How apt is it that the last time I updated this I was announcing the birth of my first child? Proudly proclaiming my intent to work hard at this dad thing and also laying out plans for blog posts of the near future. Well, I've followed through on the former. The latter, no so much. Turns out that raising small humans takes a lot of time and energy.
...Five years later, I'm finally going to put some effort into writing again. Not because I think what I have to say is interesting. Or intelligent. Or even worth reading. But because I need to get some of these things off of my mind. Make some space for something new. So, what's happened in the half decade since Zoey was born? Quite a lot I suppose. Wasn't quite sure how to summarize it -- but then I remembered the 2016 Christmas Letter I wrote but never actually sent with my Christmas Card. 2016 Christmas Letter (that I never mailed) Salutations, I hope this card and letter finds you and your loved one(s) in good spirits this Christmas season. Since having children of my own, I’ve truly come to appreciate the special moments of the holidays – nothing beats it. And, if you don’t have any loved one(s) -- sorry if I touched a soft spot and who needs ‘em anyway! AMIRITE? As I sit here typing, it is currently 3:07am on Thanksgiving morning. Which is fitting. Both, because I have so very much to be grateful for and because this is the only conceivable damn time in which I could spend contiguous, uninterrupted minutes writing a letter that will spend 15 days on your kitchen counter before the clutter kicks your fengshui so completely out of balance that you toss it in the garbage can in a fit of rage. Sorry about that. Also, you might want to see a therapist about your OCD-driven anger issues. Don’t worry about the stigma. You’re not completely crazy. Therapists are wonderful. Trust me. Anyway, to address the elephant in the room, Jen and I are no longer together. By the very nature of you being on my Christmas Card list, you probably know that. If not, SURPRISE! But, have no worries. Things are good. Seriously. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the past 12+ months have been incredibly difficult, challenging, exhausting and frustrating beyond any prior comprehension. But, as Kelly Clarkson (don’t judge!) belts out every day on my morning run, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” While nothing about the separation has been easy – for us or the girls – we are, all four, in a much better place for it. Jen bought a house exactly 2 blocks away in our small town (seriously, my address is [redacted], hers is [redacted]). While, for many, it may not seem ideal to be that close to an ex-partner, it’s great for the girls. The reality is that we would see each other all the time anyway – such is the life of living in a town of 1,400 people with one grocery store. The benefits of being so close far outweigh the disadvantages. We can quickly run (literally, run) forgotten items to the other's house. When we transition the girls from one house to the other, we often walk. And, when the girls miss the other parent or are sick, the other parent is only seconds away. I’m thankful that humans have not yet developed the ability to create laser beams with their mind that incinerate those who make them angry. Because we both would be goners….many times over. And probably many times in the future. But, through it all, Jen and I are committed to doing what’s best for the Zoey and Olivia, are in constant communication to be on the same page and have a strong co-parenting relationship. While they still occasionally struggle with mommy and daddy not living together, the girls have adapted incredibly well. And cherish their time with each parent. And, even, kind of like having two houses. We are currently on a 7-day rotation with the girls – we share 50/50 custody. While it’s a long time to go without seeing them, we have found they do best in school without frequent, abrupt changes. The girls like knowing that they are going home to the same house each night and not left wondering “who’s night is it?” While 7 days is the standard, I’m grateful that Jen has been so flexible with my travel schedule for work. I travel approximately 35-40% of the time. And often events are scheduled out of my control which means that it may fall on my week to have Zoey and Olivia. But, Jen and I plan out our schedule ahead of time and it works well. Traveling certainly creates some hardships. Do the math. If I’m gone 40% of the time for work and am a single dad to two toddlers anther 50%, that leaves me with 1 day in every 10 in which to get things done like household repairs/updates, child-free errands, adult socialization and, most importantly, sit on the couch watching TV and zoning out to decompress this seemingly-always spinning brain. While the travel creates a hardship of its own, don’t mistake that for work-related resentment. Quite the opposite, in fact. I have a really great job for a really great