ADIEU MES AMIS!

Well, tomorrow is my last day at my current job...
I must say that I am VERY happy about it, and VERY sad as well.
Happy because: I don't have to put up with all the back-handed comments, tunnel vision, insecurity, and attempts at intimidation my co-workers and I are subjected to by our employer.
Sad because: I will truly miss a few co-workers whom I consider friends like, Ms. Rohr if you're nasty, Wisconsin, Minty, The Canuck, Mrs. Flores, and X-Tina Slaguliera.
Hopefully, I can retain some semblance of a relationship with at least ONE of the individuals I named, and hopefully, we don't do what always seems to happen when one friend leaves the fold. You know, after all the "We'll miss you's", and the "Let's try to keep in contact's", the ties that bind friendships tend to unfurl and fray. Parting is such sweet sorrow ladies...
But a new day dawns- warming my face as I bask in the glow of opportunity. The lovely wife and I have been graced with a beautiful son, and we have chosen to go into business for ourselves. Thus, there will be no time for lamenting withered relationships, and cursing those who's wills seemed ill. It is time to move on, taking the next step to becoming the people we long to be, focusing on surrounding ourselves with positive people, and radiating as much positivity as is humanly possible...
PEACE to us, my lovely wife and sprout.

TV On The Radio Is Coming!!!

They will be at the Newport Music Hall on March 7th, and I will most certainly be there!!!
Thanx to the lovely wife for giving me a hall pass so I can attend.
Oh by the way, the song is called "Young Liars" off their Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty babes, Young Liars Lp/Cd/8 track/Cassette depending on your age...
See you there.
Have a good weekend.
PEACE.

I Got Nothin"...

Not
A
Damn
Thing
Interesting
Happened
To
Me
Today.
Except
Coming
Home
And
Seeing
The
Lovely
Wife's
And
The
Sprout's
Faces.
Oh yeah,
And
My
Poodles
Wagging
Tails.

I Just Couldn't Resist...

Just had to show the Sprout off today.
Man this kid is cute!!!
Thank God he takes after his Mom! (smile)

Just A Short One...

Well, this weekend was a doozy.
A lot of stuff went on, but it is just a haze clouding the recollection area of my brain.
What I do remember- I will divulge.
1. Most importantly, I submitted my two week notice on Saturday. The lovely wife and I are becoming self sufficient. The owners of the salon where she works have been wanting to retire for some time now, and they decided to sell way back during the Christmas season. So, rather than let the opportunity of purchasing a successful fully operational business slip through our fingers, we decided to reach for the brass ring. For obvious reasons I couldn't breathe a word of this till now, because- (no offense Canuck, and Wisconsin) I didn't want to chance this news reaching the workplace.
I also want to take the chance to thank some VERY IMPORTANT people for helping us out legally, financially, and spiritually. We would NEVER have taken the chance if it weren't for you folks who know who you are.
2. The in-laws took care of the sprout for us on Sunday, and we went out for dinner. Initially, we planned on eating at our favorite "el cheapo" steakhouse, but they were set to close in an hour. We opted not to stay, because we didn't want to be rushed. This was our first outing as a couple, and we felt we should milk it for all it was worth. We then decided to go to what I thought was a Japanese steakhouse. It was actually a Korean Steakhouse! Man, am I happy we went there. There are lots of Korean/Japanese items on the menu, but I would suggest getting items in the korean bbq area. They sat us at a table with a flat, circular gas grill about the size of a dinner plate imbedded in the middle of it. They then brought all sorts of things to place on the grill. We had plates filled with two types of beef, One marinated, and the other was not. They brought out two dipping sauces, (sesame oil, and fish sauce{?}) They then set plates filled with a korean seasoned sliced hot dog type of meat, korean potato salad, three types of noodles, SPICY chopped greens with sesame and chili seeds, bean sprouts, mushrooms, jalapenos, garlic, and lettuce leaves to wrap all the grilled goodies in. It really was an incredible dinner, and what made the night even better was- we didn't look like ANY of the people dining there. Well, there was another couple that was not of asian descent, but we TOTALLY did not feel like we were in america. That made the experience more memorable for us.
If you are curious about Korean food, go to Kaya restaurant on reed road just off henderson road. It's well worth it.
3. If you have a personality that teeters between "nosy and "sicko" (like me) then go to Post Secret. It's a blog that allows people to send in their deepest and oft times darkest secrets via email, and/or post cards. There are some that makes me question individuals' humanity, and others that make me smile like a kid. It updates every Sunday, and there are no archives, so it's a one week affair. There is a companion book titled, "Post Secret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives" by Frank Warren, who also runs the blog. Both are very alluring, and are EXTREMELY guilty pleasures. Thanks for the heads up Wisconsin!
Funny how my intended short blogs always end up being so long winded...
I'm off to bed!
PEACE.

