kbfixit

2008-10-30T13:34:00.004-04:00

Wish I was "there", instead of "here" right now...

There's a blue rocking chair
Sittin' in the sand
Weathered by the storms
And well oiled hands

It sways back and forth
With the help of the winds
It seems to always be there
Like an old trusted friend

I've read a lot of books
Wrote a few songs
Looked at my life
Where it's going, where it's gone

I've seen the world through a bus windshield
But nothing compares
To the way that I see it
To the way that I see it
To the way that I see it
When I sit in that old blue chair

From that chair I've caught
A few fish and some rays
And I've watched boats sail
In and out of Cinnamon Bay

I let go of a lover
That took a piece of my heart
And prayed many times for forgiveness
And a brand new start

I've read a lot of books
Wrote a few songs
Looked at my life
Where it's going, where it's gone

I've seen the world through a bus windshield
But nothing compares
To the way that I see it
To the way that I see it
To the way that I see it
When I sit in that old blue chair

That chair was my bed one New Year's night
When I passed out from too much Cruzan and Diet
And I woke up to a hundred mosquito bites, I swear
Got 'em all sitting right there
In that old blue chair

There's a blue rocking chair
Sittin' in the sand
Weathered by the storms
And well oiled hands.

K. Chesney
song: "Old Blue Chair", album: Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair)

2008-10-08T16:45:00.006-04:00

If you thought I was slow before...

Well life has actually picked up a notch, instead of me being a slouch when it concerns this blogging thing.

Wedding season is officially over and my weekends are officially un-planned. I don't want that to come across as not being appreciative of an invite or speculative of me wanting to attend friends and family weddings, not at all. On the contrary, I had a blast at each event and I got to spend time with my best friends and very cool family. However, with the exception of the wedding in Virginia, the weekends were hectic in terms of grandparents watching the boy, travel, and all the associated details.

The Baxters

The Dossetts

(thanks J, I'm swiping your pics. :D )

Again, wouldn't trade any of it for the world, but my point here is it will be good to be home for the next couple of weekends. Get the house in order. Hang out with friends in our own town :D.

Just prior to the Baxter wedding, we replaced our scraggly landscaping in the front of our house with new sod and it looks great. This weekend will be the first high cut (can't hack it all down this soon) with the new lawn mower. We're really pleased that things took as well as they did and the front of the house looks 100% better.

The Boy turned two on the 27th and we went out and got ice cream with friends.

He's so big! Hard to imagine only two short years ago...

Whew! OK, long post, I'll try to put more up soon.

- kb

2008-08-18T13:52:00.004-04:00

Howdy, all.

Well, I know I'm awful slow with updates, but bear with me. I'm just as slow in real life. :D

I turn 32 this week (go me!) and truthfully, I'm pleased with the way things are going right now. I have a good job, nice stuff, a great wife, and a rambunctious toddler bent on exploring and taking the world apart so he can examine it.

Reflecting back on the last year, I can't say this has been a year of great change. It has however, brought steady progress on a number of fronts. Although I've never been a huge fan of slow and steady, it appears to be the speed of things as of late.

Next year is shaping up to be more of the same, with the big gear-up to 2010. That year will be unavoidably busy with some big decisions. After the Boy's 3rd birthday in '09, the discussion will begin about adding to the family, as we've agreed on that being a nice window of opportunity age-wise. Our mortgage is up for review and we'll be makign the decision to re-finance or try and upgrade. We'll have one of our largest student loans and a car paid off. So yea, we'll have a TON to do that year.

But for right now, I'm going to hug the Wife and Boy and just enjoy the quiet. :D

- kb

p.s. Happy August B-Days to the rest of the crew. You know who you are.

2008-06-27T09:12:00.005-04:00

MIA

Ok, you can beat me with a wet noodle. I suck at this whole "keeping people informed" thing. I don't call my mom, either. Though, I suppose, if you knew my mom, you might understand that one. :D j/k

Ok, the quick round-about:

The Boy is 21 months old and cranking along with life. His current favorite things are coloring, Elmo, and delaying bed time by claiming he has to go potty.

We have moved into the toddler bed because someone-who-will-go-unmentioned practiced the 3/4 pike with a 1/2 twist off the top of his crib a few weeks ago. So now we have a big-boy bed (complete with Elmo sheets, thanks to Mommy), but now bed-time is a new struggle, as we can leave the bed and walk right up to our door gate and howl down the hallway.

Good times.

The job is ok. My boss is annoying, but I get paid enough to ignore him.

That's about it. Oh, the Girl and I are headed to the Chicagoland area this weekend to visit my sister and brother-in-law. We can't wait, especially sinced this is the first trip to their new house. My mom will be watching the Boy, hopefully she follows my directions. We'll see.

2008-04-24T13:41:00.002-04:00

time flies...

Indeed things seem to be moving at break-neck speed lately. I have graduated to Official Fire-Fighter here at my office, which means I am the one most frequently receiving the "OMG, it's broken and we have a client on the way here in 10 minutes" or the "OMG, the whole system is down" notifications. Nice to know that people have recognized me as a problem-solver. Bad thing is there are no longer any freebies. Seems like very problem lately has been a complicated mix of computer wizardry, human error and good, old-fashioned timing.

On the home front, things have picked up as well. The boy is excited for the nice weather, as it provides him with additional play opportunities outside. He has a TON of energy which must be burned off on a daily basis or it may be expressed inside the house in the form of exploring, finding, examining, and attempting to test the durability of any number of toys or household items.

He has a hold of a great number of words which have now been properly been associated with their definitions, instead of simple sounds. He can now correctly identify his shoes, pants, coat, shirt, a ball, the outside, and lots more. He has started to babble together sentences which is cool because we can now teach him to turn the words he knows into lots more.

Now the bad part. Along with "no" the boy has officially started to resist simple instructions. Even ones like eating. He may be hungry, but if he's decided to nto eat, that's the end of it. We also had a biting incident at day care the other day. The day care manager let me know that all the kids in the class seems to be picking it up (apparently due to one particularly evil child in the class, though she declines to name who) so I'm hopeful this was the exception, not the rule.

I think Mother Theresa said it best when she said "I know God would not give me anything I couldn't handle. I just wish sometimes He didn't trust me so much."

- kb

2008-04-02T14:17:00.002-04:00

so much for "back to normal"

Well I posted that life in general was straightening out into a predicatble pattern. The boy must have caught wind of that and decided that things were too calm.

His favorite game is now "I'm lonely at 2 AM." (funny, I remember playing that game in college. Totally different rules tho.)

A close second is "I know you're trying to feed me now, but I would really like to eat in a hour when you're trying to get me in the bath."

Somewhere on the list (I'm guessing a distant 324th place) is I'm tired, well fed, and I would like to sleep through the night.

Walking zombie, anyone?

- kb

2008-03-17T16:52:00.004-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Just a brief note here to wish everyone a happy and healthy St. Patty's and rest of the year, as well.

This year is kind of low-key for me, but I did manage to get out for lunch today for a pint of Guinness and some lovely Irish stew. Tonight, we're taking a crack at a recipe for Shepherd's Pie, so wish us luck.

Enjoy a pint (or more!), but most importantly, get home safe.

Erin Go Bragh!

- kb

2008-03-05T14:55:00.003-05:00

Growing up fast...

Man it has been a quick 17 months. This month, SuperBoy is 18 months old. He's starting to talk more (a LOT more) and now has command of about 20 words. He still can't string them together in a sentence, but mostly contributes in what lawyers call "excited utterances". :)

He is fully back to normal with sleep and food and has been healthy for a whole month. Amazing. I swear I cringe every time one of the rugrats in his day care center coughs or snots and wipes it on another kid. Wheee!

The weather's getting better and we're getting some opportinuties to play outside again. The boy likes the swings and the slides and generally running around. He is very, very active.

Now the bad part. We're starting to develop our own "way". As in "no". We're now having to discipline him more because he now has a sense of what he wants to do vs. what you want him to do. Before hand, it took just a little nudge in the right direction and things were ok. I am so looking forward to this part. :P

BTW, if I find out who taught him the word "mine", I'm gonna beat 'em up.

- kb

2008-02-08T11:08:00.000-05:00

Life in general...

Things are pretty quiet right now, which is a good thing. Times like these are necessary if you are to survive the hectic ones.

The Super Bowl was great, 'grats to the Giants and to Syracuse grad David Tyree. I don't know if it was the greatest Super Bowl catch ever, but it was a great effort. My money is still on Montana-to-Clark in the back of the end zone.

The boy is growing up quick and it's fun to watch. He's got the handle on about 20 or so words and understands another 10 or so, but can't say them. He knows to get his coat and shoes if you ask and now eats whole, unbroken foods, much to his mother's dismay. Meanwhile, day care is still an incubator for disease. :(

In short, things are good.

- kb

2008-01-15T10:49:00.000-05:00

Running in place in the virtual world...

