Beer for Me

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap...

2008-04-15T09:08:00.004-04:00

We're in trouble now. Courtney's starting to walk.

It's really funny to watch. She doesn't quite bend her knees yet, but her balance is good and she's travelling all over the house. She uses her Little Mermaid pusher/rider for balance, but since she started (just 3 days ago) she's shown a lot of improvement. She'll get stuck on furniture or a wall and she'll be able to move her cart, without falling down, and continue on her merry way. Just yesterday, she was able to turn a corner by herself.

And since she started walking around with Ariel, she's also gotten more confident with standing on her own and walking with assistance (namely, holding my hands). I'm sure she'll be completely mobile soon. Time to lock those cabinets!

On top of all of the walking about, on the same day that she she started walking, she also sprouted her first tooth. That sharp little nub finally broke through with not much fanfare. She never fussed too badly when it came to teething. Sure, she fussed, but not bad compared to some of the horror stories I've heard.

So now you're up to date. Walking and teeth...now all we need is some hair.

Happy Birthday, Dear Courtney. Happy Birthday to You!

2008-03-24T19:45:00.005-04:00

Yup...she's one. How time flies!

The past year has been filled with sleepless nights, worries over bumps and bruises, crying (both her and me), and all sorts of issues I hadn't even thought of.

And it's been great.

She continues to grow stronger, older, and smarter every day. I am continually amazed at things she can do and how far she's come. To think back a year to a little girl who was only 3 and 1/2 pounds, hooked up to all sorts of monitors and ventilators, and only able to eat through a feeding tube. Now she's a thriving 1-year-old, eating regular foods (she loves waffles and graham crackers), and more mobile than I really care for. She already looks for trouble, I can only imagine the trouble when she starts walking.

So now that I've got one year under my belt, I guess I can be considered a veteran father even though I still have no idea what I'm doing. I guess the two of us will just have to figure it out as we go along.

Tempting the Weather Gods

2008-01-21T08:23:00.000-05:00

Liz thinks it's a funny story...all it did was piss me off.

Within days of my post about the lack of snow, there was a snowstorm. A big one too. I think it was about 8 inches of wet, heavy snow. Boy, was I glad I had my snowblower! I happened to have the day off from work, so I took my time, waited for the snow to come to an end, geared up, and went out to clear the driveway.

The snowblower worked well. It kinda pushed the snow along at times instead of blowing it, but it sure beat the hell out of shoveling! With that job done, I went inside and waited for the plows to come by. At that point I'd go back out and clear the end of the driveway and the mailbox. I was so motivated with my new machine, I was even going to clear out the neighbor's as well (since he's done ours countless times).

So, I hear the plow go by and I spring into action. I gear up again, get the snowblower into position, pull the start cord and...

Snap.

Yup, during the first snowstorm with my snowblower, I pulled the cord right out of the machine. Now mind you, this is a used machine and this is a typical problem. A couple of days later I was able to take it apart, rethread the cord, and put it back together. No big deal, it was an easy fix. But on that day, I was not a happy guy.

And as for the snow at the end of the driveway, let's just say that I didn't forget how to shovel.

I Can Control the Weather!

2008-01-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

My father has always claimed he can control the weather. He said he could make it rain by starting to paint the house. If he didn't want it to rain, all he needed to do was put fertilizer down on the lawn. Well, apparently these weather controlling gifts have been passed down to me. I figured this out because I, single-handedly, have stopped it from snowing any considerable amount for the past month. How did I do this?

I bought a snowblower.

That's right folks. By the simple act of getting a snowblower, I seem to have prevented any snowfall for the remainder of the 2007-2008 winter. My shovel broke during the last snowstorm which surely would have doomed us all if I had not taken action and gone out to get the snowblower. No need to thank me...the pleasure is all mine.

Don't get your hopes up too high though. I saw a guy today who claimed to have the same power...

He was washing his car.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-12T08:53:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know that Halloween was almost two weeks ago, but I just figured you'd want to see Courtney in her costumes.

I'm Sick of "Blank-tober"

2007-10-18T17:43:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted about anything non-baby related, so I thought I'd get back to my roots.

On my way into work today, I heard an ad for a local auto dealership. They were advertising truck specials calling this month "Truck-tober".

Major League Baseball has had commercials running all post season trying to get fans all excited about the sport through a website: www.actober.com

And there are probably thousands of radio stations across the country that have dubbed this month "rock-tober".

Leave October alone.

What did October ever do to anyone? Why was it decided that when it came to mutilating a month in the name of commercialism, it would be poor October? I think this has gone on long enough. Either we should leave October alone or we need to equally destroy other months. We could have Brrr-cember or Back to School-gust sales.

I'll let "Octoberfest" slide...that is a holiday after all.

What a Difference a Day Makes

2007-09-20T21:25:00.000-04:00

Or more like 180 days or so. That's right...on Saturday, our little girl will be 6 months old. The time has absolutely flown by. It's been one hell of a ride. Not only have we been able to watch Courtney grow right before our eyes, but we have had the fun of learning how to be parents along the way! Did I say fun? What I meant to say was...we still have no idea what we're doing and we're just playing the whole thing by ear. But, she's still alive and kicking, so I guess we're doing OK so far.

Update on Cat... She's growing. Probably about 14 pounds, but we won't know for sure until her 6 month appointment next week. She's talking a ton, smiling all the time, and beginning to teethe. Or we think she's beginning to teethe. It's about that time and she's drooling all over the place. As soon as she bites me, I'll let you know.

Other than that, we've gotten into a good routine. Then that will all go to hell when Liz goes back to work on October 1. No one's looking forward to that. We did luck out in that Courtney will simply be traveling across the street to her daycare provider. Our neighbor had a baby on the Fourth of July and decided not to go back to work. So she'll be looking after our little one when Liz goes back to work. It won't be easy, but I suppose it could be worse.

Now, the moment you've been waiting for...new pics! The first picture is an early one from the hospital, just so you can see how much she's changed. It's amazing how far she's come, and it's only the beginning.

Five Months Old Today!

2007-08-22T21:13:00.000-04:00

We celebrated her "birthday" by going out to lunch today. Red Robin...mmmmm. I recommend the 5-Alarm burger. And the only place around that still serves steak fries.

So what's up with the little one, you ask? She's still growing, sleeping well, smiling a ton, and studying physics. Okay, maybe no physics yet, but everything else is going great. I can't believe it's been five months already. I was going through some pictures from the "early days" and it's amazing to see how much she's changed already.

Meal time is fun, but messy. We've been mixing the rice cereal into some pears for her. We've discovered that she loves pears. Next up...peaches. We'll see how that goes. Probably just as messy.

New Milestones

2007-08-08T20:11:00.000-04:00

Well, a lot has happened since the last time I posted. Let's see if I can get through it all...

1. Courtney had her 4 month doctor's appointment today. She now officially weighs 11 pounds 9 ounces, and is 23 inches long. She falls into the 10th percentile for both. She's getting big! The doctor also said that we can start giving her a little bit ( a tablespoon or so) of rice cereal a couple of times a day.

2. Her developmental people have still been visiting once a week to help with exercises and stretches. This helps with things like making sure she doesn't sleep with her head to the same side all of the time. She did tend to sleep to one side a lot, so she has a little flat spot on one side of her head, but the doctor said today that it was mild and no big deal. With the exercises, it'll help round out her head. Also, they help with muscle development so she can start doing things babies her age do like roll over. Speaking of which...

3. She rolled over for the first time a couple of days ago! I wasn't home to see it, but she did it again the next day, so I caught that one. She rolled over from her tummy to her back (which I guess is easier), but she's starting to get the movements to roll back the other way too.

4. And since it's been so hot lately, we brought her swimming for the first time. First we dunked her feet into the neighbor's pool for a little while, then we went for a full swim up at the lake. Turns out , she's a water baby! We even brought her over for another dip at the neighbor's the next day.

So, we've been quite busy trying to keep up with all of Cat's milestones. It seems like there's something new every day. With every gigantic smile and every new little baby sound, it seems that every day, there's something new to look forward to. Here's some new pics to show you how she's changed lately...

Same Sh*t, Different Day

2007-07-15T20:56:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I last posted...sorry. Not much new has been going on. No doctor appointments, so we're not even sure how much she weighs anymore. We're guessing she's over 10 pounds by now, but we're just guessing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have nothing new to report, but I wanted to put up a couple of new pictures. Basically just because she's cute.

3%

2007-06-29T06:02:00.000-04:00

Somtimes a little is all it takes.

Courtney had another weight check with the doctor yesterday. She now weighs 9 pounds, 3 ounces. That puts her in the 3rd percentile for full-term 3 month olds. Now remember, sure she's 3 months old now (14 weeks as of yesterday, to be exact), but if you go by her due date, she's only 5 weeks old. But, the goal of all of the medical folks is to get her to catch up to other kids her age...physically, mentally, developmentally, emotionally, etc. So, she's on the weight charts when compared to kids her own age.

We also had some developmental people stop by recently to test reflexes and motor skills and such. They were pleased with what they saw. I'm not sure how they figure it out, but she tested at 2 months. Good, considering she's 5 weeks by due date, but again, they want her to be a real 3 month old. So, they'll get back to us and there may be some developmental therepists (PT's, OT's...who knows what else) just to help her to catch up a little. Doesn't sound like a big deal, and really, couldn't we all use a little help with our coordination sometimes?

And she's starting to smile. Liz and I love that...we just melt. I tried to get a quick picture of one and just missed. Then she refused to smile again for me. Oh, well. She's still cute.

No News is Good News...Right?

2007-06-26T06:56:00.000-04:00

Courtney is getting bigger.

