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March 31, 2008
Some Things I Have Found...
...By poking around my weblog...
Since we are now three years into this and counting, I thought I'd share with you some interesting facts. (Well, interesting to me, at least. And maybe my one faithful and loyal reader.)
Since the 'blog was unleashed upon the world (or at least my little world) I have posted more than 300 times! (Three hundred seven, to be exact!) And from those posts came comments. Over 50 of them! (Fifty-one to be exact!)
I have blogged once each day for a solid month, twice. Then, I began blogging once each day for 365 days. So far, so good.
What's it all mean? Why do I do what I do not so well?
Because it is there. And because my boys are so freakin' cute.
See you tomorrow.
Posted by Jon at 07:25 PM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2008
Promises Made, Promises Kept...
Last Thursday, with very little fanfare, this 'Blog turned three years old. Several days before the big day, I asked you, my faithful and loyal readers what I should do to celebrate the occasion. I got one response: Bali Hai. (It's a local Mongolian restaurant here in town. Yum.) To that I say, Passover is coming Jay, so bring your appetite!
One response. I suppose I could take this several ways.
1. I have only one faithful and loyal reader.
B. The countless other faithful and loyal readers choose to read, and not respond.
2.5. No one but me and one other person cared.
So, three days after the big day, in an effort to say thanks to the one faithful and loyal reader who responded, I offer a celebration of the three year anniversary of the Outofhans.com weblog.
This is the first post I ever posted...Waaaaaaay back then, I didn't know as much as I do now about blogging, but even now I still don't know that much. And no disrespect is intended to our second born Joshua, but it was only Jonah then, so I guess all I have to say is, I've come a long way, baby!
From 3-27-2005...
Blog Post Title: My Very First Weblog Posting & Pictures!
Well Hello Again!
It appears that you have found Jonah's Link on the Out Of Hans website. Since I am still learning how to resize pictures, I can only offer you two right now. As you can see, the second one didn't work out as well as the first. (Then again, Keir did the first one, and he's a genius.)
Anyway, I hope you like the two pics, and keep checking back for more!
--Jon
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Posted by Jon at 09:30 PM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2008
Holy Crap!
I missed my own anniversary. I mean, Blogoversary. This blog turned three years old on Thursday. I was sick most of last week, so it completely skipped my mind.
I am planning something to celebrate, which I hope to have up on the blog real soon.
Stay tuned.
Posted by Jon at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2008
Date Night!
Can't Blog.
It's Date Night.
See You Tomorrow!
Posted by Jon at 01:57 PM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2008
Walking for the Cure
Every year, I participate in our local Race for the Cure event. I think of my mother every year when I attend who, incidentally, passed away from breast cancer the same year that the Race for the Cure in my area began and her sister, my Aunt Betty, who also passed away from breast cancer. So, this year, I am also going to be walking with my sister, Abby, and my cousin, Jessica, in the Komen 3 Day Walk. We will be participating in the Washington, D.C. walk on October 3-5, 2008. It's a little different committing to walking 20 miles a day for three days than it is to walk a mere 3 miles for one quick event. In addition, there is a fundraising committment with the 3 day walk of $2200. It'll be a challenge, no doubt. But I think about each year, when I go to the race and see all of those survivors walking alongside me and the signs worn in celebration of survivors as well as signs worn, like mine, in memory of those we have lost to this terrible disease...I can't help but feel overwhelmed and emotional and sad and hopeful all at once. It feels good to be doing something to help find a cure. I will be posting more about my preparation for this event over the next few months. Stay tuned!
Posted by Jon at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)
March 26, 2008
Time flies...Again...
You are seeing this post again, because Megan wanted me to center, right and left align pictures, with my new found HTML skills. (hah!) Anyway, here it is, hopefully you can see what I have done, because as I try new things, I learn that some web browsers see some things, and others do not. What you should be seeing is four pictures, two of Jonah and two of Josh, each side by side. The last image should be centered.
Do you see it?
I have recently been looking through some old pictures of Jonah because I am almost finished with his baby book...a massive picture chronicle of his first year of life...and will then begin on Joshua's. It has made me realize how much they have changed! So, I thought I would do a then and now post for you! The "then" pictures were taken on the days they were born and the "now" pictures are recent within the past couple of weeks.
