25 Dec 02

Merry Christmas to all!  Today was Nikolai's first "real" Christmas - not that he wasn't alive last year, but he was only six weeks old.  What a difference a year makes!  He tore through all his gifts (with just a little help from us!)  And then he ate the wrapping paper.  I would love to be able to get into his head and figure out why wrapping paper tastes so good.  He apparently thinks so!

This is the first time since We've lived in Tucson that we did not travel anywhere for the holidays.  It was great just relaxing with family and friends - and no work to speak of!  I went for a hike through Sabino Canyon yesterday - it was very pretty b/c it had snowed and the tops of the mountains were are covered in snow.  Very cool.  Here are some pictures I took last Spring.  No snow here - but still a pretty hike.  I did the same hike last week and I lost my keys.  BOO!  I still have not found them  - losing your keys sucks.

Today we went to Bryant and Marianne's house for Breakfast - then Nikolai got to eat some more wrapping paper.  He was certainly in his element!  Then we came home and opened gifts.  Pam and I did not exchange gifts this year - we figured that a minivan and a new kitchen in the last two months was more than enough!

Overall, we had a great Christmas!  It is pretty cool to see the before and after!  We hope that everyone is having a healthy, happy holiday!  Take care, and drop us a line when you get a chance...

More pictures!

22 Dec 02

It's Over Johnny.  IT'S OVER!

That is right - we got a minivan.  We are now the middle-America suburbanites with 1.5 kids, and a minivan.  No longer are we the wild partiers with their party coach - We sold the RV, and own a minivan.  Ouch.  Kill me.

That being said - it is a damn fine minivan (as far as minivans go.)  You can open the door by remote control!  That is pretty sweet...  The family truckster is a 2002 Chevy Venture LS named Marlene - Pretty sweet.  It was a rental car in California.  I originally was turned off by the concept of it being a rental car, but then I realized that people who rent minivans don't beat the piss out of them.  Or at least I hope.

I drove up to Phoenix after work on Friday after I had my physical (passed everything - WOO-HOO!!!) in the RV to see Matty B's roommate (sans Pam).  His name is Andy - A Venezualan Ex-Navy Seal who sells cars now.  Cool dude.  We had already talked about what I wanted, so the hunt was pretty quick.  Then the BS negotiations started.  Total pain in the butt, but we finally found a mutually agreeable price, traded in the RV, and now we own the minivan.  They say childhood is over when your first child is born.  I think it is over when you own a minivan!

After I got the minivan, I met up with Matty B, and we started talking about X-mas music.  Specifically "Walking in a Winter Wonderland."  I asked if he knew who Parson Brown is.  He had no idea what I was talking about - then proceeded to bet me that the name "Parson Brown" was NOT in the song.  I promptly took that bet, and he had to pay my bar-tab at Maloney's on Friday night!  Super-sweet... 

Then the bastard makes me sleep out in the living room where there is no heat, and gives me one knit blanket.  I froze!  Then I go into his room in the morning, and there is a huge *extra* sleeping bag laying on the floor!  I about killed him!

Saturday was a fiasco trying to find a place to see the movie "Jackass."  It took us ~ 2 hours to find the movie, drive to the movie, find the theatre, go inside, and realize that we were ~15 minutes past the start of the movie (movie is only ~80 minutes long.)  We left defeated and disgusted.

Took a helluva much need nap, woke for the last 17 seconds of the Miami game, then back to napping - Miami lost.  Sweeeettt...

Saturday night was Andy's (Minivan salesman) Birthday.  Pretty sweet party - too much keg beer, but a fine time nonetheless.  I swiped the sleeping bag for my snoozing pleasure...

Whilst (remember that word?) I was in Phoenix, Nikolai got his first HAIRCUT!  He looks absolutely adorable!  He sat still for most of it, but was unsure of what to make out of the clippers.  He looks so cute and dignified with his hair cut.  Gone are the days of the infantullet!  God, I love that kid!  It is also a riot to watch him walking around.  Pam says that he looks like a drunken sailor - He stumbles around with his arms going everywhere.  Then he falls over every 5-10", picks himself up and starts back in.  Very humorous!

Have a Merry Christmas!

16 Dec 02

Ho Ho Ho!!!

Been a very busy holiday season...  We are having a blast (as always) and taking (a ton) of pictures.  We also (almost) have Nikolai sleeping through the night (sort of.)  We started on 9 Dec (Monday - Terri & Oskar's B-day) to "let him cry it out."  We put him down for one minute, and let him rip.  He was NOT a happy little dude.  After one minute, we would go in, calm him down, and then leave - this time for two minutes, then back in, etc.  This went on and on until 12 minutes.  If you add it up, it was 1 hour and 20 minutes of screaming baby!  Ouch.  We proved, however, that it could be done!  Nikolai actually put himself to sleep.  He woke up after a restful 8 hour snooze, but still looked wicked tired.  He had the, "You DIDN'T just do that to me!"  look.  Oh well.  Tuesday night, same thing - 12 minutes.  Wednesday, 6 minutes.  And last night (Sunday), he fell asleep in no time flat.  SWEET!  The best part is that he sleeps WAY more soundly through out the night, however when he screams for such a long time at night - it makes him hoarse!  Nothing is funnier than a hoarse-sounding baby...  He is getting better with the sleeping, and the quality of life for us is RAPIDLY improving!  Giddy up!  It was my sister's suggestion that we try this, and we couldn't be happier!  Thanks, Terri!  Even if you DID forget his B-day.  HA!

Pam also took Nikolai to see Santa this week!  He was nothing short of "unsure" about the whole thing...  We did get a decent picture, although the Santa looks like he is the meanest person on the planet.  Not everybody can be as good looking as me, I guess (nor as modest... ;)  )

We are also behind in flying, so now we have to fly on Saturdays!  I enjoy the flying, but Fetus got back into town from SOS and Korea - I would have loved to tilt a few beers w/ him, but I had to be in at 0430!  Ouch.  Pam also took Nikolai to Lindsay's 1st Birthday party - she had a jumping castle and a face painter - Niko LOVED the jumping castle!  He was king!  He is getting quite a bit more stable on his feet.  His walking is going to be the primary mode of transportation by X-mas, I am guessing, although for now he is more than happy to ride his Zebra around town!

Last night we had a couple of people over for dinner, then we all went to Winterhaven - a housing area that REALLY gets into decorating their houses for the holiday season.  There is some bizarre crap that people waste their money on...

No, we still have not decided on any names yet for the new boy.  Pam is rigid and inflexible.  It looks like there will be no "Kirby Jasper" in our family.  His loss.

Oh well - Check out the Pictures!

9 Dec 02

A hearty Happy Birthday goes out to my sister who turns 36 today, and my brother's kid Oskar who turns 2!  Congrats!

As for us - what a busy last couple of weeks!  Nikolai celebrated his first Thanksgiving!  We had a great time at my cousin's house - My Aunt Mary and Uncle Stu even made it down from Phoenix!  It was great to spend the day with family with a raucous football game to settle the turkey...  Kind of bizarre that Nikolai was over a year old, yet he hadn't seen his first T-giving yet!  It was also nice that the Patriots won (albeit against the Bears - not a huge deal...)

Unborn Baby T is kicking like a champ!  Pam says that he is kicking WAY more than Niko did at this stage.  Pretty cool - she says that he must be doing jumping jacks in there!  If only we could decide on a name!  Pam is dead set against Kirby.  What do you think about Hawke?

Nikolai still hates to sleep - getting worse than ever!  He will have a good couple of days just to get us to let our guard down, and then he'll show us that he's not ready to sleep yet!  He is so afraid that he will miss something...

Last week, We drove up to Phoenix for a Birthday party for our friend Arin on 1 Dec- she is now OLD at age 30!  Congrats, Arin!  Had it not been for the fact that Nikolai cried the entire way home from Phoenix (and that I had to get up at 4:30 the next morning), it would have been a perfect day!  I must've also caught some sort of flu-bug there - I was laid out all day 3 Dec.  I hate getting sick!  I think Pam hates it worse than I do - because then she has to hear me complain!  Oh well - I was back in fighting shape the next day...

