguish all fires. Thanks Frankie for putting out the coals!

If we had gotten into the game, we would have gotten really wet, but our seats might have looked like this...

Despite the rain, and the fact that the Bills lost, we had a great time at the game. We continued the weekend by eating wings at a fantastic wing joint called Duff's. Since Jason and I left Buffalo, we haven't had a decent chicken wing, so it was nice to at least get back and enjoy a staple of our college life. That and Mighty Taco. We also got the chance to get up with Matty T., who was working, and could not join us.

We met this year in Buffalo, and next year, we may do it again, (with other brothers, hopefully) but there's no stopping any of these guys from coming to The Old North State. The same is true for us meeting anywhere, really, so long as we stay in touch, which is what we promised to do. We'll see.

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From the top row, left to right, Tim, Anthony, Mike and Jason. On the bottom, me, Mike, Brian, Frank and Pat. The other one is Jack, who is in the first pic, but took the second picture for us.

See you guys next year!

Posted by Jon at 08:27 PM | Comments (1)

November 15, 2006

This Is How It All Began...

After Josh was born, I began to get nostalgic. I thought about the time I became a father and a parent for the first time. I remember how scared I was. I remember how the future had changed. I remembered wondering if I was going to do right by The Boy. Then Josh came along. Now I am really scared. But I feel fairly confident that since things have turned out all right with Jonah, that things will turn out all right with Jonah as well.

For now, enjoy some pics of Jonah on his birthday.

Posted by Jon at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2006

Something Funny Happened On The Way To My Birthday...

When bad things are about to happen, there are times when you just don't want to know. Then there are times when you just don't need to know. And then there are times when you don't want to know, don't need to know, but you find out later on anyway, and then there is no reason to panic. (Assuming everything turned out all right.)

This pretty much describes what happened to us after Josh was born.

When Joshua was born, he was blue. Well, not really blue, but purple. These are dark, scary colors for a brand new born baby. The only color they should be is pink. But as we found out after he was born, things could have been a lot worse. One problem was that Joshua's umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. It was loose, but scary, nonetheless. The bigger problem was that Joshua presented face first. Normally, when babies are born, the tops of their heads come out first, with their faces pointing down. Somewhere between the birth canal and the bed he was born on, Josh flipped his head back, and came out chin and nose first. This caused him to bruise on his little forehead, and it took him a moment or two (longer than most newborns) to take his first breaths. It shocked our Midwife Maureen so much that not long after Jonah took his first breaths, she had to leave the room and curse! In her almost 25 years of birthing babies, she said that to have a delivery like that was very, very rare. She never once gave any indication to Megan or I that something wasn't right. She told us afterwards, but by then Joshua had 'pinked' up, was breathing well, and all was right with the world.

And so, after that brief bit of drama, we took our new baby home (after only 10 hours at the birthing center! Yay!) to meet his Big Brother, and his Big Dog. (Okay, so she's not big, but to him she is, at least for now!)

So, continuing on with my blogging once a day in the month of November, I offer you more pics of the New Boy!

Enjoy!

Isn't it great to be an Aunt, Grandparent or some such family relation? You can fill someone else's kid with sugar, then, when the sugar hits the kid like crack, you get to hand the kid back to the parents! Thanks Aunt Abby! (Here she is feeding Jonah some ice cream, just before she skedaddled out to go back home!)

Shhhh! The baby's asleep!

No, he wasn't just involved in a 10 round prizefight. His forehead is bruised, and he just looks like he got beat up!

Here is Sara with Josh, who looks a little like Rodney Dangerfield. (Josh, not Sara...)

Here is Jonathan holding Jonah who is holding Joshua. Neat, huh?

Here is Uncle Jason holding the New Boy.

It didn't take long for me to teach the New Boy this life lesson: Eat, fall asleep, and never, ever lose contact with the remote control! (Josh had just finished nursing, when he fell asleep on the remote. Needless to say, I couldn't watch any TV until he woke up. Good job, boy!)

Man and baby's best friend...

The next three are just adorable pictures of the New Boy catching up on his sleep. Doesn't Megan look fantastic?

And here is a brownie cake brought to us by our friend Christie, who looks after Jonah when Megan and I are working. She came over on Tuesday night with food and desert! Thanks Christie!

Yum!

Posted by Jon at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2006

Please, Join Us...

...At the Brit Milah for our son, Joshua David.