Posted by Jon at 07:19 PM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2008
It...Is...Alive!
Well, Joshua is of course, alive and well.
But just recently, he repeated his brother's name!
No-Nah!
Close. But we'll take it.
We'll keep you updated...
Posted by Jon at 08:43 PM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2008
It Was Here, I Swear!
Something was posted on the 24th of this month, but it went away, since I am a dork.
So this replaces whatever was there, therefore keeping pace with the blogging for 365 thing I am attempting...
Posted by Jon at 09:07 PM | Comments (1)
March 23, 2008
Breaking News...
Some sad news to report...
A fishing vessel called the Alaska Ranger began taking on water this morning. There were 47 crew members on board, and the Coast Guard is now reporting that four of them are dead, with one missing.
When I first read the Associated Press wire copy, all it said was a fishing vessel based in Seattle, Washington. That is the home port to many of the fishing vessels featured on TLC Channel's The Deadliest Catch. This is a show that Megan and I adore. We feel that we have come to know a lot of the crew on the ships that are shown, and know that what they do during fishing season is super, extra dangerous. They don't have to do it, but they do have families, and they want to do right by them. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.
I have not seen the Alaska Ranger on the show, but no doubt the men perform their jobs just as well, and with as much enthisiasm that the crews on the other ships do.
I can only hope that the four who are lost will be mentioned when the new season starts in April. I am just guessing that since the show's new season starts next month, that shooting had been wrapped up for some time.
Here is the latest from the Assoicated Press...
By RACHEL D'ORO
Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Four crew members died Sunday and
another was missing after a Seattle-based fishing boat began
sinking in high seas off Alaska's Aleutian Islands, the Coast Guard
said.
The dead were among 47 crew members who abandoned ship after the
184-foot Alaska Ranger developed problems. Forty-two crew members
were recovered safely, but a search was continuing for the missing
person, said Chief Petty Officer Barry Lane.
The vessel started taking on water shortly before 3 a.m. after
losing control of its rudder 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor, which
is on Unalaska Island.
State environmental regulators were notified that the ship was
carrying 100,000 gallons of diesel, according to Leslie Pearson,
emergency response manager for the Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation. A Coast Guard c-130 crew reported an
oil sheen that covered an area of a quarter mile by a half mile,
Coast Guard spokesman Ray Dwyer said.
Those on board the Alaska Ranger were heading to Dutch Harbor in
a Coast Guard cutter and the doomed vessel's sister ship, the
Alaska Warrior. The vessel took part in the rescue operation along
with two Coast Guard helicopters that were used to pluck crew
members from life rafts, Lane said.
A C-130 also remained to help search for the missing crew
member.
Coast Guard Lt. Eric Eggan said it was unknown how or when the
four died. The identities of the dead were unknown.
Chuck Harvey, a harbor officer on duty in Dutch Harbor, said his
office was notified by the Coast Guard to clear a dock for its
arrival, expected around 11 p.m. EDT Sunday.
The Coast Guard also told harbor officials to have an ambulance
ready, but didn't specify the degree or nature of any injuries,
Harvey said.
"I figure there's quite a bit of hypothermia going on," he
said.
The Alaska Ranger is owned by Seattle-based Fishing Company of
Alaska. A man who answered the company's phone Sunday afternoon
declined to identify himself or comment. He said no one else was
available to comment.
"Today, they're all pretty much tied up," he said.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Levi Read said the company had sent an
insurance adjuster to Dutch Harbor, who was expected to arrive
Sunday afternoon.
We are keeping those brave men and their familes in our thoughts and prayers today. It is sad that such an event had to happen on Easter. It sounds backwards, but to all my non-Jewish friends out there, Happy Easter.
Posted by Jon at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2008
I Learned Something New Today...