I also had my last checkride in the A-10 last week!  I found a green SUV parked under some trees in some small hills right on the US/Mexico border - I called in some US Customs helicopters to come investigate - pretty cool!  I did not get the coveted "Exceptionally Qualified" rating that I was after - but I also did not have any problems - Q1!  Woo-Hoo!

Saturday night was my squadron's X-mas party - we went, not expecting too much.  I ended up winning the scavenger hunt and getting a cup of quarters totaling $81.25!  With only one income - it certainly didn't hurt this holiday season!

Yesterday, I took Nikolai for a walk at Sabino Canyon, and apparently it was a bit too cold for him.  We got ~1/2 way to the top, and he started crying bloody murder!  Inconsolable...  So I had to run (and you all know how much I love to run) to the bottom of the hill while pushing a stroller full of screaming baby!  Not fun.  Everybody was looking at me like I was the worst parent in the world.  Comedic now - but ugly then!  On the way home, I got a breakfast burrito that did not sit right with me.  I spent the afternoon shivering on the couch interspersed with a couple of projectile vomits!  Not pretty.  It was a good thing that the Patriots won (again) or my day would have been a complete wash!  I felt a little better today, but I still cut out of work early in the hopes that I would feel 100% for my flight tomorrow...

Also - the Email address Greg@Tolmoff.com may or may not work - just to make sure - send things to puddyhog@msn.com.  Thanks!

On a sadder note - two more A-10s had a midair collision outside of Las Vegas last week, killing one of the pilots.  Although I did not know either involved in the mishap, I have a lot of friends who did know him.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Eric Palero's family during this rough time...

Sorry it has been two weeks between updates!  Check out the most recent pictures...

We also added a new MOVIE!  Check it out....

24 Nov 02

Well - yesterday was Niko's 1st Birthday!  Woo-Hoo!  One year ago (yesterday at 5:33 p.m.) God blessed us with one kick ass child!  We are having such a blast with him still...  We had a birthday party and a whole bunch of people came to celebrate - Except for Matt - Because he is a little B-Bag who said, "A kid's birthday party with a bunch of couples just doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun."  Screw him - what the hell does he know about fun?!?

Anyway - the party was a blast!  On Saturday - the day before his B-day - Nikolai even took his first "real" steps!  He looked as scared as we did - not too sure what was going on!  Luckily - we got it on video!  Check out the new movies...  Niko as always "cleaned house" with all the toys he got - we are trying to adjust to the new landscape of the living room - toys as far as the eye can see!  He is into some hard-core playing - very busy...

As one can expect - we took a ton of pictures - Check them out!  Happy Birthday Nikolai!

By the way - Terri forgot his B-day....  HAHAHAHA!!!

19 Nov 02

That is right!  We found out on Friday, 15 Nov that round two of the baby department is another boy!  We are very psyched...  The only problem that this brings us is that  we had a girl's name picked out - not a boy's!  Oh well - back to the drawing board...  The ultrasound technician said that everything looked great - the kid is -4.5 months old, and already he is being given a clean bill of health.  Gotta love that!  She put his due date for 16 March 03 as well - we'll keep you posted!  We did get some first pictures of the little chitlin' - check them out!  He is facing the camera, so the pix aren't that clear - but hey - we're proud parents - give us a break!

Yesterday was Nikolai's one year well-baby.  A clean bill of health for big brother, too!  He tipped the scales at a paltry 27lbs 5 oz.  Been eatin' his hamhocks!  He was 31.5 inches long, too.  He also had to get some immunizations as well - it was not a whole lot of fun watching your baby get stuck repeatedly with a needle - and a "WTF?" look on his face...  Oh well - he won't remember it, and we know it is good for him...  One of the shots that he got was the chicken pox immunization shot.  When Pam asked what kind of side effects this shot had, the tech said, "Don't worry - he might just get smallpox."  WHAT?!?  When queried, the tech went, "That is not what I meant - what I meant was that he might get small little pock-looking things - no, this immunization does not give you small pox..."  Thank God!  I usually try not to start my week by killing immunization technicians!

So after Nikolai's close call with smallpox, he had to get blood drawn as well...  Also not fun, but he took it like a real trooper!  Our little pin cushion...  That night he cried a bit more than normal, but that was because that NASTY top/right tooth finally came through!  Woo-hoo!  Now we will see if that was what was giving him all of the problems...  All his pain came in one fell swoop!  But when we got home, we gave him a nice thing that gets him clean which made everything all better...  SWEET!

Tomorrow is my brother Ron's 32nd B-day, and his 3 year anniversary to Rosie!  Congratulations!

On a sadder note, my Uncle Bruce passed away over the weekend.  Our deepest sympathies are extended to his family - they are in our thoughts and in our prayers...

More pictures!

11 Nov 02

Although the road trip was a total blast, I still did not think that I would be exhausted a week later...  While we were gone, we had our kitchen redone - It came out AWESOME!

This past week was all about getting the house cleaned up, get back in the work groove, and overall just relax.  Nikolai is the most happy to be home - he is going to be walking any day now!  They say that you spend the first two years of a child's life teaching him how to walk and talk, and the next sixteen telling him to sit down and shut up!  I don't know if that is entirely true - I'll report back when I find out.

Niko is *still* not sleeping through the night!  We were doing pretty good before we left on our trip, but I think he regressed back a significant amount.  Oh well - Thank God Pam is not working!  I feel bad for her getting up in the middle of the night, but now she can at least nap during the day when he does... 

Nikolai is also trying to push out his second top-front tooth.  This thing looks painful as hell...  When we break out the Orajel to soothe his pain, he gets a huge smile on his face!  Hopefully that thing shows up soon, and he will start sleeping through the night.  We have only 4.5 months until his brother/sister shows up and we'd rather have Nikolai's sleep habits taken care of by then...

Albert and Carrie got married on Saturday!  Pretty excited for them - it has been a long time coming!  Pam, Matty B, and I had a kick ass time there whilst Nikolai was in the care of Dr. Tiu.  No better babysitter than a doctor, eh?

Hope that everyone is doing great...  Drop a line when you get a chance!

More Pictures!

3 Nov 02

There is a damned good reason why the website has not been updated in a month and a half.  We were on a 34 day RV road trip around the entire country!  Nikolai has now been in 25 states (and 2 provinces) at less than a year old.  6500 miles of fun!  It was an absolute blast - Read all about it here.

14 Sep 02

9/11 started pretty rough for me.  Pam and Nikolai were still sleeping, and I went downstairs and watched the news.  It was like we were right back a year ago, getting the call from my brother telling me to turn on the TV.  Still pisses me off.

From there, I drove to work, scheduled to fly two sorties.  Local advertisers were afraid to advertise that day for fear that they would seem like they were cashing in on the day.  Therefore, A bunch of Public Service Announcements were played - each one more tear jerking than the last.  It was a rough ride to work - and even more rough to put it behind so I could focus on the day's flights.

Rest assured - I did fly around with 1140 rounds of 30mm bullets in an armed gun, in case anybody tried to mess with my town.  Not a big chance - but always better to be prepared.

During my second flight, I flew over the part of Arizona that was burned by the Rodeo/Chideski fires in the White Mountains.  It was very surreal to see the fires stopped short by 100 yards from the town of Show-Low, AZ, while the 350,000 acres to the west were completely scorched.  I thought to myself that there is enough natural crap that happens in this world that we shouldn't need to worry about commercial airliners slamming into buildings...  Pisses me off...

At the completion of my second sortie, I flew over my house and looked down upon it, knowing that Pam, Nikolai, and my unborn child were playing on the living room floor.  I smiled a bit knowing that nothing would harm them while I was in the air overhead.  It was a pretty good feeling...

I came home and told Pam about the day, and she said that she watched the news too, but did not have the same reaction.  She said that every time something would start to bring her down on TV, Nikolai would say or do something funny, and she could not help but look at him and smile.  He is so young, and has absolutely no idea what happened on 9/11/2001.  It was refreshing to see that he didn't know of the world full of evil, and that it was just another day for him...  He is a great kid!  And a kid worth living and fighting for...