The Bris is an ancient ritual that signifies ones connection with G-d and the Jewish people. To read more about the Bris, click here.

The Bris will take place at our home, at 12:00pm, Sunday November 19th, 2006.

If you need directions, feel free to e-mail me.

If you don't have my e-mail address, feel free to leave yours on a comment!

Hope to see you on Sunday!

--Jon, Megan, Jonah and Joshua

Posted by Jon at 09:03 PM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2006

Joshua Is Here!

It is with great honor that Megan, Jonah and I announce the arrival of Joshua David to our family!

Here is what happened...No, there is too much. Let me sum up...

Megan is pregnant.

Megan and Jon are worried that Joshua is going to be late. So late that Megan gets more and more ornery (I Love You Sweetie!) and our Mohel would not be able to perform the Bris due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. So, we go walking. Several times this past week. On Saturday night, we went to a local shopping area for dinner, and then a healthy stroll to get the New Boy moving. It worked! At 7:30pm, Saturday November 11th, Megan's water broke. We went to the 'Hill, and at 1:20am, Joshua David arrived!!!

Joshua is a bruiser, weighing in at nine pounds eight ounces, stretching 21 inches long. The whole thing took about six hours, and some 10 hours later, we were home!

Rather than spoil this moment with a lot of words, I will now commence with a few pics. (Okay, actually I have football to watch. No, scratch that. I have to help my wife with my child. Wait...Two children! Yikes!)

Anyway, Mom and New Boy are doing well. The Boy was introduced to his little brother, and all is well. Joining us in bringing Josh into the world were Aunt Abby, Aunt Amanda and Aunt Emily. As well as Midwives Maureen, Nancy, Jill and Leslie! Thanks for all of your help and support!!!

More pics and stories tomorrow!

Until then, enjoy these pics!

Posted by Jon at 04:14 PM | Comments (1)

November 11, 2006

"Game On!!!"

Well folks, this is it!

At about 7:30pm tonight, Megan's water broke.

In mere moments, we are heading to the Hill to have a baby!

First song we heard after her water broke?

"In The Air Tonight", by Phil Collins.

Wow!

See you soon Joshua!

Posted by Jon at 09:20 PM | Comments (0)

November 10, 2006

Baby Shower Part Deux...

My wife Megan is going to be the cleanest mother EVER!

She recently had her second baby shower!

Look at all the loot!

Then there's this...

Yeah, I guess.

Eventually...

Sigh...

Oh well. Megan went to the Midwives on Thursday, and they say things are moving along.

Yeah, I guess...

Posted by Jon at 08:55 PM | Comments (0)

November 09, 2006

The Winds Of Change...

Well look what must have happened...

Donny got quit!

Oh dammit! I did it again! I went political. I'm sorry. (It's only the second time, give me a break!)

Let me start over...

This, apparently, is when our next child will be born...

Okay, okay, okay...We're six days out, but we're impulsive people!!! We want The New Boy!

(Thanks To Sean for his many and varied contributions! Stand by for Zoe!)

Posted by Jon at 08:47 AM | Comments (0)

November 08, 2006

Are You For Real???

If you know me at all, and most of you do, unless you're Megan's friends, in which case I don't know you so well, you would know that it takes a lot to pi** me off. Crappy computers at work, traffic, commercials on radio and TV, Osama, my boss, rude and arrogant people can all make me angry enough to chew glass, but what I found out recently made my blood boil. (No, don't worry. It wasn't really boiling. I'm okay, but thanks for your concern anyway...)

Last night I was speaking with my friend who I will call "John", because that's his real name. John works for the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier.

No, that isn't John, but it accurately represents how the mail is/was/has been delivered to your home/office/dorm for many. many years. I suppose that not long after the engine and the assembly line were introduced, and the Pony Express was discontinued, your mail was delivered to you by a hard working postal employee in a venerable Jeep like this one:

Well, at some point in the middle to late 1980's, the USPS chose to go with another manufacturer of vehicles, specifically Ford. The Jeeps were replaced with the familiar postal vehicle that you see on the streets of your town everyday. They look like this:

During the conversation, John tells me that the vehicles were delivered with air conditioning. But not long after they arrived, the USPS HAD THE AIR CONDITIONERS REMOVED. "You're joking, right?" I said incredulously. "All of them? Here in North Carolina? "Nope. They were removed, all of them, all across the nation", he replied. "Okay, let me get this straight. In Death Valley, where temps can skyrocket during the day, they don't have A/C?" (The blood was beginning to percolate, at this point.) "Not a single air conditioner to be found, except in the offices of those who made that wonderful decision", says John. "Somewhere in Washington, D.C., no doubt!” I said. John says that all of the ductwork and other equipment is still on the trucks, they just removed the thing (whatever it is) that makes the air colder. John says that on hot days, the temps in his truck can be 10 to 15 degrees hotter inside as opposed to outside. He also says that since these trucks have little or no firewalls, the engines putting out heat only add to the oppressive temps.

