Where Did the Time Go?

I cannot believe that it has been 7 weeks since my 2nd daughter has come into this world. So that means that I have 1 MORE week of leave. Now talk about sadness. That has been wonderful seeing every minute of the latest addition to our family growth ever so quickly.

I would give ANYTHING to be able to just stay at home. I know that at this point in our lives that it is not possible. It is unreal how fast 2 month can fly by. I know that I have to get my butt back to the cheese mine and sweat it off in 120+ degree temperatures.

I love my wife and daughters so much that I continue to back so my wife can stay home and raise them the way we want it to be done. I respect my wife for staying home and dealing with Miss lil cranky pants sometimes, because I know that they get one their nerves.

I know that I will cry my first day back to work and see my eldest daughter happy when I come back home at night. This is something that my wife does not get, because her work comes to her(babysitting). 

New Geekling

It is official we are a family of 4 now. Now talk about scarey stuff. It happened on April 26th at 1235 AM. We had no idea what were having and he had a girl. She was 8 lbs 15 oz and 21 inches long. To me it is still amazing that she fit in my wife' for as long as we did.

Yet again we had to intervene to force were out with pitocin. Just like my first we had to terminate the stay in the nice and cozy uterus.My wife started at 8am on April 25...we sure do manke some stubborn children that is for sure..lol. 

So far everything is going pretty good.  

Having A Blog Identity Crisis

I think I am going to be taking a break from this space that I have called home right now for 4 years. :( This space is just not fitting to who I am am right now. I am not that sure if it is the name or what. I am a total geek, but yet I garden and hunt and other outdoors things.
How do you people do it that have kids and a wife and work 6 days a week.
 I am so conflicted.

So if any of you can relate.....give me a holler.

Not Even Cool

I saw this “story” on Wampa News the other day. I know it is FAKE, but the thought of it even being legit has kind of scarred me. Talk about a downfall of the Star Wars Franchise if Disney would even think about doing this.
 

BREAKING | STEPHENIE MEYER AND E.L. JAMES RE-WRITING EPISODE VII SCRIPT!!!
Sources inside Lucasfilm have informed us that Stephenie Meyer, author of the wildly popular “Twilight” series of novels, and E.L. James, author of the “50 Shades of Grey” trilogy, have been brought in to re-write the script for Star Wars Episode VII. The duo was reportedly brought in at the request of director Disney executives who felt that the script director JJ Abrams and "The Empire Strikes Back" writer Lawrence Kasdan had written was lacking when it came to the romance.
Our sources say that, upon reading Abrams and Kasdan's draft of the script, Disney execs wanted the love story, which was a sub-plot in the Abrams/Kasdan script, to be brought to the forefront to appeal to a broader audience. There are reportedly four romantic subplots in the Meyer/James script, compared to the just one in the Kasdan/Abrams script.
According to our source, the relationships are: Han and Leia's daughter Jaina (reportedly played by Taylor Swift) having a fling with an imperial officer (reportedly played by Justin Beiber), Han and Leia's marital difficulties caused by Jaina's fling, Luke's struggles learning to love again following the death of his wife Mara Jade (portrayed in flashbacks by Kristen Stewart), and Luke's son (reportedly played by Zac Efron) and his struggles with coming out of the closet to his father about his relationship with another Jedi (reportedly played by Michael Cera).
Fans can expect lots of drama and lots of heat as the love stories play out over the film and set the stage for the relationships in Episode VIII, which will introduce new players into the relationships and cause love triangles for characters you might not expect (think Han and Leia).
Star Wars Episode VII hits theaters December 18, 2015 and stars Mark Hamil, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Zac Efron, Justin Beiber, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Swift, and Michael Cera.
What are your thoughts??

Spring Is Here!!!

I just cannot believe that the season of spring is FINALLY here. After the PROLONGED winter that we(Wisconsin) has this year it was crazy.Damn you Polar Vortex or whatever you are called. It was pretty much from hunting season(October) to until last week of March that we had immense amounts of snow on the ground. 

I took a lookie at flower bed today and YES we have rhubarb sproating up. My thoughts wre sweet. I canot wait for the sauces and the bars, etc that we make with the plants of of the good stuff that is sprouting in the backyard right now.

I guess my wife and I better get the seeds started...oh wait I think we better order the seeds as well. his season we are taking it easy with the little one that is about the be welcomed to the world any day now.