Seriously, I think at some point I'm going to get tired of the computer thing and live on a beach. You know, my grandparents moved to Florida when I was younger and I didn't understand why. As a result I am kinda close with them, but no where near as close as SuperGirl is to her gp's. Now, as I get older, I'm starting to understand why they did it. I mean, I love my friends and family and would not want to move very far away, but man... some days it's tough to work up the motivation to be truly productive. It's tougher when I see the Kenny Chesney vid for "When the Sun Goes Down"

.

Bring on the margaritas and senoritas! Well, SuperGirl is my senorita... so bring on SuperGirl in a grass skirt!!! lol

coulda got in trouble there...

- kb

2008-01-11T08:58:00.003-05:00

The peak of efficiency...

It seems that I have totally missed a very nice service my office provides. We have an agreement with a dry cleaning company that comes right to the office twice a week. The price is reasonable, but the best part is I don't have to go anywhere. I tried it last week and they look like they do real good work. I just haven't had the time to keep my work clothes in good shape and I've admittedly worn some work clothes in the last month or so with more than a few wrinkles. Now, this may seem like I'm being picky or something, but we do have a fair amount of professional people at my office in suits and ties and you can definitely look out of place in a busted outfit.

Side note: this is my life right now. Excited about not having to iron my work clothes. Man, I gotta get out.

This weekend is the company "employee recognition party". Because my company doesn't want to offend any ethnic group at all, we didn't have our holiday party in December like everyone else. Ah, what're ya gonna do. Sometimes being PC can get a little ridiculous. I my be reading too much into it, but that's my impression.

We're experimenting with dropping the boy off at my aunt's house so we can actually have a good time. Cross your fingers!

- kb

2008-01-03T11:23:00.000-05:00

best.touchdown.call.ever.

Hello, all! Thanks to the revelry of the holidays and another plague my wonderful offspring brought home from the disease incubator known as day care, I've been a bit out of it lately. I'll be posting more often (resolution? nah.) in the coming year to keep y'all in the loop a little better.

Until then, please direct your attention to the best touchdown call I've ever heard in a football game. Matt Vasgersian, you are a man in a profession of boys.

Link from Awful Announcing

Congrats to WVU for ripping the face off of one of the programs that annually gets to a BCS game on tradition, not on performance. Now only if you didn't choke in the Pitt game...

- kb

2007-12-04T09:31:00.000-05:00

Christmas, Christmas time is here...

Who doesn't love Alvin and the Chipmunks? Christmas will be different this year because SuperBoy is going to be 15 months old and it fully mobile. Yep, his first Christmas where he can rip, tear, maim and destroy pretty boxes at will. The Christmas tree is a bit of a problem, since dangling, shiny things have the same effect on the boy as they would a cat. So our tree is half decorated and no hooks, just in case. We may buy some puffy, kid-safe ornaments, but I'm not sure I want to encourage pulling stuff off the tree.

As far as the boy's health, well, it's still a bit of an issue. No fevers and the allergic reaction seems to have gone away, but he sill has very very sensitive skin. To the point where you can lightly scratch your fingernail on the back of his hand and it will leave a mark for 15 minutes. This is new since the reaction to penicillin and the docs tell us to "wait and see". Sound familiar? In any case, it appears that this is the last of the health issues (at least for now) and the boy is happy and healthy.

We're headed to the Great White North for Christmas this year. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to it, since the last time we got up there was the 4th of July. Everyone's excited to see the boy and I'm excited to watch him play in the snow for the first time.

- kb

2007-11-05T16:19:00.000-05:00

Sick Baby part III... just when you thought it was safe to attend day care...

Well, the saga continues. The ear infection and pinkeye eventually diminished, but did not completely go away. So the docs put SuperBoy on a new, more powerful penicillin derivative. Blammo! Three days of 105 + degree fevers followed by a whole body rash and swelling. Needless to say, either the virus mutated and reacted to the penicillin, he's allergic to penicillin, or it was Kryptonite. I vote for # 3.

So we headed for the ER on Saturday. The boy got fixed up with some cortico-steroids and some pain meds. We got him home and he's comfortable but he was in rough shape. We're keeping him in oatmeal/ aveno baths to sooth the itching and he's taking regular doses of Benedryl. He's getting by, but man we were scared for a while.

The thing that gets me fired up is the fact that every doc we saw was all about "wait and see". It got to the point where he was so swollen that his eyes could barely open and he was constantly uncomfortable. It shouldn't have gotten to that point. I mean, if we hadn't brought him to the ER, he could have swollen up so bad that his breathing was restricted. I agree with not overmedicating a kid, but there comes a point where I think modern medicine should intervene. I mean, what's the point of going to the docs 4 times in the last two weeks so some toolbox could look at him and tell us to "wait and see"?

In any case, the boy is better and on the road to recovery (hopefully). We're scrambling to get things situated, considering Jen only worked a day and a half last week and I took off times as well. Our vacation time is dwindling rapidly. Both of our bosses have been OK to this point, but there's a limit to their understanding regarding making up time and I think I'm pressing my bosses'. I'll update as I know more.

- kb

2007-10-17T16:40:00.000-04:00

Sick Baby: The Sequel

How on earth does a kid get pinkeye in both eyes and an ear infection in both ears??? I swear we're not bad parents, but man, the kid looks like we worked him over. Big, puffy eyes, a stuffy nose, the works. You feel so bad for the kid, but you can't make too much contact lest you want to join him. Sucks. SuperGirl is off today and we switch for tomorrow. Better to use some vaca time and have daddy duty than to send him back to day care with all that goop in his eyes.

- kb

2007-09-27T12:20:00.000-04:00

One of the best days of my life...

One year ago today I became a dad. We have the most wonderful little boy and we are having the time of our lives. Thank you so much to our friends and family who have loved and supported us and our new addition. It's hard to believe it was only a year ago today that I was holding SuperGirl's hand as the docs were working on nudging our bundle of joy out of his comfy space.

Happy Birthday, Superboy. Your Dad and Mom love you more than anything in the world. :D

- kb

2007-08-27T13:40:00.000-04:00

birthdays...

well, for those of you who've been wondering (and judging by the SiteMeter reports not many of you have, lol) life has been pretty normal for me since the last post. And that's just fine by me.

Let's see... the boy turns 11 months today. Gotta start planning the 1st b-day party! That will give SuperGirl something to occupy her time for a while. :D

Had a b-day myself, a week ago. Turned 31. Woo-hoo. You know, to be honest, I would rather hang out with family and friends than receive any presents at all. My mom still calls me and says "what do you want for your birthday?". Now I know why the response to that very question from my step-father all these years was "hugs and good grades". Presents are nice, but after 31 years on earth, the best gifts I got for my birthday were (in kind of an order, but not really):

1) waking up one morning last weekend to my wife placing my son at the end of the bed, who yelled "da-da!" and charged up to me and flopped on my chest (he's not quite walking yet).

2) Hugs from the missus

3) Hugs and high-fives from tha boyz at the Guru's 30th b-day party (welcome to the old club). Rockin' party, thanks L and Guru for a right proper throw-down.

4) Chilling at home with some take-out and a movie with SuperGirl.

5) hanging out at SuperMom and Hubby's house with Coach, Karen and the fam. Beautiful day, pool, munchies, beer and a very thoughtful mini-birthday cake courtesy of Coach & Karen. You guys all rock.

6) realizing 31 years have passed and I'm still here. Every day is a blessing.

Final thought: make the world better during your stay, it's not a long one.

- kb

2007-07-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

not in the best mood today, but this cheered me up...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JatFzpiH56I

enjoy stupidity...

- kb

2007-07-16T14:58:00.000-04:00

It's been a while...

Yea, I know... same story. Long time between posts. But really, my life isn't all that interesting. Well, the last few weeks have been, so a blog it is!

OK, finally pulled the trigger on the family vehicle. A while back, I wrote about the choices, the expense and the top contenders. Well, we decided to spend our hard-earned cash on a Saturn Outlook.
It's a fun drive, doesn't look like a granny-mobile, and doesn't have the minivan-style steering control that made me feel like I was driving a float. We've already taken it to NY on a road trip and it did wonderful. Carried all our stuff and was confortable to boot. I'm seriously thinking about picking up the XM radio option after our 3-month trial runs out. It was nice to have for the trip.

On the family side, SuperBoy is getting bigger and life is changing slowly. All the safety gates are up and the crib is lowered to it's lowest setting. Next stop: 35 lbs. and 1 year old and bed gets converted to a daybed with safety rails. The boy also has a new car seat that will grow with him until he's old enough for just a boster seat.

This past Saturday was his 1st haircut. Pics are posted on the boy's website, but here's a preview of the new and improved SuperBoy. :) - kb

2007-06-05T10:04:00.000-04:00

Life in general...

