Keepers of the Truth

Well, since we got home with Kharoah we have had a steady stream of visitors. So far the friends we've had over are Mrs. Grotto's friends. I mean, I'm friendly with them as well, but originally they are hers.

Today, I finally had some of my friends make it out. It was so wonderful. Not only that my friends came to see us, but they brought dinner. If you read mynameismommy, you will know that I have said often that I think Kerri is a great cook. So you can imagine that I was excited when she said that she would bring dinner for us. Dinner lived up to my anticipation, but Mrs. Grotto was really taken with it. She threatened me if I ate all the food without leaving her leftovers. While she tells me that she likes my cooking, she never asks for seconds. Today, she asked for seconds. I guess I know who would win if we even had an Iron Chef showdown.

Now I've talked about how the friends who have visited previously were all Mrs. Grotto's and I've talked about how Kerri was here. Really, I'm originally a friend with baldman. He and I have known each other for many years and have grown closer as time goes on. Why are we friends? Many times our views are not similar (You can see that from many of my blogs here), but we are able to respect each other and do have many likes in common.

Anyway, we've been very lucky to have so many people come and visit and help us out. My parents have watched Kharoah while Mrs. Grotto and I went out to celebrate our third anniversary and our local drive-in theater allowed us to go see The Simpsons and Harry Potter. Things are good.

Sorry about the sideways picture. The computer isn't cooperating with me and I'm too tired to fight it right now.

Labels: friends, Kharoah

Well, he finally made it. Kharoah (I'd like to keep calling him this online for now. Please, if you know his real name, do the same.) entered the world on July 14th after a rather long delivery. He is big and healthy. Mrs. Grotto also is doing fine. I'm sure that I'm going to have lots more to post soon, but now I have to get to work on getting the house ready for his homecoming.

This has been a very exciting and special time for me. I'm still not sure that it has completely sunk in that I'm a daddy yet, but it'll hit me soon. Right now I'm just walking on clouds.

I am writing here to a discussion taking place between Bald Man and myself on Mynameismommy. I think it only fair to take my comment off Kerri's site as it is off the original topic and might follow lines she would rather not have on her blog.

You can read the original post and responses here

I will continue...

Baldie: I agree in much of what you are saying, but I think we are looking at two different ways to solve this problem. If you want to take down the powerful man, take him down. You can't do that by promoting one group because then they feel they deserve it, hoping they will someday be on par with the MAN.

What I'm saying is that if you and Kerri were each given a bunch of string and some beads you would each have the same chance at producing something sellable (aside from any natural personal artistic abilities). On this area we are all level. Now to say, I'm going to sell Kerri's necklace because she's a woman and woman have a tougher time than you as a man who could/should be doing something more meaningful, that's wrong.

If you want to get rid of the MAN who is holding down the people you need to look at who the MAN is. Who is it in those 3rd world countries? Is it the "FairTrade" people who give only 1/3 to 1/4 of the PROFIT back to the producers? That doesn't sound fair to me? Is it the religions (IE. Muslim, Christian, local, etc) who have for centuries said that women don't need to work outside the home for living wages? Is it the white society? Honestly, I don't know.

I'm sick and tired of the whole, "Why aren't there more black NFL coaches?" Why? Maybe because there haven't been enough black people who have proven themselves. When will we ever have enough? When will that argument go away? We had two coaches in the Stupid Bowl this year who were black (mulatto), and more was made about their color than the fact that they had worked hard and long to get there. Each man deserved his spot because he’d paid his dues in the lower ranks and proved himself. Would he have been in that position if it’d been given to him because of his color, most likely not. I’m not saying there aren’t racist people out there, but most people at the top want to promote those who can make them more money, regardless of race or gender. Put the race card away! All we are doing by lifting up one group and holding down another is empowering the race card.

Let's all just work. If the wages aren't fair, fire the HR person, get the board to can the CEO. We are all equal; we can't treat each other as if we aren't. That is what history has shown us. You talk about stopping the powerful by enhancing some, but not all, of the weak. That just creates new power structures.

I'll ask this to you again, but you don't have to answer since your wife may be reading. Can a woman do anything a man can do given the fair chance to work? If yes, the woman doesn't need an artificial boost. Correct?

