Rubb'in My Worry Beads

Hi folks. Welcome to another exciting episode of “New Parent Neurosis” brought to you today by Mom’s Breast Milk.

Warm, frothy, and full of all the fat, antibodies and protein a growing baby needs. Drink all you want there’s always more and our taps are always on! Mmmm mmmm good… that’s Mom’s.

Neurosis No. 1 – Babies Cannot Sleep on their Stomachs
Why? Because we’re afraid of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Terrified in fact, even though the jury’s still out that there is such a thing. Research seems to suggest that the brains of some infants develop in such a way that the child’s auto-response breathing mechanism stutters when the baby is on its stomach. This results in the baby asphyxiating. Less of a syndrome and more of a physiological condition.

Serious stuff for sure. But to suggest that a baby must categorically never sleep on their stomach is taking it a step too far. Here’s an interesting take on the need for babies to sleep on their stomachs at least once in a while.

Neurosis-free Tip No. 1: When you’re in the room and they’re sleeping put them on their stomachs and let them sleep in what is a natural position, prone. When you leave the room, turn them over onto their backs. Don’t leave them sleeping prone but let them do it when you’re there.

Besides, if you’re a new parent you’re already checking their breathing every 30 seconds anyway.

You Want Breastmilk With That?

There has been a big gap in my postings. As you might have noticed from one of my previous missives, it’s because I became a new father on May 3rd.

There hasn’t been much on my radar lately except for feeding, burping, holding, and changing the diapers of two little girls. The first ten days were stressful because both girls remained in the extended care nursery at UNM Hospital. Vivian came home on May 13th and then the stress multiplied even more because in addition to caring for her, we needed to shuttle back and forth between home and the hospital to see Eleanor.

Eleanor entered her fourth week at UNM with signs of great progress and then setbacks in terms of how much she’d eat at mealtimes. The hospital policy is not to discharge unless the baby can eat a certain volume over a nursing shift for four consecutive shifts. Eleanor kept missing the targets for one out of four 12-hour shifts, essentially restarting the clock. We’d get a phone call telling us to plan on picking her up the “day after next” and then a call that day telling us we’d have to wait.

Finally, we had enough. I think the conversation consisted of telling the charge nurse, “Shift minimums be damned and go shove hospital policy. We’re taking our daughter home.” Never forget who's in charge of the discharge of the child, the P-A-R-E-N-T.

That day, June 3, we brought Eleanor home and naturally she’s now making all of her “shift” minimums.

A couple of lessons here:

First, babies are not machines. Just because there is a chart or a policy that says a baby at such and such weight/age, etc. needs to eat such and such amount doesn’t mean that every individual baby will do so. It’s foolish to blindly apply averages to individuals.

Second, parents sometimes need to assert themselves in order to take primary responsibility for their children. It’s so easy to abdicate a child’s care when one assumes that doctors or nurses “knows best.” This is not always the case. Quite often those hard-working medical professionals are simply following whatever rule, chart, policy, etc. governs the situation; i.e. and not looking at the individual child and her needs.

Who better indeed than the parents of a child to perform that necessary activity?

After a Deep Breath...

Ok.. maybe not scared shitless but more like very aware of just how much is riding on me.

Time for the Unveiling...

There comes a time when you need to really put up or shut up.

Major events in my life have more often than not dictated the manner in which I make future choices, effectively setting priorities for me whether I like them or not. When I got married, I found that some choices (options if you will) were forever foreclosed simply because I chose to find that one person I wanted to be with. On the other hand, new possibilities developed and I’ve been able to do things in conjunction with my wife that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

Moving to New Mexico, returning to school fulltime, leaving the State Department, moving out to Northern Virginia, buying AOL at $52 dollars a share… all decisions that in no small part were influenced by that first, major decision of getting married.

And now?

Eleanor and Vivian have arrived. Two twin girls, born several weeks premature, were delivered to us here in the Land of the Red and Green, on Thursday, May 3, 2007, a few minutes after 11 p.m. The girls are in intensive care and their mother is recovering from the surgery.

