Forgot About My Blog

what's happened?

Oh, well, I had a duaghter. Her name is Ruby.

WOW !!!

This is quite simply the coolest thing I have EVER seen....

Where Have I Been?

Well, I took a little hiatus from the blogger thing for a few weeks. It was pretty time consuming, and the weather was getting nice, and Steph went back to work, and a million other things that I am using for excuses.
Okay, all good? Friends again now?

Good. Shut it.

Memorial Day on the River

Steph and I took the boat out today, and had a blast with the kids. We had an extra long weekend with Naomi, and even thought the weather started off badly, it got into the 70s later on which was awesome.

Naomi, to my surprise followed through with her desire to get on the inner tube, and had a blast. She said she really wanted to, but I had my doubts as to whether she would or not, but she did and did awesome. I didn't go crazy in the boat and, truth be told, we were barely idling before she asked to slow down(!!) but I was very proud of her.



She actually got pretty cocky after a while, and was doing it one handed, while waving to people going by us...which was everyone as we were going so slow!

We even bought the video camera!



Jack of course was doing well as long as he had something to eat. He was all bundled up and just chilling out.



Ruby came along, too, which was funny. She had on her special infant life jacket, and you couldn't sink her if you tried in that thing. The sound of the boat, and the movement of the water meant that she slept pretty much the entire time.



So we have now taken the boat out a few times and it has been great. I dinged the dock once (which was my fault pulling away...I was watching the dog instead of the river) but this looks to be a good investment for the summer!

FA Cup Final

Wow. What an incredibly boring game.

I was going to write a bunch about it, and was hoping to tell the world that my team won, but they didn't and it was a mind-numbingly boring game.

I hate games like that, because that is how most people will see soccer in this country...and that ain't good!

Help For Daddy

Help for Daddy, Inc, is coming....

Not exactly the greatest teaser int eh world....but I will be announcing something pretty HUGE in the next few weeks.

Something that will eventually get myself, Mike, and Kenny out of the rat race that is corporate America and on the road to self-employed goodness...

Mike / Kenny: I need to set up some meetings. Stay tuned. I am just finishing up the grunt work before I hit you guys up for your knowledge and devastating good looks.

A Great Day

Jack's First Swim

Awesome video. He was so excited, and so scared at the same time. Very cute.

We swam at the hotel pool in Memphis, TN, the day before we left.

Graceland

Yes, that's right...check it off the list of places to visit before we die...



Steph and I (and Jack and Ruby) visited the Kings mansion while we were in Memphis, TN. Steph obviously is a huge Elvis fan, and I have to admit, I was a little curious about Graceland and how it actually was, so we both paid our $30 and got to do a one time tour through the ground floor of the mansion.


Elvis' grave

It was, by today's standards, a pretty cool house. You could tell it was obviously all decked out in that hideous yellow/green shag carpet from the 60's and 70's, but once you got past that, it still had the feel of 'The King'.



The grounds were amazing. Seriously! His car collection and his two planes were also part of the tour, as was his actual gravesite.

Here are some pictures from that tour:

Arkansas Road Trip

I had a work trip planned a long time ago to Alabama. As the date drew nearer, we decided that we would use some of the miles we were saving for our UK trip to get Steph and the kids out there and make the short trip to Arkansas to see her grandparents and cousins who I have never met, and she hadn't seen in 10 years!


Welcome to Hampton, Arkansas

What a trip! It is a different world down there for sure. I had previously lived in Alabama for a year, so was familiar with the south, but Steph's family live in deepest darkest Arkansas.

Yes, I know, you are all expecting a duelling banjos joke right about now, but aside from the place looking like the movie Deliverance, it was nothing like what I expected. I had traveled through Arkansas a few times and it was always a bit sketchy, but there is something about southern hospitality that you just can't beat.

Banjo at the ready!

Steph's family were awesome, and I had a great time. We met her grandparents, cousins, and their extended family, too. We took over 700 photos while were down there and just enjoyed the heck out of it. They all got a kick out of Jack, and he was into everything, and Ruby just chilled out the whole time.


Steph's grandfather

Great trip. Can't wait to get back.


