Here are more pics of me flexing my newfound photography skillz! Very few pix of kids right now, but I’m sure Ash will have a post up on her blog shortly. Click each to embiggenate, and marvel at how lame my captions are.

Clouds at sunset

Moon before sunrise

River between rocks

Moon in trees

Landen throwing driver

Landen near balloons

Duncan and Mom

I started writing a letter to a very old friend who I had lost contact with shortly after high school. I wanted to catch her up to where I am at and how I got there, so I decided to catch her up on 15 years of my life, with the superfluous caveat that I would only allow myself 40 words per year. It was pretty tough, but somewhat rewarding. Interesting to see what sticks out in my memory (my first draft omitted that I graduated from college.) Here’s the result:

1998: spent much of year dressing poorly, being anti-social, and wishing I majored in writing – was put on wrong campus but became good friends with a few non-actors – dated a girl that went nuts – co-founded a multi-medium entertainment company Prometheus Productions

1999: finally started establishing friendship network and enjoying school a bit – wrote my first ever play that later debuted with Prometheus and won award – romantic scene barren – parents divorced after 33 years

2000: made resolution to date girl I’d liked for 2 years – got surprising amount of acting work –2^nd play I wrote for Prometheus got award – spent semester in London, hated it (but Edinburgh was awesome) – on 12/28, started dating that girl

2001: dated girl entire year – graduated college and took road trips – Prometheus performed last shows – was introduced to disc golf – my acting showcase (to attract agents) interrupted by 9/11, lost interest in acting after that – got new job at office-type company

2002: worked way up company ladder, soon helmed broker department – moved out of folks’ house for first time – broke up with girl for several reasons – had first liquor at 23 years old, started to make up for lost time – started website

2003: got jealous that old girlfriend moved on, got back together with her – it didn’t last – by end of year, moved in with her (as friends) – worked fine for a few months but seeds were sown for problems

2004: social implosion as friends and exes started hooking up, dishonesty and bullshittery abounded – became pretty reclusive – moved in with longtime friend where stupidity commenced and pretended to live a college-esque existence – increased disc golf activity

2005: made NYC debut as a playwright with two shows – social life rebuilt painfully slowly – started playing disc golf professionally, made $0 – quit longtime office job over increased loathing of it, worked freelance theatre lighting by year’s end

2006: released comedy music CD – toured as disc golf pro for 5 weeks, finally cashed – moved for fourth time – met no-expectations pen pal on dating site OkCupid – freelance work dried up, got job in old industry but better company

2007: fell in love with supposed no-expectations girl after several visits – first full-length musical debuted in NYC at Fringe Festival to emphatic end-of-spectrum reviews, convinced boss at relatively new job to let me move to Nevada and keep job – headed west

2008: bought 2^nd car – found out girlfriend was pregnant five days later, we got new larger apartment together – wedding plans discussed – tried to play as much disc golf as possible – finished my first novel – last year I got sleep

2009: son Landen born in January, had a “weddingish” ceremony for friends/family in May, had legal proceedings in August – after a two-month nightmare, bought our first house – spent year adapting to budgeting and selflessness with varied success

2010: Just existed happily for much of it – started small home projects – apparently played much disc golf, video games, and online poker – started reading much more frequently – company announced it could shut down close soon – panic ensued

2011: became an uncle for the first time – wife enrolled in school to get her degree – got promotion to A.V.P. at company which was now stable – welcomed second child Duncan – finished 2^nd at tournament, highest finish as a pro

2012: started short story writing project with friend – entire family traveled east to visit good friends who lost their toddler – otherwise lived life contentedly as father, husband, homeowner, professional athlete, artist, and frequent sweet potato fry chef

We bought a new camera. It is a $800 that we bought for $29. Because WE RULE. Anyway, it’s a Panasonic Lumix GX1 and we’re very happy with it in the one day we’ve used it. Here’s a sample of why we like it:

Li’l brudder

Big bro

A few quick notes about milestones. First we have Landen who VOLUNTARILY wanted to show Mom that he could go underwater. Here’s proof.

Second, we have a video of Duncan rolling over. (He also popped some teeth just today, but no pictures of those yet. In fact, I haven’t even seen them yet!)

Finally, an awesome picture I took of Duncan with my cell phone yesterday. I love it.

This is the first real game I’ve played with Duncan. And, naturally, it was with a disc golf mini.

KIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Duncan on top, Landen on bottom)

From our family:

The first non-bloody pic

Eat your heart out, Madonna and Child!

Baby jowls!

Look familiar?

Enamored

Brotherly bonding

Big and Little

Good try, buddy

He loves his baby brother

Another OB appointment.  Ash is now 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced.  Anyone who has a knowledge of pregnancy numbers knows this is pretty close to active labor.  So the OB did some poking and prodding around, which is known to spur labor on quite quickly.  (With Landen, Ash’s water broker 2 1/2 days after it was done, but Ash wasn’t anywhere near as ready as she is now.)

Ash asked if we should schedule an appointment for next week, and the OB said no, and “I’ll see you later.”  Ash is going to take in some food, and start the walks around the neighborhood.

So now there’s something of a schedule.  The OB is on call tonight, and if we deliver anytime during normal business hours, she’d also deliver.  Meaning: if we go into labor anytime in the next 24 hours, our OB will be the one to deliver, and it seems a very real possibility at this point.

I kinda want a Keifer Sutherland-style clock to appear on the side of my life now, counting down.  Not that anything calamitous would happen if we didn’t deliver in 24 hours.  But the possibility is greater than ever.

Today’s OB appointment came at a crucial time.  Our OB (who we love) goes away tomorrow for 5 days.  It’s all the more crucial because, when I asked “What do you think the odds are of him making it that long?” she replied “It’s going to be close.”  She’ll be back in the office on Tuesday morning.  And she is on call that Wednesday night (a week from today).  If the baby is not yet born by Wed, the game plan is to take steps on our Wednesday appointment to get labor going, and she’s it being VERY probable the baby would be born by Wed night.

Of course, we learned from Landen’s birth that what she thinks will happen and what actually will happen are two very different things.  I reread some of my blogs from the time, and it showed that her expert opinion can also be wrong.  I had predicted a few days ago that it would be the 12th (9 days before the due date, just like Landen).  I could be very right.  ;)  Really, like every other sane parent says, I want the baby and mom to be healthy.  But if he can just hold off one more week, we’re REALLY appreciate it.

In other news… um, there really isn’t other news.  We’re likely within a week of having a baby.  Eeesh.