Also on Wednesday (9/11/2002), I found out that I got a stay of execution from moving to Missouri.  Instead of us leaving in January '03 (like we wanted to), we will now be moving in December 2003!  That will put us in Tucson for over 6.5 years!  Unheard of...  Now we will have the 2nd baby in this small house, rather than in our new house in Missouri.  Oh well!  Tucson isn't so bad - and it will give me more time to cruise around in the Warthog...

After work on Wednesday, we went to "A Day of Remembrance" at Tucson Electric Park.  It was going to have a whole bunch of patriotic songs and music, as well as a parade of firefighters, military, police and rescue workers.  It had a 4-ship A-10 flyby by my squadron that looked pretty good (not easy to get a picture of!) At the end, they had 10,000 people get onto the field and make a giant 9/11 out of glowsticks.  Then they took pictures of it from a helicopter - pretty cool.  After that, they had a massive fireworks display.  The only thing that sucked the whole night (besides the original reason for being there) was the hour long traffic jam getting home!

On the Nikolai development front - the boy is a crawling fiend.  He also pulls himself up on everything!  And he loves being violently shaken...  Woe be to anyone who leaves their thumbs exposed!  He will grab them in a heartbeat and demand to be rocked.  Tons of fun!

A few more pictures!

3 Sep 02

Edited version:  This past weekend, some jolly good chaps rendezvoused at a glorious town in Southern California called, "San Diego."  there they had a dashing time perusing lifes little mysteries.  At the conclusion of the weekend, the gentlemen returned to their domiciles happy and rested.

Unedited version:  (By clicking on the unedited version, you are acknowledging that you are over 18, and you can take whatever I throw at you - 'cause most of it is not for the weak of heart!)  Click HERE...

27 Aug 02

Wow - What a busy week!  First off, yesterday we went to the doctor and we heard our new baby's heartbeat for the first time!  We are both wicked psyched that all is going well.  Pam is a baby making machine!  The doctor said that all is going great - Standard!  Nikolai also had his 9 month well-baby last week - tipping the scales at a hefty 25 lbs, and 29.5 inches!  It will be no time before he is shootin' the three!  We are going to have our hands full with 2 kids only 16 months apart, because Nikolai can now CRAWL!  It is a very scary thing...  He was just starting to creep a few inches before we went on our RV trip this past weekend, but as soon as we got home, he was off like a shot!  It is so cute watching the determination in his eyes when he sees something that he wants, and finally can go after it.  It is keeping us on our toes however!  It turns out that he likes water bottles more than his toys!  If we leave a water bottle anywhere near him, it is not safe...

This weekend we went to Hawley Lake in the White Mountains of Arizona.  We were going to go there over 4th of July weekend, but it was all on fire then, so we went to San Diego instead.  I flew over the White Mountains last week, and it appeared that where we wanted to go was untouched by the fires.  Other places were not so lucky, however, and the fires really devastated the areas.  All in all, about 1/2 million acres burned!

So I cut out of work a bit early on Friday, and we started the long drive to the lake.  It was a winding drive full of hills, and it really taxed Irma to the limit, but she handled it just fine...

When we got there on Friday @ 6 p.m., we got Irma set up, and we went for a walk in the cool mountain air - It was about 60 degrees out - PERFECT!  Hawley Lake is at 8,200' elevation, so it is nice to get away from the heat.

The next day, I somehow talked Pam into taking a hike around the 310 acre lake.  I did not realize how big 310 acres is.  I was carrying Nikolai on my back (who, of course, slept for most of  the hike), and he got HEAVY!  Alright, so taking my pregnant wife and 9 month old on a 2.5 hour Puddy Death March at 8,200' elevation was not the swiftest move I have ever made, but live and learn, right?  It was just nice to hang out with them in the cool air while checking out some wicked scenery.  We had a blast!

That afternoon we took a couple of naps, relaxed, and then played trivial pursuit until the cows came home (literally).  HA! 

Sunday morning, one more walk around part of the lake, and then it was time to pack up and return home.  only this time, Irma's air conditioning decided to give out!  Not fun, considering Tucson was 106 degrees!  We were sweating our butts off by the time we got home.  It doesn't appear that Nikolai is fazed by heat.  He was sweating just like we were, however (for once) we were whining louder than he was!  We were just exhausted by the time we rolled into Tucson...

A FANTASTIC weekend despite Irma's A/C hiccup with a ton of great pictures.  Check them out!

18 Aug 02

Lots to celebrate...  Pam had her going away party last week, and she just completed her first week as a "stay at home" mom.  Her work is cut out for her!  Nikolai is now able to sit up on his own, and the scooting has begun...  From here on out, we will be chasing the mobile boy!  He has a second tooth coming in that is bothering him, so he complains a little more than normal...

Niko also got his first girlfriend!  Check out the pictures...

No big changes on the pregnancy front - the next doctor's visit is 2 weeks away.

JC, a friend of mine from my old squadron came through town for a few days, leaving damaged livers in his path.  Fun stuff, but I am ready for him to go home!

Went to a Murder Mystery dinner theatre last night.  It was a blast!  Well worth it.  I would go again, but they said that their scripts don't change - kinda defeats the purpose when you know who the killer is.  But if you've never been, HIGHLY recommended!

Took a ton of pictures lately - my favorite is this one.  Enjoy!

10 Aug 02

Wow - there is so much news!  First off - PAM IS PREGNANT AGAIN!  We found
out on 8 July that we are expecting our second child on 16 Mar 03.  We found
out the day we returned from our San Diego trip visiting Big Dave. 
Coincidental, because we also found out about Nikolai upon returning from SD
as well!  Thanks Dave!

We went to the first doctor's appointment last week, and as usual, no
problems.  Therefore we are going to try to leave Arizona for Missouri in the
Jan '03 timeframe, so that we can be settled in before our new arrival.

Pam's last day in the Air Force was yesterday.  She has been affected by
stop loss since her original separation date of 24 Nov 01.  She has been
super tolerant with work, the boy, me, the pregnancy, and a host of other
distractions!  Congrats to Pam for proudly serving for the last 6 years!

Tonight is Pam's Air Force going away party - sending her off in style!

More computer problems have prevented me from updating the site as often as
I have wished...  I think that I have (finally) fixed all that ails the
computer.  It only took Microsoft Tech support 2.5 hours on the phone with
me to figure it out!  Keep your fingers crossed...

Nikolai is so close to crawling that it is scary!  He can get up on his
hands and knees now, and shake a bit.  We have some pretty funny movies of him trying to go.  He knows what he wants to do, but he
is not quite at the locomotion phase yet.  Our life is going to be forever
different once he starts moving!  I remember my Mom telling us how we would
disappear out of the crib as soon as we learned how to walk.  Hopefully he
is not as resourceful as Ron and I when he is growing up...

We had dinner with my very pregnant cousin Katie and Mike.  Aunt Mary and Ucle Stu even came down for a visit.  A great time had by all...

And a hearty Happy Birthday to Jay the Canadian who turns old tomorrow...

More pictures!
 

27 Jul 02

This has been a pretty rough week.  We are getting the house ready to sell, and therefore we are doing all the crap that we have put off for the last 5 years!  We (I) put molding up around our front door and painted it, while Pam re-linoleumed the laundry closet.  All was fine until we sprung a leak in one of the water valves running to the laundry machine.  I figure it is easy enough to replace a valve, so I buy a new one.  As I go to unscrew the old valve, I realize that it is very difficult.  The reason is that th JACKASS who built the house decided that the original valve should be welded to the copper tubing!  Therefore, instead of unscrewing the valve, I twisted the copper pipe off!

End result:  I now had a hole in a pipe with no valve.  It was going to require more welding, something that I am not good at.  The towel got thrown in, and the professionals were called.  The $1.50 valve turned into a check for $150 for a plumber.  Oh well - I am good at some things, but not at others!

