The goings-on of a young, suburban father/husband

Two years old!

2009-12-09T09:22:00.000-06:00

Amanda turned two years old today. We are so proud. I'm not sure where to start to summarize the past two years. Joy, pain, sleepless nights, love, pride, tears, fun. It's been great seeing her develop from a little newborn into this little person who has become like a third roommate. She adds to the conversation on her own and dictates the flow of the evening.

She plays make believe with her tea set; stirring the pot and then delivering a cup to us to have a drink properly. She sets the dinner table under Katie's command and has become helpful around the house. She says "nugget" when she has pooped in her pants and we are still working on potty training. All in due time. I'm in no rush to force her to use it.

She still likes to rough-house with me as I toss her into the air or attack her with a tickle fight. She defends herself, runs away and then says, "Again!". Wash, rinse, repeat. So fun.

23 months

2009-11-11T19:50:00.002-06:00

Amanda's newest additions to her personality:
-Has learned about possessions and says, "Mine!"
-Is expanding her vocabulary and can say, "More, please", but is usually limited to one word at a time
-Has become fickle from time to time and loves an activity and them immediately hates it
-She regularly drinks out of a small drinking cup, but still has a great deal of love for her bottle particularly when it comes to milk and the morning. She seems to bypass sippy cups altogether except when driving in the car
-Is starting to excel at potty training with a portable toilet
-Exercises her vocabulary by saying out "car" and "doggie" and the like when she spots them out her window
-She can now point to her pelo (hair), ojos (eyes), dientes (teeth), boca (mouth) and nariz (nose) when you ask her in Spanish

(F)UNemployment

2009-11-08T19:57:00.005-06:00

So far my first two weeks of funemployment has been very productive and rewarding. I've been able to spend more time with my family and also knock out a few projects around 'this old house' of mine. I've been a good house husband and have accomplished the following:
-Installed new attic ladder
-Built a new coat rack in our mud room
-Cleaned the gutters twice
-Raked the lawn twice
-Cut the grass twice
-Winterized the outside of the house
-Hung (but did not turn on) Xmas lights
-Run various errands
-Got my hair cut
-Did many loads of laundry
-Helped my mother sweep out her garage
-Went grocery shopping
-Caulked a leaky gutter
-Scanned in old 35mm negatives

You drink, you drive, I lose? revisted

2009-10-14T15:45:00.002-05:00

It took 19 months, but our case finally settled and we have received our deductible back from our insurance company. What a nightmare that was. Three court visits and countless months all to get the money we were owed...

22 months

2009-10-09T09:13:00.005-05:00

Here we are; October. I've been blogging for nearly two years now. Even though my posts have dwindled as I have been more of a facebook person, I still feel this is a valid place to share my thoughts. Motivation is lacking, I must admit. Back to my topic at hand. My little girl is 22 months old and we are already starting talk about a 2nd birthday party. Fun times. Let's recap where she has changed/grown since we last spoke.

-32 inches tall
-30-ish pounds
-picky eater; she has started becoming really picky about her diet while at home. Somehow, she eats everything on the menu at daycare. Go figure.
-she speaks the names of her classmates (Carter, Megan, Aiden) over and over...until she meets them face to face each morning. It's really funny to watch little ones interact at breakfast. They are in their own little worlds and just happen to be cohabiting the same space.

First dentist visit

2009-09-28T12:12:00.004-05:00

Amanda had her first dentist appointment today. She is approaching two years of age and we heard that it would be a good idea since she has all her teeth now. Turns out, it wasn't such a good idea. I wasn't able to attend the appointment because, you know, I have a job. Well, I don't have a job for much longer, so in hindsight I should have been there. Either way, Katie filled me in on all the good details.

Amanda was friendly with him (after all, he is a pediatric dentist) and giving him high-fives right up to the point where he put on the latex gloves and mask. It all went sideways. She stopped smiling and locked her jaws. He was not allowed to check anything. DENIED!

The moral of this story is...wait until your child is three years of age. In the end, everyone parted ways with a good-natured laugh.

21 months

2009-09-09T07:24:00.003-05:00

Wow, today is 09-09-09 and Amanda is now 21 months old. 21 is not easily divisible by 9, but it is divisible by 3; and so is 9. Anyhow.

I failed to mention this in the previous months' posts, but we no longer have a need for gates on the stairs. She is able to go up and down without a problem at all. We let her roam the house freely and she has never had any falls or slips. I think she has a healthy respect for the stairs. She now weighs about 30 pounds and is 32 inches tall and is a proud member of the 30-30 club. She has almost outgrown our changing table.

New skills:
-Able to buckle herself into car seat
-She announces poop prior to its arrival
-She tries to produce on the portable potty
-Shoulder shrugging for no reason

I have to imagine she picks up a great deal of "ticks" from her daycare classmates. The shoulder shrugging is probably one of them. Her "parroting" skills are well refined and she can repeat most words she hears these days. That makes it extra tough to express one's self...

Momentum part 2

2009-09-04T09:04:00.003-05:00

I am 8 weeks into my 16 weeks of being retained as an employee here at WNG. These two months have flown by. Since the announcement, 21 employees have been let go (in stages) and 3 or 4 of them have found a new job. I suppose that's uplifting. Three more are leaving today; including my manager. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Don over the past 18 months and will miss his wit and supervisory skills. He taught me a great deal and I will take that with me.

Needless to say, morale in the office is at an all-time low and my workload is at an all-time high. I have pressures and deadlines and plenty to keep my occupied. I suppose that's better than the death sentence others have received where they have to sit at their desk and look for tasks to keep themselves occupied for 8 more weeks.

I plan to take Labor Day to finalize my resume so I can hit the ground running searching for new employment before I have to reach out to the government for the oh-so-tantalizing $375 a week unemployment pays.

Scam

2009-09-04T08:51:00.002-05:00

I started using Craigslist as a buyer within the previous year. However, this past month marked my first foray into selling items on Craigslist. I have received a few responses to the items I have for sale, but the below is the most interesting e-mail I have received. Enjoy.

Hello

How are you doing today? Well i really thanks for your mail and i love the description of the item i wish to come and view the item and pay for it in cash but I'm very busy to do that right now.I'll like you to remove the advert from web and consider this item sold, I'll be paying via cashier check in US dollar.You will not be responsible for shipping or pick up of the item. where the shipper agent will come for the pick up at your location upon your confirmation of receiving my check after you have cash it in your Bank .I need your name to be on the check:

Physical Address:

State:

city,: and Zip Code along with yours

phone number to overnight mail the check to you without any delay.

Thanks and waiting for your urgent reply today.

Best Regard

Eny.

20 months

2009-08-09T11:56:00.001-05:00

Another month goes by. It seems that I'm not so interested in blogging these days. Maybe I have little write about. Well, a few things have happened (such as I'm losing my job in October, but that's not my topic today) over the last few weeks. Back on topic.

Amanda is progressing. Let's see, what new has happened over the past month? She repeats most words that Katie speaks to her in her books. The books have photos and words like "girl", "boy",
"ball", "baby", "cat", "dog" and all sorts of other common items in her world.

She sits at the table with us now. She no longer uses the tray on her high chair. Success of this has been hit or miss, but in general it's good practice for her.

She can correctly identify when she has poop in her pants by saying "poo poo" and tugging at her shorts. She's right practically every time. If you break wind in front of her, she'll call you out by pointing at your pants and saying "poo poo". :-)

Sears Tower ==> Willis Tower part 2

2009-08-08T11:52:00.002-05:00

Transformation complete.

