OK now it’s official. I’m in the next age group for just about every survey until I’m *glup* 50.
I woke up to Teaspoon curled next to me. He rolled over and cracked me in the face.
Mom called this morning and I learned that she was induced on this day because her doctor wanted to see me born before his vacation that Monday. She was 42 so in the 70′s this was a big deal. I hope he enjoyed the trip. They probably gave me a smoke and shot of whiskey when I came out.
My brother was 17 when I was born and I was baptized on his 18th birthday the following month. You think he’s let me live that down? hell no.
I don’t remember my 5th birthday but I bet all of my aunts, uncles and cousins were drinking Old Milwaukee pounders.
I remember my 10th birthday because it was at the YMCA indoor pool in Harborcreek and we had ice cream cake. I think we tried to drown someone.
I remember my 15th birthday because.. wait, I dont. I had braces so I was probably traumatized.
I don’t remember my 20th birthday. I’m sure it involved me and The Shaggy Dog saloon in Erie where I was already a regular for a year. Did you catch that?
I remember my 25th birthday because it was at the Deckhouse in Cranberry and we came back to the Bordello of Booze for a night of beer pong. That night was a marathon of endurance.
I remember my surprise 30th birthday at John Harvard’s in Monreoville with my new(er) bride, close friends and family.
I’ll always remember my 35th birthday because I’m spending it at home with my wife and 2 boys. The greatest gifts I have ever received.
I’m spending my day attending a college hockey double header of Colonials with the final game vs RIT already sold out.
Little known hockey facts about me
- My first hockey game was watching the Erie Golden Blades with my cousin Leslie when I was in 2nd grade.
- I still have ticket stubs from the Erie Panthers
- My family never taught me to skate, they would take me to public skates and tell me to figure it out.
- I have the ticket stub from my first pro hockey game somewhere. My brother took me to a Pens game at the Civic Arena in the 80′s where player Jimmy Mann sat next to me. Jagoff still owes me a stick. Find out why.
- One of my friends on our highschool team had more penalty minutes than ice time. Rumor has it he was suspended for trying to stab someone from the rival school with his blade. Wouldn’t surprise me. Now he’s protecting our country.
- Until my nephew Ben started to play hockey I was the only fan of the sport in my family.
- I played in net for my 2 years at Pitt. For a game I played with the “Jason” mask. We drew stitch marks on it afterwards for everywhere I got hit.
- I bat right and left in baseball but can only slapshot a puck left handed. Goalie though right is my stick side.
- I haven’t skated since 1996
- I own 2 pairs of roller blades I never wore.
- My favorite player of all time is Martin Straka. He’s magical.
I’m gonna need a second or third job if my boys will play hockey. Bah I didn’t need sleep anyways.
Don’t let that face fool you. He just stole your wallet.
Last night was the first time in awhile that both boys slept all night and this morning I woke up with that guy in my face hitting me and saying “heeey hey hey hey da da”. Yes that was cute until he crawled into bed and proceeded to kick me out with a series of bicycle kicks.
When we were planning on what to do with the tax return I sat back starry eyed with all of the possibilities. Ahhh a new fence, new grass, new grill, new smoker, tons of plants for the garden, work on the back porch. Oh we could buy anything!
My single guy friends I can already hear “dude BEER! PARTY! WOOOOOOOO!”. My mom would say “Now Douglas you should just put that away.” Away for what I have no idea. My married friends would say “oh you could go on a nice vacation on a beach. Someone will watch both your kids for a week or take them with you!” My buddy Phil would remind me about the kickass brewing kit I could upgrade to or a balls to the wall outdoors cooking area plus fly him in to show me how to use it.”
Reality comes from my married friends with kids. “Find a sitter, go out to dinner somewhere without a kids menu and fix what the family needs.” That part is whats sinking in. Teaspoon needs new carpeting in his room since its to the point where stretching it won’t fly. The last of moving bills need paid and we have a 2nd bday plus baptism coming up. Gates in the yard need upgraded since Teaspoon is a beast and I have to pay tuition for my final semester of school and Teaspoon is starting preschool for 2yr olds.
Responsibility sucks.
How do you get your husband to get his hair cut? First thing in the morning say he looks like Justin Bieber!
