January 05, 2009
Zero To Four In 60 Seconds...
Jonah is four years old today!
Four.
Where did the time go?
Time really did move. Wow.
Happy Birthday buddy.
Here's a look back in pictures from 2008...
We Love You Buddy!
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December 31, 2008
365 Days And One Trip Around The Sun Later...
On the eve of New Year 2009, I find myself in a reflective mode.
I am sitting here thinking about this past year, and what an interesting ride it's been along the Information Superhighway.
Almost 365 days ago, I pledged that I would post something here, each day, at least once a day, for a full year. I am proud to say that I posted 362 times. I broke the streak on April 2nd, 2008. Not bad, considering I missed one posting due to a fatal accident, another posting because I was super-extra-terrible-awful sick, and something odd happened that caused me to miss one more posting. 362 posts...It isn't like finishing (or even attempting) a marathon. It isn't like saving a life, or anything like that. It is something I set out to do, and with help, encouragement and support from Megan, it was something I (we) saw to the very end.
So how did I do?
Here were the rules...
"Rules:
- Blog everyday for 365 days. (Blogged for 365 days. (Well, 362, but you gotta' give me an E for effort!) Check.
- Feb.29th is a Free Day and will be the Blog365 day of rest! (Thanks Leap Year) (Took advantage of the free day! Check.)
- You do not HAVE to post to the same blog as long as you post everyday. (I did post to the same blog, each and every day (nearly.) Check.)
- No internet? Write your post locally and post it once you are back on the grid. (Always had internet, no problem there. Check.)
- Computer Broken? Grab some paper and do some old school blogging. (Computer was always functioning, if not slow. Check.)
- A post is a post, not everything has to be in writing. Photos, YouTube videos, and the like are all considered content. (Posted pics, Wordless Wednesdays, YouTube videos. Check.)
- Have fun, because that's the whole point!" (Had a blast! Check.)
Sometime during the past year, I posted that I do not like to see things end, as that leaves me feeling like I am missing something. And that is exactly how I feel tonight. I feel that way because I have become accustomed to posting each and every day. It was how I communicated my thoughts and feeling to the world, and sometimes reporting on events in my life, or posting about things that I thought others might find interesting.
For instance...
I reported on deaths of the famous (and not so famous) not because I have some odd fascination with death, but because the people who left us this year were near and dear to me, for one reason or another.
In 2008, we lost Harvey Korman, Estelle Getty, Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac, Paul Newman, the woman who invented Slinkies (Slinky's?) and the great George Carlin. I have brought to you the sad passing of Rosa Parks, one of my personal heroes; I mourned the loss of life after the London bombings, the Mumbai attacks, (and now the Israeli attacks into Gaza) and the passing of President Gerald Ford.
I also told you about my friend and fellow Firefighter Paula Plichta, who passed away this year, after a courageous battle with leukemia. She will never be forgotten.
And while the loss of life is indeed sad, there were happier times on this blog.
For example, we found out this year that we are going to be parents (again) to a baby boy. (Again!)
You were there when I rescued a turtle from certain death (or at least a certain maiming) from the middle of a busy road.
Over the past year, we celebrated three anniversaries...The anniversary of this blog, (three years old, thanks Keir!) Jonah turned three, and Josh turned two. Megan and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary (!) and we are thrilled to have shared these moments with you. We also began to keep track of when we can expect to see Elijah, and that ticker will stay at the top of the page, and will be updated each and every day, no matter if I post or not, so keep checking in!
We watched in amazement, as American swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican runner Usain Bolt owned an amazing and entertaining 2008 Beijing Olympics.
At least three times over the past year, we had visitors from around the world. Bloggers (or at least web surfers) from South Africa, Great Britain and Canada checked in! Thanks, and you are always welcome here!
If you've noticed, along the way, I have learned a thing or two about Hypertext markup language, or HTML. I learned to change border colors, change fonts and their sizes, and even learned to
There were times I wanted to shout about what's going on in our country, politics wise, but I stayed away, not wanting to cause rifts. (I think that's a good idea. Some call it avoidance; I call it keeping peace in the family. Besides, most who read this blog know my political views anyway.)