Sears Tower ==> Willis Tower

2009-07-16T14:16:00.003-05:00

19 months

2009-07-09T11:37:00.004-05:00

Amanda turned 19 months old today. 19 months old really has the feeling of 19 years old. The date really isn't all that monumental. We are really starting to see her make her mark and advance with speech and skills. She knows when her diaper is dirty and pulls on it. She can verbalize and recognize several colors like red, blue and yellow. She is picking up a few of the Spanish words and commands that I have introduced such as leche (milk), sientate (sit down) and levantate (stand up).

She is still a very picky eater and probably derives most of her nutrition and calories from hot dogs and whole milk.

Momentum

2009-07-08T23:12:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time. To all (three) of my followers. I apologize for that. Every now and again something happens in my life which is not meant for Facebook and requires a more thorough dialogue --> Blogger.

I found out today that my company is shutting down operations in Chicago entirely; dumping 40+ employees on the street. That's right, a company the size of about 30,000 could no longer foot the bill for our salaries and the rent for the office space. What a shame.

It's chilling how quickly this announcement takes the wind out of one's sails. You go from feeling like your efforts are kicking ass to wanting to kick someone's ass. It really is not fun.

I will be retained for a while to transition my knowlwdge to whoever is going to take on our jobs. It's going to be a rough road ahead. Lots to do.

18 months

2009-06-09T09:41:00.004-05:00

Amanda added a few new tricks to her repertoire this past month
-loves to kiss goodbye or hello or goodbye or hello
-gets excited when we pull into the parking lot at daycare
-eats her food with a fork, drinks with a straw
-loves Flo Rida's Right Round
-took her first trip to the Holy Land known as Notre Dame
-learning to open doors
-says please, hungry and more (old hat)
-shows her belly button to anyone who asks and is very proud of it
-took her first ride in our bicycle trailer, smooth sailing

Crawl space update 3

2009-06-01T11:58:00.004-05:00

The space is now populated. The world is right as rain.

10 years...goes by so fast

2009-05-12T10:39:00.006-05:00

Ten years ago today, I received the worst news of my life.

I was a 22 year old senior at Notre Dame and at a beach party on Lake Michigan with friends. It was "Senior Week"; the one full week of free time allotted to seniors after final exams (when all the underclassmen go home) and before graduation. It's supposed to be the best time of your life. There are many scheduled events, parties, etc. You just finished four years at a very competitive university amongst some of the best and brightest of your peers and are ready to step out into the world and make your mark.

Over Thanksgiving weekend 1998, I found out that my father was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer. Each on their own is terminal. He was given six months to live. The family was in shock. The rock of our foundation was shaken. How do you react to news like that? If you are me, you don't believe it and you stay focused to finish strong. If you are my dad, it takes away everything you spent your life living for: family, friends, a home, a career, being a grandparent, retirement.

I still don't speak much about that day - the 12th of May, 1999 - the day my father lost his battle with cancer. It was four days before I was to graduate. All my own plans and dreams were washed away in an instant. I had everything I worked so hard to get, yet I lost so much.

17 Months

2009-05-09T14:14:00.001-05:00

A few updates to Amanda's progress.
-She uses sign language to communicate (more, bye and hi are her favorites)
-She likes to be tickled/tossed in the air
-She hates bathtime; this has become troublesome

Crawl space update 2

2009-05-08T14:02:00.003-05:00

Insulation, drywall and lighting are compelte. I need to clean up and start moving items into the space.

Crawl space updated

2009-04-26T12:16:00.008-05:00

Crawl space project/vacation day 5

2009-04-24T23:11:00.008-05:00

Ahh, the last day of my vacation. It's been nice knowing you. I did no work on the house. It was going to be 85 degrees today, so I knew this day would need to be spent on other topics like family. We went to the zoo in the morning which was great. After Amanda woke from her nap, I took off on the moto to visit my newborn nephew William. He's so tiny, but weighed in at an astounding 9 pounds, 6 ounces. That's a big boy. He's gonna be a linebacker.

On my way home I picked up dinner from Paul's and tucked it into the saddle bags. They have the best Italian beef sammies. I get it with cheese and on toasted garlic bread. It's the only way to fly. It really hit the spot.

Shortly after we finished with dinner, we received a call from my cousin Brian and his wife Jen who were out walking around the neighborhood. They stopped over, we had some drinks and a great time. Always nice to have drop-ins.

Crawl space project/vacation day 4

2009-04-23T23:08:00.001-05:00

I wasn't so productive today. I did work on getting some electrical planning staged. Once our contractor comes over to seal up the opening to the outside world, I can finish off the insulation and drywall. Then I'll hit the electrical. After that, I need to seal the concrete slab and paint (??). I feel this project will never end. I know why people hire professionals. I'm not one of those people, but I do realize they exist and what their motivations are.

Otherwise, I started to get burnt out (yeah, I know only after a few days) so I took it easy and watched some TV that I had saved up on the TiVo and stopped by my mother's to have Amanda visit with her more.

Crawl space project/vacation day 3

2009-04-22T08:58:00.005-05:00

I'm not too excited to blog today. Here is what I accomplished in the morning:
Breakfast
Safe deposit box
Beverage
Work support call

In the afternoon, I monkeyed more with the crawlspace and then picked Amanda up from daycare and headed over to my mother's for a visit. It was a good day.

Crawl space project/vacation day 2

2009-04-21T21:30:00.004-05:00

Day two was great. I started out by wishing Katie a fun day at work (ha ha) and then taking Amanda to day care. It was still cold outside, I didn't want to get to work just yet. I decided to spend some time watching morning news programs such as the Today Show. I'm so out of touch with current events. After that, I took a walk to 7-Eleven for a 32 oz soft drink to kick start my day. I talked to a buddy on the phone and then called my cousin to make plans to meet up for lunch. By this time, it was already 9:45; time was flying by and I hadn't really accomplished anything yet - what's a guy to do?!

Once I had my day set, I headed up into the attic and poked around a bit. Our bathroom ceiling exhaust fan really does not do a very good job at keeping the humidity level down so it warranted a little investigation. In the end, all I did was determine the make/model/capacity (cubic feet per minute), clean the intake grill and shake out the exhaust hose that is in the attic. It seems to be running smoother now. We'll see as the week continues.

Once I was done in the attic, I headed into my dungeon better known as the crawl space. I was in the middle of indecision. You see, there is only one piece of conduit that enters the space that provides all the power. It's in a particular spot that won't be accessible once I put in the insulation and drywall. Why is this a big deal? Well, should something go wrong or I need to change out the wiring, it won't be accessible and I'll need to tear out the drywall to get at it. That's no good; why not make it accessible before going forward? I hate it how some companies or individuals put more emphasis on ease of installation over ease of maintenance. I digress.

Now that I have my direction on that particular topic, I could move on. I installed more insulation on the ceiling and walls where I could and also used Great Stuff to seal up some openings around the seal where the crawl meets the house/foundation. That will keep out any small animals or rodents in the future.

By this time, It was lunch and I headed out to meet Brian at Palmer Place for a nice burger; hadn't had one of those in a long time. Even though I just saw him on Saturday, it was nice to actually meet someone for lunch instead of just eating a sandwich in your own kitchen. We had a nice, long lunch and I got up to speed on his current schooling efforts so he can get into Chiropractor school. I wish him all the best with his studies and hope I don't need his services any time soon.