They (whoever 'they' are) say that you (who ever 'you' are/is) can learn something new every day. Well, since today is a day of the every variety, I learned something new today. I was at home chillin', watching the National Geographic Channel, on a show about how Japanese residents of the city of Tokyo deal with having to live in a city with very little space. The show had folks who sleep, and eat in one teeny tiny room. They featured others who rent cats for a few hours, because there is no room for pets where they live. Others rent rooms for the purpose of having intimate relations (I wrote it like that, because I never know if kids are looking in) because there just isn't room for intimate relations at home with kids and sinks and couches and ovens and other things that might get in the way of relations that turned intimate. Also, a lot of these people don't have private baths or showers, so there are 1100 "sentos" where people can go and wash up. So it turns out that I learned several new things today, but the one that really got me was just how many vending machines there are in Tokyo.
As it turns out, there are 12 million people living, working and having intimate relations (I suppose) in Tokyo. Since they have very little room in their homes, a lot of what they need, they can get from vending machines.
See? You can get UNO from a vending machine! Here, all we get are a pack of 'Nabs (as we call them in the South) or Funyons or something delectable like that.
So I learned that there are three million vending machines in Tokyo. Three million! Gosh! (I would have cursed there for emphasis, but again, I don't know how many kids are looking in tonight.) That means that there is one vending machine for every 11 Tokyo residents. Yikes!
But learning something new every day is sort of limiting. Sure, I could have been satisfied learning what I did, but now my curiosity was piqued. I had to know more. I wanted to learn more new things! So I did some research, and learned that out of 50 states in the Union, a full 21 of them have populations of three million or less. (Based on US Census statistics from 2006.) That means that there are more vending machines in Tokyo than there are people living in the following states: (In no particular order.)
Alaska
Idaho
Wyoming
Nevada
Utah
New Mexico
Montana
West Virginia
North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska
Kansas
Iowa
Arkansas
Mississippi
Rhode Island
Vermont
New Hampshire
Hawaii
Maine
Delaware
And after my research was concluded, I learned one more thing: If you're going to Tokyo, bring quarters!
Posted by Jon at 07:06 PM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2008
Six Days Left...
...For you to help me decide how to celebrate this blog's anniversary. Three years. Wow.
Come on folks!
So far, I have received this many responses/ideas/suggestions/silence:
Zero.
I know you're out there, help a fella' out!
--Jon
Posted by Jon at 07:27 PM | Comments (1)
March 20, 2008
Happy Purim!
And Happy Spring!
Come on Summer!
Posted by Jon at 09:05 PM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2008
Ladder 49
So, it's no secret that Jon is a Firefighter. It is also no secret that he works in a department that covers a largely residential area. Now some of those houses are big, I grant you, but there are no highrises or warehouses or other truly large buildings in the district. So, I guess I sort of comfort myself that, while there is always danger when there is fire involved, Jon is somehow not as at risk as, say, a firefighter in a big city. I also just try not to think about the danger of his job because I really just can't. It would drive me nuts. Why am I telling you this? Well, recently I got the movie Ladder 49 from Netflix and Jon literally tried to steal it so I couldn't watch it. He felt that if I watched it I would worry too much about what he does for a living. He told me I was forbidden to watch it. Ha! So, of course, I hid it until one evening when he was at work and watched it anyway because, seriously, I will not be forbidden to do anything! It was a really good movie! I truly enjoyed it (in the way you enjoy tragic films). But I must admit it did strike a nerve. I guess it's impossible to tell yourself that something is "just a movie" when it's so true to life and it's what your husband does as a career. It definitely moved me and made me cry. Does this mean that I am worrying more or that I want him to stop doing what he loves so much? Of course not. And there's a big part of me that is extremely proud of him for having the job he does. I guess watching the movie really just gave me a look inside what firefighters do and it is scary. But I think I can handle it!
Posted by Jon at 07:33 PM
| Comments (0)
March 18, 2008
Things To Ponder...
I mean, shouldn't we always be prepared to stop?
And we get calls all the time for some poor soul who is bleeding internally.
Aren't we all bleeding internally?
Chew on those for a while.
See you tomorrow.
Posted by Jon at 03:48 PM | Comments (0)
March 17, 2008
In Ten Days...
This 'Blog will celebrate an anniversary. A three year anniversary, I think. (I will get back to you on the specifics.)