Happy Valentines/Snow Day!!!

Just wanted to say a few things before I go back to enjoying my Valentine's day off with the lovely wife and the sprout.
First off, I want to offer my wish for a happy, healthy, and wonderful Valentine's Day to everyone. I know that some folks out there claim they don't celebrate the day because of all the Jewelry store, Chocolate shop, and Greeting Card, commercialism- but, that doesn't have to be what the day is all about. Rather than give up on the day as a whole, just celebrate the IDEA of Valentine's Day. Show someone you love, a bit MORE love today. I've heard others claim- "I don't need to celebrate Valentine's 'cuz I show the person I love just how much I care for them EVERY day". I want to speak to the person they're referring to and confirm this. Sorry to be a cynic, but why would ANYONE turn down a little more attention just because a couple of businesses made some dough? O.k. Fine. so you don't want to celebrate a "Hallmark Holiday". Replace the commercial aspects of Valentine's day with more personal ones. Just keep the SPIRIT of the holiday in mind, and make someone you know feel a little more appreciated on an otherwise regular day.
Second, just as I predicted last night, we are off again because of the HUGE amounts of snow and ice dumped on us yesterday, and last night. I also said that I'd be doing absolutely nothing, and I've pretty much held up my end of that bargain. I had to clean all the accumulated snow and the ice shell my car was encased in before tomorrow morning, and I had to go to the grocery store for a few things. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people out-considering there is a level two snow emergency going on. ("Don't go out unless it's ABSOLUTELY {man, I am capital letter crazy today} necessary)
Well, hopefully everyone reading this is off and relaxing the day away today like I am. Enjoy, 'cuz it's back to the grind tomorrow. Count on it.
PEACE.

Some Snow Day...

Today I made the long trek to work (20 minutes elapsed when normally it takes me about 8) trudging through the 4-6 in. of snow and slush that dumped on us last night. After lots of slipping and sliding, I finally made it to work. I had a 10 a.m. appointment, and although not wanting to be at work, I was raring to go.
Before I go any further, let me just express to you how much I HATE snow. 1. If I never saw a single flake again, I'd be a happy man. 2. Pulling teeth would be considered recreation when compared to driving in the snow in my book. 3. I'd walk barefoot on hot coals rather than step out in a fresh blanket of crummy snow, ultimately getting snow in my shoes/boots.
Anyway, I was raring to go.
But-
After about 1/2 hour, my client did not show up. The Canuck informed me that people were cancelling appointments left and right, so I just figured my client would call and let me know that she would not be braving the elements for her monthly visit.
I continued waiting.
Nothing.
Finally the Canuck ended up calling her, and when she answered, she was asked if she remembered that she had an appointment this morning.
Her response both annoyed me, and made sense at the same time. She simply assumed that we would be closed for the day due to the extreme weather, and therefore didn't feel it was necessary to call and cancel/reschedule her appointment. As I said, it makes sense, because it seems like everyone else was having a snow day EXCEPT my job.
(That's a gross exaggeration, but later in the day, pretty much everyone else in the city DID end up getting off early)
So, then, the boss ended up closing for the day, and I was headed home. After another looooong trip on the freeway, I finally made it home just in time to shovel the quickly accumulating snow before the forecasted freezing rain was to hit. After shoveling, I went to work straightening up the house, doing some important paperwork, mopping the kitchen floor, and preparing dinner. Criminy, I had to shovel the front porch AGAIN (at 11:45) this evening because I was unable to open the front storm door due to the foot deep drifts of ice glazed snow. Just as I finished, gigantic snow flakes had started to fall pretty quickly. (We are supposed to get up to 8 more inches tonight and into tomorrow) My guess is that we will be home yet again tomorrow. Despite all of the activities that took place on my sanctioned hooky day, I was able to slip a nap in, although initially I had planned on retreating to the warmth of my bed, only to emerge the following day.
Ah, well, the best laid plans, and all that jazz...
Besides, there's always tomorrow.
PEACE.