Well, it's not too bad. The boy is growing up fast and we're trying to keep up. My biggest concern right now is the fact that he's in daycare and I only get to see him for an hour in the morning and maybe 2 - 3 hours at night. This started with the discovery that he's so big now he's outgrown his bouncer chair (almost slumps to the ground when he's in it) and he's now aware of the world around him. It used to be simple to distract him with a few toys and leave him in his crib or the bouncer for 10 minutes. I'd be able to get ready in the morning (with frequent look-ins of course). Now he wants to play with me directly and sometimes gets upset if I even leave the room. This does two things: 1) Breaks my heart because I would like nothing better than to play with him and 2) completely screws up my morning routine so I can get to the office at a reasonable time.

So after a few experiments and a gentle reminder from my boss that arriving at 10 am one day, 9:15 the next and 8:30 the third day wasn't exactly his definition of "reliable", I decided to take SuperBoy to day care in the morning before I get ready. It's only 10 minutes away, so it works out. This, however, has drastically shortened the time we spend together in the mornings. It's for the best and I'm arriving no later than 8:30 - 9 am consistently, but I'm concerned that I'm not getting enough time with him. That, coupled with SuperGirl's working some extra hours to help with savings and getting rid of some student loans, has us both a little concerned. What're working parents to do?

- kb

2007-05-15T14:44:00.000-04:00

Sick baby... yuck.

So we had our 1st true baby scare of his young life this past weekend. We were due to attend my step-brother's wedding the weekend of the 12th in upstate NY where everyone was going to see SuperBoy and throw around the standard look-how-big-you-ares and I-miss-yous. Unfortunately, Tuesday the 8th was not a good day. SuperBoy started the day a little fussy, but he does that sometimes, so I didn't really pay attention. Everything seemed normal and he ate a full breakfast. Got a call from day care at 10:30 or so with the news that he had a 102 degree temperature. Standard procedure is to pick the lad up and head to the pediatrician. This started a 5-day odyssey of getting up in the middle of the night, frequent fussiness, trips to the docs, and general unpleasantness for SuperBoy. His temp eventually went as high as 103.5 for a period of time.

We were so looking forward to the trip to see everyone, but a few things played into us missing the trip:
1) SuperBoy was starting on the downside of the sickness, but still had a mild fever the day we were scheduled to leave
2) People would want to hold, touch, tickle, and generally handle the boy, who was in quite the foul mood after not eating or sleeping well the last few days (come to think of it, no one in the house ate or slept well)
3) Past car rides have disrupted his system a bit. General crankiness and such. Not sure what being sick in addition to that would have caused.
4) The docs did not have a specific diagnosis and still don't. They all chalked it up to "some sort of virus". All of the basic tests came back negative, so they were a bit in the dark. **side note** DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE AS BIG A PROBLEM WITH THAT AS I DO????? There was a doc or two that I seriously felt like cornering and threatening a severe beating. Give me something to work with!!!

All of which ultimately lead us to skip the travel. Most people know I like to have a certain amount of time to myself, but I was really looking forward to this trip. We're trying to fit another trip in sometime, but it's difficult, considering our schedules and the other travel we have planned for June and July. Combine all of this with the fact that SuperBoy was the sickest we'd every seen him and we were heartbroken.

Good news is he seems to have mostly gotten over whatever bothered him, but man, were we worried.

- kb

2007-04-17T14:24:00.000-04:00

My family's thoughts and prayers are with the students, faculty, staff, friends, and family of the injured and deceased as a result of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

Godspeed to the victims. Peace and healing to the survivors and their loved ones.

- kb

2007-04-04T11:55:00.000-04:00

Haven't posted in a while, sorry folks. (I know, you've seen this post from me like 10 times. deal)

Here's today's humor, courtesy of the Guru...

You're 70% Irish

You're very Irish, and most likely from Ireland.
(And if you're not, you should be!)

How Irish Are You?

Have fun today! Only 11 months until the next St. Patty's Day!!!

:)

- kb

2007-03-15T16:32:00.000-04:00

if you're having a bad day...

just take a look...

If I could bottle that cuteness and sell it, I would. We'd make a fortune. Man this is fun.

- kb

2007-02-27T10:45:00.000-05:00

Ugh, back to square 1.

Does anyone have any sleep I can borrow? Man, the boy has completely lost his mind. I'm averaging 4 1/2 hours of sleep this week, not a good start.

His little system was totally torn up, 1st by his 4-month shot schedule, then by a cold that every kid in day care seemed to have. Yes, I know, it's good for him to be exposed to stuff @ day care, but at this rate he'll be able to administer to a leper colony with no problem. Man, that kid was sick.

As a result, we had to sleep him in his bouncer again. He's still too little to put a bunch of blankets and stuff in the crib with him and he can't breathe when lying flat. So back to the ol' bouncer, which we finally broke him out of just 1 month ago. He was going to bed on time and in his crib and life was good.

Now... total disaster... me and SuperGirl are exhausted.

- kb

2007-02-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

OK, I finally upgraded to the "new" blogger. Time to refresh the template. I'll be looking around the 'net for some nice ones, but in the meantime, I'm just going with the functional look.

BTW, there's new pics up on the baby's site.

Later!

- kb

2007-01-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

Received this today in my e-mail. Couldn't agree more...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: George Carlin on saving gas

Bush wants us to cut the amount of gas we use. The best way to stop using so much gas is to deport 11 million illegal immigrants! That would be 11 million less people using our gas. The price of gas would come down. Bring our troops home from Iraq to guard the border. When they catch an illegal immigrant crossing the border, hand him a canteen, rifle and some ammo and ship him to Iraq. Tell him if he wants to come to America then he must serve a tour in the military. Give him a soldier's pay while he's there and tax him on it. After his tour, he will be allowed to become a citizen since he defended this country. He will also be registered to be taxed and be a legal patriot. This option will probably deter illegal immigration and provide a solution for the troops in Iraq and the aliens trying to make a better life for themselves.
If they refuse to serve, ship them to Iraq anyway, without the canteen, rifle or ammo. Problem solved.

2007-01-29T14:12:00.000-05:00

Sick kid.

Ugh. Well, here we were this past weekend with the official "first sick" of SuperBoy's short stay here on the planet. Man, what a show. It started with some sniffles, then morphed into a full-blown stuffy head, cough and general irritability. Poor little guy could barely breathe through his nose. So I took off on Friday to watch him and keep him bundled and well-fed. Not that daycare couldn't have done that, but SuperGirl and I felt better with me there. We also got a vaporator to put in his room and that seemed to help quite a bit. You see, at 4 months, you really can't do anything but ride it out. About all we were able to do was clean him out with some saline spray and get him to nap a lot.

Friday was OK, but Saturday he was up every hour. I got 5 hours of sleep in 1 hour rotations with SuperGirl. I've had hangovers that didn't feel as bad on Sunday morning.

Sunday night... got up at 11, 3, 5, and 7. I am seriously running out of gas.

- kb

2007-01-10T16:57:00.000-05:00

New year, new life...

Well things have certainly changed in the last 12 months. About this time last year I found out for the first time that I would be a dad. It has been a roller-coaster ride ever since, but I have enjoyed every minute of it (almost... rack of lamb, anyone?).

In any case, things have been good. Job is going nicely, I'm getting added responsibilities and a Blackberry. Now I will be totally accessible at all hours. Great.

SuperBoy is getting bigger and bigger, especially his appetite. He's now beginning the "fun" stage where he can hold a conversation, smile, and even laugh. Well, a conversation consists of "goo", "oooh", "ga", and various gurgles, but it still counts.

Now we're back to the SUV project. A while back I kinda danced around the idea, but determined that it would have been a waste to take care of it at the time and we could survive without. Well that time is now gone. After carting SuperBoy's stuff up to NY for the Thanksgiving holiday in my car and cramming myself into SuperGirl's Mazda 3 for ANY trip, we're back to buying. Seriously, any passenger over 5'5" in the 3 will hit their knees on the dash if the baby seat is installed. We're in saving cash mode again so we can get the one we want and we're looking at the Acura MDX and the Toyota 4Runner. Test-drives to follow in the Spring!!!

- kb

2006-12-21T15:52:00.000-05:00

Seriously, how cute is this???

If I don't post again before the new year, I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!

- kb

2006-12-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been forever since I posted. Sorry about that, folks... Life has been totally chaotic lately and I simply haven't put this on the priority list.

Let's see, things have been great lately. Thanksgiving was fun and it was great to hang out with the whole family. Everyone was in good spirits and I don't think SuperBoy went 15 minutes all week without being held by a relative. The trip was long, but totally worth it.

This past weekend was L and the Guru's wedding in NYC. Yea, the wedding was great, but the pizza was better! J/K, it was an awesome weekend, even after spending a lot of it in the car fighting traffic, poorly labeled New Jersey roundabouts, and a bout of supreme stubborness by one of my buddies, who simply refused to make a U-turn to get back to the route we missed.

All in all, an eventful past 3 weeks. On to Christmas!!!

- kb

2006-11-13T14:50:00.000-05:00

Just a brief, since I haven't posted in a bit. Things are good. All the guys survived the bachelor party and had fun. I think the "three wise men" shot should be banned from consumption...

