Son!....My Boy!

State of the Blog Address

2008-08-06T23:10:00.004-04:00

Well folks after fifteen months, 339 posts and who knows how many photos and videos this blog has run out of room to grow.
As you may have noticed from the previous post when I tried to upload photos today I found out that the critical mass I have been worried about seemingly forever has been reached.
Now this was something that I was prepared for but due to school work my complete attempts at shifting this site have not come to pass.
In any case there is a whole new blog out there, on the right hand toolbar on this site, that you can go to for all your Jack wants and needs.
For now the site is called Picture Book, with a web address of personalpicturebook.blogspot.com.

Check it out, there are already posts from some of our travels today.

This blog will stay alive, like the Voyager satellites, floating in space for the foreseeable future.

I can't believe that this site has been been on-line and running since early April 2007.
I can't believe that it turned out to be as popular amongst our group as it has and I can't believe we filled it to the brim.

Someone once sang that All Things Must Pass. So to then has this blog passed, but it will continue to remain here for you all to look at from time to time.

One more time here is that site address again: personalpicturebook.blogspot.com

See you down the road
-Mgmt.

And in the end...

2008-08-06T15:54:00.000-04:00

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Explanation

2008-08-04T10:23:00.002-04:00

I see that Mike posted a link to the South Dakota blog. It's not even remotely completed. It takes forever to download the photos and I don't have a lot of spare time, so it may take me a while to get all the pictures up and add text. I intend to name all the relatives. -Debbie

Aunt Melissa's Photos

2008-08-02T23:23:00.003-04:00

Melissa sent me some photos she took of her time visiting us. I like the third pic.

South Dakota aka Blog Synergy

2008-08-02T23:05:00.006-04:00

A little bit more blog synergy here...
Debbie and Jack spent a week in South Dakota (well, four days in a car, five in South Dakota) and she is in the process of turning her photos and memories and such into another blog.
The name? South Dakota. I named it. Terribly creative. Anyhoo here is a smattering of images from the trip. Click the link to see this other blog and the week I was separated from my lovely family.
Hitting the stuff pretty hard. Trips to McDonald's with Grandpa for hamburgers and coffee eventually trickle down to even the littlest fellow.

Family Reunion - Video Stills

2008-08-02T20:08:00.002-04:00

Somewhere between my desk and the car in the driveway I managed to mis-lay the Fuji camera. THis resulted in a lack of photos from today's Corders Family Reunion. I have not attended one of this in something like 23 years so I wish I had my camera. I should go back to take pics of the run down old ski hill.
These are video captures, for the actual videos I shot (less that a minute total) at our sister site: Jack's Video Shack

Aunt Melissa

2008-08-02T12:07:00.003-04:00

My sister was in town for a brief Michigan jaunt and spent a few nights here with us, providing much needed spare eyes during a heavy schooltime. These are a few photos from that time. We didn't do much, mainly relaxed, but it was good regardless.

More to Follow!

2008-07-30T14:26:00.003-04:00

Apologies for the hiatus for this here site. Class coupled with Debbie and Jack traveling to South Dakota led to a slowdown to the blog here.
These are a few photos taken in Michigan, on the southern side of the bridge I believe, at a friendly, neighborhood McDonalds.
The remaining trip photos are being sorted through and will appear shortly.
I have class tomorrow night and then a free weekend, so check back for more updates!
-Ed.

Why So Serious?

2008-07-19T11:30:00.005-04:00

HD Pics

2008-07-14T10:52:00.008-04:00

Weekend Round-Up

2008-07-13T21:22:00.012-04:00

The wind carried us downstate this weekend, for a little trip before Jack and Debbie head West to South Dakota next week. We didn't get nearly enough photos as not only did we see our friends Evan and Nell and their lovely twins, but Josh's girlfriend Alison who was in town with family business. When we did get photos they were more when the inspiration grabbed us. I did shoot some pics with he HD camcorder and I will upload those before too long.

Debbie giving our son a taste of Dad's firewater, the much loved Lipton Pure Leaf Iced Tea. I only hope that my son can avoid the dragon that has gobbled up his old man's afternoons!