What should we do?
How should we celebrate?
Help us decide!
I have some ideas, but I need help!
Get back to me, okay?
--Jon
Posted by Jon at 06:58 PM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2008
Long Day...
...Means crappy post.
Sorry.
Hey! You got your money's worth!
See you tomorrow.
Posted by Jon at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)
March 15, 2008
Something To Do On Long Trips...
The road ahead is long. The conversation has ground to a halt. The boys are too young to play "I Spy". Plus, they are asleep anyway. No DVD's. Just the long road ahead. What to do?
Megan and I were faced with this very situation this past summer, while heading to the Jersey Shore for some well deserved R & R. We decided to name all the states. All of them. But after we reached Avalon, we noticed we had only named 49 of them. We wrote down all the states we had named, and then we went over them again and again, but for a solid week, could not remember that last freakin' state. But, because boredom is not our friend, we decided to press on. (When we got home later that week, we found out what state we missed. Sorry to leave you in suspense, but now I can't remember, and it's too late to call Megan. Sorry.) We then tried to name Supreme Court Justice. No dice there. I got some, but Megan wasn't too strong in this area. I then suggested we name state capitols, but she just glared at me.
Map Courtesy of Digital Map Store
Posted by Jon at 02:21 PM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2008
Warning! This Post Contains Graphic Descriptions Of A Graphic Event! Warning!
Warning! If You Don't Like Stories About Regurgitation, STOP READING NOW! You Have Been Warned!
Before I get started, let me say this: I don't like stories about regurgitation. I don't like saying or typing the word regurgitation. It grosses me out. Ask Megan. She'll confirm this. Food that goes in the mouth, I believe, should stay there. Seriously.
That being said, I think that after having been a parent to two young boys for three years now, there are a few things that I have learned. Probably the most important thing that I have learned is that I have yet to learn anything. But one thing is apparent: two boys = sickness.
Ear infections, colds, stomach bugs, eczema, diaper rash (yes, they count too) can turn our home upside down. But what can you do? Not much, so you just do the best you can do for your sick little ones, and help them get better.
So if I've learned that my boys are going to get sick, then you think I would have learned about throwing up. (Remember, I haven't learned anything.) And thankfully, it hasn't happened much, but when it does, it's never easy. It's never convenient. It's never a quick process. In our house, it involves a lot of cleaning up, and at least two showers. (And I guess it's like that in most households.)
So one night a few weeks ago, Josh just wasn't into eating dinner, which is unusual, since he is an eating machine! But one other thing I have learned is that kids and their appetites are fleeting. So it was no biggie that he didn’t want to eat; he was just tired and wanted to go to bed. He gave us no indication of what was to happen to us in just a few short moments.
Megan put him down, and we read stories to Jonah. Megan then worked on the computer for a bit, and heard Josh crying. She went into his room, and there it was, vomit everywhere. On the floor, on the pillow, on the boy. It was awful. So Megan picked him up, and naturally, got covered with puke herself. Into the shower they went. We dried the boy off, got him in a fresh diaper, found new jammies for him, and I changed the sheets and pillowcase. Why was he sick? We had no idea, but he seemed fine, so we put him back down.
This time, it was my turn to work on the computer. I was blogging actually, and just as I was finished, I heard him cry again. I went into his room, felt the bed for any more innards, and finding none, picked him up. Josh instantly laid his head on my left shoulder. Awww. So cute. Keeping in mind that I haven’t learned anything, I sat down on the bed. He continued to lay on my shoulder, so I got another bright idea. I held him closely as I slowly leaned backward to lay on the bed. He didn't stir, but I didn't learn either. That's when I heard the noise. That's when I felt it on my head, and eventually down my back. Ick. I simply could not get up fast enough. (I think I was born without abs.) Anyway, I was laughing and grossed out and freaking, all at the same time. I yelled for Megan to help, who brought towels. Back into the shower with me and the Monkey. After we dried him off and got him dressed for a third time that night, he settled in, and slept the rest of the night with no problems.
But I have problems. I had puke on me, and lots of it. Well, I wanted to be a parent, I guess.
I also need to learn a few more things.
