YouTube Videos That Finn Likes.

My Bike Got Stolen.

Here's what I know:

Yesterday around 4PM I woke up from my nap and headed across the courtyard to move the laundry into the dryer. I get downstairs and... My bike? It's not where I left it.
And so begins that sinking feeling in my stomach.

Why had I become so complacent?

If I use my bike in the morning I wouldn't return it to the laundry room to lock-up, but leave it in the courtyard near the entrance to our building( way, way near the back of the courtyard). I've been doing that for about two years.

I go and check in the laundry room (which is where the bikes are kept locked up), it's not there.

I know Jennifer hasn't moved it.

I switch the laundry into the dryer as I total in my head how much it's gonna cost to replace my bike, the kid trailer that was attached, the various components that I've added to my bike over the years like lights, basket, cup holder, platform, extra squishy seat. It was, like, $800 when I totaled everything in my head.
Just for Shits and Grins I decided to walk out to the street to see if some kid...took it for a joy ride...maybe?
I walk outside the gate and low and behold! Across the street is an older teen kid and an adult male talking and they are holding my bike with the trailer still attached!
I certainly didn't know these two, but hey... I want my bike!
There was two of them and if I shouted across the street they may take off with their stolen items.
I considered the fact that I was barefoot and had no weapon.
Salvador, the maintenance guy, was working nearby so I borrowed a screwdriver, tucked it in my back waistband and headed across the street.

I'll update the rest of the story later today.

Finn and Zelda: Nap Time

Morning Coffee

I was awake at 4:30 this morning. At 5AM I decided to go for a bike ride. Today is Day 1 of 3 days off. I'm so happy to have 3 days off.
Yesterday at work a girl fainted and I administered first aid until the EMT's arrived. It was no big deal, but this girl fainted in her chair. People around her called 911 and then proceded to fan her with paper folders. After realizing that nothing was going to change I gently took over, got the girl laid down on the floor with her legs elevated. Asked her if she was diabetic. Asked if she was pregnnt. She hadn't had any food or water that day. I spoke calmly and asked her her name and took her pulse. Pulse was very weak. Answered my questions clearly. Not a stroke or aneurism.
I began to review in my head what to do if she began vomiting when the EMT'S showed up.
At that point I quickly got out of the way.
I'm told that soon after getting an IV the girl pepped up.
The rest of the day was normal.

TA-DAAA!

I give you the completed Cafe complete with child-proof gates (held in place with bungie cords), flowers, chairs, a table, and a sandbox.

SUMMERTIME!!!!

Family Trip to Lake Delavan

The Bad Art Global Family and the God's Own Suburb Family got together at GOS's family cottage in Delavan, WI last week and we had a great time. Like many vacations I am glad to be home so that now I can get some rest.
There was a boat.
It is the newest addition to the God's Own Suburb family. It had been a few years since I was on a boat and it took some getting used to. I don't feel natural in a boat in my old age. At one point I asked "Are you sure that the wind won't get under this thing and flip it over?" (The boat could go pretty fast.) I drove the boat for a short time, but the lake is quite shallow and the last thing I wanted was to be at the helm and have the prop destroyed in shallow water.

Later in the day was the real treat. All of the boys went out on the boat together. When it got warm I jumped in the water and Finn followed after. The red-haired boys enjoyed the water as well.


This picture is the morning after the sleepover.

Family Trip to Lake Delavan

Matching Crocs.

Family Trip to Lake Delavan

God's Own Suburb on vacation.

Family Trip to Lake Delavan

Family Trip to Lake Delavan

This is the boys at breakfast in the morning. It was Finn's first sleepover.

Family Trip to Lake Delavan

Family Trip to Lake Delavan

Phil and his boy are out on the pier.

My Garden (Originally Posted onTuesday)

This weekend I planted my summer garden in the Café. Marigolds, some dark purple flowers, and some red flowers and some white flowers. It's nice. I've not planted flowers before. I hope they don't die.

The one thing left to do is to get some pet gates so Zelda can have free range without falling down the steps.

Father's Day Love and Glory

So it was rainy this morning and for Father's Day we decided on a movie. It was gonna be Indiana Jones, but when I asked Finn if he wants to go see Indiana Jones Finn says "No. Panda movie?"
It was pretty cute and I figure Indiana Jones would have fist fights and gunfigts, so Kung Fu Panda it was.
It wasn't horrible. I laughed at least three times. It was much better than Horton Hears A Who.
Head over to Geo's blog for more on this movie.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day. That means I don't gotta take any crap from you people today.

The Baha'i Temple in Wilmette.

It's very pretty. the grounds are gorgeous. (Wilmette, duh.) The yard of the people who live across the street have a big "McCain for President" sign. I wonder if living across the street from this temple drives them nuts?

The interior of the dome at the Baha'i Temple and My Ear

It was against the rules to photograph in the temple. Not for any religious reasons, butif they let one person take photos then there are gonna be shutters going off all the time. My camera must have accidentally went off. Lucky us.

Finn Reads Quietly, Zelda Boogies

Daddy: 1, Baby: 0

Jen went out to get some groceries. Zelda has some separation anxiety from Momma. When Jen leaves Zelda gets hysterical for about 30 minutes, then she's fine for an hour and a half, then she zonks out a little before bedtime.

I Get Bored

I get bored sometimes so forgive the mood of this post.
Everything is dull.
The pages of Chicago Social are filled with dull people looking like they are trying to have fun at their dull charity events.
Everything is dull.
There is only one thing I can think of that is not dull: Picture your garage. Clear out the garage. Let me set up a bunch of canvases and paint. That's the only thing worth doing.Don't get me wrong I love the kids and the family and all, but right now I feel like... I'm just passing time.
You see, I left work early today and I suddenly got a flash of "I have nothing to do and the family isn't expect me until, like, 6"
So I got an iced coffee and embraced leisure.
Leisure quickly reminded me that the majority of my day to day stuff is unimportant. 100 years ago no one planned you and 100 years from now no one will remember you were here. In that time in between you may as well focus on those things that fill your spritual cup. In my case that is spending time with my family and painting. I spend a lot of time with the family so that leaves the painting that I'm not doing.
I'm bored.
When I get bored I get antsy.
I get uncomfortable and become not fun to be around.
What do they call that stray energy? Free-floating and non-directional?
So anyway...
Flipping through the pages of a glossy magazine and seeing glossy paper people inside reminded me that I am concerning myself with to much not so important stuff.
It's like feeling fresh air.
It's a reminder.
Congratulations if you made it to the end of this post.

So Much Glory

I'm on hold. This is the glamorous part of my job. I'm on hold with the IT department. The IT department thinks they are smarter than the rest of the planet.
They're not.

Baby Girl

More Alarm Troubles

My Nieces are Super Heros

These are my nieces. My nieces jump horses. If I were to try this I'm certain it would end up in the emergency room.

After Class

Finn is in a class at Gymboree. I'm on the fence about the class. It's pretty expensive, but he enjoys it so much. The class is filled with nannies on cell phones, so theres not a lot of assisted socialization. If Finn needs help making friends with a kid I'm the one to do it.
I would like to take the instructors out drinking. I bet they have great horror stories of Mommies Behaving Badly.
After class Finn and I stop at Starbucks for a sit outside.
Do you guys have any input on Gymboree?