THE SIMPLE LIFE

Good to be Back

2011-03-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Last week was miserable. Ben started complaining about his ear one day and the next night he bawled until dawn. When we took him to the doctor it was obviously an ear infection and we gave him oral antibiotics to treat it. After a few days on antibiotics it seemed like he was getting better, but as soon as we thought we were out of the woods he spent another day complaining and crying about just about everything. I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to whiny toddlers, so I thought he was just having a bad day. Just in case he wasn't, we took him to the doctor again, and it seemed as though he was getting better. We were sent on our way with some ear drops for the pain and instructions to continue the antibiotics. A couple days of whiny-ness ensued and then came the worst day on record so far this year. Sunday morning, Ben woke up screaming and continued to scream and whine all day. Luckily, Amber had just bought the movie "Cars" for Ben and that kept him calm for 15-minute stretches. All that whining, added to the stress of taking care of our newborn, Sam, added to the stress of Amber going back to work soon, added to my 40-hour work week had us beat down that night. We resolved to take Ben with us to Sam's two-month well baby check in the morning. While Sam's visit went wonderfully and he is perfect in ways only a newborn can be perfect, Ben was a mess. Tired and in pain, he practically begged our doctor to check him out. When the doctor checked his ears, surprise, still infected in one and the infection looked like it had spread to the other ear as well. After a short discussion of treatment options we opted for the aggressive antibiotic injections once a day for three straight days. Ben is a champ when it comes to shots. He usually just cries for the couple seconds the needle is actually in him and then it's over.

Here I am on day four and I'm proud to report our toddler is back to his old self once again. This morning he was running around and giggling and trying to get out of putting on his coat before going outside. His smile and the inflection of his voice when he says,"I'm happy!" almost completely erases the memory of last week. Now that Ben is back to healthy, Amber is back to work, I'm back to home life with my boys, and life is in order once again I can say, It is good to be back.

A Sunday Afternoon Hike

2011-02-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

When I heard the weather forecast for Sunday I immediately thought of taking my two-year-old hiking. Some people think there's not a whole lot of good hiking in southeastern Nebraska, but for me, the state parks that line the Platte River are an excellent place to get away and do some walking. Ben was so excited to go hiking with his daddy that he decided to forgo his afternoon nap to prepare.

After the short 30 minute car ride to Platte River State Park we stopped at the visitor center and picked up our annual park permits and continued on to the Lincoln Journal Tower where we parked.

It was a pretty windy afternoon, so we didn't climb all the way to the top where you have a great view of the area. Instead we climbed about half way up and Ben was rewarded with a beautiful view of the thawing Platte River.

When we got back on solid ground I got Ben packed up in the Kelty backpack and we started down the trail. Initially I considered letting Ben hike along side and in front of me, but by the time we made it to the woods, it was obvious the trail was still completely covered in snow and slush. My hiking boots would work fine, but his shoes and socks would have been soaked in a matter of minutes. The trail immediately descends toward the river over a series hills and bridges. It was nice to see the bridges in good repair. This one looks like it was almost completely rebuilt since my last hike here.

Ben and I continued through the woods and he was eager to point out everything he saw including trees, snow, leaves, and birds. I was feeling great to be backpacking in mid-February and it was nice to feel the weight of the pack on my back once more.

Every once and a while there was a fork in the trail and I let Ben choose our route down to the river and Owen crossing.

As we neared the Platte River, we heard the creaking and popping of thawing ice. The water in the middle of the river was flowing pretty quickly.

We even got the treat to see a couple of trains go by in the time we spent by the river. It was loud, but I could hear Ben in my ear, "Train, daddy, train!"

After we crossed over the biggest creek in the area at Owen crossing, we started back uphill again. With all the melting snow and ice, the trails were like little streams making their way to the river. To avoid too much mud and water, we took a less used trail and I ended up having to make my own path through the snow for the first time in the hike.

After another 15 or 20 minutes of hiking east, Ben told me (in his own way) to start heading back to the van. On our way back we encountered several "NO TRESPASSING" signs of which I took many pictures.

I could have avoided this muddy crossing, but I wanted to test my boots and my mud-walking skills.

After the mud walk we stepped over some barbed wire and made our way to the river by Owen crossing. I love long shots of railroad tracks, so I took one. I considered getting Ben out of the pack so he could explore a bit, but since we had already seen a couple trains, I decided it probably wasn't the best idea.

Getting back on the trail, we started up the hills going west, retracing our footsteps back to the trailhead. I don't remember the hills being as steep on our way down them.

When we made it out of the woods I finally got Ben out of the pack and let him "hike" the 100-or-so yards back to our starting point. He was so happy and cute walking along with his shadow. He even hopped over and into some puddles, which made his day.

Once back at the van we had a snack of granola bars and water and played around the little lodge by the trailhead. The wind had died down considerably and I really encouraged Ben to climb the Lincoln Journal Tower to the top, but he wasn't really in the mood to go up again.

Overall, I'd say my first "long" distance hiking with Ben went really well. We were on the trail for nearly two hours and probably covered at least a couple miles. I'm encouraged that there was no complaining and that he said he was having fun every time I asked how he was doing. As I've said before, walking,hiking and camping are probably my favorite "sports" or outdoor activities. I'm glad I get to pass on my love of these things to my kids.

Xanga

2011-02-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder to yourself what you were thinking about 7 or 8 years ago? For me xanga has answered that question. It is pretty amazing how I've changed over the years, but also how I've stayed the same. If you follow the link, please start from the beginning with November 2003, and I think you should be warned that I used to think and write about God and girls an awful lot (and also Lord or the Rings).

One Month

2011-01-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

As I'm typing this sentence the clock has moved from 12:28 to 12:29 and exactly one month ago Samuel Allan Artz was born. It is incredible how fast time moves when you measure it in feedings, diapers, and sleep. In fact we all just got done eating, Sam's diaper needs changed, and Ben and Amber have just laid down for an afternoon nap. We are starting to fall in to the routines of daily life again, although Sam's schedule trumps all else. While this first month has been trying at times, I'm thoroughly convinced that life is better with four of us.

Sickness and Fatherhood

2011-01-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

I've been sick the last couple of days, and have had a pretty rough go of it. It's just a cold, but on top of that I have a "sickish" 2-year-old and a newborn that demand my attention. I was thinking today about how, whenever one of our kids is sick and cranky or hurt in some way I always wish I could take that pain and sickness away from him and put it on myself. But in the midst of my sickness today I realized that I am a much better father when I'm healthy and he's sick, than the other way around.

When I'm sick, life sucks for my kids. Just last night at dinner, Ben was doing some annoying stuff with his food and not wanting to eat, etc. and I kind of snapped at him. And earlier in the day he was doing something wrong, but it was fairly minor, and instead of talking to him and explaining his mistake, I immediately resorted to a stern warning and time-out time. I speak loudly. I'm more irritable. And I am way too quick to anger.

But when one of my kids is sick, life is good for him. I'm more flexible when it comes to wrongdoing, I speak softer and try to reason when mistakes are made. I hold him more if he wants held, and give him space when he wants space. He gets to eat almost whatever he wants, as well as play with whatever toys he wants, as well as watch whatever TV/movie he wants. I'm kinder, gentler, and slow to judge.

So why is it that I still want to take on his sickness when I see him suffering? I guess it's just part of loving him.

New Year, New.... BABY!

2011-01-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Samuel Allan Artz was born at 12:29PM on December 27th, 2010. He was 19.75 inches long and weighed 7lbs.12oz.

In the weeks leading up to Sam's birth, Amber became more and more uncomfortable and took to sleeping on the couch every night. Though I say "sleeping," mostly she tossed and turned because Sam was most active from 10PM to 4AM. On December 26th she was feeling well, and we were just talking about how nice it would be to have the baby soon, but that it still probably wouldn't happen for another week or so. At about midnight, Amber started having some good contractions and decided to time them. After an hour or so of contractions (and a couple take-your-breath-away ones at that) she decided to wake me.

I'm usually a pretty heavy sleeper, so when I'm nudged awake at 1:00 I'm usually not a happy camper. I kept on asking Amber, "Are you sure?" and, "Can't we wait and see?" But all I got for answers are, "We are going to the hospital. We're having a baby." Even when Amber's brother, Allan, and sister-in-law, Braedi, arrived to watch Ben, I told them, "Don't be surprised if were back in a couple hours." With that, we were out the door and made it to the hospital around 2:00. From 2:00 to 5:00 Amber was mostly just monitored and got asked all the important questions that you're asked when you go to the hospital. I mostly tried to relax and get some sleep. Around 5 she was officially admitted to the hospital and the realization finally sunk in for me - We are having this baby today and probably in just a few short hours.

Amber's doctor came by just after 7:00 to check her and decided to break her water to get the show on the road. A bit after that I drove home to pick up Ben and take him to daycare, but first our firstborn son had to stop in to see his Mommy one last time as an only child. To show his obliviousness to the situation, he mostly just played around with all the cool machines, until I took him down to daycare at about 8:30.

Over the course of the next couple hours Amber got her epidural, was checked again, and we had a few visitors including my mom, Allan, and Braedi. Amber was doing well ,but was progressing fairly slowly. It turned out that Sam's head was facing the wrong way for delivery. One of the nurses had Amber change positions and lay almost on her tummy. After about an hour of that horribly uncomfortable position she sat up and was checked again, and to my astonishment, it actually worked - Sam's head was turned around and things started progressing really fast! In the next hour she went from 4.5cm all the way to 9.5cm, and we started preparing to push.

Here was my big moment in the whole birthing process - when the contraction came I counted to 10 strongly and slowly three times in a row as Amber pushed three times in a row for every contraction. After the first contraction I could see the top of his little head, after the second he was almost there, and after only the third his head emerged completely. A couple little pushes later and Sam had arrived at 12:29. He was immediately laid on Amber's chest and we basked in glow of this new little person. Shortly after that he was cleaned up a little more, weighed, and measured.

Minutes later I had the pleasure of announcing his name and stats to our family waiting just outside. Later they got to come and meet the new little one and pass him from person to person while I made phone calls to the rest of our family.

We have always received such great care when at the hospital, and this time was no different. I'm thankful to the nurses, anesthesiologists, doctors, and family that helped bring Sam in to the world. Most of all I'm thankful to Amber for all that she is and does for this family (including giving us such cute babies).

Our Baby is Coming. Am I Ready?

2010-12-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

Exactly one month from yesterday is the due date for Baby Artz #2. I'm not entirely sure where the last couple months went, but we're starting to get ready for his imminent arrival. We finally put some carpet in the basement and plan to hang some sheets to make a nice little bedroom for whoever wants to stay over and help with our transition to having two kids. We also rearranged Benjamin's room to make it a shared space for the baby and him. I was pretty shocked at how open the room is now, compared to when it was just Ben's room.

On top of the making room for baby, we've been making some choices to make our transition as easy as possible. On Amber's most recent trip to the doctor, she got a note to start working 8-hour shifts three days a week, instead of her normal 12-hour shifts. She already feels exhausted 24/7 and this will help her rest a little more. On the financial side, I really hope our boy arrives this year (2010) for tax and insurance purposes, but we also are refinancing our mortgage to free up a little cash starting the new year.

Having our second child feels a whole lot different than having our first. There is certainly a lot less time to read up on how the little guy is growing inside Amber, or even think too much about this little person's future. In some ways it is a really good thing to not have to worry and fret so much about the future, but in some ways it feels as though we are already giving baby #2 less attention than we did Ben. In the next few weeks leading up to baby's birth, I have to do a whole lot of remembering all the skills I learned when Ben was a newborn, and get ready to be the daddy of a newborn AND a toddler.

How Old Married People Date

2010-11-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

We'd been planning to go out on Friday night for a few weeks. Well... planning is a strong word. Mostly we knew that Ben was going to his uncle Allan and aunt Braedi's for the night, so we'd be without child (except for the little bugger in Amber's belly) for the night and most of the morning. Allan and his bride-to-be stopped by and picked Ben up around 7pm and soon after Amber and I made our way to the Haymarket to eat at the Oven because, for some odd reason, Amber was just craving something spicy. When we hit the doors we could see that the place was packed and there were a number of people waiting. Amber went up to see what the wait would be and when she came back with "at least an hour," we decided to eat elsewhere. Neither of us really had ideas of what we really wanted, but we were both starving. It made for a nice little disagreement/argument on the freezing cold sidewalks of downtown. Thanks to Amber's quick decision-making, we made our way around the corner to Lazlo's where we enjoyed a 20 minute wait and a pretty darn good meal. After dinner there weren't a lot of options and we were both really tired so we went home to enjoy a long night's sleep without our Ben waking us at 5am. I fell asleep on the couch at 10 and we finally made our way to bed at 1030.

For some reason, it is much nicer to wake up at 6am when you don't have a kid directing your every move. After we got up and around, I started to realize how lame our date was the night prior, so I made plans for a morning date. While Amber got ready for the day I decided that breakfast at a local diner was a good bet. I decided that the Engine House Cafe, a very small diner in Havelock that was converted from an old fire station, would be fun to try. The breakfast there was really good and the prices were reasonable. The atmosphere and people reminded us of small-town life, something that both of us seem to crave. After breakfast we headed over to my new favorite coffee shop, the Barnes & Noble Cafe (employee discount), to do some reading. Little did Amber know that her Christmas present would be arriving a good month and a half before Christmas. While Amber got settled over in the cafe, I bought her the new NOOKcolor and we spent the rest of the morning setting it up and playing around with all of it's tablet-like qualities.

I'm a penny pincher and not really much of a gift giver, so it's been a long time since Amber's received a gift like that from me. Needless to say, she was pretty excited.

I never really considered a "date morning" to be better than "date night," but it was. Now that I think about it, it would be nice to implement a "date morning" more often. Usually there is more to do in the morning, you can incorporate large amounts of coffee in to a date, you're not worn out from a long day, and food on a morning date is so easy to decide upon and a whole lot cheaper.

Ed Viesturs's Lecture

2010-11-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

Amber was doing her regular internet routine this Tuesday when she stumbled upon this blurb about Ed Viesturs and suggested it might me interesting for her wanna-be-mountaineer husband to check out his lecture. Ed Viesters, for those that don't know, is one of the most accomplished mountaineers in the world. He is the only American to have climbed the tallest 14 peaks in the world without the use of supplemental oxygen. He is also known for being extremely cautious on the mountain, not being tempted to summit if conditions aren't right or if his instincts tell him not to (even if he is mere feet from it).

So I took an hour or so to look at the man's resume and his life's work yesterday morning, and it gave me pretty high expectations for his presentation. The event was sponsored by the Hansen Leadership Program at Doane college in Crete, NE, and Viesturs was billed as an inspirational and motivational speaker. I knew that my friend Nick had just finished reading "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer which describes the 1996 Everest tragedy, and Ed Viesturs was part of an IMAX expedition that year, so I took Nick along.

When we arrived at Heckman Auditorium Nick and I realized we were some of the oldest people in the room. There were more students there than I thought there would be, but by the time the lecture started, it became clear that a lot were there to fulfill a course requirement and had no interest in climbing or people who climb for a living. The presentation started and Viesturs began to go through his life story, making sure to give bits of wisdom here and there. He showed us photos of his many expeditions and told stories of being stuck in a tiny tent for days on end, as well as having to literally step over and around his good friends' bodies a mere two weeks after they died on the mountain, to make it to the summit of Everest in 1996 with the IMAX team. Everything he had to say was pretty interesting to me, and I really like his motto that getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory.

To be honest, though, the presentation was lacking something for me. I really expected to be inspired and/or motivated, but in the end I was neither. It could be because Viesturs is just a lot better at climbing mountains, than giving presentations. Or it could be that I was really turned off by the mention of "'First Ascent' by Eddie Bauer" that seemed like he was contractually obligated to say once every 10 minutes. Or it could just have been the feel of the room, like a class in high school or college, or a church service where everyone just seems bored/uninterested. No matter the reason for my lack of inspiration, I still found his life and stories to be interesting, and the photos of his expeditions were well worth the price of driving out to Crete to see his free presentation.

Pumpkin Patch and Halloween

2010-11-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

The last couple weekends in October were great family fun. On Sunday, the 24th we packed up a picnic lunch and drove out to Vala's Pumpkin Patch. It was a cool morning, but we were fine in our hoodies and jeans. As we were waiting for the hayrack ride Ben was climbing all over me and showing off for his mom.

Ben still wasn't much of a fan of the ride out to the actual pumpkin patch, but once we were there he had fun looking at all the vines and pumpkins. I love the explorer in him. We picked out a good looking one, but on the ride back to the main part of the farm we decided we'd trade it in for one small "Ben-sized" pumpkin.

We ate our picnic lunch in the back of the van and went back inside for more fun. Ben mostly liked going down slides and playing in the giant corn box (like a sandbox, but so much better). He also liked looking at, and feeding the animals. By mid-afternoon we were all getting a little tired and the wind picked up, making the day turn cold. At that point we had walked around and seen everything so we decided to head home.

I'm always a little reluctant to pay so much money for a small experience, but it aways ends up being worth it. It is also so great to see Ben growing up. Last year Ben could walk a little bit, but we had to push around a stroller a lot. He also was a lot more aware of what we were doing and I like to think he had more fun too.

The next Wednesday I worked and Amber spent the day working so hard to finish up my Halloween costume. Ben was going to be Curious George, so I just had to be the Man with the Yellow Hat. Amber went as another character, Chef Pisghetti, making Baby #2 the chef's pot belly. That night we went to the Lincoln Children's Zoo's biggest fundraiser - "Boo at the Zoo." We had to stop at the KFRX booth and sign up for their costume contest.

It was a fun night and Ben got a lot of treats and coupons from the vendors. The next day we found out that we won the KFRX contest for the night, winning a $50 gift certificate from NUVibe. I was reluctant to put on the costume, but I knew Amber spent a lot of time on it and it actually made me feel good to be my son's costume accessory. And it paid off -- literally!

When Halloween actually came along, I was much less resistant to wearing the costume. Ben's buddy Jack and his parents came along as we "trick-or-treat"ed around our East Campus neighborhood. The kids were a little wary of walking up to unfamiliar houses, but once they realized that candy was involved they loved it. Jack even went in to one house to search for more, and he said "Thank you!" to every person we met. Ben was just his quiet self around all the crazy people and costumes of the night. When we got back to our house they immediately dug in to their bounty.

Amber and I helped ourselves to some candy after bedtime (one of the many benefits of having kids). To this day, Ben still asks for "trick-or-treats" instead of candy, and unfortunately we still have leftovers. Want some?

A Birthday and a Funeral

2010-11-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

The first weekend in October, we traveled down the road to Kearney, NE to celebrate my nephew Zachary's first birthday party. It was a blast and Ben always has so much fun with his cousins. And, of course, he loved the cake and asked for "more cake" at 10-minute intervals. Zachary is really growing up fast. He loves bugging his big sister, Kaylee, and even got in Ben's face once. Ben showed a lot of patience, which gives me hope that he'll adjust to having a little brother pretty well. Ben was having so much fun that he didn't want to leave when the time came.

