Looking Back at 2009...Seems Everyone Is Doing It

OK so I took some artistic license with when the baby was conceived!

When I say everyone is doing it, I mean looking back at 2009. This time of year tends to be when humankind looks backwards to try to figure out what we did right or wrong and what we can do to improve ourselves. We usually start that off by making shallow resolutions that we never keep. I am making a resolution to never make resolutions again. Part of the reason I feel that way is because 2009 was easily one of the best years of my life.

2009 started off with much frustration and heartache. I have chronicled the pre-pregnancy nightmare of fertility treatments and costs. I am getting ready to do our taxes and have been compiling all of the medical receipts for the year. A quick recap showed me an eye popping $12k spent on not having a baby! I cannot imagine what it would have been like with IVF. But all of the costs and headaches instantly vanished after Emilee flung pee in my face the morning of June 22nd. Then new worries and problems began.

We have been fortunate to have had a textbook pregnancy. Well Emilee has had a textbook pregnancy anyway. She has been absolutely amazing to watch over the past 8 months. It is so incredible to watch the development of your own child. Whether it is through the use of doppler, ultrasound, or simply feeling the increasing strength of the movement in Emilee's belly; it has been the most awe inspiring thing I have ever witnessed. I just hope the infancy and childhood are as straightforward as the pregnancy has been. But, I am definitely not going to hold my breath hoping for that to happen.

We also were fortunate enough to visit one of the most beautiful places on the planet. In March, when all of the doctors were telling us that "Emilee's womb was a barren rocky place where my seed could find no purchase", we decided we needed a break. I took advantage of our despair and E's credit (lol) and talked her into going to Alaska. We booked our trip for May and it seemed as if the trip was never going to get here, but it finally did. The wait was definitely worth it. Alaska is absolutely the most beautiful place either of us has ever been. Emilee still comments that she wants to move there, I just remind her that we were there in May and not January. The picture on the top of my blog was from that trip and I promise you it was not the most beautiful thing we saw up there.

We found out that we could afford "the house of our dreams". Through some timing that most people would credit only to God's hand we were able to pull it off. We had been trying to sell the townhouse, which had its own albatross feel to it, when we were given the opportunity to purchase the house we loved for $145,000 less than what it was originally listed for. One day later we get word that a friend of a friend, but someone we know and trust, was in desperate need of a place to live. Gotta love it when a plan comes together. So we were able to pull it off! We moved in a couple of weeks ago and get to start the transformation of making a house a home.

We also got to witness one of our good friends marry "the right one" this time! We had a great time on the cruise with Steve and Kristen. The happiness on his face when they tied the knot was a great sight. They were destined for each other and I wish them much happiness.

2009 also had its share of downs. In all of the excitement of what was going on in my life, I allowed a friendship to wither and I deeply regret that. The fact that he will never understand how pained I am by that saddens me. But sometimes we have to lose things to realize how important they are to us. I hope that in the future we can repair that which is broken and move forward again.

Finally. I want to thank all of you that have been following my ramblings. I expect to continue to write and I hope you continue to read. We have an ultrasound next week so I should have another baby update. Have a safe 2010.

Rob

A Simple Thanks From A Grateful American

It seems lately that I have had more than my share of people approaching me and thanking me for the work I do. I say thanks and mumble something about I do nothing special and move on my way. I guess that most of us that work in fields where people view us as doing something special just think of all of the nonsense we put up with. I really wonder if people would think we were special if they came and ran a shift with us. Most people would be amazed if they came and ran a shift with us "life-savers". I try to be very honest with those closest to me, but I always give them the good stories. At least I get to take that from this job.

But there are people in this world who truly deserve our thanks and praise. These people are the soldiers that whether deployed or on a base somewhere here in the US are ready to strike out against tyranny and oppression anywhere in the world. These are the people that keep us safe and allow us to pursue the fruits of our freedom. I wish that most Americans had a better understanding of what our soldiers go through. I wish I had a better understanding.

The United States has not always made the best decisions when it comes to warfare. I mean to say that we have not always allowed our military to fight to win. It is a shame that we base our military stratagems on DOMESTIC politics. DO we need to worry about the rest of the world? Until we are self sufficient as a nation it makes sense to pay attention to the nations that we need as trade partners or that we need specific raw materials from. But paying attention is not the same as kowtowing to them.

But the fact that the president feels like he has to take an opinion poll every time he sneezes much less put a theater strategy in place is disheartening to me. We (the nation) elect our president and give them great responsibility. We give them the power to wage war on other nations and to press the objectives of the United States. When the president, regardless of who he is, allows public opinion to dictate war policy we will never win.

I never served in our military. It is the only true regret I have in my life. I have had several veterans tell me I missed nothing and I should be happy with how my life turned out. I am happy, but I wish I had the perspective of experience. I wish I could look on these people as comrades in arms but I can't. I have to listen to their stories to get a glimpse of their lives. Maybe that is why I am such a fan of reading military history. I try to get as much of a sense of what our soldiers go through as I can.

All of the above is the long way of saying that we should be eternally grateful to the men and women who serve and have served in the armed forces of this country. We should be aggressive in our support for these brave souls who risk their lives for those of us who won't risk ours. I know that I am very appreciative of the sacrifices that are made by these citizens and their families.

Thanks guys and gals. Specifically; Justin, Brad, Bud, Lynn, Pete, Don, Ryan, Dan, Jim, Jonathan, Meriah and all of your families. I know that I will always appreciate all you have ever done for me and my family!

Stay Safe & Merry Christmas,

Rob

A Boz Family Update...Week 29

We turned 29 weeks today and everything is going by the book. We did switch Obstetricians midstream, but we did it for financial and not care issues, and the new OB seems to have it together so that is a good thing. Emilee also passed her glucose test so we do not have to worry about gestational diabetes. That was a huge relief because if Emilee had problems with diabetes during her pregnancy then it greatly increases the risk that the baby will end up with Type I diabetes and then they have to monitor it for life. Plus a lot of women that have gestational diabetes end up giving birth to enormous (10+ pound) babies and Emilee was not down with that! BTW, the largest birth weight ever is 19.2 pounds! And yes it was a C-Section.

Week 29 is suppossed to be the week where Emilee starts having to go pee every 5 minutes. I can inform you that the books were off by about 29 weeks on this one. We also get the following stuff going on in week 29 (courtesy of whattoexpect.com):

Your baby is almost 17 inches tall now (nearly as tall as he or she will be at birth), and close to three pounds (a weight that will likely more than double — and may even come close to tripling — by delivery time). His or her wrinkled skin is smoothing out as more fat is deposited under the skin surface. This fat, called white fat, is different from the earlier brown fat that your developing fetus accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation while white fat (the fat you have, Mom) actually serves as an energy source.

Which explains why your energizer baby feels so…well…energized! Space in your baby's living quarters is now at a premium, so you'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks will be more vigorous than before (and also less erratic) because your baby is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar you ate half an hour ago.

We also closed on our new house this week. Tuesday was the most expensive day in the history of our family, but it will definitely be worth it. I have caught some good natured flak about moving to Dawsonville, but I know that we would be kicking ourselves in the ass 5 years from now if we had not done it. The fact that we were able to find a renter for the townhouse in less than a week also was abig help. As we all know, sometime a plan just comes together. Now the fun begins....We are moving this weekend.

Everytime I move I am reminded of a couple of events from moves of the past. Some are happy and some not so much. But, I will never forget helping the Barnett's move printing equipment from Joe Phillips' shop off Panola Road. There is one main reason this move sticks out in my head, and it was not the 1907 bluegrss music that we were forced to endure while in the old shop. It was the trailer Trevor and I were towing to move the equipment. If any of you have ever towed an open 12' trailer you know that sometimes they act up a bit. Well ours was acting up like a 12 year old who forgot to take his Ritalin. Trevor's fix for the squirrleyness of the trailer was to stomp on the accelerator.

This had the desired effect of straightening out the trailer for about 500 feet and then we would have to do the whole process over again. After almost slamming into the wall on 285 for the third time we finally pulled over. What we found was scary. One of the wheels on the trailer, which was held on by 4 lugs, was attached to the trailer by one lug that was about an 1/8th of an inch from breaking loose! We had that thing fishtailing all over the interstate. Looking back at the event I am surprised that no one got hurt.

Stay Safe,

Rob

Ripples In The Tub!

Emilee has gotten into the habit of taking a bath most nights because it helps with her back pain and it generally helps her relax. Often times I will go in and sit on the edge of the tub and we will talk about whatever went on during our day. Most of the conversations lately have focused on what we need for the house and what new piece of information the mortgage people needed. It amazes me that there are millions of loans processed every year and yet it seems like this is the first time these people have tried to get all of the necessary information together. You would think they had a list or something by now. We also need a new refrigerator, but don't get us started on that subject!

SO the other night I am sitting on the side of the tub and we are having one of our conversations and I see the water ripple like it does when a stone hits a lake. I thought I had dropped something into the tub but then Emilee asked me if I had seen it. Emilee said that Anna Grace was being very active but did not figure we would be able to see such a direct display of her kicking. We watched and watched. Unfortunately the little booger did what she usually does when people are watching; she went dormant!

I do not know how many of you have had the same experience. About once a night Emilee makes me stare at her stomach because she saw something or the baby is kicking her pretty hard, and I get to see.........NOTHING! It is as if she knows someone is watching and she is playing a little game of peek a boo. She does the exact same thing when E has me out my hand on her belly to feel her kick. Kind of like the Twilight movies; a lot of build up and no payoff. Of course Emilee gets to see all of the good stuff because she feels it coming. She even watched Anna Grace kick a pen across her desk at work! Apparently we have a little Amazon in the making.

Thinking of Amazon I need to get some Christmas shopping done.

I am attaching a 3D pic from the ultrasounds we had done Thursday. I hope you guys enjoy!

Stay Safe,

Rob

Happy Birthday Mom!

November 25th is Gayle Anne's birthday. I guess I should call her Mom for this ode to all the great things she has meant to me. I am very grateful for her giving birth to me and not terminating my life at any point in the following 3 decades. She always wanted the best for me and wanted me to succeed. I hope she sees that I have. I am happy, fortunate, and about to start a family of my own. I love her very much and will never be able to express how thankful I am for the lessons she taught me or let me learn on my own.

I had planned on being very sappy and serious for my tribute to her, but then I read something that Lynn had posted. Since I have no problem straight-out plagiarizing from Lynn (please don't sue) I am going to post "What My Mother Taught Me". I hope you guys enjoy this....

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .

"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION....

"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL .

"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.

" Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.

"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.

"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY

"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.

"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTION.

"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.

"You'll sit there until all the spinach and olives are gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.

"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.

"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.

"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.

"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.

"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.

"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .

"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.

"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.

"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.

"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .

"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.

You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.

"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.

"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE

"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you


I Love You Mom! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


Stay Safe,

Rob

Sorry Emilee, I Couldn't Resist

SO Emilee is pretty sure the baby is laying spread eagle in her belly. At least she says that's the way it feels after she eats. Apparently the increase in Emilee's appetite has not been met with a warm welcome by little Umfufu. All is quiet until Em is polishing off that last bite of Molten Chocolate Lava Cake and then the acrobatics begin. I will say it has made it more interesting for me. I get to feel everything that is going on now. You can even see her belly jump when Anna Grace kicks! Pretty Cool!

And in the "I know I am going to hell for this" category; it's fun to watch Emilee drop stuff. I know I am probably a bad person, but it is very entertaining watching her try to pick things up off of the ground. It is funny because she often forgets that she can't just bend straight over to pick it up and then she has to correct herself and maneuver around to get whatever she dropped. In the process of doing this she looses sight of the object and then has to grope for it. Like I said, I am probably going to hell.

Speaking of going to hell.....

• How does anyone sink to the level of this Phillip Garrido asshole? He's the guy that kidnapped the 11 year old girl and then made her his sex slave for 18 years. Why is this guy allowed to live long enough to stand trial?
• What kind of people stand and watch as a 15 year old girl gets gang-raped for two hours? What kind of soulless world are we living in, and did it go to hell overnight? They were afraid of being SNITCHES! WTF was going on in the raising of these kids?
  
• And what about the slew of teachers having sex with students, priests molesting children, and the dozens of busts for child pornography every week?

How did we get here? I have theories, but that is for another discussion. What I want to know is how to protect my child. How do you know who the bad guys are? Don't they often look like us? Can't they be your best friend or good neighbor? How do you keep these people away from your children? And why is it not legal to feed them into a wood chipper if they get caught? Of course a wood chipper may be too light a sentence for these individuals.

Back onto happy thoughts now. We hit 26 weeks today which on some calendars is the last week of the 2nd trimester. A quick question, why is it this way on some calendars? Why is there not agreement across the board? If anyone has an answer for me I would love to hear it. Anyway, the 26 week old fetus development update is brought to us by BabyCenter.com.

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

I want to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers. Very soon we will be able to talk about her as a baby! I look forward to her meeting you all.


Stay Safe,

Rob

A Weekend With Friends

Most of us end up in a place where we look back at different points in our lives and wonder how we got to where we are now. Whether it's how we ended up in the career we are in, how we ended up in the good/bad financial situation we are in, or how we ended up blessed or stuck with the friends we have. I know that I have considered myself blessed to have the friends I do. I have a great core of people that I have known for a long time, and we have put each other through the paces. I think it has been because we have been through so much with each other that makes us such good friends.

First of all, let me expand on the concept of friends. "Friend" is one of the most overused words in the English language. Most people use the word to simply mean anyone they have met. I hear "My friend so and so did this", or "my friends and I went out bar hopping last night". But how many of these "friends" would truly be there if you needed them to be. There is an old joke that refers to what a friend is:

A buddy is someone who will come and bail you out of jail.
A friend is sitting there beside you trying to figure out how you both got caught.

I think the friend is the one who told you that you were insane to attempt what you were about to do and still comes down to drag your ass out of the pokey. Then, of course, they proceed to give you grief for the rest of your life because they told you so. I consider myself lucky to have some of that type of people in my life.

I had a rare weekend where I got to see most of that group. I had lunch with Trevor on Friday, helped Justin with his basement floor on Saturday morning, and got to hang out with the "family" on Saturday night. The family I talk about is Matt, Jill, Kristi, and Shane. We don't get to see each other as a group very often, and it was fun. We even got Shane to talk about something other than work for a while. I hope they all had as good of a time as I did.