I also picked up a pretty nasty cold this week, too.  Coughing up all sorts of green things and keeping me up all night.  Not a whole lot of fun, but I am only sick a few times a year, so not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

I was supposed to take 2 A-10's cross-country this weekend - going to spend a night in New Orleans and 2 nights in DC, but the Air Force decided to cancel my plans on me last minute.  :(   Easy come, easy go, I guess!  Maybe on the next trip I can make it to Burlington and party with Jay the Canadian!  Pretty sweettt...

Also had some rough news out of last weekend.  A young enlisted guy from my squadron got into a car accident and ended up having 1/2 of his arm amputated.  I've been going to the hospital to try to cheer him up, but he is beat up pretty bad.  It has definitely been a learning point for everyone else to drive safe.  And that includes anybody who is reading this.  This kids life was turned upside down in a matter of seconds.  BE CAREFUL!

We also wished farewell to Whiz, a guy from my Squadron who just returned from Air Force Fighter Weapons School (Air Force's Top Gun), who is on his way to Germany.  We have been in the same squadron for about 4.5 years, and we swilled the odd beer together during that timeframe.  Take care and good luck!

Nikolai is doing fantastic!  He really wants to start crawling, but he is not quite sure how.  It is pretty funny, because he can get up on his hands and knees, but then it just looks like he is humping the floor!  He'll figure it out one of these days, and when he does, our hands are going to be wicked full...

A couple of new pictures to keep the grandparents off our backs!

14 Jul 02

Our friends Jim and Julie got married yesterday, and we had a fine time!  First class all the way.  Congrats!  Check out the pictures...

13 Jul 02

Our RV (Irma) has been in the shop for a couple of weeks.  We were going to use it to take a trip to the White Mountains over the 4th of July weekend.  And then things continued to break.  Again, and again.  And the price tag grew...

So it was finally 3 Jul at 4:45 p.m. when the RV was finally ready to go, and off we set across the 110 degree desert on our adventure to San Diego.  Pam and Nikolai both fell asleep, making me fend for myself on both the late night drive (arrived at 12:30 a.m.) and the hellacious mountain winds.  But I got them there safely.

We were true trailer trash - we stayed in Big Dave's driveway.  Big Dave is a dude that I knew since college, and now he is living the American dream - 73' from the beach, and working in a kick ass bar!

So we go to sleep in Dave's driveway, when, at 2:45 a.m. Pam wakes me up.  "Greg - there is somebody on the roof!"  "No there's not - go back to sleep,"  I reply.  Turns out she is right.  A drunk neighbor of Dave's saw the RV, the ladder, and it all came together.  He was shocked to see that there was actually somebody in the RV.  He apologized profusely, and went along his merry way.  No problems...  So after that excitement, it is now the 4th.  I took Nikolai in his new Baby-backpack along the boardwalk.  We walked about an hour and a half, and the boy loved it!  He had never seen a pond so big (the Pacific).  The temperature was just right - Highs of 72, lows of 64 - and life was good...

The afternoon led us to the beach, where I tried my sea-legs with surfing - not a very easy thing to do, I rapidly found out!  But, 8 beers in the hole, I still gave it the college try.  I had never seen a beach so crowded - it didn't seem like we were the only ones to think a journey to the beaches of San Diego were a good idea for the holiday!

That night, we made our way to the Mission Bay area, where they had an enormous fireworks show.  We were all pooped, but wanted Nikolai to see his first fireworks.  We tried to get some good pix of us and the fireworks, but none were all that great, but this smiley face was pretty cool!

We went to bed around 10 p.m. and woke up bright and early on Friday, 5 July, to go Deep Sea Fishing!  Nikolai had never been on a boat, but true to form, he seemed to love it.  There were a lot of people on the boat, and a lot of fish were caught - only a few by me!  We even had California Sea Lions swimming around the boat, and seagulls waiting for fish parts.  The weather was perfect, and so was the company.  A side note - they started serving beer at 6:38 a.m., so that is when I started to partake.

We were back in Dave's driveway by about 2 p.m.  Because I had too much to drink, Nikolai was nice enough to drive!  He is always good like that.  We napped a bit, then continued the festivities.  An old friend of mine showed up - Jay Martin - He used to live up the road from me in Connecticut.  We all went to dinner (Fillipi's), and then went to the bar where Big Dave worked.  Yes - even the boy.  What is cool about California, is that all of their bars are smoke-free, so we didn't have to worry about Niko getting the Black Lung.  However, once the band started to play, we bailed out - it got a little too loud!

Back to Big Dave's house, where Pam and Niko went to bed.  Big Dave and I were just getting started.  All I can say, is that 4:30 a.m. saw us stumble away.  I was reminded that we got "Not Another Teen Movie" PPV, and watched the flour bombing video.  HA!  Pretty funny.

6 Jul we were supposed to go to Sea World, but Pam was not feeling up to it (Read=I was not up for it.)  A walk on the boardwalk, an ordered-in pizza and a bit of TV rounded out the day.

A funny side-story:  Big Dave's roommates were having a party on the eve of 6 Jul.  So, for about 45 minutes, there was a stream of very hot chicks walking in.  Every one who came in, wanted to hold Niko.  And he loved it!  He would be looking around and doing his own thing, but once attention started to get shed on him, he would flirt like a big dog!  Very funny.  What can I say?  The kid loves attention...

We got a nice early start back to Tucson on Sunday, 7 Jul, and I found out that I had to be into work at 4 in the morning on Monday.  Ouch.  A small price to pay for such a great weekend, though!

The rest of the week was fairly uneventful.  Yesterday (12 Jul) we took Nikolai in to the talent agency for his first photo-shoot.  We are going to see if we can get him into some catalogs or something.  They pay $100/hr!  Any money that he makes will go straight into his college fund.  A baby who loves the camera so much deserves to get photographed...

More pictures!

27 June 02

This is pretty sweeeettttt...

So last week, Pam finds out that she is eligible to separate from the military.  There was much rejoicing.  However there was a little hole - a gap unfulfilled.  Whether or not I would get an interview to see if I could fly B-2s.  But then on Wednesday, 26 June, the list came out as to who was going to get an interview.

And I was on it.  Woo-Hoo!

So today I call over to Whiteman, AFB in Missouri to arrange a good time for my interview, and I was told that I would not be getting one.  What?

Because I made their 'A' list, and an interview was not required...  I was offered the job, accepted, and we will be moving to Missouri at the beginning of next year!  Very cool...  Besides the fact that the heat tipped the scales at a scorching 113 degrees yesterday, we are sitting on top of the world.  I love it when a plan comes together...

We added a few new links.

And, as always, some new pix of Niko and his friend Stitch (not the tall bald Stitch...)

22 June 02

This has been a pretty fantastic week.  Pam found out that she is released from the military!  We are both wicked psyched...  Her last day will probably be sometime in the middle of August, but as long as there is an end in sight, we are both happy...

My parents just left yesterday, and they both had a blast with Nikolai - I now understand that they are never again going to come see me or Pam, they are coming to see one person only!

Mom was a huge fan of the 105 degree heat while here.  On Thursday, she stayed in the house the entire day!  But overall, they both had a great time...

Niko is now entertaining us more than ever!  He is rolling over from front to back on a fairly consistent basis.  Yesterday, we could not keep him on his belly!  He was spring loaded to roll the second we put him on his belly - he did it about 55 times!  We did not get bored of that one, and apparently, neither did he... 

He is also becoming way more vocal - the other day, he looked right at me and said, "Hi Dad!" - At least that is what it sounded like - he had no idea what he did, but he did enjoy the shocked look on both of our faces...

Still no sign of the elusive teeth.  Pam says that the bump on his gums turned into a hill - and now it is a mountain!  Patiently we wait with our drooling heathen...

We got a bunch of new pix, if interested...

16 June 02

This has been a great couple of days.  Niko is the happiest and most playful he's ever been!  We went to a birthday party for Charity's twins yesterday, and he found out that he just loves balloons.  Jill was there with her new twins...  Nikolai is nothing short of a party animal!  After that, we took him swimming again!  We got him a little baby lounge seat that he looks adorable in.  Another video clip for those of you with fast modems!

Tomorrow is a happy and sad day for me.  Happy because my parents are coming into town for a few days, but sad because my squadron commander will no longer be my boss.  He is moving on to Las Vegas.  He'll be missed.  Take care, B-Man...