company. There are difficult and challenging days, to be sure, but isn’t that part of what makes a great job, great? Many people mistake work-related travel as glamorous. It is not. It’s exhausting, frustrating and cumbersome. But, there certainly are some perks. My company, [redacted], caters to the travel and tourism industries. So, a majority of my time is spent going to places that people want to visit. I’m usually pretty busy but I try to always sneak in a little personal time to make sure I’m getting the full experience. The highlight trip of this year was one in which I took my nephew, Cole. This past summer, between his junior and senior year of high school, he accompanied me on a work trip out East. He had never been on a commercial airplane and had never been out East. So, we flew into NYC and I spent 36 hours trying to show him the highlights of Manhattan. Then, we rented a car and drove upstate to the Catskills where we did a hike called “The Devil’s Path” – called the most dangerous hike in the US by Backpacker magazine. In one day we climbed five peaks which was the equivalent of climbing and descending the steps of the Empire State Building four times. The rest of our trip included visiting Hershey Chocolate headquarters where we saw a Paul McCartney concert, visited Amish country in Lancaster, went to the Gettysburg Battlefield, trekked to Luray Caverns in Virginia, spent a day on the ocean in Cape May, walked the boardwalk in Atlantic City and then spent a couple of days in downtown Philly visiting Constitution Hall, running the steps from the "Rocky" movie and eating Philly Cheese Steaks. All while getting in some pretty critical work. My dad always called Christmas letters “brag letters.” The purpose of the previous paragraph was not to brag but rather bring up a more important point. This trip was incredibly fulfilling for me. Showing my nephew parts of the world he had never seen and experiencing these amazing moments with him was wonderful. It made me realize that one of the things I look forward to most, in life, is being able to take Zoey and Olivia with me on these adventures. That my job and lifestyle afford me the opportunity to do that is one more thing for which I’m incredibly grateful. Speaking of Zoey and Olivia, they are truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. Not sure where I would be in life without them – likely spiraling the gutter of emotional ineptitude and still searching for a purpose in life. They are beautiful and sweet and smart and so unbelievably loving. And challenging. Many of you may know – I never wanted kids. I never felt I had the emotional depth, critical patience or lack of selfishness it requires to raise kids. And, I still probably don’t have those skills. But, I’m so grateful for these two little girls. They have taught me so much and love me unconditionally. Like little Buddha puppies who say “I love you” every five minutes. But, it’s not easy. Not equipped with natural parenting skills, I have to work really hard at it. Harder than I’ve ever worked at anything in my life. And mistakes and missteps occur. I’m trying. And, like all parents I think, I’ll just be happy if they don’t turn out to be deranged psychopath lunatic mass murderers. So far, so good. Zoey turned 4 this past August. She is sweet, honest, caring, emotionally-aware, loving and hyper aware of the world around her. This kid has said some of the most emotionally deep, caring and empathetic things I have ever heard. She’s almost always smiling and gets great joy from spending time with others. Honestly, she’s a cakewalk to parent and charges my batteries. Olivia turned 3 in late October. Olivia is independent, strong-willed, loyal, creative and also very loving. She challenges us every day and makes us pull our hair out. But, through these tough times emerge some of the most wonderful and heart-warming moments. Underneath that tough exterior is this absolutely wonderful, charming and funny little human. She is the yin to Zoey’s yang. And that, I’ve decided, is my life’s goal. To get the two of them to work together. Their personalities are such polar opposites that they actually complement one another perfectly. Zoey brings this emotional depth and empathy for others while Olivia provides the matter-of-fact toughness that Zoey lacks. And when they are working together, the moments are magical. Beyond that singular life purpose, not much else to report. I hope your holidays are wonderful and I look forward to receiving your cards and/or catching up via phone, email or smoke signals. All the best, Travis, Zoey and Olivia
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So, it’s official. I’m a dad. Lots of topics to cover further down the road. At that time, I'll recap some of the craziness of the actual big day. And, I’m going to interview a few of my friends who are (relatively) new dads. Pick their brains for some observations and advice. In the meantime, here are some ramblings from my first couple days.