The details of the event notwithstanding, becoming a new father in no uncertain terms is a major event. Once again, it's time to put up or shut up.

I am scared shitless.

A Long Time Between Posts.

It’s amazing. When there are deadlines looming and little time to spare the blogging seems to be prolific (if not necessarily witty or insightful). With more free time, blogging takes a backseat to all the other things I’ve basically put off for the past three years.

Geeky things that we all do but don’t admit to any but our closest friends that we’re that kind of person, i.e. the several hundred CDs now burned into my iTunes library and updated on the iPod. Oh, and I can't forget all the album cover art work that is now downloaded as well (so when the song plays the cover will display).

That done, time to move on to the collection of photographs that are going to gum together in to one photo baklava because I store them on top of one another in old running shoe boxes. I need to put them in front of my video camera and make digital still copies. Hmmmm. Now that I think about it, I’ve got hours and hours of video tape dating from the mid-90’s that need to be converted into DVD; but only if I want to keep the material from disintegrating further. (Oh, I do, I do.)

Audio-visual preservation, yeah that’s the ticket. Why spend time writing words on the screen when I can spend hours and hours just looking at the screen while I upload material to an external hard drive?

I could go on, but you get the idea and life is short right? Apparently I can’t stop to smell the roses, however, because I need to preserve their images for future generations to enjoy.

Gravy on the Side

So... you go to law school and suffer the slings and arrows, only to...

Take the bar exam after preparing for 10 weeks, only to...


Await your results while recognizing that if you don't pass you'll be "that guy (who didn't pass)", only to...


Pass!

Then you get sworn in.



I suspect it's all gravy after that happens.

April 4 and He is Bona Fide!

Ulysses Everett McGill:

"I am the only daddy you got! I'm the damn paterfamilias!

But you ain't bona fide!"...

"Vernon here's got a job. Vernon's got prospects.

He's bona fide."

Baby Needs a New Pair of Snowshoes

Ali came to visit us from upstate New York. She spent the week and although I had to head out for work each day, the evenings and the weekend gave us all time to catch up. It was great to see her and talk about life, good food, politics, etc.

I didn't want Ali to think that winter doesn't come to New Mexico so I suggested we take a trip up the mountain and do some hiking. Didn't have to talk her into it (although I did have to convince her that sneakers would not be comfortable - I don't think she believed me that the snow would be more than a dusting.)


Although it was a beautiful day, bright and sunny, Sandia Peak had roughly 3 1/2 feet of snow on it and the trail was only visible because of previous intrepid hikers/skiers.


The skiers had the right idea.

This is actually a 4-foot high fence.


Now it looks like a landscaping border.

And right about this time as I was trying to pull my leg out, it occurred to me that yes, snowshoes were invented for just this situation.



Ain't nothing getting by me.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

“I’ll shine up the old brown shoes, put on a brand new shirt…”

It’s time.

After three years, three months, and nineteen days, I’m heading out the door tomorrow morning to begin a new job and embark upon a new career path.

Lawyer.

Me.

Pinch me baby!

Catching Hoops and Reconnecting

Headed to Chicago for a long weekend catching up with my good friends Craig and Tracy. Although Tracy had to then catch a flight on Saturday morning for work, Craig and I were able to compare notes over the remaining weekend.

It didn’t hurt that the Big Ten Conference was taking place in Chicago. Although we didn’t actually go to see the games in person, we did spend some quality time in several sports bars/brewpubs; sampling not only Wisconsin’s inability to overcome the psychological hump of winning a game against Ohio State, but also some oh, so fine brews.

In addition to beer, basketball and boiling in da’ hot tub, I spent most of Monday at the Art Institute of Chicago.


The Art Institute is my favorite museum. (Although I’ve spent numerous wonderful hours perusing the Cloisters as well). When staying more than a night in Chicago, I always go for a few hours.

