Interesting Morning

You know, it's not everyday you wake up and check the news to find we now have a 10th planet in our solar system. And not only that ... another group of scientists claim to have discovered what I quess would be the 11th planet? Holy Clyde Tombaugh ... what gives?!?!

I mean ... I thought the discovery of Quaoar was pretty interesting. So then that was topped by the discovery of 2004 DW (not a very interesting name, of course but oh well). And then Sedna comes along. Come on ... are the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud so overcrowded that now we have two new planets???

Eric, I suggest you write the discoverers of 2003 EL61 and suggest they name it "Zayd". And, since it apparently has a moon, perhaps you suggest the name "Blarthog" for that object.

And, while we are talking about space ... NASA has declared Discovery "fit for landing" after analysis on the ground of images of the damage sustained by another chunk of foam striking a leading edge of one of Discovery's wings. I'm sorry, but if I were one of the seven aboard Discovery, I think my attitude would be more of "Ummm ... Hey ... Houston ... we're sorry, but we're going to patch this hole." The other thing that disturbs me is this.

Sorry ... I've always been a bit of a nut about NASA (perhaps a new term - NANASA?) but let's face it folks ... we can't have another "Columbia". Jane and Marion ... remember the models of the Saturn V that I built down in Texas? Funny ... I just remembered that. I think that was the same trip I was almost swallowed up by the waves down on the gulf.

Marion - don't you think Dupont could develop a very strong, yet very lightweight netting that could be used to envelop the foam and thereby eliminate the possibility of these foam chunk strikes? My theory is a netting of interlaced two-inch squares. Hey ... you have what - three more days? You Can Do It!

Great Idea

John, Sandi, Jane, Marion ... take a laptop with you while you are on your cruise. Take pics ... learn to upload them ... hey - you're on a boat going 4 to 6 miles an hour. Share your experiences on the blog!

Happy "Official" Birthday, Marion!

I know I promised "cake to follow", but I was unable to find a birthday cake that looked like a laboratory beaker, homing pigeon, and airplane combined. Damn.

But cake notwithstanding, I wish Marion a very Happy Birthday, and hope that each coming year brings continued health, happiness, and enjoyment to you, Marion!

Administrata

Quick note - Blogger has done a nice thing to assist in easily uploading pictures. When you are posting a blog entry, notice the icon at the far right, second from right, that looks like a picture. Click it, and you can very easily upload digital pics from your hard drive. It's a snap!

Finger Avulsion Update

Well, I just got back from the doctor's office and my followup visit. Things are progressing very well, and the gel-foam cap that had been placed on the missing tip at the emergency room is now off.

I'm happy to say that a layer of nice pink skin (very thin, but still a layer) has formed on the end of the finger, and the doctor thinks it is progressing nicely. There's nothing open on it, thankfully, so I just need to keep up with bandaids and a little Neosporin.

Dr. Herlands says he thinks I might not need any skin grafting, so that is encouraging.

It will probably be a numb spot on my finger, since he is pretty convinced the nerves there are gone. I told him that would be fine, since it would match my numb skull from having done such a trick.

He said not to feel bad ... two days after I came in to see him post-emergency-room visit, another one of his patients came in with the exact same thing. Must be something in the water, I guess.

I'm also getting a little ticked off ...

... that Michael Schumacher is not doing as well as normal in this 2005 Formula 1 campaign. I know y'all are more concerned with NASCAR, but I follow "real racing" and this ain't "right"!

Come on, Ferrari and Bridgestone! Get it straightened out! Sheesh!

Oy ... Vey.

I awoke at 3:15 this morning, and could not fall back asleep. It's now 9:15 and I still can't fall asleep. Perhaps I am thinking of rubber baby bumpers Perhaps not.

Eric and Samina - don't fret too much on the crib bumpers.

Instead, fret on when Zayd has explosive diarhhea, blows it all over a wall, and thus gets his first experience with his first "shower".

You would be amazed at how resilient kids are when being held upside down and hosed off from a heels-up positiion when their bottoms are so soiled from doing a three-foot-away ballistic poop.

Funny how that works!

I Would Like To Invite My Mother-In-Law

I know we have been "parochial" (for lack of a better term) in our blog.

I do, however, have a major tie to Joyce, Janice's mom. She is a phenomenal woman, and I believe she would enjoy reading and participating in this blog. Plus ... she has the attitude to "bring it on", just as we do.

I will defer to a group vote, but does anyone have any problems with this? I don't think Beef King would mind. LOL

To Eric and Samina

Is that the mobile with the classical music? I truly hope so ... it is an important thing in the development of math skills, and general music appreciation.

And also, it could explain the wild swinging of the arms - perhaps Zayd will become a conductor!

Hence The Fountain

In nature, moving water is much fresher than stagnant water. The movement constantly breaks the surface tension of the water and draws oxygen from the air into the water. This process is called aeration, and it makes water more appealing to drink. Pets are drawn by instinct to moving water for this reason. The Drinkwell Pet Fountain uses a charcoal filter to filter the water and it aerates the water continuously to keep it much fresher than water in a standing bowl.

Cats, in particular, are predisposed to urinary tract disease, and kidney disease. This partially stems from their not drinking as much water as they should. Cats with urinary tract or kidney disease have a critical need for water to support their kidney function or to prevent crystal formation and obstructions.

The Drinkwell Pet Fountain is veterinarian-designed, and recommended by veterinarian urinary specialists. It encourages water intake and proper hydration in pets, and is especially beneficial for cats with kidney or urinary tract disease. AND ... it discourages jumping on counters in search of dripping faucets.

HOWEVER ... it does NOT discourage jumping on counters in search of freshly rotisseried chickens.

And, it is not solely for cats. There are several models, as these photos show.

Comments:
From black cat on far left: "Dear God ... can't he drink out of his own fountain?!?!?"
From tabby cat second from left: "I wonder ... hmmm ... does he taste like chicken?"
From white cat second from right: "I doubt it ... he smells of iguana urine."
From reddish-brown cat on far right: "Yeah, and he's squatting to poop??? Gross!!!"

What A Difference A Year Makes

Last night, we celebrated Jake & Elwood's first birthday. It's amazing how in a year they've gone from this:

To learning how to help with laundry -

To learning how to help with the trash -

So, in honor of their first birthday, we had the Kazo Kuniko-style birthday celebration. Rotisserie Chicken for everyone! And, not just some ordinary, crossing-of-the-road rotisserie chicken - oh no - a Super Bird!

Grandma Joyce had sent them a couple of special bowls she had decorated herself, as a birthday present. So, of course, that's what they had to have their special meal in!

Mmmmmm - YUMMY!

"Hey! You're eating out of MY bowl! Wait a minute!"

"Ahhh ... there! That's better! Thanks for switching the bowls, Dad!"

Yes, we are smitten with these two guys. They are smitten with us, too.

My "Bro" has my back !!!

John, keeping one of those bricks is a wonderful thing... or two or three of them. And, based on your comments in our phone call about how the remainder of the bricks are "up for grabs" ... I have a couple of thoughts. I wonder if I could get some migratory workers in CT to clean enough of them up for Janice and I to build a house out of them. Hmmmmm ... doubtful.

The second thought I had was this ... WOW ... we should think about what we could do to sell all those bricks! I'm thinking www.bthsrhhs.com? All proceeds could go to www.sportshistoryinlawrencecountyandshuttingroscoeupforonce.com. Then again ... it could all go to the Mark McAdow Fund For Those Comtemplating Self-Immolation (Mac, I know you're somewhere looking at us all, and enjoying the same chuckle I just did ... however I just gave away houses, instead of setting myself on fire ... it's a different state of Zen).

Anyway ... to my "bro" John, thank you so much for retaining a little bit of history.

My next question is ... did Jane and Marion ever climb the bell tower while Otis Hammel wasn't looking? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... LOL

A Very Sad Day

I found this today on the Daily Record website, taken on Tuesday, I believe.

I admit I got a little sentimental at the sight of it, but it reminds me that better things always loom on the horizon. I thought to myself, "You know ... they should have sold the bricks to BTHS / RHHS graduates. Either one at a time, or by the truckload. What a great way to defer construction costs of a new home - maybe the Building Trades class (if they still have that there) will use them for their next year's house! How cool would that be?"