Jack was asleep when I went to check on him, laying on a pillow, in an image so cute I had to take a picture. I subsequently woke him up!

After a Sunday morning AM nap Jack woke up and was taken to the East Lansing Aquatic Play area off of Chandler Road. The winds were whipping and I was at home working on school work but photos were taken.

His Speedo is just a little too big, but he will grow into it!

How you doin'?

Whoooo!!~ Struttin' like the Nature Boy!

I find it very strange to see JAck with 'bigger' kids, as I do not have a lot of experience with him and children older than him. I am so used to thinking of him as a giant that when I see him with older children it brings me back to the perspective that he is only 14 months old and still a baby.

The excitement of the water park wore Jack out and before we left he sat between his grandparents and watched Elmo's Potty Time on Sesame Street's website.

Outside of Manton the radio station picked up the song, no, the epic song Dust In The Wind by Kansas. Debbie, claiming to know all the words, began to sing along. Her singing, so poignant, so emotional, so perfect, brought a tear to my eye.

The beauty of the voice coupled with the meaningful sentiment in the lyrics of Kerry Livgren made Jack pensive, thinking about the long summer days of his life, the lost loves, the hairy fiddle player in the video, Will Ferrell and just how precious every full moon should be. Then he pooped.

KANSAS - Dust In The Wind
Uploaded by danadi33

The Hotel

2008-07-13T20:06:00.005-04:00

(This copy was written by my lovely wife last week. Apologies that I posted these late and out of sequence!)
These photos are from last weekend, when Jack's Aunt Beth and Uncle John very kindly watched Jack several times at their hotel. Jack got to meet a Blue Angel who was in the lobby and Jack got to pick out his own toy at the gift shop (giant Big Bird to go with his giant Grover). Obviously he was not too devastated to be separated from his parents.

Jack's first tag!!

You mean this isn't the toilet?

It Takes Two (Hands)

2008-07-08T22:49:00.007-04:00

Well Then I'll Make Trouble

2008-07-08T22:42:00.002-04:00

A Not Quite Update

2008-07-06T09:38:00.003-04:00

Hello.
Yesterday was the air show in sunny, scenic Traverse City, the bi-annual visit from the Blue Angels at the beginning of the Cherry Festival.
Now, we didn't bring Jack to the event. We were sitting on the roof of Debbie's working building which is a blacktop roof and the show went for two 1/2 hours. It would not have been smart to bring him along so we took him to the Grand Traverse Resort to hang out with his Aunt Beth and Uncle John.
I took some photos.
2700 photos actually.
Yeah, I know, overkill.

I am going to post them, however, on one of the blogs in our Blogger diaspora.
Just letting everyone know that is interested to check out the other blog when I get it all updated.

Thanks
-mgmt.

Watermelon Men

2008-07-03T20:02:00.005-04:00

Debbie's friend Melissa came over tonight with her son Gaelen, who has appeared on this blog a few times. She brought with her half an organic watermelon. I cut it up and the kids shared it, well, Jack ate 1 1/2 slices while Gaelen swallowed the rest of the melon. I sense a future speed eating championship in his future.
Jack was in a feisty mood tonight and sorta rag dolled Gaelen, thankfully everyone left with all their fingers and toes.

(there are a few watermelon videos on our sister site, Jack's Video Shack)

Living in War

2008-07-03T12:11:00.003-04:00

This has little to do with Jack, but every other year at the dying on the vine Cherry Festival the Blue Angels come to town.
Two years ago they showed up while I was in class, seeing shadows on a sunny day as the planes buzzed low over the ground.
The cats all hid under the couch, this was an unexpected side effect to the location of our new home, right on the base of the peninsula which has water on two sides, which is where the planes practice. Couple this with our closeness to the airport and you have one heckuva occasional noise.
Jack is asleep right now, hopefully for another 45 minutes and the noise has yet to wake him up. The kid is a heavy sleeper, like his old man!
We will be going to see the Blue Angels this weekend with the in-laws and I will post a photo or two of the event.
I tried to shoot some video, but it didn't turn out as well as one would hope, but I will try to take my HD camcorder along for the event.
In the meantime here is the video that I shot, I hope that it captures just what we are hearing here.
-mgmt

(There is an error with uploading the video, please check back to see if I can get this doggone thing to work right)

Ultrasound

2008-07-01T11:01:00.004-04:00

We had our ultrasound today. Well. Debbie had her ultrasound. I am going to post videos on the Jack's Video Shack site, so check back to see what is what.

Borden's

2008-06-30T20:30:00.014-04:00

This evening we went for a walk to the Ice Cream joint up on Garfield. I meant to goto the gym but by the time we got home I had little energy left.
I brought the camera and ended up in the blog more than I would like!
Enjoy!

This man needs a haircut, a shave and new jeans!

I won't tell you why I am making this ridiculous gesture.

Here I imitate the twenty cent dime T-Rex, my favorite juris dinosaur.

Morning

2008-06-30T20:30:00.013-04:00

These photos were taken this morning as we went to wake up Mama....

Calcium pill?

What do you mean you don't like calcium? Are you sure you don't want one? Here just take one!

Suds!! (this joke is way too inside)

2008-06-28T20:57:00.005-04:00

A few long naps today led us to give Jack a late bath. I brought in the camera to capture the moment. It was not the first time I lay on the floor in this bathroom, let me tell you.

Dad, stop making me look like Karl Marx!

Saved!

2008-06-28T16:45:00.006-04:00

I gotta admit, I thought these were lost forever. Through my surly haze of the past 14 hours I thought this event, the loss of these photos,would certainly put me at the edge!
I gave pops the XD card, he ran some program and in the friends of my buddy Jim, wolla, here are the photos.
A quick recap then, of what we did yesterday.
We went to the Flap Jack Shack, which is the diner we named Jack after. I was hoping for the Sweet Onion but was vetoed.

From there we drove across town (before gas skyrocketed up 27 cents per gallon) to Babies R Us for stuff, I took this photo as it made me remember when I lived on that side of town and would drive home from work on Fridays. Made me think of the old bookstore.

I had some errands to run in East Lansing, selling LPs and turning change into cash and to kill time we took Jack to the MSU Gardens. Now I hadn't been there since July 8th 2006, actually make that July 9th 2006 as I was the last one left at the place cleaning at 3am. They were setting up for a weekend wedding as we arrived so we walked around, got some pics. I tried not to get too wrapped up in the time that has passed since our wedding. It feel like last week in one way, and in other ways 2006 seems like a lifetime. Come to think of it, it sorta is.

Problem Solved

2008-06-27T20:33:00.003-04:00

For the two of you who are interested in the increasing spacial issues of this blog I have fixed the problem. I guess.
We sit at 91% and I am sure that we will slowly fill up the blog in the next few months. This problem really isn't that big of a problem but when the time comes I suppose we need to be ready.

My initial plan was to get the .Mac plan from Apple computer where visitors could see more of a website for the family. This was cost prohibitive at 100 dollars a year.

So I vacated another blog that I had great plans for but did nothing on, freeing up a whole new space to post pictures in the coming years. The new site is in the blog list on the right side of the page.

There is nothing there now, and there will be nothing there until this site is 100% full and we have nowhere else to go.

I will announce this again when we have reached capacity, in the mean time continue to watch this space for any new photos of our giant 14 month old.

-Mgmt(still livid about this stupid laptop losing great photos)

Remains

2008-06-27T20:22:00.003-04:00

The only other notable pics from our day today and three more of the nine images that survived this infuriating computer screw up (despite my initial feelings I did not throw the computer across the room and stomp on it...)

I am very angry right now

2008-06-27T19:31:00.003-04:00

This stupid laptop and the stupid photo program that I was just loading photos with required a restart and when that happened 109 of the 118 photos that I was importing were magically lost.
I am beyond angry right now, I will post a few of the pics that did not get swallowed up here, but I am letting everyone know that the promised updates will not be happening.

Updates

2008-06-26T15:02:00.001-04:00

Are coming, everyone stay patient and check this space!
-mgmt.

Opinions

2008-06-16T22:14:00.002-04:00

If you look to the right side of this blog, beneath the archive list, there is a new addition to the blog.
Can't see it?
Look for the 'My Blog List'.
This is my temporary fix for the spacial issues that the blog is facing.
We are in a holding pattern of 91% capacity here and while it could be some time before we reach the mythical 100% I want to be ready.
I am still working on solutions to this whole thing, but in the future this other blog will be the home to all Jack videos.
For a start I have been placed all the videos from this site over there.
I am debating pulling the videos off of this present site.
Any thoughts?
-Ed.

Beachy Head

2008-06-14T17:43:00.012-04:00

These first photos were not taken today, but during the past week or two. Debbie takes Jack down to the East Bay Park which is something like 1/2 a mile from where we live. I discovered them on the camera today and took thought it would be great to post the pics.

Our plan for today was to just hop in the car and drive, pick a direction and see where the road led us. These are the pics of our Saturday travels.

"What's that!?"

Made you look!

We drove northeast, up the Leelanau Peninsula. I found a route that took us up the south leg of Lake Leelanau and into the town named after the lake. Instead of taking a left we took a right as Jack had been cooped up most of the day and we wanted to let him stretch his legs. A few miles later we were in Suttons Bay, stopping near the little beach cove where I think there used to be a big old wooden ship that kids could play on. This ship, real or imagined, is gone, a modern jungle gym in its place. We didn't play there as a very large group of families had converged there like birds, some sort of get together.
Here we are waiting for Debbie.

Is that Mama?

Act cool!

We attempted to change Jack's shirt. Well. Debbie attempted to change his shirt.

Kinda looks like Brando in the Island of Dr.Moreau. Sorta. I think it is the hat.

My first of four appearances on the blog today. These are all posed photos, by the way.

Swingin'

We got Jack into the car and headed into Northport, to surprise my Aunt Susie, who was not home! By this time Jack was asleep and we just thought we'd call it a day and head home.

Anyone who is anyone these days knows to represent the Blu Blockers~!

The First Hot Afternoon of 2008

2008-06-06T22:23:00.004-04:00

State of the Blog

2008-06-06T14:44:00.003-04:00

As of this minute this blog is presently using 90% of the space allotted to us by the Blogger website.
I will look into other options but this blog may be heading towards a dark space for a little bit.
So be forewarned, all things must pass.
-mgmt.

Flackback!

2008-06-06T08:03:00.003-04:00

These continue to be some of my own favorite photos of Jack, taken last year on an evening when the weather was unseasonably cool.

5 June 2007:

Pills and Soap

2008-06-05T21:08:00.012-04:00

Flashback!

2008-06-04T21:01:00.003-04:00

From time to time in the coming months I am hoping to add these type of posts as I have so many older photos of Jack.
So as I haven't been taking as many photos of Jack now, I think that it is a good thing to get a little perspective.
-ed.

Boo!

2008-06-04T14:31:00.006-04:00

These photos and the smell that accompanied them ended our little photo session, and our lunch, for a quick diaper change.

Lansing - Laptop

2008-05-26T17:24:00.004-04:00

These pictures, on the couch, were taken after our bubble extravaganza. For the record.

Lansing - Bubblicious

2008-05-26T17:23:00.008-04:00

Sunday Morning Pops and I went out to grab some breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. I hadn't eaten there in some time and we just sorta ended up there. If you are unfamiliar with the establishment, the entire front of the stores are full of 'homey' old timey items. We picked up a few things including a battery powered bubble gun.
Which is what we did with a bit of our afternoon.

Debbie had been napping in the guest bedroom but eventually woke up, opened the window and peered outside like the Onceler in the Lorax.

Lansing - URAQT

2008-05-26T17:22:00.004-04:00

Let's see here...

Mama-bbs dbl8 ptb aml -JTV

(meanwhile in Okemos)
"What on earth is this gibberish?"