I’m sure every dad thinks this. But my little girl is pretty special. Truth be told, I’ve always thought newborns are pretty ugly. I was planning to post a picture of her and joke that – being bald with no teeth – she looks just like my Grandpa Hertel. But, then she came out with inch-plus-long hair and looked cute as hell. I had to Google pictures of newborns to see if I was incredibly bias (and see if all babies, not just mine, are cute) or if my girl actually is amazingly beautiful. The answer? Both. The nurses and doctors said a healthy baby will produce 2 poopy diapers the day after birth. That indicates that she is eating and digesting well. Any more than that is simply overachieving. Zoey was eating so well and moved from fetus to newborn pooping stages so quickly that she crapped like 5 times in the first day. Awesome! Overachiever baby!…Although, that could get a little old when those craps start to be less “cute” and more“disgusting.” Not to mention the diaper costs. Oh well...overachiever baby! We have this amazing picture where I was trying to capture Jen with the baby. The first one I took was good but I wanted to get one more at a different angle. At the exact moment I pulled the trigger for that second photo, Zoey unleashed this monster fart (and crap). The resulting picture perfectly captured Jen’s wide-eyed bewilderment. When you talk about a dog or a horse, you always talk about their disposition. How they are in relation to others around them. Zoey is pretty fantastic. She’s a happy-go-lucky little peanut. Granted, I know she’s still in the sleepy newborn stage, but she’s been mostly amazing thus far. Good sleeper. Good eating. And, super relaxed when she is awake. The pediatrician checked her the day after she was born and did this neck test thing. She said she’s never seen a newborn hold her head up that long on her own. They probably say something to that effect to all parents so they feel good about their kid. I don’t care. My girl has super strength! Then, got her home last night. On the changing table she kept rolling onto her side. Are kids that aren’t even 2 days old supposed to be able to do that? I guess some do. Still pretty sweet, though. Most don't. Overachiever baby! Anyway, check in later if you want to catch a few new-dad stories and revelations. This isn’t a “for” or “against” Obamacare article. So don’t stop reading.
This is an anti-apathy article. Now you can stop reading. Was perusing an actual, printed newspaper (you know, just kickin’ it old school) yesterday that discussed potential implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or, informally, Obamacare. Although I do tend to politically lean a specific way, I believe in forming an independent opinion. And, in all honestly, I’ve been a bit apathetic in regards to forming an opinion about Obamacare. For several reasons: 1. Seemed like a moot point to develop an initial opinion until everything played out in the courts. No more excuses here. Now that this has played out, time to take a stance. Unless, of course, the Fall election leads to an attempt to repeal. 2. The political rhetoric on this issue is the most pungent I’ve ever witnessed. Republicans – “Obamacare will be the death of all business while taxing the US economy into oblivion.” Democrats – “If we don’t require and provide healthcare now, it will cost American taxpayers kajillions of dollars down the road.” The truth? Probably, like always, somewhere in the middle. Damned if we do. Damned if we don’t. 3. ‘Honestly, who gives a shit? I have health insurance.’ I mean, seriously. Those idiots in congress are going to do what they are going to do regardless of my opinion. Probably won’t make that much of a difference in my actual paycheck. And, I have a job with a decent health plan, so why worry about the government option public plan? And there, with point number three, is where I was completely wrong. A recent study by Deloitte indicates that 1 in 10 employers will drop their health insurance in 2014. An additional 10 percent of employers are undecided. I’ve seen other studies suggesting the number is much higher – as many as 30 percent of employers will drop ESI (Employer-Sponsored Insurance). Basically, between 5 and 35 million Americans who currently have health insurance from their employer will be shifted to the government option. Regardless of where that number ends up falling, the companies most likely to drop insurance are small businesses. Why? Companies with less than 50 employees or less will receive little or no penalty for not offering insurance. Additionally, companies with more than 50 employees may also benefit from dropping ESI. Although employers will be subject to a tax if they don’t offer insurance, the $2,000 per employee penalty may be less expensive than their current ESI health plan contribution. Under the tax penalty option, an employer would also likely see additional savings by reducing the HR costs associated with maintaining and administering their ESI plan. What does this mean for you? Well, there is a decent chance you could find yourself on public health insurance within the next few years. If you don’t currently have insurance, are self-employed or if you work for a small company, those odds are much, much greater. If you fit into the former two categories, Obamacare could be a great thing for you. The latter category…I’m not as convinced. Regardless, if you fit into any of the three categories, you should share my following two concerns: 1. Not having access to the best doctors and institutions. I’ve witnessed public health care firsthand. The fact of the matter is, insurance companies pay more for a procedure than state provided health insurance or Medicare. That makes it difficult to gain access to some healthcare professionals. Why would they want operate on Joe when it pays more to do the same thing for Tommy? As I understand it, Obamacare would even out some of the inequities. As I know it, the medical industry will find a work-around. 2. Public health insurance may not be as cheap as you think. Obamacare is designed to provide a health insurance option for those who cannot currently afford coverage. Naturally, it stands to reason that the people who cannot currently afford insurance probably make less money than those who can afford insurance. And, for that reason, your price for Obamacare insurance will be dependent on how much money you earn. Now this is where it gets scary. My condolences, in advanced before you read on, if you live in an urban area (likely to have a higher salary) and don’t have kids/are an empty-nester. The government subsidy for public healthcare will be based on how much money you make in relation to the poverty level. If you make 400 percent or more of the poverty level, you will pay 9.5 percent of your salary towards Obamacare coverage. If you make less than 400 percent of the poverty level, your salary percent will be less than 9.5 percent (the less you make, the lower the percentage). No worries, right? No way you’re close to making 4X the poverty level, right? Now, what if I told you the poverty level for the lower 48 for one person is $11,170. If you make $45,000, you are over the 4X poverty level. Who makes $45,000 a year? Young professionals who likely acquired a shit-ton of college debt and worked their post-college asses off for five years before finally getting that big promotion. High school graduate Baby Boomers who worked like a dog to move up from mailroom clerk to executive assistant. Even scarier? If you’re married with no kids and both you and your spouse work. The poverty level for a family of two is $15,130. So, if you and your spouse make more than $61,000, you’re screwed. That means you each average just over $14 an hour. Not a terrible wage…but that doesn’t go very far in a city where you pay $800 + utilities to live in a decent, safe community. tl;dr I know, I know. This is the world’s longest post. On a boring topic, no less. And, I haven’t even begun to answer all of my own questions. Like, “If people can’t afford to pay for government-mandated health insurance, how can they afford to pay the government penalty for not paying for government-mandated health insurance?” But, I’ll stop here. Other than to implore you to do your research, form an opinion, share it with your elected federal officials, and use it to guide your vote this Fall. As for my opinion? Compromise. But that would make too much sense. And never happen. Democrats probably should not have shoved a 2700-page bill down people’s throats without proper vetting. Most elected officials admitted they had not read the entire document before voting. It would have been best to pass incremental changes rather than one broad brushstroke left to the interpretation of the bloated government bureaucracies. Republicans should probably have spent more time focusing on how to make the bill better through amendments and negotiating rather than wasting a lot of time, energy and resources trying to deem it unconstitutional and crying, “foul.” Even the Republican party admitted that we needed some healthcare reform. And both parties should be ashamed, and call out their own members, who publicly traded stocks based on what was happening behind closed doors in secret committee meetings. If you ever feel the need to mentally vomit and fear for the future of this country, read “Throw Them All Out” by Peter Schweizer. I knew about earmarks. I had no idea about all of the insider trading. Was hitting up a couple of garage/estate sales yesterday. As is often the case, found a number of gems. One of which was a bizarre painting of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Ichiro Suzuki as Little Leaguers. When this painting was created, it was a nod to the three of the very best professional players in all of baseball.