Lunch lasted 90 minutes. I hit up 7-Eleven again for a refill on my way home. I relaxed a bit before getting back to work. I only had about two hours to accomplish anything before I would have to head out to pick up Amanda from daycare. I measured up some drywall and placed one full sheet on a side wall which is no small task when the sheet is exactly the dimensions of the space you are working within. I got that into place and devised just how I am going to drywall the ceiling of this space. That's not easy to do alone.

Each sheet of 4'x8'x1/2" drywall weighs 55 pounds and is very difficult to maneuver inside the crawl. I determined that the smartest thing to do was to cut the 4'x8' sheets into two pieces of 2'x8' sections and then cut them to the 7'2" that is required by the dimensions of the ceiling. That's less than 25 pounds and I can manage that with much less effort. In order to get the piece up and on the ceiling, I am going to attach a small ledge on one side for it to rest on while I attach it on the other side. I think I just might fashion an inclined plane like the Egyptians to get this crap on the ceiling. I don't know, but it's worth a shot. More to come.

Crawl space project/vacation day 1

2009-04-20T19:33:00.004-05:00

Today was a good day. It was the first day of my week off. I plan to stay home, no jet-setting this time around. I want to spend time with family and accomplish some projects around the house that just cannot get done with the 90 minutes of free time I have during the week. Weekends tend to turn into family gatherings where I cannot simply check things off a list. That said, this week will be different. I'm off to a good start; good balance.

I started out the morning as usual, but felt sluggish getting out of bed. Amanda was ever so gracious and let us sleep in. She woke up at 7:00 AM (!!!) which is 60-90 minutes later than usual. That was nice. After waking and spending a typical family morning together (getting dressed, breakfast, cleanup, etc.) we all went for a walk to the bank to have a look at our safe deposit box. It's already 9:00...

I had this feeling that we were not backing up our important family photos onto DVDs frequently enough. I was right. In all that, I determined that it would just be easier to keep a portable hard drive in the box and take it out once a month to freshen up the files that are on there. And so starts yet another item to keep track of on a monthly basis.

After visiting the bank, I can home and started preparing for my day in the bunker; better known as the crawl space. I have such lofty goals. I want to insulate, drywall, electrify and light the space all this week. If I'm efficient, it will happen. If I get sidetracked; it won't. What happens to me is that I'm so afraid to make a mistake (some can be fixed, others...not-so-much) that I get paralyzed. I call it "paralysis through analysis" and it happens to me all the time when I'm in over my head.

That said, I was able to make progress today. Since I will be enclosing this entire space on all 6 surfaces and I won't necessarily have access to all the wiring after the fact, I want to make sure I get everything lined up. Case in point: the doorbell.

Months ago, our front-door doorbell quit working. Having no time to evaluate what happened or really care since no one comes in through our front door these days, I have put off the investigation. I took this on as one of my to-do's since the wiring for the front doorbell runs right through the ceiling of the crawl. I took apart the doorbell and ran all new wiring. Good news: that fixed our front doorbell issue and I could move on. Bad news: it took me about three hours to get it all done from start to finish.

Other progress, I installed several more feet of insulation bats in the ceiling and side walls today. The space is getting larger as I start using some of the materials that are stored in there. I am starting to see progress.

Additionally, I found time to play with Amanda and help Katie feed her lunch and dinner. It's nice when she behaves and not so nice when she misbehaves and throws her food on the floor. Today was a mixed bag. Considering she is getting over pink eye (oh yeah, she hooked herself up with that yesterday, sending us on a trip to a "Take Care Clinic" inisde Walgreens) she is doing quite well.

16 months

2009-04-09T19:20:00.001-05:00

Amanda turned 16 months old today. Good times. She has enhanced her skill set to include:
-hide and seek
-high-five
-blowing kisses, gives kisses
-completely lost her morning nap
-no words just yet

Crawl space

2009-04-07T13:32:00.006-05:00

A few months ago, Katie and I decided that we needed more storage space. We always knew that we had storage space under our front porch; there is a crawl space under there about 18'Lx8W'x4'H. The issue is that it was simply a dirt floor and had no weatherseals preventing small animals and debris from coming into it. That was a big problem.

We decided to hire a contractor to install a concrete slab for us. It was finished last week. We are happy with the results. Our next task is to insulate and drywall the exterior walls. See below for before/after photos.

Tire pressure

2009-03-17T07:58:00.003-05:00

Do any of you know what the actual tire pressure in your tires should be? I bet most folks don't. I also bet most folks expect that their tire pressure is properly checked when their car is in for service (oil change, tire rotation, etc.). I certainly expect that my oil change place would do this for me and they do. However, I am not certain that everyone knows that tires require different pressures.

Most automobile tires that I have come in contact with require about 35 psi of air pressure for a proper ride and long life. I recently cleaned out my car and found my automotive tire pump and air pressure gauge (thanks to Joe H's father) and checked my tire pressure. My tires were low and read about 30 psi. Normally, this is not a big deal and tires tend to heat up when rotating on the road with that friction and all.

However, after reading the sidewall of my tires, I realized that my tires require 44 psi! Yeah, I was 14 pounds low. That's a big deal. For a while, I thought that I needed a front-end alignment as the car would drift to the right at lower speeds. That has all gone away with properly-inflated tires.

That said, check your manufacture's suggest tire pressure, buy a gauge and get checking! And if you expect your services to do it for you, make sure they know what it should be.

Neighborhood conformity

2009-03-11T11:16:00.003-05:00

I just got this e-mail from my village today. I can't believe these signs are such a big deal, but I guess this could get out of control if a stop sign is obscured or a speed limit sign cannot be seen...

POLITICAL SIGNS

As we approach the Consolidated Election on Tuesday, April 7, 2009, the Village would like to remind residents that political signs (and any other message signs, including business advertisements) are prohibited by the Village Code from being placed in the public right-of-way.

The public policy reasons for this regulation include: when such signs are placed within the public right-of-way, they become attention-getting devices which can result in an accident; such signs, especially when grouped en masse can compete with existing regulatory signage; and the Village needs to be uniform and consistent with the application of this regulation.

Signs which are observed to be in the public right-of-way will be relocated by Village employees back onto private property (behind the sidewalk).

Signs whose ownership is not readily-identifiable will be confiscated by the Village and stored at Public Works where they can be picked up. You may also report the presence of such signs to Public Works for removal.

If you have any questions concerning this regulation, please do not hesitate to call the Community Development Department.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

15 months

2009-03-09T18:15:00.002-05:00

Amanda's abilities continue to evolve. She now does the following:
-Eats food with a spoon on her own
-Walks all around the house; stomp, stomp, stomp
-Manages stairs on her own
-Has two upper pre-molars
-Spent her first long weekend away from Mom and Dad (with Aunt Melissa and Uncle Jeff)

Times are certainly becoming more and more interesting. Just the other day, she "gave me five". I never expected her to do anything other than to look at me funny. Sure enough, she slapped my hand. Good times.

Welcome home, Eric

2009-03-09T07:18:00.001-05:00

METRA BNSF INBOUND TRAINS TO UNION STATION AND OUTBOUND TRAINS TRAVELING TO AURORA ARE OPERATING 10-20 MINUTES BEHIND SCHEDULE DUE TO SWITCH PROBLEMS.

Why does that stretch of track always have switch problems?

I'm trying this workout; running is getting old

2009-03-04T09:45:00.002-06:00

Circuit One:
Air squats (20 reps) Feet shoulder-width apart, squat deeply with weight in heels.

Stationary lunge (15 per side) Hands on hips, feet staggered, slowly lower back knee until almost at floor level, then press up to straighten legs.

Core-band rows (15 reps) Wrap a resistance band around a post; bring handles in to ribs, elbows pointing back.

Bent-arm plank Hold a pushup 20 seconds,then bend elbows to lower body and hold for 10 seconds.

Circuit Two:
Side lateral lunges (12 per side) Step to right side; bend right knee 90 degrees. Repeat on left.

Core-band chest press (15 reps) Wrap band around post, turn away from post, extend both arms straight and shoulders height.

Chair dips (12 reps) Sit at chair’s edge, hands outside hips; slowly lower and raise body.

V sits Raise arms and legs into a V position, balancing on tailbone. Hold 45 seconds. Rest. Repeat.

Circuit Three:
Fit-ball hamstring curls (15 reps) On your back with heels on a fitness ball, lift hips off floor into plank position. Pull ball toward you, then push back.

Knee pushups (12 reps) Lower chest while sliding shoulder blades back and down toward spine.

Core-band tricep extensions (15 reps per arm) Stand on one end of a resistance band, grab the other end; with band behind you, extend arm up overhead. Using elbow as a hinge, lower hand down toward back, then up to full extension.

Rotational oblique crunches (10 reps per side) On floor, put right hand behind head and extend left leg straight from hip. Crunch right elbow across and draw left knee in.

Very much looking forward to this...

2009-02-26T13:01:00.001-06:00

San Diego 10-day forecast

Feb 26

Mostly Cloudy

65°
52°

Fri
Feb 27

AM Clouds / PM Sun

66°
53°

Sat
Feb 28

Partly Cloudy

77°
56°

Sun
Mar 1

Partly Cloudy

73°
55°

Mon
Mar 2

Cloudy

66°
52°

Tue
Mar 3

Cloudy

65°
53°

Wed
Mar 4

Partly Cloudy

63°
52°

Thu
Mar 5

Partly Cloudy

63°
52°

Fri
Mar 6

Showers

61°
50°

Sat
Mar 7

Showers

66°
51°

Vacation is approaching

2009-02-24T07:58:00.001-06:00

We haven't been on a vacation (I mean a real vacation not just a weekend wedding trip or a 4-day weekend to nowhere) since our honeymoon three and a half years ago. We are headed out to San Diego to visit Brian and Laura.

We really need the time off and a change of climate. While my S.A.D. has eased, I still crave some sunshine on my face and the ability to run out of doors without four layers of clothing.

Do I want to relocate? Hell no, all we need is a little break. Even those that have relocated to the Southwest (I often hear Phoenix and San Diego) are no happier. They always find something to complain about. Phoenix has deadly heat from April to October and San Diego has wildfires that consume homes every year. I like our seasons. I like being close to family and culture and good food and entertainment.

Facebook controversy

2009-02-18T10:04:00.001-06:00

It looks like they caved to the pressure. This was posted at the top of my page this morning. Funny, they didn't post the modification to their TOS two weeks back. Amazing what bad publicity can do for you.

"Terms of Use Update
Over the past few days, we have received a lot of feedback about the new terms we posted two weeks ago. Because of this response, we have decided to return to our previous Terms of Use while we resolve the issues that people have raised. For more information, visit the Facebook Blog.

If you want to share your thoughts on what should be in the new terms, check out our group Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities."

Downturn?

2009-02-11T07:49:00.001-06:00

I don't know what everyone else is experiencing with their own budgets, but it seems that Katie and I have been spending MORE money ever since the recession hit. Maybe it's because we put off purchases of common items such as clothing, shoes, home repairs until we shook out our new budget after buying our house or we just need more goods.

Anyone else experiencing this?

14 month old

2009-02-08T19:04:00.002-06:00

Amanda can now walk on her own, pretty much sleeps through the night and makes attempts at talking. Her pallet is now more advanced. She will eat pizza, cheese, bread, meats (chicken & beef), pancakes and more. She also likes to play "boo". She screams, laughs and runs away. She then comes back for me.

I think I have SAD

2009-02-06T09:05:00.002-06:00

Or Seasonal Affective Disorder.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195/DSECTION=symptoms

I have the following symptoms from their web site:

Loss of energy
Social withdrawal
Oversleeping
Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
Weight gain
Difficulty concentrating and processing information

Which means I really need a vacation to some place warm and sunny!

My new project at home part 2

2009-02-02T18:12:00.002-06:00

Completed. This was a fun exercise. One week from conception to completion.

Night out

2009-02-01T11:40:00.009-06:00

Last night we went out to a belated Christmas party. My mother was sitting and we expected to spend maybe three hours away. We attend this party (hosted by one of Katie's high school lady friends) each year and while I usually enjoy my time there, I never really have anything much to bring to the table as I don't have much of a history with anyone but the host and hostess whom I like a lot. This year was very different.

The party started out like a typical couples party. We talked about kids, napping, scheduling events, balancing work and family, etc. It was just like any other party where we are introduced as "EricandKatie" and everyone has their conversation revolve around family, work and kids. That changed eventually.

We met a couple that lives just a few blocks away from us and the conversation quickly changed to home improvement (equally suburban stereotypical) but a welcome departure from diapers, soccer and sleeping schedules. We had a great time sharing stories back and forth about projects we all did to our homes and the struggles within those projects.

After exhausting all stories, there were only four of us left in the living room and I had thought that the party was winding down. I was mistaken. The party was just hiding in the other rooms of the house. The four of us decided to move into other parts of the party and mingle. Katie and I landed in the kitchen near the kitchen table where the real party-goers were camping out around the hard liquor.

This maneuver was a game-changer. These people were a great time; not your typical attendees. They were city folk who are married and have children, but also know how to party. Not only were they partiers, but they were a hell of a lot of fun. Everything that came out of my mouth was like gold, Jerry! They loved every joke, every line. It was a great night. We ended up leaving sometime after midnight.

We arrived home to find my mother sacked out on the couch, having no idea what time it really was. That's great news, we were concerned we wore out our welcome. Hey, we don't get out much, give us a break. She made it home safely and we went to bed.

My new project at home

2009-01-29T13:41:00.004-06:00

My next project is to fill in this space with a railing. Wish me luck. Amanda is now climbing the stairs and wants to jump off. As anyone can imagine, that's less than desirable.

Jury duty

2009-01-28T07:22:00.002-06:00

I had jury duty today, it was a unique experience. For those that have not been through it before, here's what to expect.
-arrive early
-wait
-read
-be corralled by a sheriff into a court room
-answer questions
-possibly get selected for a jury
-collect $17.20 for your services
-go home

Transportation woes

2009-01-16T17:48:00.001-06:00

And so ends one of the worst weeks to commute to work in recent memory. From frozen switches to derailments, it was bad.

Amanda walks

2009-01-12T21:30:00.001-06:00

Amanda finally took he first steps today. Although they were very short (maybe two or three), we see good times ahead. I think what made her successful is that she has started to realize she has calf muscles and has started to stand up on her toes. That makes walking so much easier. Until then, she had been walking like Forest in those leg braces.