Current State

Time and Place // 9:11AM at the Northwoods home base of WI

Eating and Drinking //Coffee..my usual life line and I did eat oatmeal with rasberries and blueberries(from last season)

Reading //I am currently reading Moneyball and Trappers Bible. With Moneyball it is the season for baseball, so I figured I would read this one. I sure an enjoying this book thus far. Trappers Bible I am learning more doing my offseason for sets and techniques for my targeted animals
.
Watching //  I have been watching this series on Sundays called Crisis. It is one of the show I try to watch now.

Listening // Slugging my way through The Outsiders. It is a good book thus far....mot sure what is taking me.

Hating // The feelig you get when you have not had dep fried in AGES. Uggh...that this mean I am getting old.

Loving// How much my daughter has blossomed this year in 3K. She can write her name and recognize all her letters.

Avoiding // Finalizing the pool that I ran for March Madness. I think I will divey up the winnings tomorrow.

Anticipating //This baby to FINALLY arrive we the people are getting anxious. My daughter dance recital that is a little bit over a month.
. What are you reading today?

Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is hilarious. I think that I am going to get this book for every soon to be parent from on. I know I can be evil sometimes...teehee.
 To me this was one of those book that were unputtdownable.This was a great book for my wife and I to read before we add another one to our crazy lives.

Basically, this is book of “bits” about Jim’s experiences becoming and being a father.Jim and his wife currently have five children and they live in a two-bedroom apartment in NYC. Yes, you do the math. The “bit” about how they have to put the kids to bed each night is like one of those logic problems from the SAT (Dan has to sit next to Jane and Sue, but he can’t sit next to Carl or . . . you get the idea).
Gaffigan manages to mix the right amount of snark and heart into these stories and most of them made me laugh out loud (yes, in the bathroom) at least once. Some of my favorites include the discussion of how naps are “pay day loans” or why parents give in to McDonalds. The chapter, “Are You Done Yet?” where he discusses the growing dismay of his friends and family as he and his wife exceed the normal couple allotment of two children is brilliant.
Though Gaffigan mines his home life for comic gold, some things are clear. He loves his wife, he loves his kids, and he loves his life—even though it is chaotic, sometimes impossible, and exhausting. This book made me wonder how much fun it would be to grow up in the Gaffigan household—I suspect that the next generation of standup comics is in the making.

Hugo Did You Say

I just cannot believe that the Hugo List is out. Where does that time go.  I am hoping that one day I will be somewhere as a nominee. I also think that it is sweet that I know some of the nominees and they are kick ass(pardon my German). I hope that you people read through and let me know what you thoughts are on the list.

In the interest of full disclosure, here are the categories and the nominees I chose in each category. Following that I have a few notes. If you’ve voted, and/or if you have an opinion about any of my nominees, I do hope you’ll share.

Novel:
The Mad Scientist’s Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke (Angry Robot)
Love Minus Eighty by Will McIntosh (Orbit)
The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord (Del Rey)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (William Morrow)
Abbadon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey (Orbit)
Novella:
“The Other Gun” by Neal Asher (Asimov’s, April/May 2013)
“Equoid” by Charles Stross (Tor.com, September 2013)
Novelette:
“Over There” by Will McIntosh (Asimov’s, January 2013)
“Hotel” by Suzanne Palmer (Asimov’s, January 2013)
“The Fountain” by G. David Nordley (Asimov’s, June 2013)
“Warlord” by Tom Purdom (Asimov’s, April/May 2013)
“All the Snake Handlers I Know are Dead” by Dennis Danvers (Tor.com, July 2013)
Short Story:
“About the Mirror and its Pieces” by Carrie Cuinn (Woman and Other Constructs)
“The Urashima Effect” by E. Lily Yu (Clarkesworld, June 2013)
“Dignity” by Jay O’Connell (Asimov’s, December 2013)
“Abyssus Abyssum Invocat” by Genevieve Valentine (Lightspeed, February 2013)
“The Sounds of Old Earth” by Matthew Kressel (Lightspeed, January 2013)
Best Related Work:
John Picacio 2014 Calendar
Writing Excuses Podcast, Season 8
Tor.com
Spectrum 20: The Best of Contemporary Fantastic Art
Mark Schultz: Carbon

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form):
Neverwhere: Full Cast Recording
Oblivion (motion picture: Karl Gajdusek, Michael Arndt, Joseph Kosinski)
Gravity (motion picture: Alfonso Cuaron, Jonas Cuaron, George Clooney)
Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form):
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
A Calendar of Tales Audio: narrated by Neil Gaiman
Fortunately, The Milk Audio: narrated by Neil Gaiman
Best Editor (Short Form):
Neil Clarke (Clarkesworld)
Jonathan Strahan (Solaris, Night Shade)
John Joseph Adams (Lightspeed)
Sheila Williams (Asimov’s)
Ellen Datlow (Tor.com)

