Memorial Day week(end)

Hey All,

Jenn, Graeme and I had a pretty good week. The big news was we had an ant problem!!! Long story short we wee invaded, not as badly as Jenn might tell you, but we had a good number of little black ants. Bottom line it was not cool! We had the exterminator over and wouldn't you know it it worked, its looking pretty ant free around here. So that was the downer for last week, the good news was Janice was back in the picture, the weather was pretty good, save for a few afternoon thunderstorms and the Indians had the best record in baseball!!! Oh yeah and we had a long weekend on the horizon. Graeme had a big weekend actually, it started with a lunch with former NALC President Bill Young and his wife Debbie. Bill was kind enough to give Graeme a couple of outfits, all emblazoned with the Atlanta Braves tomahawk logo, the team that brought down the best Indians team in 50 years in the 1995 world series. Bill I can't tell you you how happy I am that you were able to meet Graeme, his mother is your biggest fan and I'm very happy he'll know who you are and the role you played in shaping who Jenn and her career. Bill and Debbie, thanks for the gift and for everything. Jenn took some pictures and as soon and the NALC server is back on line we'll post them.

Saturday we met up with Ed and Mary Lou Knox and Kate for lunch at Chadwicks. For those of you that don't know Kate is like a sister to me and her parents are some of the best people we know. This was there first introduction with Graeme and as you can see in the pictures it went pretty well!















Ed and Mary Lou also gave Graeme a very nice engraved piggy bank (very appropriate since his 529 was just opened) and some very cute overalls that are adorned with Winny the pooh. Pooh was a big deal for both Jenn and I in our formative years so we are sure Graeme will be wearing them! Thanks to Ed and Mary Lou.

The weekend ended with a visit from Janice , Gary and best of all Mrs E. We met up with Mrs E. earlier in the week, but tonight was a full three hours + of Mrs. E and Graeme. Mrs. E had her first chance to hold Graeme, take a look for yourself. Mr. Fussybrithces took a break to sleep in Mrs. E's arms. A picture I'll never forget!



















I am sure I missed something, I am totally wrecked right now. Dad and Kath arrive tomorrow so we are looking forward to a fun week with them. It all get going with dinner at Old Ebbit Grill tomorrow night, that means oysters!!! I am very excited!

I am about to fall asleep on this keyboard, before I go I'd be remiss if I didn't make mention of Memorial Day. The ceremonial fist day of summer is actually our one day a year we're asked to remember those that paid the ultimate price. They did so, so that we would never have to endure the tragedy hat is taking place in Syria and so many other nations across the globe. We owe a debt of gratitude to those men and women, from the the revolution to the latest battles in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan we can honor them by living up to the ideals that make this nation great. Celebrate free speech, open debate, and political compromise. They seem simple,but people around the world are dying, tonight, this very night so that they might once day enjoy the freedoms we all take for granted.

God bless all those that have served and keep those that have laid down their lives so that our union may endure.

Peace

Graeme Meets the President!!!!

Hey All,

Yesterday was a big day for the little fella, he got to meet the President! See for yourself, there he is in the arms of NALC President Fred Rolando! Who by the way gave to Graeme three very nice outfits all emblazened with Cleveland Indians logos and slogans. Chief Wahoo is admittedly not the most politically correct mascot, but with the best record in baseball, he is one of the few symbols of Cleveland that we have to be proud of these days. Jim Sauber also gave a very cool University of Michigan outfit and Graeme's first football! What the hell have I been doing? How I did not already have a pig skin for the crib I don't know. His baseball mit is ready tio go , but I spaced on the football. Thanks Fred and Jim, great gifts and thanks to all the folks in the office for welcoming Graeme into the NALC family.

Peace

One Last Word Today

Hey All,

A real quick one to say congratulations to Araiana Leo for getting engaged to Chrsi Bowman recently. We love you guys!

Best wishes,

Will and Jenn

Book Review Time

Hey All,

Just a quick note to let you know that I finished Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken this past week. Laura Hillenbrand is most remembered for her 2001 Seabiscuit. She is a native of Northern Virginia and currently resides in Washington, DC. Not that I knew it at the time, but feels good to support a local writer. This was also my first book read cover to cover on a Nook. If you don't have one, get one, it is a great way to read and makes having your book(s) with you all the time totally convenient. That's my plug for the nook.