The next Monday night I got a call from Amber's mom, informing me that Grandpa John had passed away earlier in the evening. Over the last couple years, it was hard to see Grandpa John getting worse and worse with every trip back to Bridgeport, but it was pretty inspiring for me to see Amber advocating for her Grandpa from across the state (encouraging her mom to get him in to the nursing home and, later, on hospice care). I firmly believe the family made the right decisions in his last few months, giving him a good end-of-life experience with his family. I'm really proud of Amber for being a part of that. She is a great nurse, and an amazing person. The funeral was set for the following Saturday so we took the weekend off, and traveled to Bridgeport. In a small community like Bridgeport people really take care of one another. There was food to feed everyone all weekend, plus some. There were also plenty of places for people to stay and an outpour of sympathy for the Wickard/Didier Family. The service was beautiful and they played "Taps" at the cemetery -- something I hadn't experienced since my own grandfather's funeral eight years prior.

Our Busy September

2010-11-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

September is always great! With the start of school and football season, everyone in Lincoln always seems happy. It's like Christmas time, but with nicer weather. Benjamin started daycare the last week in August, and continues to enjoy his time there, playing and working on little projects with other kids and getting to know his teacher, Ashley. I really thought that taking Ben to daycare would be tough, but for the most part I've gotten used to having a really cool "babysitter" two times a week. It also freed up more time for me so spend working at the bookstore which meant more money for our family (except the difference in my pay equals just about what gets taken out of Amber's paycheck for child care).

Also on Ben's agenda during the month was getting used to his big boy bed. Amber and I took turns putting him down for naps and bedtimes, but he consistently took an hour or more to fall asleep. Ben went to bed and slept wonderfully in his crib, so keeping calm and not getting totally frustrated when he would get up 10-20 times a night was very hard.

Defiantly the best memory of mine from September was Ben's first Husker football game. We really just went down to the stadium to let Ben have fun at the Husker Pavilion and enjoy the gameday atmosphere, but when we got there, I couldn't resist seeing what tickets were going for, and looking for a set of three tickets together.

We ended up getting a steal, paying only $80 for three 40-yard-line West Stadium tickets.

Ben did really well during the pregame and the first quarter. He was really into yelling "GO BIG RED!" which was fun!

During the second quarter he became restless and Amber took him down in the Stadium during halftime. In the third quarter he fell asleep on Amber and when we tried to switch who was holding him in the fourth quarter, he started bawling, at which point, we knew it was time to get going. We tried to get a family picture before we left and this is the only one where Ben isn't in tears.

Overall, his first experience at Memorial Stadium was a success and I hope I get to take him to at least one game a year for as long as we live in Lincoln. We'll see if Amber gives the okay on that one...

Wind River Range Backpacking Part 3 (Aug 17-19)

2010-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

I slept like a rock Monday night and woke up Tuesday to a very cold morning.

I think mostly it was amplified by having to get out of the tent at 5:30AM to go to the bathroom. Coffee and oatmeal for breakfast was the best way to start our "day off" from the trail. We made our way to a stream near Lonesome Lake to pump water for the day. On the way I spotted some climbers on the lower part of Pingora Peak and it really gave me a sense of scale (Can you see them?)

Then, after cleaning up camp a little and getting ready, we spent a good part of the morning just hanging out, reading, journaling and taking in our surroundings.

We hiked a little ways east toward Lizard Head Meadows and then did a little exploring on our way back to camp for lunch. Lunch was rehydrated cajun chicken, which ended up being extremely spicy. We continued to eat and snack while we rested in the early afternoon.

After our lazy and relaxing morning, we decided to take a hike up in the cirque to to check out a little waterfall. The views remained spectacular and the falls were quite pretty so we took a lot of pictures there.

On our way back down we spotted a climber's camp with a tiny tent and their bear bag about 100 feet away.

We somehow got turned around and lost the trail on the way back to camp, but we bushwhacked a little and made it back, no problem. We pumped more water for dinner and Wednesday's breakfast, and made chili mac for supper. It was better than I expected, but didn't even compare to Monday night's beef stew. We spent the rest of the daylight reading and lying around waiting for the stars to come out. When they did start popping up, it was a spectacular show (I really wish my camera could handle star shots.) I'm not sure what time we ended up crawling back into the tent, but it seemed later than it probably was.

I didn't sleep the best Tuesday night, but woke up on Wednesday feeling pretty good anyway. Never underestimate the pure joy of having hot coffee on a cold morning in the backcountry. Along with that, we had oatmeal and one of my two fuel canisters was empty by the end of breakfast. We packed up our things and took one last look at our camp before heading back the way we came at around 9AM. Although I was a good 50-100 yards behind Tim most of our ascent, I made it to Jackass Pass around 9:40AM.

We took plenty of pictures near the continental divide and said goodbye to Cirque of the Towers and Lonesome Lake. On our way back to Big Sandy Lake we took the high trail east of Arrowhead Lake to avoid another round of boulder scrabbling.

There was what seemed like a lot of up and down, but we kept a good pace and before I knew it we were back at North Lake. Not long after, we were heading down the all-to-familiar trail to Big Sandy Lake. We stopped at a nice overlook and I got this nice shot of all the little streams running into Big Sandy.

It was about midday so we ate power bars and decided that we wanted to camp at the south end of the lake to make our hike out the next morning the shortest of our trip. By the time we made it to where we set up camp, it was actually getting hot. We set up camp fairly quickly so we had the afternoon to do as we pleased. We both did a lot of reading and I did some exploring and hiking along the eastern edge of Big Sandy.

At 4:30PM we weren't quite sure what to do the the remainder of the day. Ramen noodles sounded really good to both of us but while heating the water, my second fuel canister expired. Luckily the ramen turned out okay, but there was now no hope of a warm dinner ... or breakfast. After our ramen snack/dinner more relaxing and exploring was on the agenda and about 6:30PM we build a fire. We continued to read our books and feed our fire until about 8PM when we bear bagged our food and packed up camp for the night.

As I crawled back in to my sleeping bag for the last night, all I could think of was seeing Amber and Ben again.

I got really great sleep our last night out, and I really didn't feel like getting out of my sleeping bag when I woke at 6AM. Since we didn't have any fuel, we had no coffee and no real reason to sit around eating breakfast. We packed up everything fairly quick and were on the trail by 7:30AM. Since we had been on this trail a total of three times already, the hike back to the car was uneventful and even boring at points.

We made it to the car by 9:30AM and were back on the winding dirt road just a few short minutes later. We were momentarily stopped by a few horses, but other than that we didn't see another soul on the dirt road until we reached the small town of Farson, WY.

There, we fueled up the SUV and ate gas station donuts and coffee. From Farson, it was straight south to Rock Springs, WY where we got on I-80 and made the long and boring journey back to "The Good Life" and our families.

Wind River Range Backpacking Part 2 (Aug 16)

2010-11-06T06:27:00.001-07:00

Waking up your first night in the backwoods can be a little disorienting. I woke up at midnight to my new watch's automatic alarm. I must have hit snooze, because it happened again at 12:10AM, at which point I finally figured out how to turn the damn thing off. I ended up waking up for the day at 5:30AM and I felt like I slept really well. It was a chilly morning in the 40s but we stayed fairly warm in the tent and in our sleeping bags. When we did finally get out of the tent we had great hot coffee and I had some blueberry granola for breakfast. It only took ten or fifteen minutes to clean up and pack everything back on our backs for our day 2 hike to Lonesome Lake and the Cirque of the Towers.

The trail rose quickly out of Big Sandy Lake and Tim took the lead. I was breathing hard and struggling a little, but loved feeling like we were on an adventure. We saw so many beautiful wild flowers around every turn, and even they were no match for the beauty of the mountains.

Our spirits were very high when we crossed a stream where we decided to pump drinking water for the day. I pulled out my filter and began to pump with no success. Upon further observation, the inlet barb (where the inlet hose attaches the the filter housing) was cracked and the filter could not get any suction. After trying a few "fixes" we had to weigh our options: Drink unfiltered water (get awfully sick), walk back to the car (where there was another filter) and take a different route, or walk back to the car and double back, still trying to make it to the Cirque of the the Towers. Extremely disappointed, we decided on the third option.

This allowed us to drop our packs where we were and hike really light back to the car. The six miles from Big Sandy Lake to the TH went extremely fast. We dropped our packs around 9AM and made the TH by 11:30AM. We took a few minutes to eat power bars for lunch, find the spare water pump and pump some water for the hike back to our packs. While the hike from the TH to our packs seemed to take a while, it went smoothly and we actually made it to our packs by 2:30PM. I was pretty tired, as was Tim, but we reaffirmed our commitment to making it to Lonesome Lake that day. We took an extra long break, eating, drinking and stretching until we got back to walking at 3:30PM.

We made it to North Lake around 4:30PM...

...and continued on to Arrowhead Lake (5:30PM). At a fork in the trail somewhere between North Lake and Arrowhead Lake we took the low fork and so we had to do a bit of scrambling over huge boulders along the west edge of the lake. It was a little tricky with our heavy packs, but we made it alright. I was plain exhausted and suggested that we not hike the next day a number of times until Tim finally agreed to my requests.

The last uphill part for the day took us over Jackass Pass where the view was well worth the 16+ mile day that we had.

We found a decent place to set up camp around 6PM, and got busy making dinner. The rehydrated beef stew we had that night was quite possibly the best meal I have ever eaten. We cleaned up after dinner and bear bagged our food. I wrote a little in my journal and I was definitely asleep before 9PM.

This was by far the longest day I have ever had on the trail and it was a real struggle not to give up completely at points. Luckily, Tim spurred me on and it has become a memorable day for me.

Wind River Range Backpacking Part 1 (Aug 14-15)

2010-10-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday August 14th my good friend Tim and I Set out from Lincoln just after lunch at about 1PM. I never really see Tim except for our occasional coffee together, but we were pretty much best friends in college so it was nice to have a long drive to catch up with one another. We made it to Amber's home town, Bridgeport, NE by about 6PM and had dinner at the Karrett (a favorite of mine). We returned to the Wickard's house and unpacked our bags completely to get one last check of our equipment, supplies, and food. I went to bed around 10PM, but tossed and turned all night.