Lansing - Doggone It

2008-05-26T17:21:00.001-04:00

Lansing - Hanging Out

2008-05-26T17:17:00.006-04:00

(Now this bottle of hooch was under the sink, where Jack was entertaining himself playing with the door. My mom took the bottle and moved it so that we didn't have photos of a baby holding a bottle of Kahlua, which would cause nothing but trouble)

(Mom is taking milk out of the fridge, not cream, so while it looks like she is making the drink of the Dude & Rizzo, she is actually not)

Lansing

2008-05-23T12:14:00.002-04:00

Jack and I are down in Lansing, Debbie will be here soon, and right now we are just having a quiet time. Jack is asleep, I'm getting ready to see Indiana Jones with Dad and Mom is cooking.
No real photos yet, but wanted to let everyone know I have great plans to take some pics but we shall see!
-ed.

Check Yo'Bucket

2008-05-20T14:11:00.013-04:00

Pretty bland day today. I am losing my epic struggle with steel cut oats, I cannot seem to get them just right and that galling loss of this morning's breakfast cast a shadow over my day. Jack and I ran around this morning getting things like a bike pump, groceries, etc.
The first few photos are from our morning. Jack was walking around the front yard in the cool air tugging at the tulips. In one of the photos you can see the wedge he pulled out of the flower!

After a nap and a big bowl of blueberries I bundled Jack back up and went out into the backyard to explore our new sandbox.

I Has A Bucket

The name of this sandbox, if you couldn't tell from the shape, is Crabie.
Named after me apparently.

Yesterday

2008-05-20T14:07:00.002-04:00

Today

2008-05-18T19:55:00.005-04:00

No More Mister Mullet

2008-05-14T09:42:00.007-04:00

Facing Forward

2008-05-13T16:04:00.003-04:00

Attempts

2008-05-10T22:08:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to post tunes to this here site for some time. Nothing too nutty, just a way to embed a song instead of having a youtube video. So this is my first attmpt at this...stay tuned
boomp3.com

Ol Dirty

2008-05-06T20:08:00.006-04:00

Perspective

2008-05-06T20:06:00.000-04:00

It tasted like wood

2008-05-06T17:09:00.000-04:00

The Greatest Gift

2008-05-06T17:07:00.001-04:00

Ever

Hiatus

2008-04-29T13:59:00.001-04:00

I am putting this site back on hiatus. Sorry everyone.
I mean it this time, so don;t get your hopes up.
Thanks
-ed.

Time Moves Quickly When You're Asleep

2008-04-29T07:43:00.016-04:00

Happy First Birthday Jack - Love, Mom & Dad
(I couldn't find a way to have this song playing on the blog, in slideshow form, so just listen to the tune while you look at the pics)

The 2008 Duke Ellington Tribute Show

2008-04-28T14:37:00.004-04:00

Ok.
Last year we took Jack home from the hospital on May 2nd. A Wednesday. I couldn't get any shift coverage and so I went into the station and decided to turn my show into a tribute to Duke Ellington, who shares the birthday April 29th with Jack.
Last year I posted a link to the show for download. I am offering the same today.
Why?
Well I had my show this morning, I got home maybe 40 minutes ago. Over the past few weeks I have been bringing more Duke Ellington tunes into my collection. I even downloaded some stuff last night (that i didn't fully use) to make the show better.
I feel that I had a good show, a fun show. I thought that I would share it with anyone who wanted to download it.
Enjoy, feedback is always appreciated.
Hour One
Hour Two
Hour Three

Eatery Breakfast

2008-04-27T21:04:00.007-04:00

This morning we rose and got ready for the day. Everyone was leaving town, heading home from the weekend. Dad had came up here on Thursday so he had been here for a good long time. I don't feel like I saw him all that much with my school schedule, same goes for Mom and Min.
Our plan was to goto the Organic Eatery (where we got a pizza from last night) for breakfast. And we did, loading up on a the usual fantastic breakfast. Here are some of the best pics from this festive morning.

So you lost is all by your twenties huh? Gives me some time at least...

Saturday

2008-04-27T11:23:00.011-04:00

The plan was to have a birthday part with only our parents. I thought it would be a fine way to celebrate Jack's birthday, having the people that were there at Munson when he arrived in our world.
What is that they say? Plans change?
Saturday morning I woke up and went to class and at one point I checked my phone and saw a call from Debbie alerting me to a son that was feeling not that great. Stomach bug, or at least something that was whipping through him. So Debbie's folks were called and they decided not to come, in case his condition was contagious. It turned out to be a passing thing. But it never hurts to be careful.
On a side note, and on the plans change front, my sister is graduating from Wayne State next Saturday. A week later she is moving to lovely, mountainous Reno, Nevada, for a chance of scenery and a change of altitude. She came up with my Mom to see Jack one last time before she goes out West. She has said that Jack is the thing that she will miss the most.
Here are some of the photos from Saturday's gift opening.

Rocawear

2008-04-23T20:19:00.010-04:00

Happy Birthday Uncle Josh

2008-04-23T17:46:00.002-04:00

I was almost born a year ago today!

The Rake's Progress

2008-04-23T17:41:00.001-04:00

Whack-A-Mole

2008-04-19T17:31:00.004-04:00

Friday I am sitting at home, working on some assignments for my evening class. Debbie calls from work to alert me to a call she received from the Pavilions, where Jack is in daycare. While walking/running he tripped and cracked his head on the rocking chair in the room he spends two days a week. A nurse checked him out immediately but left taking him into the ER up to us. The very fact that it was even mentioned spurred us to take him the 300 feet from the day care to the hospital. I had the camera as Debbie was going to drive to Lovells after work Friday.
Here we are outside of the Pavilions. You can see a bit of the contusion, but the goose egg(which was the size of a walnut) just did not photograph.
The emergency room, yesterday.

I wish I was not in this photo, but for those keeping score at home I appear to be turning into my Dad.

90 minutes later we were in a room. This new ER opened around the time Jack was born last year. It is beautiful, cavernous and modern. I wonder if ours was a room for the young as the mural on the wall doesn't seem the type of thing you would respond to if three of your fingers were chopped off in a sheet metal press.

Is that...what I think it is?

Dad, this looks like a remote.

By jove, it IS a remote!

Look mama! A remote!

Let's see what is on right now...wait a second...is that?

BIG BIRD!

No? Bea Arthur? The difference being what?

In our time in the room Jack managed to page the nurses twice, spill water on himself and laugh and smile when they shone a light into his eyes to scan for pupil wackiness.
We were discharged and I set Jack and his shrinking swelling into the car, drove him home, fed him and saw him off as Debbie drove to Lovells for a weekend jaunt. I drove to class 90 minutes late. Last I heard all was well.

One Exception

2008-04-16T17:14:00.007-04:00

School Induced Hiatus

2008-04-15T23:53:00.003-04:00

Hello all...just wanted to let all three of you know that due to increasing school commitments I am putting the blog on the backburner until the 29th.
Just a busy, busy time and while I haven't updated since last week I wanted to give an explanation.
-ed.

The Day Today

2008-04-10T11:14:00.011-04:00

Moms came up to lend a hand as I needed observation time at a local school. She arrived Tuesday night and sighed a great sigh of relief due to our having beer and began to relax.
Now when I got home fro, school Wednesday Jack woke up and we bundled him up and went out to the Bay Bread store for a a bite to eat. I also got a chance to goto the Rasta party store, which I will take a photo of down the road and post.
These photos represent our trip to Bay Bread.

Now when we got home there was a package on the front step. It was addressed to me and as I opened it...well, take a look at the pics.

The package was a gift for Jack from his Uncle Josh. We got it out of the box and, ironically, had a great deal of trouble extracting it from the packaging it came in.

Blueberries

2008-04-09T20:33:00.003-04:00

Hats Amore

2008-04-09T20:12:00.008-04:00

Sunny Days

2008-04-06T19:10:00.011-04:00

Round our way today the weather was fantastic. Come to think of it, yesterday was fantastic too. Bright weather, warm. I think the mercury topped 61 today and Debbie met up with her friends and their kids. The kids are Gaelen and Sienna.
I did not come along for the trip, I admit that I vegged out. But in he fantastic weather we let Jack explore the front yard and I took pictures.
For the record I raked and raked and raked the leaves in our yard this fall. I had Jack outside in the stroller, protected, while I raked. I say this because there are so many doggone leaves in our front yard!

Lansing: For Min

2008-04-02T21:47:00.002-04:00