Now for the book, it was in one word, unbelievable! That word fits this book to a "T" for me for a couple of reasons. First, though the tale of Louis Zamperini is a true one, it is utterly unbelievable. Louis is befallen by a truly unbelievable series of events that conspire to deliver one of what has to be the wildest rides anyone could ever imagine. His life is proof that "truth is stranger than fiction", you couldn't dream up a plot like the one that is Louis' life. From back alley hooligan, to world class athlete, to surviving a crash landing in the Pacific, to enduring over forty day on a raft with no supplies, outlasting his captors during over two years of interment in a Japanese prison camp to returning to the states hitting rock bottom, finding his girl, and then finding redemption. The sequence of events is utterly unbelievable and totally enthralling, it is nearly impossible to put down just for the sake of the action that keeps the pages flying by.

Second, this book is unbelievable because it is impossible to fathom how one man could be so talented, so lucky, so resilient and so forgiving all in one form. Losing yourself in a daydream about Louis trials adrift on the Pacific or in the prison camp is easy to do, but this book also had me day dreaming about being like Louis. Watching as the rage built in him, as he was broken down and beaten to within an inch of his life and yet all through it he maintained a dignity and and constant belief he would return to his family, alive. Whether it's the story or how it's told, I don't know, but I constantly found myself getting lost in Louis and his physiological and emotional torment and eventual triumph. Unbroken made me want to be a better person. I am sure if you asked Louis, he be indifferent about such praise, but it is truly unbelievable that he can be all these things. If you read Unbroken you'll know what I mean.

I'll close with this, and I don't want to give to much away, but the moment that Louis life changes goes unnoticed by him and most likely the reader. It is in the end, when a single moment, one that we've all had is revealed and Louis is forever finally changed. In that split second all the events preceding that moment, the rise of a world class athlete, the triumph of surviving the crash, the agony of enduring his cruel imprisonment it all makes sense and all falls in place as Louis' turns on a dime and his purpose is illuminated. Read it you'll lover it!! It gives you hope that within each of us, there is a little Louis Zamperini.

I hope there is some Louis in me and most of all in Graeme. It is on his must read list already!

Peace.

Will

Short Week and the Animal Revolution

Hey All,

Hard to believe how quickly this has become a weekly update. I guess I figured we'd get here but I wasn't thinking it would be this quick. Other than Mom heading back to Florida we had a pretty casual week. We missed seeing Janice this week as she received her shingles vaccination and as a precaution it was recommended that she not see Graeme 3-7 days. She is currently going through withdrawal, but alas she will be here tomorrow to catch up on lost time. She nor anyone reading this blog missed any major milestones this past week. However, Jenn did have a lactation appointment this past Wednesday, during which Graeme was weighed and he checked in at a stout 9lbs 3 oz. He is growing at a pretty good clip these days! He's also starting to smile at what seems to be things other than passing gas, that is a pretty cool. To see him look up at you and crack a grin is really pretty special, even more so when it's not accompanied by a fart!

Gary was a big help this week coming over to help Jenn and break up some of the monotony as I was again back at work. It was, however my compressed week (that just means I had Friday off) so Jenn and I spent Friday joining a new gym, having a lunch date and doing some grocery shopping. Graeme was a bit tired and didn't quite make it through Giant, all the crazy prices and Daddy's coupon cache were just too much!

Saturday was Graeme's first trip to the Old Town Farmers Market. We headed there bright and early, because we're now up at 5AM everyday. That is nothing spectacular for me, but if you know Jenn at all this is a major change to here sleeping patterns. Jenn has a great attitude about it though, she was the one that suggested, "Hey we're up let's at least do something with it." So off we went, Mom, Dad, Graeme and Kayla in the Green Dragon destined for Old Town's Farmers Market, our mission; Rhubarb. We had a dinner date with the Mulvaneys and I had decided to bake a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. The only thing we needed was rhubarb and where better to get it than the local farmers market. To find a local farmers market near you check out www.localharvest.org. You can also find information on Community Supported Agriculture, a great concept that supports local farms by enabling them to connect directly with the public via markets and farm shares. As and aside, Jenn and I were part of a farm share two summers ago. Ultimately we decided we'd rather have the farmers market experience, but a farm share is a great thing to check out and if you're inclined get involved. Supporting local sustainable agriculture is socially, environmentally and economically responsible and it just tastes better too!

Anyway here is how the pie turned out.

Now looks can be deceiving. The pie looked and tasted the part, but it was a bit on the soupy side. My gut tells me I had a bit too much rhubarb, which renders out a lot of water, and that is the most likely cause. Turns out if I had added a few tablespoons of tapioca it might have made all the difference in the world. I am going to make it again soon so look for an update when I do round two. We had a great visit with Bob and Liz, Bob is a pretty good cook in his own right, the food is always great and last nights chicken satay and beef carpaccio were no exception. Johnny and Sammy were fun too, we are reminded what we have to look forward to every time we hang with the Mulvaneys. They are great kids, fun, funny, energetic and very sweet all at once. Gives us great hope for what it will be like as Graeme grows up.