Nikolai is extremely psyched about seeing his grandparents!  He has not seen them since the New Year...  He can't wait to show them how big and fun he is!

Nikolai gave me a great first Father's Day.  I got a card, a T-shirt, and a few books on how to make Sushi!  (See 24 Apr 02 post).  We spent the day cleaning the house, talking, going for a walk, and just lounging around.  Perfect.

Other things of interest - Nikolai is Narcoleptic when he is tired.  I think that he takes that after Grandpa T!  One minute he is laughing away, the next he is out like a light...

Nikolai is also an EXTREME morning baby.  The second he opens his eyes, he is smiling and laughing!  Doesn't get that from his Mom, I assure you...

He is just starting to get the desire to crawl.  He knows that he wants to move, he just can't figure out how to get his stumpy little legs to do anything - so he tries to stretch further.  It is funny to see him try to Go-Go-Gadget-Arms his way to locomotion!  HA!

With the desire to crawl, comes with the desire to grab EVERYTHING.  No longer is he content to just sit and watch the world go by.  He wants to be interactive baby, and the only way to be interactive is to grab something and put it in his mouth.  HA!

This is still the most fun experience I have ever had - Niko makes being "The World's Greatest Dad" easy (his words - not mine).  Especially when you got the world's greatest kid, and a little bit of support  ;)

More pictures!

12 June 02

That's right!  We started to teach the boy how to swim!  On Moday night, we took him to the pool in our townhouse complex.  With me holding him, I slowly lowered him into the pool to his waist.  His expression did not change one bit.  He looked at us for reassurance that we weren't just putting him in the world's largest pond for no reason.  First he put one hand in, and he liked the way it felt.  So he pulled it out and put it back in - a bit harder/faster this time.  He continued to do this until it looked like Jaws was claiming another victim!  And that was just with one hand...  Then he introduced his second hand, and started splashing away with the veracity of a six month old who was enjoying a pool for the first time!

He soaked me.

But he loved it!  And that is our job - to makes sure that the boy likes all different kinds of experiences!  We got a 30" film clip of him splashing away...  It takes a bit to download, but it is very cute. 

We also got a couple of adorable new pictures - check them out!

9 June 02

This past week, I was lucky enough to be in Abilene, TX. I had to go there
for a Flight Safety Program Management Course. Pretty painless on the whole - but not the journey there!
On Saturday, I fly into Dallas, and (standard) meet up with Peanut. We went
to her cousin Jeff's house and hung out for the majority of the day. Even
had a sweet old lady named Olga stop by and reminisce aboot the good old
days. Downtown we go for steaks and beer - woo-hoo!
Sunday left a painful drive to Abilene in its wake. Stayed at Dyess AFB for
the duration. Even though it was Texas, it was still way greener and cooler
than what I am used to! Even the billeting was very nice. No crack-house
here!

We got released a day early (on Thursday) and I headed up to see my friend
Angry in Wichita Falls, TX at my old stomping grounds. My buddy Ross always drove me around while we were at pilot training at Sheppard AFB, so I had no idea
where I was going! No big deal...

Friday afternoon, I met up w/ Angry on base for a promotion party Crawfish
Boil, topped off by an assignment night at the O'Club... Fun stuff! Capped
off the weekend by another painful drive/flight from Dallas back home...

The boy is as active and happy as ever. He digs his voice at all volumes!
More pix...
 

28 May 02

   This Memorial Day weekend was a BLAST!  We went to Missouri for a Pig Roast.  I am applying to fly the B-2 Stealth Bomber at Whiteman, AFB in Knob Knoster, Missouri.  We had such a good time!  The boy traveled well as always.  We arrived late on Thursday - had a couple of beers at our friends Ross and Karen’s house, then to bed by midnight.  Friday -  went for a walk around his neighborhood (REALLY nice neighborhood)  - and were looking to see if we could afford anything in the area in the event that maybe someday we move out there.  NO CHANCE!  But it is nice to dream.  Then we took their car and drove all around the area looking for other areas we may be interested in living.  Pretty sweet, I must say!  The boy slept almost the entire time we were in the car...  After we got back to Ross' house (~3 p.m.), they were doing yard work in prep for the party.  I got to drive a lawn mower and use a weed wacker!  Doesn't sound like much, but that implies that there was a lawn and weeds...  Nothing like the desert I am used to!  Mmmm...  Green Stuff... 

   Friday night, we took them to this killer Cajun Restaurant (called Jazz).  Wicked spicy gumbo and jambalaya to wash down the multitude of beers!

   Saturday morning it rained, but the pig roast didn't start until 1600.  I took a nice nap by the sound of thunder and lightning and rain just pouring down on the house outside.  Can't tell you the last time I got to nap like that!  Fantastic.  What I was pissed about was that I slept through them getting the pig from the butcher!  I was mad - It is a ritual and rite of passage. But no - I was a little sleeping poofta!  HA!

   Anyway - pig shows up, rain stops, and the beer is iced.  And then it started.  The booze began to flow.  Nikolai was a big fan!  Now, let me tell you – Ross and Karen can throw a bit of a party with a nice spread.  I was not disappointed!  Started sipping all of the different kinds of mixed drinks provided (Margaritas, mudslides, Orange Crème-cicles - AWESOME!)  Then I hit the beers.  And so did the kids.  Hardcore.

   At 1630, my friend Jeff  showed up from St. Louis.  He is a MSgt at Scott AFB in Illinois that we used to know from our days in UMass.  He brought a chick with him named Sharon who was wicked cool…  Puddy standard – networking across the miles!

   We continued to booze until around midnight.  Very nice.  The weather cooperated nicely for the party, and everybody who showed was way cool…

   Sunday - woke up with a pounding hangover and a crying kid.  I took him downstairs and played with him for a bit.  He is the man!  And he didn't even bitch to me that my breath could have killed him!

   So then Jeff says that he wants to go to a baseball game.  So we pack up the boy and go to a KC Royals game.  Pretty cool!  The weather was perfect, and the lad was loving it.  Actually he cried, and then slept for the game.  His teeth are really bothering him, although they haven't broken through yet, so he was a little more whiny then normal.  Again - great pix! 

   We then walked around downtown KC.  We found a nice Italian restaurant in the Plaza district, and partook of some great red wine, however the food sucked.

   Then made our way back to Ross and Karen's house and watched BASEketBall - a funny movie by the creators of South Park.  I think I slept through half of it.  I was exhausted.  We went to bed around 10 p.m., and up at 6 a.m. with the kid.  Went for a nice walk - a great B-fast, and then made our way to the airport.  There was some nasty weather around the central part of the country, so our planes were continually delayed.  Finally arrived back to the homestead at ~10 p.m..  Asleep by 10:30 p.m!

   Looks like KC will be a great area.  The kid gave the "one-puke-up seal of approval!"  Now it is just the waiting game to see if I move to Kansas City to eventually fly the B-2.

   I forgot to mention - the alarm on our house went off at 4:40 on Friday morning!  Fortunately we were not there.  The alarm people and the cops came out and said everything looked normal.  Thank god!  Everything was all locked up, and nothing was out of place.  They called us on my cell phone, and let me know that everything was in place.  Still curious what set off the motion detector!  We'll probably never find out...

   Hope all is well with everyone!  As always – More Pictures…

19 May 02

The date - 11 May 02.  Time: 7 p.m.  We are sitting at a friend's house, enjoying a few Margaritas.  The topic of  Mother's day comes up.  "No problem,"  I thought to myself, "Mother's Day isn't until May 19th!"

Oops.

That is correct.  I screwed up Pam's first Mother's Day.  I suck.

I did some world class groveling and apologizing, and it appears that I am forgiven.  If I was her, I don't think that I would have been so easy on me!

Thursday was my Mom's Birthday, too!  Happy B-day, Mom!  Unfortunately, I think that she spent her day in the dentist office getting surgery...  That sucks - but as always - she recovered just fine...

So on Friday we decide to hit Kartchner Caverns.  It is about 1 hour away, and we decide to go for the night and take Irma, our RV.  Trip number 3 in Irma for the boy, and he just loves it!  Lots of attention showered upon the lad...