I bring all of this up because I think about my daughter to be and her future. I wonder if she will be able to develop the strong friendships that I have been able to develop. Even when I have pushed and pushed my friends are there for me. Even when I have felt like there was no one to turn to they were there. I hope they realize they can lean on me too. I know they will never understand how much I appreciate them and what they mean to me. I hope Anna Grace is able to find friends like that.

I have often been told that my group is not the norm. Most people look at our friendships and have no way of relating to them at all. When you look at it I guess I can see why. I have been close to the same group of people for close to 20 years now. How many friendships can most people say they have had for that long? Emilee does not understand it. She appreciates it, but she does not really understand it. Is it a man mentality vs. a woman mentality? I don't know any women that have the same kind of friendships. Will Anna Grace be lucky enough to have the kind of friends I do? I really hope so.

I want to say thanks for those that have always been there for me, even when we really did not like each other. So Matt, Shane, and Trevor thank you. Kris and Chuck no length of time between contacts will ever be long enough to make the next time uncomfortable. And Topper, Robin, and Justin welcome to the family. Finally I want to give an extra special thanks to Kristi, Jill, and Emilee. I know what a special hell you three go through dealing with the "boys", and I want you to know I love all of you.

Think about the people in your life. I know mine is better because of the few I call a friend. If you feel the same way, let them know.

Stay Safe,

Rob

Why Is The Crib So Damn Heavy?

Howdy Ho neighbors and welcome to another edition of "Rob is amazed at the things we discover on the route to having a baby". In today's edition we will talk about cribs, strollers, hand-me-downs, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Sometimes I totally understand the reasoning for some things, and at other times I am completely baffled. For instance...how has Snuffleupagus survived his heroin habit for 40 years?

40 years! That is how long Sesame Street has been on TV. I fondly remember the letters and numbers that were being taught to me. We never saw it coming either! How many of us like to sit down and actually learn something that might be useful. Sure we learn skills to make our life easier, but I challenge any of you to pick up a book on something you have zero interest in and learn anything. If you do, some of you can thank Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and the Count for helping to teach you to read and learn your numbers. My favorites were The Count and Cookie Monster. I still run around singing "C Is For Cookie", and yelling "two, two bats ah ah ah." I hope you get those references, they sound better than they type. By the way, this blog is brought to you by the numbers 2, 5, and 0.

As in why does a crib have to weigh 250 POUNDS?!? When the guys from JC Penny delivered it I thought I was going to watch one of them stroke out in front of me. Why are the delivery guys always a sandwich shy of a buck fifty? You would think they would send some folks that had some bulk. Anyway, I got confused about the crib. The max a kid is going to weigh that lives in the crib is what 40 pounds? So why does the crib have to weigh so much? I personally think that when I open the box that there will be a note attached to a lead bar. The note will read "The Chinese white slavers pay us by the pound, sorry for your hernia".

Speaking of sweatshops, who makes all of these baby clothes. First of all I would like to thank Amy, Robin, Marty, and anyone else I so grievously forgot to list for the second hand clothes. I know that they are not cheap and we have saved hundreds of dollars through the generosity of others. However, we now have a full, and I mean FULL, closet of 0-3 months clothing. We have enough to put her in a different outfit everyday and then be six months old. Who cranks out all of these clothes? By the way, we need second hand bullion if you have any of that laying around.

Do you know what else I would want laying around? Me, on my nice new couch! But I do not have a nice new couch. Do you want to know why I do not have a nice new couch? Good, I'll tell you. I would have to sell one or both of my kidneys to afford the thing. We have been furniture shopping since before we put an offer on the house in Dawsonville. We were looking for bedroom furniture because we had bought a new mattress. Have any of you been furniture shopping lately? I finally decided I was going to take the back seats out of the Jeep and use those for living room furniture. At least I can have those paid off in a couple of years! Any suggestions as to where to go for decent and affordable furniture are welcome.

I am too depressed to go into the newest Taiwanese stroller torture. Just know that I think they have Emilee's computer IP and are sending subliminal messages through the screen.

Lastly, an update. Anna Grace will be 25 weeks this Thursday! 25 weeks happens to be my mental alarm date for a safe delivery. I know this seems WAY early to most of you and I agree with you. But my niece Ginny was born at 25 weeks and other than having the mother as a birth defect (sorry Kelly, too easy) she has been wonderful. I look at her as inspiration of what a life and spirit can do if we fight hard enough. I know by her example that after Thursday the sky is the limit for little Shaniquia Umfufu. Or Anna Grace for that matter.

Stay Safe,

Rob

WOW! All In The Family

This blog is going to be one of the easiest I have written. Sometimes a subject just drops into your lap and you can't help but jump all over it. Sometimes the subject is nice and proper. Sometimes the subject is down and dirty. Sometimes the subject is proper for polite conversation and sometimes it is not. You can decide for yourself if this is polite or not.

I do not know how many people are familiar with TV Land on cable. It plays a ton of old shows. The kind of shows that growing up we would find in reruns on late night TV on one of the UHF channels. If you do not know what UHF channels are I feel for you. You have not had a true adolescent TV viewing experience until you have tried to watch Elvira at 1:30 in the morning and you get excited because you get 30 seconds of non-rolling screen. It was a science to get the rabbit ears in just the right place. Emilee looks so bored as I explain this.

Anyway, I am flipping through the channels and see that "All In The Family" is on. I was intrigued, so I quit surfing and started watching. WOW! Is all I can say. Some of you were probably avid followers of this show when it was on. One of the neat things about cable is that you can see when the show originally aired. So Mom and 'Noid, I am sure that you are familiar with this show because the one I was watching aired in 1971. I was 6 months old when this particular episode aired, Emilee wasn't even thought about, and we were landing on the moon for the 3rd time. The show blew me away!

How many of you have ever watched this show? It would NEVER air today. We have been so over-sensitized to racial comedy and profiling. It is easy to say we have become "PC", but watch one episode of this show and you will see how sanitized we have become. Today's shows are laced with violence and sexuality. I see what they replaced. I can see how controversial that show must have been. I think it would be incredible if TV allowed itself to be as honest with itself today as it was back then. Why do we have to try to dictate policy and beliefs through the shows we watch? Why can't we admit we have biases.

In one 30 minute episode Archie (the main character) takes shots at 6 different ethnic groups. SIX! We go after any group other than white males today and there are protests and threats. He attacked Blacks, the religious fanatics, people of Polish decent, the Chinese, liberals, and women. It was amazing. Watching a show that was true to the beliefs of the times was very enlightening. What show today truly shows the beliefs of the every man? That is what "All In The Family" was trying to represent; the opinion of the acting majority.

The answer to that question is; none I have seen. We are so busy trying to be "all-inclusive" that we lose the connection with who we really are. Who of us can truly say that we have ZERO biases? I bet if you are true to yourself and answer this question honestly you will find that nobody can answer "ME" to that question. We all get frustrated by one group or another. We don't generally like ourselves so how can we like everybody else? So what is my point here you ask.