SuperBoy is growing exponentially. He's up to eating 4 oz. bottles of formula a shot and sometimes 6. We'll prolly weigh him again (unofficially) this week, but he's definitely over 11 lbs. and prolly pushing 12.

Sleep deprivation continues, but this week we can start trying to keep the boy awake during the days in the hopes that he sleeps through the night. It's a lot to expect more than 2 - 3 hours at a time, but if we can get him up to 3 hours consistently, that means only waking up once at night to feed him, instead of a lot.

Generally, things are great. Next up, Thanksgiving trip to NY to see family, followed by the BIG EVENT of '06! We can't wait...

- kb

2006-11-03T12:09:00.000-05:00

Wooo Hoooo!!!

Bachelor party weekend again! I have mixed feelings about this one. You see, it should be a blast because it's for one of my oldest and best friends. We'll be about 7 - 10 people and we've all known each other for a while. The problem is having fun without going too overboard. I'd like to remember the last two hours of the night, please!!!! That means no shots with SuperMom's Hubby this time out, I don't care what he says.

Mixed feelings because he's one of the last guys I know to take the plunge. Even though he's been with his awesome girl forever, he was one of the last "single" guys I knew. Just an end of an era, I suppose.

In all seriousness, this weekend we'll be celebrating one of the best days upcoming in the Guru's life by getting revenge on him for stuff he didn't do. Makes sense?

:)

2006-11-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

Halloween time is fun time!

Ok, seriously, I think some people didn't think that. We had like 20 trick-or-treaters all night. Man, when I was a kid, we'd be out for like 3 hours. There were dozens of kids. I'm talkin' you'd have to buy like 5 jumbo bags of candy. We barely went through one. And that's after handing out big handfuls to the last bunches.

In any case, here are some pics of SuperBoy!!!

Watch out, I might use my Heat Vision!!!

You talkin' to me???

Oh yes, he will save the world... :)

- kb

2006-10-27T08:58:00.000-04:00

RETREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAT!

No, we're not running from the enemy. It's camping. The bi-annual event for my fraternity that gets the boys off campus and into nature. With beer and power tools. It's something that I used to do regularly while in college, but haven't had the chance to much since graduation. This year, me and two of my brothers who live local are making the trip to chilly upstate NY to join the undergrads in a weekend of dirty, smelly, drunken fun in the woods. We're going to tear up some nature and burn it.

Actually, the event is also a philanthropic event, as the camp normally functions as a campground for kids. We will be clearing land and building a new trail for the camp, something that has traditionally been a part of the weekend. At various stops for Retreat, we have built bridges (campground-size, not steel trestle), cleared trails, built a deck, destroyed a latrine (THAT was fun), and other campground maintenance.

I think it's good to get away and get back to nature every once in a while. Sometimes I think people are too "jacked-in" to the electronic toys that are so pervasive in today's society. Personally, some of the most fun times I ever had while in college were at these camping trips. That's why I can wait for this weekend.

- kb

2006-10-19T12:51:00.000-04:00

"Who Needs Sleep?"

Now I lay me down not to sleep
I just get tangled in the sheets
I swim in sweat three inches deep
I just lay back and claim defeat

Chapter read and lesson learned
I turned the lights off while she burned
So while she's three hundred degrees
I throw the sheets off and I freeze

Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around

Who needs sleep?
well you're never gonna get it
Who needs sleep?
tell me what's that for
Who needs sleep?
be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War

My hands are locked up tight in fists
My mind is racing, filled with lists
of things to do and things I've done
Another sleepless night's begun

Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around

Who needs sleep?
well you're never gonna get it
Who needs sleep?
tell me what's that for
Who needs sleep?
be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War

Who needs sleep?
well you're never gonna get it
Who needs sleep?
tell me what's that for
Who needs sleep?
be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War

There's so much joy in life,
so many pleasures all around
But the pleasure of insomnia
is one I've never found
With all life has to offer,
there's so much to be enjoyed
But the pleasures of insomnia
are ones I can't avoid

Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around

Hala Hala Hala

Who needs sleep?
well you're never gonna get it
Who needs sleep?
tell me what's that for
Who needs sleep?
be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War

[Repeat]

- Barenaked Ladies, Who Needs Sleep, Stunt 1998

2006-10-11T14:01:00.000-04:00

Not much for news this week, but I thought I would post a funny e-mail sent to me by my aunt and one of my favorite pictures so far. SuperBoy is growing up nicely and we are overjoyed to have him.

You find out the most interesting things when you have sons, like...

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.

2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

3. A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already too late.

8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9. A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old man says they can only do it in the movies.

10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old boy.

11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12. Super glue is forever.

13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15. VCR's do not eject "PB&J" sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.

16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20. The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24. 80% of women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.

25. 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

2006-10-05T13:56:00.000-04:00

What an exhusting week...

Ok, for those of you who warned me about the lack of sleep that comes with a newborn... kiss my butt. You were all right, but kiss my butt, anyway.

This past week, SuperBoy finally joined us @ 7:44 PM on 9/27. 9 lbs. 1 oz. and 22 1/4" long. What an adventure that was. SuperGirl really outdid herself with this one. Speaking as a guy, you totally feel helpless (and semi-useless) during the whole process because the only thing you can do is fetch and cheer. I suppose those things are important on some level, but I'm more of a "do-er" and would rather suffer through an episode myself. If I could have, I would have told her to let me fight through it and save her the pain. But that's not the way the world works. I have a whole new respect for SuperGirl, as she really went 10 rounds in the heavyweight division and came out with the belt.

We've been trying to keep up with the little moose's eating schedule, but he's is on a mission to eat everything in site. If he keeps going at this rate, he'll be 6 feet by the time he's 10.

Thanks to all who came out and celebrated this wonderful experience with us. We truly appreciate all of your support and can't wait to share this new experience with you as SuperBoy gets bigger. We love you all.

I am truly blessed to have a wonderful, healthy baby boy and a loving wife. I said some time ago that it just doesn't get any better than this. I was a bit premature with that statement as I cannot remember a time when I have been happier than I am today.

- kb

2006-09-25T11:37:00.000-04:00

in-duc-tion [in-duhk-shuhn]
-noun
1. the act of inducing, bringing about, or causing: induction of the hypnotic state.
2. the act of inducting; introduction; initiation.

e-vict [i-vikt]

-verb (used with object)
1. to expel (a person, esp. a tenant) from land, a building, etc., by legal process, as for nonpayment of rent.
2. to recover (property, titles, etc.) by virtue of superior legal title.

-Related forms
e-vic-tion, noun
e-vic-tor, noun

-Synonyms 1. eject, remove, dispossess, dislodge.

Wednesday, 7 AM. Chateau SuperGirl closes and SuperBoy begins his long-awaited entry into the world...

- kb

2006-09-20T17:33:00.000-04:00

Get OUT of my bel-lay!

OK, I know it's not what Fat Bastard actually says. The point is, SuperGirl is officially done with the pregnancy. By done I mean, she's had her fill. SuperBoy has apparently decorated, bought furniture and there's college football on this weekend, so he feels no need to vacate his temporary home. That means the induction phase kicks into high gear and now we're talking about a firm end to the gestational part of the process.

For those of you like the Guru and Hubby, that means when the baby is in the belly.

He's getting to be quite large, as the latest estimate puts him at ~8 lbs. That's big for a newborn, so hopefully we can get this whole thing in motion soon. We're scheduled to call in if nothing happens by Monday morning and go in either Tuesday the 26th or Wednesday the 27th.

Wish us all luck!

2006-09-12T19:55:00.000-04:00

Belated Patriot's Day post: God Bless the U.S.A., all our citizens, and those brave men and women securing our freedom home and abroad. We are truly the Home of the Brave.

- kb

2006-09-07T12:18:00.000-04:00

Great, they got whupped. The final score was not indicative of the way they played. If Wake Forest was any good, they would have won by 30. Missed tackles, botched center/QB snaps, dropped passes, blown assignments in the secondary. What a mess. They're gonna get smoked by Iowa, who visits the Carrier Dome this Saturday.

At least I have the Jets drive to the Super Bowl to look forward to. Oh wait...

- kb

2006-08-30T11:28:00.000-04:00

My poor, poor Syracuse Orange.

Ugh, what a week to be a Syracuse fan. ESPN has Syracuse on it's Bottom 10 list and virtually every major sports publication has them listed as last in the Big East football conference and one of the worst teams in the nation. Hope is the only thing the team appears to have in abundance this year. I did, however, find some inspiration, football or otherwise, when reading the coverage of the team by the Syracuse Post-Standard's Dave Rahme.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
– Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic," speech at the Sorbonne, Paris (April 23, 1910)

Words to live by. Go get 'em, Orange!

- kb

2006-08-28T13:46:00.000-04:00

New Parent weekend.

ok, so we participated in a new parent orientation this past weekend. We're not new parents yet, hence the need to complete the weekend before we're issued a small human to take care of. ;)

So we go into this weekend with an open mind and lots of questions, and the class was very helpful. But that's not the point of this entry. A few observations about the weekend.

Preface: I am a clown. I crack jokes at inopportune times occasionally and generally make an ass out of myself when around friends. I have, over the years, generally learned to tone it down in public and around strangers.

1) We had a guy sitting in the back of the conference room during the day 1 presentation repeating as much as he could remember of the famous (infamous?) Bill Cosby pregnancy routine from his 1983 "Himself" concert. Oh yea. That's 23 years ago for those of you playing the Junior edition of Life. I was lucky enough on the 2nd day to be seated far away from this guy.

2) "Cosby" then interrogates the visiting physician during his presentation about hospital security. Look, I know you'll be concerned about your new kid. Yes, I've seen the episode of Law and Order where all the babies are being stolen. But when the physician tells you that everyone has to have a scannable ID to get through the multiple doors from the entrance to the nursery, the nurses log all employees and visitors, and every baby has an ankle alarm that locks the doors if one goes too far, why is it necessary to inquire "if they're sure"? Um. I think they're sure. The kid's safe.

3) Props to all moms out there. Us guys can help where possible, but you all rule.

4) I love the fact that they cover most of the "worst-case scenarios" that can happen before, during, and after the birthing process, then tell you that "oh, but we haven't seen one of these in years. Comforting.

5) I still can't wait for the whole thing. Nothing gets yer blood pumping like running out the door, hair on fire, bag in one hand, uncomfortable girl in the other... rumblin', stumblin' bumblin' on the way to the hospital... :)

ahhh... the Miracle of Life.

- kb

2006-08-21T14:53:00.000-04:00

Real quick this week, totally busy.

Site of the week:

Deadspin.com

A great place for commentaty on the sports and entertainment world. They occasionally have breaking news, but mostly, it's just fun...

A busy weekend this one past, I'll try to blog about it and post a picture or two by the end of the week...

- kb

2006-08-11T10:18:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all who posted about the car situation. I think we can wait it out. interestingly enough, the vehicle that my friends L and the Guru have been planning to buy forever, the Acura MDX, has gotten the best reviews out of almost any SUV. Consumer Reports Best Buy, 5-star crash rating. All the good stuff. It's a sweet ride, with most coming with navigation systems and plush accessories. It's also a crapload of money, so we'll need all the years out of our present cars to even afford a used one. It'll work out, tho.

This week's site:

Comingsoon.net

A great site for wasting time and checking out the movie industry's latest news about past, present, and upcoming movies.

l8r!

2006-08-08T14:59:00.000-04:00

To buy or not to buy?

...that is the question. :) There is so much stuff in the works right now, it isn't even funny. SuperBoy's Big Day is only 45 days away. 45 days! You'll wait longer for ordering furniture! The NY Jets and Syracuse Orange will still have hope for their upcoming seasons! Boston will still think they can catch the Yankees for the A.L. East... wait. That last one's just crazy talk.

Along with all of the baby stuff, I've been thinking about the vehicle situation. My friends and family all tell me that baby brings a whole new level of stuff that has to be taken everywhere. So what comes next? I can't stand driving a mini-van and I'm trying to convince SuperGirl that it's my car that needs to be traded in. It's a higher payment, gets worse gas mileage, and is worth a little bit more than hers. I also have 1/2 the commute she does, mitigating the cost of a more gas-intensive vehicle.

So what do we go with? Consumer Reports is confusing at best. They commend and bash every model. The auto web sites are all pimped by the automotive industry... chevy tahoe/ gmc yukon? toyota sequoia? nissan pathfinder?

The only thing I know for sure is we'll never get a Ford SUV...

- kb

2006-08-07T15:48:00.000-04:00

Site of the week...

Sorry, belated post, thanks L for reminding me...

The important resource for all things gossipy in the DC area and the world, at least to DC101's Elliot and his team of misfits...

Elliot in the Morning Online

Make sure you check out his sidekick Diane's section, Diane's Dirt of the Day.

Nothing else new to report. Just keep on keepin' on...

- kb

2006-07-28T12:31:00.000-04:00

Friday's "Passin' Time on the Last Day of the Work Week" Site

Something I'm going to try to keep up with on a regular basis (read: when I remember) is the Site of the Week. I will post a site here on Fridays that has caught my eye (or someone else's) and invite all to enjoy while watching 5 PM slowly arrive on Friday. I'm going with the simple "Site of the Week" name because PTOTLDOTWW isn't very catchy.

Here you go:

http://www.mulletjunky.com

(thanks for the tip, Mama Chix)

- kb

2006-07-26T22:06:00.000-04:00

OK, the basement is done. Pictures are here. DirecTV and Verizon FIOS are installed. Contractor Weekend has come and gone.

SuperGirl and I are very happy with the new floor. We're prolly going to do some moving around of the basement furniture from the way wee had it before and we may be buying a new piece or two, depending on fundage at the end of the month. Regardless, the installers did a heckuva job and I would recommend/ use them again in a heartbeat.

We still have some minor things to do to finish, such as one last wash of the floor (you can see some of the dust is still there in the pics), but other than that it looks great.

- kb

2006-07-21T11:08:00.000-04:00

work, work work...

Ok, this will be a busy weekend.

Friday night: clean and prep the house for contractors.

Saturday: Verizon to install FIOS internet, DirecTV to install satellite. (C-ya, Cox cable!!!) I'm painting nursery furniture and SuperGirl is cleaning in between naps. (not a slam, ladies. SuperBoy is tiring her out and I welcome any chance she gets to recover).

Sunday: Finish any painting (if not done). Tear up downstairs bathroom tile and rest of carpet in the family room. Remove all flooring transitions and tack downs. Move couch to stairway.

Monday: New ceramic flooring install all day.

Tuesday: Go to work. Come home. Sleep until Wednesday.

-kb

2006-07-18T09:56:00.000-04:00

And baby makes three...

This weekend was a blast. We went up to NY for a baby shower thrown by SuperGirl's family and they really hooked us up. My dad and step-mom also made an appearance and it was great to see them, too. I also got to play 36 holes of golf with SuperGirl's dad and uncles. It was kind of tiring because they play at like 5:30 AM when they go out. We got up at 4:15 AM both Saturday and Sunday. I was beat!

SuperGirl gets a little homesick sometimes and it's great to see her light up when we arrive at the house she grew up in. Her family is very, very close. I mean, she's got one uncle in Saratoga, NY, one in Myrtle Beach, SC, parents, more uncles and a grandparent in upstate NY... did any of them miss an appearance? Not a chance. They will get together for any reason and it's totally cool. A little odd for me, though.

See, my family growing up was my mom, my sister and me. My grandparents lived in Florida (dad's side) and the Catskills in southern NY state (mom's side and a long drive from Syracuse). My dad and my mom called it quits when I was 11, so it was pretty much just the three of us. My mom worked awful hard to make sure we had the necessities, but it was rough for a while. There's too much to go into on a blog, but let's just say meeting SuperGirls huge, close family was a bit of a shock to me. They are all so close and they always take the time out to see each other, as many as they can get into one place. SuperGirl's got 4 uncles and an aunt who all have kids. Let's just say our wedding was 2/3 her family at the reception.

When I got to college, I found my extended family. At 18 years old, I was looking for friends and people to have fun with. I had no idea how close I would get to the people I met over those years at RIT (*queue the "ALL THOSE YEARS AT RIT" jokes). Luckily, my boys met some of the best girls (SuperMom04, L, and MamaChix, to name a few) in the world in between Nick Tahou's plates and the size of my "family" increased even more. My "family" time recently was the 4th of July weekend. I got to hang out with all of my boys and girls at SuperMom04's and we had a blast. Now it's getting even better, since we're growing up a bit (well, maybe the girls are) and having kids. I can't wait to bring my bouncing bundle of mischief over to SuperMom04's for his first BBQ.

Don't get me wrong, I am still close with my mom, extra close with my sister, and over the last six years, I'm getting close to my dad again. Between SuperGirl and I, we have the best family people could ask for, hands down...

all right I have to stop, or I'll get misty...

- kb

2006-07-07T09:23:00.000-04:00

whew! Everything looks ok.

After purchasing various water removal devices, the basement is finally clean and dry. the dehumidifier was the kicker, as it totally sucked every bit of moisture out of the basement. It is now completely dried out and no sign of mold. I will be spraying some of the nooks and crannnies with some mold prevention spray before the flooring is put in.

We're going with ceramic tile in the basement to forgo the fun we had with a carpet down there. I'm also doing some duct work outside this weekend to make sure the water doesn't all flow back to the same place during a rain storm anymore. Hopefully this will resolve the flooding issue as well as the floor issue. It'll be expensive, but in the long run it should add value to the home.

we'll see...

- kb

2006-06-28T13:07:00.000-04:00

Ok, is there a conspiracy?