Irma had a bit of difficulty getting up some of the hills because we have not stretched her legs since January!  Saturday morn gave us a little morning walk, a big breakfast burrito, and then a tour of the cave.

Wicked Cool.

And here is a website of a bunch of cave pictures.  They did not let us in with cameras, because they said that old people drop things, so we have to deal with other peoples pictures.  Very cool cave.  And you know how I love caves!

Then Saturday afternoon we went to a squadron party...

Side note - The lad is starting to teethe, so EVERYTHING goes into his mouth!  Very funny.  He is also eating solid foods now like a ravenous little piggy!  The transition has been a piece of cake for him - no allergic reactions noted yet!

More Pictures!

11 May 02

The past week has been jam packed!  Flying is still going great, and me and Spam have been walking every day.  Fun stuff!  The boy is back to his normal self - healthy and happy as can be!  This week we also started to introduce solid foods.  His first couple of bites were pretty funny, but he quickly put together exactly what he was supposed to do with it all.  Spit it out all over himself!  Good stuff...  Also gave him his first cleansing experience!  He wasn't quite sure what to think aboot that.  It is really cute watching him sit up on his own (not quite to the point of getting himself there just yet - but a good job maintaining himself once we put him there.)  He is not consistently rolling over on his own.  Pam and I think that he might just skip that step.  Here is a cute video of Nikolai eating.  May take a few minutes to download depending on your internet connection.

Yesterday, we went to our friend John's graduation from the U of A.  We thought it was going to be a 1 hour ceremony where Niko could do just fine.  It was 2 hours and 20 minutes!  Ouch.  And not one single outbreak from the boy.  He just laughed and smiled at the whole thing.  He even was looking over Pam's shoulders flirting with the women behind us!  Chip off the old block...  Best baby in the world!  And pictures to prove it...

4 May 02

Yeah - we have been dealing w/ Nikolai's first puking, hacking, drippy-eye cold.  Not a whole lot of fun!  It is also a blast trying to get him to open his mouth for the "pink-death-medicine" (We all remember that, eh?)  And for the nice eye-goop.  He is still trying to keep up a decent attitude about the whole thing, but it is still more than obvious he is fully ready to get over the cold...

Just got back from taking the boy for a walk at Saguaro Park - as always he was a snooze machine.  Definitely feeling better!  Now he is just coo-ing away!

This website is addictive.

Not a bunch of new pictures of the boy ( unless you want to see pix of him spewing).  Just some of him styling like Hef.

But I did get a bunch of pictures of the 357th Fighter Squadron History Archives.  Pretty cool, if that is what you are in to - Check them out!

28 Apr 02

That's right!  Yesterday was the Davis Monthan Airshow.  All kinds of different planes (fighters, bombers, tankers, transports, helicopters, civilian planes, etc.) flew in from all around the country and put on a pretty decent show!  The weather was nice - a little bit warm with a scorching sun - A lot of people were working on their sunburns - ahh...  Tans.

Nikolai seemed to enjoy all of the people, planes and activities.  He even tried to crawl down the intake of an F-15E!  He does have a bit of a cold, however - and that is giving him quite the cough.  But - feeling sick or not - Niko was in a first rate mood, and ready to soak it all in.

We did see the B-2 bomber do a fly-by.  Very cool.

Charlie, Katie, Mike, and other friends John and Valerie made the journey.  More power to them!  They had to hear me go on, and on (and on and on and on) about all of the planes.  A really cool part of the show, I thought, was that all of the demonstration aircraft had the "Spirit of 9-11" painted on the nose.  Here is an F-117 with the nose art.

We also saw a B-52.  However this was unlike any other Buff  I have ever seen!  This one was carrying a weapon only known by a select few.  This weapon can be dropped deep behind enemy lines, and literally force the enemy to surrender from sleep deprivation.  The blast it makes is not always certain - what IS known about it, however, is that it can contain fierce odors, and the aftermath is ALWAYS messy.  Against the signs that warned me not to - I snuck a picture of this new bomb...

As always, the A-10 was the hit of the show!  Maybe it was for the Gun, or maybe it is because the Hawg can put such a Thump on things!  We found that there was also something in the water that made teeth and bellies grow!  Fat Bastard and the Incredible Mullet Man were there looking for a baby to eat.  We were sure to steer clear of them...

Overall it was just a great day to enjoy the weather and the airshow.

More Pictures!

24 Apr 02

So we are night flying this week, therefore I do not have to go in until late afternoon.  I wake up w/ Spam and the boy ~0600.  And I decide, "what the hell - I'll go for a hike!"  Gotta take advantage of the nice weather while we are here, right?  So I go to Sabino Canyon.  I figure that I will be out ~2.5 hours or so.  No problem.

The problem started when I got lost.  And at this point, my legs are dead tired.  Up and down mountains I traveled on something that could only be described as a "Puddy Death March."  Three hours and Forty Two minutes later, I finally make it back to the car.  And I am beat!

I am also wicked hungry - so I decide that I will re-try my hand at sushi.  I go the the "earthy crunchy" store, Trader Joes, and pick up some tuna and some salmon.  And I proceed to make a ton of sushi.

So I fly at night, watching bombs, rockets and flares blow up.  Cool!  But now I am starting to not feel so well...  Uh-oh...

I make it home uneventfully, and the ol' stomach starts to act up - on both myself and Spam (who also ate sushi).  Whoops.  Now I am sitting here trying to recover from a mild stomach bug.  Damned Trader Joes!

But at least I got some nice pictures of Sabino Canyon...

21 Apr 02

So there was this "Cricket and Wine Tasting" event over the weekend.  Now, I've never tasted a cricket - but I was willing to give it a shot...  Matty B made the journey from Phoenix to go to a concert that was part of this event.  But I screwed it up.  There is no concert.  There never was a concert.  There never will be a concert.  So we went to Gentle Bens and had a few beers.  Yummy Beers.

It was also at this time that Matty B said that he would, "kick my ass at golf."  So I took him up.  And to make it more interesting - we bet dinner.  And he lost.  By 31 strokes!  HA!

I also tried to get creative and try to learn how to make my own sushi...  Not the prettiest first batch in the world - but it was tasty!

We also got Nikolai to meet the "Godfather of Soul."  He was not sure what to think.(Takes a few minutes to download, but well worth it...)

After puking on himself a number of times - it was off to get clean!  Nikolai enjoyed the warm water so much, he decided to add a bit of his own.  One of the funniest things I have ever seen!  Hope all is well...

More pictures!

20 Apr 02

It has been a fast and furious last couple of weeks!  We had a baby shower at the house with one of the girls Pam used to work with.  She is due in the middle of June and she already looks like this!  As you can guess - she is having twins...

We went out with Charlie last weekend to University of Arizona's Spring Fling!  Had a fine time, as always...

I have been flying my butt off lately, and - as always - LOVING IT!  It has been keeping us very busy - Pam still working, as well as me constantly flying, but Nikolai does not seem to mind!  He is now sleeping in his crib - Pam finally got the monkey off her chest!  HA!  He will usually go for 3-4 hours, and then wake up.  Fortunately for me, Pam is still breastfeeding, therefore I don't have to get up in the middle of the night!  She says that Niko won't even give her the common courtesy of opening his eyes while she feeds him at 2 in the morning.  Sleepy Baby!  He is still growing like a weed - fitting into 9-12 month old clothes even though he is less than 5 months!  What else can be expected...

Pam did not get released from Stop-Loss yet again.  That means she will continue to be on Active Duty until the USAF says enough is enough!  Not a whole lot we can do about it for now, but we (read:me) continue to remain optomistic that she will be released on the next board...

MORE PICTURES!!!

6 Apr 02

Sorry it has been such a while since we updated.  I have been gone for six raucous weeks to Squadron Officer School in Montgomery, AL.  It is a school put on by the Air Force in order to teach Leadership and creative problem solving.  Unfortunately, I went there to drink beer!  And I did.  And it was good.