Hopefully those who walk the newly hallowed halls of what appears to be a sparkling diamond in Lawrence County will walk those halls so proudly as we all did, in that "second city of champions".

I also hope the operator of the giant backhoe wasn't a resident of Lawrenceville and a graduate of LTHS.

If he was, then I gladly volunteer for when they put the giant backhoe to LTHS's sorry edifice. I only want one of the bricks I spray-painted obscenities on, as a senior.

>> wicked evil grin <<

Hey! One question to John & Sandi -- did they keep the bulldog?

How Could I Forget?

Friday (7/22) is Jake's and Elwood's first birthday. I know it sounds nutty to many of you, but these guys are family members to us, and they are going to party!

A special celebration will be held here, paying "props" to their most esteemed mentor-in-spirit "peep", Kazo Kuniko, so they will be treated to some bites of rotisserie chicken. Rumor has it there may be a couple of cattery mates in attendance (but that's not for certain, and we would definitely insist on trimmed claws).

Shhhhhhh ... don't tell them ... it's a surprise!

>> big sentimental grin <<

OK ... so there is one more thing ...

You know what? At least we don't look like, or own one of these. Gadzooks!

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/uglydog.asp

Ahhh ... and one more thing

I'm not going to post this as a link in our blog's sidebar, but this is something I heard about the other day that is ... well ... worth looking at. I'll say no more, other than Manchester, Connecticut is also not afraid.

http://www.werenotafraid.com/

In Reply

Well, Eric, Judge John G. Roberts (while I've not read proceedings of his court decisions) seems to look like a nice enough of a guy. Personally, I never liked Sandra Day O'Connor for much other than the fact she married an Irishman. As far as his views go, things could be worse. W. could have picked Roscoe! As far as my thinking on a 50/50 split ... well that's pretty hard to do considering how many Justices there are. I'm no mathmetician but I don't think an odd number splits even close to 50/50. And you are right ... the liberal left-wingers always give the Bush Administration a hard time on any form of confirmation, so it may be a moot point, anyway. All in all ... I'd still like seeing someone from Illinois on the Supreme Court.

The major thing to think about here is ... fly under the radar and don't do anything that would even come CLOSE to landing you that far up on the legal food chain. I've gone before a judge twice in my life, and you know what? You end up giving someone a house. It sucks.

Oh well, enough of that ...

I'm glad Zayd has stopped laughing at the floor. I've only had uncontrollable laughter when I've done something so incredibly stupid it has defied my own belief ... doesn't happen on a daily basis, mind you, but it happens. Zayd seems to be thriving, and that is what counts. I may not be an authority on parenting, by any means (and please stop laughing, siblings), but I do know that kids are resilient as hell. And I know, having done it, that new parents can sometimes frighten themselves over what to or to not expect. This is a time to experience this joy, and to live "in the now" completely. Hey ... you really don't have a choice.

I'm thinking along the lines of your Uncle John, in that Zayd might actually hit 6' 5" and 310 lbs before his third birthday. If this is the case, I would highly recommend you all relocate to Bridgeport, Red Hill Unit #10, and get him into basketball as soon as possible. Based on your account of his grip, I think he might be also a pretty decent football (not soccer) player.

I guess Roscoe did read my letter to the editor (whether it was published or not) stating that there was more than one "City" of Champions in Lawrence County, and that he should start stating "County Of Champions". At least that's what I reckoned from his most recent diatribe on the internet version of the Sumner Distress. I don't know how he found out about your upcoming trip to that "strange and beautiful land" of Alaska (last time I knew, it was a state, not a foreign land ... but that's me), but John and Sandi ... I'd lock your doors. And, make sure you have all your anhydrous ammonia tanks stored safely under lock and key.

I STILL firmly believe that Lawrenceville should get over its stupid small-school pride and consider consolidation with the rest of the county. I still can't get anything for the Bridgeport Bleeder, but I would be interested (if someone has them) of any video or still pics of BTHS / RHHS being demolished. I'm sure it was a rather sad day for those of us who walked those halls, or perhaps not ... imagining the future.