I Think I Love My Wife

2009-01-11T10:44:00.006-06:00

I recommend this movie to anyone; particularly those who are married...
Chris Rock plays a suburban husband and father of two who is a major broker at a Manhattan firm. He gets into trouble when and old "friend" who was his buddy's girlfriend 8 years ago comes back into his life to shake things up. In certain ways she tries to break up his marriage, but I think she really finds him as safe and he really has no spine to say no. Ridiculousness ensues and he nearly loses his job, his wife and his life. Great fun. Netflix this.

13 months old

2009-01-09T10:44:00.001-06:00

While young children start to accelerate in their learning ability, they don't make as many leaps and bounds month-by-month. That said, here is what is going on in Amanda's world. She is desperately trying to walk and talk her way through things. She has begun to eat more table food such as toasted breads, cheeses, chicken, sweet potato fries and even some pizza.

I've been cheating on you...

2009-01-05T10:48:00.000-06:00

...Blogger. Now that I have met Facebook, things just aren't the same. I'm sure you realize that, too.

I tend to hold on to my long diatribes for Blogger and my quick hits for Facebook, but it's become harder and harder to care about writing a (comparatively) long dissertation on my blog instead of using FB. I'm sure I'll come back around. I have a whopping two (two!) followers here, but over 120 on FB. So, in the long run, who reads these posts anyhow?

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T10:47:00.000-06:00

I'm glad I'm staying in tonight

2008-12-31T09:22:00.003-06:00

Wednesday

21

14
Much colder air is in place with afternoon highs nearly 20 degrees below Tuesday's levels. Mostly sunny and cold. Snow flurries in northwest Indiana in the morning. Brisk northwest winds 11-22 m.p.h. create single-digit windchill temperatures. Today's high temperature 10 degrees below normal. Scattered clouds, cold temperatures, light winds New Years eve. A reading of 17 degrees is predicted at the stroke of midnight.

Chicago Travels

2008-12-19T11:18:00.003-06:00

My commute, while delayed, was not too bad and I made it to work only 15 minutes late.

Go tell it on the mountain

2008-12-16T17:42:00.002-06:00

As I entered Union Station this evening (while the flakes were flying and the Loop streets were in gridlock) I passed a brass quartet playing "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and my mind immediately flashed to the opening scene of "A Christmas Story". You know that scene; it's the one where you see 1940's Northern Indiana and all that comes with it. The shoppers, the voice of Jean Sheppard narrating this wonderful Christmas movie and all that. There's African Amaericans singing around a fiery 55-gallon drum and Christmas-themed windows to go shopping through. A timeless classic. That's the wonderful scene that came to mind just minutes ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPODCrn-kPo

So we're got this going for us....which is nice.

2008-12-14T22:30:00.007-06:00

Monday
H: 14
L: 8

Highs down as much as 40 degrees from Sunday. Temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees remain steady or slowly fall through the day despite a partly sunny sky. Strong west winds 15-25 m.p.h. gusting in excess of 30 m.p.h. send windchills as low as 10-15 degrees below zero. Partly cloudy and very cold overnight with lows from zero at the coldest inland locations to 5-10 degrees downtown.

Forecast
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As of 9:32 PM CST on December 14, 2008

Rest of Tonight...Periods of rain...freezing rain and sleet late in the evening...then a chance of light snow after midnight. Snow and sleet accumulation up to 1 inch. New ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. Blustery. Turning sharply colder. Lows 10 to 14...except 14 to 18 downtown. West winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 30 mph at times. Chance of precipitation 100 percent.

Monday...Partly cloudy. Blustery...cold. Highs 14 to 18. Wind chills as low as zero to 10 below zero. West winds 15 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the morning.

Monday Night...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Lows 7 to 11 above. Wind chills as low as zero to 10 below zero. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph until early morning becoming light and variable during the predawn hours.
http://weather.wgntv.com/US/IL/Chicago.html?main=1

Facing forward

2008-12-14T16:49:00.001-06:00

Amanda just took her first car ride facing forward (now that she is one year old and over 20 pounds). She was all smiles the whole way to Grandma's house for dinner. Things are looking up.

Snow blower is mine once more

2008-12-13T16:59:00.003-06:00

I got the call last night that my snow blower was ready to be picked up. I was so glad. I picked it up today; it runs great. It's still old. Hey, guess what? It's raining today and it's going to be almost 50 tomorrow. You all can thank me for that!

Snow blower

2008-12-10T12:29:00.007-06:00

Oh, the woes I experience. Yesterday, we had our third measurable and shovel-able snowfall in the Chicago area. I say shovel-able because that's exactly what I did. Wait, don't you have a snow-blower? Yes, I do. However, it's been in for repair since October 21st. That's right, it's been almost two months to have a few simple things taken care of:

-new primer bulb
-new primer line
-check fuel line
-replace grounding bolt
-tune engine
-replace shear pins

I have an Ariens 5 HP two-stage snow thrower. It looks like this only it's about 20 years old. I bought it last winter as-is for $150 and it was the best investment I have ever made. I did some preliminary work on it (with Brian's help of course; does anything get done w/o him?) last winter and it worked out great. I figured that if a professional tore it apart, they might make it work even better when under higher loads and also extend its longevity.

The long story is that when I dropped it off in October, I was told that I was way ahead of the curve. I figured I was, too. This really didn't come to fruition because it's still in the hands of Honda House.

Why did I drop it off at a Honda dealer if it's an Ariens, you ask? I'll tell you why. 1)I was on the Ariens web site and HH is listed as an authorized retailer and 2)I bought my moto from them and 3)it was close and 4)I knew the service department staff well. Now you know. Now back to my story of woe.

The reason why the snow blower is still there is that it has taken this long to get the parts delivered that were ordered. I don't know the entire laundry list of parts, but when I called last Saturday, they stated that the last item remaining was the primer bulb. Since they don't start any work until all the parts arrive, there has been no progress. I'm not in service or sales, but if I were in charge over there, I would have called me and asked if I would like them to start work on all the other pieces and maybe have me install the primer bulb myself after the fact. I have electric start and won't likely even use the primer. Why are the parts taking so long to arrive? I'll tell you why.

HH tells me that Ariens has a very "funky" method of shipping parts. They take forever. I find this hard to believe. I've gone to my local True Value and picked up shear pins off the shelf before. On top of all this, Ariens is probably the number one seller of snow thrower products on the market. Maybe Honda House is trying to get me to buy a Honda snow thrower. Keep trying. You're over-priced.

Happy 1st Birthday, Amanda

2008-12-09T12:19:00.003-06:00

One year ago today (December 9th), I met my daughter for the fist time. Katie birthed her, we welcomed her into our arms and named her. It's been a wonderful joy to have her around ever since. For those new parents out there or those couples about to conceive or about to deliver, I have some simple insights to offer:

-keep all things in perspective
-try to rest when you are able
-remember that this new life responds to its environment
-each month brings new challenges and rewards
-eventually, they will sleep through the night
-eventually, they will start to smile
-eventually, they will start to laugh
-eventually, they will start to roll over
-eventually, they will start to crawl
-eventually, they will start to walk
-somewhere in all that development you will find it impossible to imagine your life without this little person in it and that's when you'll identify yourself as a parent

We had a wonderful time over the weekend; we celebrated Amanda's 52nd week of life with all the relatives over to our house to celebrate. We ate, we laughed, we told stories, Amanda had cake for the first time, Amanda opened presents and everyone enjoyed our little lady. I was a proud father.

