Week 59 - Mugshot

Oh yes, I know I'm behind on the blogs (this week was between my birthday and the first days of October), but bear with me and I will catch up on my life since then by Spring Break. I promise...

With the warm weather and fall daylight, this is panning out to be a beautiful fall here in C. Ohio. The grass is still growing, and our ewe is finally bred to "Phil" the old geezer survivor from my wife's parents' farm. With all the goings ons at work and the hustle of getting some research done, starting into the literature and forming an idea of the research I want to do the next couple years to drive my entire career, I've been spending long hours behind the computer screen. Nothing is as peaceful as a hammock or porch swing with the birds chirping, that fall breeze blowing through our oaks as the first leaves fall, and the remaining sheep out grazing in the waning sunlight. Yes, our little piece of land is just that - little - but it is the lifestyle of working your own ground, raising/growing food into the system and feeling like we are connected to the world instead of just rushing through it. The house has been a bit of paradise in all the craziness around us. And props to whomever's idea it was to face the house N/S rather than against the road. We know the traffic is right around the corner, but it is easier to ignore if you aren't looking at it.

Of course, with the fall comes all of the political rhetoric and I am just about sick of it. I frankly couldn't care who wins elections anymore because I know that my vote won't make a difference and that the news media coverage decides the winner with Gallup polls and the some-such long before I ever get to the polls. And I still have to listen to the jibber-jabber as they banter back and forth about things that don't even matter. I have just one thought for you all, If politicians no time campaigning and all their time working, they wouldn't need to campaign. Think about it. We would elect people based on merit, the congressmen/women could go home and have side jobs and companies (they already do anyhow) and we shouldn't need to pay them as much. Then maybe we could put the "public service" back into the position. Last I checked, my commitment to my community doesn't get me six figures and benefits for life. Solve the budget problem? Oh, yeah, stop paying my congress to shut down the government with incompetence, and I wouldn't need to solve the budget problem or cut military spending and leave veterans jobless. But I'll stop before I become one of those guys...

Our little girl is growing very fast, and gaining great head control and curiosity (luckily we have no cats). I've thrown in a few pictures that will do far more justice than my words.

Can you believe the size difference between Mom and Hannah?

I think she has started to wonder what the heck it is we eat? Strange stuff, so many colors.

Now, on the playmat, she is always looking around when she hears us, to see if we are there.

Late this week, we discovered the dog was soft, and tolerant.

Pumpkin hunting with Mom.

This week we went out pumpkin hunting, a fun little experience that has become a family tradition paired with fall beer and chili. Unfortunately, the only day we could make it work also turned out to be one of the few rainy days in a dream harvest season. So we toted umbrellas and pumpkins around, while my wife toted a snoring baby. She woke up for just a second to get a picture, but I prefer the memory of her sagging her head all around the place in the rain. Turns out the rain puts her to sleep, too.

And then there is the ultimate achievement of dad-hood this week. I have been trying to pitch in and be better about helping get Hannah to daycare. I drive a long way to work in the traffic and a lot of times my wife will take her instead of me. But with my first experiment ending, there was a bit more opportunity to help and that way my wife can work out or get to work early. I dressed Hannah in something that matched a week or so ago, took her to school and dropped her off. And then this week I came in to pick her up one evening and there was a note attached to her daily sheet, saying that photos had been taken of all the kids and we could order some if we wanted. Not knowing when photo day was, we hadn't ordered anything ahead of time, but it's probably a good thing because the day I dressed her was the day they took the pics. And apparently, I dressed her like a boy.

You can be the judge if you'd like, but I think the verdict was out as soon as I walked in the door that night. It doesn't help that our little girl in boy clothes gave a facial expression similar to a stoner tripping over a pizza. Happy kid, what can I say, and given what I know of her smiles to strangers, this lady must've been in a hurry and not very outgoing. Lesson learned - unless wearing Green & White, or Scarlet & Gray, our little girl must always have some pink or purple on so that people don't confuse her for a boy. She does look like she's got a bit of street cred though...