Labels: Bald Man, empowerment, Mynameismommy, race

Today is a very sad day for me.  I had to put down one of my cats.  Not just any of my cats, but my mother cat.  No, she was not the birth mother of any other animals, but she was the cat who acted most like a mother.  Bagheera was the cat most likely to give a bath to a fellow kitty.  She was the one who would crawl into the litter box after someone else got done and make sure everything was covered over.  Ra would come and sit with me or Mrs. Grotto if we were sick or upset.  Every night when I crawl into bed she jumps up on my back and crawls over to lay beside me. She is the only of the cats to not be afraid of the dog. They lay together and go nose to nose. While I wouldn't classify them as best friends, they respected each other as equals.
Baggie came to me from an exgirlfriend, but I think I was the one who named her.  I had said that a black cat needs to be named after the mighty protector of the Jungle Book.  Later I would start to call her Baggie-Ra like the leader characters in Watership Down.  She was not really the Queen of my cats, but she was the caretaker, the lover, the calming force.
Bagheera will always be missed.  I can't believe she is the first of my cats to go.  I don't know of any time when she wasn't the picture of health.  I cried today harder than I have cried in a very long time.  I will continue to cry for my Ra.  She will be missed every night as I go to sleep.  She will be missed as I sit at my computer.  She will be missed when it is kitty drink time.  She will be missed by her brother who will have noone to rape anymore.  She will be missed by her little sister who will have no one to chase her.  She will be missed by her mommy who liked to have her lay on her tummy and warm the egg.  She will be missed, but never forgotten.
I love you Bagheera
 

Labels: bagheera, cats, pets

Ok, as I'm sure my readers know, I am expecting my first child next month. There are those who have asked if we have set up a lottery to see who can pick the right date for the birth. What I was thinking was that entries can be made for free, but anyone wishing to donate money to the cause I will match the donation (up to $5) and we will give all funds raised to
WorldVision. This is a charity I have learned about through my friends Mommy and Baldie. They are hosting a BBQ this weekend where I plan on helping and they are doing so to raise money for WorldVision.

So anyway, if you would like to take part in this fun game of when is the next little Grotto going to come, let me know. Also let me know if you would like to donate (Again, not necessary to participate and you may e-mail me privately about money transactions if you would like) so I can pass those funds along to the people who need them.

Oh, the official date picked by the doctor is July 14th. And since I'm making this game up, I'm going to pick July 1st and also July 13th. Have fun! We'll see who wins (No prizes will be given as all donations will be going to charity).

Labels: Kharoah, WorldVision

Kharoah

You began

          A hope

          A wish

          A dream



We anticipated

          To see

          To hear

          To Touch



Together Enjoying

          Our baby

          Our miracle

          Our future

Family growing

          With love

          With joy

          With excitement

You remain

          Our hope

          Our wish

          Our dream


-ET 05/07

Labels: fatherhood, Kharoah

Ok, as the weather has gotten better I've started taking my dog and my Nike+ shoes out for walks. It turns out I am competitive after all. Would I walk for just my health or even that of my beloved dog alone? Most likely not (that's what history shows at least), but when you say I get credit for each step and that can make it so I can beat some of my co-workers, I'm out walking every day! But what have I seen you ask?

1) Dead bird laying on the sidewalk. Dead birds don't decompose very quickly. :(

2) A local student athlete going to a neighbor's house to collect some money for some sale or pledgedrive or something and the lady at the door in her robe (looked fresh from the shower) handing him money. If I didn't see him walk up to the house I'd have all kinds of great ideas as to what was going on.

3) A young man approaching a house with flowers. Ah, teen love...

4) A mother sitting in a car in the driveway. Hood on the car is up and she's splitting time between reving the engine and yelling at her teenaged daughter.

5) A little miniture collie with a bark that sounds more like a wheeze. It's always fun to hear.

6) A dad working on cutting a tree in his front yard. He was in the cleanup stages and he had his little boy playing among the stumps. Dad said it was time to go in and the boy needed to get his trucks and go in. The boy refused and the dad, last I heard was picking up the trucks and depositing them one at a time in the trash can. This is a philosophy I somewhat like, but I have the feeling that if I search that trashcan I won't find any trucks come garbage day. Either that or I'll see the boy and dad at K-Mart buying new ones.

7) I saw my first skateboarder today. With where I was living last spring and where I work, this is nothing special, but I haven't seen any boarders in my neighborhood. Made me happy. Don't know why, don't really like boarders as a group (that's changing now that more of my kids are boarders), but it was a comfortable feeling.

8) There were a group of young kids playing in the side yard of one house and when I looked over one had another in a perfect armbar tilt, even had the leg over cover and everything. I was so happy to see this form of wrestling in my neighborhood. Then before I could turn the courner, I heard one of the other boys yell, "Ok, now I'm going WWE on you!" *sigh* I had such high hopes...

9) Lots of friendly people calling hello from across the street or on porches. This should be nothing really special, but when I would walk in the last neighborhood I hardly had anyone speak to me. It was more of a look straight ahead, if you make eye contact that means you want to be agressive.

10) A teen jumping in a car and when they drive past he's licking a blunt closed. Not trying to hide it or anything. What balls!

Ok, that's all from the first 3 days. Hopefully I'll have lots of new sights throughout the year. Only 40 more miles to meet my goal for this challange. That's another 20-ish walks.