He's here!

Our new baby was born December 21, 2007. He weighed in at 7 lbs, 12 oz. He's perfectly healthy except for a moderate case of jaundice, which has now pretty much cleared up. My wife gave birth to him via Cesarean Section. She really wanted to have him the natural way, but her body had other things in mind.

My wife was sad that our original plans didn't work out, but she's overjoyed nonetheless at his arrival, no matter how he got here. So am I. I have tons of pics, so I'll cut the jabber and lay them out here:

Here's the new little guy.

Eyes open this time!

Mom and Dad pre-birthing (notice the smiles).

Various family looking at new baby in the nursery, where they put that awful junk in his eyes!

Okay... That's not a ton of pics, but I'm fighting with my blog right now. I'll post more later.

CS OUT.

Crikey!

So I'm in Brisbane, strolling through a mall where I've just had lunch with a colleague and I see a kids' novelty attraction that just begs to have its picture taken...















Oh, yeah. And I just happen to have the kids with me (well, most of them, anyway) - in flat-traveler format, that is. So now the kids can say that they have been on a croc hunt with the man himself!

I thought I'd also have the kids pose individually with the wide-eyed reptile-chaser, just for posterity!

I love my family and I miss them very, very much.

CS OUT

More Australia Stuff - Brisbane Riverfire

I went to this "gathering" in Brisbane last night called Riverfire. They called it a "festival" but to me it was just a really cool and over-the-top fireworks display. Around 300,000 people gathered downtown on the riverbanks and bridges and in the buildings nearby and watched.

The display was very impressive. It opened with a military F-111 jet lighting off its afterburner right over the crowd and then peeling up into the sky. They must have done something extra to make the flame bigger, because I've never seen an afterburner look that way. It was this huge yellow flame shooting out the plane exhaust. Usually you see a nice, compact, pretty blue flame. It was neat. They also finished the show in the same way.

The fireworks were probably the best I've ever seen. It was like a non-stop finale from start to finish that lasted 45 minutes. Also, there were smaller fireworks being shot off 6 of the surrounding buildings. It was all choreographed to popular music, both past and present. Check out a sample below:

Of course, it was much better in person; small camera videos wouldn't do it much justice.

So, that was my fun for the week!

CS OUT

Australia Thoughts #1

Here's the first of what I imagine will be several musings on the country of Australia. I'm traveling abroad for work and there are certain Aussie-Yank cultural differences that just spring themselves on me as I go about my daily business.

1. Kangaroos in Australia are much like deer in the U.S. They are everywhere, they have simliar intelligence, and they tend to have population problems. And yes, those yellow caution signs with a kangaroo in the middle actually are on the roads here.
2. Traffic is quite different here. The first (and most obvious) difference is that Aussies drive on the wrong side of the road. Roundabouts are used much more than intersections requiring traffic lights. Believe it or not, it's quite nice; they are very much more efficient for traffic flow. Also, drivers seem to be more polite and cooperative with one another. It's the exception rather than the rule for a driver to cut you off or be rude to you.
3. In the city (Brisbane) people walk. Driving through the city is very nerve-racking because of the sheer volume of people walking at intersections. Again, though, even the pedestrians seem to prefer order over chaos and therefore actually wait until they have the "walk" sign prior to crossing the street. That impresses me.
4. Aussies seem to be much more laid-back than Yanks. You have to work pretty hard to tick these guys off. At least that's true with the people I've met so far.
5. Many of the stereotype phrases you here in the U.S. hold true in everyday language here, such as "G'Day Mate," and "No worries." Also, Instead of "How's it going," you hear, "How you going."

Okay, that's all for this installment. More later.

CS OUT

Mr. Trumpet Man

I play the trumpet. Music is incredibly important to me. I used to be the orchestra leader at my church, until a huge upheaval resulted in the scattering of the musicians. It was a hard thing for me to deal with, and I haven't really played my trumpet regularly since then.

I have recently been reminded of just how much I need music in my life. It really just came to me while listening to some really great swing band music by Michael Bublé. He has a Sinatra-style voice and all his arrangements are hip and tight. I really dig it. Sorry - I'm getting into my musician lingo - oh well, what are you gonna do? It's MY blog.

I realized that, no matter the platform... even if there is NO platform... I need, actually need to play my horn. It is a wonderful gift given to me by God Himself. When I say this, I don't mean I think that I'm either a good or bad musician compared to anyone. I mean that God has given me a passion for music, specifically the trumpet. That's all. I think that anyone who has a passion for music, whether they can play an instrument, sing, compose... or not... has been given a wonderfully rich gift. I also think that if one has been deemed worthy of receiving this gift, they shoud do something about it. Give it everything they've got. Even if it seems that no one is listening, because that's not what it's about. It's about honoring the Master with a means He has given. I think that is where such passion originates... it is a desire to please the Almighty in a manner designed by Him for Him.

One more thing. If you're going to "give it all you've got," then DO IT. DO IT RIGHT. Do it the best you can. That means PRACTICE. Then, PRACTICE MORE. Yes the Lord wants to hear your heartfelt music... but I believe the Bible says something somewhere about the musicians being skilled. That means THEY PRACTICED. Go figure.

I may be wrong and I don't have scripture to back up what I'm saying, because I am HORRIBLE at research. I only know what is real to me, so take it for what it's worth.

CS OUT.

You know what's sad?

I'll tell you what's sad. When I'm on road trips by myself (it happens a lot) and I go to the hotel pool, I am now the old, fat, hairy guy whom all the kids get creeped out by and talk about after he gets out of the pool.

Nice.

Severe diet and wax job, anyone?

CS OUT

Holy Cow...