I didn't sleep much so I was wide awake at 4:30AM Sunday morning. I started a pot of coffee, woke Tim, and got busy packing up the SUV for the road. I gave Ben a kiss as he slept and hugged and kissed Amber goodbye. Tim and I were on the road with coffee cups in hand at about 5AM. We stopped at a gas station in Torrington, WY for a gas-station-style breakfast including something from under the heat lamp. We stopped again in Casper, WY for gas. From Casper to Lander, WY is quite possibly the most boring stretch of road I've ever driven (or road along). Luckily, Tim's iPhone kept the tunes going and there was a curve in the road once and a while.

We made it to Lander at lunch time and had McDonald's for lunch. I made a phone call to say bye to Amber again before being incommunicado for four days. At that point I was pretty excited to get on the trail, but I also just wanted to be relaxing in Bridgeport with my family.

The winding dirt/gravel road to the trailhead (TH) was more exciting than the pavement we had seen all day and it was nice to finally see the mountains getting closer and closer. About half way there we realized we had forgotten to top off the tank of gas so we would be sure to make it back to civilization. Rather than turning around we risked being stranded to make it to the TH earlier.

We met only one or two cars on our gravel road, but once we made it to Big Sandy Campground the parking lot was full, if not overflowing with cars. We made it to Big Sandy TH around 3PM, and set off on the six-mile trek to Big Sandy Lake.

We were both extremely happy and exited to be out of the car and on the trail, doing what we had been planning for a few months. After the first couple of miles the newness of the hike wore off and we realized just how heavy our packs were. We stopped and adjusted our packs and tried to get comfortable. For the amount of cars we saw at the TH, we only saw few other hikers on the trail.

The trail was fairly easy, but going on no sleep was killing me by the time I caught my first glimpse of Big Sandy Lake at 5:45PM. We walked along the west side of the lake and found a nice little spot to set up camp.

There were plenty of developed camp sites and it showed that the area is heavily used. After pitching the tent and getting out of our boots I realized that my right foot was already beginning to blister. I put my wool socks on and hoped for the best.

For dinner on that first night we re-hydrated some dehydrated fettuccine alfredo. You wouldn't think it at first, but it was the most delicious backcountry meal I had eaten. After cleaning up dinner and putting our food away in a provided bear canister, I did a little reading and journaling (which I'm using to write this). I was so exhausted at the end of day one that I probably fell asleep around 8:30 or 9PM. It was a good first day.

Catching Up

2010-10-29T10:30:00.001-07:00

I know there are only a few of you readers out there, but I wanted to apologize for the two month hiatus. Over the next week or two I hope to catch up a little bit and I thought you might want a preview of what to expect. I'll probably start with a little trip report about the Wyoming backpacking trip, move on to our busy September with a toddler starting daycare, attending a husker game, and a baby growing in my wife's belly, and finally the October that never seems to end including my nephew's first birthday, Amber's grandfather's passing, the pumpkin patch, Halloween, and, of course, the unborn that continues to grow... and grow.

Packing

2010-08-13T19:20:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is the first of our travel days to get to Wyoming and to put off doing the dishes and picking up the house, I've decided to go through my packing list, item by item, to make sure I'm not forgetting anything.

First I have the backpack, hiking boots, shoes (for camp), a small pillow, books and a pen, sunglasses, headlamp, stuffsacks, water pump/filter, water bottles, and a camelbak.

Next I have the tent, sleeping bag, trekking poles, food (including ramen noodles, Mountain House dehydrated meals, Starbucks instant coffee, oatmeal, PowerBars, Cliff Bars, Granola, Twizzlers, and trail mix), stuff to cook it with (backpacking stove, fuel, small pot and cups), and ,of course, toilet paper and a trowel for our backcountry bathroom needs.

I also need clothes so I'm taking base layers, t-shirts, a button-up shirt, pants, socks, underwear, bandanas, hat, stocking hat, and gloves (the lows are near 40 and the highs are in the 70s). And lastly I like to have a first aid kit, my diabetes meds, toothbrush and paste, Gold Bond Powder, hand sanitizer, chapstick, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

Did I forget anything?

One Week

2010-08-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

One week from now I'll probably be riding down I-80 on my way to Wyoming and the Wind River Range. I'm actually kind of anxious about it. My buddy Tim and my trip to Wyoming could be a nice vacation backpacking through the mountains, or it could be a challenging few days in the wilderness, mostly depending on the weather, but also on our skills as backpackers. Tim hasn't been backpacking in a few years and while camping and hiking can help, nothing compares to spending the time actually carrying your house on your back for a few days. The last time I went backpacking was just about one year ago in the Black Hills of South Dakota and that experience stretched me. Our trip as we have it planned so far involves 35+ miles, 4 nights, two continental divide crossings, and a stunning reward of seeing the Cirque of the Towers.

Ch Ch Ch Changes

2010-08-06T06:51:00.001-07:00

On August 3rd Ben officially turned two years old. The last couple years have seen many ups and downs, but we wouldn't change any of that for the world. The last couple weeks have also been trying at times as things in the Artz household are changing pretty rapidly.

A few weeks back we got a letter that said a spot had opened up at the daycare at BryanLGH, where Amber works. When he was born two years ago there was a spot open and we declined so that I could stay home and raise our son. That decision has shaped our family's life up to this point. We took a bit of a financial hit but being a dad for a little boy from age 1 month to two years has been the most challenging and rewarding position I've ever held. But change is around the corner, because we accepted the spot and Ben will be at daycare twice a week staring later this month. This change is probably harder on me than on him. We'll see.

For Ben's birthday Amber painted an old toddler bed and we took down the crib just two nights ago. Ben loves having the freedom to get up by himself, but he is slowly learning that bed time is bed time. Night one consisted of him thinking it was a game to but him back in bed and he lasted for over two hours. Night two was much better and he fell asleep before the hour mark. Tonight Amber's sister gets to try her hand at it as Amber and I will go on a much needed and well deserved date.

The biggest change of all, though, is that our first born baby is growing up. He's so independent and changing and growing everyday, but it seems as though he's changed from newborn to little boy overnight. Change is a constant when you have a family and I have learned that you just have to go with it. There is no use in resisting change.

Hiking Flattop Mountain, Descending Andrews Glacier

2010-07-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

The main event of our vacation (at least for me) was a 13 mile loop hike from the Bear Lake trailhead to the top of Flattop Mountain, along the continental divide to Andrews Glacier and back down ending at the Glacier Gorge trailhead.

We started our day with a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, and coffee. We packed our lunches and left the campground at about 8 and made it to the trailhead in less than 10 minutes. While Bear Lake trailhead had plenty of cars and people, most were on their way to Nymph and Dream Lakes leaving our trail a little less traveled. Our hike started off fairly slow so we could take it easy on our pregnant group-members and enjoy our hike together. The views on the way up were fairly nice and we really couldn't have asked for better weather. We made it to about tree-line before we decided to sit down and eat some lunch. I was pretty excited for, and proud of Amber and Jenny that they made it so far on the upward trail. After lunch we decided to part ways so Nick and I could continue on to Flattop. As we slogged up the trail, the views became more and more spectacular.

We arrived at Flattop and took a little time to enjoy our accomplishment. Nick even called to see how Jack was doing and tweeted since he had reception up there. I just smiled a lot.
From there we had to decide whether or not to ascend Hallet Peak on our way to Andrews Glacier. It would have probably taken just an extra half hour or so, but we decided to leave that peak for another day and try to get to Andrews Glacier faster.
Since there is no real trail from Flattop to Andrews Glacier and neither of us had been that way before, we had to make make our own way. Our way took us first to the aptly named Chaos Canyon. While there is a pretty nice view from the top, there is a sign that warns heavily against making the treacherous descent. From there we thought we saw where we were headed and climbed upward toward Otis Peak, only to have to climb back downward when we saw the glacier a ways below us. When we made it to the glacier, we were both a little tired, but excited do descend. I had read somewhere that the simplest descent was on the north side of the glacier, but Nick had seen so much about glissading in the middle or closer to the south side. We took my way which was probably the worst mistake of the day and made for a long time on the actual glacier. What should have been the most fun part of our entire hike, ended up being the most difficult and kind of scary. We made it down, but looking back at the glacier was heart-wrenching for me, knowing that I had made a mistake that cost us a lot of fun and quite a bit of time too. In the picture below the black line was our route and the red lines are correct/better routes. (Click the photo to get a better idea of scale).
Once off the glacier, we just kind of wanted our day to be over, but there was still a good 4 or more miles back to the trailhead. Luckily I had brought along my water filter/pump to get some more water from the cold glacial lake. We hiked down over what seemed like endless rocks and boulders before finally making it back in to the trees and a little relief from the sun. The hike from then on was fairly easy and quite beautiful, but we were more concerned with just being done than enjoying the views at the lakes and waterfalls. Lucky for us when we finally emerged from the wilderness, Jenny and Amber were waiting for us with cold Gatorade.

A few days removed from the hike I can see it as successful. It still pains me to know I could have made it better, though. I suppose there will always be next time. I'm almost certain I'd like to try this hike again someday.

Mid-Year Goals Update.

2010-07-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Toward the beginning of the year I made a list of goals and posted them on this blog. Since the year is half over I thought I'd take another look at those goals to see how I'm doing meeting them.

--Make date night a priority and have a "real" date with Amber once a month.

*We've been on a few dates this year, but once a month for a "real" date was a little unreasonable, financially and schedule-wise. We have made an effort to spend more quality time together, and have had plenty of time for just us.