Speaking of politics, we are about to enter a new year with a new President, and hopefully, a new outlook and a new way of thinking, to get us out of our economic funk. I, for one, thinking positive now, am beginning to feel optimistic about this new President, and I look forward to better, more positive economic news in 2009!
Speaking of economics, Megan and I put our house up for sale this year, and if you're interested, leave me a comment! (The ticker on the right side of the page will tell you how long our house has been on the market. So far, it's been 41 days, and we haven't had a single call yet! However, we have an open house scheduled for early next week, so maybe we'll get some interest there!)
Over the years, I have posted 519 times. 362 of those were this year alone! Wow!
But why? Why did I post each day (save for three) for an entire year? What was my motivation? Initially, this blog was created to show pics of my Da' Boys and my family for out of town friends and family. I promised to chronicle Jonah and Josh's growth, and I kept that promise. (Though this will no longer be a daily blog, there will still be lots and lots and lots of pics of the boys here, so please check back often!)
Of course, this will be the first place to look as soon as Elijah joins us. As soon as the new boy is here, pictures will be posted, so even though I may not be posting each and every day, look for lots of posts towards the end of March. (Though I feel fairly confident I will blog before then.)
I am sitting here, desperately trying to think of a way to end this post, and wrap up a year of nearly daily blogging. It isn't easy. That's because as stressful as this was at times, not wanting to miss a day, it was satisfying knowing I set a goal, and for the most part, reached it. It's not easy because I am ending something I have become so used to doing. I am ending something I had to do each and every day, and I will miss that.
But while daily blogging is ending, I am going to start something new here, and I want you to be a part of it.
Before 2008 ended, I made a resolution and a goal to reach in the year 2009. I resolved to become a more positive person, and my goal is to lose weight and get in shape. I resolve to become a better person because if that doesn't happen, I can always say, "who keeps their New Year's resolutions anyway?" But I have set a goal of losing weight and getting in shape, so that I will always have something to work for. And this blog will be a way of reminding me both of my resolution, and my goal, all year long.
After a short break, I will be back on this blog, keeping track of my progress. While not a daily blog, it will be updated constantly, so we can all see how I am doing! (I haven't really figured out a way to measure positiveness, so you'll just have to trust me on that one...)
For now, I want to thank each and every one who checked in, Jodi, Jason, Amanda, Megan, G'Ma, G'Pa, Dad, Selina, Aunt Ginny and Uncle Jerry, Keir, Aunt Jen, and anyone else I may have missed!
I want to thank my dear, sweet wife Megan, the person who suggested daily posting for a year, and who helped me tremendously along the way. Without her, this would not have been possible. The same is true for my Boys,
Jonah and Joshua, who were outstanding and super cute as subjects for most of the picture posted here. I love you all!
So for now, from my family to you and yours, please have a very safe, a very healthy, and a very happy New Year!
See you in next year in 2009!
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December 30, 2008
Happy New Year's Eve, Eve!
On the eve of the eve of the New Year, it occurs to me that this is another eve, eve.
That is the eve of the eve to the last posting of my experiment to post at least once a day for a year.
So how did I do?
Check tomorrow's blog posting for the answer, and a whole lot more, including my plans for this blog after we ring in 2009!
See you tomorrow...
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December 29, 2008
Write It Down, Please!
I am not a distrustful person.
In fact, I consider myself to be a very trustful person, one who often puts blind faith into people or services I have never had contact with.
With one exception...
Waiters and waitresses.
I put faith that they will write down what I order, how I ordered it, and deliver it to me with few, if any problems. I may be demanding, finicky or even picky, but if I get what I want how I want it, that waiter or waitress will be tipped well. Or not.
Megan, Da' Boys and I recently went to a restaurant in Apple Chill. There, the waiter took our orders, and didn't write a single thing down. I was skeered.