My point is that instead of dealing with how we really think and feel about each other we have a media culture that simply tries to convert the masses into one train of thought. Now when the Marines do it, they call it brainwashing. When any conservative, and I do not mean wing nuts like Hannity and Limbaugh, tries to make a point about the reality of the interactions between different groups they get labeled as a racist or a bigot. Are they? Or are they simply expressing the views that we as Americans are made to feel ashamed of? Why can't we be honest with each other?

Because people do not want the truth, they want to float through life thinking we can all get along.... If we just ignore the obvious.

Stay Safe,

Rob

Happy Anniversary To Me & E

We all have those dates that we men are supposed to remember under penalty of death or at least no nookie for a while. Forget your wife's birthday and you can forget about intimacy for the foreseeable future. For you father's out there, miss mother's day and you are in "heap big trouble." But the worst may be forgetting your anniversary. I mean you were at the ceremony in body if not spirit after all. Fortunately I did NOT forget mine. As a matter of fact this is even two days early!

For those of you that have known me for a long time (i.e. Before Emilee) you know that I was rarely in a relationship long enough to worry about having to remember any dates. As a rule, you did not date seriously between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day so you missed most of the pain of getting the wrong gift. Even birthdays were easy. Dinner and flowers, or maybe a weekend trip and you were in the clear. But it is not so easy now. I ask myself if I have to come up with something bigger and better than the last one. I mean eventually you have to buy a small island or something to keep up. And who can keep up with running an island. You have to worry about the natives and tourists and fleecing the tourists. Who has time for all of that? Isn't it just easy to stay simple and follow the Hallmark Anniversary schedule?

OK so I just looked it up, and I don't think Em is going to go for it. You see, we will have been married two years this Tuesday. November 3rd, 2007 was the day. Some of you were there. We had quite possibly the shortest wedding on record. We also had quite possibly the shortest preacher on record. For those of you that were not there, the photographer had to take pictures with me and Emilee on our knees so you could see all three of us in the picture. We had what I thought was good BBQ. We had great weather and a great backdrop. And most importantly we had great guests. I think we all had a good time.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the two year mark calls for.......Cotton. Yes the magic of cotton. Am I supposed to buy a new set of sheets? A new flannel? I got it, a new three pack of briefs! I know Em will never go for the whole cotton thing because of one simple fact; I have never seen cotton sparkle. I don't even think I have seen it shine. Unless you count the jeans that really fat woman was wearing at the outlet mall yesterday. But I am pretty sure that anything stretched that tight gives off a sheen. I just hope she.....never mind.

So I remembered the day, but I have no idea what to get Emilee for the end of our "honeymoon" period. We just went on a cruise, but that was for Steve and Kristen's wedding so I do not know if that counts. I bought her the ring she wanted for our anniversary back in May when we were in Alaska, but I know better than to be empty handed. This year we have the joy of a baby coming. DO I get something for the baby? DO I need to buy for both of them? I need some quick advice, so please keep sending in those cards and letters!

I know what I want to celebrate Tuesday; the fact that we have been through more in our first two years of marriage, and survived, than most people do today. We have been through cancer, death, and infertility and come out looking good and smelling like a rose. I thank God everyday for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. I also want to thank my friends and family for being there as I have needed them, especially when we have not seen eye to eye on things. I hope they know I will be them for them when they need the same strength from me.

Emilee, I love you very much. I know that we have too much going on right now to get away or to spend lavishly on each other. But, I want you to know that the past two years have been the happiest of my life and have only you to thank for that! A&F.

Stay Safe,

Rob

Life With A Six Month Old....Fetus

Well, we just got home from the last vacation we will take together and by ourselves for a while. We had a blast on the cruise and were very happy to see Steve and Kristen married and on their way to a blissful life. I just hope that we are as happy as they look, and I hope we stay as happy as some of the other couples on the ship seemed to be. Of course you are probably gonna be happy when you have had 32 Rum Punches, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Anyway, we are very happy and for some very exciting reasons.

It has been a while since I have done something truly baby centric here in the blog. The last few weeks have watched Emilee grow, sometimes overnight, but have been relatively quiet. I mean we already had the heart and brain in the works and only she got to feel the baby kick. Everything was moving along well. So well in fact that it became sort of normal. Well as normal as it can be when your wife has to pee every 22 minutes. But now I have news to report!

This past Thursday, while cramming some kind of cruise food down our gullets, Anna Grace turned 6 months old. At least she has been gestating for 6 months anyway. She is about to hit another milestone for survivability and we are entering the final stretch. By the way, I am not talking about E's belly here. But we both swear that she just "magically" grows while asleep; similar to Jack's beanstalk, but I digress. The point here is that we are in the "you better get ready" part of the pregnancy.

For a better glimpse at 6 months I turn to smartmomma.com

Over a foot long, your baby weighs in at almost two pounds now. He is already practicing walking by pedaling his feet and kicking you, sometimes right in the cervix. Ouch! Your baby has developed a strong grip and he can open and close his eyes in reaction to light. His vocal cords are fully functional, although he won’t be truly practicing until he sees his first glimpse of daylight. Hiccups are common for him as your little one practices swallowing, and you may feel these throughout the day. A baby born now can survive with intensive care.

Emilee has already felt the hiccuping, and feels her move around much more frequently. I even get to get into the act now. For the past 2-3 weeks Emilee would put my hand onto her belly and ask if I could feel the baby moving. Then she would get mad at me when I would tell her I could not. I did not have the stones to tell her that she just needed to produce a baby that could kick hard enough for me to feel it, so I just waited. Now I can feel it! It is one of the most amazing things I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

There have been many things throughout the pre-pregnancy & pregnancy that I have been excited by; finding out, the first ultrasound, watching the baby develop normally (in spite of massive doses of radio waves), and seeing the joy in Emilee's face every time we talk about the baby, etc. But this is the coolest yet! I have actually been TOUCHED by my daughter and it is the most amazing thing. I can't imagine what I will feel when I get to hold her and look at her without the aid of a 7,500 watt radio tower!

I also wanted to tell you guys that the name game is over. I let it slip earlier, but her name is Anna Grace. I got shot down. Of course I was pulling for Shaqwanda Sue, but I lost out in the heated game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors." I did get to pick the nickname though, and it's...

The topic of another blog.


Stay Safe,

Rob

A Little Slice of White Trash Heaven

Before anyone else can make the comment, I am not referring to my immediate family with the above title. I sit here in the "bus" (ambulance for you lay people) watching the magnificent array of people that God has seen fit to create. I never fail to wonder at how some people just have "it" and some could not find "it" if it walked up and smacked them in the face. The "it" I am referring to is looks, style, and charisma. Some of may have one or even two of these traits. Most of us are OK looking and get by personality wise. But, some people are the envy of the masses.

But this blog is not about the envy of the masses. This blog is about those people that we look at and just thank God that we are not that person. This blog is about those people who make you feel better about yourself just because you took a good look at them. This blog is about the people I saw this weekend at Goldrush.

Goldrush is an annual event in Dahlonega. It is like any other town festival that celebrates the history and culture of that particular town. We have all been to them. There are funnel cakes, and craft booths, and local produce vendors. There are people selling pottery that has absolutely ZERO purpose but you cannot keep away from it. It does not matter if you are young or old; you are welcome and will be entertained. But the best part, other than stocking up on Chow Chow, is the never ending stream of people to watch.

People that are dressed in clothes that make you wonder if they have a single mirror in their house. Men and women that have mullets that would make the most rabid Billy Ray Cyrus fan jealous. 450 pound dudes that have the rainbow colored western shirt (snaps up the front) and the boots to match more than one of the colors in the shirt. The old lady chain smoking Marlboro's through her tracheotomy. People making the 3 year old walk in the cold and rain, but the little Shih Tzu is wrapped up in the stroller. I could go on and on.
This would be much better with pictures, so I am going to cut the dialogue short and direct you to the following web site. Enjoy a little slice of white trash heaven. I know I will.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

Stay Safe,

Rob

How Do You Want Your Life To End?

Most people probably look at the above question and wonder if I am sitting in the dark listening to The Cure. I assure you that is not the case. This blog is not meant to be a depressive, dark, bleak look at the end of our lives. This blog is not even about the finality of death. Besides, one could argue that death is only the beginning. But the beginning of what exactly? As a Christian I believe, if I get my act together, that eternal life with my creator awaits. Buddhists believe in reincarnation on a journey to Nirvana. Muslims believe in a "resting period" for the soul until judgment day. Whatever our beliefs on the afterlife, we are playing a big game of wait and see. But we can have some control of the end of our time here on this planet, spiritual plane, or whatever you want to call it.

How many of us have actually thought about our last days and what condition we will be in? I have. I make sure my Mom has. I make sure my students do. Why do I do this? Why do I point out something that most people like to keep buried in the basement of reason and emotion? Because I watch people die badly. I see people put through possible pain and physical torture because many people are too scared to sit down and be honest with themselves and their loved ones. I hope this short opinion serves as a clarion call to those of you in denial about our only true fate.

This past Saturday I participated in yet another desecration of the human body. Justin and I were called out to my favorite address (HIPPA prevents the listing) for a 74 year old male in cardiac arrest. The "patient" had a history of heart, kidney, and other various conditions. I do not know the specific reasons for his being placed into the "skilled nursing facility", but I have seen enough of these to know that it was probably for one of the following reasons:

1. Family did not have the time/resources to care for him.
2. Family did not have the want to "deal" with him.
3. Family was basically "warehousing" him until he was dead.

Regardless of the reason, this patient was now on his way to find out the truth about the afterlife. Unfortunately, he did not get to do so easily.

Our patient's body, I sincerely hope he was unable to feel anything, received abuse and punishment that would probably kill him if he was not dead already. He was being "worked" when we arrived. CPR is not gentle. Sure, when you are getting certified and you are doing chest compressions everything feels nice and pliable. Everything pops back in place. Real life CPR compressions are different, especially in the elderly. I counted seven "pops" as I did compressions. The "pops" were ribs I was breaking as I tried to get blood moving to his heart and brain. We inserted, jammed is probably a better word, a large plastic tube down his throat. We stuck him with needles and shot enough epi into him to get a pulse out of a stone. We even got to watch the ER staff suction about 250 cc's of blood out of his airway because of the trauma that had been done to his lungs during whole affair. After abusing this guy's corpse for about 30 minutes it was finally over. The ER doc told everyone to stop and the body could finally rest.

When you quit breathing and your heart stops beating that is usually the end. Some get to come back; you hear stories about it all of the time. I can even say that I have truly brought someone back from the dead. Most of the time however, that is the end of the line; unless EMS gets involved. See when we get called we HAVE to act. Once you tell us that you don't know how long mom has been down or that "I was just talking to him" we have to start "life saving" procedures. There are only a couple of ways around this. You are either very obviously dead, or you have the proper paperwork in place.

This person was a "full code". That term refers to the fact that all possible interventions are to be used to prolong life. That means that no matter how futile the attempt will be you want everything done. That includes life support should you be "lucky" enough to regain a pulse. You get to exist because you are hooked up to a machine that breathes for you and you get fed by an IV line. You are stuck in a state of purgatory on earth until your heart finally quits. Was this how you wanted your life to end? For those of you thinking about your families, is this how you would want their life to end?

This is a very emotional topic, but I think it is a very crucial one. I encourage all of you to discuss your wants with your family. This decision may never have to be made. I plan to go out in the middle of a threesome with Fergie and Giada from a massive stroke myself. I can promise you that I have had these discussions with my family and friends. I will encourage all of those I love to make these decisions for themselves before a scared/selfish family member makes it for you. Matt you know where the 9mm is if Emilee balks right?

Stay Safe,

Rob

I Obviously Missed Something

Before I get into the meat of the matter I want to discuss, I want to again thank you all for your readership. I have been tracking visits and I just eclipsed the 1,000 hit mark, so thank you all. also want to thank those of you that have been responding to the articles. As I discussed with a few of you, I want the feedback. I like the discourse. I may not always agree with it and you will not always agree with me. However, that reasoning should NEVER be a reason to shut down communications. On the contrary; it should strengthen it. And, SIGN YOUR RESPONSES!

First things first, this blog is sponsored by the letters W, T, and F; as in WTF?

WASHINGTON/OSLO, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a stunning decision that honored the first-year U.S. president more for promise than achievement and drew both praise and skepticism around the world.

The bestowal of one of the world's top accolades on Obama, who has yet to score a major foreign policy success after nearly nine months in office, was greeted with gasps from the audience at the announcement ceremony in Oslo.

I am sure most of you saw this. How could you not? Our president has been awarded one of the most prestigious international awards out there. Even he was shocked that he received it. I am pretty sure he and Rahm Emanuel were sitting in a hidden chamber of the White House getting high when the idea to nominate him came up. He was nominated 11 DAYS after he was inaugurated. All I remember about the first 11 days was the mess that had to be cleaned up after his posse destroyed DC. How does that qualify someone for the Nobel?

Even the people who were in the audience for the announcement did not see this one coming. If you watch the video and actually listen after the announcement, you hear a lot of groans and surprised gasps. Why would people be surprised if he actually deserved the award? They would not be. They would welcome him. They would praise him.

Well some have been praising him. Like Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. They both call it a "positive step". I don't know about you, but I do not like the fact that two of the leading communists in our hemisphere think anything our president does is a positive step for them. For those nations to throw off the yoke of communist repression would be a positive step. To see that they applaud this decision makes my stomach knot up.

There are also many pundits who predict this will actually HURT U.S. capabilities in the future. Pretty easy to criticize sanctions and the like when the man enforcing them is the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Maybe our enemies will get the idea that we are soft. It would have been easy to give Neville Chamberlain the prize after he appeased Nazi Germany. I mean he held off war, right. To what lengths will Obama now go to prove he deserved the award? Should we as Americans be worried?

I think we should be. He has already started the process of selling us out to the lesser nations. He wants to weaken us through guilt and appeasement. He has already put more zero's on the national debt than we did in the first 230+ years of being a nation, and he wants it bigger! He is already nationalizing U.S. industry and is looking to spread the wings of his albatross he is trying to hang around the neck of this great nation. What does he have planned for us next?

Will he be our Nero; will he simply "fiddle" as we all watch the U.S. and all she stands for burn?