And, now, all three play for the same team. The Yankees. Yes, they are all past their prime. And, yes, A-Rod just broke his hand. Don't care. Doesn't matter. It's still lame. And, another reason to hate the Yankees. Also, happy 37th birthday to the centaur-ian stud, A-Rod. Yesterday, for lunch, Jen and I split a Chinese lunch entrée. We picked it up on the way home from the first post-due date exam. My fortune read, “A small lucky package is on its way to you soon.” Let's hope so. We had several friends expecting their babies on pretty much the exact same day. I say “had” because they are no longer expecting. Their babies have arrived. While very happy for them, it’s hard to not be a bit jealous. And, I say this as the one who isn’t carrying a gigantic, shifting and kicking weight inside my tummy. My body hasn’t been hijacked by a constantly-karate-chopping hitchhiker. If I’m really ready to meet the little fart, Jen’s anticipation would double mine. Don’t get me wrong. We’re happy that the baby is so healthy that she’s safely decided to extend her stay at warm-womb land. But, at this point, it’d just be nice to get started on the next phase of our lives. As they say, “No point in delaying the inevitable.” Added another project to the to-do list. Need to come up with a new name for the act of being internet lazy. You know what I’m talking about. That moment where you are too lazy to look something up online even though a whole world of information, including the answer you seek, is literally at your fingertips. It’s even more pathetic now that the average smartphone is more
powerful than the average PC from 10 years ago. We’ve all experienced this phenomenon. You’re watching a football game at a bar and an intoxicated Packers fan boasts about how awesome Aaron Rogers is for only being in the league for four years. You’re watching a movie with your significant other who swears that Kirsten Dunst was the actress in Legally Blonde. There’s no f’n-way Robert Downey, Jr. was one of the bullies in Weird Science. Really? Anyway, you get the point. Having a question about something but not looking it up is my generation’s equivalent of someone in the ‘80s being too lazy to get up to change the channel on the TV even though an awful show was on air. Like AfterMASH. Always one to recognize an opportunity (afterall, someone got rich inventing the remote control), I’m thinking about starting a foundation that addresses “internet lazy.” This organization would do some baseline research that finds that approximately, let’s say 37%, of all arguments and fights are the result of disagreeing over something factual. As the Executive Director of this organization, I would seek government grants and donor funds for the creation of campaigns that encourage people to look things up rather than arguing. By reducing arguments and fights, I’d thereby reduce requests for police intervention and ambulance calls, overcrowding of courtrooms and prisons, drive down divorce filings, and so on. All by driving that 37% down through my anti-[insert “fight” internet lazy term here] organization. Sounds crazy. But, if you could reduce all of those elements, and prove it -- you would save local and state governments a lot of money. You might think it’s a waste of time and money. Well, there are crazier organizations out there. So, join me, and help make the world a better place. Also, please feel free to submit ideas for the official term for “internet lazy.” Maybe, if I select your name, you'll find a sweet Creative Director position waiting for you within my powerful, new NGO. Last week, I was interviewing my former college roommate and good friend Dan-ard. I’m planning a series of blog posts that cover travel do’s and don’ts, random observations, and so on. Although I’ve since determined I may actually have enough material to write a fun and informative book. But, I digress. Anyway, during the interview, before sharing my least favorite airport in the US, I asked him, “What’s the dirtiest, worst airport in the country?” His response, without hesitation, was Philadelphia (PHL). I laughed. Philadelphia is also my least favorite airport. You know that dark, flaky filth film you get in your toilet below the water line when you don’t clean it for a long time? The stuff that looks like dis-colored toilet paper stuck to the edge waving at you with every flush? The urinals in PHL have that. I’ve been startled by incredibly rude non-airline, staff. Tables, chairs and other furniture tend to be sticky. Well, I should have known, before berating the quality of the airport, that it would come back to bite me. I should have known not to publicly voice my displeasure with a place that I would be visiting the next week. Because, today, I’m getting to spend six solid hours in this lovely little place. My scheduled plane was having maintenance problems. It’s not that bad. I can make do. More of an inconvenience than anything. I’ve embraced the challenge. And, it helps me pass the time. I just spent 15 minutes finding a clean table in my terminal. Later this morning I plan to venture out and find electrical outlets. Eventually, I’ll visit the other terminals in a quest to locate a bathroom with soap dispensers that actually have soap in them. Not exactly Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth – but a noble cause, no less. I’m being a little dramatic, no doubt. Which made me ask the question, what do other people think? Well, according to this report, the publics’ general consensus supports my claims. Their list of the worst airports is pretty spot on in my opinion. La Guardia’s post-security amenities are sparse to say the least. And it’s old as balls. When you leave your terminal to go to ground transportation/baggage claim, you have to go down real stairs. That’s unheard of in the era of rollerboard suitcases. Not even an escalator. (Side Note: Reminds me of the Mitch Hedberg line, "I like an escalator because an escalator can never break, it can only become stairs. There would never be an escalator 'temporarily out of order' sign, only an 'escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience.'") To that point, this commercial is somewhat amusing. In regards to the other airports on the list, Newark is “meh” and O’Hare is a good place to avoid at all costs due to all-but-certain delays. I have no problems with LAX. Either way, happy to have a delay when I don’t have to be anywhere by a specific time. Much better than a delay when you are trying to make a meeting. Or, get back in time to see your kid’s birth. The due date isn’t until tomorrow, so I have plenty of time. Arrived home about a week ago. It’s been a good, productive week. Relegated to the basement while the entire upstairs is torn
