One week old

Baby Quinn is now celebrating her one week birthday. Quinn's gift to us was spending some time under watchful eyes while we went shopping for more baby items (like car seats that don't require a car-driver to be under 4'9" as an accomodation for the baby). Thanks to all of you who have helped the three of us over the last week. It's been a blast; sleep-deprivation and all.

Baby Photos

Last Friday I (David) tested the blog-ability of our Yahoo photo album. Obviously, the direct posting was only short term. For those who weren't able to see the photos in time, they can be seen here: the first one, and the second one.

So now we have all these baby photos that you're all anxious to see. So with out further adieu...

These are just a few; a bunch more photos can be seen here (and at our backup album, located here).

It's a baby!

Girl
born 7 lbs 9 ounces
19.25" long
1630 hours on 4/21/2006

Did you catch a virus?

In anticipation of exceeding our monthly allocation of free photos on Flickr.com (due to the chances of taking lots of baby photos yet this month), I (David) am conducting an experiment to see if photos from our backup source can be posted. The photos above are just a couple of images I found on the internet, so should anyone from work see them, I had absolutely nothing to do with them, I swear!

Sold?

I bet you wish you had one of these.

Best damn chicken in the state!

In the past we've mentioned all of the neighborhood's few restaurants. We've even hyped the (still) yet to be opened U and I Café. Well even though the café is still yet to be sampled, all of our patient waiting has paid off. Our neighborhood finally has it's own full restaurant. Not just a lunch and diner Asian food place, but a full fledged 3 square family restaurant.

Saturday we made our first visit to the recently opened Pops Family Café. We already knew that the atmosphere would be to our liking, as we had been to the building's former occupant, Café Nikita. We also knew that we would at least find a decent meal there as we had read all of the reviews of the (then yet to be opened) place in the neighborhood and city papers. But we still came away amazed. Heather had just the sort of patty melt that we used to have to travel great distances for. David had a tasty chicken sandwich which he honestly feel warrants the famous Aretha Franklin quote. On top of it all, we were served by some of the best staff we've seen since Bonnie's Café (they'd probably be better if they'd had Bonnie's years of experience).

When we woke up Sunday morning, we were tempted to go back for breakfast. But a good thing might be best if rationed. Perhaps we'll do breakfast there today or Tuesday instead.

WASTEful mail

I guess if a cycling organization has been around for a decade, it will eventually get credit card offers in the mail. I have no idea how they tracked down my address, but that is just one of the many mysteries associated with this bicyclist's club. I suspect that there is a certain Norwegian behind this one.

Learning from one's neighbors

Apparently I jumped the gun a bit with my criticisms of WCCO's energy special. They decided to spread the story out over several days. Still, their lack of depth is laughable; just not as much as I had initially claimed it to be. It would seem that their viewing audience now knows not only that they may have to carpool someday, but that they may also want to consider insulating their houses better.

Thanks to Nathan's blog though, fears can begin abating now that we have some significantly more realistic solutions to guide us.

A slick slope

Last night WCCO ran a special news segment on the pending future oil crisis. As always, I was attentive to such a story because of fear they brings out in me. The implication of what sort of drastic changes need to take place in order to accommodate our consumptions habits is truly awesome.

But I found WCCO's coverage to be quite laughable. Particularly their panel of 'man-on-the-street' type guests who they interviewed so as to see what sort of changes they anticipated making when gas costs triple. “Well I'll probably have to start carpooling” and “I probably use the SUV less often” were the typical replies. Wow! No thoughts were given to practices such as importing “fresh” food from far distant countries, or all the “sanitary” food packaging processes, or transporting freight of cheap imported crap across the country in 18-wheeled trucks. No suggestions were made toward ideas like sustaining oneself on locally grown/made foods, changing our economic environment so that it can create sustain craftspeople and tradespeople, or the commie concepts like depending on other people for help.