Stay Safe,

Rob

This is Going to Piss More Than One Of You Off

I just read another one of Lynn's blogs and it got me fired up! Many of you may find this hard to believe, but I keep my mouth shut way more often than I run it when my opinion may cause conflict. I love conflict normally. But lately I have tried to monitor what comes out of my mouth. It keeps me out of trouble at home, and it keeps my blood pressure at respectable levels. Anyway, I really liked reading Lynn describe how she cleared the air. SO hear it goes.

Whether some of you realize it or not, you are not the sole authority on how children should be raised. You may be the authority on how you and your spouse raise your children, but you are not going to be my Dr Spock. If you don't know who he is, just know he is not a Vulcan. Those of you that don't have children have great theories but you know even less than I do at this point in time. I know you offer your theories out of love and helpfulness. I know you want the best for us. I know you drive me and Emilee up the wall. We have a plan, and you don't have to agree with it. Don't worry, if we raise the next Jeffery Dahmer, you can come rub your advice in my face. Fair Deal?

Emilee and I are going to have to both work. We like our lifestyle and have the jobs to be able to make a two income family work. But because of our ideas I have heard theories ranging from:

1. If I love my wife and kid(s) I'll figure out how to make more money so E can stay at home.
2. Any time spent in day care is emotionally crippling to a child. We should be ashamed of ourselves because we will be abusing our child.
3. A woman's place is in the home and she should be ashamed of herself for wanting a career.
4. God's plan indicates that the woman be at home and the man is out earning for the family.
5. Why would Emilee trust YOU with the child care?

Now I can already picture the faces in about 10 of ya'll. I love all of you dearly, I really do. But I will mess up my kids my way, you mess up your kids your way. Now onto my defense against the above theories.

I love Emilee more than any other woman I have ever known (Sorry Mom!) and I would do whatever it took to provide for my family. We have actually pre-planned this scenario. But as of right now Emilee feels like she is going to want to work. Second, I see more emotionally retarded people that came from private/home schooling and nanny care than I could ever count. Children need to learn to be social. Keeping them boarded up in the house because you are afraid to teach and release them is a commentary on your own insecurities. Please do not push them onto me.

I really do not want to touch on "the woman's place is in the home". It scares me as a topic because I will catch crap from either side. Let's just say that I think Emilee will make the right decision. I have covered what God does when we tell him our plans, so how the hell do I know what God's plan for me is. I know, read the Bible. So whose translation should I believe, the Pope's or Jim Baker's? Finally, Emilee trusts me with child care because she has no other options!

I have received great insight into being a new father from Topper, Trevor, and Justin. They all have given me very honest unbiased advice. I have received encouragement from Mom and my other dads. I have read books on how to raise a happy secure child. You know what I have learned from all of this? Everyone is guessing!!!!!! It is a day to day effort and you just hope you do your best. I promise all of you that are worried about us and love us; we are going to do our best.

We are going to make decisions about our family that don't make you happy. We are going to raise our children in ways different than what you may feel appropriate. We are going to make mistakes and you will have the opportunity to tell me, I do not recommend you tell Emilee, that you told me so. And I will have the opportunity to tell some of you to *&%$ Off! That's because that's what friends do. I don't want the advice and opinions to stop, just lay off with the judgment.

Stay Safe,

Rob

It's Not A Five Dollar Footlong

We turned nineteen weeks yesterday (Thursday), and Emilee tells me that the baby is now the size of a Subway six inch sub. I thought that was a pretty cool reference. I mean we have been talking about having a hamburger and now we can diversify a bit. I think I will have the combo. Then I get the damn $5 foot long jingle stuck in my head. I hate that jingle. It is so simple and you hear it everywhere. It also made me think of when our kid will be a foot long and how much I wish it was only going to cost me five dollars.

For those of you that have had children in the last few years, this question is a simple one for you. Does anyone know how much strollers cost? I do! For the "travel" system, we are looking at shelling out $300! And I thought the kid was going to PREVENT us from traveling. Then Emilee had to rain on my parade and tell me that the stroller did not come with frequent flier miles. It is called a "travel" system because it allows you to travel with your child to fun and exciting places like the diaper aisle. But of course there is more to be concerned with.

Emilee has been researching everything having to do with the baby and its logistical needs. I am glad she is doing it because if it were me everything would be stainless steel. It's easy to clean and always looks good. But she has actually fretted over every detail from safety to colors to fit. I need to explain fit. It has nothing to do with the backseat of the car or how well it folds down to fit in the back of the car. It has to fit in the right spot on the grocery cart!

Yes you read the last part of that right. We spent 30 minutes in Babies R Us looking at different seats and "travel" systems to see how the seat part of the operation fits in the child seat of the shopping cart. Who knew that his was a pass/fail criteria for a stroller seat? I feel cheated. I am pretty sure my mom just sat me in the buggy and propped me up with some of the groceries. Maybe that is where my love for Charmin started. We bonded as it protected me! Anyway, do you know what we decided on? Neither do I. I just hope we pick one out soon.

What is funny, to me anyway, about much of this is that she will scrutinize one thing for weeks before NOT being able to make a decision. Then when asked about something else on the never ending list of stuff we have to buy she just makes a snap judgment. I asked her about the vibro chair or whatever it is called and got look #34 (I don't have to justify it) as she informed me that it just looked the cutest. And here I was thinking that it had to fit somewhere. I get so confused.

I have also learned that you can't just take the car seat in and out of every car. No, No, No. You have to buy bases so that they can be more secure. These things are about $50 a pop and they are just PVC. It's Plastic! $50 for a molded piece of plastic!!!!! I just picture the inventor of this thing laughing his ass off about this one. "We sell plastic seat with straps to Americans. They never figure out it cost $2.50 to make." (Taiwanese accent by the way). They really saw us coming on this one. What happened to the back of your mom or dad's hand to stop you from being ejected anyway? I made it out alive.

I know that I am being ridiculous here. Everyone wants their children to be as safe as possible. I would feel horrible if something happened to little Quineshia. I just wish it weren't such an obvious racket. I keep looking for Pauli Walnuts to come out of the back of these baby stores. I would probably feel LESS abused if it was the mob behind all of it. At least I could go in and play my numbers while I was making sure the seat fit in the right part of the shopping cart.

Stay Safe,

Rob

Thanks, Starbucks, and 3rd Party Callers

I want to make it clear that I am not thanking Starbucks or 3rd party callers. I am thanking those of you that wrote me and/or commented through the blog regarding my post about my Dad. The words I received were very helpful, appreciated, and uplifting. I would not have been able to get through the past ten years without the love and advice you have all given to me. I have great respect for Bud and Don who have been there to answer questions and snap me in line when I needed it. I also want to mention Mr. Byrd who passed away last year. He uttered something to me that has proven painfully true. "A son does not become the man he is to become until he loses his father." May not be the case for all of us, but it was for me.

Now on to the rant portion of this blog. Starbucks, Starbucks, Starbucks. For those of you not clear on the situation in the coffee wars, Dunkin Donuts is the undisputed leader! They actually have coffee flavored coffee (thanks Denis Leary), and they get it to you in about 30 seconds after you order it. Friday morning Emilee and I were carpooling to work. Don't get any ideas about being green conscious, unless its cash, we just "enjoy" each other's company in the mornings. She just had to have a Pumpkin Pie Vanilla Cream Toffee half cap latte with 2% milk and cream frothed to perfection on top. Oh, and it had to be decaf.