Seriously, as soon as I think everything's going to be in the clear as far as money goes, I get another bombshell dropped on me. We reached our savings goal (for the most part) for SuperGirl's maternity leave and the basement floods. WTF???

I replaced old appliances and finally got the nursery together. Not to mention the nursery stuff we still have to buy. We definitely did not need, what early estimates tell me, another $2500 expense right now. And that's IF there's no foundation, wall, or mold damage.

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-06-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

UGH, what a PITA.

How am I supposed to get anything done around here with everyone taking off early. TGIF, baby!!! It should be happy hour right now!

Fridays here are boring. It seems like it's college again. Everyone front-loads their schedules so they can bail at like 2 or 3 PM. Me? I'm a Sys Admin. If I bail at 2 and the network goes down... yep, I'm back. So I usually have to stay longer than most to make sure everything runs. Actually, this place runs pretty smoothly and I haven't been called in outside of working hours *knock*.

In any case, this weekend I am putting together the closet organizer in the baby's room and hopefully finishing the terrible attempt at painting the closet doors. If you ever have to try, don't. get pre-painted ones. Doors, especially with the decorative designs on them, are truly a test of patience to paint.

On the homefront, SuperGirl's belly is really starting to poke, as she's is officially 3 months from go-time*. Incidentally, I think SuperBoy maybe trying to kick his way out early. At least, that's what the future mom tells me. :)

- kb

*queue doctors laughing everywhere at the prospect of an on-time delivery...

2006-06-16T09:23:00.000-04:00

Let's go Yankees!

This weekend is Father's Day weekend. SuperGirl will prolly get me something small, but my real present is the Bronx Bombers playing the Washington Nationals @ RFK stadium. Me and the Guru (aka L's future hubby) have tix for tonight and tomorrow's games (Saturday the girls are coming along). Tonight the Yanks will be without Joe Torre, because the people who run discipline for MLB are a bunch of Sallies. Whatever, let a dude pitch inside already. All those guys standing over the plate with kevlar on their elbows (helllooooo David Ortiz) will back off a bit if they know one's coming towards the ol' ear hole. You don't see Mike Piazza standing over the plate much anymore, do ya?

This should be a fun weekend in DC with our girls and a relaxing first Father's Day for me. 'Course SuperBoy is still "cooking", but hey, I feel like a dad already. I can't wait.

As for my own dad and Grandpa, two great guys. Come to think of it, my father-in-law is a pretty cool guy, too. I'll be forever grateful for all of their advice and support over the years. With my own son on the way, I imagine I'll need their advice more than ever. Like I said, I can't wait. Happy Father's Day weekend to all the dads out there, old and new. Relax, have fun, and enjoy your family, 'cause it's truly a blessing.

later,

- kb

2006-06-09T15:25:00.000-04:00

Having fun...

Well, the nursery is about 95% done. We got some paint on the closet doors, so they now have to be painted, but other than that, the room is painted, the cable has been relocated to the "office", and the crib is assembled.

Side note: if you are close to having a baby, the crib we chose is wonderful. It is the lifetime crib by Baby Italia in tea stain. It converts to a toddler bed and a full-size bed (extra parts required) and only took me 30 mins to put together. I heard so many horror stories about cribs and hours of frustration, but this one was cake. With a little assistance from SuperGirl, it was ready to go and we spent the rest of the day sunning with SuperMom, "hubby" and friends.

Geek moment: We work with Microsoft Windows servers at the office for the most part, but we also have some servers running Linux. I have spent the last month re-familiarizing myself with the operating system and it has been quite a learning experience. For those of you who aren't into computers, Linux is a mostly free operating system. It has a nice graphical interface available (the "Windows" look most are familiar with), but it's real power comes from being able to manually type commands and queries in a terminal screen. Bottom line: it's very powerful, but very specific and can be complicated. I haven't touched it in years, so I'm diving right in, much to the chagrin of SuperGirl who for some reason has gotten used to me being around. j/k/ :)

In any case, everything is still good on the home front. SuperGirl and baby are both healthy as can be and getting along for the most part. Apparently SuperBoy is what they call "active". Translation: SuperGirl gets to have the little guy start bouncing around in there any time. But mostly when she tries to rest. :)

later,

- kb

2006-05-25T15:36:00.000-04:00

Can't wait for the weekend...

This weekend is the Memorial Day weekend. Day off to relax. Weekend party at my best bud's house on their new deck. More importantly, it's my first wedding anniversary (on Sunday). I always knew I wanted a wife and a kids, but it's so much different when you actually go through the whole process than when you when you're younger.

I have a lot of great things going for me. A great job, nice house, great friends, a wonderful wife, and my son will be joining us in about 4 months. As the old commercial goes, "Life just doesn't get any better than this".

- kb

2006-05-15T11:01:00.000-04:00

BZBZBZBZBZBZ...

Well, the nursery is about 50% complete. We've got almost all of the office stuff out of there. We went Enron on the file cabinets and shredded paperwork that we kept over the last few years but no longer needed. Over the next two weeks comes the last bits of paperwork, wall stuff and general knick-knacks still in the room. then comes the paint testing, wall repair and paint purchase.

I'm hoping to paint the weekend of June 3rd and 4th. It shouldn't take too long, as the walls are already white and it's not the biggest room in the house. SuperGirl found a shade of yellow to match the bedding set she registered for called "Tigger's Tummy". Actually, even funnier, there was a shade of green on the Nickelodeon display at Lowe's that was labeled "Atomic Vomit". I can't make this stuff up.

Then the next weekend is the crib experience. I will be attempting to put it together and determine if any parts were damaged in transport or shipping. Oh what fun that will be.

- kb

2006-05-04T16:14:00.000-04:00

"Been a long time since I rock and rolled..."

Ok, so I haven't posted in a while. Believe me, I have an excuse. Life in general has been total chaos.

The month of April was "family month". Father, step-mom, neice, cousin, aunt and uncle in town the week before Easter; mother and step-father in town for Easter week; wife's family in town, then road trip with them to South Carolina for a wedding last Thursday - Monday. Whew! I love my family and my wife's family very much. But I am family-timed out! Well, let me clarify, I am for the most part people-timed out. I just want to be in my own home and doing my own thing (with SuperGirl, of course). It's going to feel so good to finally be in town for a week without 10 places to go or 5 other people in the house.

In any case, for all my crabbing about wanting "me-time", we really did have fun the last month or so. The trip down to Myrtle was a blast and I got in 23 holes of golf, including 5 later in the day at SuperGirl's uncle's house at the Country Club of South Carolina. My golf game needs major work, but I'm hoping to head out a bit more often this year. I also headed out with some of SuperGirl's family to the world-famous Broadway on the Beach area of Myrtle for some shopping and beers at Crocodile Rocks, a great dueling pianos bar. All-in-all, a great trip.

I also started a new job this past week and I can't be happier about it. I'll fill in some details about it some other time, but in the week since I left, two more people resigned at my old company. It seems that people are jumping ship left and right and I'm glad I'm not there to take part in it.

Whew! More later, I have to let the hands rest from all this typing...

- kb

2006-04-14T10:34:00.000-04:00

Six Things

I have been tagged by SuperMom04

Pain in the a$$ that she is...

But, I am bored since I am in Two Week Notice Hell, so here's my Six Things You Really Don't Need To Know About Me But I Am Telling Anyways!

1. Taking a cue from L, the first real concert I ever attended was Vanilla Ice. Yep. Bought the CD, too. Got MC Hammer's CD for Christmas that year. What did you expect, it was 1990.

2. I collect comic books. No, I'm not a freaky, $10,000 a year, comic-convention-attending fanboy, but I do like them. More so as a kid, but I do still follow some of the mainstream comics like the various issues of X-Men and the Star Wars: Clone Wars graphic novels.

3. I was kind of a klepto as a kid. Our family didn't have a whole lot of extra cash, so I "liberated" a Star Wars or G.I. Joe action figure from various toy departments here and there. I lifted change from change jars around the house without asking. It stopped after Mom caught me and made it difficult for me to sit down for a few days.

4. I care about how I dress. I color coordinate. I frequently match my boxers to the outfit I wear that day. I occasionally put on a different pair if I change my mind about the outfit. Socks, too. Once this gets back to SuperMom04's husband, he will torture me about it for weeks.

5. I was a total "goodie-goodie" in high school. No beer, wine, spirits, or anything illegal. Those of you who have seen me in college might have the toughest time believing this. I played sports all year round, lettering in football, track and lacrosse. I once showed up for a party senior year of high school and was actually approached by some people there worried that I would "narc" on them for drinking and other stuff.

6. I have scars. Lots of them. Most of my childhood was spent bleeding in some fashion. Never really broke anything, but my hands, face, elbows, knees and arms (to name a few) have all been marked. I don't know who, but someone once said "scars are tattoos with better stories". You know those twists they sometimes make at the top of a chain-link fence for security? While attempting to climb over one such fence I punched one through the center of my right hand when I was about 8. Hung suspended from my hand for a bit. Think about that one when you let your kid go to the park soon. Good luck with the new baby boy, SuperGirl.