Posted by Jon at 12:12 PM | Comments (0)
March 13, 2008
Rest In Peace, Brothers...
Today, two Firefighters were laid to rest in Salisbury, North Carolina. Victor Isler and Justin Monroe were killed Friday March 7th, while fighting a fire at a lumberyard.
Due to my schedule, I was unable to go to the funerals, but two of my colleagues went, and I am sure they represented my department, and my profession very well. I would have liked to have been there for Firefighters Isler and Monroe, but despite the fact that I am far away, and that I never even knew them, they were always in my heart. They gave their lives for me, and you. Strangers to us, heroes to us. They put their lives on the line to protect the lives and properties of others. They gave day in and day out, and they gave until they could give no more.
Mr. Isler (the hero in the top picture) was a former FDNY EMT, and Mr. Monroe (the hero pictured beneath Mr. Isler) joined the department when he was a teenager. The love they both shared for one of the world's most dangerous professions meant "running into a building that others are running out of". This drive, this desire is unlike anything most of us have ever experienced. But it is shared by countless Firefighters across this great nation, and around the world.
We will miss you, Firefighters Isler and Monroe, but we will also never forget you, or what you did that day.
Rest in peace, Brothers.
Posted by Jon at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2008
...Sigh...
I am so disillusioned. So depressed. So bewildered.
The soon-to-be ex-Governor of my ex state has resigned in disgrace.
I didn't vote for the man. I had already moved from the great state of New York, to the Old North State. Despite what you may hear, New York is a fantastic place. It saddens me that this man used his office to cover his sins. It depresses me that his family has to suffer. I am bewildered as to how a man in such a position, with people watching him every hour of every day, could get away with what he almost got away with, or at least was getting away with for at least a little while.
I guess I put a lot of faith in my elected leaders, and this is how my faith is returned. No, I didn't vote for him, but I always liked what he said, and how he said it.
In fact, none of what he did affects, I believe, how he ran the state. When President Bill Clinton got caught, many wondered if he could effectively run the country, despite the fact that he had cheated on his wife. The answer, of course, was that he could, and he did a fantastic job. Politicians are public figures. Do their personal lives matter in the running of a state, or a country? Some would say yes, but I say no. In spite of this, Spitzer's actions don't mean he can't be an effective Governor, he just shouldn't be one at all. He just should have known better. This is a matter that needs to be worked out between a man, a disgraced public official, and his wife. No one else, not the press, politicians, pundits or lawyers should get involved. Let this man be with his family.
Good Luck Governor Patterson. We'll be watching!
Thanks for listening. (Reading.)
It's a wonder we vote at all, when
Posted by Jon at 08:10 PM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2008
A Rebuttal, and a Re-posting...
In the post I am re-posting below, I notice that my wife called me stubborn. To that, I will reply in the coming weeks, months, or years. (I'll probably forget.) In the meantime, please enjoy yesterday's post as I have no ideas for posts tonight, and Jonah beginning to potty train is a big deal for us. (But, not yet for him.)
For the past twenty four hours I have been giddy. I have been ecstatic and excited and insanely happy. What could make a mother so happy, you ask? Well...I'll tell you.
Jonah is a really sweet kid. He's funny and caring and surprisingly gentle when he chooses to be. He does have one flaw though...he is extremely stubborn. Now Jon and I go back and forth about where he got that from, but we all know it's really Jon who is the King of Stubborn. ;) Anyway, one of the areas where Jonah has been particularly mule-like is the subject of potty training. He has patently refused to discuss it or entertain the idea since we started bringing it up about a year ago. Encourage him to sit on the potty and try? Nope. Attempt to generate excitement about being a "big boy"? Uh uh. Put him in big boy underwear to see if that motivates him? Uh, no...just spent a lot of time cleaning the carpets and his clothing. He just didn't care.
At first I was pretty sure that he just wasn't ready. He would pee anywhere at any time with no thought. But lately he's been saying things like, "I just pee-peed in my diaper" which leads me to believe that he is now ready to potty train. But still, he has been completely uninterested.
So, last night as we were getting ready for a bath, he announced that he wanted to get in the bathtub so he could pee-pee. Um...NO. So I required that he sit on the potty rather than pee in the bathtub. For the first few minutes he raged at me...he cried, he screamed (I think I'm still deaf), he carried on like I was killing him and I'm just so grateful that we don't have a neighbor right now or I'm sure the police would have shown up at our door. But, then, he calmed down. We discussed the mechanics of peeing in the potty versus a diaper. We speculated on why the pee wasn't coming out. He assured me that he wasn't mad at me (I didn't actually ask him this, he just wanted me to know). Eventually the conversation drifted to a non-pee related topic, as conversations sometimes will. And as we talked there at the potty...the familiar sound of pee hitting the water began.
"Jonah, you're doing it! That's wonderful!" Big grin. "Yeah, Mom, I'm doing it!" (Yep, he has recently left behind the babyish Mommy and Daddy in favor of Mom and Dad) And that, my friends, is all it took. He wore underwear successfully all day long.
Needless to say we have been making an INSANELY big deal out of this. And we have joined the ranks of thousands of other parents out there for whom true blissful happiness comes in the form of the most mundane things. The idea of buying diapers for only one child, for example. Or the fact that I will change half as many diapers each day. Or the idea that this milestone makes the difference between being a baby and being a kid. Hmmm. Maybe it's not such a little thing after all.
Posted by Jon at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2008
It's the little things...
For the past twenty four hours I have been giddy. I have been ecstatic and excited and insanely happy. What could make a mother so happy, you ask? Well...I'll tell you.
Jonah is a really sweet kid. He's funny and caring and surprisingly gentle when he chooses to be. He does have one flaw though...he is extremely stubborn. Now Jon and I go back and forth about where he got that from, but we all know it's really Jon who is the King of Stubborn. ;) Anyway, one of the areas where Jonah has been particularly mule-like is the subject of potty training. He has patently refused to discuss it or entertain the idea since we started bringing it up about a year ago. Encourage him to sit on the potty and try? Nope. Attempt to generate excitement about being a "big boy"? Uh uh. Put him in big boy underwear to see if that motivates him? Uh, no...just spent a lot of time cleaning the carpets and his clothing. He just didn't care.
At first I was pretty sure that he just wasn't ready. He would pee anywhere at any time with no thought. But lately he's been saying things like, "I just pee-peed in my diaper" which leads me to believe that he is now ready to potty train. But still, he has been completely uninterested.
So, last night as we were getting ready for a bath, he announced that he wanted to get in the bathtub so he could pee-pee. Um...NO. So I required that he sit on the potty rather than pee in the bathtub. For the first few minutes he raged at me...he cried, he screamed (I think I'm still deaf), he carried on like I was killing him and I'm just so grateful that we don't have a neighbor right now or I'm sure the police would have shown up at our door. But, then, he calmed down. We discussed the mechanics of peeing in the potty versus a diaper. We speculated on why the pee wasn't coming out. He assured me that he wasn't mad at me (I didn't actually ask him this, he just wanted me to know). Eventually the conversation drifted to a non-pee related topic, as conversations sometimes will. And as we talked there at the potty...the familiar sound of pee hitting the water began.
"Jonah, you're doing it! That's wonderful!" Big grin. "Yeah, Mom, I'm doing it!" (Yep, he has recently left behind the babyish Mommy and Daddy in favor of Mom and Dad) And that, my friends, is all it took. He wore underwear successfully all day long.
Needless to say we have been making an INSANELY big deal out of this. And we have joined the ranks of thousands of other parents out there for whom true blissful happiness comes in the form of the most mundane things. The idea of buying diapers for only one child, for example. Or the fact that I will change half as many diapers each day. Or the idea that this milestone makes the difference between being a baby and being a kid. Hmmm. Maybe it's not such a little thing after all.
Posted by Jon at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)
March 09, 2008
Big, Big, News...
...That I can't share with you at this time...
Megan will have to do that.
No, Jonah and Joshua won't be getting a new brother or sister soon.
I will defer to Megan to retell the tale. (I wasn't there, so I couldn't do it justice.)
Pics of St. Baldricks and stories from the day will be posted soon!