So I got to thinking...When I was visiting family in Dallas, Texas, my Aunts explained that A/C in the west is not a luxury, but a necessity. Growing up in New York, I always felt the other way; that A/C was a luxury. (Of course that could have been as a result of having cheap parents, but I guess I shouldn't say anymore about that because one of them may be reading this...) Realistically, it just doesn't get as hot in the north (obviously) as it does in the south, and for that reason alone, these poor postal workers should have air conditioning.

But do not despair, gentle readers, because the USPS came up with a "solution". That solution was to install fans in the trucks. John says that the button that would have activated the air conditioner now starts a fan.

Are you feeling cooler already, or is your blood boiling?

Now let's face it...postal workers may not work up the world's sweatiest sweat putting mail in mailboxes, but I think that we can all agree that they work hard, and deserve to have comfortable working conditions, just like the fat cats in D.C.

I guess my question is, why am I only finding out about this now? Is this not a big deal? What if all of the police cars had no air conditioning? What if taxis had no A/C? What if trucks that carry our goods across this great land had no A/C, either for the driver or the goods being transported?

I don't know. It just made me mad, I guess.

See you tomorrow.

Posted by Jon at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

November 07, 2006

All Of Your Questions Answered, Here. (Okay, Not All Of Them!)

Why am I blogging each and every day this month, when I only posted once in the month of September, and not even once during the month of October? Well...

During the day I often search blogs. How do I do this being a...

(No, not a reflective street sign, silly!)

Firefighter? I work for a small department that doesn't run many calls. A little under 900 total calls for last year. Compounding the slowness is that currently, I am stationed at our Station Three, which runs WAY less than the other two stations. So I have time to search blogs, and see what is going on out there on the Information Superhighway. What I have found is that most of it is a vast wasteland, but there are a few interesting things out there, if you know where to look for them. For instance, I found a weblog that declares the month of November as National Blog Posting Month. Read it about it here.

There are lots of prizes to be won out there, but I do this not for the prizes, but for reasons too lengthy to post here. Okay, who am I kidding? I am at lunch at a super-slow fire house, so that's reason number one. The others have to do with fulfilling an obligation, keeping friends and family up to date, yadda, yadda, yadda...

And so, seven days in, and I am struggling. It's hard to come up with things to write about. Sure, I could write about politics, sports, the weather, or other topics, but then people just get mad at you.

This should get somewhat easier when Joshua decides to join us.

When will that be?

Posted by Jon at 12:30 PM | Comments (0)

November 06, 2006

Time And The Tricks It Can Play On You...

If there is a worse time than waiting for the arrival of something, someone needs to tell me what it is. A new car, some new furniture, some important piece of mail, a baby. All of these things are important in whatever way they may be important, but waiting for them, especially when they are late, is, well, excruciating. In reality, Joshua is not late, but Jonah was early, and that means that Joshua is late. See what I mean? Now pregnancy, I'm told, is not an easy thing, but for some women, like Megan, they wait for it, anticipate it, enjoy it, and then, just before the baby is due to arrive, want it over with, NOW. Such is the case with Megan. She loved (and loves) being pregnant, but it is wearing on her (and me) towards the end. We keep making silly predictions on when we think Joshua will join us. For instance, two weeks ago, Megan said (to more than one person) that she would be surprised if she made it through the week. Then, we thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if The New Boy would be born on Halloween?" After All Hallows Eve came and went sans bebe, (for you, Abby D.) we thought, "Uh-oh, it's a full moon tonight -- look out!" Then the sun rose, and Joshua was still so far away, and yet so close.

Am I complaining? Do I have a right to complain after all that Megan has been through? No to both questions. But I guess that my vision of nine months is a bit shorter than that of our Midwives, and of our New Boy.