This waitress is doing it right...
To my surprise, our meals came to us without incident. Da' Boys got their grilled cheese, I got my burger, and Megan got her wrap. No problems. He was a good waiter, and he got a good tip.
But sometimes I wonder if not writing it down means my meal is going to get messed up.
As I think about it, my meals have probably been messed up more from people who wrote stuff down as opposed to those who committed my order to memory.
I will take notes, and provide statistics. Stay tuned.
See you tomorrow...
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December 28, 2008
Hanukkah 2008, Eighth Night!
We have, I feel, spent the last eight nights together.
It has been my pleasure, my joy to bring you the joy my boys felt when they opened all of their Hanukkah presents.
What I tried to do with these postings was convey a sense of excitement and fun, but due to limitations beyond my control, I can only bring you pictures and descriptions. Please believe me when I say that Da' Boys couldn't be more excited each time we lit the candles, and then when they tore open their presents.
Thank you for sharing Hanukkah 2008 with us!
Trains!
See you tomorrow, and see you next year!
Happy Hanukkah!
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December 27, 2008
Hanukkah 2008, Seventh Night!
Welcome to the seventh night of Hanukkah!
It's musical instrument night!
See you tomorrow!
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December 26, 2008
Hanukkah 2008, Sixth Night, Also On Boxing Day!
I have no idea what Boxing Day is, and I suppose as a good neighbor to the south, I could look up the Canadian holiday, but since I really don't feel like it, I won't. Wow. That felt good to get that off my chest.
Tonight's Sixth night gifts are Slinky's (Slinkies?) for Da' Boys...
The 2008 version of Hanukkah is quickly coming to an end. In keeping with tradition, the big gifts are coming. Jonah really wants a -- no, maybe I shouldn't blog about it. I mean, what if Jonah got online, found this post and read what his gift was, then told Joshua what he got -- it would be a big, dramatic mess.
Oh, who am I kidding? The kids can't find their shoes, so finding this post would prove impossible! Jonah has been wanting a guintar for the longest time. No, you read that right, a guintar. (Adults and those literate enough to know, know it as a guitar.) He even guessed it before Hanukkah even started, so his eyes should just about pop out of his head when he sees it. Josh got a keyboard, though he didn't ask for it, and that's mostly because he doesn't ask for much these days. Shhhh...Don't tell them...
Okay, so I felt guilty, and looked up Boxing Day. Since you may (or may not be) less fortunate in the world of cute dog pictures, I want to help those less fortunate by giving you a Boxing Day gift. Two super cute pictures of Zoe...
See You Tomorrow!
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December 25, 2008
Hanukkah 2008, Fifth Night, Also On Christmas!
It doesn't happen very often, but today, the fifth day of Hanukkah, falls on Christmas Day. Often the two holidays overlap, but it isn't all the time when they run right into each other!
Megan's family has always had a neat tradition. They get together, eat tons of fantastic food prepared by Deb, and exchange gifts.
As we entered the G'parents home, were were greeted by, of course, G'Ma and G'Pa, this wonderful tree jammed with presents underneath, and something I cannot share with you except in vivid detail, but smells of fantastic food!
This was too much for a three year old fixated on presents. The boy was DYING to open presents when he saw them, but we had to wait, as Uncle Keir, Aunt Jen and Caroline had not yet arrived. So, we had time to pose for pictures with Aunt Abby, who was already there, her dog Savannah, and G'Pa!!
The waiting was intense, unbearable and downright painful. And I say that from the perspective of a three year old, and from the perspective of a 38 year old, because it was intense, unbearable and downright painful for both of us. But security was tight at the G'Parents house, as the Watchers Of The Gifts kept a close eye on the loot...
What I cannot show is the arrival of Keir, Jen and Caroline. What I can show you is the sheer bedlam that ensued next...(If you listen very carefully, you can hear the sounds of paper ripping and the laughter of children...)
So? What did they get?
Jonah and Josh both got big portfolios to store their artwork in, they both got earth moving equipment, and Jonah got a camera...