DECAF! I forgive it because she is pregnant with my child, but what an affront to all that is holy. Decaf was invented by someone who could not handle the shaking, eyes bulging, ecstatic rush that comes after polishing off that first 6 cups. What a scam! Anyway, we watch the truly superior of our race, they must be special because they need a vehicle that could challenge Bigfoot at the tractor pull, pass the same cup of "coffee" back and forth 17 times. Must have been a whip cream malfunction or something. Anyway 10 minutes later we have moved to the window and I can see the thing Emilee has ordered in the window. I get ignored by the barista/coffee hooker for FIVE MINUTES! This is not an exaggeration either. Fifteen minutes for one cup of "coffee". Fifteen (expletive) MINUTES! SO now I am going to be late to work over colored hot water. Good Bless Dunkin Donuts.

So later Friday, 1828 hrs to be precise (shift ends at 1830), Justin and I are sneaking towards Ga 400 so we can get the hell out of Dodge (Sandy Springs for the uninitiated) when we get dispatched to a call. The call is at 285 & Glenridge Dr. or Riverside Dr. We don't know which direction and the dispatcher is unable to give us an update at this time. SO, we get on 285 East at Glenridge and drive the 8.4 miles in 19 minutes that brings us down to Riverside and then back West on 285 to Glenridge again. Guess what? No (expletive) patient matching the description we received. You want to know why? Because some ignorant (expletive) do gooder calls on their cell phone as they are driving by.

That would be great if this person ACTUALLY knew which way they drove home on 285 EVERY (EXPLETIVE) DAY! How do you not know which way you are going. There are signs every 200 feet and could you not figure out that to get from Marietta (job) to Duluth (home) you go (EXPLETIVE) EAST!?!?!?!?!?!?! The lesson here? If you don't know where the (expletive) you are then you need to tele-commute. And get off the (EXPLETIVE) CELL PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay Safe,

Rob

Opening The Vault

I have to give another disclaimer. If me writing about my Dad in anyway upsets you or offends you then stop here! This blog is in celebration and condemnation of the man who should have turned 66 on Thursday. If you feel like I have overstepped myself and this blog space after reading it I am sorry. But I have found that as I write these entries, I have unleashed many things that I have kept locked away deep in my brain. I need to get them out. I need to speak freely. Unfortunately I do not always allow myself to do that in person with my friends. This happens to be one of those topics I feel that way about.

Something about paper, or cyberspace anyway, makes it easier to express certain things. I get into story telling or apologetics when I start to talk to friends and family about Buzz. Buzz was my Dad. More than a couple of you that read my blogs knew him. Not always the most talkative, he had a way of turning the most benign situations into sarcastic fantasy. I am as sarcastic as I am because of him (and my Uncle Butch), and I am grateful for it. I mean sometimes people just need to be made to feel stupid, and who better to make them feel that way than me? I thank my dad's spirit often for that gift.

I also have the love of sports and the friendly wager from him. Some of you know about my past demons in that regard, but I did not get that from him. What I did get from him was never welch on a bet, even if it costs you a year of doing dishes, and never bet on the dog that does his business right before the race. I inherited the hell of being a Browns fan from him, and with only fleeting moments of glory an Ohio State fan. I learned how to play poker and craps from him. I only wish he had taught me how to set up a Nassau at a golf outing.

I also wish he had taught me what he knew about building and plumbing. He was so afraid that I would end up as a blue collar guy like himself that he would never teach me how to do anything. I would ask how something worked, and he would answer "you don't need to know how to do that because you're going to college." Or "you're going to use your brains, not your hands." My least favorite of the answers had to do with "I was better than he was and I was going to be the first one in the family to make something of themselves." Why didn't he think he had done something with himself?

Another important thing he taught me was how to win and lose as a man. No one is happy when they lose. It could be at trivial pursuit, not making the highest grade on a test, or the championship game. Competition is a good thing, and he instilled that quality in me. He also taught me to win with class. There have been times I have failed, especially on some of the golf outings I have had with Matt, but I try to win and lose gracefully. I may feel at this if the Browns ever win the Super Bowl.

But the most important thing I learned from him I learned from his death. I learned that it is unforgivable to give up. I learned that selfishness and selflessness can get confused. I learned that trying to be the strong silent type can lead you to places you don't need to go. In thinking that he had THE answer to all of his and mom's financial problems he only solved one of them. The only problem he solved was him worrying about his problems. He caused so many more. He missed out on so much more. He dropped the ball on his family. We all have to figure out how to move forward, even 11 years later. We are left to figure what could have/should have been.

I want to be as good of a father as he was for the first 27 years of my life. I know that I will make mistakes; I just wish he was around to help me get through them. I am very grateful to the help and support I have received from my "other dad's" over the years, but I wish Buzz was still here to ask Chuck if he "belonged here", or ask us why we needed a gun, or to laugh at me when I realized how screwed I am having a daughter. I miss him very much. I still feel like he abandoned us. But after all of the pain and loss, I still love him very much.


Stay Safe,

Rob

My 20 Year Reunion

We all have those moments in life where we wonder what happened to the people in our past. What happened to the pretty girls of your high school days? Where did that friend that just vanished go? Which people have the years been kind to? Will anyone remember me? Well I got some of those answers Saturday night. I even found myself surprised and disappointed when I looked back at the whole affair.

The disappointments were minor, but I really was hoping to see a couple if people that did not show. I have always wondered what happened to my buddy Mark, and no one knows. It's like he just vaporized. I really wanted to see Sean Marr. A very funny guy and always a crowd pleaser. And then there was the disappointment that comes from seeing people only once in a great while. You realize that life is screaming by at an ever increasing tempo.

The good news is that there was WAY more satisfaction than disappointment. My buddy Eric came down from Michigan and we had a great time. He just needs to lose the anchor and he will be alright. I got to spend a bunch of time with my best friend from those days. Chuck looks great, has an amazing wife, a happy family, and is a successful business man. It was a great opportunity to get reconnected and renew our friendship. I hope we don't fail in our efforts to become great friends again.

The pretty girls are mostly still pretty. The partiers still got hammered and went to town on the dance floor. The guys who thought they were better and cooler than everyone else still think that way. Some of us got bigger. Some balder. Some look exactly the same. And some looked better. Everyone seemed to have a good time and I think we all looked a lot better than we thought we were going too.

But a 20 year reunion is not all about seeing people. At least it was not that way for me. It is one of those lifetime benchmarks that make you look back over your life and evaluate where you are. It made me think about my life and am I where and who I wanted to be when I graduated high school. The results are varied. I thought I would have kids getting into high school by now not awaiting my first. I thought I would be in the medical field; I am. I thought I would be successful; I think I am. I thought I would be happily married; I definitely am. I thought I would feel and look old! Here is where I think I am doing way better than I figured I would be. And I thought I would be living a full life; I have.

I have not followed the path I thought I would follow to get to this point in my life, but who really does. I have made good and bad decisions that got to me to this point. If I had taken a different path I know I would not be as happy as I am right now. A few of you have known me for a long time. Only a couple of you realize how miserable and gloomy my outlook was for a long time. But those down times led to where I am now. Everything can work out. You just have to attack life and not be passive. Give yourself options and then you are able to make decisions, not have life dictated to you.