Jack and his GREAT-grandfather


Steph's grand mother and grandfather

Emma and Darren Come to Stay

We had a great time when "Auty Em & Uncle Darren" came to stay with us at the end of April.

They were here for 10 days and, aside from taking off for a couple of days to do some sightseeing along the coast, they hung out with us and the kids the whole time.


Em and Ruby


The only shot I had of Darren...damn

New Boat!

We have a new boat!!

Yes, the old one was getting repaired and refurbished as quickly as possible, but at the end of the day, with three kids occupying most of my time there was no way it was going to get done for the summer!

So, I sold it and got a new one. This one is a 1976 Reinell with 120 hp and it in great condition. I didn't want anything too new, and couldn't afford anything too expensive, so I decided to go for something practical.


Parked down at Newport Bay on the Wilamette

This will pull two skiiers out of the water, and will give us days of 'cheap' fun out on the river this summer. My goal is to try to have Naomi learn how to waterski, and get Jack out on a inner tube. It also is a nice incentive for having bigger, group BBQs if you have a boat that is ready to roll.


It looks sweet in the water

Now all I need is the boat name to be added. Pro Nostrum Liberi. For the kids.



Wicked!

European Terror Alert

An update on European terror alerts.

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists themselves have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

It's not only the English and French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy

Easter 2007

Easter this year was great. I think having kids makes it all the more fun...otherwise it is just a regular Sunday morning.



Nim got up first and immediately wanted to start finding Easter Eggs. We told her she had to wait for her brother, and then, right on cue, he appeared ready to roll. Unlike his mother (!!) he always wakes up in a good mood, and doesn't require a gallon of coffee to get going.


Nim was here this easter


Yes, even satan celebrates easter!


Some kids were not as interested...

Then the festivities began. You can see from the video that the kids had a great time hunting for eggs. It was really nice to have them all here for the holiday.


Part One


Part Two

Ruby Looking Sooooo Big!

These pictures her look so big.

Pizza Box Protest

So check this story out (and the video clip).

This video is about a protest to the following story.

In Ohio, they have now started putting the pictures of dads who are behind in their child support payments on pizza boxes in towns.

Yes, that's right...no matter what the reason, if you are behind, you could end up on a pizza box. Imagine that kid in school the next day, when his/her friends ordered a pizza the night before and see their dad on the box. Unbelievable!!! This is ridiculous.

They dont' put child molesters on there. Or criminals. Or Murderers. But dads go on.

One other point of note in this story. Of the 380 folks who were behind in their child support...63 of them were women. Guess how many women are appearing on the pizza boxes? Yep, you guessed it. None.

Click here to see the video.

Pixar Got It Right

Disney's Pixar studios know their stuff. Seriously.

Jack is a hge fan of Cars. Not the play items (although that as well), I am talking the movie, Cars. He will watch that thing time and time again. We dont' let him watch a lot of TV, but this is the exception.

So he is, as you know, about 20 months old. That's it. In Cars there are about 15 characters...and he can rattle them all off verbatim.

And they say you can't market to kids!


The boy knows his shit!

True Friends

Some people are givers.

There really isn't any other way to say it.

Neal Bauer is one of them.


Hard at work as always

Saturday he volunteered...yes that's right, VOLUNTEERED...to leave his wife with two screaming kids, a mountain of work, and cleaning, and dinner to cook, to come and help me move a piano into my house.

This ordeal was made worse when, despite his new fitness regimen of jogging 2 miles every other day since January 1, he threw out his back lifting the piano into my house. Then, he crushed a toenail sliding it.

This makes me think that I am so lucky to have friends like that.

Well, that and the fact that I need to get movers with coordination.

Nim Goes Techno!

Nim is starting to get older and older. Well, I guess she isn't 'starting' to get older...I just didn't want to believe it!

It kind of hit home this weekend though when she asked for computer for her room. Now, I know she isn't about to bust out spreadsheets and such, but it was still a shock to us.


Poised for a future of cubical work

Right now she just wants to get on the internet and check out the Disney site, and the Nickelodeon page, which is cool, but she is learning so much at school, and it is so different to what I was learning at that age.

We have the older laptop, and are thinking about just putting that in her room. It is wireless so the web could still work. Only one problem...Jack! If he gets a hold of it, the laptop is history!