Yup. That's it. Not much else is going on. I wish I could tell you something exciting like she is walking or cured cancer or something, but not much has happened lately. She's eating fine, starting to get into a sleeping routine, and we're all settling in pretty well. She's only getting up once at night...we feed her around 9 or 10, she's up around 2, then again about 6 when I'm getting up for work anyway. So all in all, not too bad.

I guess her weight is the only news. She's up over 9 pounds. Well, we think she is anyway. The visiting nurse made her last visit last Thursday and she weighed in at 8 pounds, 14 ounces. We're assuming she gained another 2 ounces in the last 4 days. Basically, we're rounding up.

So that's it. Other than a random smile that we get once in a while, things are pretty slow going. For now.

I'm In the Club!

2007-06-18T08:57:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a day late, but I just wanted to wish all of my fellow fathers out there a happy Father's Day.

It was pretty cool to have people wishing me a happy Father's Day yesterday. This whole parenthood thing is still kinda sureal. But when certain things happen, it makes me take a second to think, "Hey, I'm a Dad! Holy Crap!" Yesterday was one of those things. Every time someone would say "Happy Father's Day!", I'd say thanks, but really I'd be thinking..."Me? Oh yeah. I guess I qualify now."

Anyway, hope all of you daddies out there had a great day. I for one am looking forward to many more to come.

No Rest For the Weary

2007-06-13T18:05:00.000-04:00

I went back to work yesterday. I had been out for a little more than 3 weeks to help all of us ease into our new situation. I do have to say that even with the lack of rest, it was good to spend time at home with our newly expanded family. We have started to get into a routine...that is subject to change at any time. Liz and I are getting around 6 hours of sleep. Unfortunately, they tend not to come more than 2 or 3 at a time.

Courtney continues to pack on the weight. She's just over the 8 pound mark. She's starting to get stronger too. She's starting to hold her head up by herself a little, and when we put her on her tummy, she'll push herself up with her arms and legs. I call them her baby exercises.

And another hurdle was cleared. We had an appointment with the eye doctor. With premees, there's a risk of the eyes not developing fully. It has to do with the blood vessels in the back of the eyes not fully forming which leads to vision problems. Again, more stuff I never thought I'd need know. Anyway, her eyes were dialated, and the doctor got a good look (after her eyelids were held apart with little spreaders...not fun!). He gave her a 100% and she won't have to go back for another year.

So all is well. Except for, like I already said, the fact that I'm back at work. Now I remember how much my job really sucks.

Here's some new pics...she got to meet Uncle Steve for the first time and Uncle Dan (in the Red Sox shirt) and Aunt Jenn just got back from their honeymoon in Tahiti...must be nice.

Cat's First Night Out

2007-06-01T11:25:00.000-04:00

Liz and I were offered the opportunity to go the the Red Sox/Yankees game tonight with a couple we know from church. So our little girl will be spending some quality time with Memere and Pepere (Gradma and Grandpa for you non-French speakers). As the tentative new parents that we are, we're a little worried about leaving her while we're out in Boston, but my parents are veterans of 4 children, so I'm sure everything will be fine. Of course, cell phones will be on just in case.

Here are some more pictures. That's Pepere feeding her for the first time, and the others are from her first tub bath. What a cute little ducky, right? At 10 weeks, she continues to get bigger. 7 and a half pounds and no signs of stopping!

A Very Merry Unbirthday

2007-05-24T19:24:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Cat's due date. Kinda wierd to have a 9 week old baby (as of today) that wasn't supposed to be here until yesterday.

Anyway, here's what we've been up to since she came home a week ago. The visiting nurse has visited us a couple of times to make sure we're not killing our daughter. Good news...we're not! In fact she's still growing. She's a 7 pounder as of yesterday's visit. We also had our first doctor's appointment where she got officially added to the doctor's files and got her first vaccinations. Three of them as a matter of fact. Needless to say, there were a few tears shed. Courtney cried a little too.

Other than that it's eat, sleep, poop, repeat. Yeah, Courtney's been doing all of that too.

A Little Traveling Music Please...

2007-05-18T17:10:00.000-04:00

After 8 weeks of waiting, the little one has come home. The doctors had let us know earlier this week that it could be any day. Basically, the doctor would come in early in the morning, see how the day before went, and make the decision to let her go or not. We didn't want to tell people about it because we didn't want to disappoint anyone (including ourselves) if something had happened to prolong her stay.

But, after a couple of tense days filled with more waiting, the doctor gave us the green light on Thursday morning. I was still going to work at this point since we didn't know what day it would be, so Liz had to call me at work. I left work early, Liz met me at the house and we went down to the hospital to pick up our kid.

At the hospital we went through the typical discharge procedures. You know...sign here, here, here, here, and here. Then a crash course on putting her in the car seat and we were off. A few touching goodbyes with the nursing staff (they have been wonderful!) and it was time to take our daughter into the outside world for the very first time. It almost felt like we were smuggling her out, but there was no one there to stop us, so I guess it was all legit.

And now we're home, with just me and Liz to do all of the parenting duties. A little tiring, a lot overwhelming, but very cool. Here's how she looked on her way out of "the joint".

I'm Not Being Lazy...I Swear!

2007-05-14T06:27:00.000-04:00

I know, I haven't posted in a while, but here's why...

My brother Steve graduated from UConn last Sunday (May 6th)
My other brother, Dan, got married this past Saturday (May 12th)
Throw on top of that the fact that we had family in from out of town, including my aunt who we haven't seen since my high school graduation 16 years ago. (Hi Jean! It was great seeing you!)
Plus, the baby's still not home, so I'm still working and we're still making trips back and forth to the hospital.

So, not that I needed to explain myself...

Cat is fine. Still getting bigger (6 pounds, 4 oz at last check). More news to follow soon. But I've gotta get to work now. Hopefully I don't have many more work days left before she's home.

Frustration Builds

2007-05-03T06:30:00.000-04:00

No real news to report. She's getting bigger (5 pounds, 6 ounces), but she's still not eating properly. She's 6 weeks old today. That means Liz and I have been travelling back and forth to the hospital on a daily basis for a month and a half now. It's getting old. It'll be nice when she's finally home...then we can establish some sort of normal schedule.

Of course, with no idea of when that might be, we better gas up the car for today's trip.

Five Weeks, Five Pounds

2007-04-26T21:52:00.000-04:00

Courtney's five weeks old today and she has reached the five pound mark. Her feedings have been increased to 40 cc's, so the amount she's eating isn't the problem...it's just how she's eating.

On the advice of an occupational therapist (because eating is her job right now), when she's being fed, she's only allowed to suck on the bottle a couple of times before it's taken away from her. This forces her to take a break and breathe. It also makes her feedings last what seems like 3 hours.

Hopefully by giving her these forced "breathing breaks", she'll soon understand to break on her own. That's the plan for now anyway. And just in case you were wondering what you've missed, here's a pic from tonight. She's growing, and yet...not quite fast enough to get her home. Sigh.

A Small Step Backwards

2007-04-23T19:06:00.000-04:00

As much as we prepared for a misstep, I guess you can never be fully ready when it happens. After 3 days without a feeding tube and eating only by bottle, Courtney ran into a little trouble on Sunday. They tried feeding her a couple of times without success before deciding that the feeding tube had to go back in. I suppose that's better than the alternative of her choking on her formula.

Today she went in for a test to figure out why she was experiencing d-sats (a drop in oxygen levels) and bradycardias (drop in heart rate) while she was eating. The first thought was that she might just be tired after all of that bottle feeding. The less attractive possibility was that she was aspirating. Basically, she needs to figure out how to eat and breathe, just not at the same time. Then she'd end up with stuff in her lungs, and that's just not good.

She was given a feeding this morning with a delicious barium additive (Yummy!). Then they take pretty pictures to make sure the food is going down the right pipe. The good news is that it was. The conclusion is that her feeding reflexes are just developing a little slow. Just something to keep an eye on, so not a huge deal. It might just take a little longer to get her home.

She's still gaining weight, however. She's up to 4 lbs, 11 ounces. So all in all, things are good. She just needs to act her age, which I suppose is -1 months old.

Daddy's Flying Solo

2007-04-18T21:58:00.001-04:00

Liz had a meeting at church tonight, so I was able to spend some time alone with my daughter. I gave her a bath, changed her, fed her, and did it without breaking her in the process. Yea me!

No major news to report otherwise. She's feeding more from the bottle...about two of every three feedings. And her weight is up to 4 pounds, 8 ounces. Overall, things are still progressing well.

Tomorrow she'll be 4 weeks old, so you can expect more pictures then.

Big Girl Bed

2007-04-15T21:05:00.000-04:00

Now, when most people hear "Big girl bed", they probably think a toddler bed. In our case, we're starting a little smaller. Our little girl started in an incubator, so her big girl bed is the hospital basinette. She was moved into one over the weekend and so far things have gone well. She's kept her temperature very well and she didn't lose any weight during the first 24 hours. This was a possibility simply because of the energy she'd use keeping warm.

On the topic of food...she continues to eat. No big suprise there, but she's learning how to eat better. She's now beginning to learn the concept of taking a break from eating to breathe. An easy concept for you and me, but apparently not for a premie baby. Most babies don't gain this knowledge until 34 weeks, so at 33 1/2 weeks, Cat is still ahead of the curve. It looks as if that's the last big hurdle before we bring her home. Once she knows how to eat properly and can get to 5 pounds, she'll be home!

As of today, she's up to 4 pounds, 6 ounces. Amazing how much she's changed in just over 3 weeks. Probably only a small taste of what's to come. Take a look for yourself.

Those Damned Neighbors!