Since I haven't been blogging long, I don't have any links to share this with... deal.

- kb

2006-04-10T15:02:00.000-04:00

Home improvement...

This weekend my Dad and I replaced a ceiling fan, attempted to replace another (wrong parts), installed a new range hood over the stove, repaired the bannister, fixed the front door, and moved a lot of stuff out of my old office (now the nursery). All in all, not a bad weekend. Tired, but grateful for their help.

Speaking of the nursery, it is mostly clean (finally) and we should be ready to paint in few weeks. There's some last minute stuff I need to take care of, but nothing big. SuperGirl wants to take the decor she picked out at Babies R Us and match the paint to it. Sounds cool, I hope it can be done.

Outside of that, the rest of the house is also coming along nicely. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you view your house as your home and not your investment opportinuty.

- kb

2006-04-05T16:57:00.000-04:00

What's 60%???

SuperGirl got a sono done the other night and the tech was like "I'm 60% sure its a ----." WTF? I WANNA KNOW!!! ;-)

Seriously, I won't tell anyone until it's like 95% or 100% boy or girl. Why get everyone going one way when it's not solid?

In other news, I've got a nice situation brewing in the job arena. My job has gotten "interesting" in the past 6 months and I kinda put feelers out to see what was available (read: activated my resume online). Lo and behold I get like 6 e-mails in an hour. One was actually intriguing, so I checked it out. Really nice place, close to home and, if negotiations go well, a bump in pay. I'm leaning towards taking it. Things at my present job could go one of two ways. 1) They could say "we saw this coming" (even though I have no idea how) and wish me luck while I train a replacement. 2) Total meltdown. I don't know which.

It is kind of a boost to the ego to be wanted, tho. :)

- kb

2006-03-27T12:57:00.000-05:00

I have been replaced...

Just kidding, of course (she couldn't be that lucky). But SuperGirl was having trouble sleeping lately, so we consulted some mom-to-be books and websites and one name kept popping up: Snoogle.

That's the "Original Total Body Pillow". It wraps around legs, head, back in any combonation and provides support for whatever's aching that night. She had her first complete, no-tossing sleep in a week or so with the Snoogle. That also means more nap time during the weekend. Relaxing for her, quiet-time for me.

Weekend was pretty cool, the baby's room (previously known as the office) is coming along nicely. We've cleaned out old papers and some boxes of "stuff" and have about half the room done. Next step is to organize the rest of the random stuff left and pack up my bookshelves. I think the oldest one will be going to the side of the road since it was just one of those pressboard jobs from Wal-Mart and the other will go in the basement.

Other than that, we went to see the movie "Inside Man". Nicely written and performed movie. Clive Owen is becoming one of my favorite actors and Denzel has his usual strong showing. If you like thrillers, check this out.

- kb

2006-03-20T16:04:00.000-05:00

I am a disaster...

St. Patty's day was further proof that I have the best friends in the world and I am married to a future Saint.

'nuff said.

- kb

2006-03-17T10:15:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2006-03-16T11:47:00.000-05:00

Go SU!!!

Ok, the game is on tonight @ 9:40 PM EST. The beginning of the Syracuse/ Blue Collar/ St.Patrick's Day Festival Weekend of 2006. eek... that's orange, blue, green, and (hopefully) a lot of gold...

:)

- kb

2006-03-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

The Greatest Vacation... Ever. Pt. 2

Ok, while on vacation in Florida, I got to follow my beloved Syracuse Orange through the Big East basketball tournament.

Side note: my wife is so cool for putting up with my sports-mania.

In any case, I witnessed some of the guttiest, luckiest, and toughest play from a single player in any sport in the form of Gerry McNamara. I mean, this guy pretty much won all four games for the Orange and inspired the rest of the team to pick it up and fight to the last. I was never prouder of the Orange or more excited to be a fan than I was this weekend.

In other sports news, we went to a spring training baseball game @ Legends Field in Tampa, FL, home of the Yankees. Another wonderful experience. The Yankees are a top-notch organization and their training facility was amazing. Too bad the Yankees got drubbed because of very poor pitching, but we had a blast anyway.

Special thanks to my partner in crime SPUD for some amazing play by play of the Syracuse-UConn thriller during the 5th inning. you rule, man! :)

- kb

2006-03-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

The Greatest Vacation... Ever. :)

OK, it's been a bit between posts, but I've had a whirlwind week and a half. Last weekend was spent packing for a trip to Florida to visit family and friends and generally cleaning up the house. We left on Wednesday morning on our Florida trip. Totally wonderful experience. We were able to spend time with my grandparents in their new home, spend time with one of SuperGirl's best college buddies, and spend time with each other. Totally cool.

Thoughts from the trip:

- if you ever have the occasion, visit a Leroy Selmon's Restaurant. AWESOME barbecue. Biggest nacho plate I've seen in a while

- Tampa Bay is gorgeous. I highly recommend a boat trip, if you ever get the opportunity.

- The Magic Kingdom is a pretty cool place. However, it is the global capital of the sugar-high, cracked-out, totally out of control child. It is a science experiment designed to test the limits of a child's hyperactivity and an adult's patience. I saw a dozen different occasions where a child nearly caused themselves grevious bodily harm by either not being supervised or suddenly breaking away from supervision. I don't know how I might handle the situation, but I'd like to think I'd have more control over a child. We'll see.

- Dulles airport is under-staffed and unorganized. We spent 30 minutes @ Tampa International, including picking up an off-site rental car. Dulles took us an hour and a half on a Sunday night. Ugh.

All in all, a fun trip and I'll probably post more as I have time...

- kb

2006-03-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

Ugh. Syracuse is in bad shape.

Last night's game was a travesty. The game's analyst, ex-Utah coach Rick Majerus said it best when he said "it's amazing to me to see 18 - 19 year old kids with no energy." What's up with that? Is it a coaching problem? A talent problem?

My 2 cents: it's both. Boeheim is used to having 5 starters with unbeileveable talent, as evidenced by his over .700 winning percentage and 2003 National Championship. it just isn't there this year. he has a penchant for not playing his bench and that leads to exposing the starters as mediocre players. With liberal substitutions and going with the "hot" player, I think Syracuse would have won at least two more games this year and they would not be in danger of missing the NCAA tournament.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda...

- kb

2006-02-28T11:17:00.000-05:00

Buying used.

Ok, this really doesn't count for extremely durable items such as cars or houses, but I have a bit of a rant about getting discount or used items.

We have a Playstation 2 that we bought about a year and a half ago from EB Games that was listed as used. To make a long story short, it has a problem playing "modern" PS2 discs, laser tracking problems (grinding sounds), and has led to the runiation of about $50 in PS2 games. The PS2 will now only play the older games and even those games experience some errors. Basically I think I'm stuck and I have to buy a new one. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal, since I play only occasionally during free time, but it pisses me off that I already spent about $150 on the original purchase (PS2s were $200 at the time) and now I have to lay out an additional $150 if I want to replace it. It's not high on my priority list right now. To send it to a repair place is $60 and there's no guarantee that will fix the issue. Forget waiting for a PS3, since I hear that it won't be here until after Christmas and will be upwards of $500-$600.

I hate when I try to save a little here or there and get burned. It just goes to show that a lot of the time, you may not be paying for the "label name". You might actually be buying quality.

- kb

2006-02-27T16:06:00.000-05:00

Pukey Wif

Ok, this baby is really kicking SuperGirl's keister. Gotta get her a Kryptonite t-shirt or something for when the baby can kick. Man was she sick this weekend. She has improved her 40 yard dash time, so she made the sprint from the bedroom to the bathroom like a flash. I tell ya, I'm sending her to the NFL combine. All I saw was a flash of brown hair in the hallway.

She's a trooper. Problem is, I think her pain tolerance is a little low, which will make things "fun" (experienced mothers prolly know what I'm talking about). I'd like to be able to donate some of mine, since I have years and years experience hurting myself in all manners, but unfortunately, you learn by doing and it's too late for SuperGirl. ;-)

- kb

2006-02-23T17:13:00.000-05:00

Bored @ work...

I think I'm hitting the proverbial wall here at the office. I know this may sound whiny or lazy to some, but let me explain a bit.

First off, I am a "computer guy". (Side note: No, not THAT "computer guy". I do not talk about processors, RAM, the latest computers from Dell, the next breakthrough in nano-technology, or the best way to re-format a hard drive anywhere outside of the office. Come to think of it, I don't even talk about those things much while I'm IN the office.)

I work for a small company (60+ people). That being said, the company is organized in such a fashion that many people have elaborate titles that would suit a position in a 1000-person company. Everyone is a manager, director, or something equivalent. For example, our sales staff has a VP of Sales and Marketing, a Director of Corporate Sales, and a Manager of Corporate Sales. Total number of sales people, including the managers: 6. That's my first gripe. Everyone thinks they are a King or a Duke, a Duchess or a Queen.

Second, my position is structured so that I am at the top of my department. Which consists of me.

Tremendous freedom to operate, but little or no direction from the top. The managers above me are only vaguely technical and are either finance or project management-oriented. Which leaves me to find things to accomplish when sales people aren't running around screaming "I can't get my e-mail!!!".

The only problem I have with this whole scenario is that I have never been good at self-motivation. Well, more specifically, self-education. I was one of those people who had to write notes in class relentlessly because if I had to get anything out of just reading a book, I was hosed. I am not one of those people who can pick up new skills by simply reading about it, which is why studying was always hard. Unfortunately, I'm in kind of a create-a-job mode. Everything has been upgraded, fixed, streamlined, and stabilized to the point where I sometimes only get one or two help calls a day. I think I'm a victim of my own efficiency.

Which leads me to my current dillema. Where do I go from here? I've attempted to do busy work and update my skills through self-study, but I find myself quickly losing interest or focus.

This is the second position in a row that seemed like it would be long-lasting and challenging, only to hit a "glass ceiling". Indeed, I will have to admit, I am borderline fed-up with working with computers. But where do I go with over 10 years in to the industry? Especially here in tech-happy Northern VA?

More of a vent than a question I suppose...

- kb

2006-02-22T17:06:00.000-05:00

ok, I give. Home it is.

looks like it'll be a Thurs./ Fri workout week...

- kb

2006-02-22T16:55:00.000-05:00

Tired and grumpy today...

OK, I'll admit, I stayed up too late last night. But then I couldn't get to sleep when I actually did go to bed. This getting old thing sucks. I remember getting 4 hours of sleep and staying up all night the next night, too. Now I have to have 2 cups of coffee just to make sure I don't fall alseep at the wheel or at my desk.

Not to mention, my motivation for going to the gym is shot. I've been doing great lately, but I'm leaning towards skipping today's session and heading in tomorrow. I've got 10 minutes to make a decision.

*yawn*

2006-02-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

Remember the days...

I found myself eating lunch today with a few of my co-workers and we got into trading funny, embarrasing, or awkward stories about misbehaving as teens and twentysomthings. Having parties while the parents were out of town... having that one friend/ roommate who wrecked something valuable during a party... narrowly escaping situations that may have eventually involved the authorities... staying out late and getting up early... you know, generally experiencing all that life had to offer at that time of your life.

I found myself looking back and longing for those days. When I actually had thoughts like "how am I ever going to make it to this 10 AM class?" Or, "I probably shouldn't have eaten my Tahou's plate and parts of two others..." Or "Budweiser or Genny Light. $4 in my pocket, Genny it is..." Or "I'm bored, may as well go to Dribbles again..."

Then I experienced a profoundly adult moment. It must be the whole impending dad thing or something, but over the course of a couple of hours I realized that, while those times were fun and meaningful times of my life...

... I wouldn't trade this time of my life for anything. I love my friends, my family and especially my wife and the new life growing inside her belly.

I do miss the past somewhat. But I wouldn't trade today for anything in the world.

peace,

- kb

2006-02-15T10:22:00.000-05:00

V-Day

Ok well, February 14th is a whole different story with a pregnant wife. First, she took the day off from work after the morning was rougher than most. Feeling bad (and on the advice of some co-workers) I surprised her with two dozen roses and a trip to Applebee's for lunch. Not the most romantic of settings, but I figured that she'd be out of commission by the time I got home from work later that night for my planned romantic dinner. We had a wonderful time at lunch and she appreciated the gesture.

She did manage to hit the grocery store and get a nice dinner going for the both of us by the time I got home and we were able to spend a quiet, comfortable night in just hanging out. We watched a movie, our favorite TV show, House, and generally chilled out. Normally I like to do something fancy, but for this year, last night was perfect. Actually, I heard that Valentine's Day in general will be different from now on. Such is life...

2006-02-13T13:23:00.000-05:00

Total, #1 Most Life-Changing Event, Ever

I'm gonna be a dad. There, I said it. It's official.

For those of you who witnessed my many, many displays of foolish, self-destructive, irresponsible, humerous, and (at times) humiliating behavior in the past can take comfort that even though there will be a human being on the Earth with 1/2 my genes, the other half will come from my very responsible, loving, down-to-earth wife. Or so you hope.

May the Lord have mercy on you all.

:)

- kb

2006-02-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Homeward-bound...

Well, the wife and I took a little trip home this weekend to share some love, good times, and some great news. We had a good time, but I am totally exausted from all the driving. We decided a while back to change our schedule to avoid having to drive at night after a fully day at work. So instead of heading out on Friday night, we took off at about 4 in the morning Saturday. I do have to say that the traffic was better and we got up to central New York in a decent amount of time. We also managed to avoid the blizzard that hit the DC area, which was nice. Amazingly, upstate NY was relatively untouched which is a total reversal from the norm. I remember back-in-the-day, having school cancelled for a week because of sub-zero temps and 12 - 18" per hour snowfalls.

In any case, it's good to be home and it was nice to see the family again. I do like seeing them, but trips to NY are draining. This is a nice time of year for us, since we don't have any major events or travel to do. We will be going on a mini-vacation to Florida the 2nd week in March, so that will be nice. Most importantly, I think I need to concentrate on getting life in a manageable order before September...

...then the fun really begins... ;-)

- kb

2006-02-06T16:51:00.000-05:00

One of THE funniest Smoking Gun pics I have ever seen.

Not one for the kids, but totally hilarious...

- kb

2006-02-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

Conspiracy?

More on the crappy refs from the super bowl from Slate.com

http://www.slate.com/id/2135435/nav/tap1/

2006-02-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

Seahawks = Big Thud

I totally thought they would have a better game, given how they beat their earlier opponents. However, I agree with ESPN columnist Michael Smith in his article about the "third" team participating in the Super Bowl, namely the refs. Blind, Deaf, and Dumb are their names, I believe. That was one of the worst officiating screw jobs in history. How does Hasslebeck get called for a block below the waist while making a tackle? It was also quite curious that the Seahawks only got a penalty at a crucial time, for example, to take away definitely one and possibly two touchdowns. Add in the fact that Jeremy Stevens ought to hand over his game check for repeatedly dropping footballs. Yes, he caught the touchdown, but there wasn't anyone withing 5 yards of the guy. Otherwise, all you had to do was run by him and yell "boo" and he gets gator arms. After all the hype of this week, he either needed to not be a factor (i.e. hide in plain sight and not be involved) or come up big. Instead he drops two first down balls that could have changed the game. Way to open yer yap, Stevens.

However, in all fairness, the Steelers did play a decent game and won a tough contest. Without the crappy officiating and Stevens's dropsies, I think the 'Hawks would have blown them out. But hey, congrats Steelers. Bettis retires in style and Pittsburg's traditional poor performances by it's major league teams will be set aside for the time being. 26 years since the last football championship and 14 since the last anything championship ('92 Penguins)? Ok, you guys deserve this one. Just stop the "one for the thumb" crap.

- kb

2006-02-03T15:21:00.000-05:00

Mad at your office mates? Try this:

:)

2006-02-03T12:48:00.000-05:00

So it looks like I'm a speed racer... maybe I can take Bill's 'Stang for a spin this weekend...

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

- kb

2006-02-02T11:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, I got sick of the plane-jane templates from the Blogger.com site and went out to Blogskins.com to check out their stuff. This "simple.blue" skin looked kinda nice, so here we go...

- kb

2006-02-01T15:45:00.000-05:00

It's totally amazing how such a little thing can change your whole life.

- kb

2006-01-26T11:53:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl

As long as I'm here, I may as well make a prediction:

Seahawks 20, Steelers 17.

Even though I want them to lose, I would kinda feel bad because Bettis is a class act and prolly deserves the win after 13 tough-running years. Big Ben is also pretty tough and has remained humble. Polamalu is a superior athlete and will be a force for years. On the other side of the coin, Joey Porter and Hines Ward need their jaws broken and someone needs to tell Randle-El that he isn't being interfered with on every catch just because he looks 5'2 on TV. Somewhere there's a reward for players that continually talk crap on the field. Hopefully it's not a Super Bowl title.

Seahawks? Quietly going about a nice season.

- kb

2006-01-26T11:42:00.000-05:00

So I'm getting used to this blogging thing...

I don't know if this will be yet another of many adventures tried and then left on the shelf, but hey, it's cool for right now.

I don't think anyone will find revelations about life in general here, but I might post a thing or two about what's going on. We'll see. It's really going to depend on my work load home and away.

First grand thought:

I swear there's a conspiracy to schedule my time for me for the rest of the year. Weekends, anyway.

There. I said it. Hmm. Am I supposed to feel any different?

- kb

2006-01-24T11:06:00.000-05:00

You come across the most interesting stuff when you browse the web...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi-polar

- kb

2006-01-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

All I have to say is... drama in, drama out...

peace,

- kb