And note to John ... please make sure you get the situation with the knees straightened out. I know your pain - I'm dealing with this sciatica (sp?) plus continuing pain with the right knee (even though I've been "gradumated" from rehab) ... it's a long haul with the knees I've not gotten over since 1976. The weird thing with the sciatica (sp?) is that it hits me at weird times ... taking a deep breath while walking sometimes brings a lightning bolt down the right leg ... sometimes it's just a sigh that brings it on.

I think my dear mother-in-law says it best when she says, "You know ... old age ain't for sissies!"

Marinade Recipe for London Broil

Just in case you want to try the recipe for my now-famous London Broil Marinade recipe (sans fingertip, of course) here it is. When I experiment in the kitchen (and no ... this doesn't include clean-up experimentation) I like to write things down, in case something turns out to be really tasty:

London Broil Marinade (and instructions)

4 Tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Goodall's Irish Steak Sauce (may not be available everywhere)
1/2 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Mrs. Dash Mesquite Grilling Blend spices
1/2 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1/3 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Whisk all ingredients well in a mixing bowl. Use your Foodsaver to create a vacuum bag. Place round steak into bag, then pour all mixed ingredients over steak in bag. Use Foodsaver to close bag, and vacuum marinade steak for 20-30 minutes. Massage the steak in the closed bag to evenly distribute marinade over steak.

Grill to your liking, and then slice into thin strips upon taking off the grill.

On clean-up, take extra care while washing knife.

Fingertip Avulsions (and why you should avoid them) #2

Well, last night was the first time I changed off the dressing on the ring finger. I don't know what to expect on the doctor visit on Monday, but I was encouraged that whatever "miracle foam" the ER doctor put onto the tip seemed to work really well. Not to be gross, but he had said the foam was something that would encourage the formation of a scab and would encourage the healing process. It seems this foam has at least bonded with the former fingertip. So I suppose ... that's a "good thing".

As is my new usual practice, I spent some medical research time on the web yesterday, and researched my most recent ailment. If you have the guts for it, put in a Google search for "finger avulsion". Do not do this around small children.

We had a little outing last night - went to see "War of the Worlds". We enjoyed it, but I think it's not a "kid's movie" ... too bad. When Tom Cruise isn't hopping up and down like a moron on "Oprah" (didn't see it, just read about it), or espousing his views on medicine and post-partum depression, he's not too bad an actor. I found it a little lacking and slow when Tim Robbins turned into his normal self (ie: a complete nimrod) but I was relieved when Tom Cruise dispatched him. OK ... not as relieved as when Tim Robbins met his fate in "Team America - World Police", but a close second. Anyway, Spielberg held relatively closely to the original story line (with one noted exception), and it was in my humble opinion, a good summer movie.

Today, we might go back to see "Batman Begins" in the IMAX version. Hey, I can tell them I already know how Batman began (I think it was Easter of '65) thanks to Mom and a lining from one of her old winter coats:


Maybe I will bring in this picture, and they'll give us free tickets!