2007-04-13T21:42:00.000-04:00

No big news to report. She's getting bigger (4 lbs, 4 oz as of tonight) but nothing has really changed since last post. But since everyone seems to be clamoring some news, here's a fluff piece.

This happened while Liz was still at the hospital. Saturday night, at about midnight, I came home for a couple of hours of sleep. As I pulled into the driveway, I saw that our neighbors had decorated our lawn with a banner and a sign, both saying "It's a Girl!" I had planned on doing something similar (balloons or something), so not only did this not bother me, I thought it was kinda cool. When I got back to the hospital on Sunday morning, I told Liz what Chrissy and Tommy had done to the house.

Liz was discharged from the hospital on Sunday afternoon and we went home. When we pulled into the driveway this time...let's just say that the decorations had increased exponentially. The banner and sign were still there, but there was now 2 additional signs, 2 balloons on the mailbox, a streamer across the top of the carport, and a duck windsock. You'd think the carnival was in town! I literally burst out laughing.

Found out later that while Tommy was up on a ladder attaching the streamer, Bob (our neighbor on the other side) came out to see who was breaking into our house. Thank God for our neighborhood watch.

Moving Day

2007-04-09T22:13:00.000-04:00

More good news to report.

Since she was taken off of the IV late last week, she has been moved next door to the Continuing Care Nursery (CCN). Right now, the only thing she's hooked up to is the monitor which tracks heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen levels. The main goal in the CCN is to fatten her up. She is still bottle-feeding occasionally, but she's still young. Figure another couple of weeks before she's on the bottle or the boob full time.

Also, she's on the brink of being taken out of her isolation chamber. They keep her in the incubator until they're 4 pounds simply because they don't have enough body fat to be able to maintain their own body temperature. Well, tonight Cat weighed in at 3 pounds, 15.8 ounces. The nurse said that she'll probably be put into a regular baby box tomorrow night (assuming she gains another .2+ tomorrow). Then for 24 hours, they'll take her temp after every feeding to make sure she's keeping her body temp up to a steady 98.6 (or there abouts). If she can do that, no more baby cube!

After that, just keep feeding her until she's around 5 pounds and then she's coming home. We're thinking another 3 weeks or so (no need to rush things), but it'll be here before we know it.

I Got No Strings To Hold Me Down

2007-04-05T16:31:00.000-04:00

Well, she's got one less string anyway. Courtney was taken off of the IV this morning. Her feedings have gone up to 27 cc's, so she's now getting all of the nutrients she needs by eating. She continues to gain weight...at last count, she was up to 3,11 and has been pretty consistent in gaining an ounce a day.

Aside from that good news, she has started eating from a bottle. The nurses had told us that babies don't usually develop the sucking/swallowing reflex until 34 or 35 weeks. But last night, our little 33 weeker took 19 of her 25 cc meal from a bottle before she tired out. And that was after letting Daddy bathe her for the first time (which you can't quite see in the picture, but I'm doing it!), so little Cat had a busy night last night.

Next step is she'll be moved over to the Continuing Care Unit in the next few days, and from there it's just a matter of fattening her up before we can get her home.

Then she'll be asking for an allowance and the keys to the car.

It's Raining Babies?

2007-04-01T21:39:00.000-04:00

Baby shower. Get it? Raining? Never mind. I'm just overtired.

The baby shower was this past Saturday. Holy crap. I'm not even sure what half of the stuff is for, but I bet we'll need it. We definitely know some very generous people. I think I need to build an addition on the house just to fit all of the stuff we got. A great big thanks to everyone who donated to the cause. And especially to my sister-in-law, Mary, for putting the whole thing together.

Now the update. We just got home from seeing her and she continues to do well. She's gained a little more weight. She's now up to 3 lbs 8.5 oz. That's above her original birth weight! No breathing episodes over the last couple of nights. Her feedings are now up to 15.5 cc's each and the nurse told us that if they keep increasing the amount of the feedings, she'll be off of the IV in just a couple of days. (The IV is for calcium or other supplements since she's not taking in enough volume yet.)

And I got "Kanga Care" this morning for the first time. What an amazing feeling to have my daughter fall asleep on my chest. Exhilarating and relaxing at the same time. Can't wait till she's home so I can make that a regular activity.

There will be more pictures on the way, but the camera's all the way upstairs, and I'm kinda lazy right now. Maybe next time.

You Wanted Pictures? You Got 'Em!

2007-03-30T22:07:00.000-04:00

First, the update. Liz and I just got back from the hospital, and nothing remarkable to report. Cat continues to eat a little more...up to 12 cc's. She's gained about 2 ounces over the last 48 hours. Slow but steady, right? And Liz got to "Kangaroo Hold" again tonight for about an hour. So things are progressing well.

As I wrote in the last post, she was one week old yesterday. And, just like my mom did with me and my siblings, I made sure to get a picture and will probably continue to take a picture once a week until she's a year old. So here are some pictures of her at one week.

One Week Old!

2007-03-29T17:38:00.000-04:00

Courtney is a week old today. In some ways, it's gone by quickly. In other ways, this has been the longest week of my life. Anyway, on to the update...

We were down at the hospital last night and Liz was there again this morning. She continues to eat well. The last I heard she's up to 9 cc's per feeding. She's still off of the nose tube and didn't have any apnea episodes last night. She had one the night before, but not serious enough to put her back on the breathing tube.

So things continue to progress well. The only problem is that the schedule is starting to take it's toll on us. Liz continues to prepare for "mommy duty", so that's getting her up in the middle of the night. Plus we're both emotionally stressed. Add to that the 30 minute drive it takes to go and see Courtney. I'm starting to feel about as busy as Jack Bauer minus the nuclear bombs. I'm sure it will be better once we get her home, but until then, I'm torn between making another visit to the hospital tonight or keeping Liz home and letting her get some much needed rest.

I do want to thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. They do help and the support you all have given us has been wonderful. Whether you've known us all of our lives or haven't even met us at all (thanks Kawi11!), your support is very much appreciated. Keep it up, we need all we can get.

Little One Makes Progress

2007-03-28T06:32:00.000-04:00

Last night, Liz and I went down to the hospital again to see Cat. When we got there, we both said hi and started touching her, and then the nurse came over. She said,"Do you see anything missing?" We take another look and we both realize...her cannula is gone! No more nose tube! They had taken it off of her at about 7:30 yesterday morning, so by the time we saw her it had been 12 hours that she had been fully breathing on her own with no problems. Great success!

And the really fun part of the night was that Liz and Courtney spent some "Kangaroo Cuddle" time. Essentially this is just skin-to-skin contact where the mom can hold the baby right on her chest. This is important for both baby and mommy development. So they got to spend an hour like that. It was quite special.

And lastly, she's a little chow hound. They've increased her feedings again...she's up to 6.5 cc's. I guess she's taking to them very well, since the last few times they've found no residuals (left-overs) in her stomach afterwards.

So, overall, things are still going well. Baby steps, right?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Back To Work I Go

2007-03-27T16:58:00.000-04:00

As if I didn't hate my job already, today I went back to work. I decided that there really wasn't any point taking time off from work when Courtney's still at the hospital. I figured my allotment of time off would be better used when she was able to come home. No sense in sitting around the house waiting, right?

So, as far as days at work go, this was one of the better ones. Life is good, and not even the God-forsaken Post Office could ruin that for me. But, believe me, I'll be glad when she's home and I can take the time to spend with her and Mommy.

We went to the hospital last night for a visit. No big news to report. They decreased the "Big Light" back down to one bulb because her jaundice is slowly decreasing. She weighed in at 3 lbs, 1 oz. They said she may lose a little more, but now that they're feeding her, it's only a matter of time before she starts gaining weight. The nurses have increased her feedings from 3 to 4 cc's each. We saw her get bathed and got to hold her again. And, according to some of the nurses, she has a temper. I guess she has no problem voicing her displeasure of getting vitals taken or getting bathed. I'll leave it up to you as to who you think she takes after.

I guess that's it. Now it's just waiting while she gets bigger and stronger and trying not to go crazy in the meantime. We still have things to do to prepare (we were caught a little off guard) and Liz is still getting used to the "nursing schedule". However, waking up every 3 hours in the middle of the night may get easier when there's actually a little one to attend to. Until then, we're bringing those little bottles with us every time we go to the hospital.

And just so you know, late night TV sucks. God bless Tivo.

Mommy's Home!

2007-03-26T11:13:00.000-04:00

We got home yesterday actually. I was just so exhausted, I didn't get around to posting until today.

Yesterday was another day filled with progress. In the morning, we found out that Courtney was eating. She was taking 3 cc's, which may not sound like much, but the nurse said that preemees are often started at 1cc. Plus, just think about how small her belly is! A little more jaundice set in, but not enough to worry about. They just turned the "Big Light" up from one bulb to two. All other vitals are good.

Around noon, the doctor came in and discharged Liz. She was fine to leave whenever we wanted, but we could have the room for the rest of the day. So we took our time, she had lunch, I went out and bought Cat a stuffed cat, and we went up for one last visit before we went home.

That's when we got to hold her for the first time. Liz and I took turns for about 10-15 minutes each. Her eyes we open and (very important) her breathing, oxygen, and heart rates stayed normal. Great success!

As you can tell by the picture, it was quite emotional (and note the stuffed cat!). Then we had to go home by ourselves. Talk about a major dissappointment! But we're on our way back to the hospital now for another visit as we keep reminding ourselves that she's in the place she needs to be right now.

So until she gets home, how about one more picture...

Another Long (But Eventful) Day

2007-03-24T23:34:00.000-04:00

I just got home. It's 11:30 at night. I got to the hospital at around 6 this morning. I need sleep...and a beer. But sleep first.

Anyway, things are still progressing very well. First the baby. Cat (and for those who haven't figured it out yet, think about the initials) is still steadily improving. Baby steps, if you'll pardon the pun. She was taken off of the big "nose tube" (CPAP, for those in the know) and is now on the little "nose tube" (nasal cannula). Oxygen is rarely being used, just regular room air, and the amount of air they need to force is being reduced...she's now breathing more on her own.

Jaundice did develop a bit, but that was completely expected. When we saw her last (at about 10:30 tonight) she was under a big lamp, just like a tanning bed, inside the incubator/isolation booth. The nurse also told us that overnight, they are going to make an attempt to feed her. Up until now it's been by IV, so this is a big step for her.

It's also a big step for Liz, since she is the primary "food provider". Liz is also doing very well, and her "food providing capabilities" are improving over time. There was never really a worry about it, but as the outside observer, I could tell it was special the first time Liz saw some (although minor so far) results and came to realize the whole "momma taking care of baby" thing. Wow, I am a sap.

Speaking a being a sap, I had a HUGE mooshy moment today. We went up (and I say up because the ICU is one floor above the regular room) to spend a couple of minutes with Cat and to check with the nurses. I was sitting in a chair with my hand through one of the holes in the incubator and was able to look through at her since she was propped on one side and was facing me. Needless to say, up until this point, her eyes had been closed 90% of the time, and every time I had seen her since the delivery. But wouldn't you know, she opened her eyes and I got the first good look at my baby girl. To me, it was as if she heard my voice and decided that was the moment to get to know me.

And just thinking about it is making me tear up again.

Anyway, if all goes well (and there's no reason to think otherwise), Liz will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. Then we have to finish the nursery that we thought we had another 2 months to get ready.

Is it bad that I haven't gone to bed yet tonight and I'm already looking forward to a nap tomorrow?

End of Day 1

2007-03-23T23:57:00.000-04:00

Baby has been moved. She started under a heat lamp (to maintain a constant body temp) and is now in the Isolation Booth. There's a real term for it, but you've all seen the plastic cages for pre-term babies...you know what I mean.

Things are well on all fronts. Liz is doing great. She's walking, she's talking, she's eating solid food...how they grow up so fast! Seriously, she's doing great.

Courtney is doing well also. Little "events" are still occuring, but nothing out of the norm. I was with her during a crying episode (I love the sound of her crying...for now) and when she started to relax, her breathing slowed. It was slow enough to set of bells and to get me worried, but the nurses reacted like it was a usual occurence. And for them, it was. From all accounts of doctors and nurses, she's doing very well.

So, the first full day is in the books. When I finally get the chance to look back, I'm sure there'll be many more stories to tell. And don't worry, I will tell them.

For now, I just want to get my girls home.

The First 12 Hours

2007-03-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

Things are still well with Mom and baby. Dad on the other hand...

Courtney is still chugging away in the NICU. We saw her this morning and the nurses were still happy with where she is. Liz is doing fine too. She's up and walking with no problems. A little pain, but nothing a little Tylenol can't handle.

Pictures will follow soon, but as of now, she's still got a breathing tube, feeding tube, this monitor, that monitor, and a little (and I do mean little) cap. It's hard to get a good picture with all that stuff in the way. Hopefully I can get a decent one soon.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. They are all very much appreciated.

Well, so much for my quick lunch. Back to Daddy Duty.

You're Reading This Right...We Had the Baby!

2007-03-23T05:21:00.000-04:00

I know it's REALLY early for that announcement, but the baby decided yesterday was the day. So without further ado, Liz and I are proud to welcome into the world our daughter, Courtney Anne Tousignant.

She was born yesterday at 8:40 PM at a whopping 3 lbs, 7 ozs, and 15 1/2 inches. Mom is doing fine and aside from the fact that she'll be spending some time in the NICU before she can come home, baby is doing fine too.

More info will follow soon, but right now, it's 5:30 in the AM and I'm on my way back to the hospital.

It's A...

2007-03-03T18:00:00.000-05:00

Right after "So, how's Liz?", that seems to be the first question that everyone asks..."Boy or girl?" Like I'd tell you.

We don't know. OK, maybe we do and we're just not telling anyone. What's the difference. You're not finding out until the kid's born anyway.

So here's your 7th month (holy crap...7 months down, only 2+ to go!) update...

Liz is fine.
So am I. (Thanks for asking)
Baby's growing...so is the belly.
We bought a new car. We decided that it was time for a mommy mobile. Liz's car had 166K miles, there were President's Day sales everywhere, and we have no money. So needless to say, the timing was perfect. After much research and hand-wringing, we bought a 2007 Toyota RAV-4 Sport. It's a nice ride and I'm sure the new child will appreciate the 4WD and the fact that it was Consumer Reports #1 small SUV. Who wouldn't?

I'd also like to draw everyone's attention to the new link over on the right side of my blog. Instead of using the old pen-and-paper method of running a baby pool, I thought that this would be much easier. So click the link and register your guess. Anyone who feels like putting in $5 can do so...I'll split it up between the high-stakes gamblers and the just-for-funners.

Please come back here often. I took quite the hiatus from posting and I've got quite a few stories to share. That, plus all of the upcoming events...I'm sure I'll have much to write about. It's gonna be one heck of a ride!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T09:51:00.000-05:00

You may have seen a part of this sequence on a Miller Lite commercial. This is the full song. Usually when a house goes overboard with the lights, it looks kinda stupid. But if you have the creativity (and the bucks to pay for the electricity) to pull this off, then go for it! Merry Christmas everyone!

Monday Movie Quote #71

2006-12-18T20:26:00.000-05:00

I got ahold of Need For Speed: Most Wanted for PS2. What a cool game. It has all of the great racing elements of the older versions, but in this one, you get to run away from the cops too. And let's not forget the bonus points for hit and runs and destruction of property. The reason I'm telling you this is because it led me to this movie...

"While we're still under caution, I want you to go back out on that track and hit the pace car."

Last Week: Gremlins. "Bright light! Bright light!"

Monday Movie Quote #70

2006-12-12T16:58:00.000-05:00

I should just rename this damned thing to the Tuesday quote, because it seems I never remember on Monday's anymore. I gotta stop drinking so much beer on Sunday while I watch football. Anyway, I reread my post about my grandfather, and decided to just do a keyword searchfor grandfather. Here's what I came up with.

"Why not? You said everything in your grandfather's store was for sale."

Last Week: MASH. "This isn't a hospital. It's an insane asylum."

Mental Roller Coaster

2006-12-05T22:45:00.000-05:00

Liz and I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon. The baby's good. We heard the heartbeat again (which is always really cool), and the doctor told us that everything seemed to be going great. After everything we've gone through up to this point, it was wierd (but strangely comforting) that we had such a simple doctor visit.

Later on today, I got a call from my Dad that my grandfather (Pepere, for any of you who know French) had passed away. Pepere and I had never had a very close relationship, but I still have this feeling of loss. Maybe it's exaggerated by the fact that Liz and I are welcoming new life into the world as another passes out of it...anyway, that might be too philosophical for my own good.

So let me take a moment to reflect on my grandfather. I hate to say it, but I didn't know him that well. Whether that's my fault or his...let's just say both. But, for better or worse, he raised my father who, in my eyes, is the greatest man I know. Therefore, by accident or by design, I have no doubt that I will be a good father, because my Dad raised me.

I guess, when it comes down to it, good or bad, the way Pepere raised Dad resulted in the way Dad raised me, and that'll determine how I raise my child.

I can only hope I make both of them proud.

Monday Movie Quote #69

2006-12-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

What a milestone! Quote number 69! And in honor of that distinction, here ya go...

"Sixty nine is divine! Sixty nin is divine!"

Last Week: Johnny Dangerously. "Why you miserable cork-sucker!"

Monday Movie Quote #68

2006-11-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

I know...another Tuesday quote. It was a long day yesterday, and every time I thought about sitting down at the computer, I thought....later. Well, later is today. Here's your quote.

"You shouldn't kick me in the balls, Mrs. Kelly. My sister kicked me in the balls...once."

Last Week: Tommy Boy. "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it."

We're Having a Baby!

2006-11-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

Yup...finally. After 3 and a half years of trying, countless visits to the doctors office, and after some tough times, Liz and I are thrilled to announce that we (her more than me) are pregnant. Some time in the middle of May 2007 (the docs say the 23rd, but we're not so sure), we will be having a baby. All I can say is Yippppeeee!!!!! I'm pretty happy, but all things considered, kinda cautious too. So all thoughts and prayers are more than welcome.

To those of you out there that got the auto-reply from Liz' work e-mail, now you have the reason why. Her boss (being completely understanding and supportive) had recommended that she take some time off from work. Logic being that the less stress, the better. So, she'll be going back to work sometime after the first of the year, and until then, just taking it easy. This was not the doctor's idea, so there's nothing wrong, but when your boss says to take a couple of months off, who wouldn't take it, right?

I will be posting regular updates here so please come back often. (I highly recommend bookmarking the page). Hopefully I won't have to post anything more than "everything's fine", but I'll put something up anyway.

Let the countdown begin. T-minus 6 months and counting...

Monday Movie Quote #67

2006-11-20T16:44:00.000-05:00

This one's funny. Poor guy died way to young...oops! How's that for a clue.

"Brothers don't shake hands. Brothers gotta hug."

Last Week: Fargo. "And I guess that was your accomplice in the woodchipper."

Well...That Ticks Me Off!

2006-11-16T20:06:00.000-05:00

Ticks...literally. They're everywhere! The dogs have gotten a few just from the yard. I guess with the weather staying so warm for so long, the little blood suckers are going crazy. If they would just mind their own business, I wouldn't have a problem with them. Now I've got a problem. Last week, a tick invaded my personal space.

Liz and I have gotten into geocaching. (More on that in a future post). After we got home, I was sitting in front of the TV when a tick crawled across my hand. I grabbed it and took it to the bathroom to flush it to it's watery grave. I figured since I was right in front of a mirror, I'd give myself a quick glance to check for any others. None. No problem...yet.

I woke up the next morning, rolled onto my side, and my hip hurt. Kinda like a bruise, as if someone punched me. I touched it and noticed a "growth" that wasn't normal. I almost immediately knew what it was. I jump up out of bed, grab a kleenex, and pulled the little sucker off. Damn!!! That frickin hurt!

Now mind you, it's 6:30 in the morning and I'm barely awake at this point. Upon inspection, in my haze, I didn't get the whole thing. And on top of it, a little red ring was noticable. Great. To the doctor's we go.

Well, it wasn't as bad as my paranoid mind made it out to be. The doctor told me that a tick needs to be attached for about 24 hours to transmit Lyme Disease. Since it had been no more than 12 hours, I didn't have to worry. Aside from the fact that I still had a tick leg in me, I was fine.

Stupid nature.

Monday Movie Quote #66

2006-11-13T18:34:00.000-05:00

This movie was disturbing. It was odd, and funny, and yet when you laughed, it made you feel kinda creepy that you were laughing. If you haven't seen it, it's a must-see.

"Well, we've never done this before, but seeing as it's special circumstances and all, he says I can knock a hundred dollars off that Trucoat."

Last Week: Star Wars. Only one person got Star Wars? Am I talking to myself, or was that one really obscure? Oh well..."The force is strong with this one."

Monday Movie Quote #65

2006-11-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

OK, so last week's horror movie didn't get much of a response, so I guess we'll have to change genres. I've decided to go with this one because, frankly, I'm suprised I haven't used it yet. Plenty of lines from this one. It's a timeless classic, and I know for a fact that everyone has seen it about 100 times. If you haven't seen it, then you are a communist.

"Wonderful girl. Either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her."

Last Week: Nightmare on Elm Street. "Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."

Monday Movie Quote #64

2006-10-31T17:10:00.000-05:00

Yup, another Tuesday. Tough. This time I have an excuse. I decided to wait an extra day to hit Halloween. So Happy Halloween everyone, and here's your quote.

"I'm gonna kill you slow."

Last Week: The Shining. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Monday Movie Quote #63

2006-10-24T16:16:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I know...it's Tuesday. I think I drank too much this past weekend. Early Halloween party on Saturday, followed by plenty of beer and Sambuca watching football on Sunday. While nursing a hangover yesterday, I completely forgot it was Monday. I think I need to spend some time on the wagon. Speaking of which, here's your quote.

"Here's to five miserable months on the wagon, and all the irreparable harm it has caused me."

Last Week: Big. "Well, okay...but I get to be on top."

I Went to a Fight and a Football Game Broke Out

2006-10-19T20:31:00.000-04:00

This is video from last Saturday's game between the University of Miami and Florida International University. Watch it and keep an eye out for 4 guys. #24 and 26 in white (FIU), #19 in orange (Miami), and the guy swinging his helmet like a club

See them? Great players, huh? Now let's get to what really bothers me. FIU decided that they weren't going to deal with this crap from any of their players. The two who were deemed to have started to fight (24 and 26) were expelled from the university. Another handful of players were suspended indefinitely from the team for their part in the fight. On the other hand...

The University of Miami decided to suspend one player indefinitely. That's the one swinging his helmet. And #19 (who's the defensive captain, by the way), the one stomping on any opponent he can get near (and don't forget the spikes on the shoes)? He got the same suspension that all of the other suspended players from Miami got. One game. Against Duke (which is like a JV team at other schools). And that one game suspension was mandated by the Atlantic Coast Conference, not from the school. One Frikin Game! And according to the president of the University of Miami, Donna Shalala, this qualifies as a "clear message" that this conduct will not be tolerated, and that her penalties are "comparable" to those handed down by FIU. WHAT?

To be really tough, she tacked on community service so her student athletes could turn this into a "learning experience". These convicts are going to be let out into the community? They should be in jail! What's even better is that President Shalala made her terribly mild disciplinary decision without even watching the tape of the fight. She said that she wanted to rule with a level head and not get any more mad than she already was, and since she was at the game and saw what happened, she didn't need to see anymore. Obviously she is a moron. She needs to get her head out of her ass and hand down some real discipline.

The sad fact is that college football is run by money. Miami doesn't want to lose any of their players for too long. That could jeopardize their chances of making a postseason bowl which in turn makes millions of dollars for the university. So the message to these thugs in pads is that they can go out, beat someone over the head with their helmet, and it's OK.

And the ironic thing? 700 kids were invited to this game by the Miami-Dade police department. Why? It was "Join a Team, Not a Gang Night." Too bad all these kids saw was a gang fight.

Monday Movie Quote #62

2006-10-16T20:49:00.000-04:00

No particular reason behind picking this movie. It's funny, most people have seen it more than once, and most people would watch it again if it was on. That seems like a good enough reason.

"Three dimes, a hundred dollar bill, and 87 ones."

Last Week: Team America: World Police. "Remember, there's no "I" in Team America."

My Two Favorite Teams

2006-10-12T20:30:00.000-04:00

You know the old saying. "My two favorite teams are the Red Sox and whoever is playing the Yankees." Well, in this case, that second team was the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers eliminated the Yankees from the playoffs. As a Red Sox...I mean Tigers fan, I couldn't be happier. The Tigers (now 2-0 in the ALCS) are one step away from their first World Series appearence since 1984. In fact, I don't think they've even had a winning record in the past decade. It's kinda cool to see a team that's been so crappy for so long finally do well. The fact that it comes at the expense of the Evil Empire just makes it better.

I mean seriously folks. Yankees fans are pissed because their team hasn't won a title since 2000. Wow, being a fan of a team who hasn't won a championship in 6 whole years...well that must be difficult. It's almost enough to make Steinbrenner want to dig up ol' Billy Martin and put him on the bench again. Just because the Yankees make the playoffs every year, doesn't automatically entitle them to the World Series trophy.

Actually, I think the fact that they make the playoffs every only to lose makes it more special. I don't think it would be as good if they didn't make the playoffs.

Well Yankees fans, you can take solace in a saying that Red Sox fans had used as their battle cry for 86 years. "Wait till next year."

Monday Movie Quote #61

2006-10-09T19:13:00.000-04:00

I was going to post about how happy I am that the Yankees lost, but then I realized that today was Monday. Guess the Yankee bashing will have to wait for another day. Until then, here's a quote for you to chew on...

"I'll drill two holes in your dick so that when you pee it shoots out in all different directions."

Last Week: The Godfather. "We don't discuss business at the table."

Monday Movie Quote #60

2006-10-02T19:47:00.000-04:00

An all time classic. If you don't know this one, you need to get Netflix because no one should have missed this one.

"Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."

Last Week: A League of Their Own. "Avoid the clap. -Jimmy Dugan."

Monday Movie Quote #59

2006-09-25T17:18:00.000-04:00

Everybody has them. You're flipping through the channels when all of the sudden you stumble upon it. It's that movie that no matter how many times you've seen it, you put the remote down and watch it again. For no particular reason. It doesn't even have to be a good movie either. For me, this is one of them.

"Yeah, I'm just going home, grab a shower and a shave, give the wife a little pickle-tickle, and I'm on my way."

Last Week: Shrek. "Not my gumdrop buttons!"

Monday Movie Quote #58

2006-09-18T21:18:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the week off, folks. I was busy doing...stuff. I'll explain someday...maybe. Anywho, here's a good quote from a really funny movie.

"This'll be fun. We'll stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning...I'm making waffles!"

Last Week: Well, actually 2 weeks ago. Dumb and Dumber. "Kick his ass Seabass!"

Monday Movie Quote: Intermission

2006-09-11T21:07:00.000-04:00

Today is the 5th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. It just doesn't seem right to do movie quote today. Instead, I think we should all take a moment to reflect on the past 5 years and maybe do some things we should all do a little more often.

Take a second to tell someone you love them.

Call someone you haven't talked to in a while to let them know you're thinking of them.

Give thanks for the men and women who serve in the military, who risk their lives so that our lives may be better.

Give thanks for the policemen and firefighters that put their lives on the line every day.

Remember those that lost their lives 5 years ago today so that the memories of them will never fade.

God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America.

At Right Wing, Number 8, Cam Neely

2006-09-06T18:17:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, September 5, was the ten year anniversary of the retirement of Cam Neely from the NHL. Cam was one of my favorite players when I first started following hockey. He epitomized what came to be known as the "power forward". You'll still hear general managers talk about drafting a "Cam Neely-type player". To paraphrase Dennis Leary from a TV special, "He could go out any night and score 2 goals. If you pissed him off, he'd kick your ass, and then go out and score 2 goals."

Sure the guy knew how to fight (1241 career penalty minutes), but he wasn't just a goon. After returning in 1993 from an injury that caused him to miss all but 22 regular season games in 2 seasons (damn you to hell, Ulf Samulsson!), he scored 50 goals in 44 games played. Only 7 players in NHL history have scored 50 goals in 50 games or less, and only Wayne Gretzky has done it faster (39). He won the Masterton trophy that year for "Comeback Player of the Year".

Five time All-Star. 395 goals. 299 assists. But he never played in more than 50 games in his last 5 years in the league. After Samulsson gave him an injury that caused him to develop myositis ossificans (part of the muscle turning to bone), he also developed a degenerative hip which eventually led to his retirement on September 5, 1996. His number has since been retired to the rafters of the Boston Garden and he was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2005.

Since retiring, he's done some acting (Dumb and Dumber, Rescue Me), but mainly he's focused on the Cam Neely Foundation which provides support for cancer patients and their families.

A great player and a great man. The Boston Bruins and I both miss you.

Monday Movie Quote #57

2006-09-04T20:40:00.000-04:00

I love this movie. In fact, I'm kinda surprised that I haven't used it yet. There's another reason I'm using this one, but more on that tomorrow...

"We got no food, no jobs...our pets heads are falling off!"

Last Week: Dirty Dancing. "God wouldn't have given you maracas if He didn't want you to shake 'em."

Lumpkins, Merkins, and Dirty Sanchez...Oh My!

2006-08-31T16:54:00.000-04:00

This post comes about for a few reasons. A couple of weekends ago, I was first introduced to a new website. It's the type of website you can spend hours searching and you'll probably just keep laughing and laughing. So do me a favor. Go to Urban Dictionary and do a search for lumpkin. Funny.

Then just last night, I was watching The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Funny movie. If you haven't watched it, I recommend it. For those of you that have seen it, think back for a moment when the old arab guy (or whatever he is) was talking to Steve Carrell about love. "It's not about these rusty trombones, these dirty sanchez, these Cinncinnati bowties, these...". You get the idea. Well, a couple of them I had no idea about. So I looked them up. Again...funny.

So go out and find a good one and post it in the comments for everyone to enjoy. I'll start you out with another...Roman War Helmet. And if you've looked up lumpkin, take a look at this guy messing with his grandmother. Kinda mean, but pretty damn funny if you know what a lumpkin is!

Monday Movie Quote #56

2006-08-28T23:35:00.000-04:00

Long day yesterday. Late night tonight. Where did this one come from? Who knows...but let's go with it.

"Just put your pickle on everybody's plate college boy, and leave the hard stuff to me."

Last Week: Braveheart. "It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom."

Best Jew Player Since Sandy Kofax

2006-08-23T18:40:00.000-04:00

I must confess that my reason for posting my latest movie quote wasn't just because Mel Gibson has been in the news a lot lately. It's also because of this little diddy.

Behold, Dennis Leary and Lenny Clarke of Rescue Me fame. They invaded the NESN booth in Fenway Park during a recent Red Sox game. Listen closely to announcers Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo...they can hardly breathe because they're laughing so hard. Watch and enjoy one of the funniest things I've seen in a while.

.
Video Courtesy of You Tube

Monday Movie Quote #55

2006-08-21T20:46:00.000-04:00

Why did I decide to use this quote? For no other reason than because he's been in the news quite a bit lately. Let's see if you can figure it out with that little hint.

"I came home to raise crops, and, God willing, a family. If I can live in peace, I will."

Last Week: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. "C'mon Kate. It's time to put your mouth where our balls are."

Monday Movie Quote #54

2006-08-14T19:33:00.000-04:00

The only reason I'm using this one is because we just saw it. It is a funny movie, and there are plenty of memorable quotes, so I guess it works. Here ya go...

"It's time to separate the wheat from the chaffe, the men from the boys, the akwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian."

Last Week: The Princess Bride. I know the quote was used in the comments, but this is funny...

Monday Movie Quote #53

2006-08-07T20:39:00.000-04:00

Starting off year 2 of quotes with a great one. This one is full of excellent quotes, so lets hear it people! Sound off!

"While your at it, why don't you just give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?"

Last Week: Napoleon Dynamite. "Tina you fat lard! Come get some dinner!"

Happy Birthday MTV!

2006-08-04T16:42:00.000-04:00

On August 1st, MTV turned 25. It went by relatively unnoticed. Maybe it's because MTV has pretty much taken the M out of their name. After they created Real World and all of those other crappy shows, the video got left behind. Don't get me wrong...Beavis and Butthead was funny, Pimp My Ride is one of my guilty pleasures, and who can forget Ken Ober on Remote Control, but MTV's also responsible for giving Tom Green a career and that's just unforgivable.

When MTV was still playing videos, I used to watch it all the time. I used to leave it on just like a radio. Not anymore. But it's nice to go back and visit MTV as it once was. I was poking around their website and found that MTV hasn't completely forgotten their roots. Even though they decided to broadcast their full first day on VH1 Classic (can't waste precious airtime when kids need to see another Real World/Road Rules Challenge), you can find the first hour of broadcast (including some retro commercials) in streaming video. Remember the countdown and the rocket blasting off? Yeah, it's all there. If you want to relive a little of 1981, I highly recommend it.

Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, Nina Blackwood, JJ Jackson, Mark Goodman...we hardly knew ye.

Monday Movie Quote #52

2006-07-31T17:15:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is. A whole year later...are we having fun yet? Thanks to everyone for taking part in the quotes, whether or not you knew the answer. I've decided to close out the first year of quotes with a movie with a ton of quotable lines. Which one is your favorite?

"Build her a cake or something."

Last Week: PCU. "Can you blow me where the Pampers is?"

Monday Movie Quote #51

2006-07-24T21:31:00.000-04:00

Just when I thought I was running out of quotable movies, I remembered this one. It's an underground favorite of mine. Maybe it hasn't quite reached cult hit status, but it should...

"We need kegs. Multiple, cold and domestic."

Last Week: Happy Gilmore. "Shooter, wanna go to The Sizzler and catch some grub?"

This is My Rifle, This is My Gun...

2006-07-22T19:52:00.000-04:00

Liz and I are out on the Cape this weekend visiting Jeff and Lisa. We went fishing, we drank, we "watched their bubbles" while they dove for lobster (diving folks should know the lingo), we drank some...and did I mention we had some drinks?

Just a few hours ago, Jeff and I went to the shooting range. We got to shoot stuff. Nothing in particular. Targets. Small woodland creatures. Grass. Sky. You know...the usual.

For those who don't know, I'm not a huge gun guy. I don't have one, I'm not in a rush to go out and get one, and I've only fired a gun once. Granted it was an M-16, but that's besides the point. Well, today we fired off an arsenal. We started with the Walther .22, then the Sig 9, followed by a Colt AR-15. That one was cool. Very Rambo.

Then it was time for a little Texas Book Depository re-enactment. We each fired off a few shots with his 30-aught-6. Damn, what a kick. And I'm not bad from 50 yards. 3 shots of 4 in the bullseye. 3 shots in 10 seconds...I don't think so. There must've been someone on that grassy knoll.

The last one almost kicked my ass. 12 gauge Mossberg. 2 pops. First one almost took off my right arm at the shoulder. The second one did. I'm actually typing with just my left hand. Not really, but it was a good visual, wasn't it?

So by the end of it, we put some holes in stuff, my shoulder hurts, and I still don't want a gun. But popping off a few rounds sure is fun. Just hope no one at the Post Office finds out I've been practicing.

Monday Movie Quote #50

2006-07-17T13:02:00.000-04:00

Sorry, but I still haven't gotten over the fact that I got a hole in one last week. (For more about that, check out the posting below this one.) And for that reason, I decided to go with this quote...

"He just got a hole in one...on a par four!"

Last Week: There's Something About Mary. "Have you seen my baseball?!"

12,700 to 1

2006-07-12T12:05:00.000-04:00

According to Wikipedia, those are the odds of an amateur golfer making a hole in one. Yesterday, I was that one.

On the 18th hole at Veterans Golf Course yesterday, I made my first hole in one. I took this picture with my cell phone before I took the ball out of the cup. Here's the specifics...

The hole was playing about 135 yards. My playing partner, Bill Graves, teed off with a 7-iron. His shot overshot the green. Using this bit of info, I went back to the cart, put my 7-iron away, grabbed my 8-iron, and hit the shot of my life. The ball started just a touch left, came back to the right just a little, hit the green about 2 or 3 feet from the hole, and dropped into the cup. My first reaction was that it rolled behind the flag and I just couldn't see it from the green, but the other guys assured me that it had gone in. That's when I started jumping around and yelling like a complete idiot.

We then made our way back to the clubhouse where I was congratulated by everyone in the clubhouse and got to participate in one of the stupidest traditions in all of sports...I got to buy drinks for everyone in the bar.

Sure, I'm a little poorer, but it was worth it.

Monday Movie Quote #49

2006-07-11T06:34:00.000-04:00

I must apologize for the decrease in my postings. Summer has gotten to me and I've found better things to do than to sit in front of my computer. Which leads me to this weeks quote...

"I want a guy who can play 36 holes of golf, and still have enough energy to take me and Warren to a baseball game, and eat sausages, and beer, not light beer, but beer."

Last Week: Born on the Fourth of July. "Don't say penis in this house!"

Monday Movie Quote #48

2006-07-04T18:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Celebrate with things that are good and American...apple pie, baseball, and beer. And don't forget about our love for movies. This one may not have too many memorable quotes, but it was a fitting movie for today.

"People say that if you don't love America, then get the hell out. Well, I love America."

Last Week: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!. No one knew Naked Gun!? C'mon peeps! "Nice beaver!"

Monday Movie Quote #47

2006-06-26T16:36:00.000-04:00

This is a classic comedy. Ridiculously funny and full of memorable quotes. Try this one on for size...

"It's like eating a spoonful of Drano. Sure, it'll clean you out, but it'll leave you hollow inside."

Last Week: Good Morning, Vietnam. "You got it James. Nice shiny green suit. You look like an oriental leprechaun."

Monday Movie Quote #46

2006-06-19T11:51:00.000-04:00

Liz and I were watching AFI's 100 most something-or-other movies list. (The real topic escapes me). One of the movies was Wizard of Oz. It made me start singing this version from another movie...

"We represent the ARVN army, the ARVN army. Oh no! Follow the Ho Chi Minn trail! Follow the Ho Chi Minn trail!"

Last week: History of the World, Part I. "The Lord, the Lord Jehovah has given unto you these fifteen....Oy! Ten! Ten commandments for all to obey!"

USA! USA!...or "Why People Don't Like Soccer"

2006-06-17T18:27:00.000-04:00

I just got done watching the US play Italy in the World Cup. It was a pretty good game (except for the ref who was handing out cards like it was Christmas). The US stayed alive in it's hopes of advancing out of Pool play and into the round of 16.

All this sounds great, right? Most people would have hated it though because the game ended in a tie. A tie? In the biggest soccer event in the world? And a tie was a good game? OK, so it may be a tough concept for some of you to grasp, but, yes, a tie can be a good game.

Everyone always knocks soccer. There's not enough scoring. It's too slow. The rest of the world calls it football so it must suck. To all of you out there who think this...screw you.

It's not called "the beautiful sport" for no reason. Just watch Brazil play and you'll see a showcase of talent. I think the only reason that people don't care for soccer is that we've stunk for so long that no one cares. We only care about sports in which we can kick the rest of the world's ass. Like basketball...oops!

Sure, the US may not advance out of Pool play. Many folks will look at that as a failure, but it's not. Just to qualify for the World Cup is a great achievement. France won the World Cup in 1998 and didn't advance in 2002. They didn't even score a goal. That's how hard it is at that level.

So cheer on the US team. Tune into a game and give it a chance if you haven't already. Maybe you'll become a fan of the world's most popular game.

Monday Movie Quote #45

2006-06-12T23:56:00.000-04:00

Some of you know this already...this past weekend I went priest shopping. Yeah, I know. Ha, ha. There's a joke in there somewhere. But seriously, I was out of town interviewing a priest for the vacancy at our church. Ironic, but when you get a few people together under the premise of a religious experience, you can still come up with a movie quote...

"Oh, you are nuts! N-V-T-S...nuts!"

Last week: Jacob's Ladder. So no one knew that one, but again...go out and rent this movie! "You're a lucky guy, Jake. You must have friends in high places."

What About Spinach or Wheaties?

2006-06-09T12:59:00.000-04:00

Using steroids constitutes cheating. There's a reason that they disqualify athletes who use them. Because it's cheating. There's a reason why athletes who use them don't publically announce that they're using them. Because it's cheating.

Did I mention that it's cheating?

Barry Bonds. Mark McGuire. Rafael Palmeiro. These are just a few of the suspected cheaters. They aren't the only ones.

Recently, the Feds raided the home of Jason Grimsley, a (former) relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was using Human Growth Hormone. In fact, he was getting it mailed right to his house. He apparently was cooperating with the Feds in an investigation. When he decided that he wasn't going to cooperate any more, the Feds moved in. Now he's talking again. Amazing how the prospect of time in the big house will loosen lips.

HGH is the newest and greatest performance enhancer, and, according to Grimsley, plenty of players are using it. Why? Well, according to MLB and the MLBPA, there's no reliable test, so they aren't going to look for it. The World Anti-Doping Agency used a test at the last 2 Olympics, but it's a blood test, and no one want's to "invade the privacy" of players by subjecting them to a blood test. I guess it doesn't invade their privacy by having them pee into a cup.

Steroids is like a computer virus. As soon as one is detected, a new one comes along that's not detectable. As long as athletes are willing to sacrifice health and safety in order to gain an advantage, there'll be a market for performance enhancers. Too bad that it's not just the pros that are doing it either. Think about the high school kid looking for that little extra to get himself a college scholarship. His sports heroes use it, so why shouldn't he?

What's the solution? I don't know. I just hope that these recent events will cause someone to think twice before the decide to start using.

Monday Movie Quote #44

2006-06-05T20:13:00.000-04:00

So it's been a long week. A week of vacation... a week of relaxation...a week of drinking. This one's a tough one, but it's one of my top 5 favotite movies. If you don't get it, don't worry. Not many people will. But if you haven't seen this movie, you MUST go rent it. Here's your quote...

"You know you look like an angel, Louie? Like an overgrown cherub. Anyone ever tell you that?"

Last week: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. "Tell 'em Large marge sent ya."

Monday Movie Quote #43

2006-05-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I know it's Tuesday. But yesterday was a holiday and I was busy drinking and enjoying the nice weather. So, it's a day late, but here's your quote...

"There's no basement in the Alamo!"

Last Week: Three Amigos. "Not so fast El Guapo. Or I'll pump you so full of lead you'll be using your dick for a pencil!"

A Good Walk Spoiled

2006-05-26T08:54:00.000-04:00

The title of this posting was taken from a book. It's about golf.

I love golf...and I hate golf. It's one of the most frustrating hobbies I can imagine, and yet I keep going back to the course, clubs in hand, expecting to have fun. I usually do. How can something so aggrevating be enjoyable? I don't know.

When I sat down to write this, I started to think about golf and it's frustrations. Not as a sport, but as a metaphor for life. It seems like such a simple thing to do...you want the ball to go straight and forward. Unfortunately, it's a difficult process. About a million things need to be done just right in order for it to happen as planned. Club head, feet, swing, wind...everything needs to fall into place, and the ball goes where you want it. If one thing is just a little bit out of alignment...ball goes into woods. Or trees. Or lake. Or Guam.

But that's kinda like life. If everything lines up just right, then life goes just where you want it. But if one out of those million little things is just a little off, then life doesn't go as planned. And no matter how good of a golfer we are, nobody hits a straight shot every time. Even Tiger Woods puts one in the sand every once in a while.

So grab your clubs, tee up your ball, and swing away. Even if your shot goes into the woods, there's a good chance you'll still be able to find it. And don't forget to enjoy the walk along the way.

Monday Movie Quote #42

2006-05-22T16:32:00.000-04:00

Well I followed up Friday with another night of beverage consumption on Saturday. The only difference was that this one involved margueritas. Hence the following quote. Enjoy.

"We don't have beer. Just tequila."

Last Week: Throw Momma from the Train. "One little murder and I'm Jack the Ripper."

I Like Beer

2006-05-19T22:35:00.000-04:00

The title of my blog is "Beer For Me" and this may be the first truly drunken post I've made so far. So here's the question. What are you wearing?

Monday Movie Quote #41

2006-05-15T16:13:00.000-04:00

I was going to put up some sort of post yesterday. Something about Mother's Day and be nice to your Mom and call or write her. But then I got to drinking beers, and, well, the rest is history.

I couldn't find any good quotes about Mother's Day, so you'll have to settle for a movie about a Mom...

"Don't you 'In a minute, Momma' me! Get off your fat little ass or I'll break it for you! I want two soft boiled eggs, white toast, and some of that grape jelly, god dammit! And don't burn the toast!"

Last Week: Animal House. "Thank you sir! May I have another!"

Monday Movie Quote #40

2006-05-08T13:26:00.000-04:00

It was kinda wierd. Last week, for no particular reason, this quote got brought up not once, but twice. I felt it was an omen...who am I to go against the movie quote gods. So here it is.

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

Last Week: Raiders of the Lost Ark. "You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together. I've got nothing better to do."

In the Spirit of Cinco De Mayo...

2006-05-05T16:44:00.000-04:00

Just to warn you in advance...this will offend someone. I know some of you will agree with me, but someone is going to have a bug up their ass about this post.

Let's get all of the illegal immigrants out of our country. Why? Did I mention they are ILLEGAL immigrants? Do I have a problem with immigrants? No! That's how this country started. People came to this country looking for a better life for themselves and their families. But, for the most part, they did it legally (and made an effort to learn English, but that's an argument for a different time).

Now there's a true government effort to do something about the illegals in this country. Then came the protests, and marches, and media coverage. Hey, here's an idea. All of those illegals marching in those parades...scoop 'em up and ship 'em out! They made it easy for us! They're all together and holding signs saying, "Hey! Look at me! I'm in your country illegally!"

The most ridiculous of all though had to be the boycott. For a day last week, all illegal immigrants (and even some legal ones who supported the cause) were supposed to stay home from work, not open their shop, or not buy anything thereby keeping money out of the economy. This was all in an effort to show what would happen if the illegals weren't in the country anymore. Guess what happened?

No one noticed. In fact, I'm not even sure what day it was. That's how much of an effect it had on me. People were stocking their shelves and bunkering down like the apocalypse was coming. Instead it was another Y2K.

And before you start the whole "they do jobs Americans don't want" arguement, let me stop you for a second, because it's only a matter of time before they unionize. Probably join the Teamsters or UAW or something. Then will they have to pay taxes? I doubt it. But they won't be making $3.50 an hour anymore. So much for cheap labor.

I'm not saying all this because Hispanics are evil. I'm just saying that we need to have a little more control over who comes and goes across our borders. For every guy coming across the US/Mexico border looking for a construction job, there's probably at least one more coming across with who-knows-what in his backpack.

Now, I'm off to the bar for a Dos Equis. Damn, those Mexicans make good beer.

Monday Movie Quote #39

2006-05-01T16:36:00.000-04:00

Happy May Day everyone! Wondering what May Day is? It's also International Worker's Day (basically Labor Day) in every other country in the world except ours. Now that you got a little history lesson, here's your weekly (except for last week) quote...

"I don't believe in magic, a lot of superstitious hocus pocus. I'm going after a find of incredible historical significance. You're talking about the boogie man. Besides, you know what a cautious fellow I am."

Last Week: Actually, it was 2 weeks ago. Mallrats. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned for Sega."