What's Happenin'

I gotta tell ya, this parenting thing is a real snap for me. I never thought it would be this- Not Hard. I won't say easy, because it hasn't been. Easy is a bit too strong a way of putting it. I have gotten pretty good at anticipating when the kid is gonna get upset, and off I go to a musical source, donning my dancing shoes while en route, and I can get the kid to calm down/sleep in a heartbeat. Bob Marley's "Simmer Down" is a favorite, as well as a couple of ska tunes by Hepcat from the album "Right On Time". The boy is really surprising me with his musical appreciation. If he likes a song, he's all about it. His eyes dart to and fro as he concentrates on whatever is playing. If he's not too keen on a tune, look out! He lets loose with the waterworks accompanied by a loud, raspy series of screams. Nothing sets him off faster than Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay". (Pity)
I have also mastered the art of swaddling. If the kid is fidgety, or upset, and I don't feel like dancing, I can wrap him up in a blanket so nice and tight, the kid looks like a mummy, and we won't hear from him again in AT LEAST 1-2 hours. My guess is that the warmth, and constriction feels like he's back in the womb. It's a pretty effective technique, but I sometimes think the lovely wife thinks my wraps are a bit too tight...
The final sprout news for the evening is, he is now sleeping 4+ hours at a time!!! That may not seem like much to people who DON'T have kids, but that can be compared to having two Christmases a year (just the getting gifts part), finding $50 and then having no one claim it- even when you ask about 20 people if they've lost some dough. (I Never tell the the dollar amount-I may be a good samaritan, but I'm no Dummy), and having breakfast for dinner. The fact that he's sleeping that long is giving us more sleep time during the night, thus creating less dark circles under the eyes, and less grumpiness. He does, sometimes throw a monkey wrench into the works at times, and will wake up after just an hour to keep the lovely wife on her toes. I feel bad about not getting up in the middle of the night to help with feeding, because it's rough on the wife. But as she says, "What can you do? and besides, you have to work in the morning." I feel guilty each time I give a sigh of relief that SHE'S the one on maternity leave...
Last night I watched the Grammy awards with the wife. It was our intent to see the Police perform, but we tuned in too late. But we DID get to see an inspired performance by the ever so talented Justin Timberlake! (Can you see the thick, black tar-like sarcasm dripping from my lips?) We were so lucky to see him plink a loop of about 8 or 9 notes on his little piano, and then subject us to a hand held camera focusing in with an extreme close up on his wonderful face (The bile spewing from my mouth is a bit more than I can handle, so I'll move on.
Mary J. Blige has always been a favorite of mine, and her performance was great. Her heart in it y'all! It's a beautiful thing to see a Hip-Hop artist expand beyond the expected parameters of that genre and create a sound that is bold and new. That is why Hip-Hop, in the right hands will never, ever die. Another example of that level of creativity was Gnarls Barkley. Cee-Lo Green is an incredible performer, and singer, evidenced early on with his work within Goodie Mob, and on his two solo projects. Last night though, he far surpassed anything I've heard him do live. He seemed to breathe new life into a song that I've LONG considered a dead horse (Crazy), and the use of a full back up orchestra, and a choir was tight. BUT the home audience couldn't get the full effect of the performance. Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse, Gnarls Barkley's beat producer/D.J. Were both dressed in Airline gear. Cee-lo had on a navy blue commercial Pilot's uniform, and Danger Mouse wore a co-pilot's uniform. (White short-sleeved shirt with black and gold epaulets, and a black tie) The rest of the musicians wore airline inspired gear as well. Some wore airline attendant uniforms, some wore old school pilot uniforms, and some wore maintenance worker gear. The camera ONLY focused on Cee-Lo, and not the costumes worn, and the wall of sound that was behind him.
Ah well, it wouldn't be the Grammy's if there wasn't something that pissed me off.
PEACE.

...

If WHALES were meant to fly, they would've been given wings!

Oh.

Uhh...
Yeah.

Heh...

I guess member-
ship must REALLY need a boost...

The Adventures of Baby Amazing!!!

