I realized last night that I hadn't kept people in the know for a while now, so I thought I'd better get updating. Since there's not a whole lot to discuss at this point, I figured I'd give an itinerary for the coming month or so.

- Right now: Concentrating on getting packed and getting stuff boxed up and ready to go. Have so many things to make sure are all in order I don't care to list them again here. I'm sore already from moving and hoisting and running around. Still have another week of it to go.

- July 29th - Derek Richards' Bachelor Party - God help me, especially in light of...

- July 30th - Big group roommate house-cleaning. 4 guys, one house, a couple of hours. Voila. Done and ready for inspection that Monday.

- July 31st - Pat checks out of the old house at noon. Off work that day. Hopefully we'll have our keys for the new place by then, and can be moving stuff in. Probably will be late that evening that we get to start moving stuff. Fortunately, we're on the middle floor with no stairs in the apt building.

- August 1st - Full-on move-in action. Off work today as well. Mary will be getting into town for the shower as well, and will be over and helping with the unpack. Hopefully my staging plans will work out so that it will be a smooth transition into the new place.

- August 2nd & 3rd - Situate, arrange, and unpack. Probably some visiting with Mary in the mean time. Erin won't have to work anywhere anymore, so she'll be pregnant, bored, and alone at the house. I suspect dinner will be ready at 7:30 sharp. Getting the house ready for family for the shower. Mom, Granny and Crew will be beaching themselves in our free space on the floor and couch.

- August 4th - All the family to dinner the night before the shower. Ever seen About Schmidt?

- August 5th - Baby Shower - 2PM Saturday at the Train Depot. Food, fun, and piles of baby stuff. Hooray storage.

- August 6th - Family disperse. I don't exactly know how this is going to go, actually. This is a play-it-by ear kind of thing, I'm guessing.

- Mid August - Erin leaves me for a week to see Lea and her family. Hot Pockets of the world should run for their collective lives.

- August 17th, 18th & 19th - House guest in the form of Carl Stunkel. He'll be back to grace us plebians with his presence to help in Derek and Cory's wedding.

- August 21st - School starts, and Erin begins what should be her last year of her Bachelor's Degree in Education.

- August 31st - My birthday. I don't know what the plan is, but it's the final birthday *I* get to look forward to. Now it truly is just downhill from here.

- September 6th - Leave town here at 7; get to Tristan's about 9. Sleep for a few hours.

- September 7th - I have to be at KCI at 4AM to check in. Flight leaves at 6AM off Northwestern to the East Coast. A connection in Ohio, and I'll be on the island at Martha's Vineyard by 11AM.

- September 8th-9th - Preparations for Glenn and Julie's wedding. I'll be go'fer and bartender.

- September 10th - 12:01AM - Free man to do what I want for the rest of the time there

- September 11th - I'll be on a plane leaving the East Coast on the 5-year anniversary of the World Trade Center towers dropping.

- All of September - Hoping Erin doesn't pop while attending birthing and breast feeding classes.

- October 2nd - If you don't know this, you're obviously not paying attention.

- The rest of my life - Getting used to being called "Dad". Having a whole new set of birthdays to look forward to.

Hope you're all well. We'll see you all soon.

Brighid's new baby

our new baby,
originally uploaded by howhowlz.

My sister, never to be outdone, has decided to one-up me with aquisition of a new two week old baby kitten. Her name was preliminarily Murder (yeah, it's my sister, what can I say?), but they've since realized their haste in such a...recalitrant... name and are considering something more befitting a kitten rejected by her mother two days after birth.

My best to you, fair kitten. You're in good hands.

Sesame Street Aliens!

Remember these guys?!

Zen, The Salty Dog

...except that he's a cat...

[18:13] trippstorm: oh... second funny story... so Zen has got 8 lives left and he has gained the rank of salty, salty sailor....
[18:13] thegrio: pray tell...
[18:14] trippstorm: I'll tell you the quick version now, and the extended one later...
[18:14] trippstorm: he followed me to the kayak launch spot, and I told him that if he did that, I was gonna teach his furry ass a lesson and take him kayaking...
[18:14] thegrio: ahahaha
[18:15] trippstorm: so he did, and I did... and he was enjoying himself, looking out of the kayak, and sitting on my lap...
[18:15] thegrio: then the kayak rolled...
[18:15] trippstorm: I paddled into the local harbor, got caught in a swift current, got pinned against a skiff, started to get sucked under, then the kayak flipped, I grabbed for Zen, missed him and went under... came up, he was gone...
[18:16] trippstorm: found him two hours later UNDERNEATH THE DOCK on a pile of stones...
[18:16] thegrio: wow
[18:16] trippstorm: he had gotten sucked under a 27 foot yacht, and somehow found his way to dry land...
[18:16] trippstorm: so... salty, salty sailor... 8 lives.
[18:16] thegrio: Yup
[18:16] trippstorm: *whew*
[18:17] thegrio: 8 to go. =)
[18:17] trippstorm: anyhow, I'll give you more details later... peace out
[18:17] thegrio: sounds good. Have fun.

Jon Sends His Love

Jon's out, playing Army all summer in Northern Washington State. He was supposed to be back sometime next week, though running into Frank at Target (his Dad) revealed he may be gone until late Sept.

Well, either way, a small note to say he's alive and well, and blowin' schtuff up all in the name of God, Liberty, and The Persuit of Happiness.

Or, you know, just an excuse to blow things up and learn new and interesting ways of killing people.

What ever settles better with your nightcap.

Goodnight.