July 31, 2006
Back at work!
Six weeks is a long time to be off.
I'm back at work today, and while I already miss being at home with Katherine, it's kinda nice to have a structure to my day again. For the last month and a half I'd wake up either really early or late, go to bed sometime between midnight and 4am, and generally spend my day doing things in short bursts during baby naps. Now Phaedra's at home with that duty, and I'm here. Odd, though, that even when I'm busy here, it's not the same kind of busy I get at home, so I'm feeling a little guilty about "getting" to go to work. I'm sure, in time that'll pass.
Picture of day!
Baby and daddy at UCSC on our vacation.
Having a structured day also means I'll probably get back into the swing of things with the OC Metblog and OC Atheists (both the groups and the sites). I'm sure I've also got other web stuff that needs doing, and in time, it'll get done.
What are my readers itching for?
July 25, 2006
Back from SC, updates
Back from Santa Cruz (on Saturday), and doing well. All the pictures from that trip are here. A couple I haven't posted yet:
I go back to work in a week, and that's weird, but I'm looking forward to getting back into that routine, though I'm going to really miss spending my days with Katherine. At least I get to go home at lunch. We'll really have to work on our night time schedule, however - 5 hours a night ain't gonna cut it.
Oh, this weather? It sucks. I haven't been able to open up the house since we got back - it's too hot. The Florida-style humidity sucks much too.
What's new, readers?
July 19, 2006
Wednesday in Santa Cruz
It's interesting seeing how Santa Cruz changes, as I typically go between 6 months and a year between visits. Downtown's got all sorts of new things (especially in terms of restaurants), but lots of the stores that were here 10 years ago still are. I often forget that when I started here in 1996, lots of the buildings downtown hadn't been rebuilt yet from the '89 quake, so the growth I'm seeing isn't unusual.
We saw Tori on Monday, Alex, Helen and their kids yesterday, and I'm seeing Teresa and Nhan today. Tomorrow's up in the air, then we're seeing Colleen, Chad and Scott after the wedding on Friday. I think our schedule's worked out well.
My office has been keeping up here at Insignifica, but now a lot of the rest of the newsroom is checking in too. Hello everyone! Thanks for reading. Enjoy some pics. Remember that you can click on any them to see the rest in the set.
July 18, 2006
Here in Santa Cruz
We're having a great time in Santa Cruz. The weather is beautiful (it's about 20 degrees cooler here), the drive wasn't a big deal (Katie slept a lot), and we have all sorts of dates to see friends. Some pictures so far:
July 14, 2006
Friday update and pictures
So, it's Friday? I haven't been off for this long at one time since high school, and it's strange. I still keep thinking to myself "damn, I'm still up at 2:30am, I have to get up at...oh, wait, no I don't". I've had mid-afternoon naps, stayed up until 4 and 5 am, and eaten breakfast after noon and dinner just before midnight. I'll eventually have to get back on a more "normal" schedule (and leave the 4am feedings largely to Phaedra if I don't want to be a zombie at work), but for now, it's kinda neat living on absolutely no schedule.
Katherine's doing quite well, and had a doctor's appointment today, and things look very good. She's a perfectly normal baby as long as she eats enough, and regularly. That only really becomes a problem if she's sick or otherwise not eating, at which point we have to be in close contact with her doctors, or bring her into the ER, if only for observation. We get to carry around a letter with us at all times, explaining her condition, and what the doctors need to do if we bring her in to the hospital. It's scary, but nice knowing what we're facing. While her problem is serious, most of the time it shouldn’t affect her.
Katherine's also a big girl - up to 10lbs and a couple inches longer. Unfortunately her father is also putting on a couple pounds, but that should be simple enough to get rid of. Unfortunately, going on a week-long vacation isn't going to help that for me. But we'll try to get in a good amount of walking around - maybe we'll carry the baby up the hill at Merrill, too. I'm really looking forward to seeing Santa Cruz again, and everyone up there.
July 12, 2006
July 11, 2006
Vacation plans, pictures
Vacation plans set:
July 17 - Arrive in Santa Cruz
July 17-July 20 - Visit with friends in and around SC
July 21 - Depart Santa Cruz, Arrive in Palo Alto, Attend wedding
July 22 - Depart Palo Alto, head home
If you're up there, and want to see us (and/or the baby), let me know! Leave a comment here, or email me at michael@michris.com. We'll be busy, but our schedule will be open.