... I'm going to be a dad again. We just found out today. Wow. I don’t even know how to react right now. I am, of course, overjoyed at the prospect of having another bambino scooting around the floors of our house. I’m just flooded with so many different emotions that I actually feel numb to it at the moment.

I am a firm believer that the Lord has predetermined the extent of my “quiver,” so to speak, but it doesn’t make me any less freaked out. Holy cow! First, we’re told we can’t have babies. Now we’ve got FIVE?

Yikes. I have lots to say about this, but it’s late. I’ll talk more about it later. Rest assured this is a HUGE blessing to me, and nothing less.

CS OUT.

Eeellchhhh...

Tonight I had one of the most disgusting and discouraging evenings in my life so far.

My wife and I own three rental properties in our area. They’re not the nicest homes around, nor are they even in a good part of town. We had to start somewhere, and this was what I chose for us. It’s been a real struggle to get and keep them rented. One house has yet to pass a building inspection. I mean to say I have been working on it so long that it’s getting ridiculous and I just want it to end. Another is finally rented, and it appears that this tenant is going to work out. The third is the one I worked on this evening, and thus the object of my disgust.

This house was recently vacated by a woman who was very irresponsible and apparently had no regard for the consequences of not paying people who provide service to her, people like the electric company, the water company, the phone company, and, namely, me: her landlord.

I had to evict her after many months of negotiating and pleading on her part. She always had some kind of great excuse. She was sick and missed work that week, or her daughter (who was 20 and had a baby of her own) needed help with her bills, etc. Blah, blah, blah. She lasted so long in my house because I have a soft spot for people. I also tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. I am very trusting… well, I used to be; I feel that I am growing some shrewdness muscles (I hope, or I’m not going to last long in this business).

I say all this to lead up to my nasty evening in this house. I began the process of cleaning the house and found that the floor in the kitchen and utility room (adjacent to the kitchen) were wet. I knew they were wet, because of a problem with the washing machine drain that I actually fixed a long time ago. I just didn’t realize how wet the floors were. I peeled up the vinyl tile (that I installed myself – I was very proud) to find not only a wet, nasty, moldy sub-floor, but a hive of roaches and termites. Yes… ROACHES AND TERMITES.

My heart sank through the floor (wasn’t difficult, the floor was soft). Not only do I have to replace the floors, but I have to pay to have a pest service come in and rid me of these nasty creatures, and hope they do it quickly and thoroughly.

As I write this, I am still haunted by the sight in those rooms tonight. I am amazed and befuddled how people could live like that. They had to know there was a problem; why didn’t they ask me to fix it? I would have! I don’t want my investment to destroy itself. My aim is to provide nice houses that people can afford to live in. I’d also like to make a profit. Am I asking too much?

Oh well. What do I do? I pick up and go on. Call the bug people. Fix the floor. Make it nice again.




And change my inspection habits in my homes.

CS

Blogging

Ok...

So I'm not a good blogger. I write like I think: very haphazardly. My mind wanders all over the place and so does my writing. Problem with that is, I'm a perfectionist. That causes me to not want to write, because what I write doesn't sound good.

So the decision is this: do I like blogging enough to just get over it, or am I going to not ever write because I'm afraid that someone will read it and think I'm an idiot?

I'm gonna write and and not give a hooey if anyone else likes it. It's my blog, right?

Yay for me!

Now I feel better...

CS

Oops...

Well, I had a blog entry and I did something accidentally with my kestrokes that caused every last word to disappear off the page.

So, forget it. I'm not gonna retype all that back in.

Sheesh - it's hard for a guy to become a blogger.

CS

You know you're a dad when...

... you're in El Paso, Texas. You're in the bathroom, preparing to shave. As you pull out your shave gear, tiny Star Wars figurines drop out of your shave bag. Yep, that's my life - and I'd have it no other way.

CS

PS - Here are two of my boys... notice the light sabers...

The Buck Stops Here

I'm new to blogging. I'm not sure if I like it or not. Of course, one must do something before he can decide if he likes it or not, right? So here I am. Let's check this thing out.

I'm a husband and dad. I can't imagine not being either. Before I met the incredible woman who is now my wife, I used to think I didn't want to get married. I especially didn't want to have kids! But that all changed the second I met my wife.

Wow. It's amazing how the entire course of a man's life can immediately change direction with one seemingly simple event. Of course, I didn't realize it right away; when I met her, I thought she was HOT. I mean SMOKIN'. She blew me away with her smile and her eyes. It didn't hurt that when she spoke I could immediately tell that she was intelligent. Of course that was an understatement, as I have since come to realize - she can melt walls with her brain (ok, maybe not - but you get the point).

I love her deeply and do my very best to meet any and all needs she might have. That's very difficult for me sometimes. I try really hard to do all the right things but sometimes I just screw up. You know, I think I'm doing just the right thing and then later I find out that I totally misunderstood the situation and did the opposite of what she needed. Let me just tell you - that SUCKS. There's no one to blame. The buck stops here. I did it; I screwed up. It always seems to happen when she really needed me to come through for her. There's nothing worse for me than that feeling after I find out that I totally missed the boat when she was counting on me. It's a sinking, desperate feeling that screams in my ear, "BLAME SOMEONE ELSE - TELL HER IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT!". But I can't. I'm not very good at lying or blame-shifting. I just don't do it well. So there I am. What do I do? I humble myself and apologize and hope that I haven't ruined her trust in me.

That's it. That's what I'm about. I want people to trust in me, to have no doubts about me. Especially my wife. So when things happen and I screw up, it mortifies me.

Ok. I have to go now. I'll probably talk more about this later.

Not too bad for a first post, I suppose.