Until her water breaks, Megan is banned from calling me. For every time she does, I think, "Yay! The New Boy is about to arrive!" Invariably though, we just chat about the day, or The Boy wants to talk to his Old Man. It's nice to hear their voices when I am stuck at work, but here's the call I really want...

...Ring...Ring...Ring...Ring...

Me: "Hello?"
Megan: "Hi Sweetie. Guess what?
Me: "The Steelers lost? Again?" (See, not expecting any news on our unborn son, because she is banned from calling me until/if/when her water breaks.)
Megan: "No, dopey, you already know they lost; you watched the game on Sunday, remember?"
Me: "Oh, yeah. So, what's going on?"
Megan: "My water broke!"
Me: "Get out of town! No, on second thought, stay right there. Are you at home?"
Megan: "Where else would I be?"
Me: (Now using the intercom system at work: "Captain, my wife has gone into labor. See you in three weeks."
Captain: "Now wait just a minute...You haven't filled out the proper leave request sheet, in triplicate."
Me: "Can't hear you Captain, just started the car..."

Because it hasn't happened yet obviously doesn't mean that it won't happen, but being impulsive, and wanting things now, well, we want them (and The New Boy) now!

And the beat (and the wait) goes on...

Posted by Jon at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2006

Trains!

Imagination. It's a tool we used as kids, to create worlds that didn't exist, to project ourselves into places we could never go. A lot of us don't use it much as adults, but as you read this, I am going to ask you to do just that: imagine. Imagine a model train show at a local State Fairgrounds. Imagine that you walk in, pay your admission, and are greeted by several large displays of model trains, in all gauges. Imagine that Jonah was thrilled from the moment we walked in, to the moment we left. Imagine how he "talked" to the trains that went by, in all their miniature train-ness. Imagine the screaming that ensued when we had to leave, but knowing that the hour or so we spent there, was well spent.

Why do you have to imagine all of this?

Because I didn't think to bring the camera to the train show.

Sigh.

Well, there's always next year.

Stay tuned for another fun post tomorrow!

Posted by Jon at 07:20 PM | Comments (0)

November 04, 2006

Random Cute Picture Time Again!

If you're keeping track at home, you will have noticed that this is the fourth time in four days that I have blogged. I am trying to blog at least once a day during the month of November. So far so good. Some days I have a topic, other days, like this one, I just have cute, random pics to share with you.

So, enjoy!

Posted by Jon at 11:55 AM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2006

So Cute!

Three blogs in three days, people! Who knew?

Today, check out The Cute Project. I promise, it won't be a waste of your time, unless you really hate cute things.

Until tomorrow, good people!

Posted by Jon at 07:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 02, 2006

Boo!

Halloween. A time of excitement. A time for costumes. A time for candy. For Jonah? None of these things except the candy. Several weeks ago, Megan excitedly purchased a Pirate costume for The Boy. Our plan was to have him get dressed up, and then we would head out to our local mall, and wander around while everyone marveled at the cuteness before them. Jonah had other plans.

In fact, as The Boy was screaming in utter terror just before we put the costume on him, I asked my sweet wife, "Are we doing this for us, or for him?" Her reply? "For us, of course!"

So, Megan laid the costume out hoping that if Jonah saw it, he might figure that he was going to wear it, the easy way, or the hard way. He chose the hard way, for the three of us. (Four if you're counting Joshua, five if you're including Zoe. They had to hear the screaming too, you know...)

The first part of the costume was the three cornered hat, or a tri-corn hat, as we call it in Pirate circles. Okay, so far so good...

No, that isn't candy disguised as fingers, The Boy just didn't have his pacifier with him.

Next up, the majority of the outfit, including a puffy shirt, buckle, vest and boots.

Once it was on, we thought, okay, he’d chill, get used to it, that sort of thing. Boy were we wrong...

Off with the costume, on with the bones, and off to the mall we go! Jonah enjoyed taking candy from strangers, but enjoyed eating the candy more! So much so, that he couldn't wait to take off the wrapper!

And I have no idea why The Boy is making this face, but it has something to do either with a scary Halloween face/mask type thing, or he's already buzzing from the sugar. Take your pick.

I would have liked for Jonah to be happy as a Pirate, but as you can see from this file photo from last year's Halloween, I have nothing to complain about...

He never complained with the bee outfit on, and enjoyed last year's Halloween, even though he missed out on the candy. We Parents didn't. Well, we have to protect our children, don't we???