All of this looking back and seeing what you planned and how it actually turns out reminds me of one of my Dad's favorite lines. If I he could read this he would look at me and say; "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans".

Stay Safe,

Rob

What It Means To Be A Citizen Of The United Sates Of America

"What It Means To Be A Citizen Of The United States of America"

I saw it on a poster board as I walked into the school; a simple advertisement for an essay contest that the general education department is holding. An essay that should be easy to write. I knew I would not be eligible for the prizes because I teach, but I thought it would be a good exercise for my brain and hopefully renew my appreciation for the blessings I have been given. I knew exactly what I was going to write about. I love American history and I love to debate about what it is to be an American. I enjoy talking about how we are the best in the world. But then I sat down to write it and I drew a blank.

September 17, 1787 could arguably be the most important date in US history. Yes, I know we all get taught that that date is April 23, 1971 (My Birthday). Or some of you might believe that it is July 4, 1776 (Signing of the Declaration of Independence). Some could even argue that April 9, 1865 (Appomattox) was the most important. I have been forced to think about all of this because I used to think that it was July 4th. But after further review...the call on the field is being overruled.

On September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 39 men signed the US Constitution. Without that day and that document, we would be a much different nation and probably many different nations. These men put the interests of the infant nation above their own interests and used much forethought to build a document that would be relevant for many years. While some may argue that it is antiquated today, I do not think many can argue its effectiveness in getting us to this point in history. And that point is the most; free, generous, powerful, respected, hated, and open society and country in history. Without the constitution we may have been a repeat of the rise and decline of Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries.

As a natural born US Citizen I can promise you one thing. I take my citizenship for granted. I did not have to work for it and I do not have to worry about losing it. I only have to worry about bitching about what Obama or any other elected official does to try to take my freedoms away. Who can I blame for all of this; myself and the rest of you that take your citizen status for granted. I vote and I try to stay informed, but I should want to do more. So I looked at what it takes to be a "made" citizen.

OK, I'll admit I did not read the whole thing. YET! It's 58 pages long and not very exciting, and the lack of pictures make it hard for me to understand. It has charts and lists of things you have to do. It even has a chart for things that can potentially get you disqualified, such as;

1. Illegal Gambling - Strike One
2. Use of any Illegal Controlled Substance - Strike Two
3. Oath of Citizenship - I never had to do this - Strike three?

So I might get to just scrape by. Here is the oath:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

I would be willing to follow all of the provisions. Would all of you?

So what does it mean to me to be a citizen of the United States of America? It means freedom to do what I want to do in politics, religion, education, and employment. It means living in a nation that has many flaws but many more benefits. It means getting to gripe about the things I do not agree with. But most importantly, and I am now swearing a vow to my unborn child to do so, it means having a responsibility to pay attention to what the government is doing and knowing my rights so I can protect myself and my constitution should the need arise.

Stay Safe,

Rob

Confessions Of An Ambulance Driver I

***ALERT*** ***ALERT*** ***ALERT***

This is not a baby blog; it is a rant about my profession. If you want an unbiased and probably controversial (to some anyway) look at what it is I do, then keep reading.

For those of you that are not aware of what I do, I am a Paramedic. The first thing that people think about when they here that term is "Ambulance Driver". Some in my profession take offense to that term; I do not. It is technically a true term and is what I do for a portion of my day. I take pride in the fact that I can drive, run the siren, read a map, make a left hand turn from the right hand lane, and scream at idiot drivers all at the same time. I like backing up traffic on the interstate for 6 miles because someone is having 10/10 neck pain from a motor vehicle crash (MVC) and there is ZERO damage to the car.

There are other things I love about my job. I like that when I get to the scene of an emergency I am generally in charge. I love delivering babies and holding little old ladies hands when they are sick or hurt. I love listening to the 80'ish year old men tell me stories about their tours in World War II. We had one last week who told Justin that he had been at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Justin asked him what he remembered about it; "it was too cold to dig" was his answer. We get to help people when really scary, awful, unspeakable things have happened to them. We get to play the angel.

I have seen things that you only see in the movies. In March of 2006 I walked in to a scene that looked like it had been created for a horror movie. Four brutally murdered and two that survived but should have died. If it had not been for the first crews on scene, those two would have been dead as well. The scene itself was surreal, but everyone handled themselves professionally. The company I work for even had a person quit over what they had seen. It was his first month on the job. I hope I never see worse.

But I have seen crazier! People who pepper sprayed themselves because one of their voices told them to do so. One guy who had us take him into Grady because he wanted a DNA test to prove that his penis was his own! He thought the aliens had switched it out. People who were conscious and able to wrestle with the cops with a blood alcohol level of over 400! The 0.10 you hear about blowing for a DUI equals a 100 blood alcohol level. These people are absolute drinking pros.

What I hate is the attitude that we get dished out to us every day. People who tell us that they understand they don't need an ambulance and could easily take a cab except for one thing; they have to PAY for the cab. I have heard that more than once too. I hear people bitch and moan about aches and pains that in no way exist. I know this because they don't have any pain until I start asking questions. I have had people tell me they were suffering from neck pain after an MARTA bus got rear ended. When I probed deeper I found out that the "patient" had been on the sidewalk and WITNESSED the accident! He said the stress of the episode made him hurt.

We deal with drivers who do not understand what to do when an emergency vehicle approaches them. First, get off the cell phone. Second, put down the newspaper, book, sandwich, make-up, or whatever you have to occupy yourself while you are driving. Third, if you have already moved to your left and I am going by you, don't decide to move across my line because you think you remember the "move right" rule. Fourth, don't just jam on the brakes. Fifth, if the siren is in the wrong language move back home.

We deal with other EMS providers that hate EMS. I am talking about the Fire Department. Now I am lucky, I work in a city (Sandy Springs) that takes pride in the EMS care its FD provides and the medical directors and Fire Chiefs do not tolerate slack behavior. However, I have worked with too many that have the attitude that "We put the wet stuff in the hot stuff, not carry the sick around." It gets very irritating. I have to deal with questions like; "Do you guys need us, they dispatched a dumpster fire down the street?" I was actually doing chest compressions when that question was asked! And those of you that know me well know that I hate being questioned when I feel I am right, especially by those who don't want to be there in the first place.

My last gripe here is going to be about a certain ilk of emergency room nurse. Fortunately none of the crew that reads this blog fits into that RN category. I know you are overworked and you get the biggest cry babies parked in your zone for your entire shift. I know that we (EMS) only have to deal with these people, especially the regulars, for a much shorter period of time than you do. I know that you think we drive around yelling over the PA encouraging people to come into your ER, and that's why that patient is now yelling your name because they don't think they are getting taken care of fast enough. But, I promise you I don't. We take people to specific hospitals because they either want to go there or they need your specialty. So when you ask "Why did you bring him here, Northside is across the street." Don't be pissed at me because the answer is simply that he fell down in YOUR ambulance bay!

To those of you I work with and laugh with; thank you for making my job an enjoyable one. To those of you that smoke, drive recklessly, and do generally retarded things; thank you for my job security. To those of you that listen to me bitch & moan; thank you for helping me keep my sanity. And to the woman that pepper sprayed herself in the face; thanks for helping me meet Emilee.


Stay Safe,

Rob