This is what daddy looks like at work!

She even asked to play her Gwen Stefani CD in the laptop while she was playing. Headphones of course...for privacy!!


Oh crap, the boss is looking!

Ahhh...technology!

Ruby Is Getting So Big!

Jack Feeding Ruby...sort of...

The aim wasn't there at the start...


..but it started to get better...


...and better...


...until eventually...


...everyone was happy.

Help For Daddy, Inc

I have a new title. Sure, most of you know me under a number of guises (most of them good!) but I officially have another one now: President/CEO.

Help for Daddy was officially kicked off today. By this I mean filed with the State of Oregon, and ready to roll. We got confirmation of the receipt and are good to go!

What is Help for Daddy? Well, it is my new non-profit group started up to help divorcing fathers get a jump start on a new life...one where they are able to enjoy something I don't...equal custody of their children.

There is a lot to talk about, and this is something that I am unbelievably passionate about, and you will be able to read all about it on our new website. The site isn't up yet, as I am planning all the marketing and web design to launch at the same time.

Soon though, http://www.HelpForDaddy.com will be coming to a neighborhood near you!

Stay tuned.

Pics of Nim

I couldn't think of an appropriate caption!

Pizza Boxes Carry "Deadbeat" Mug Shots

For original context, click here.

CINCINNATI - Customers at some suburban pizza parlors are getting something extra with their pepperoni and mushrooms — wanted posters for parents accused of failing to pay child support.

The idea came to Cynthia Brown, executive director of the Butler County Child Enforcement Agency, while she was ordering pizza.



"It suddenly dawned on me that most people running from the law don't eat out, they order pizza," said Brown, whose county is north of Cincinnati.

Enforcement agencies across the country use a variety of methods to locate support scofflaws and collect past-due payments. Virginia has issued subpoenas to cellular phone companies seeking addresses and phone numbers. California's Kern County seizes and auctions parents' vehicles, with proceeds going to the children, said Kay Cullen, a spokeswoman for the National Child Support Enforcement Association.

State child support agencies collected more than $23 billion in child support for 17.2 million children in 2005, but the cumulative past-due child support since the agencies were first formed more than 30 years ago is $106 billion, Cullen said.

"While we have made progress, putting the wanted posters on pizza boxes is an example of the innovation and commitment that we need," she said.

Other Ohio counties put posters on their Web sites and work with local Crime Stoppers programs, and a few contract with companies that can track people through rental and cell phone records, according to the Ohio Child Support Directors Association. Some include fliers in water and sewer bills.

Butler County has printed posters with mug shots of its 10 most-wanted parents, placing them in post offices and other government buildings and sending them to Ohio's 87 other counties. The lineup, chosen by prosecutors, is changed twice a year.

The Butler County sheriff's office served 1,224 nonsupport warrants last year, said sheriff's Sgt. Todd Langmeyer. The county has about 350,000 residents.

Brown approached several restaurants and chains with her idea of affixing the posters to pizza boxes, but so far only three pizzerias are participating.

Since the first pizza posters appeared in August, they have led to one arrest, Langmeyer said. "It's a good idea any time you can put the faces out there," he said.

The owner of Karen's Pizzeria hasn't heard any complaints about her participation in the poster program.

"Some customers joke about it and say they're glad they aren't on it," Karen Willis said. "Most seem to think it's a good idea."

An attorney who focuses on fathers' rights cases called the tactic "horrible."

"It's just a way of shaming people," said Maury Beaulier, whose firm is in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Many circumstances can cause people to get behind in support payments, but that doesn't make them deadbeats, he said.

Widespread public shaming also can devastate the children, said Michael McCormick, executive director of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children.

"Think how children feel to see a parent on a wanted poster and know their friends might see it," he said.

Brown said her agency tries to work with parents by trying to help them find work and seeks most payments through civil court. Criminal charges are a last resort. Conviction on a felony count of failing to pay child support brings a prison sentence of up to 18 months, with fines usually set in the amount of the support owed.

"We aren't trying to penalize these people," Brown said. "We are just trying to help the kids who have a right to be supported."

Naomi Baking Cookies

Just damn cute!

Pics of Jack