--Use more moments for teaching Ben new things (words, social interaction, etc.)

*Ben's learning abilities have simply boomed this year so far. He can repeat nearly everything anyone says, as well as point to and say the letters in the alphabet and some numbers as well. While teaching Ben consciously helps a lot, teaching him by just being myself and letting him observe and copy works well too. The truth is Ben would probably continue learning lots of things without my direct teaching, but it's fun to think I've taught him a lot of the things he knows.

--Play together as a family more.

*During our unusually long winter it was difficult at first to do this, but with a membership to the children's museum it became easier. And now that it's summer we all spend time together out in the yard and in the neighborhood playing and growing together. Ben's still not as much in to co-op play as much as I'd like him to be, but I'm sure that will come with time.

--Make basement room into livable space. (play room, guest room)

*There has been a bit of work done on the basement since the new year, and we've even had Amber's parents stay down there when they visited in the spring. The walls are all sealed and painted (white for now) and we have a bed and some chairs down there for guests. It is still pretty rustic, but with any luck, by the time the first snow of fall/winter gets here it will look a little better.

-Pay off credit cards completely and make a good dent in student loans.

*This goal wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. We paid off our credit cards completely in mid-February and haven't used them since then. We also paid in full our highest-interest-rate student loan in the spring. Though we have tightened our belt considerably, we've still been able to enjoy a lifestyle that fits our needs. One step in the opposite direction we took was to take out an auto loan to buy a minivan after we discovered we were expecting again. Just to justify it a little bit: it has a decent rate, and we will probably pay it off earlier than even we expect.

-Pay closer attention to my blood sugar and listen to my body.

*I haven't been checking my sugar as much as I should, but I definitely know when I'm lower than normal and higher than normal. I've lost a few more pounds in the last six months that I didn't need and, overall, I'm pretty happy with my body.

-Ride my bike five times a week this summer.

* I do really enjoy riding especially with my buddy, Nick, but I have not and will not ride five times a week all summer. What I will do is ride when I can and make sure to ride longer distances. Nick and I recently rode to Ealge, NE and back from our houses and that's 28 miles for me ( the longest I've ever ridden). I hope to do that a couple more times this summer and in between I can ride with Ben in the trailer to the park and what not.

-Backpacking/Camping at least one BIG trip and one (or more) short trips.

*I've been camping once this summer so far and still hope to do it regularly. In just two weeks time, I'll be on the first of the BIG trips which includes camping in Rocky Mountain National Park and a hike up to Hallett Peak. I also have plans for a backpacking trip in WY in mid-August (more details to come).

-Camp with Ben and Amber at least once.

*I sure hope this will still happen.

-Read Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

*I read the first 250 pages before starting something to read in the meantime to balance it out, but I haven't returned to it. I still hope to finish it before this year is out.

Keep this blog updated (at least a few times a month)

*Except for June, I've written or posted something here at least 3 times a month which is technically "a few" but I do wish I would write more.

In conclusion some of my goals are well on their way to being met, but others will probably fall my the wayside.

Father's Day

2010-06-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

I spent Father's Day making pancakes, walking in the rain, eating a delicious (free) meal from Valentino's, taking a nap, watching the World Cup, and putting in a few hours at the bookstore.

[me and my son]

My dad spent Father's Day going to church, eating Wendy's, and building a new bird feeder.

[me and my dad]

I Love This Life

2010-06-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! We got to sleep in all the way until 7AM. Amber made me the best scrabbled egg and toast breakfast with farm fresh eggs (on sale at HyVee). She also went to the DMV and did our major errand of the day: Plating and registering our brand new (to us) 2006 Toyota Sienna LE. We've been married for over 5 years now and the Sienna is our first car purchase as a couple. I'm really thankful that we work so well together sometimes. I did all the research and kept my eyes out for a good deal and once I found it Amber did all the footwork, test driving, and dealing with the seller and stuff. She even gladly went to the DMV while I got to spend some quality time playing with Ben.

I was "on call" at work and they didn't need me today so our whole family had the day off together. We spent the morning, after Amber returned from our errand, outside doing yard work, pulling weeds and keeping Ben out of trouble while he did his usual exploring and running around. I filled up the baby pool we got as a gift last year, and Ben splashed and played at the water's edge the rest of the morning. Before we knew it, lunch time had arrived.

Good old fashioned PB&J with chips for lunch and Ben went down great for a three-and-one-half hour nap. While Ben napped Amber caught up on some sleep she's been missing with this new little one growing inside her. I, on the other hand, caught up on some reading I've been wanting to do for a while. The book that I'm reading just got extremely good and exciting. The writing is good and it is totally entertaining. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a great summer read and a departure from my normal nonfiction and classics reading. If your looking for some edge-of-your-seat reading this summer I highly recommend it.

When Ben finally awoke from his slumber, we planned our evening meal which we were going to have with some of our best friends, Nick and Jenny, and their son Jack. Amber made a quick trip to the store with Ben while I finished the yard work and decided that today was also a good day to clean up and organize my garage and work bench, a task that took a little longer than I had anticipated. Just as I was finishing up, our guests arrived and I started up the grill to cook dinner. Jack and Ben played and laughed and splashed in the pool, which by now had warmed up considerably. Dinner was perfect and it was just fun to eat while the boys played together and barely touched their dinners.

After dinner, we talked about our coming adventure to Colorado to camp and hike together and soon it was way past bed time for Jack. We said goodbye to our friends and started picking up the patio where we had enjoyed our supper. Meanwhile Ben was having fun splashing in the pool. I looked over and he had the biggest grin on his face. I knew at that moment just what I needed to do....

Amber just kind of looked at me funny when I stripped off my sandals and shorts and ran to the little pool to make a big splash. Ben's face was pretty priceless too. I haven't run and played around in my underwear (outside) since I was probably 10 years old. It was totally spontaneous and super fun to just get soaked and have a blast with my son. I was like a kid in a candy store up way past my bedtime. Amber didn't even finish cleaning up right away, she just sat and watched her two boys giggling while going down the little slide in to the water and splashing each other. She even managed to take a couple candid shots. These were my favorites:

I seriously haven't had this much fun in a very long time. I love this life!

To cap off the day, my brother-in-law and soon to be sister-in-law were taking a little motorcycle ride and stopped over to say hello. And now everyone in the house is sleeping again except, of course, me. I hope your day (whether you read this today, or Saturday, or someday in the future) is/was just as great as mine. Goodnight.

Effortless

2010-05-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

Amber regularly tells me that I make parenting look effortless, and I usually like to counter with, "It takes even more effort than you think to do what I do and make it look effortless." But at the end of the day yesterday, I realized how effortless my day seemed. I did the laundry, made a menu for the week, got the groceries, played with Ben, picked up the house, made a good supper, etc. The thing that's interesting is that these things usually take effort at least in the area of motivation, but yesterday they really didn't. Have you ever had a day like that? Where you get all you want to accomplish done, and it feels like it should have been more difficult? I hope more days like that are on the way, for you, and for me.

Camping: First Outing

2010-05-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was my first camping trip of the season. My friend Tim and I decided to meet up at Louisville SRA between Lincoln and Omaha to catch up and camp together. Saturday morning I was up at around my usual time of 6:30. Although the house was empty with Ben staying at his grandparents, and Amber having already left for work, I couldn't sleep in. I guess that's just one of those things that comes with parenthood. I did, however, waste considerable time watching old Late Night with Jimmy Fallon episodes and drinking coffee.

Once the coffee was pulsing through my veins I was motivated to get going. Pulling all my camping (and hiking) gear down from the shelves in the garage made me extremely happy. The last time I used most of it was in the Black Hills last September. It was only fitting that I was going camping to catch up with a friend (Tim) I hadn't seen in months with another friend (the gear) I hadn't seen in a while. I started separating out the things that I would need for this trip: a backpack, a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, fire starter, and the small emergency kit. I also went back inside and picked my clothes and toiletries for the over-night. I then made a list of all the last-minute things I still needed. After everything was bought from the store my living room was strewn with everything I needed. I pride myself on carrying my house on my back when I go camping, even if my car will be parked just 10 feet away, so I pack pretty methodically. I managed to get everything in or attached to the smaller of my two backpacks.

Once I ate lunch and rechecked my pack I was off to the park. It was extremely busy on Saturday due to the fact that it was "free admission and fishing day" at all of Nebraska's State Parks (a fact I had overlooked completely). So I had to literally sit and wait for a tent camping spot to open up. It really didn't take long, maybe a half hour, but it felt like ages in the 90 degree heat, not to mention humidity and 30 mph winds. Once a spot did open up it took only one trip from my car to get all my things to the site which ended up being more like 30 yards from my car (not 10 ft.). Setting up camp is one of my favorite things about camping and I've done it so many times and in so many different situations it was easy as pie even though I did it by myself in the wind. Relaxation and a bit of reading followed as I waited for my friend Tim to arrive.

I met Tim at the entrance to the park and we unpacked all of his stuff before heading out to do some hiking. I'm a firm believer that if you add hiking to almost any experience you make it better. It is especially good to hike with an old friend. We walked along the Platte River, but there really wasn't much good hiking in Louisville SRA so we took a short five minute drive over to Platte River SP which not only offered fantastic hiking (for Nebraska) but also a tower to climb, giving us a view of a good chunk of southeastern Nebraska. I wish now that I would have brought a camera along to give more of a feel of what I mean.

Hiking is almost always my favorite camping activity, but it is closely followed by building a fire, cooking stuff with it and watching the fire just burn. When we were done hiking, we were fairly hungery. It took as long as it ever has to start a fire this time. I should just learn to take my own wood instead of buying what turned out to be the worst fire wood ever. Luckily a guy saw us having trouble getting our kindling to light our much larger logs, so he gave us some "in between" size wood that turned out to be exactly what we were missing. Cooking over a fire is always fun and hot dogs, chips and s'mores were the perfect meal. We talked all about our families and interesting situations, but also had plenty of time for raunchy "that's what she said" type jokes and reminiscing of our high school and college days.