Posted by Jon at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
March 08, 2008
It's That Time Of Year Again, And I Need Your Help!
My Dearest Friends and Family,
I need your help.
I need your help to help others.
For the last three years, I have taken part in a fundraising effort to help find cures for childhood (and other) cancers. This effort is called St. Baldrick's, and if you go to their website, you can find all kinds of information about what they are, and what they do. Find them here: St. Baldricks.org
While you surf their site, let me tell you a little about my participation, and why I chose this outstanding organization to lend my support, my money, and my hair...
St. Baldrick's is an organization devoted to sick chiildren. Sick chidlren that lose their hair to chemotherapy. If I do nothing else, I thought, why not shave my hair, so I can stand in solidarity with these brave young people who have lost theirs, though no choice of their own? My hair has been falling out for years anyway, so I didn't have much to lose. But these children, these wonderful, innocent children have a lot to lose. We know what's a stake. That's why I choose to help. That's why I need your help. My co-workers Jimmy, Fuzzy and Phill have been part of a team called Firefighters For Kids. On the St. Baldrick's website, you can search for our team and donate there. Please donate what you can. Join a St. Baldrick's event near where you live. (There are countless events! Check it out!)
One more thing...I am attempting a sticky post. What's that, you ask? I am trying to keep this post up until March 9th, the day after we shave our heads here in the Old North State. This will not affect blogging each day for a year. Just scroll down past this post, to see new posts each day.
For all your support of me and St. Baldrick's, thank you, thank you, thank you!
--Jonathan
Posted by Jon at 09:30 PM | Comments (0)
March 07, 2008
Off With His Head! (Or Hair, Anyway...)
Tomorrow is the big day.
As you've no doubt been reading, I will, for the third year in a row, take part in St. Baldrick's Day. This is the day where I, and countless others stand in solidarity with children who have been diagnosed with cancer. Sometimes they lose their hair. Tomorrow, we will all be bald, so that these kids will know that they aren't alone.
It's a worthwhile cause, and one I am proud to take part in. In fact, I become prouder each year I do this, because I believe in what those at St. Baldrick's are doing, and I know that us Shavee's are making a difference.
I will post pics soon after the event.
Take care, and thanks for all your support!
--Jon
Posted by Jon at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)
March 06, 2008
Warm Up The Clippers!
MySpace Countdown
Posted by Jon at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)
March 05, 2008
The Countdown Is On!!!
It's almost here!
See you there!
Thanks for all your support!
--Jonathan
Posted by Jon at 07:35 PM | Comments (0)
March 04, 2008
Tonight May Be The Night...
Well politicos, the time has come. No, not to take this blog in a political direction, though I reserve the right to do that at any time.
We certainly know that Senator John McCain will be the Republican candidate for President. Good for him. As long as it wasn't Mitt. I don't think I could handle a President Mitt.
On the Democratic side, tonight is the night we may learn who the Dems will offer to the American people.
Either way, it's historic, and, quite frankly, pretty darned exciting.
It's neat to be a part of history, even if I don't have that much to do with it, except for one thing...
I will vote.
Will you?
Posted by Jon at 09:46 PM | Comments (0)
March 03, 2008
Another Weak Post...
Tired.
Un-creative.
Mostly tired.
Hopefully a better post will be posted here tomorrow.
Maybe not.
You just never know.
Posted by Jon at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2008
Ugh...
Tonight is Sunday.
That means, obviously, tomorrow is Monday.
I have a serious case of the Monday's, and it's still Sunday.
Ugh...
See you Monday night.
Posted by Jon at 09:13 PM | Comments (0)
March 01, 2008
The Mini Has A Name!
Humans are a strange lot. We name things. We name galaxies. We name diseases. We even have names for creatures that no longer exist. Now, my family joins those who wish to add life to inanimate objects, by naming our vehicle. So, without further ado, (what, exactly, is 'ado', anyway?) I would like to introduce you to...
Vinny. (Or Vinnie. Or Vini.)
Jonah conferred upon our new (well, not new, but new to us, anyway) the name Vinny, short for Vinny-Van.
So damn cute.
Posted by Jon at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)