Winter Wonderland on the train platform

2008-12-01T08:33:00.003-06:00

Holi-daize

2008-11-28T17:24:00.002-06:00

Morning train: 33% full
Evening train: 5% full

I'm one of only four people on my half of the car. These trains can carry about 75 people in that much space. It's odd working on a day like this. I do find it rewarding when you can get ahead and make progress on projects without all the interruptions of a normal day.

Humidifier

2008-11-26T21:23:00.005-06:00

My humidifier stopped adding moisture to the house. I didn't know why. It sounded like it was running, but when the house humidity fell below 20% I knew something was up. The water pad was the issue, that's what. Can you tell which one is new and which one is the fossil?

You see, a standard whole house humidifier works much like the ones that you sit on your bedroom dresser or the floor of your apartment, it's just connected directly into the output of the furnace. When the humidistat calls for moisture, a little valve opens releasing water onto this water pad (pictured above) which acts like a sponge. The water trickles down it vertically like a water fall. Then a fan kicks in and blows air through the pad evaporating the water into the outbound air flow of your duct work. It's just that simple. If the water pad has scale buildup (from the contents left behind when water evaporates [like calcium, iron, etc]) then it stops holding onto water and you have no water to evaporate. These need to be replaced a couple times a year.

UPDATE: After replacing this part, I still think I have some issues. It might be the solenoid (the valve that opens to allow water to flow). That's a pricier item. I have more work to do.

New system

2008-11-24T15:28:00.003-06:00

After watching Schindler's List and reading this article, I am no longer in favor of the 20 years in prison these bastards will serve, but rather some sort of very rough labor with little rest or food for 5 years.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/11/3-charged-in-death-of-store-employee.html

Facebook

2008-11-24T15:02:00.002-06:00

I joined Facebook today; much to my hesitation. Why? It's like buying into a new TV show. Will it last? Do I have time for this? I have to say, the "connect with classmates" feature is pretty cool. There are names on there I have not spoken or heard since 1995. What a blast from the past. My family members are on there and it seems that I was the only one of us that was out of touch. Guess what? I'm in touch now...in addition to my web site and blog.

Expecting

2008-11-24T09:13:00.004-06:00

Great news! My sister Suzy announced the news to the extended family at her daughter's 3rd birthday party this weekend so I feel I can share it with the world now. She and her husband are expecting their second child. Her due date is late April. The whole family is excited and, let's be honest, she is 17 weeks prego and could not suck in the belly any more to hide it! I'm excited to be an uncle again.

Schindler's List

2008-11-24T09:05:00.002-06:00

What a thoroughly disgusting movie. While I loved the story line, I could not separate myself from its reality and the fact that some individuals deny that its events ever happened. Six million Jews were put to death. That's about the population of the greater Chicago area; gone. Horrible.

The movie was separated onto two DVDs which divided the rising action and climax nicely from the falling action and the Dénouement. I can see why this movie won 7 Oscars. It's hard to see Liam Neeson as anyone other than Qui-Gon Jinn...

Neon Moon

2008-11-20T20:54:00.003-06:00

I find myself listening to Brooks -n- Dunn "Neon Moon" over and over again. I cannot get enough of this Hillbilly power ballad...particularly after a night of drinking.

Three Orange Whips

2008-11-20T19:55:00.006-06:00

Our team went to the Berghoff for drinks after work tonight. Our manager was in town from Omaha, so it was overdue. As the night went on, we decided it was time to throw down a few shots. I suggested we have Goldschlager. Everyone agreed. As we were ordering the shots, the bartender took the opportunity to work in the old, "Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips." It was nice. I asked her if everyone "gets" that Blues Brothers reference. She said that we would be surprised how many people don't get it. The phrase has a cult following with my team so we find that hard to believe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRp8GrXffhA

Backpacks

2008-11-20T09:31:00.003-06:00

I love my current backpack, but it's starting to wear on me and does not fit all my needs any longer. I'm looking seriously at this one; what do you think?
http://www.ebags.com/the_north_face/box_shot_limited_time_offer/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=109316

Snowfall

2008-11-17T07:27:00.001-06:00

I awoke this morning to see the first visible signs of overnight snowfall. I knew it was flurrying last night; I experienced it as I took our trash and recyclables to the curb. I just didn't expect anything to stick. Sure enough, my front steps were covered with a thin film of snow and ice making it difficult to walk down and other non-ground objects had accumulation as well (cars, garbage cans, tree limbs).

Here's what concerns me; I took my snow blower in for some maintenance on 10/21 and I still don't have it back. They say it is because the parts were late to arrive. Here I was, thinking I was way ahead of the game when I took it in when it was still 50+ degrees. Now I'm concerned I won't have it back in time for out first big snowfall. The service manager thought I was out early, too. Hopefully, I'll get the call today to come pick it up.

Flash

2008-11-16T17:30:00.003-06:00

Ever since we bought the Canon EOS 20D three years ago, I've been desperating pining for an external flash. The problem is that they are pretty expensive and have limited use (they are not needed outdoors, etc). With Thanksgiving, Amanda's 1st birthday and Christmas coming up, I thought now was the time. I went with the Canon 430EX II and used an AmEx gift card to buy it. It's the second generation of Canon's mid-tier flash unit and we're very excited about the bump in our low-light photography! Some of its output may show up here.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=141&modelid=17302

'Tis the season

2008-11-16T11:42:00.007-06:00

For the first time in what seems like forever, Katie and I went to Oak Brook Center two days in a row (or anywhere on a Sat/Sun combo). On Saturday, we wanted to hit up the Christkindlmarket for lunch and then we made a return trip on Sunday to do more shopping because we have such a short span of time away from the house with Amanda in tow. On Saturday, we did not notice any Christmas music playing in the shops or the mall walkways. On Sunday, it was evident that a switch have have been turned and it was "the most wonderful time of the year" everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I loves me some Christmas music, but it seems it is encroaching more and more each year. WLIT 93.9 FM started playing Christmas music on November 1st this year. I thought we had to get through one holiday to appreciate the next (Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Years). I blame the marketing companies and those that want to take Christ out of Christmas and make it a secular celebration.

Little feet

2008-11-12T12:33:00.001-06:00

Can you tell we have a little lady living with us?

Designed to Sell

2008-11-11T21:48:00.001-06:00

One week from today, our Designed to Sell episode airs again; it's been in reruns for 2 years now. Why am I excited? It's going to run for the first time in HD on HGTV! I think that's worth cheering about.

Miami Vice

2008-11-10T19:28:00.003-06:00

I just finished watching Miami Vice. What a disappointment. I could barely understand most of the English spoken; not because it was slang or whatever, but because the audio was either poor or Colin Farrell could not cover up his accept properly. It's an interesting situation when Jamie Foxx is the easiest to understand actor in a movie.

Acoustics aside, the plot was pretty bad. I could barely follow what was what. On top of all that, the theme song was never played. That's just sad. I give it a generous two stars. It's also a long movie at two hours, 19 minutes.

Child + Pets

2008-11-09T11:46:00.000-06:00

Amanda's digging the cats, but the feeling is not mutual. Each time she approaches them, they tolerate her for a sum of about 8 seconds and then get up and walk away. She's not fast enough to keep up with them yet. When she is, they better find some good hiding spots.

11 months

2008-11-09T07:57:00.001-06:00

Five budding teeth, four crawling limbs, three family members, two-hour naps and a partridge in a pear tree.

Politics brings out the worst in me

2008-11-06T12:45:00.009-06:00

Is the election over? Do we have a new president? It's a miracle I participate in the democratic privilidge of voting because I hate everything associated with politicians, their empty promises and what it all represents.

At work, we have a group of people at voted for Obama and have now stooped to brow-beating Palin because they heard that in some interview she didn't know this or that about NAFTA... Who f-ing cares? Sarah Palin lost; the "people" have spoken. Is there a need to prove over and over again that she may or may not have been qualified for VP (what other VP has been so researched and hammered on?) or the right move for McCain's campaign?

I just got in a verbal throwdown with four colleagues because they would not shut up about bashing Palin. I just had enough. I stood up and asked if the election were over and asked them to talk about something else. It was not a discussion, it was character-bashing. Get over it, move on. Crap; I'm still heated up over it.

I should have just kept my mouth shut and sat there. But, you know me, I have to speak my damn mind. When am I going to learn?

Full-night's sleep

2008-11-05T07:56:00.001-06:00

It must be weeks since we have been able to report this...all family members slept clear through the night last night. It's nothing short of glorious. I always thought that I would awake more refreshed; I'm really in no better place this morning waiting for my train.

Queen to Full

2008-11-02T21:18:00.001-06:00

The full bed has arrived from my sister. Our house is "full" once again. No back pain from that move; yardwork however...that's another story altogether.

Ford or Lexus?

2008-10-30T21:18:00.005-05:00

My guess is that this has never happened in the auto industry, but I could be wrong. Who has ever found themselves deciding between a Lexus and a Ford? Anyone? Anyone? Well, I found just such a person last Sunday in the Home Depot parking lot.

Let me take a step back and confess that I am a firm believer in the American automobile. I feel that I should support our industry no matter how financially strained it is at the moment (Big 3 payouts to unions and CEOs, etc.) or how supposedly inferior their quality may be. I feel that the only way we, as Americans, are going to keep up with the world is to believe in our own products and buy them. I currently drive a 2005 Ford Freestyle. Before that I drove a 1994 Mercury Sable (still have it). And before that, I drove a 1985 Dodge Caravan...with wood paneling.

Back to my story in the parking lot. As Katie, Amanda and I were making our way to our typical parking space at our local big box retailer, I noticed an older gentleman attempting to cram some 4x4 wood sheets into the tail end of his Lexus RX330.

It's an extremely popular automobile and quite possibly the best-selling SUV on the market. I can't exactly say it revolutionized the segment, but it did make its presence known and I see them everywhere. The thing is, it's soft. It's not meant to go to a hardware store and bring home lumber. It's supposed to LOOK like one would bring home lumber with it (or 4x4 wood panels), but no one really DOES it! Well, I found the first guy who does do it and he was in the Home Depot parking lot on Sunday.

As I was rounding the corner and eyeing a spot next to him, I said to Katie, "I'm gonna ask this guy if he would like to swap vehicles so he can get those sheets of wood home in one piece." I mean, the guy was practically destroying the roof liner right in front of me.

I park the car and walk up to him (make a quick judgement call if he was going to snap at my conjecture) and say, "Would you like to swap veicles? I'm sure that would fit into my car..." He replies, "Ha. Ha. Good idea. Is that a Freestlye? I was seruously looking at that vehicle and bought this one instead. I should have bought the Freestyle, I don't like this one."

My mouth dropped. Did he really say that he was trying to choose between one of the world's best luxury brands and a little ol' home-grown Ford? Yep, that's what he said. It's kinda neat. I love my Freestyle.

Happy 1st Birthday

2008-10-25T22:02:00.002-05:00

No, not to my child but rather to my blog. It was one year ago today I started this blog. Oh how time flies.

Behold...The Michigan Mountains

2008-10-21T20:09:00.001-05:00

Where 5 minutes sets you back 60

2008-10-20T18:24:00.004-05:00

I was getting ready to leave the office when I got rolled up into an ongoing issue. Just taking the time to assess the issue took five minutes and put me out of range to catch my perfect train departure. I said, "No big deal, I'll just take the next train". That turned out to be a fatal mistake.

As it turns out, there was a huge backup of equipment due to signaling problems and delays. Normally, the second train gets me home 25 minutes after the first. I ended up getting home over 60 minutes later on this train than if I had taken the earlier one (which was on time). See what a five-minute delay can lead to?

Here's a photo of the scene at the train station as we all waited on the platform for our trains to arrive. This photo is of an adjacent platform. Mine is equally crowded to the left of the frame.

Pain in the back

2008-10-19T12:36:00.001-05:00

I moved a queen-sized bed from my house to my mother's; now my back hurts. Pretty stiff. Damn.

Bed time

2008-10-16T21:27:00.002-05:00

It's 9:00 PM and I am in bed; ready to end the day. Why am I in bed, you ask? Well, it seems that no matter how early or late we put our little angel to bed she is ready to start her day anywhere between 5:00 and 5:30 AM. While this is a wonderful departure from the newborn every-two-hour-feedings that we endured for the first six months of her life, we need to have more sleep.

And now for my good news...

2008-10-16T18:44:00.001-05:00

I've been chosen as a backup juror. November 12th. More to come on this, I'm sure...

Projectile

2008-10-16T18:17:00.003-05:00

I just got back from picking Amanda up from daycare. She vomited just BEFORE I was about to buckle her into her car seat! How nice of her; projectile and all. So there I am, in the parking lot with a child covered in carrot vomit trying to determine where I can put her down to strip off her cloths and clean her up. It's 50 degrees outside and I decided the best course of action was to open the tailgate of the 'style and strip her bare right there. It's obvious that she was not feeling too well because she put up very little fight. I was pretty proud of myself; there was no transfer of excrement onto the interior of the car. What would I care, I have WeatherTech mats protecting my car!

Another tooth?

2008-10-13T22:14:00.001-05:00

We see the makings of Amanda's third tooth and her first one on the top. Things are going to get real exciting.

Ride to work day

2008-10-13T06:17:00.003-05:00

Happy Columbus Day. I rode the bike into work today. I left the house at 6:20 to make sure I got to work on time. I was almost an hour early. It's sorta nice to have some time to yourself in the 7:00 hour when no one is present in the office.

I was hoping to snag one of the coveted free street parking spots on Franklin where motorcycles, mopeds and scooters have been parking for weeks. Since today is some sort of a holiday, I was hoping to have little competition. It appears the city has become wise and I noticed some new parking signage on the street. More importantly, no other bikes were parked there today. I figured that I would get a ticket so I decided to pay the (now higher) $13 to park in the garage next to my office. What a rip. I have been looking at over 30 motorcycles and scooters parking on Franklin for months. Now that I decide to ride in to take advantage of it (and break up my boring morning commute) and cannot take advantage. Bunk!

10 months

2008-10-12T11:32:00.002-05:00

Amanda is 10 months old today (second Sunday of the month). In the past month a few new things have happened.
-She has mastered the ability to sit up on her own. In the past, we would have to place her in the sitting position.
-She has started to make jagged maneuvers crawling. She still doesn't dart arond the house.
-She can be found standing in her crib in the wee hours of the morning - her typical wakeup call comes in at 5:30 AM. Wonder how the end of DST will impact us?
-She talks more and points a little to help communicate.
-She is fascinated with other little ones (babies, toddlers, etc.).
We look forward to all there is to come.

