Irene pukes a lot...and I'm getting ready to get off the bus

(after consulting with my brother, he reminded me of the "bus metaphor" and how I am packing my things and preparing to get off at the next stop. I have no idea where/when the next stop is, but this crazy bus ride is about to be over...)

Irene goes through about 3 outfits per day and at least 5 bibs. She pukes, spits up, and generally drools all over her clothes. If I were to puke onto the blog it would sound something like this:


-the city of memphis shut down today because there was 3/4 of an inch of ice/snow. the streets were fine. there was slush on some overpasses. you gotta love the south.


-the board of directors at Crichton voted to drop the traditional day student program to focus on the adult evening program...Crichton will be more like a part-time, adult learner, commuter school. there will be no more athletic programs. I am on the job hunt. would love to stay in college coaching and have a few leads but am open to anything. like a sail boat captain and/or a professional dad.


-Irene is super cute. She does new stuff every day. Lately she has started "dancing", signing, clapping, and I swear that she says "dada"...although that is up for debate as she calls a few things "dada"...


-We have started packing up the house. Regardless of what happens, we are 95% certain we will be leaving the house...I recommend moving twice in the span of 2-3 years. Whatever you don't throw away or use after the first move will definitely be tossed during the second one...


-I like it that one of my siblings has a child. I also like the way Shannon described how to say his name...this is my paraphrase: "...it is Ja Vee...but the J sounds like the S in 'measure' or 'pleasure'..."


-there was a guest pastor at church this past sunday. he spoke at 2 services. he did a DIFFERENT message for each one...has anyone EVER heard of such a thing?!


this is the snow that shut memphis down:


















-Neal has a sister named Gwen

Dumplestiltskin back again...check it wreck it let's begin...

I promise nothing in this post except randomness...

1. I'm going to have a "monkey baby". not really, but that is what Shannon called it. we got another ultrasound today at 27.5 weeks (to check the location of the placenta = riveting/fascinating tidbit of information for our readers) and learned some fun things. one of which is that our kid has long toes. really really long toes. I think this is cute and will be fun to have the little one grab us with his finger-toes. Shan thinks it is weird that Sparky will be swinging from the trees.

2. my cousin, who reads this blog and sometime comments but shall remain nameless had a great insight about blogging. This is my paraphrase and I hope I do him justice: two things have to happen for good blogging. first, one has to have the desire and/or content. second, one has to have the time to write. very rarely (if ever) do we have both at the same moment. "bingo" I say.

C. Blue Man Group's comment on the last post (comment #13) was hilarious...however I'm confused, are we not "real bloggers" here at bloggy mcbloggerson?

D. we recently went to Orlando, FL with the wife's family...the whole group was there (brothers, wives, kids, etc). On Saturday we all went to Disney World in our matching green t-shirts. not only were they matching green, but they had disney inspired character names for each of us on the back. the names of the character were supposed to say something about us. Mine was "Rafiki" (the monkey from the LION KING). My sister-in-law loved it and said it was perfect for me. My response to her was: "why is it perfect for me? Is it because I resemble a monkey? Or am sort of wise but sort of crazy? Or that nobody can tell if I’m either? Or that I like to sing when I talk AND I like to talk about myself in the 3rd person?"

E. Other Orlando highlights/thoughts:
-Disney World is tolerable with a niece/nephew whom you love. their excitement was saving for me. (I guess that would apply to my own kids..although I would still vacation on the beach and maybe drive to orlando for a one-day trip to mickey mouse world).
-people in crowds lose 50-90 IQ points.
-resorts with a limited number of chairs by a pool should have full-time Chair Watchers who remove items that are "saving" places for non-people. numerous people who wanted to sit/swim/etc could not find chairs because others had run down at 8am to grab 5-6 chairs for their towels and books to rest on all day. this was maddening.

6. I want a "Guam Update". we may have to start a "brother blog" or a "spinoff" that is soley about GUAMlife. questions: how will MGW and VIC leave clyde the clyde for that long? seriously? (can't imagine leaving Swiffer) who are these hooligans renting your house? do we need to spy on them? I think I know someone with spytech. what are you doing with all your stuff? and how does one pack for a 1-2 year "trip"? when will you be back? for real? you need to set up SKYPE. which means you have to make several quantum leaps on the technology spectrum. but you are a gumshoe. I believe you can do it.

7. Also want a "Xavi Work Blog"...this could be grand. every day at exactly the same time of day, you write a 5-minute synopsis of what has happened so far in your day...maybe eventually we'll all understand what it is you actually do.

8. Jeremy is getting tired. Jeremy probably forgot some of the things he wanted to blog about. oh well.


"Some posts don't have much of a finish...that's the post I took..."

Dumpy McDumperson

Ok so I guess it's my turn to dump. First and foremost, I want to say how happy I am with the return of one of the greatest TV shows of our time - American Gladiators. There are some flaws, way too much talking for one, but overall it is a great addition to Monday night, which is the only night we really watch TV.

Things I like about AG:

*All of the events over water. Even "Hang Tough" is better now. Also I like how you have to swim under the fire in the Eliminator.

*The new Ninja Warrior-like Eliminator is much better. I love how it pretty much wipes out the contenders and they can barely make it up the "travelator" or whatever they call the treadmill thing.

*The whole thumbs down taunting of the contenders when the Gladiator beats them and they fall into the water. Jojo and I have already got it down.

Things I don't like about AG:

*Wolf. Lame. Looks like Ben Stiller from Dodgeball on roids.

*All of the trash talking and human interest crap. Just play the games, we don't need all of the contrived drama. It actually makes me like the contenders less and root against them. I was pretty psyched when stupid 34 year old Jeff who waited 14 years to be on AG lost to the Spider Monkey. I read that one of the contenders breaks their femur, I was hoping it would be Jeff. One side note on the Spider Monkey, don't bet against him in the Eliminator. If you've seen Ninja Warrior you know the smaller, spry gymnastic guys destroy obstacle courses.

I had other things I was going to write about but I can't remember them now. Ohio State is getting killed by LSU as I write this. And all of the local weather people are going nuts because of the storms that are all over tonight. Good times, I guess it's an improvement over all of the reports on a closed highway. "We're bringing you team coverage to let you know that yes, Highway 40 is indeed closed down." Be sure to use alternate routes.

Oh yeah, here's a couple things I'm reading right now: