Boo

I know the feeling. More than health concerns, or any other factor for that matter, I quit because I hated the loss of control over my own life. It began to feel like nicotine was at the helm and I was just along for the ride. You break the hold by breaking the hold. It requires a relentless commitment. It requires feeling a bit uncomfortable at times. It can require looking at things you accepted as gospel truth and realizing that it's actually a load of bullshit. The process is straightforward and can feel demanding, but it will give you far more in return than it takes from you. You can do this Tara. See it though and you will never regret it.

G'day...and such. I heard this song on Willie's Roadhouse over the weekend. And I'm almost positive that Olivia Newton-John is Australian...almost positive.

My project docket right now is consumed with Maddie's new bedroom. With an even littler one on the way, Maddie is graduating from the nursery to her own bedroom. Maddie and Sugar Britches are in charge of the design end of things. I'm just here for a bit of engineering and physical labor. Boo the Builder...Yes we can!

Some monkeys take more time than others... And if you're asking: Boo, did you just respond as an excuse to post this gif again? The answer is: yes.

One cigarette led immediately back to one pack-a-day. Instead of feeling any long-term relief from having smoked, you instead felt instant regret. Building on what you had is preferable to starting all over again. Looks to me like there might be a couple of lessons in there.

A bit of inside information here: Sugar Britches has an aunt named Dorothy. Dorothy is a bit of a family legend for her ability to guess the gender of the child when anyone comes up "in a family way." Her track record is damn-near perfect dating back for decades now. Dorothy told us we were having a girl when we were pregnant with Maddie about six-weeks before we found out from the doctor. Dorothy has spoken...she say's were having a boy. Aunt Dorothy's opinion carries a lot of weight around here.

I'm a popular guy this time of year...

At next month's visit we hope to find out the gender of the baby. Find out whether Miss Maddie is going to have a baby brother or sister. Whichever it is, Maddie is well equipped to show the new kid the ropes.

Welcome to the lido deck Opah. Celebrate and enjoy, you've earned it.

You may not be exactly where you want to be right now, but you're on the right path. With time and repetition, what feels weird today will become your new normal. Relentless forward progress...it is the only way.

Had a visit with the good doctor yesterday. Sugar Britches took a battery of tests and passed them all with flying colors. We are officially in the second trimester now (16 weeks). Took a look at the little one on the ultrasound machine. Our future champion measures five-inches long and weighs in at four-ounces. The highlight of the visit was when we were able to hear the heartbeat for the first time. Really drives home the point that there is a little person in there just waiting to make their big debut. Little one's heartrate was clipping along at 134 beats-per-minute. My mother-in-law came by the house and stayed with Maddie while we were at the doctor's office. Miss Maddie kept her busy...Grandma was ready for a nap by the end of the day.

We were getting a little worried. Found the perfect Halloween costume for Maddie, but the shipping was delayed. Got a call from Sugar Britches this afternoon...the FedEx driver came through in the nick of time. Miss Maddie is the cutest little penguin in the world. She doesn't care much for the little webbed feet that came with the costume, but other than that she seems quite content in her "Gwen" costume. Got a busy weekend filled with tricks, treats, cornfield mazes, and hayrides scheduled.

Good work Intoxicated Yoda. Congratulations.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is only one question that matters when quitting: Did I smoke today? If you answered "no," you're good to go. If you answered "yes," you screwed it up and need to start over.

Maddie hasn't shown any interest in playing in the toilet. She's too busy emptying out every cabinet she can reach. That girl will take stuff out of the kitchen cabinets like she's being paid by the unit.

We've avoided any dirt eating incidents...so far. There was a dandelion incident. I was showing Maddie how to blow a dandelion. She held one up to her mouth but inhaled when she should have exhaled. We got all of the seeds out of her mouth. I assured Sugar Britches that dandelions are not toxic...she checked the internet anyway.

Good job JustSomeGuy. Congratulations.

There is no need to ever include talk of animal husbandry in a conversation with a pregnant woman...ever! The better half is pregnant with our second child. Childbirth is not surprisingly a topic of conversation that comes up from time-to-time. We were discussing specifically the birth of our second child, then, as I've been known to do, I let my thoughts turn to various associations which change the nature of the conversation. Long story short...I dropped a bit of farm knowledge and said: "unless the calf breeched, the heifer would just plop it right out and start licking the amniotic fluid off of it." For the record: I understand that human birthing is more complicated and I sure as hell was not comparing the lovely and talented Sugar Britches to a cow. Also in my defense: I have more experience with calving than I do with human birthing. I really should have learned my lesson. When we found out we were pregnant the first time, I told Sugar Britches: "from the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were good breeding stock." I was joking. She wasn't laughing.

Still one of my favorite things on the internet...Yoda, the college years. And on the subject of Star Wars and jokes...Obi-Wan and Luke are eating at a Chinese restaurant. Luke can't figure out how to use the chopsticks. So Obi-Wan says: "Use the forks, Luke."

Good job Kris. Congratulations.

Self-Defense Tip of the Day If you are attacked by a group of clowns, go straight for the juggler.