I'm not claiming that carpooling and driving less are not helpful efforts, but when people see such things as the only solutions they should be reaching for, one can likely understand what inspires my fear when it come to the change needed to compensate for dried up oil wells. Perhaps I should just take faith in the electric car craze that one of the panelists saw as the cure-all solution.

“What are all these presents...”

“...it seems you're 'showering' her with gifts...teeny baby sized gifts...well...I'll be in the tub.”
-Homer

'Twas a weekend of baby showers. We were making a variety of preparations on Friday. Andy called in the midsts of it all and invited me (David) out. I didn't meet up with him at the Turf club until after the chores were finished. Usually when I meet up with Andy, it is earlier in the day. So I got a rare glimpse into what Andy is like after he's been at the bar for awhile. I found it amusing when he tried to give me directions to his house as I was giving him a ride home. He must have forgotten that I've known the location of his house for almost 15 years.

Saturday was a blast. Mom (Randal) hosted the shower that day at the old homestead. Despite the size of the house, things still managed to get a bit crowded (and we ran low on chairs). Still, all had a good time, and we got to show off the nursery.

On Sunday, mom (Skelton) hosted a shower. Between the two of them we got to see what parenthood was like at all the various stages. Having a fellow expectant mother at the shower could have been Heather's opportunity to finally give advice (as opposed to receive), but Brie has been through the process before.

More photos here.

So now that we've been showered, we are completely prepared for the wee little one. Thanks to everyone for all the supplies and wisdom. This ought to be a cakewalk.

mmmmmmmm...cakewalk!

LeMond Keg-wagon

When I (David) was in my early teens, it was a common sight: The disheveled, Zubaz-wearing, suspended license type, cassually biking down the sidewalk with one hand on the handlebar and the other on a case of Miller highlife that was supported by one thigh. Even if the rider wasn't both wearing Zubaz and carrying a case of Miller, there was at least one common thing that identified this population; they would spin the drop bars on their bike (usually a Coast King 10-speed or one of the many similar brands of bike that utilized that colorful plastic bar tape) so that the ends of the bars pointed forward, and the brakes were operated by pushing with the palm of one's hand.

Since that era, I have seen a few if these modified department store bikes, but it isn't nearly as common, and (unlike the aforementioned population – who presumably sold off their Monte Carlos to pay for their beer and their steed) it is obvious that it is not the rider's sole transportation. Nevertheless, I had a bit of a flashback on Monday. The county's compost site opened for the season on Monday, so I loaded up the car with bags of last year's hall of foliage and twigs, and headed over to the dump. On my way there, I came upon a relic from my teenage years. He was a thin Levis-wearing man with a mustache and a tan line on his neck from where the mullet used to be. He was riding a bike with its handlebars turned upwards in this manner. It seemed like he was test riding the bike; perhaps he recently had a DUI relapse and was reacquainting himself with the old tradition.

Now despite using language to associate people who wore Zubaz and mullets with alcoholism, I'd like to think that I'm not very judgmental. That is why I am a bit shocked at myself for wondering what this guy was doing on a Lemond bicycle frame. Did he know a fellow lush who had gotten so used to biking that he upgraded his standards, and who through coincidence of timing was ready to reactivate his license and trade his Lemond for this guy's old Monte Carlo? I didn't get a long enough look at the bike, but I think it had STI shifters. I have a suspicion that this phenomenon is something that could fit into the category of “only on the East Side”.

Etc.

Sure, we've been busy. Unfortunately this sort of busyness isn't all that noteworthy. Mainly our days have been run of the mill except for all of the pregnancy related things: sleeping, classes, shopping, cleaning, sleeping, reading baby books, Dr.'s appointments, planning/paperwork, etc. Of the recent events for David, the few worth any notation have included a SHSK St. Patrick's day concert, a few rides, and the acquisition of a dirt cheap, brand new Burley trailer which was promptly give to Matt and Christine in exchange for all the baby stuff they've given us. Heather's news has included an interest in the weather, but despite taking pictures, we were challenged to create a timely blog entry. But you can at least see the photos below: