Nasal Passages

So, I thought last week was weird…

Friday, my company laid off 31 employees. Times are tough everywhere, and when you’re a company that makes industrial furnaces that range in price from 1 – 5+ million bucks, credit purchases are normally involved. With the global credit crisis as it is… well, you can see what’s going on there.

So, tomorrow will be the start of a much leaner operation. Everyone will have about 1/3 more to do based on the fact that just about 1/3 of our workforce was laid off. Oy…

Got word tonight that a former co-worker and friend will be in town tomorrow, so we’ll get together for lunch. That’ll be cool!! I haven’t seen Trent since I left AutoDesk and came back to Glasstech.

Maryellen and I have our 3rd childbirth class tomorrow night. The first two have been pretty good. Interesting stuff for first-time old-timers like ourselves.

Got to see Grandma yesterday. She was pretty proud that she took a couple of steps with the help of her therapist and a wheeled walker!! Excellent!! She’s been at Genoa Retirement Center for a couple of weeks now. Not the greatest place in the world, but they seem to be taking pretty good care of her and she’s making some good progress!!

This weekend marked the 35 week mark of Maryellen’s pregnancy. She’s looking great, feeling as good as can be expected, and ready to be done. At this point, the baby COULD decide to come at just about any time and we’d be OK! Due date is still sometime between 12/6 and 12/14 (depending on which ultrasound you believe). So, even if it goes to term, we’re only about a month away!!! Holy crap!!

Well, it wasn’t a normal weekend by any stretch, which probably makes sense because it wasn’t a normal WEEK by any stretch. The week started out OK, went in early every day last week because of a trade show that Glasstech was at in Dusseldorf. It required quick turn-around of some quotes…etc. I won’t bore you with those details.

Then, Monday night, Maryellen and I had our first childbirth education class. It was interesting, kind of fun actually. We were the oldest couple in the class of 9 couples by FAR… but hey, so what!?

Tuesday morning, I got into work and learned that a friend and co-worker had passed away on Monday night. Just floored me… Glasstech was SO quiet on Monday, it was spooky. Chuck Wygant was a great guy… one of those people everyone loved, no one ever had anything bad to say about him. What a shock. He was only 53 and died playing a pick-up game o basketball.

So, that made the rest of the week rough. Work was busy though, so that seemed to keep everyones’ minds occupied, and the week kind of went fast.

Maryellen worked Saturday AM while I baked some cookies for her shower. Then I went to BG for a basketball scrimmage!! It was great to be in Anderson Arena… went up and sat in “dad’s seat” for a little while and talked with him a bit, then enjoyed some hoops.

Finally, yesterday was Chuck’s memorial service AND Maryellen’s baby shower. So I went over to the funeral home in BG, got to see a lot of people and it was a very nice memorial. Grabbed a bite to eat with some friends/co-workers and then headed back to Woodville. I got to mom’s house just as the shower was winding down. It was a great turnout, and they showered Maryellen with lots of great loot!! So we loaded up the cars and headed back home. Maryellen’s sister and our two nieces followed us home since they haven’t seen the new kitchen and then they headed back to Wauseon.

So, today it starts all over again. Childbirth class tonight… who knows what else the week ahead holds…

Well, most know I’m no fan of Ohio State ANYTHING… but the exception to that has to be the OSU Marching Band. The Best Damn Band in the Land.

Last night, they came to my alma mater, Woodmore High School! Assistant director of bands at OSU, Jon Waters, is a Woodmore grad, so it was really great of him to bring the 210 members to Elmore.

Since the stadium is only a block and a half from our house, Maryellen and I walked down with my aunt and uncle and watched pregame. Script Ohio was pretty amazing… and seeing my high school band do pregame with OSU’s band watching them kind of choked me up a little. What a thrill for those kids!!

I was a bando in HS and also marched in the BGSU Falcon Marching band for 2 years. I tried to explain the thrill of last night for those high school kids to a couple of co-workers by saying, “It’d be like Michael Jordan coming and practicing with your HS basketball team.”

Here’s the best of the videos I got. There’s 4 of them in a YouTube playlist.

BabyC

Originally uploaded by Pepperguy

Some more ultra-sounds from this week of the growing mass within Maryellen’s belly. 🙂
Check out young BabyC!

No one listened to what Joe Wurzelbacher and Senator Obama actually said… did they. Maybe it’s because I live in NW Ohio that I paid attention to the actual words coming from both men’s mouths.

Seriously… Joe Biden was out there today saying “Where I live, there aren’t any ‘Joe the plumbers’ making $250K.” That is NOT the point that Mr. Wurzelbacher was trying to make. It’s NOT what he said… and for GOD’S SAKE, it’s doesn’t matter whether he’s a licensed plumber or not, OK?? I don’t even think he EVER called himself a plumber. Hell, he (Joe the plumber) even said today that in his current situation, he WOULD benefit from Obama’s tax plan!!

See, the thing is… he doesn’t want to STAY in his current situation!

THAT is the whole point… ASPIRATIONS of greatness; WANTING to be successful; WORKING to better your situation; STRIVING to build wealth; DREAMS of starting a business that would employ others. Those things should never be discouraged. THAT, my friends, is the American Dream. That’s what Joe “the Plumber” wants to live.

I don’t care who you’re going to vote for… Don’t vilify a man who wants to live the dream.

“Drink up dreamers… you’re running dry…”

GOD I hate this election cycle….

If you’ve never seen Top Gear, this may not be quite as exciting for you… but still, tell me this isn’t the best promo video ever. You can’t do it, because it is. Best part, about the 43 second mark… although the destruction of the traffic camera with rockets fired from the side of a Porsche 924 is pretty much pure poetry too.

Jeremy Clarkson, you’re my hero!

Well, I haven’t posted anything in a long time. Not really sure why, just not much free time I guess.

Biggest news is that my grandma had a stroke 2 weeks ago. I know many of you who read this know her or at least know of her. She’s an amazing woman and someone who, through her life and actions, has shaped my life as much as anyone else.

After a week in the stepdown ICU, she had a week of acute rehab at St. Charles and today or tomorrow she’ll be moving to an extended care facility.

My grandma has been independent, living on her own for more than 15 years since my grandpa died. She’s 92 years old now… and still wants to get her independence back. The stroke has left her w/o the use of her left arm and most of the rest of her left-side faculties are greatly diminished.

So, please keep grandma Rife in your thoughts. I’ve been up visiting her as much as I can and know that she appreciates the thoughts and prayers of others.

Here’s a picture of Gram from the summer of ’07… 🙂

Tony and I have resurrected our podcast after a 2 year hiatus. If you’re interested in BGSU sports, sign up via iTunes, or subscribe via another podcatcher using this link.

The podcast also has a website with a recap of each episode here:

http://www.bgsusports.com/podcast/

I realized yesterday that I hadn’t posted a picture from the 3D ultrasound a couple weeks back… so here it is!

Baby C