I left the camera back home w/ Spam so she could take pix of the rug-rat whilst I was away.  And she did.  And they were good!  None of the pictures prepared me for what kind of little ham-hock I would be up against for my return!  He changed so much in such a short period of time...  But that is ok, because I am back, and I am not going anywhere in the near future...

Thursday was Cousin Mike's B-day, so last night a bunch of us went out to Pizza.  As always, Albert and Carrie's daughter was a little ham...

Also found out some FANTASTIC news:  Nikolai is going to have a cousin (2nd cousin, that is!)  Katie and Mike have announced that they are expecting the pitter patter of little feet on/about 25 September 02!  Congratulations!

A few words on SOS...

And as Always, MORE PICTURES!

29 Mar 02

This week was pretty uneventful.  Niko is growing and becoming stronger every day.  Today he had his picture taken at the daycare with the Easter Bunny.  They liked him so much they wanted to use his picture on the website they are putting together for their photo business.  Niko is going to be famous!!!

Here are some new pictures.....

22-Mar-02

Niko had his 4 month well baby this week.  He got a clean bill of health.  He  is busting the scales at 18 lbs 3 oz and is 26 1/4 inches long!!!  The doctor said he is doing very well. 

Every day, he seems cuter to me but, of course, I am biased!  He is so much fun and every day I thank God that he is in our lives! 

Here are some new photos.......

9- Mar-02

Yesterday Niko got another set of immunizations!  He handled it like a trooper and the good news is that he is in the clear until he is a year old!  Sweet!!!   He is now weighing in at a whopping 17 lbs and is 25.5 inches long! 

Here are the weekly installment of pictures!  

3-Mar-02

Niko is starting to roll over and we actually got it on film today for all of you to enjoy!  He is so much fun....

Here are a few more pics...

2-24-02

This weekend has been pretty low key.... Niko has spent time with a few new toys and is having fun learning how to use his hands! 

Here are a few pics to enjoy

2-18-02

Absolutely awesome.  This weekend was a total blast.  Friday after work, loaded up the RV and headed off to Canyon Lake in the Tonto National Forest.  It was about a 3 hour drive, but it was well worth it!  I got up wicked early and caught a pretty cool sequence of the sun rising.  I let Pam sleep in (she had been up all night with Nikolai), and I tended to the lad.  As always, Matty B showed up (on Saturday), but this time he brought somebody with him.  Tara.  From college.  Oh my...

So sometime after we graduated college, Tara got to be pretty cool.  So much so, in fact, that I think that I get along with her better than Matty!  HA!  So as soon as they get to the lake, the beers start flowing.  (Standard). The crowd is amazed.  Pam is being the good mommy, and taking care of all of us.  Then we start getting a little hungry, so I throw the steaks that I brought on the grill.  Now, I did not realize that we had about 15 lbs of steak for 4 people, but needless to say, we couldn't finish them all.  After a wicked sunset, we continued to booze.

So we sit by the fire, and we hear some sort of commotion going on a few sites down.  I (with much cowardice) instruct Matt to go find out about the ruckus.  Bulletproof and banged up, he went to the other RV site, where he found a bunch of old people (which we swore were plastic people) playing with their beanbags.  Thank God they were not hairy.

Matty B soon gets on a beanbag tossing team with Tara, and then, with much drunkenness, they proceed to toss the old beanbags around.  The crowd went wild!  I got in on the action, and a fine time was had by all.  We, of course, had to get the group photo before we left!

Sunday morning.  Ouch.  My head hurt.  After a brief lesson from Nikolai in sailing, we decide to go for a hike - not a bad little journey, considering that Matty B gave up caffeine for lent!  He was a little bitter over the whole situation, but he survived.  Matt and Tara were supposed to only stay for one night, but they decided to stay an extra night.  After all, we did have to tear up the town of Tortilla Flat!

A game of Bocce, and a few beers later, we hit the metropolis of Tortilla Flat.  Population: 6.  Unbelievable that some people live out there.  Needless to say, 4.5 rapscallions entering town was going to lead to one long night!  We partied it up with the locals until WELL past 7:05 p.m.!  Then the town closed.  Literally.  We got kicked out of the town at 7:06 p.m.  Ouch.

Back to the RV to play w/ the camcorder and watch the world's happiest kid.  Thanks, Matt for cracking open the 2nd bottle of wine!  Don't worry, Lucille, Matt hasn't lost his edge since college!

And then, in an up-until-now unprecedented feat, Matty B did not go to work on on Monday.  Unbelievable!  But much needed.  We won't count on seeing that again (ever), but it was nice to have him and Tara around...

But the drive home still sucked!  Hate leaving the scenery, but we are back in the saddle!  What a blast...

As always, more pictures for you to enjoy...

2-10-02

Today Niko rolled over from his belly to his back.  We're not sure if he even knows how he did it but we both saw!  Today, we are teaching Pam how to update the website.  She has a lot to learn because she has been looking the other way all this time!

On Friday, Niko got his 2nd set of immunizations.  I tossed him on the scale while we were in the clinic and he tipped the scales at a whopping 15 lbs 3 oz and is 25 inches long.  This is at 11 weeks!  We have ourselves a monster!

As usual, we have a mess of new pictures......

2-9-02

I have got to say that having Nikolai in my life has been the greatest thing I could ever have imagined!  He is such a great kid who travels very well... Today I took him on another 8 mile hike around Saguaro National Park, and he had a blast!  He just sits in the mighty 3-wheeled turbo stroller and checks out the world.  He is 11 weeks old today, and to be honest, I can hardly remember what life was like before he was around.  And I like it that way...

We found out last week that Pam's career field did not get released out of the Air Force.  Kind of a bummer, but everything will work out just fine in the end...  Nikolai really enjoys his daycare, and they enjoy him right back!  One of the babysitters told Pam the other day that he was the cutest baby in there!  And I agree...  He had his "school pictures" taken the other day - They said that he was very smiley and cooperative.  We have prepped him well to be a big ham! 

Nikolai and I had a great time the other day when I had the day off.  I did re-wire the house when I was playing Mr. Mom.  220.  221.  Whatever it takes.

I also got rid of AOL.  They wanted to crank up the price by 50%!  Screw that...  Click HERE to contact me.  I can give you whatever contact info you want off of that address.  Tonight?  Off to On The Border, and tomorrow, going to root for the AFC to take game in Hawaii.  Take care!

2-6-02

So that Pats are the Superbowl Champions, and we couldn't be any happier!  I have the day off, while Pam has to work, so I get one full day with the babe and no Pam.  So far so good!

2-2-02

So I went on another X-country this past weekend to burn some taxpayer's dollars.  Had an absolute BLAST!  Until, that is, I broke in San Antonio, TX!  Poor me...  I had a generator problem, and I was not going anywhere until it was fixed.  So the boss flies out 3 maintenance dudes.  All is fine, until their Continental Flight had a cargo-bay fire, and they had to emergency divert into Houston!  How's the luck...

So they finally arrive in San Antonio, and they go out and look at the plane.  They call me up (as sarcastically as they could muster), and ask me if I had tried to start the generator that day (by the way - it is Tuesday, 29 Jan).  I say no.  Then they say that they could not find anything wrong with the plane!  There is nothing worse for a pilot to hear other than the words, "could not duplicate" from the maintainers!

So now I feel guilty.

Off to the bars we go with dinner and drinks on your's truly.  I turn in relatively early, b/c now with a fixed aircraft, I get to leave in the morning.

So morning comes (Wednesday, 30 Jan), and I get into the plane.  Not only was the original problem still there, there were a host of new problems!  Thanks a pantload, guys!  They do their troubleshooting, figure out the problems, and get the right part mailed out.  They get it fixed late Thursday afternoon, and I am home on Friday!  And do I come home to a fat little kid...

A fat kid, I might add, that slept in his bassinet just about all night!  I know that might not sound like a wicked big deal, but trust me, my kick-ass wife did a fine job whilst I was away!  He is adorable...

The pictures from Bob Chakar are in!  Check them out...

1-21-02

1-12-02

Greetings!  We had an absolute blast bringing Nikolai home for the holidays.  It was a great relief to find out that he travels REALLY well!  We drove up to Phoenix on 23 Dec, where we met up with Matty B who dropped us off at the airport.  There we got the run-around from Northwest Airlines.  They said that our flight to Minneapolis with connecting service to Bradley (in Hartford), would be delayed to the extent that we would either be spending the night in Minneapolis, or in Phoenix.  That was obviously unacceptable.  So, showing off the adorable lad, we scurried to a different terminal and got on an America West flight which brought us into Hartford 2 minutes earlier than had we taken the Northwest flight.  SWEET!  Nikolai is a SPECTACULAR flier.  First of many?  We shall see...

  Only problem, there would be no luggage - it would be delivered the following day.

Pam's parents picked us up at the airport, and we had ~ 1 hour drive to Worcester, MA.  The three of us were dead tired by that point, and ~ 10 minutes to the Rossi household, Nikolai lost it.  He traveled 2994 miles well, and the last 6 he did not.  No problem here!  We got him squared away for him to meet the relatives on X-mas eve day.  One by one they lined up to see him.  He was REALLY well behaved all trip - only crying when he was hungry.  It was cute to see him and his cousin Ryan (who is ~1 month older than him) together.  After a killer scoff at the Rossi house on X-mas day, (including ham), we proceeded to the Hassiak household outside of Albany, New York.

There we got to see Nikolai's other cousins.  Alexis, Ashley, and Oskar.  My mom just about flipped with happiness when she had all her grandchildren running around her at once.  It was great having everyone together.  Terri produced a fantastic X-mas dinner (more ham), that was wolfed down immediately.  On 26 Dec, we went Ice-skating with Ashley and Alexis, and then we pressed on down to Connecticut.  It was great to be "home" again.  The weather was crisp, and there was not just different shades of brown to call "color."  Life was good...

For the next couple of days, we just hung out in Connecticut.  Ron, Rosie, and Oskar were there for the long haul with us, and Ashley and Alexis were going to stay through the weekend.  It was more than obvious that my mom missed her full nest!  My Christmas present to her, was that I got her website, Tolmoff Family Counseling,  up and running (You know - since I am such a master at producing websites).  HA!

On the 29th of December, Arin, Kris, Leah, Mike, and Carolyn all showed up for a couple days of rumpus-ing.  It was great to see everyone again!  It was however a little odd not having the flexibility of running out whenever/wherever we choose!  No problems, though.  We all had a great time just hanging out and catching up...

30 Dec 01.  The day Nikolai has no sin.  Yup - today was Christening day!  We had a pastor who did not seem to really know what he was doing, but in the eyes of God - it was legal!  The whole Rossi clan made the journey down from Mass to take part in this little celebration, and besides a little flat tire on a rental car, no-one was worse for the ware... My brother let Nikolai borrow Oskar's tuxedo from his christening, and Leah brought a traditional Christening gown from Italy.  We had one dapper little dude!  Mike (Pam's little Brother), and Leah (Pam's best friend), were the God-parents.  And, of course, he slept through the whole thing...

Now it is New Year's Eve.  And more Ham.  No sweat, though.  We had planned all along to just take it mellow and hang out at my mom and dad's house.  We did quaff the odd beer, though!  Jay was thoroughly missed!  He was busy partying it up in Costa Rica with Bengt and Anne.  Hope you had a blast over new years!

New Year's Day.  Ouch.  What a hangover.  Everybody crawls out of there little dens, and proceeds to get motivated to head home.  For the first time in YEARS, I was not the one to drive home on New Years Day! 

2 Jan 02.  We are fully expecting my mom to be at work, but she comes down with a NASTY cold that puts her out for 3 days!  She sees us off to Pam's parents house in MA.  An uneventful drive up there.  Only if you call a $279 speeding ticket uneventful!  That sucked.  Oh well, it is the price I have to pay for being prompt...  We added to that good news by finding out that Pam would not be released from the Air Force due to Stop-Loss.  Her waiver was denied.  It should only be for a month or two (tops.)  The only good thing that came out of this is that she will continue to get paid and we can start a healthy college fund for Nikolai!

For the next couple of days, we hung out at Pam's house.  Again - a great time to relax.  In Tucson, I found this killer bottle of red wine, and they just stopped selling it.  Of course I find it back in Mass!  I proceed to drink a magnum and quaff a couple of beers.  I was laid out for a few days just like mom - but for a completely different reason!

Side-note.  The camera breaks AGAIN (Third time).  I am about ready to spin myself into the ceiling.  Irate is not a strong enough word for the contempt I was feeling for Casio at that moment!

3 Jan 02.  Happy 28th to me!  Woo-hoo!

Friday, 4 Jan 02, brought some more visitors to Worcester.  Ernie, of www.ernieshouseofwhoopass.com showed up, as well as Rob, Cindy, and Tara!  We had a great time hanging out.  It turned out that Tara would be a piece of furniture at the Rossi household until we left on Sunday.  No sweat, though.  Somewhere between college and our wedding, she got cool.  HA!

On Saturday, A lot of Pam's relatives showed up to Worcester - it has been a LONG time since I have seen them!  And Butch - if you wish for another kid so soon for us...   I WILL get you!  More sensory overload for Nikolai, but as always, he had no problems.

Which brings us to one of the longest days of my life...  Sunday 6 Jan 02.  Some IDIOT (read: me), decided to get plane tickets that leave Hartford at 5:45 p.m.  That would put us into Phoenix at 12:30 a.m. on Monday morning!  However to us, it would feel like 2:30 a.m.  Throw in the fact that now we had to get our luggage, our car, and DRIVE for 2 more hours, and we are certainly setting ourselves up for failure.  Did I mention that I had to get to work on Monday morning?  So at Bradley, the chick behind the counter, says that we were, "randomly selected" to be thoroughly searched every time we did anything (security, check-ins, getting on the plane, etc.).  Shoes, suitcases, metal detecting wands, EVERYTHING.  However, active duty military are supposed to be exempt from this kind of torture.  I mention this to her, and she says that she is very sorry, she screwed up, however the computer will not accept this information after the fact.  So I ask for, and receive, a First-Class upgrade for the three of us!  When is the last time you have seen an infant flying First Class?  Woo-hook!  I am thinking that we are going to be styling the whole way back to Phoenix.  Not the case.  I put back a few bloody marys on the ride to Minneapolis, and I am feeling no pain.  We get to our next flight, and it is PACKED.  By this point, I am beginning to get hungover and exhausted!  Matty B saves us ~ 45 minutes by delivering our car to the baggage claim area at ~12:20 a.m.  Fantastic.  Nate drives him home (you guys ROCK), and we start the long drive home.  By we, I mean Pam.  Of course Nikolai gets hungry the second we leave the airport, so we pull into the ghetto part of Phoenix, and Pam feeds him at a gas station parking lot.  Twice.  It is now after 1:00 a.m. (Feels like 3), and we are now just getting back on the road.  We are both a MESS by the time we reach Tucson.  I sleep for ~3.5 hours, and get up to go to work.  Fortunately I did not have to fly, though!

And this past week has been nothing more than a struggle trying to make up on that sleep.  I also sent in the camera (time #3), and Dude-X at Casio said he would send out a brand new one.  We are still waiting.

On Thursday, 10 Jan, Nikolai had to start day care, due to Pam getting F&*Ked by Stop-Loss.  It was not fun, but Nikolai fared extremely well, and he seems like he will have no problems in the future.

So that, Your Honor, is how the 17 year old girl got into my room.

12-22-01

All is well on the Western Front.  Finally got a chance to figure out Front Page - nothing is too hard once you learn how to do it!  Wish us luck on our journeys!

12-20-01

   So we went to our first real, "kids outing" tonight with a couple of other people who have kids.  Some genius amongst us decided that it was high-time we go to Chili's.  There we were about 13 adults with no fewer than *Eleven* children.  Not every kid screamed at once, but each one had their moment...  It was still pretty cool...  We are in the short order of acknowledging that life as we know it has changed...  But that still didn't keep me from having the odd Margarita! 

12-19-01

We are still digging the lad, and we can't wait to take him home to meet the rest of his family!  More good stuff to follow...

     Soon - I hope...