That boy takes better pictures than I do! Now that he has his very own camera, we will feature his photos on this blog very soon! Watch for them!
Caroline got a cape...
Both the boys got scooters, and we just had to try them out...
They also got a kitchen set...
Even Elijah made out, with a gorgeous, soft, homemade blanket from Deb! Elijah thanks you in advance, Deb!
And Megan and I both got gift cards, which are always fantastic!
This is what the living room looked like afterward...
After a long day of gift giving, food eating, and toy playing, it was time to head home. But not before one last photo op!
Josh wasn't too happy here...(Can you tell?) He didn't get much sleep...
Boredom setting in, as we wait for Josh to calm down...
Got it!
Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa! We love you! Merry Christmas! (It was all a front. These boys knew we had to get home to celebrate Hanukkah's fifth night, and that meant more presents!)
Megan's family has always taken care of my boys and my family, and for that, I cannot say thank you enough. Merry Christmas!
For the fifth night, the boys got DVD's, Josh got Madagascar, and Jonah got Happy Feet. We haven't seen either one of these movies, but we look forward to distracting -- I mean watching them with Da' Boys soon!
And because it is both Hanukkah and Christmas, I thought I would leave you with two last pics from the day, one of Sammie (Sammy?) and Savannah, and the candles burning down on Jonah's Hanukkiah!
See you tomorrow!
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December 24, 2008
Hanukkah 2008, Fourth Night, On Wordless Wednesday!
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December 23, 2008
Hanukkah 2008, Third Night!
The Festival Of Lights continues, with tonight being the third night of Hanukkah.
Again, another wonderful dinner, followed by puddin' for Da' Boys, and then PRESENTS!
Tinkertoys and View-Masters for the boys!
While I am in love with the boy, I am not in love with this picture, but it was the best I got. Perhaps tomorrow's pic will be better. Yesterday's was!
Happy Hanukkah!
See you tomorrow!
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December 22, 2008
Hanukkah 2008, Second Night!
Tonight is the first full day of Hanukkah, but the second night. So, we light a total of three candles. Two to symbolize two nights, and one helper candle, A.K.A. the shamash.
Da' Boys scored big last night with their Firefighter gear, which they really love. But certainly more lasting are tonight's gifts, books! Thanks Aunt Ginny and Uncle Jerry!
See you tomorrow for night three!
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December 21, 2008
Hanukkah 2008!
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. For most of my adult life, I have heard that Hanukkah is a 'minor' holiday.
For most of my childhood life, I wouldn't understand the 'minor' comment for all the presents in the world.
The same is true for my adult life.
Religiously, faithfully, sure, this isn't a holiday where we get dressed up, head over to the synagogue and pray for our ever living souls, but minor? Not a chance!
This was Jonah in 2005. Can you see how much he thinks the holiday is minor?
And this is Josh in 2007...Do you think he thinks it's minor?
Which brings us to today, Sunday December 21st, 2008. The first night of Hanukkah. We lit candles in our Hanukkiah's, one of which Jonah made, then Megan made fantastic latkes, which we shared with Amanda and my friend Rob, and then, presents!
Happy Hanukkah, and see you tomorrow!
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December 20, 2008
The Longest Night...
Followed by the shortest day.
Come on Summer! I'm waitin' on ya'!
Bring on the heat!
Bring on the hot dogs!
Bring on the air condtioning!
I hate winter.
Here is a visual representation of my hatred of winter.
If you are offended easily, or love winter too much, DO NOT, I SAY, DO NOT LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING PICTURE! IF YOU DO LOOK, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK, AND I AM NOT RESPONSBILE FOR YOUR REACTIONS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED...
ONE LAST WARNING FOR THE EASILY OFFENDED -- LOOK NO FURTHER OR RISK BEING OFFENDED!
Now I understand that as I write this, the longest night is actually tomorrow, on Sunday the 21st, 2008. It is also the first night of Hannukah, and that's why I could not post this tomorrow. The message, for me, is the same though, which is, winter sucks. True too that as I write this it is raining here in the Old North State, and is near 60 degrees, but it has been cold, and will get cold and stay cold, to be sure. And yet, I would love to see Da' Boys playing in snow; I would love to watch them sled and shovel.
I have every confidence that it will happen.
Just not very soon, I hope.
See you tomorrow!
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December 19, 2008
Banana Moon...(A Re-Post And An Added Picture...)
This was originally posted nearly one year ago, on December 22nd, 2007. I am re-posting it for a few reasons, most notably which is I am quickly running out of ideas, and I still have a week and half to go to reach my goal of posting at least once a day for a year. (Apparently, with that last sentence, I am happy to say I reached my goal of at least one run on sentence. No. That isn't true. There's probably been a lot more than that.) The other reason is that I added a picture, and for real, this story is so damn cute!
See you tomorrow...
It's one of those times in our lives that I hope I will remember forever.
Megan, Jonah, Joshua and I traveled to Meadow, to see the Meadow Lights. I had heard about them since moving here, but now that I have a family, it was time to see it in person! (I took two pictures, but they came out poorly, so I am sorry that I cannot aid your imagination.)
On the way, a sliver of moon could be seen in the night sky. Since introducing the moon to Jonah when he was younger, it has become a fixture of our evening rides, so much so that he often wonders where it is, and when we change direction, where did it go?
On this particular night, Jonah looked at the moon from his window, and said, "It's a banana moon!"
Megan and I hope we never forget that night.
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December 18, 2008
It's Training Night...
...And we just finished dinner, and we have to run an errand.
So this is it for today.
Sorry.
Just scroll down to see cute pics, and hopefully that will carry you until tomorrow!
I'll try to do better tomorrow.
See you then!
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December 17, 2008
Wordless Wednesday...
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December 16, 2008
9-1-1, What's Your Emergency?
I hope you never have to, but if you ever do find yourself in a real emergency, go ahead and call 9-1-1. But what constitutes a real emergency? I suppose that depends on the type of situation. Fires, break-ins, high fevers, those sorts of things are DEFINITELY 9-1-1 worthy. At the same time, if you can't decide, it's better to just go ahead and call 9-1-1. No harm, no foul. Your taxes pay for it anyway, so if you need to use it, use it.
That being said...
If you have an emergency, NEVER, EVER delay calling about it. Call right away, so the situation can be resolved quickly. This is not what happened to us last week.
A few weeks ago, we got a call of a fuel spill, on a residential street. That's somewhat odd, since big fuel trucks wouldn't normally travel that road, and that's not something we get called to a lot. So, off we went, in a heavy downpour to search for a fuel spill. After arriving in the area, we asked our Dispatchers if they had anything further, as we could see no spill, nor could we see any vehicles from which fuel might be leaking. The Dispatcher then advises that the spill happened a week earlier, and if you are looking in just the right spots, you could see two puddles of fuel. (The caller to 9-1-1 said that he saw the fuel coming from a landscaping truck.) The person that called also called the Environmental Protection Agency, who advised him to call 9-1-1. So what's the problem here? First and foremost, he should have called the moment he saw the spill. Second, the rain washed it all away, so we couldn't find anything anyway.
The point here is that this well meaning but super-late wanna' be do gooder called way, way, way too late for us to do anything about it.
While I am ranting, if you do need to call 9-1-1, please follow this simple advice: STAY WHERE YOU ARE. For instance, we get called all the time to a six lane Interstate highway we protect. I am guessing that we are sent on false calls there around 85 percent of the time. Yes, a full 85 percent of the time, the call either isn't found, or it's in another location. That's mostly because folks do not stop when they are calling! They are in some big rush, or just don't want to get involved. Well, if you call 9-1-1, you are involved. Give your location, and wait there to wave down the Fire Department, EMS or Police as they arrive.
They will appreciate it, I promise you.
Thanks for listening.
See you tomorrow...
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