Not long after the mall, we returned home to await trick-or-treaters. Last year, when Jonah went as a bee, we spent the evening with Amanda and Emily, so we weren't around for trick-or-treaters. Since we live in a small sub-division, or sub-d as it's called in Pirate circles, we don't get many kids looking for candy. Or so we thought. Nine times our doorbell rang, and it was nice to finally give out some treats to cute kids dressed up for the occasion.

We certainly hope you had a very happy and safe Halloween!

Love, Jon, Megan, Jonah, Joshua (soon, we hope) and Zoe.

Posted by Jon at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2006

Bob Barker Is My Hero...

This is perhaps, one of the saddest days of my 36 year life. Bob Barker is hanging up the microphone. Read on, and experience what can only be described as so very, very sad.

Bob Barker Announces His Retirement

(AP) Bob Barker is heading toward his last showcase, his final "Come on down."

The silver-haired daytime-TV icon is retiring in June, he told The Associated Press Tuesday.

"I will be 83 years old on December 12," he said, "and I've decided to retire while I'm still young."

Though he has been considering retirement for "at least 10 years," Barker said he has so much fun doing the show that he hasn't been able to leave.

"I've gone on and on and on to this ancient age because I've enjoyed it," he said. "I've thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm going to miss it."

Reaching dual milestones, 50 years on television and 35 with "Price," made this an "appropriate" time to retire, Barker said. Besides, hosting the daily CBS program — in which contestants chosen from the crowd "come on down" to compete for "showcases" that include trips, appliances and new cars — is "demanding physically and mentally," he said.

"I'm just reaching the age where the constant effort to be there and do the show physically is a lot for me," he said. "I might be able to do the show another year, but better (to leave) a year too soon than a year too late."

Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation, said Barker has left an enduring mark on the network, calling his contribution and loyalty "immeasurable."

"We knew this day would come, but that doesn't make it any easier," Moonves said in a statement. "Bob Barker is a daytime legend, an entertainment icon and one of the most beloved television personalities of our time."

Barker began his national television career in 1956 as the host of "Truth or Consequences." He first appeared on "Price" on Sept. 4, 1972 and has been the face of the show ever since.

A CBS prime-time special celebrating the show's longevity and Barker's five decades on TV was already under way, a network spokesman said.

To kick off his retirement, Barker said he will "sit down for maybe a couple of weeks and find out what it feels like to be bored." Then he plans to spend time working with animal-rights causes, including his own DJ&T Foundation, founded in memory of his late wife, Dorothy Jo, and mother, Matilda.

He said he'd take on a movie role if the right one came along, but filmmakers, take note: "I refuse to do nude scenes. These Hollywood producers want to capitalize on my obvious sexuality, but I don't want to be just another beautiful body."

Freemantle Media, which owns "Price," has been looking for Barker's replacement for "two or three years," Barker said. And he has some advice for whoever takes the job: learn the show's 80 games backwards and forward.

"The games have to be just like riding a bicycle," Barker said. "Then he will be relaxed enough to have fun with the audience, to get the laughs with his contestants and make the show more than just straight games, to make it a lot of fun."

As for his fans, Barker said he "doesn't have the words" to express his gratitude.

"From the bottom of my heart, I thank the television viewers, because they have made it possible for me to earn a living for 50 years doing something that I thoroughly enjoy. They have invited me into their homes daily for a half a century."

But when it comes to saying his final TV goodbye, Barker said he'll do it the same way he does each day on "Price": "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."

Okay, so perhaps sad isn't the best word. Bob Barker brought me and countless others many, many hours of enjoyment. He stood his ground against those who would be cruel to animals. He weathered storms of accusations of sexual misconduct that would destroy an ordinary man. He helped me through many days of cutting school, when I couldn't (or didn't want to) go to learn, but couldn't go anywhere else. He helped me through a college civics class, when I could watch The Price Is Right, then scoot over to class, just a few steps away from my dorm. He helped me to learn what crushes were, after I had several on more than a few of his Barker's Beauties. He showed me how truly dumb most Americans were (and are) when faced with that most daunting of tasks: price comparisons/shopping, and the like. His announcers, Johnny Olson, Rod Roddy, and most recently, Rich Fields, have left an indelible mark on our society, simply by uttering these three words: "Come On Down!" These three words are forever part of our lexicon, and The Price Is Right is forever part of who we are as a Nation. You will be missed, Bob. Thanks for all the memories.

Posted by Jon at 12:30 PM | Comments (0)