Berk Family Vacation Memories

We are back from our vacation to Avalon, New Jersey. Its about a 2 mile drive from Stone Harbor.
We had a fun time this year.......Better said I had a fun time this year. It was a very strange vacation to say the least. On Day 1 we all laid around the house and waited for Mike and Stan to get there from Allentown Pa where Mike was picking up his newly restored boat that cost him $2,000 to get fixed. We made great plans as to where we were going to go in the boat on Day 2 and just relaxed.
Day 2: After arguing with us all to get our a****s moving for our boat trip, Mike tried to start the boat repeatedly and on the 4th try the boat engine caught fire. A tense moment was felt by all that ended with Mike sitting at the table with his head down.
Day 3: Now that we had no boat for recreation we decided to rent a 2 person kayak for some water sport fun. Devon was using the 1 person kayak that we already had and man that kid has some kayaking skills. I tried to get into the 1 person kayak (a little too forcefully I suppose) and rolled the thing right over almost drowning to boot. Of course I was humiliated and vowed to start my diet....as soon as vacation ends. We enjoyed the fireworks as it was the 4th.
Day 4: Mike and Stan took off at about 9 am to take the boat back to Allentown to be fixed once again. After they had been gone about 3 minutes we heard a horrible screeching noise coming from up the street. We all assumed that it was a garbage truck until we got the call.........
Apparently the screeching sound was from Mike's Ford Escape and the boat trailer both of which had locked up (brakes) in the middle of an intersection 2 blocks down the street.
Mike had forgotten to take the emergency brake off in the truck and it had broken apart. The boat trailer was towed to a local marina to be fixed and Mike had his truck loaded on a flatbed and taken to a Ford dealership in Cape May Courthouse.
Mike assumed his usual position..head down on the table....until he was able to shake the depression off. I, being married to the other Berk brother, was waiting for the meltdown that usually occurs after such misfortune but Mike was able to shake it off until Day 7 (more on that later).
Day 5: A beautiful day was had by all playing in the sun. Much later, after the kids had gone to bed we had a seemingly harmless political roundtable with the usual suspects: Stan & Dianne (my in-laws), Marty (sister in law), Dave and myself. As usual it was the Liberal Democrats agaist the solitary Republican in the group, Stan. After going back and forth about healthcare and Iraq and how "W" always has that leering sneer on his face (I know you know what I mean Eric), I made the mistake of bringing up same sex marriages. Then it all hit the fan........Stan was talking about "those people" and it didn't sit well with Marty. Lets just say it turned into a train wreck from there.
Day 6: Completely uneventful....Mike was assured that his truck could be picked up the next day between 2 & 2:30.
Day 7: All is well until the Ford dealership called to let Mike know that his truck wasn't going to be finished until Monday at the earliest. This possed a real problem as we had to be out of our rental house by 10am the next day. After going back and forth with the Ford dealership for about an hour they agreed to stay late and get it done that day. Thank God!

Now we are back home and glad to be here. I had to stop and think about how old Mike is now and he's 33. I really think that your 33rd year is the most unlucky of your life. At least it was for Dave and then me......and now Mike. Beware the 33.
Sue

Fingertip Avulsions (and why you should avoid them)

Well, it's been too quiet around here, so after creating a wonderful homemade steak marinade and grilling up a nice London Broil last night, then slicing it into those nice thin strips, I decided to clean up the kitchen. While washing Mom's old Chicago Cutlery butcher knife, which I had sharpened to a finely honed edge before slicing the steak, danged if I didn't notice a whole lot of blood dripping from what used to be the tip of my wedding ring finger.

I called Jane to ask what to do the staunch the flow, and got some good recommendations from her (thanks, Sis). At about the same time, Janice got home from work and walked into a mess in the kitchen.

So ... once again, off to the Emergency Room at Manchester Memorial Hospital we went.

I'm now sporting a large gauzed finger, and have a follow-up appointment with my regular doctor on Monday.

So in reflection, I realized I've been unconsciously trying to be the Seven Dwarves (some are renamed):

Since I've worked in IT the vast majority of my life, I've been "Geeky".
When I broke my ankle, I became "Gimpy".
When I couldn't drive for several weeks, I became "Grumpy".
When I started walking again, I became "Limpy".
When I cut off the tip of my ring finger washing a butcher knife, that was "Dopey".
When I saw how much was missing, I thought "Hmmm ... now, I'm 'Stumpy'."
You know ... any more trips to the emergency room, and they're going to start calling me "Doc".

Happy Fourth of July, Everyone!

This was a big work weekend for Janice so we decided sort of at the last minute to stay put here in Connecticut. We cancelled our flights to / from STL on Friday. We are missing the fun in St. Peters with Joe & Joyce, Susie, Dan and David, but are making the best of it out here.

Saturday night was Riverfest 2005 down at the Hartford Riverfront, so we made our way downtown for dinner and to watch the fireworks. It was a real mob scene downtown, as many thousands of people were there for the show. It was pretty good, actually.

Last night we went to Harbor Park Restaurant on the Connecticut River down in Middletown, and had a fun night there. There were a couple of bands on the large deck, and we even bumped into our next door neighbor and his girlfriend. We could see fireworks down the river, from we believe Putnam, CT, so that was fun as well.

Today, we may celebrate the Fourth by going up to Lakeville CT's Lime Rock Park to watch the American Le Mans New England Grand Prix. It's going to be televised on the SPEED channel, so you may want to look for us in the crowd. Lime Rock is a pretty renowned road course in the US, and Paul Newman is somewhat of a regular there.

Anyhoo ... that's about it from here. We hope everyone has a wonderful Fourth!