Sleeping didn't go so well, but it never does on the first camp trip of the year. I remember coming back from the the camp latrine at about 6:00, realizing Tim was awake too. The little cafe we agreed on for breakfast didn't open until 7:30 so we took it slow picking up from the night and packing up camp. I was really craving some coffee but it was the one thing I forgot to pack. With camp packed up we headed across the highway and into the small town of Louisville to eat at the Main Street Cafe. The food was surprisingly good and at 50 cents for endless coffee it was the cheapest breakfast I've eaten that wasn't prepared by me. It was so inexpensive I left a tip more that half the cost of the meal. If camping or staying at Louisville SRA or Platte River SP I would recommend the short trip for the best kind of camp breakfast - one someone else cooks for you. After breakfast we went our separate ways, me back to Lincoln and he back to Omaha.

All in all, the one night camping trip was fun and a good first outing for the year. At times though, even I got bored typing out everything we did in a kind of list form like this, but it does give you a good idea of what a one-night camping trip near home looks like to me. I sometimes wonder what other people do on a one night trip like this.

Fatherhood

2010-05-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

While thinking and ranting about the poor language selection of some parenting books and magazines I found a few things out there on the internet that promote mother/father balance and equality in home and work. These sites and blogs satisfy my wants for like-minded parents:

Equally Shared Parenting

This site is all about equality and they do a whole lot of promotion for their book as well. I'd read it too, if only I could bring myself to pay for yet another book. Hopefully their site ends up having most of the information I want.

RebelDad

Rebel Dad is a guy named Brian who used to be a stay at home dad. His most recent antics include a boycott of Pampers for sending him a "thanks Mom" e-mail on Mothers Day for four years and counting. Then Proctor & Gamble sent him (and us too) a coupon flyer depicting dad as a couch potato while mom played with the kids.

Random Acts of Parenting

This is another site worth visiting for product reviews and lessons learned by a father. Although there's not a heavy emphasis on equality, I just like the site.

The Father Life

And this is just completely dad-centric. It kind of mimics all the mother magazines, but for the opposite gender.

I just thought I'd share these in case anyone is actually reading/interested.

Rant: Parenthood, Fatherhood, Motherhood

2010-05-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been having a problem of language. Every month a magazine called "Parenting: Early Years" comes to our mailbox, and every month I am utterly amazed at the lack of fatherhood and fathering items in it. It seems to me that the magazine should be called "Mothering," but, alas, there is already a magazine with that title. Think about all the parenting-type magazines, books, and media out there and ask yourself "who is this for?" You will find that for the most part it's for women/mothers. Keep in mind that I think motherhood is amazing and beautiful and very important and I'm glad that there are publications and groups out there specifically for mothers. My problem comes when something claims to be about or for parents, but fails to recognize half the population of parents. I'm also not complaining about a lack of fatherhood material. Books on fatherhood are all over the place and online resources for dads are abundant. Mostly I think my problem has to do with the use of language. Parenting should be for both moms and dads, fathering should be for dads, and mothering should be for moms.

Photo Favorites

2010-05-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

After reading my wife's post about walking, it really made me want to go back through some of my photos from "Walking," my photo/blog project from September '08-September '09. Looking through the pictures really made me miss taking them. I didn't really get as much feedback as I would have liked throughout that year, but I also didn't have much of a following. I know more people follow this blog, so I thought I'd share some of my favorites from that year here:

Go ahead and check all the pictures out. Any favorites?

Doing Dishes

2010-04-21T10:08:00.001-07:00

Washing the dishes in our house has become a common thread of inside jokes between Amber and me. During the first couple months of our marriage I remember being stressed about something or other, but it always came back to having a pile of dishes by the sink that never seemed to shrink. One day we were having a heated discussion and I finally let it go -"Amber, I just want you to do the dishes." And then we kind of laughed. She washed. I dried and put away. And we talked normally about whatever else was bothering us.

Since then we have always washed our dishes by hand. Not that we really had a choice (we've never owned a dishwasher). And we normally work together at it too. It's really nice to have that time to talk with one another and go though what's happening in our hearts and minds. It's also nice to take out our frustrations on a crusty bit stuck to a pot or pan. No matter what's going on in the world or in our family, there will always be dishes to be done. As much as I hate doing the dishes, I love that consistency.

Sure we talk about how having a dishwasher would be so great to save time and probably water, and we even know how we'd change the cabinets around to install one, but if the day comes when there's a dishwasher in our house, I think we might lose something too. I'm pretty sure Amber would disagree. We'll talk about it next time we do the dishes.....

When it Rains....

2010-04-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

..... it makes me feel nostalgic. When I was younger I remember that when it would poor down rain and thunder and lightning, and sometimes even hail my dad would get out folding chairs and set them up in the garage so the family could just sit and watch. I don't know what it was, but there was something so magical about hearing the droplets hit the pavement of the driveway and the roof above our heads, feeling the temperature go down a few degrees, and that wonderful smell of spring rain in Nebraska. When it would hail the yard looked as if it spontaneously started popping popcorn. Mom and dad would even let us run out there and try to find the largest pieces. Like I said, I get nostalgic.

Tonight Ben and I were walking Chomsky around the block when it started. I knew it was going to rain soon, but it was so nice outside I just had to risk being caught in the rain. It started slowly. I felt a drop on my ear, a drop on my head, a couple drops on my arms. Then the sky opened up and it really started raining. We walked a bit faster on the way home, but once there we played in and watched the rain until bed time. I live for evenings like these.

Currently Reading

2010-04-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a break from reading the terribly long and engrossing Infinite Jest the past month or so to do some reading on nature and the outdoors. There's just something about spring that makes we want to be wrapped up in stories about nature.

First I read one of my favorite books when I was in grade school - Hatchet. While the book is (of course) the same, I had a much different experience with it. When I was younger, I remember feeling sorry for poor Brian having to go through all that hardship, surviving for weeks all by himself in the woods of Canada. Now I feel almost as if I want to take his place and know the things he knows and do the things he does. It also made me think about the modern 13-year-old and if surviving in the wilderness would even be possible for him/her. I sometimes wonder the same thing about me.

That led me to my current reading material - The Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. While there's really no such medical or psychological term as "nature-deficit" it gives you an idea of the author's intent. I really like the idea that exposure to nature, especially wilderness, is important for the physical and psychological well-being of not only children, but adults as well. Some of my greatest memories of the last few years are of Amber and I zipping through the mountains in Jamaica in the pouring rain, hiking in Rocky Mountain NP, and camping and exploring Arches NP and Canyonland NP. I'm just glad that there is some research out there that supports the importance of nature with the human experience. The book really is an interesting read so far, and also very applicable to our family since the spring is here and Benjamin is at the age where he just loves exploring the outdoors.

Typical Day (Hopefully)

2010-03-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day (hopefully of many) that Ben and I spent just about as much time outside as we did inside. The day started out great. I really wished that I could've ran outside this morning, but with the free child watch center at the Y it was an easy decision to do my time on the treadmill instead. I ran 2.5 miles in 25 minutes, and that's kind of my usual so I felt okay about it.

After the Y, Ben and I went directly to the park to make sure he got some good energy out too. While there, we met some new people which is always fun and exciting. Ben had sooooo much fun with this three year old and twins about his age. Constantly smiling, giggling, and all out laughing, he ran around the equipment, made his way up the stairs, and slid down the big slide all by himself. He did this over and over again with the other kids for at least 10 minutes. Of course he had to stop every now and then to point at me and tell the other kids and grown-up that I was indeed his daddy, or as he would say it "daaaeeee." It melts my heart every time and right now I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. He really didn't want to leave the park or the other kids, but it was lunch time so I picked him up and told him to say "bye-bye."

Lunch was simple and good and then he took a well deserved nap. When he woke up, Chomsky was begging for a walk so we went right back outside. He held my finger as we walked an entire 5 blocks, which is a whole lot for his little legs. We then had a little snack and played/explored the backyard for a while. The last few hours of the day were filled with waking up Amber (she's working nights this week), playing with her, eating breakfast for dinner, a nice bath, reading a couple books, and lying down for bed.

I really hope that this becomes the typical spring/summer day for us. Spending time outside and being physically active are pretty important to me and I hope that translates into having an active family. I also hope that meeting and getting to know more parents in our neighborhood becomes the norm. Last summer we met a couple at the park who have a son just a few months older than Ben. Since then we've had some play dates with them and attended their son's birthday party, and they even babysat for us so we could go on a long overdue date. Having more friends in the neighborhood and getting to know other families is great and I just hope it happens more this summer.

So was today a typical day? I hope so. Was it a great day? Absolutely!

Handy Man

2010-03-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

We have these really nice antique-looking glass door knobs throughout our home, but they started to become a pain about a year ago when one knob of our bedroom door came off. We fixed it as best we could and moved on, but every now and again it would come right off the shaft that connects the two knobs. Then the same thing happened with the one to our front closet. Again we just dealt with it and tried our best to look past the problem. But then this past week the knob to our basement door came flying off and it was time to get new door knobs. I went out and picked up the new ones today (that now match our bathroom knob) and took off the old knobs and hardware. When I realized the new knobs and hardware needed bigger holes to be bored into the doors I was pretty discouraged, but once I started boring the holes it was kind of fun and I actually felt a bit like a handy man, even though I really didn't know what I was doing or if it would work. A couple hours later and just one or two mistakes I have four new door knobs and one very happy wife.

After Amber left for work and Ben was sound asleep I was still pretty motivated, So I started thinking of other stuff that needed done. Our clothes dryer has been making pretty loud noises and dancing around a bit for about a month and a half. Last year my father-in-law took the thing apart and replaced an idler wheel and while I didn't watch the whole procedure, I did think to myself that fixing it was way easier than I would have imagined. I think the part he needed was six bucks or something. So I decided to take a crack at it and see if I could find the current problem. As I started taking off the bolts to the cabinet of the dryer I realized I really had no idea what I was doing, but once the cabinet was open and the drum was off it was fairly easy to see the problem. Look at this roller:

And after looking at replacements online, I think it'll cost a grand total of about five dollars and fifteen minutes of putting it back together to have our dryer silent once again.

As a guy who takes care of a toddler as a stay-at-home dad, I'm used to things like making meals, changing diapers, and playing with Legos, so doing "real" physical work around the house is a welcome treat. It makes me feel like a good homeowner and a better husband and father. I'm really looking forward to those times that I get to teach Ben some of my skills. The best skill to have is to just dive in and give things a try, even if you feel like you don't know what your doing.

Local Wonders

2010-03-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

I've been picking up this book a lot lately. I first read it a few years ago when Ted Kooser was poet laureate and loved it immensely. To me, it defined what living in and around Lincoln, Nebraska is all about. Lately though the prose has been soothing my rampant wanderlust. All I seem to think about are the far off mountains and hiking and getting out for a few days, but when I pick up this book I see the world nearest me with new eyes. After just a few pages I can see the beauty and wonder of my own backyard, neighborhood, and even in the lives of my neighbors. Though eventually I'll make it to those grand mountains far off, the great landscape and people of the Bohemian Alps give me a place I'm happy to call home.

Good Bye and Good Riddance

2010-03-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

The few lingering patches of snow in our yard have finally melted away with the help of some warm weather and rain. Today the cloudy sky and moist air remind me of the coming spring and eventual summer. Though Nebraska winters (especially those with snow) are beautiful, I am so grateful that this particular winter is near its end. Now is the time to plan our spring/summer of planting our garden, taking long walks, playing at the park, buying local food, eating outdoors, roasting marshmallows, camping, hiking, visiting family, swimming, biking, and watching our son do some real outdoor exploring. It's going to be great!

formspring.me

2010-02-26T10:41:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty introverted by nature and I'm a fairly private person, so it logically follows that I should plead and beg people to ask me any question they want (well, not ANY question) and have me answer it. You can even ask anonymously.

formspring.me/tylerartz

Choices

2010-02-25T17:09:00.000-08:00

About a week ago a coworker of mine, Karen, started a chat with me on Facebook about taking another friend of ours to the hospital for a surgery he needed on Tuesday. I didn't see the chat until later when she was offline, but it got me thinking about this mutual friend of ours and his situation. I hadn't seen or heard from him in a few months, because we mostly just saw one another at work and he doesn't work with us anymore. He's reached out a number of times on Facebook and elsewhere for help with transportation to doctor's visits and stuff, but I've always kind of ignored it, because we weren't really good friends or anything and I thought for sure he's got to have closer friends that can take him around and take care of those needs. But then Karen called my phone directly. I let the phone go to voicemail because I didn't know the number and I was putting Ben to bed, but when I listened to the message, she asked again if I could please take our mutual friend to the hospital on Tuesday morning. Now I couldn't ignore the question anymore. I'd have to answer Yes or No.

This was the first time I've had to think about my deeper values in some time. I know it seems a little stupid that a 20 minute ride at 7AM made me think about who I am on a deeper level, but it did. Am I someone who likes to help others, or get to sleep in? Can I look at a situation where I know I can help, even in a small way, and just ignore it? Am I a good person who is willing to help?

Of course in this situation I said I'd be willing to take that morning drive. If I didn't, I don't think I'd be writing about it. I probably wouldn't even have been thinking about it. But here's the thing: I can't stop thinking about that decision and how I made it. I usually just think about what I want or need, or what's best for my family. Even in this case I would have thought, "It's good for Ben to see his dad helping out, and good for Amber to know that her husband is still a good guy. Also, it'll make me feel good to do good." But instead I looked deeper, making this decision about who I am as a human being. Why would I do that? I guess I just needed a reminder of who I am and who I want to be.

Work Out Motivation

2010-02-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

We joined the YMCA about a month ago. Intentionally working out has never been a high priority for me. I'm motivated a lot by enjoyment so in the summer months when we're taking long walks daily, riding bikes, working in the garden, and just playing around, I don't really think about it as working out or doing exercise. I just think of it as having fun. Being fit was just a side effect of all that. Going to the gym is a lot different for me. I have to think about enjoyment in the long term rather than the short. If I jog two or three times a week now, I'll be able to ride my bike farther this summer. If I can run for at least a half-hour now, I'll be able to hike that extra few miles with less breaks this summer. If I work out now, I'll be thinner, stronger, and happier months and years down the line. I've never been really good about thinking this way, and I don't know many people who are good at it. So I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I have to motivate myself like this: "An hour alone. A whole hour to tune out other people. An hour to drop Ben off in capable hands and be by yourself. I think I'll enjoy that." I wonder if other parents of toddlers are also motivated by time away from their kids. Of course by about the second minute on the treadmill my immediate enjoyment of being alone is gone anyway, but by then I'm already there and I might as well finish what I started. This morning I ran just over 2.5 miles in a half hour. Not bad for being out of shape.

The Bad and The Good

2010-02-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

Lately life's been on autopilot. I suppose it's because that's all that's left when your exhausted. Last week was pretty rough. Ben's nose started running on Friday and then he stopped wanting to sleep on Sunday. He was crabby, angry, and pretty much couldn't breathe very well when he'd wake up at night. Every night. For 5 nights. We knew that it was just a cold and it would go away if we just waited it out, but by Friday we had had enough and we took him to the doctor. It was exactly as we suspected. COLD. But our doctor did prescribe some decongestant that had the wonderful side effect of drowsiness. Now the cold has finally passed (I think) and Ben's sleep schedule is back on track. What a relief. Hopefully now I'll be more motivated to read and write.

Besides being a tough couple weeks sleep and parenting wise. A few great things occurred. We got a hefty tax return, paid the balance on our credit card, put money aside for our summer plans, and have some left over. Amber started physical therapy and her back is feeling better by the day. We had a great time at a neighbor boy's second birthday party. We got to take care of my brother's dog for the weekend. And I've been able to enjoy daily walks around the neighborhood again now that the snow is finally melting off. Maybe the next couple weeks I can focus more on the good than the bad.

Planning a Trip

2010-01-29T10:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back my friend Nick and I had coffee at our favorite local shop. We mostly met to catch up on each others' lives and family and talk a bit about our goals for the year. You can find his blog here. One area that we overlapped was hiking/camping. I've always really enjoyed hiking and I love camping whether it's at a local park or off in the woods/mountains somewhere. But I've never been hiking or camping with Nick. So over the course of that hour we decided that our families should go hiking and camping together this summer in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Here it is three weeks later and our trip is almost entirely planned. It'll be a pretty short trip getting there on Thursday and returning on Sunday. The big hike we're planning is to hike to the summit of Hallett Peak, make our way past Otis peak, descend Andrews Glacier and hike back down to Bear Lake. That should take up the whole day on Friday (if it's doable) so Saturday we can hike and relax and enjoy each other's company. I think I have this idea that it's going to be a great big adventure and it'll really seal the bond of friendship between our families, but the truth is our families are already pretty good friends.

Planning the trip was easy but now comes the hard part: waiting (165 days and counting) for our departure, and getting in shape for the big hike. This morning was my first day at the YMCA and I ran (really walked and jogged) two miles in 25 minutes without stopping. Not bad for the first day in a couple years. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Money

2010-01-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

We've been talking about money a lot in our house the last few days. Mostly we just had to keep reminding ourselves that we really needed to update our money software because we hadn't balanced our books for a few months now. Not that I don't check balances and make sure we're doing okay, just that I didn't download the information and go through it line by line to see what we spend, where we spend it, and if we're overspending anywhere. So now that it is updated and on track we've decided to try a few new things this year concerning our finances.

The first thing we want to do is get rid of our Discover card. It is the card we use most for everything - groceries, household items, dining out, etc. We've never really done this before because the benefits (building our credit, cash back, specials with retailers, etc.) always out-weighed the drawbacks (if we didn't pay it off in full every month the interest rate was pretty high). But now that we bought our house and have had it for a few years we don't need to "build our credit" like we used to, and also since we haven't paid it in full every month for a few months, the interest is higher per month than the cash back rewards.

The second thing we want to do is use our debit card and checks (if required) a lot more. This requires us to check our account balance a lot more often and will keep us in the habit of knowing what we have. It also allows us to keep using our current money software to download transactions from the bank and know where every penny goes.

Another thing we want to do is consistently pay more than the minimum payments on our student debt. We consolidated our student debt a couple years ago, when rates were historically low, so our minimums are pretty low and paying more shouldn't be a problem. The goal here is to just get these paid off early (if a few years) and not have to deal with the accruing interest, even if that interest rate is pretty low.

These three things are by no means the entire financial picture for us (we've got a house, 401k, couple roth IRAs, savings, etc.) but I think if we can get the first one done quick and stay consistent on the second and third we'll be out of debt in no time, and have more money for doing good, having fun, and investing in our future.

Infinite Jest

2010-01-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

I've wanted to read Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace for some time. To me it just looked like this giant novel on my "to read" list , but it is supposed to be one of the best pieces of fiction written by an American. I've read some of his non-fiction in magazines and essay compilations but never any of his fiction. And when he took is own life a couple of years ago I remember reading the news on the computer at work, checking the availability of his works and taking a copy of Infinite Jest on my lunch break to see what it was like. Since that time I've stocked the book numerous times and walked by it a countless number of times as well. Every time I held it in my hands I thought "I have to read this book some day." So in December I finally bought my very own copy and set it on the bookshelf at home to read "some day." And a couple of weeks ago I put it on my 2010 goals list and "some day" became that day.