You're probably saying to yourself right about now, "What the hell was Will thinking when he titled this blog?, The Animal Revolution???" Well if you've ever listened to the Tony Kornhieser Show you'll know that the animal revolution is approaching! Tony love stories about animals causing mayhem and in particular the dopes that are caught in the middle of it. Well we had our own encounter this AM. Here is the transcript from the cockpit voice recorder.

Will: Jenn, where is the paper from yesterday?
Jenn: Try the chair in the corner of the dining room.
Will: No, it's not there. Holy &^%* there is a F*&(%& deer on our front lawn!!
Jenn: What is he doing?
Will: He's eating from the bird feeder!!!You have to get down here to see this! Where is the dog how is she not going crazy!

See below the Lil Alex Wild Game Preserve

Well that's about it. We're off to Church this morning, then an easy day of washing the car, mowing the lawn and maybe a visit to the gym. Catching up on some sleep would be nice too.

Until next time... Peace.

Will and Jenn


Standing Guard

Farm Pics

Click here to view these pictures larger

The Way Back Machine

Hey All,

Well it's been a while since the last real post so let me catch you all up on what we've been doing. Until this AM we were four, Mom left this morning on the 8:00 Air Tran, so it's just us and baby makes three! So we had a great visit with Grandma Fiona, so let's take a look back down memory lane! I gave you the recap of Mom's arrival Friday, but that, well that was just the beginning. Saturday we had a visit from our friend Brian Moran, all the way from San Francisco. We had a quick visit, but it's always good to have Brian over. It was his first time at Lil Alex and we're hoping it won't be his last, come on back Brian!

Saturday night was one of the highlights, we had dinner at my Uncle Gerhard and Aunt Louise's. It was Graeme's first visit with Gerhard and Louise and he stole the show. When I was a kid, Gerhard used to be the best part of going to my Grandmother's. He always would great me with, "Will, how are you?" in that big, booming infectious Austrian voice that is sort of Gerhard's calling card. Once that voice is in your head you never forget and I most certainly haven't. That big greeting was usually followed by Gerhard swinging me around by my ankles. I hope Graeme will know that joy, it is one of my fondest childhood memories. That was me taking a trip down memory lane as Louise and Gerhard got to know Graeme. They also did some reminiscing with Mom, it had been a very long time since they all had a chance to sit and talk, there was a lot of ground to cover. the entire visit was just superb, and as always we had a fabulous meal and great conversation.

The rest of the week was pretty tame. I returned to work, Jenn, Mom and Graeme settled into a routine that usually involved a lot of Mom watching Graeme, feeding Graeme and buying us meals!

The weekend ended at the farm. We had a great time, Janice, Gary, Rugby Kayla, Jenn, Mom, Graeme and I all piled into the rooster. Actually, we were very comfortable! Janice and Gary are expanding the deck and looking to install a hot tub soon, should be even more fun at the White Rooster this summer! Graeme had his first introduction to the farm and by all accounts really had a good time. Of course, it's hard to tell, though he is developing a personality it's still a lot of eat, sleep and poop, but at the farm most everything seems a bit better so I think he enjoyed himself.

We did say at the beginning of this blog that we would have the occasional vignette from the kitchen, well as you may or may not know we cook a TON at the Rooster and this weekend was no exception. In aprticular we had one of my favorites on Friday night. We broke out the hill-billy turkey fryer and boiled crabs! Well we steamed them I guess technically, however, we didn't go with the local Blue Crabs, we prefer the easier to eat Snow and King Crab. They were great!!! It wasn't the most extravagant dinner, but those crabs are always good.

The last of the weekend was a sip-n-see with Robin and Baba and Bugsy and Lindy. Know, you wouldn't guess it by looking at him, but Bugsy (Bryan Watson) is great with kids! Of course, Bugsy is just a kid himself!

Baba, Robin, Lindy and Bugsy with Graeme

Baba and Robin and Bugsy and Lindy have been good friends to Jenn for some time and to me since I came on the scene a few years back. We're both very excited that Graeme will grow up with memories of you all as part of his extended family.

A few Pics with more to follow


Rugby and Kayla

The Green Dragon has a pod! (Thanks Mom)

Well that was about it. I am sure I glanced over a few things, hopefully nobody notices, the end.

Peace

Mom and Kayla