Fiscal Cliff Won't Prevent Birthdays

However walking off a real cliff will probably prove celebrating challenging.

We made through another Congressional-imposed cliff and just by the skin of our teeth. Oh the fun. One Congressman, Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio, told CNN's Dana Bash that he and his colleagues won't be hemmed in by the votes of "sleep-deprived octogenarians" in the Senate. Yep, bipartisanship is alive and kicking!

But I don't want to dedicate today's space to the bi-partisan incompetence taking place just a few dozen miles from my desk. Nope today is the first post of the new year and I'm making a resolution (even though I said last year that I won't make any more resolutions...oh well) to provide more new content this year than I have in the past two. For you that's more of my semi-comedic ramblings and for me it's free therapy because unfortunately my medical insurance doesn't see me as medically certifiable so I can't get to see a shrink on their dime. No today's post is dedicated to two birthday's and unfortunately none have to do with octogenarians but one does have to do with flaky cliffs.

Today, the nice folks at Nestle foods remind us that it is the "90-ish" birthday of Bart Simpson's former favorite chocolatey treat, Butterfingers. Butterfinger designated 2013 as a benchmark for its first 90ish years, as the candy bar originally invented by Chicago’s Curtiss Candy Company was believed to have been promoted as early as 1923 (before it ultimately was sold to Nestlé in 1990). However, Butterfinger parent company Nestlé holds a trademark document from 1928, thus the 90ish reference around its anniversary, keeping in line with the brand’s irreverent sense of humor.  The folks over at NPR even did a full story on it today.

Now I am a connoisseur of finer chocolates everywhere and Butterfingers rank up there with some of the best. We all know it's not as great as a Toblerone or even the gold standard, REESE'S Peanut Butter Cup, but it is consistent and it's always good. Plus because it's flaky you are almost guaranteed a surprise flake or two in your lap or shirt pocket a few hours later so it's an added bonus. 

Almost as cool as the pseudo birthday of a candy bar is that my kid, Bloggerman Jr. turned 2 years old a few days ago. Do you realize what this means? Well, yes there is a discount now for day care. Ok, I guess you can look at it as he's another year closer to leaving the house. Fine, he's almost ready to get a job and start pulling his weight around here. But I'm talking about something even bigger then all that. As of his birthday, I no longer have to take out a pen and pad to figure out how old he is when people ask me. There is no more, "well he's almost 21 months now..." Nope. He's 2. Next year he'll be 3, and so on. I don't have to think, I don't have to figure, and most of all I don't have to get overly annoyed, vexed, or irked by slack jawed yokles asking me his exact age. Happy Birthday Kid!

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/01/01/4513933/butterfinger-celebrates-90ish.html#storylink=cpy

New Resolutions, Birthdays, and Now I Need a Bath

That's one resolution already broken. I was going to try to run a mile a day every day this year. Then I woke up to a crying baby at 5am on New Years Day so that's not happening.

Oh well, it was totally worth it because Sunday was also his first birthday. One year ago we were rushing to the hospital (after taking a moment to enjoy a hot breakfast) and now he's still around and kicking. I know there are a few sports books in Vegas that lost out on that one.

Even though the lack of sleep and the constant attention needed around the house has caused the postings here to drop to almost nothing, I'm setting resolution #2, writing more frequently.

So with that I want to thank our wonderful friends and family for helping make Jake's first birthday so special. As you can see he really dug his first taste of chocolate and even had an (assisted) "oh no" moment as payback to a few of his friends that we've influenced over the years.

So here's to a great year for the kid and a great year of posts, thoughts, and random fits of rage on these pages.

Another Year in the Books

As Tennessee Ernie Ford said, "...and deeper in debt."

Well I guess except for that last part but a house mortgage is no joke. But I am another year older today and I thought that it might be a good time to take a trip in the way back machine to see what I may have been thinking back then and how things have changed.

Ten Years-1999
I graduated college and started out in the real world making just below minimum wage cutting my teeth in the TV business. My lack of fear surrounding Y2k proved to be accurate. I don't remember if I was dating anybody in particular at the time but it couldn't have been too important if I don't remember. I had no idea that only a year later I would begin my decent into the sordid world of running.

20 years ago -1989
Public Enemy was on my walkman (still is but now on my MP3) and I was rocking the silk shirts with the polka dots, a look soon to be hijacked by Bud Bundy and Parker Lewis (I just found full eps of Parker Lewis Can't Loose.". So excited!) The famous coming of age saga known as my Bar Mitzvah was celebrated in grand style and 7th grade was in full effect (word). Hell I even remember that we all supported a Bush in the White House, a mistake looking back on it. Then again my only other choice was Dukak1s. What a schmo.

30 Years Ago - 1979
I think you are really desperate if you've both read this far and if you think I remember anything from those days. For all I know I might have had a $200/day meth habit. I've managed to cut back so its ok now.

Another year, another candle, another year of complaints. Get ready!

Oreos or Beer (plus 2 plates)

How much do I love The Wife? I don’t believe there is an accurate number that can go large enough to properly show my affection. What other wife out there (or husband or even partner) would come home after a very long day outside enjoying the weather to say, “Gee Honey, why don’t we go to the race tonight and hand out Oreos and beer?”

Let me help you with this one, NOBODY else would ever come up with such a good idea. Yet another reason why she rocks!

Yep Saturday at the Rockville Twilighter 8k, there we were, outside the former home of Bob’s 88 Shabu Shabu, handing out the finest tasting carbs a runner could have in the form of Coors Light and Oreos (we had both Original and Golden). We ran out of beer on the outbound but had plenty of Oreos to hand out to the runners just before they came up on the finish line. Nothing says “kick hard” like partially hydrogenated oil and bleached white flour.

Happy Birthday to Pi, his first (of many, many more to come). On the way to his party I saw two license plates that I thought interesting. The first was on the GW Parkway, northbound, where I saw Virginia Plates “Pi 3 14” Very cool. Then when I pulled into a visitor’s spot in Pi’s parents’ complex I saw one of those make-your-own-message license plate frames whose message was “make-your-own message”. This frame also looked pretty worn. As in, we’ve had this very creative messaging medium for a while now but have been too damn lazy to create something. Perhaps next time they purchase a plate frame they should try this one:

Facebook Birthday Phenomenon

Wow tomorrow is your birthday? Cool. I’m glad that the big guy upstairs (Fat Tony who lives on the 5th floor) invented Facebook. Now I don’t have to remember when anybody’s anniversary of their birth is. This computer doohickey tells me. Cool!

And you know what’s even better then that?

Well Dos You?

Ok settle down spaz, I’ll tell you. You don’t even have to call them. Just write on their “wall” and you’re golden.

Well not golden. As a friend of mine was commenting to me the other day, since when did writing on somebody’s wall replace a phone call? Now it just happened to be this person’s birthday recently or else I doubt this conversation would have come up at all.

Really. I mean it’s nice if you don’t really want to talk to the person or you’re a comfortable associate at best but if you’re a friend (or even worse a family member), why can’t you take a few minutes to pick up the phone?

I will admit that I’m also guilty of this new interweb phenomenon and I didn’t call said friend but in my defense her jealous, facebook-hating, husband (who may or may not have a legal firearm) may have answered and I really didn’t want to have to go down that path.

It’s just one more thing to think about people. Now get out there and tell me what’s in the box?

I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!

So I did it. I can't believe I did it, but I did do it. And I have photographic evidence. NO I'm not trying to claim fame by wearing this funky hamburger hat, but rather by downing the Cheeburger, Cheeburger Famous One Pounder That's right sports fans, to mark the occasion of my 31st year on this earth my loving wife took me for hamburgers and shakes (my suggestion).

To prove to myself that I'm not getting that old (despite the appearance of a few grey hairs last month and an ever widening hole in the ozone layer that his my hair) I decided to take on this challenge against the better advise of doctors everywhere, especially C. Everet Koop.

Even though I thought I was full after the first 1/4 lb, my fortitude and a few burps told me to push on and finish. After sucking down the last bite and putting to shame the appetites of a few high school kids at the next table over, I even found the room to finish my whole Kit-Kat shake.
My wife was appalled, my stomach was digesting, and I was the proud man who made the Wall of Fame.

Happy Birthday to Me.