In the introduction, Dave Eggers writes:

"The book is 1,079 pages long and there is not one lazy sentence. The book is drum-tight and relentlessly smart, and though it does not wear its heart on its sleeve, it's deeply felt and incredibly moving. That it was written in three years by a writer under thirty-five is very painful to think about. So let's not think about that. The point is that for all these reasons - acclaimed, daunting, not-lazy, drum-tight, very funny (we didn't mention that but yes) -that you picked up this book. Now the question is this: Will you actually read it?"

Since I can only read at nap time and after Ben is in bed, and I have to reread pages to know where I am, I'm only about 100 pages in to the 1079-page book (including footnotes). But I'm already blown away by the writing.

New Year, New Goals

2010-01-09T10:07:00.001-08:00

The new year began over a week ago pretty uneventfully in the Artz house. We put Ben to bed, drank some sparkling wine, and watched the ball drop in Time Square before calling it a night. The first few days of the new year I spent thinking about goals (as many people do) and decided to set some. So here they are:

Make date night a priority and have a "real" date with Amber once a month.
Use more moments for teaching Ben new things (words, social interaction, etc.)
Play together as a family more.
Make basement room into livable space. (play room, guest room)
Pay off credit cards completely and make a good dent in student loans.
Pay closer attention to my blood sugar and listen to my body.
Ride my bike five times a week this summer.
Backpacking/Camping at least one BIG trip and one (or more) short trips.
Camp with Ben and Amber at least once.
Read Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Keep this blog updated (at least a few times a month)

1931-2009

2009-12-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

Today the Lincoln community put to rest one of it's most beloved members. Rev. Dr. Otis Young was the senior minister at First-Plymouth Congregational Church UCC until his retirement in 2006 and has since been an active leader in the church as well as the community. It's been a long while since I have attended church in Lincoln, but I feel a kinship with the UCC and First-Plymouth in particular partly because it's the last church I attended, and partly because it's one of only a handful of churches in Nebraska that share a similar thinking as me on matters of faith, God, and culture. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and the First-Plymouth community. Though I never talked at length with Otis Young, I'd like to think that we would enjoy one another's company. I will remember his warm smile and handshake, and his message of inclusiveness. He will be missed.

Snow

2009-12-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

Nurses don't get snow days. Neither do stay-at-home dads. So today is the same as most other days in the lives of the Artz's. Except that out-door play is limited, we spend more time by the windows, and there's a certain electricity in the air because of the wonder of falling snow. That being said, snowy winter days are some of my favorite kind. I get to hang out in sweats all day without feeling like a bum, I can brew two or even three pots of coffee and continually sip from before sunrise till after sunset, soup and sandwich for lunch never tasted so good, and I have motivation to think, read, write, read, and think some more. Maybe this afternoon we'll do more of this:

On Beardedness

2009-11-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

I shaved my beard yesterday, as I have every couple of months since Ben was born, so I've been thinking about beards lately. I've been growing a beard,on and off, for seven years. Technically I guess I've been growing a beard since I hit puberty, but I've been purposefully letting my facial hair grow out and cutting it back for seven years. My first beard was nothing more than a bit of a shadow. It was patchy and gross looking and it made me feel older and intellectually secure. I was a freshman in college, really just trying to figure out who I was and what made me that way. Since then my beard has filled in and looks okay most of the time. I've worn it stubbly (my wedding day), short (my freshman year), medium (my profile picture for this blog), long (Independence Day '08), and too long (my brother's wedding day). Over time, my beard became a part of who I am.

So why do I wear the beard? I suppose I've always just wanted to look older. I was one of the youngest people in my high school class (just 17 when I graduated). I fell in love when I was 19 and got married at 20. And we had our first child when I was 24. Also, many intellectuals and artists that I enjoy have beards (John Muir, Jesus, Henry David Thoreau, Abraham Lincoln, et al.). And I've always wanted to be considered smart, witty, and adventuresome (attributes that I tend to give to bearded folks).

So this morning when I looked into the mirror and saw my naked face, I felt a twinge of loss and longing for the beard that graced my face the last couple months. I saw a cute, young, funny-looking, inexperienced, innocent boy - things I like to think I am not. But by tomorrow the intelligent adventuresome stubbly guy will be back and a new beard will be born. We won't have to see that cute kid for another few months.

Jealous?

2009-11-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

I have a bit of a confession to make. I get jealous of some of my friends and family from time to time. Especially the people that I think have fancy and exciting lives. I have a friend that lives in London and is working on his Ph.D at the LSE. I rarely get to see this friend of mine and really don't know what goes on in his life from day to day, but I think what my life could be like living as a single man in a large city and doing what I would consider highly intellectual work. I also have a friend that is finishing up law school at Duke. Not really sure what he's doing right now but I think he's going to work in Washington DC soon and (I hope) one day he will run for political office. A couple of years ago he was awarded a fellowship to travel around the world. Could I ever do something like that? Travel around the world, arrange living situations for myself, make friends, and learn a whole lot? I don't know, but sometimes I think about it. I have yet another friend who recently finished pharmacy school at UNMC in Omaha. He's married to a future doctor and doesn't have kids (yet) and is just starting to make some pretty good money. What would it be like to have a full-time job that pays pretty well and have a little left over time and money?

At the end of all these thoughts I like to think that maybe some of my friends and family get jealous of me sometimes too. Maybe one or two of my friends, maybe even a couple from the ones listed above, think from time to time what it would be like to live in Lincoln, Nebraska and be happily married, and have a child to love and take care of, and own their very own home, and have a fairly simple life. Maybe we all romanticize things a bit. Being single and childless has is rewards and setbacks just like being married with children has its rewards and setbacks. Maybe we're all just the same.

Night Shift

2009-10-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

The house is completely quiet, even with all three of us (and Chomsky) here. Of course, I am the only one who is not sleeping at noon on a weekday. This can only mean one thing: Amber is working night shifts this week. Amber has what are called "rotating shifts." She will work a few weeks of days and then a week or two of nights. This obviously takes a toll not only on our schedule, but it can also be physically and emotionally exhausting for her. I have only stayed up all night a hand-full of times in my entire life and just a couple of those were for work. She has done it a whopping 60 times this year alone. A few times she's even "volunteered" to work an extra night shift or two because the pay differential is pretty good. Every week that she works nights I am continually surprised with how quickly her body and mind bounce back from it. I have a sneaking suspicion she may be a superhero.

"Yeah, I Really Do"

2009-10-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

A few days ago a friend of mine I hadn't seen in a while asked me if I liked my job. My response was something that I kind of made up on the spot: "Yeah, I really do. The work is easy and enjoyable and the people I work with are great." Since that conversation I've been thinking about my job satisfaction and if what I said was really true and why.

Reasons I like my job:

1) My job is easy.

It gives me much-needed time away from the stress and struggles of stay-at-home parenting. I absolutely love staying at home with my son, and am glad that I get the opportunity to raise him, teach him new things, and just see him grow and mature. But he is also a typical one-year-old with limited social skills, prone to tantrums (lately), and he is on the move constantly so I am also on the move and thinking of things to keep him occupied all day. Raising a child is definitely my most difficult job, but also my most rewarding. My part-time job at the bookstore, on the other hand, is really easy for me. Once I acquired the knowledge of the store and mastered the alphabet (I say it to myself almost the entire time I shelve books), I can do my work pretty effortlessly.

2) My job is enjoyable.

I love working with books. I like the feel of the pages and brand new dust jackets. I like the smell of books and fresh coffee every time I walk in the front doors. I like working with my hands, unboxing, sorting, shelving and displaying books. I like knowing where everything goes. What really gives me joy these days is seeing an empty receiving area (even if it only stays that way for a few hours). Even after working with books all day, I still come home and enjoy reading to Ben before he sleeps, and reading from a good book before I dose off too. Why do I like these things? I don't really know, but I'm just glad I do.

3) My coworkers are great.

I'm not really sure how many of my coworkers will read this, but if any of you do I just want to let you know that it's fun working with you. There are a wide variety of personalities at the bookstore and I blend in pretty well. I tend to be quiet and listen a lot more than I talk, but I do share a lot of my life with the people at work. They genuinely care what's going on in my life, and love seeing Benjamin when I bring him by the store on one of my days off. I really like hearing about their experiences and thoughts too. Our work environment is kind of like a little community, and I like that.

So I guess what I told my friend was true. While most people tend to look at the down side of their work, I almost always think positively of mine.

A Good Weekend

2009-10-25T08:23:00.001-07:00

I'm thinking a lot this Sunday morning about how great my simple life seems right now. I'm so thankful for a wife that loves me completely, a son that needs me and (I hope) loves me, a home to call our own, and the time to enjoy a lot of it most of the time. I know this sounds a bit sappy and rose colored, but hey..... we had a good weekend.

Amber and I went on a long needed date and actually had new things to talk about over dinner. We didn't talk about Ben or family nearly as much as I thought we would and we talked about the people around us a lot more than I thought we would. We're avid people watchers. We also went to "Where the Wild Things Are." I was genuinely surprised how many parents brought their young kids to see it. It hit on some pretty deep and serious issues in childhood, and I honestly will probably never read or think of the book in the same way again. It was a very well made film and if you haven't seen it yet, it is well worth the outrageous ticket prices. Come to think of it, the kids would probably enjoy it too. I really don't give kids the credit they deserve for understanding the same things I do.

On Saturday we took Ben to Vala's Pumpkin Patch and had a great time as well. I'm usually a big stickler about saving money, but this experience was worth the price as well. We had a great time and it distracted us from having to feel frustrated about football.