Now, what you all seem to come here for:
July 10, 2006
birthday wishes
Happy birthday to Shannon and Jennifer!
July 07, 2006
Happy Friday, thank yous, new boss in my life
Katherine's been home a week, and all is good. I'm slowing realizing that this loud little bundle of joy is now in charge of my life, and that's how I want it. But it also means that I spend almost no time online that's not a quick check of the email or a post here, so I'm slowly losing touch with friends who I only speak to via the internet. I've been told this is common, and I'll slowly get my old life back in small pieces as time goes on. Until then, I'm always available via email - michael@michris.com. I read every email and comment left here, and for now, it's a better way of getting a hold of me than chatting or telephone.
With all the well wishes, I've also forgotten to thank everyone who's brought gifts - and it's a LOT of you. Thank you, thank you!
While I love work, I'm not particularly looking forward to going back. I'd love to stay here and be able to spend more time with Katherine, and I hate the idea of Phaedra having to spend the day alone with the baby. Unless the lottery fairies knock, however, that's how it's gonna be. I can always go home for lunch. Work will, however, provide interesting on the 4-6 hours of sleep I get a lot of nights.
Some more pictures:
Hope all is well, friends!
July 06, 2006
Instinctually Peppy
Oooh...Jen's gone and got herself a blog. Check out Instinctually Peppy.
Thoughts on fatherhood and pics
We've only had Katherine home a week, and fatherhood is pretty much kicking my ass...but in a good way. She's generally a good sleeper, and while she has a fussy couple of hours every day, most of the time she's still either sleeping or just hanging out. Some quick observations, having been at this for 6 days:
- Babies go through a LOT of clothes - it's warm enough so we don't have to keep her that dressed, but with every feeding (every 2-3 hours), something gets messy.
- Bottle feeding requires a LOT of bottles. I've never done this many dishes, nor enjoyed the fact that I own a bottle brush as much as I do now.
- Favorite baby things so far include the Boppy, the bottle drying rack, and the girlfriend's foresight to make two changing/sleeping stations - one upstairs, and one downstairs.
- Crying used to really bother me when it was someone else's child. I don't like it, but I worry more about Katherine than dislike the actual crying. That's being a daddy for ya.
And now, by popular demand, a variety of recent pictures of Katherine. Click for larger versions, and to see more in the set.
July 04, 2006
I Am An American
This is one of my favorite pieces, and today's the right day to repost it. Enjoy, and happy 4th of July.
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My name is Michael Doss, and I am an American.
I didn't do anything to deserve this title and position; I don't believe in reincarnation, or in a god that would put me here for a purpose. I was born to American parents, in America, and therefore I am what I am.
As we celebrate the symbolic day of independence, I'm reminded how lucky I am to have the rights I do, and I realize the responsibilities that go along with being an American in 2006.
I have the right to free speech. I can say how much I love Michael Moore, how much I hate Pat Robertson, or how bad I think the president's actions are for the government and for the people. I have the responsibility to both listen to you and defend your right to free speech, no matter what you say.
I have the right to burn a flag, just as you have a right to fly it. The symbolism of the flag equally represents both of these rights. You have every right to believe the flag means everything as I do to believe the flag is a piece of cloth.
I have the right to freedom from religion, not just freedom of religion. I have the right to believe whatever I want, and not face undue pressure, persecution or representation from or of your religion.
I have the right to love anyone I want, however I want, as long as they agree. It is neither the government's responsibility or in their best interest to monitor or register personal relationships.
I have a responsibility to question my government and its actions, regardless if I believe in or don't believe in what my government is doing. To be told by a representative of that government that we should not question is both insulting and suspect.
I have a responsibility to involve myself in government, though voting, learning, and discussing, and otherwise participating. No other right or responsibility is greater, because through this one the rest are born.
I have a responsibility to know my place in the world, and be aware of my position. As a middle class American, I have more wealth, rights and power than most everyone else on the planet. With this knowledge, I can choose how I represent myself, and how I choose to help.
I have a responsibility to leave my city, county, state, country and planet in a better way than when I got here. This goes back to my position of power as a middle class American, as well as my position as a human being. This means helping out people who need my help, regardless of how they got into that position, but with consideration of how it will affect me.
These, and many others, are my rights and my responsibilities. It's not the clothes I wear, the car I drive, the flags I wave, or the allegiance I pay that makes me an American, it's my rights, my responsibilities, and my actions.
My name is Michael Doss, and I am an American.