Best Semiprozine:
Lightspeed
Clarkesworld
Apex Magazine
Locus
Best Fanzine:
A Dribble of Ink (Aidan Moher)
Little Red Reviewer (Andrea Johnson)
Bookworm Blues (Sarah Chorn)
SF Signal (John DeNardo) recused
Best Fancast:
The Coode Street Podcast (Jonathan Strahan, Gary K. Wolfe)
The SF Signal Podcast (Patrick Hester)
Sword and Laser Podcast (Veronica Belmont, Tom Merritt)
SF Squeecast (Seanan McGuire, Paul Cornell, Elizabeth Bear, Lynne M. Thomas, Catherynne Valente) recused
Functional Nerds (John Anealio, Patrick Hester)
Best Fan Writer:
Paul Weimer (blog,)
Carrie Cuinn (blog)
Sarah Chorn (blog)


Also on a side note:  I am going to be here on this location to stay. So please disregard my post from last week. Sorry for being scatter-brained I am not that sure what came over me.

Crazy Week

I cannot believe that in about a month that our family will be welcoming our new edition into the world. I for one am not that sure where ALL that time goes. It just seems like yesterday that we found out that we were FINALLY pregnant.With all that appointments with the fertility clinic(which we are lucky to have great insurance) and failed tests. It came true…perfect timing.

This week we have been busy making freezer meals for when the baby come and we are more prepared compared to where we were when our daughter came into the world. I think that we are set for almost 2 months of meals. 

At the mid point of the week, we had a growth ultrasound and the baby is still growing. Still not sure hope the baby can take being so squished in there. Right now the baby is measuring at 7 lbs 9 oz, still on pace to hit 10 lbs. WOW

Of course we did get more snow and made a mess. It snowed 3 inches this week then melted with how high the temps where this past week(40-50). Fun fun in the flood zone.

We will see if the baby comes early…I am hoping so for the sake of my wife.It seems like we are in a rat race right now. I am hoping that everything is worth it and think that it will be.

Lil Minion Update

I meant to do this earlier this week, but it has been crazy buzzy.Work I tell you it is always getting in the way.

My wife went in for a second ultrasound last week. Supposedly, she is measuring 4 weeks ahead of schedule.I am not that sure how they can tell for sure when we got pregnant consider my wife has a spotty cycle anyhow.

The doc told her that the baby might reach over 10 lbs if we do go full-term. We shall see I guess. Then the doc told my wife to consider a cesarean surgery. I am praying that does not happen:

1. We would like to have this lil minion exposed to as few drugs as possible.
2. We live in a 2 story house. It would rough for my wife to get upstairs  to sleep in our bed.

This worried me a bit so I will be going to the next appointment in a couple of weeks.

So that is all for the update so far.

Why the Name Change?

I figured that this name just fit a little bit better. With where I(my family and I) live this just flows a bit better.  The town where we reside have a whopping 800 people in it....good ole small town gossip...uggh. Anyways were was I....

 Plus,with us living in the Northwoods in Wisconsin I do quite a bit of stuff outside or offline like family,hunting, gardening, etc.

A dork is very much with what I am. Here is a quick defenition Dork: Someone who has odd interests, and is often silly at times. A dork is also someone who can be themselves and not care what anyone thinks.
So yeah this pretty much me as well. I will still be doing reviews, but I am planning on doing a different variety of content in my posts. I am keeping my url the same for now at least.


Thoughts on name change?

Ultrasound Tomorrow

It is going to be interesting tomorrow, we are going to be having a second ultrasound. It is due to the fact that my wife has been measuring between 10-14 days.I am figuring the they(the docs) will ne moving the due date up a little bit. My wife is in denial.

It would be kind of nice considering that my daughter has a dance recital in the middle of May. It would work out pretty good if the guess ate would be pushed up a little bit. Every parent know how crazy though first couple of weeks can be. The sleep deprivation getting up every couple of hours for feeding.

We will see how big the head is and the current wait for the lil minion.

For everyone, that is interesting I will keep everyone up-to-date with the news that we get from the tests tomorrow.

League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth by Mark Fainaru-Wada, Steve Fainaru

League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth by Mark Fainaru-Wada, Steve Fainaru

Completed: Feburary 2014
Length:399 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This book reveals how the NFL, over a period of nearly two decades, sought to cover up and deny mounting evidence of the connection between football and brain damage.
Comprehensively, and for the first time, award-winning ESPN investigative reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru tell the story of a public health crisis that emerged from the playing fields of our 21st century pastime. Everyone knew that football is violent and dangerous. But what the players who built the NFL into a $10 billion industry didn’t know – and what the league sought to shield from them – is that no amount of padding could protect the human brain from the force generated by modern football; that the very essence of the game could be exposing these players to brain damage.
In a fast-paced narrative that moves between the NFL trenches, America’s research labs and the boardrooms where the NFL went to war against science, League of Denial examines how the league used its power and resources to attack independent scientists and elevate its own flawed research -- a campaign with echoes of Big Tobacco’s fight to deny the connection between smoking and lung cancer. It chronicles the tragic fates of players like Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, who was so disturbed at the time of his death he fantasized about shooting NFL executives; and former Chargers great Junior Seau, whose diseased brain became the target of an unseemly scientific battle between researchers and the NFL. Based on exclusive interviews, previously undisclosed documents and private emails, this is the story of what the NFL knew and when it knew it – questions at the heart of crisis that threatens football, from the highest levels all the way down to Pop Warner.

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre? Non-fiction-sports

What lead you to pick up this book? I am a die-hard football fan(Vikings). I saw the Frontline special on this subject. I figured it would be a great read. I was not disappointed.

Summarize the Plot: In the League of Denial it traces the history of the battle over head injuries being suffered by NFL football players. It actually is impacting all football players. It has become a battle between scientists and those in the league who are denying the seriousness of the problem.

What did you like most about this book?

I liked the way that the authors went through to show the way the league tried to deny that football was not the cause for former player with brain damage. It was sad to read some of the cases at what the former players and their families went through.

What did you the least?

The man that discovered the link seemed that he did not get the amount of credit that he rightfully deserves.
What did you think of the writing style?
I thought this book was easy reading. I think that a non-football fan could easy pick this book up and read it with no issues whatsoever.
What did you think of the ending? The book ended on a high note, that the league is starting to take responsibility of a dangerous workplace.The league is starting to take some responsibility for they way the concussion crisis was handled.  

Boy Does Time Fly

Tonight my wife and I went out for a "date night." With a lil bundle on the way it seems we do not get many of those anymore considering all the preplanning and work for the arrival.

We will be technically married for 6 year, but we were hitched on leap day back in 2008, on February 29th...when life was simpler(is that a word). The journey we have had thus far has been a fun one. It is unreal how fast some things in life change with all the trials and difficulties that we had so far. It only make us stronger..right. It should be interesting to see what the future hold for us.

Anyway, we went out to a local restaurant and had some delicious steaks. My wife chose a etter cut. I knew I should have had the ribeye. Her steak was perfect and cut like butter. Overall, it was a great night. Now my wife is beat and ready for bed.

It will be interesting to see how different out lives will be by next year will you minions. Any hint will help.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Imagine for a second that you are a teen living in a world where at any moment your parents or guardians may choose to have you unwound. If you disobey them or are become unwanted in any way, they may sign the papers and have you shipped off to a “harvest camp” where you will be prepped and then taken piece by piece. If you’re born into the right religion you may even have the privilege of being tithed (aka unwound with an honorable connotation). Satisfying both pro-life and pro-choice advocates, the justification of unwinding is that the teens live on within the bodies of the people given their parts. Disturbing? Definitely. Unrealistic? A bit… But this story and the characters brought such life to the idea, that is quickly became real.

The concept behind this book was chilling and you(well at least I was) on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next.You travel through this book with 3 different teen that are set to be unwound. Yes they do go throught what a person is thinking and feeling  going through an unwinding. 

This is one of those book that I will never forget read and it will always stick with me. I am pro-life and this book make you think...what if abortion was illegal. What is a parent(s) did not want the child anymore? 

I recommend that everyone should read this book.

Interesting Weekend

This past weekend my wife and I attended a workshop for natural child birthing. We found it quite interesting. I learned so much in 7 hours. It was an eye opener to me, because before this workshop. I was not all that sure my wife could do this. After learning some relazation and pain management techniques, I know know my wife can do this. The Doula that taught the class was awesome.

.An eye opening documentry is: The Business of Being Born. I reveals that there is much to distrust behind hospital doors and follows several couples who decide to give birth on their own terms.

We are still going to be giving birth in the hospital, because we are over an 1hr either way. So no homebirth for this couple.

To make this a reality, I hope that this little stubborn bundle of joy flips out of the breach position. Or my wife will need Cesarean surgery...:( This is important to us with the unsatisfactory birthing experience we had with our daughter.

The Royal Road to Fotheringhay by Jean Plaidy

The Royal Road to Fotheringhay  by Jean Plaidy
 Series: Stuart Saga
Genre:Historical Fiction
Page: 337
My rating:Save It

Jean Plaidy reveals her steadfast grasp of historical storytelling in this engaging account of the first half of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Can you imagine being named a Queen at the age of a mere 6 days old. It's a short, eventful read with a large cast of sinister characters who'll do anything in their power to manipulate the queen for their own ends.

As I know next to nothing about Mary's story, I used this as a kind of educational novel to help teach me about her.I wanted to read this book because of Cw's Reign, in which I love this show. It works a treat in this respect, providing historical details and a real air of authenticity along with plenty of entertainment along the way. It shows not all history book are a bore.

Plaidy is particularly good at creating larger than life characters, from Mary's ultra-sleazy uncle, a Cardinal, to the swaggering Borderer, Bothwell. Such characters are hugely enjoyable to read about, and Plaidy's writing style makes them all the better. She has a way of writing that feels courtly and understated - it may be a product of the era in which she was working - so that even the most outrageous scandal takes place almost matter-of-factly.It was overall a great book.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Series: The Giver #1
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 179 
My rating: Save It

This is a great book. I wish everyone would read this book. There is are so many people that are missing out on a great piece of work. Its deceptively simplistic language reveals a rather horrifying dystopian world. Lois Lowry sure is craft with her words and action throughout this book.

This is a world where people are not given freedom to decide anything for themselves - their spouses, children, careers, future, even clothes or haircuts are all pre-planned and pre-selected for them. This futuristic world to me would suck. I sure hope that this is not what the future generations have to look forward to. They are not allowed to even own their feelings and dreams. I cannot imagine having everything in my life set out before me and having no choices..:( Of course, it is done for common good - to preserve peace and serenity, to avoid any disturbance, be that war, hunger, over-population, or simply personal discomfort of pain. Only two people in this community are able to understand what people miss out on. The main character Jonas is one of these people.

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared."

 

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell
My rating:Save It

After a speech by wise Old Major , the great pig (read Marx/Lenin), in which it is noted that the life of an animal is misery and slavery and than man is the only creature that consumes without producing, the animals rise up and throw off the yolk of their oppressive master Jones (read Romanov family). Two pigs Napoleon (Stalin) and Snowball (Trotsky) lead the Revolution.

Tired of their servitude to man, a group of farm animals revolt and establish their own society, only to be betrayed into worse servitude by their leaders, the pigs, whose slogan becomes: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This 1945 satire addresses the socialist/ communist philosophy of Stalin in the Soviet Union.


Strengths:

• A deep book of a short read. I thought that animals rebellion against the farmer might be a good thing. In the end, I am not so sure.
• I found myself so wrapped up in this book that when the pigs that ruled and had all the privileges would change rules at random to suit their needs I was groaning and pitying these other animals who suffered because of it.
• Orwell shows how socialist ideals are corrupted by powerful people, how the uneducated masses are taken advantage of.  

Weaknesses: 
 For me it was my utter lack of Russian history that sometimes I had to sit back and think...what was George saying there.

Summary:
I am not sure what I was really expecting from Animal Farm. I will tell you this I was not envisioning in learning about Russian history. The symbolism that Orwell brought with the story what the story really meant. Orwell also shows corrupted by powerful people, how the uneducated masses are taken advantage of throughout this book. It just ticked me off. I was wondering if the working class animals were going to overtake the pig...no such luck. I am in the mood for some bacon now.
 

More Comedy In Our Lives

I have decided that I am going to host a challenge/read-along. Everyone needs to have some humor in there life. As the saying goes, Laughter is the best medicine....well as long as it is not aimed toward you. 

I am thinking of hosting a read-along of the first book of the Douglas Adam series, The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I am hoping to do it in either March or April. I will let you know on the specifics. 

As of right now, it is just in the incubation period.

Here is the plot of the book:

Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.

Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.

If you are interested just coment below. Thank you

 

Welcome 2014

Boy where did that year go. It just seemed like yesterday that we were welcoming in 2013. I cannot believe a year has come and gone. Sometimes i wish that I go go back and tweak a thing or two that would have done differently.

As for reading,this year I will be doing something different. I am not going to set a book limit that I would like to read this year. Everyone on GoodReads sets the amount of book they plan on reading in 2014. I am going do more challeneges this year and read-alongs. So by doing this I am hoping to put less stress on the reading part of my life. Because lets face it reeading is fun and should be relaxing.

No more by the number for this guy. More quality