Here are the blogs I read almost everyday:
Right to the Chin: Conservative AND funny,
While You Were Away: What used to be a romanticized update for a long-distance love affair is now the journal of a husband/wife, action duo.
Here are some more mission-related blogs:
UTCLST.chattablogs.com
newsfromtheglen.chattablogs.com
This one sounds like it would be religious, but the posts usually are superficial and silly: loudsalt.chattablogs.com
Finally, a new blooger to watch is Sweet Butter Pancakes, says the author, "original and good."
If I had a couple hours I would put these in my list of links along the right...
This crazy ride just won't stop. Tonight Jackson just said "ma-ma" very distinctly as one word. He has been saying forms of mama and dada for a few weeks, but dada still sounds more like a string of unintelligible consonants, as in da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da.
Here are a few pics demonstrating Jackson's latest standing and walking abilities:
Here are a couple extra just for kicks.
Yeah, we think Jackson looks a lot like Patton Oswalt, or Spence from TV's The King of Queens. This picture may not be the best example, but I think its the lack of a neck, the hair, and the child-like grin.
Jackson has accomplished so much in the last few days. In two weeks he's gone from being a pretty stationary object on a blanket on the floor, to being a fairly swift creature who can pull up on and cruise around furniture, and also crawls at a fairly steady clip. In no time he'll be walking around bipedal, totally unassisted.
It's exactly like everyone told us, once they're off, you'll never know a moment's peace again. I hope he'll chill out some, I just want to lie around and be silly. Now he's just incredibly curious about everything, he can't stop until he sees whats around every corner.
Thanks to Lowe's and some leftover lumber from my parent's rental house, Jackson has a new playset. The seat Kerry is sitting in is only rated to 100 lbs. It may be a bit rigged, but I think I've successfully beaten the system again and kept from paying hundreds of $$ for a fancy, name-brand playset.
Kerry's Dad is going to love this pic. Notice the lack of shirt under the overalls. This was the day he made a big mess in our back seat..
So it turns out my laptop will run if I take off the cover just above the keyboard. I'd thought it was heat related, since during the cold months I was able to compute outside in 30 degrees for as long as I wanted, but indoors nothing.
Any advice? My new hard drive thermometer says I'm running at 139 degrees. If I had a tiny frying pan I could cook some tiny eggs..
As I happily began my drive in to work Monday morning I was shocked and amazed as an elderly woman pull out of our local Hardee's without seeing me, causing me (and my 9 month old son) to veer into the opposite lane. I kept thinking, She's gonna see me and stop, but she never even slowed down.
After incidents such as this and what happened in Santa Monica, CA last year, I am supporting a nation-wide campaign to remove old people who can no longer drive safely from the roadways. I'm talking letters to state senators, a public service announcement, catchy slogans, a jingle... Let's all come together on this important issue. DWO - Driving while old...
Here are some things that I think are funny/strange/stupid about Red Bank.
1. The name. I've yet to find any meaning behind it. I'm not sure if we actually border the river, but I doubt the bank is particularly red.
2. The city government. They took away recycling pickup because it was too expensive, yet my trash pickup fees went up. Now I have piles of cardboard and moldy milk jugs piled up in my basement and have to drive it downtown myself.
3. The police. They are always zipping around at 80 MPH on our 35 MPH streets. It sets a bad example. I'll see 4 cars flying into a neighborhood and think, Surely this will be on the news. It never is... and I'm so worried its just a case of DWB (Driving While Black.)
4. Accoutrements. What's up with those street lights every five feet? The old-timey looking ones..? How do they enhance the strip-mall, power-line rigged, downtown intersection of Morrison Springs and Dayton Blvd? My suggestions, no more crippety-crap, waste of $$. Invest in underground power supplies.
Why is Dayton Blvd in Red Bank anyway?
5. Apartments. At least 2/3 of Chattanooga'a apartment housing must be in Red Bank. How did this happen? Was there a meeting? Maybe this was decided at the same time when they decided not to integrate Chattanooga's public schools.
I guess that's it. Anything I've overlooked?
This is potentially Jackson's first girlfriend. He's always been the ladies man, but now I think he's found someone closer to his own age, and size.. She's actually a little older, but thats OK. They look strangely awkward, kind of like my first date in the seventh grade. I'm sure this will be the beginning of a healthy dating spree that will last about 23 years.
I am disappointed by the limited options available in any car I have ever owned or sat in related to air conditioning. In my Ford truck it's either air on face, max air on face, or air to defrost the window (you never pupt outside air on the window to defrost, which is a common misconception), or air/heat on the window and feet. You can have vent on face, feet, or both. You cannot have air on feet and face, ever.
Our Escape has pretty similar limitations. Our Honda was the same. About the only nice option I've ever seen in car a/c is the swing feature on a Mazda 626. I just think they could come up with more alternatives for the cars in my price range. Do higher-end cars have more AC options?
I am a lazy blogger. I think of funny things, but never when I'm at the PC. Same thing when I go in a record store, I'm like, what bands do I like?
So I don't forget, here are some forthcoming blog entries:
Funny things about Red Bank
Why can't Car A/C's Get Along?
How I'm going to use my Blog to get a Ph. D.