Saturday, October 18, 2008

Great Fall Saturday

Today, we took Waylon up to Rogersville, Tennessee, about an hour and a half northeast of Knoxville, to the Davidson Farm.  It was an absolute blast.  Waylon got to slide, pet goats, go on a hayride (or "hayrack," to you Iowans), and pick out a pumpkin. 

Picture 142 Picture 133

On Wagon Pumpkin Patch

Picture 130 Sitting on STraw

We even found a great place to eat lunch at a little country cafe.  After a fun-filled day on the farm (and a good two hours past nap time) W  caught some Z's on the way back home.  It was a great day!  Despite the fact that he has had a very crazy week (I hope Suni will write about his new daycare experience), and in spite us blowing his nap time and lunch time, our boy was well-behaved all day and really made us proud! 

Cafe Conked Out

Thursday, October 16, 2008

A Rare Political Post

Warning: This is a post about politics, so please ignore it if you don't care about, or are annoyed by, this subject or just my writing, in general (Jaime and Jenni).

Suni and I watched the debates last night and came away thinking that John McCain had performed better but still did not take Obama to task on several of his most glaring weaknesses. Obama's eloquence is obvious, and he is quite charismatic. McCain had the right idea by pointing out that eloquence, but he needed to follow that up with concrete reasons Obama's rhetoric was empty. He did not do that.

I'm voting for John McCain. So is Suni. I won's say a whole lot about this, lest I alienate the few of you who actually read our blog. When all is said and done, what concerns me most (and is, thus, the issue on which I vote, all else being equal) is foreign policy. I tend to vote for the candidate who will fight wars that need fought, avoid wars that don't, and who has enough sense to know the difference. In an ever-complicated atmosphere of global politics, the latter is quite a challenge.

It may seem oversimplistic (and is in a way) but the economy, abortion, etc. is hardly important if we lose our way of life due to terrorism or outright war with Russia or Iran. I simply don't trust Barack Obama to handle these matters. He just doesn't have enough experience in foreign policy. That certainly isn't his only weakness, but it is his decisive weakness, at least in my mind. I like what "Joe the Plumber" had to say in this short video after the debate and this one before it. I love this guy.

It may be a futile vote, but I am voting for Democrat Bob Tuke for the U.S. Senate seat from Tennessee. Well, really, I am voting against Lamar Alexander, who apparently didn't care that an overwhelming majority of his constituents did not want the latest mind-boggling federal government joke masquerading as a "rescue plan." I have always admired Alexander, who grew up right here in Maryville and who was an excellent governor of this state. But when a politician willfully ignores the will of his constituents, it is time to bid him farewell. It won't happen this election, but I will do my part. And If I were Bob Tuke, I would run a campaign ad with this very message.

I look forward to imparting in our kids the importance of exercising their civil privilege and responsibility of voting. I also hope we can foster an environment where our kids think for themselves and can express their views rather than parrot what Suni and I think and say. I think this will be one of the great challenges of parenting.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Fall Festivals, 18-month Checkups, and Anatomy Lessons

We are walking down to the Foothills Fall Festival today, and we're all quite excited about it. Ordinarily, I would spend today listening to sports radio and "preparing" myself mentally for the Tennessee-Georgia game. This year, it hardly seems worth it. So UT's loss(es) is the family's gain. It's going to be a good day!

Waylon is all fired up. Here is our boy giving an anatomy lesson this morning.


Waylon had his 18-month checkup yesterday. Dr. Weiss was "quite impressed" with Waylon's verbal skills. When he put the stethoscope up to Waylon's chest and asked if it was hot, Waylon said "Not hot. It's cold." The kid is still small, but all is well with him health-wise.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Fall Wagon Rides

The weather here is perfect!  Here are some shots from our wagon ride tonight.  As you can see, Waylon is beginning to understand the importance of Teddy and him wearing their hats.  W pulls the wagon now.  Our little boy is growing up so fast. 

pulling wagon

fall wagon hat DSCF1229

Homecoming 2008

My trip back to the alma mater was great, as expected.  Coe lost the football game, but I didn't know that until some folks walked into the Homeport and told me.  The Homeport is a bar within 100 yards of the Coe football field.  Alas, the weekend was less about football and more about brotherhood.  And, I got to spend all weekend with three of the best guys around - Andy Hayes, Joel Vroegh, and Devin Powers.  We kicked it old-style at various locations around Cedar Rapids and crashed at my mother-in-law's house.  Thanks, Jonnie!

Below is the four of us at Jonnie's and Devin starting Saturday morning out with a bang - vodka in a measuring cup. 

DSCF1223DSCF1221 

The TKE celebration was truly first class.  A social at the President's house, a very nice dinner at the Cedar Rapids Country Club, and good times with old friends.