apart and reassembled, I feel a bit like a hermit bachelor extraordinaire. A few notes from this week (I apologize for the random, unedited nature of this...not a lot of time for "blogging"): After one day of living like one of those crazies on “Hoarders” (I’m sharing the basement with the cat and a majority of our possessions) – I arranged a little living area in the basement. Now I can at least sit somewhere. Which is nice. Fixed my grill on Wednesday. Pulled it into the garage and found out the distributor and burner were a little mis-aligned. Thank goodness it was an easy fix. It’s very important that my daily caloric intake include at least two servings of fire-cooked meats. Finally found utensils and silverware last night. Pretty pumped. Prior to this I only had a spoon and one of those cheap, plastic pizza cutters that you get as a gift from a furniture store. I had been using a multi-channel pliers as my grill tongs. Before finding all of those things, I was living like the ultimate bachelor. Not a lot you can eat with only a spoon and paper bowls. Lots of cold cereal. An occasional pizza. And cheap chocolate-covered granola bars. Finding these utensils opens a whole new world of possibilities: canned beans (can opener), steak (fork and knife), toast (butter knife and the toaster) and even the fancy hot dog buns you have to cut open with a knife. Last night for supper, I grilled brats and corn on the cob. Editor's Note: As I type this, I'm eating two chocolate covered donuts and a string cheese for lunch. Laundry has been a bit of an issue. It’s been two weeks since adding any clean clothes to my wardrobe. The washer and dryer work just fine – but haven’t taken the time to do any laundry (other than to wash some sheets when I got back) and it’s kind of dirty upstairs where the appliances are located. This isn’t a big deal other than I’m running out of clean clothes. Primarily underwear and shirts to wear to work. Luckily, due to some excellent foresight and good timing of it being “America” week, I’ve been able to manage. You see, despite the desperate pleas of the lady in his life, every man keeps a secret stash of old underwear. They are undoubtedly full of holes and are completely stretched out. I just don’t have it in my heart to throw out a pair of old underwear. They’ve been so loyal. Like a close friend, old underwear have been through a lot with you. Kind of like an old dog I guess. And, they are always handy in an emergency. In case you are a little slow on laundry, need a grease rag or can’t find your hanky. Anyway, I’ve simply tapped into my old underwear supply to last me through this week. From a shirt standpoint, fortune has shined down upon me. With the 4th of July in the middle of the week, I had the day off. Which means…it’s ok to wear a dirty shirt! Whew, that means only four days to be creative. Unfortunately, it’s way, way too hot to wear longsleeves. Which cuts out about ¾ of my closet. Luckily, I have a bunch of Case IH polo shirts from my previous job. Totally knocked one of those out of the park on Monday. And, speaking of knocking one out of the park, baseball is pretty Ah-Merr-Ihcun. Like Apple Pie. And BBQ. So, for the other three day this week, I sported baseball jerseys: Tony Oliva, Harmon Killebrew, and my game-worn Brewers BATBOY. Glad John Hancock and the boys didn’t wait another week to sign the Declaration of Independence back in 1776. Totally would have thrown off my patriotism motif and thereby required me to do laundry. Sitting here in the what-is-supposed-to-be-the-living-room, I can't help but think: on one hand, there is a ton of work left to do on the house. On the other, things are progressing. Especially when you consider that I’ve only been home for 14 days since getting the keys to the house. But, it’s not my efforts that have advanced the project. It’s been the help of others. If you kept track of the hours I have spent and the cumulative hours of “not me” –the "not me's" would easily surpass…probably even dwarf my total time spent renovating. So, a big, grateful thank you to everyone who has helped. Like I told Jen, when she gets back and the three of us get settled, we’ll keep plenty busy returning the labor favor to others. Labor favor? Great phrase. Going to trademark it. Also, just thought of a cool title. Renovator. One who renovates. I’m totally having business cards made for me and everyone who helped. Even though I’m not sure what I’m doing is actually renovating. It’s more updating. But Updater doesn’t sound as excellent or amaizing. Lastly, I’m not a cat fanatic. I don't mind them. I do hate the easily-falls-out nature of their hair. Especially when it’s on the couch and my clothes. But, I’m getting kind of attached to the cat. Her name is Bella, but I’ve always called her Hat. Because she’s so soft…I want to make a nice warm winter hat out of her fur. Anyway, when you’re living alone, it’s kind of nice to have someone to talk to at night. Even if it’s a cat. Historically, I don’t remember 99 percent of my dreams. Which is good because my dreams are always stupid and borderline insane. But, every once in a while I subconsciously retain dreams. Perhaps using the psychology term incorrectly; let me explain. By subconsciously, I mean that I don’t recall the dream when I wake up in the morning but rather I remember a portion of it later – when something triggers the memory.
All of that would be fine. Except that I am unable to differentiate between dream and reality. I’ll start contributing to a conversation only to realize that something may have been a dream rather than reality. An example of this: I was recently surprised to see that a person who attended my high school had an active Facebook account. Because I wrongly thought he was dead. Or, one recent Monday, after not having internet or phone access all weekend, I spent some time catching up on Minnesota sports. I was caught off guard after learning that the Lynx had added to its league-leading win total. Not because they won (the Lynx is the lone good team in all of Minnesota sports right now). But rather because I "remembered" the league was contracted mid-season on the prior Friday as a result of four WNBA teams not being financially viable in their current cities. Making matters worse, my dreams have become more vivid and repetitive – thus more deeply ingrained in my already fragile psyche. The other night, I woke up after having the same dream two times in a row. Only difference was the second dream had a slightly different ending. Not one to dismiss the importance of the lesson, I got up at 3:30 in the morning and began frantically scribbling all of the finer points onto a notepad using my phone as a flashlight. It took me an hour of writing as fast as I could to capture it all. As odd and nonsensical as that dream seemed, I’m planning use it as the platform for some sort of fantasy-based sci-fi movie. If horse crap scripts like Melancholia and Prometheus can attract the attention of Hollywood producers, I’m confident my novel will be a major motion picture within a few years. It's been a bit since I've posted anything, so I thought I would provide a bit of an overall update. Quite a bit has progressed since my trip to Yellowstone and I won't capture it all here, but look for plenty of upcoming stories in the coming weeks.
The Pregnancy is Going Great Other than one early scare, the pregnancy has gone great. From a health standpoint, Jen and the baby couldn't be doing any better. Considering she has a miniature, constantly dancing human being in her stomach, Jen is incredibly mobile and feeling good. A true testament to good health, eating well and exercise. In fact, we've taken several hikes in the past month including one up a pretty steep mountain path. As great a trooper as she's been, I know Jen is anxiously awaitng the birth. Due July 23, we're both excited to meet Zoey Mae. We may even almost be ready because we are... No Longer Homeless Well, to be fair, we were never truly homeless and are extremely grateful for being able to live in a friend's house as it awaited some renovations. But, we closed on our house the Friday before Memorial Day. And immediately tore it completely apart. It isn't a fixer-uppper -- but just needed some updating. In just one week, we made a fair amount of progress. Friends and family have been extremely helpful. But, we have so very much left to do before the baby comes home because... I'm 'On the Road Again' In the seven days that followed closing on the house, not only did we begin renovations, but we also moved out of the other house, partied with my Grandma June for her 80th birthday and went camping with family for the weekend in the Black Hills to celebrate my Grandpa and Grandma Hertel's birthdays and anniversary. From the Hills, we drove to Minneapolis where I worked for a few days before Jen dropped me off at the airport and drove to Milwaukee. She'll be there until the baby is born. Meanwhile, I've spent time in Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Milwaukee and now Denver. I will get back to Lemmon on June 28. We left on June 1. I enjoy travel and really like my new job, but I'm ready to get back. Lots to do before the baby gets here but thankful for... Amazing Family and Friends I couldn't even begin to list all of the help we have received from family and friends. From giving us a places to stay, to helping us move, to letting me borrow lawn mowers, to throwing a great baby shower/party to helping us renovate the house -- people have been amazing. We're overwhelmed and so tremendously thankful for the support we have received. And, I'm looking forward to being able to "pay it forward" in the future. But, that's the highlights, look for more to come in the near future. |