The permanent collection is simply fantastic. I think I most enjoy the pre-renaissance artists (circa 1100-1400). The religious imagery, while not inspiring to me personally, is simply spectacular in terms of how the artist’s developed their abilities to convey the human form. I like walking from gallery to gallery, observing how the paintings evolve.


Also, while I’m not really much into contemporary art, I do enjoy Jackson Pollock’s work.

Or maybe it’s just the 8 x 10 foot canvas’.

It's Not Just Me... Is It?

Libby’s guilty.
We are not surprised.
Is it just me, or could any Vice President as organized as this one fail to know what his chief of staff was doing?

US Attorneys, appointed for political reasons, are fired for political reasons.
We are surprised.
Is it just me, or aren’t political hacks (of any persuasion) supposed to operate on behalf of their benefactor’s political agenda?

Ann Coulter called former Senator John Edwards a faggot.
But only in jest.
Is it just me, or am I the only one who never credited her with having a sense of humor in the first place?

US orders for durable goods continue to fall.
Even while production costs are revised upwards.
Is it just me, or is gold really the smart buy going forward into 2007?

North Korea came to the table and the parties worked out a deal.
Rhetoric and posturing was left at the door by the United States.
Is it just me, or does talk and negotiation create a more effective resolution than sending in the 1st Armored Division?

What? Oh... I see...

Sorry about that. I've just been informed that yes indeed, it is just me.

Eat More and Think Less

Dining options remain robust in Albuquerque not only for good New Mexican and Mexican food but also Chinese and American fare.

I’ve not been going out to eat much lately. I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or not. True, we're saving money, but if I sit quietly, the carne adovada seems to whisper in my mind. “We’re here, simmering under a slow heat and with nothing but a tortilla between us and you big boy.”

Uh, or something like that.

Maybe what I’m hearing are the coyotes running in the arroyo across the street? Hmmm… bring the cat in, they sound hungry too.

Owl Café
800 Eubank Blvd NE
A 1950’s diner experience that hasn’t lost its comfortable feel in lieu of appealing to every yuppie and soccer mom it can shove in a booth. The meal opens with a bowl of green chile and beans (in place of say, chips or bread). The burgers were small and nothing to write about. The cheese fries (with green chile) kept me occupied for a while but truthfully, I left wondering what all the hype is based upon.

Blake’s Lotaburger
1801 Juan Tabo Blvd NE
This local New Mexico burger joint does it well with cooked to order burgers and excellent service (at least at this location over several visits). Nothing fancy here, just great burgers with green chile, nicely done fries and one of the better vanilla milkshakes I’ve had the pleasure to consume. Now, Blake’s is certainly not up to the standards of In-N-Out, but as I can’t get to the nearest store in Kingman, Arizona very often, I must to visit the local’s also-excellent offering.

China Garden
12611 Montgomery Blvd NE
We like good Chinese food. It would be better if they delivered. They don’t. Still, the garlic shrimp is spicy and overflowing with shrimp. No uh.. scrimping on the shrimp. (Try saying that three times fast!!) While not a very original name for a Chinese restaurant, China Garden does make up for it each and every time we order. The sweet and sour chicken comes with the sauce on the side and the steamed dumplings taste like they were made ten minutes before. I highly recommend the Orange shrimp, beef or chicken (and don’t tell me it’s the same sauce, it’s not!).

Horse & Angel Tavern
5809 Juan Tabo Blvd NE
Since moving to Albuquerque, I haven’t spent much time in the local watering holes. This, of course is in sharp contrast to when I was in Madison, where most nights after the law library closed, you’d find me curled up with my Guinness (or my Pabst’s depending on the lo-cal). The few times I’ve needed a serious tavern atmosphere, however, the Horse & Angel fit exceptionally well. The food is strictly pub fare but the beer selection is excellent with more than 40 taps and another 70 or so bottled selections. Yes, they’ve got the microbrews lined up, but they also import a variety of English and Scottish ales for their more um, refined-palette clientele.

Ok... I was already hungry, now I'm thirsty as well.

Nary a Scar; so to Speak

I survived the bar exam. I have no idea if I’ve passed, but am never-the-less relatively unscathed.

Although… traffic on Wednesday nearly made me late for the Multistate portion. I had to pull what's become known in Boston as the "Tommy Butler" method of dropping off a rental car (after a former boss of mine once left one too many rental cars parked in front of baggage claim at Logan.)

Picture a guy booking down 3rd street at 8:24 a.m. (exam to begin at 8:30 sharp!) with briefcase in tow, his car abandoned, engine running, keys now with a person who the aforesaid wannabe lawyer hopes is a bellhop at the Doubletree Hotel.

I squealed my tires turning into the driveway and came to a stop in front of the closest hotel to the convention center, then tossed my keys in the general direction of a guy in uniform and ran like hell.

Lucky for me, he actually worked at that hotel!

Picked up the car during my lunch break. All he said was, “Boy you sure were in a hurry this morning. That’ll be 12 bucks.”

Seems a fair price to pay.

One day out... Time to get out...

True, the first few weeks of preparing for the New Mexico Bar Exam consisted of sitting in three hour review lectures with some outlining later that day. The final six weeks, however, have been a steady stream of essays, MBE questions and continued memorization of rules of law in 20 subjects.

But today is the last day and a rest day.

Or, maybe I’d better term it a day of rest from bar exam preparation.

I headed up into the Sandia Mountains and walked until my feet felt like they too needed the vacation that my mind was experiencing. Nothing to think about except which trail looked best and which rock seemed appropriate for a lunch break.


I hiked a big loop in the general direction of Whitewash Trail but via a side scramble up through Piedra Lisa Canyon. Made it as far as Oso Pass (although by then the snow was up to my knees and a smart person should have turned around long before then). At the pass, I stopped, took a few pictures, caught my breath… and headed back down.


Total elevation gain: 3948 ft.
Highest elevation: 8301 ft.
Bushwhack percentage: 20%

Number of intentional torts contemplated: 0

Green, Style and Way Cool Too...

In news an out-of-work autoworker can use:

NM Governor Bill Richardson announced today that Tesla Motors will build a new automobile assembly facility in Albuquerque, bringing 400 high wage jobs and a total capital investment of 35 million dollars. Construction on the 150,000 square foot plant will begin in April 2007, at the latest.

Tesla Motors, based out of San Carlos, CA, will use the plant to produce its “WhiteStar” car, a four door, five-passenger sports sedan which is 100% electric.



This is one snazzy looking machine.. now if only it could plug itself in and run my errands...

... Then I might actually consider giving up my 12mpg SUV.

"Absent Friends"

Too often I find myself thinking of calling and then remember suddenly that there's no longer any working number for that kind of conversation.

It's not that we left things unsaid or that our last meeting was unpleasant. (As I recall, our last words involved nothing more than each of us trading a story and signing off by telling the other that we loved one another).

No, it's just that every so often I wish I could call, trade gossip and update you on all the seriously amazing and wonderful things that are happening in my life.

I know you'd want to hear about them.

Happy Birthday Mom.

You'd have been 66 years old today.

Gonzo Law

It was a cloudy, snow-threatening afternoon…

Uh, actually it’s bright and sunny and 62 degrees but I’m trying to commiserate with friends up in Wisconsin (who I believe have sunny skies as well but also a wee bit of a wind chill).

Friday in early February and we’re less than three weeks out from the NM Bar Exam.

Hmm… can you say meltdown?

Six subjects for the multi-state and another fourteen subjects that may (or may not) be on the essay questions (along with the possibility of some of the aforementioned six), for a total of twenty subjects to get shoved, stowed, inserted, forced, etc. into the brain between now and the 26th!

Sigh…

Makes me reconsider the whole futuristic data chip implant scenario in a more positive light.

Civil liberties seem a small price to pay for being able to recall and apply the Rule Against Perpetuities on demand.

“No interest is good unless it must vest, if at all, not later than 21 years after some life in being at the creation of the interest.”

Snow Bobs

I came in this morning after a final shoveling of the driveway only to find some feline non-domesticatas playing on the upper deck.


I had to shoot through the window screen which is why the pictures look so grainy.

According to the Field Guide to the Sandia Mountains bobcats (Lynx rufus) like these two are the only native short-tailed spotted member of the cat family in the Sandias. They occur at all elevations and in all habitats.

I only managed to get one shot of the both of them together because the victor (or loser) headed off and the loser (or victor) remained behind a few minutes for the salivating paparazzi.


Of note: If you click on the picture above you can see that this cat is sticking out his tongue! Winner or loser, I think that falls into the "taunting" category but I'm not certain whether fines are assessed in this league.

Winding Down the Year

Time moves on and no blogging occurs. Actually, the days between the end of school and Christmas passed in a blur of running errands and getting ready for the holidays.

A trip to Palm Desert on the 21st was unfortunately cancelled. Still, a heavy snow storm that day and over the weekend created some good "burrowing" time at home in front of the fireplace.



This also gave us time to get those holiday cards addressed and packages wrapped.

Christmas came and went with a lot of cooking. I produced probably the best set of green chile, chicken enchiladas that I've ever done, followed by three dozen Lebanese butter cookies and a pan of rum soaked sticky buns. Oh yeah, I'm just Mr. Domestic this year.

After the food coma lifted, houseguests arrived from cold, snowy upstate York. On arrival they found themselves in... yep, you guessed it, cold, snowy New Mexico.

Many people have the impression that because Albuquerque is in the Southwest, its weather must resemble that of say, Phoenix; i.e. winter averages in the high-sixties, low seventies. Not so.

Although we average about 300 days of sunshine per year, central New Mexico also averages about 10-14 inches of snow a year. At the higher elevations (such as our house at 6300 feet), even more snow accumulates.

Of course, this year (because we just moved here no doubt), snowfall thus far is about triple that amount. This means that while there will be no pool-time for the weary travelers, there will also be no sunburn to take back East either. Fewer questions that way.

Holiday Missives

“Ninety bucks for a Christmas tree in New Mexico?” I said. “You must be joking.”

“Nope.” Mr. Tree salesman replied.

“These trees here are imported from a small village in the far mountainous north, where they are cut by hand using only miniature saws so small that it takes the woodcutters, each of whom passes their secret craft down from father to daughter, over six months of constant sawing just to cut through one tree.

“These trees are then carefully loaded onto a special sleigh that is only used to transport one tree each day to the village, and is then destroyed in a ritual burning attended by each and every one of the village’s townsfolk (woodcutters excepted of course).

“These trees are then inspected for their ability to handle a minimum requisite number of ornaments. Each tree is completely decorated with only the finest hand blown glass ornaments, strings of lights and individually hung strands of tinsel, each of which is specially manufactured for this purpose (and each made in different villages, located, of course, far away over the sea).

“These trees are then de-decorated, wrapped in a special twine for shipping of which the secret of making has now been lost to only the village twine-makers, and loaded on specially built trolleys for their trip down the mountain.

“These trees are then loaded on tractor trailer trucks which are specially painted in festive holiday colors, and shipped direct to Albuquerque.”

“Actually,” Mr. Tree salesman confided leaning so close I could smell the pine tar, “I should really be selling them for one hundred and ten dollars, but as it’s only a week before Christmas, I feel sorry for you.

“Don’t you know that in New Mexico everyone gets the tree over the Thanksgiving Weekend? What are you? Buddhist or something?”

Shaken by the rampant consumerism that seems to control the sale of Christmas trees in northeast Albuquerque, I ran for my car and hightailed it east to Edgewood, New Mexico, where I found a very nice Nobel Fir on sale in a lot…

For $35…

Cut by hand, but sans the hype.