We Seem To Be Having Technical Difficulties

2006-04-26T16:48:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to put up a new post for about a week now, and every time I went to do it, the screen froze up. Then I'd have to shut down all the windows and start over. And when I'd try again, the same thing would happen. Not that I had anything particularly insightful to say, but it's just annoying. When you expect something to work and it doesn't, it just throws me off a little. Take yesterday for instance. Let me give you the whole story though.

My parents were gone for a week and a half around Easter. While they were gone, I grabbed my dad's truck to get some stuff from Home Depot. I dropped my car off at their house, got the truck, made for Home Depot, and got lazy and didn't get the truck back for a couple of days. What's the rush? My dad didn't need it for a few more days. Well, when I finally went to get my car, I guess I didn't shut the door completely and that killed the battery. So I kept the truck for a couple more days. I went back this past Monday, jumped my car to get it started, and got it home. No problem...until Tuesday came along.

Woke up on Tuesday to discover that the battery in my iPod was dead. Great...no music for the day. At least I still had a walkman at work.

Get in the car to go to work. Turn the key and...nothing. Great, dead car battery too. Liz drives me over to my parents so I can grab the truck again (lucky they don't land until the afternoon) and I finally get to work.

First thing I do when I get to work is put on my walkman. I get about 3 good minutes of Bax and O'Brien before the batteries in my walkman go dead. Maybe it was sunspots or something, but everything seemed to be crapping out on me.

Needless to say, I charged my iPod, charged my car battery, and put new batteries in my walkman (and even got my dad's truck back to him). So, everything's working now.

But yesterday kinda sucked.

Monday Movie Quote #38

2006-04-17T16:16:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. And to those of you that had today off because of Patriots Day, piss off. It's not a federal holiday, so I'm not recognizing it. Here's an Easter quote for ya. It's one of those low budget movies that I'm sure most of you have seen.

"The guy in the Easter Bunny suit kicked his ass."

Last Week: Major League. "Hats for bats. Keep bats warm."

My Inbox is Full of Crap

2006-04-13T16:03:00.000-04:00

Mister Rogers was never a Navy Seal.
Even if you forward an e-mail to 100 people, the Taco Bell dog still won't show up to do a dance on your screen.
There is no way that the whole country will boycott buying gas on the same day.
Denzell Washington probably hasn't written a check in years, and he didn't write one for a military hospital.
If your wondering who's least likely to respond when you send me stuff like this...it's me.

People have a tendancy to believe what they read on the internet. I hate to break the news, but a lot of what you find on the internet is bull. Except porn sites...everyone knows how easy it is to get a beautiful, married, mother of 2 to have anonymous sex, right?

Anyway, all I'm asking is that the next time you get the urge to pass along life altering information that you got in an e-mail from someone, check it out before you fill my inbox with it. The easiest way is to go to Snopes. There's also a link to it over on the right (Urban Legends Reference Page). If you find something mind-boggling and it turns out to be true, feel free to forward it to me. I'm just getting a little tired of reading Andy Rooney speeches and George Carlin jokes that were probably written by someone who looks like the Comic Book Guy.

And if you're wondering about all of the other bogus stuff that's out there, I was going to write it down, but this guy summed it up pretty well. Now I'm off to buy some Viagra...I just got an e-mail about it from someone in Canada. You wouldn't believe the prices!

Monday Movie Quote #37

2006-04-10T19:32:00.000-04:00

The flowers are blooming. The weather's getting warmer. But the biggest sign that spring is upon us...baseball. And with the start of another baseball season, here's your weekly movie quote.

"We're out of towels, and I'm too old to go diving into lockers."

Last Week: Office Space. "Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler..."

Monday Movie Quote #36

2006-04-03T17:43:00.000-04:00

Another week with no posting. I guess that's what happens when you have one of the worst weeks ever. I know...you probably think I'm just saying that, but I'm not. I really did just have one of the worst weeks of my life. And on that positive, happy, smiley note, here's your quote...

"So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life."

Last week: Kindergarten Cop. "Are these all your lunches? You mean you eat other people's lunches? STOP IT!"

Monday Movie Quote #35

2006-03-27T18:32:00.000-05:00

This week's movie is one of my favorites. I used to have some of these quotes on my computer so that when I'd hit a button, it would say them to me. So I got a little nostalgic. Here ya go...

"Stop whining! You kids are soft. You lack discipline."

Last week: Hoosiers. "Strap, God wants you on the floor."

A Real Kick in the Ass

2006-03-23T16:22:00.000-05:00

I just want to touch on the subject really quickly, because if I spend too much time on it, it'll just get me all fired up.

Adam Vinitieri signed with the Colts.

He took the money. Good for him.
He'll be kicking indoors. Good for him.
He's playing for another very good team. Good for him.
He left the Patriots, the team with which he won 3 Super Bowl Championships...

What a jerk.

Now what am I going to do with my #4 jersey?

Monday Movie Quote #34

2006-03-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

I know I missed posting last week, but all of my time has been completely occupied with college basketball. For those of you that don't get involved in March Madness, you just can't understand how time consuming it really is. And in staying with the basketball theme, here's your quote. It's an easy one, but a good one.

"Welcome to Indiana basketball."

Last week: Galdiator. "How dare you show your back to me! Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name!"

Monday Movie Quote #33

2006-03-13T18:15:00.000-05:00

People at work have a habit of quoting movies all the time. And most of the time, it makes it really easy to decide which quote to use. I just hope they keep using different movies.

"Father, congratulations. I shall sacrifice a hundred bulls to honor your triumph."

Last Week: C'mon, no one knew Forrest Gump? Yeah, there's that whole "box of chocolates" thing, but I prefer "I'm sorry I ruined your New Year's party, Lt Dan. She tasted like cigarettes."

Sports Week: Back Page

2006-03-11T15:53:00.000-05:00

All heart. 110%. Playing through the pain. You hear all of these sayings when referring to people who participate in football, hockey, cheerleading...

Yeah, you heard me. Cheerleading.

Last weekend, Kristi Yamaoka, a cheerleader for the Southern Illinois Salukis (it's a dog...look it up) fell while performing a routine during a timeout. The difference is that this wasn't your ordinary fall. She fell while on someone's shoulders who was on someone's shoulders. That's right folks, a triple decker. Kristi fell about 12 feet onto a hardwood floor on her head. Ouch.

She was fastened to a gurney with a head and neck restraint. But this is when it gets crazy. As she's being wheeled from the court, the band started to play the school's fight song. Whether it was a subconscious reaction to get the fans excited or if it was intended to show the crowd she was okay, she continued to cheer by doing the arm movements that went along with the song. Either way, the crowd went nuts and SIU went on to win the game.

Later it was found out she broke her neck. Fractured vertebrae to be exact. She's expected to make a full recovery. While in the hospital, she repeatedly asked if anyone had taped the game. Not that she wanted to see the accident...she wanted to know who won the game.

Cheerleaders are tough chicks.

Sports Week: Page 3

2006-03-09T17:02:00.000-05:00

This story's from a couple of weeks ago, but it's so good it deserves to be repeated.

There are few basketball players who have the ability to score 20 points. There are far fewer who could do it in 4 minutes. And there's only one that I know of that is autistic.

Jason McElwain is. Jason is Greece Athena High School's student manager, and probably somewhat of a mascot. Always there, always helping, always keeping spirits up. He did everything and anything for the team, as long as he was there to be a part of the team. The coach wanted to repay Jason for all of his hard work and devotion by allowing him to play in a game, but the team was on the verge of a division title, so there were no guarantees. But coach told Jason to suit up, because...well, you never know.

Well, the time did come. Sure it was mop-up time, but what the hell. They were up, and the students were chanting his name and had signs bearing his name. What's the worst that could happen, right? The worst is how it started anyway. An errant 3 pointer followed by a missed lay-up. Then it started.

Three after three. Six out of ten actually. Should have been 7, but the ref said his foot was on the line. After it was all said and done, he had grabbed 20 points and the hearts of everyone in the stands. His teammates carried him off the court on their shoulders.

His reaction? "I ended my career on the right note." I'll say you did. Good job Jason, and good luck in the future in whatever you do. And if it includes basketball, don't let anyone tell you to stop shooting.

Sports Week: Page 2

2006-03-08T16:24:00.000-05:00

Page 2 is usually reserved for a story that would qualify as a "the lighter side of..." story. After a bit of a downer with yesterday's post, let's try to lighten it up a little, shall we? How about a golf story then.

Picture this. It's the third round of the Ford Championship at Doral. Phil Mickelson is hitting his approach shot into the green at the 10th hole. His shot goes a little wild and ends up striking a spectator standing beside the green. It hits him in the wrist. More accurately, it hit him on his watch breaking the clasp. Probably a cheap watch anyway. A real watch could withstand being struck by a golf ball right?

Well, Phil felt bad. After he got to the green, he went over to the guy to see if he was alright. He saw he was OK, but that his watch was broken. Ever the gentleman, Phil reached into his pocket for a couple of bucks to pay for a replacement watch. He ended up giving the guy 200 bucks.

TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!

Phil, I hate to break it to you, but not all of us have $200 watches. Just because he's got enough cash to watch you play golf while sucking down $7 beers doesn't mean he spends 2 bills on timepieces.

But what I found more amazing was that Phil didn't pull out the 2 one-hundred dollar notes from his wallet. He simply fished them out of his pocket...all crumpled up. Kinda like when a 6-year-old puts a couple of wadded up bills up on a counter when they're buying candy. They just happened to be floating around in his pocket along with his ball marker, a couple of tees, a pocket knife, and his Chap Stick. When I have a $100 bill, I iron it, laminate it, and only take it out for special occasions.

Sure he lost the tournament, but it's gotta be good to be Phil.