As Hootie would say...

2008-10-08T01:22:00.002-05:00

Let her cry.

Milk

2008-10-07T14:12:00.006-05:00

I reintroduced milk into my diet for the first time in seven years. As an adult who needs milk? Let me take you back a bit into why I removed milk from my diet.

Back in 2001 when I had just moved out on my own with my roommate Ross, we would eat breakfast together and gaze out our apartment windows at Lake Shore Drive; enjoying the start of another work day.

Our breakfast was made up of cereal of course and many bowls of it. Every once in a while, while riding the 136 bus crammed into the middle, my body would tell me that it did not agree with my milk/cereal decision. Panic would set in as I scanned LaSalle street for a safe haven to rescue me from the dire straights I was in. It didn't take me long to decide that milk in the morning wasn't the right thing for me.

Instead of switching to something else and eating breakfast at home, I decided to bring my breakfast with me to the office and eat something there. I switched to dry cereal, ceral bars and pop tarts. To this day, that is my morning routine. That is, it was my morning routine untile I decided to give milk a shot.

My office stocks food supplies for us - a carryover from our start-up days where we worked longer hours just to make ends meet and keep the lights on. Each month, there is a threat that this perk might be taken away. Part of the monthly food purchase is milk and cereal. I've been eating dry cereal (dry) for years now until today. I'm glad to report that all is well and my body has not rejected the dairy.

Cry baby

2008-10-07T03:07:00.002-05:00

This middle-of-the-night crying attack has got to stop. We need some rest... Oh wait, there's my pager going off! It's going to be a good day. I'm being facetious of course. Not looking forward to my day today.

Babyproofing

2008-10-05T10:36:00.001-05:00

The kitchen nasties are now under wraps. The chemicals under the sink (why do we all put our chemicals under the sink?) the pots and pans, our Martini glasses. All are now protected from the prying hands of a 10 month old baby.

White Sox

2008-10-02T15:52:00.002-05:00

The White Sox are in the postseason. Chicago is excited. The team did all it could to AVOID the playoffs. The Twins did the same thing and they had to play a play-in game; sorta like the 65th place team having to play an extra game just to get into the NCAA tournament in March.

Can you beleive it's been 102 years since both Chicago baseball teams have been in the postseason at the same time? Isn't that pathetic? Go White Sox. They are currently trailing the TB Rays in the 7th...

Chilly

2008-09-30T22:54:00.001-05:00

Tonight was the first night in over two weeks that I had to close the windows on the house; more specifically the bedroom windows. It's bedtime and already below 50 degrees. It has been a nice, long run without needing to turn on the HVAC...

Heroes

2008-09-21T23:55:00.001-05:00

Thanks to cable channel MOJO I'm back up to speed on Heroes and ready for the season premier tomorrow night. I didn't miss it when it was gone, but it is nice to have "TV" back...

Bait and switch

2008-09-21T18:58:00.009-05:00

This one is on me. For months now, my hooptie 1994 Mercury Sable has been making a groaning noise in the rear suspension. I've hesitated to have it looked at because it's 14 yeras old and has 136K miles on it. The only reason the car is still in my posession is because it was my father's company car years ago and I have personalized plates that I don't want to loose. I won't go into the details of why either is important to me at this time.

I spoke to some friends and decided I would get some estimates on what it would cost to replace the rear struts. I got a few estimages and decided to bring it into Sears Auto Center. I've heard good things and Sears isn't going anywhere anytime soon...

Here is the sequence of events.
-I arrived, said I think I need my rear struts replaced.
-Sears said they would do a front-end evaluation, look at the rear as well and call me when the tech has an estimate.
-I also asked if they could investigate the belt squeek under the hood.
-They said they would investigate that as well.
-Katie, Amanda and I went out to lunch.
-Sears called me back 30 minutes later and said that the driver's side front spring was broken and that the rear struts looked fine. They also said that the serpentine belt was possibly too small for my car.
-I could not believe that the front end has any issues, so I came in to have a look on my own.
-Sure enough, one was broken and it was only a matter of time before the other side caved under the extra load.
-The cost to replace the front struts and possibly the front sway bar and alignment would cost me $820.
-Ouch. I said for them to only investigate the squeeky belt and get back to me with an estimate on that.
-Katie and I went shopping in the mall; bought nothing.
-Sears called me while shopping and fixed the squeek. The squeeky belt was due to a bad pully on the power steering pump. The total: $320 - much easier to swallow.

To sum things up: I came in thinking my rear end suspension was shot. It turns out that it was fine, but it was the front that needed replacement. Instead of doing that, I had my power steering pump (which was working fine) replaced to stop the squawking that eminated from under my hood. What a day.

Happy Saturday

2008-09-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

It's a gorgeous Saturday morning; 60+ degrees, sunny. I'm in my basement...working. Time for a vacation. Go Irish.

Rehearsal

2008-09-19T08:40:00.007-05:00

Went to Johnny's rehearsal last night. He is marrying Julie on Saturday, September 27th. It was nice of them to have their anniversary date fall exactly one month after my own - easy to remember on my part. I hope everyone will remember thier roles because they had the rehearsal a full 9 days before the wedding instead of the night before. There were logistic issues; no big deal. We walk down the isle, we stand, we walk down the isle again. Pretty simple stuff. I'm excited.

We have not been at a wedding in quite some time and I like this group of people; I've known them all for over 15 years. Some have fallen in and out of touch over the years, but it's nice to see it all come together.

It will be my first outdoor wedding where I'm a groomsman. As long as the weather holds...we'll be fine.

Sick child

2008-09-16T08:18:00.019-05:00

Working from home today; Amanda is 101.5 (a great FM radio station somewhere I'm sure). So you think you'd rather be at home with a feever-weidling child than at work? Here's a breakdown of my day which I will keep updated.

6:00 - Amanda awake, ready for her day to begin. She's crabby and has a feever
6:30 - our only option, I stay home with her and work from home
7:30 - I eat breakfast (Pop Tarts and a bottle of water)
7:45 - Katie feeds Amanda, leaves for work
8:05 - Amanda tired, needs nap
8:44 - Amanda up from nap, needs me
8:45 - conference call, Change Control Board
9:15 - walk to 7-11 for beverage
9:30 - conference call
10:00 - attempt to feed Amanda, she is fussy and refuses
10:15 - lay her down for a nap; no struggle
10:15 - make progress on work; check up on team at the office
10:30 - conference call
11:00 - make more progress on work, catch up on e-mail
11:15 - still napping, nice!
12:15 - still napping. breaking records
12:30 - lunch
12:40 - Amamda awakens
12:41 - 6 oz bottle gobbled down
12:55 - walk around the block
1:10 - back at desk; Amanda in exer-saucer and jubilant
1:20 - unhappy baby
1:30 - realized after 10 minutes she wants a pacifier
1:45 - Amanda napping
2:00 - getting work done
3:15 - Amanda awakens
3:30 - 4oz bottle; into the exer-saucer again
4:30 - Amanda napping (must be a record), catching up on e-mail & tomorrow
5:05 - Amanda awake; work day over

Pasta from Pizza Hut

2008-09-14T19:37:00.001-05:00

Normally, commercials don't entice me to buy a product. This one caught my attention; we went with the bacon mac-n-cheese. It came with 5 bread sticks for $17 delivered. I recommend it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pyQ-lYbUdM&NR=1