It was getting bad and now its not so bad
On any given workday it takes about an hour to get downtown. Traffic is jammed on all parkways and its mass hysteria. This morning I found the secret, leave at 6:30am. By 7am the city was barely awake and I was able to snap this pic.
Today the Penguins invited select season ticket holders to stop down and take part in a fan forum. It was our chance to let the Pens, CEC staff and Aramark know what we thought of the new digs so far.
Scheduled for only an hour we ended yup going 30 extra minutes and were just warming up. Nothing major for complaints but little things to help out. I gave my opinion of a few issues I noticed but of course I had to mention the lack of quality beer in the arena to the Aramark rep. How do you spend money bragging about all of these local ties when your beer is all Bud, Miller, Coors.
This was addressed with Penn and Rivertowne having their beers available but you can only get them in a couple stands and the ones with it can’t stock enough even when the game starts. I got some names and emails to pass along to some local brewers whom have been unable to get someone to call them back. Seriously, PNC Park has a hella better selection of beer and at $1.50 less a glass.
Weather hit 54F today so in all it was a great day! The Pens were absolutely amazing hosts and took a serious interest in us today. You won’t find that coming from other organizations in this town.
Free food! wooooooohoooo
I’ve signed up for enough mailing lists and facebook sites that I can eat every night this week but since I have 3 other mouths to feed we’ve been getting items that all of us can split. Last night was free pizza at Vocelli’s and tonight was chowing down at Red Robin (yum!). I couldn’t help but get the french onion soup. ahhh yes the dish that if you can make well you can have me forever.
School n’at
I’m finishing up my class on Media Law & Ethics tomorrow and looking towards the goal finally. Going into the final I’ve been flirting with a final grade above 95% and really taking a liking to the course material. If all else fails I guess I could pursue a future there. Plus side though is that I have 3-4 classes left until I graduate. I spoke with my adviser today and she joked if I was burned out yet. 4 years of school with no break lasting longer than a couple weeks… yeah I’m ready to take a breather.
Recaps of previous birthday weeks – 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007
Short short version if you’re new to this concept. 7 days with the 7th being your birthday, you get a present each day. Nothing big but small things between you and your significant other.
Day one brings what could be the greatest of them all. Both boys slept all through the night in both their beds. No one waking up to gte fed. no one screaming and running into our room. No one trying to push me out of bed. Why is this great? Since Owen came home we’ve averaged 2-3 hours of sleep a night and teaspoon has been a beast. Imagine trying to function for 2 months like that. Yeah tensions are high and the slightest thing could set you off. I hope these days are moving behind us.
This was pure heaven.
This is it! Lushie’s big present! She said that since today is my last full day at work I need something to pick up my spirits and go out in style. For years I’ve said that I wanted to get my own jersey and never have. Something always came up and I’d blow it off. Apparently she’s had this planned since the season started and it’s been killing her not to say anything.
Now to explain the jersey. 22 is the number I usually wear in sports and it’s also the date in October when we got married. I guess you can also say it’s Groundhog Day with 2/2. Spoon is a nickname I was given in college by Griff (long story if you don’t know it) and always stuck as even my family calls me that more than my real name. The “C”, Lushie tells me, is because I’m the captain of our family and when Jackson arrives he can be my little “A”.
I’m not taking this off until Lushie rips it from me!
cheers!
(Chris, Bob and I at my bday party in 2001)
Some of you may recall from last year that Lushie and I love to celebrate Birthday Week. This year I insisted that we take a hiatus on it since I’m being laid off the day before my birthday and I don’t want that added strain on a 30 week pregnant Lushie. She insisted and it began.
What I like most about it are the small things. Every day I wake up to a card, a kiss. (awww nice eh?) and a special rub of the baby belly. Inside each card is a “Good for” coupon she writes. One day it’s “I’ll pay for a good car wash” or “6pk of your choice from 3 Sons.” Yesterday was a new watch since my $12 cheapie was stolen (hahaha suckers) and today was a University of Pittsburgh ball cap. We’re going to hit a brewery and a few fine craft beer establishments this weekend so that right there would have been fine but Lushie insists that she has one kickass present that’s the greatest gift ever and I will open a day early because “you’re gonna need it.” Not sure what that could be since I already have the perfect present in her belly.
So here’s to birthday week. Cheers to everyone else celebrating right now and for those who don’t… srsly, you’re missing out.
cheers!