Well, the boy is 12 days old today! The last baby doc visit- by the way, from here on out, our Pediatrician will be known as "baby doc", because it is highly unlikely that I'll see the wife's OBGyn again till the next kid. Anyway, Monday's visit went well. The week before, Baby Doc gave us a bit of homework. He wanted the boy to gain 7oz.. I wasn't sure how he wanted us to accomplish this feat, short of stuffing the sprout's gullet with food at random times throughout the day. Granted, the boy is a small fry, but 7oz. is a lot of weight to gain in one week for a newborn.
Monday arrives, and we knew he had gained some weight, because the kid was really eating. Nonstop it seemed.
The nurse had us strip him down, and place him on what looked like a produce scale, and we awaited anxiously for the result...
"Wow" she said.
"He really ate a lot this week didn't he?"
"Umm, yeah" we both responded.
"He gained 10oz."
...
I think our responses were, "DAMN! That's great!"
I guess the kid can really eat. The rest of the visit was good. All is well-he's in tip top shape, and seems to be progressing very well.
Because he's eating more, we are sleeping more. The more food he seems to consume, the more he wants to sleep.
WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!
No more getting up 50 times during the night to change, feed and record the time and frequency of both of those activities in his little "growth journal"!
No more getting up in the middle of the night to calm him down because he's bored, and doesn't realize that at 1:45 a.m
you are supposed to be asleep.
The kid is really a breeze. I think we are going to be as spoiled as he will be. He really only cries if he's wet, hungry, or chilly.
All his waking hours are spent looking around, and listening intently. I really believe the kid is going to be pretty intelligent.
Of course I'm biased, but he's doing things that frankly, a NORMAL 12 day old just doesn't do.
Case(s) in point.
1. He pushes off the floor and our bodies with a good amount of force when he is dangled above them. (I can feel the tiny
muscles in his thighs and calves tighten when he pushes with his little legs)
2. He lifts his head and holds it steady for about two to three seconds before it plops back to our shoulders and chests when
we hold him upright.
3. He is Always looking around. I regularly see his eyes pan and scan objects that are within his visual area. (about 2-3 feet)
4. The kid likes music. If either of us sing to him, he seems to focus intently on the voice he's hearing, and he immediately
relaxes, going limp like a wet noodle.
So based on all these observations, I'm convinced we have a smart cookie on our hands.
I've also been conducting musical experiments with the little guy. I'll play various types of music to see how he responds. He's had the most noticeable reactions to Don Ho, Cesaria Evora, The Clientele, and The Shin's new cd, "Wincing the Night Away".
Speaking of which, the new album is pretty sweet. I have been listening to it nonstop since purchasing it last night, and I plan to give a review soon.
Next up in the musical experiment is Salsa, Reggae, Blues, and Jazz. I'll keep you posted as to how the kid responds, and who he likes.
Alright, I've talked your ears off, so I'm gonna say over and out.

P.S. Even though I HATE winter, I'm glad we got a boatload of snow tonight (3-4 in. DUMPED on us) It's keeping my mom here for a couple more days. I know it's selfish, but I'm not ready for her to go back to Florida just yet...
PEACE.

Shout Outs

Just want to say "What up" to some of my peeps...
First and foremost, I want to say hey mom, I'm glad you made it to town to visit us. I'm glad you got to see your new grand sprout. Feel free to spoil him at will. Please come and visit as often as you wish while you are in town.
Second, I want to thank all my co-workers, clients, friends, and family for all the words of advice, positivity, and encouragement during these past nine months. I also want to thank you all for the great gifts, both edible and non- they were right on time.
(especially the tasty spaghetti, {Thanks SCOTTY D} the soon to be eaten meat loaf, {THANKS Ms. ROHR IF YOUR'E NASTY} the very good soup, {Thanks Mrs. VOLTOLINI} the EXCELLENT cake, and offer to photograph my #1 son {Thanks WISCONSIN!} and the great ice cream {Thanks ICE CREAM MAN, and THE CANUCK}

What up to my lovely wife, and thank you so much for continuously getting up in the middle of the night to feed our cranky little bambino these past six nights, (and letting me sleep) when I know you'd rather be nestled under the warm covers and snoozing soundly. (I KNOW how important your beauty rest is to you) Thank you so much for being so responsible.
I have reached the end of my shout outs, and finally, I'm gonna recommend a photographer to check out.
Todd Baxter is the guy. His photos are strangely beautiful, and his use of light and color is quite amazing. Check him out.
Well, the boy is bawling, and it's hard holding him with one arm, using the other to type, and singing to him all at the same time, so I gotta go.
PEACE.