I love the smell of Mud in my Campaign

I spent the day recovering from my attack on insomnia. After too many days with poor sleep, I turned to science and medicine to get a good nights sleep and I took 1 Rozeem tablet. It's the pill with the commercials with Abe Lincoln, a talking beaver, and a deep sea diver. Well, this shit is the Devil's medicine! That one little pill knocked me out for almost 11 hours and even after I was up it took almost two hours for me to feel normal again. Pretty powerful stuff. I slept hard, reportedly smacked my wife in the face a few times, and had a long series of vivid dreams that shouldn't have been connected, but some how were. I think I'll be saving those pills for emergencies and times when I can sleep in a bit.

I commented previously about the dander rising in the Democratic debates between Clinton and Obama. They were both throwing barbs back and forth, essentially attacking each other's integrity. Unfortunately for Hillary, she made a comment about Obama being connected to a "slumlord" in Chicago named Tony Rezko. She of course defended her actions as a "counter attack" but as so often has happened when a Federal politician named Clinton gets in the news, the past has a way of coming up and casting dispersions upon their morals and integrity. Hilary was on the morning network news programs talking about the campaign and Matt Lauer asked her about the photo, to which she gave a great answer that I believe is probably the truth, but it's vague and predictable enough to cause the common voter to pause. The picture itself looks like it was taken during Bill's presidency and is probably just a photo from a fundraiser or visit that the Clintons made. She says she doesn't remember taking the picture or evening knowing him.

Her and Bill probably had their photos taken with thousands of people since entering the national scene at different democratic events with tons of people they didn't really know. But for her to question Obama's integrity by mentioning him connection to this guy by name, and then saying she doesn't even know what he looks like is a bit of a stretch. If she knew enough to mudsling with his name, then she knows what he looks like. Come on. And if she's full of shit about that, it makes you wonder what she really knows and whether her or her husband took any money from him, whether directly or indirectly.

Yeah, the mud smells sweet when you can just sit back and watch it fly.

Annoying

Being a stay at home father has been a real paradigm shift for me in terms of how skewed our society is towards men as parents. If the stereotype of a father is not viewed as absent or negligent, then the best we can hope for is to be labeled as lazy, uncaring, or incompetent. Many times it is all of them combined together. This doesn't even include the fact that stories, advice, or services for the "stay-at-home" parent are almost always geared towards women. As I've said before here on this blog, I am one of the smallest minorities in this country as a result of this.

For most of my life I didn't care what the rest of the world thought, but as I increasingly ran into people who became upset, offended, angry, enraged, or hurt by comments and assumptions I made whether in jest or ignorance, I began to change my actions and comments to suit our increasingly thin-skinned society. It has gotten to a point that no matter what your intentions may have been, you are always wrong if you don't ignore all stereotypes and immediately embrace the highest pinnacle of qualities a person possesses (or potentially possesses) regardless of race, gender, age, or any other factor you want to use.

But in all this Rah!, Rah! politically correct age of bullshit enlightenment one group has been allowed to be maligned, smeared, and ridiculed as frequently as anyone else desired. This group I am talking about is men, most often white men, but generally it's OK to attack, insult, or belittle us.

Are you gay? Well, we won't stand for anyone making fun of you for that? Are you black? Then we will not tolerate any assaults against you in any form!! Are you Jewish? A senior citizen? Maybe even a friend of Bill W? Then we will protect you--- as long as you're not a man!! Then it's OK to say things about you that we would otherwise balk at if that came anywhere near us. And if you happen to be a father, then we'll double our efforts and use the broadest strokes of our brushes to besmirch you and your character. But be warned, if you do it to women or mothers, even in defense, then you're just an asshole.

So, this annoys me!

On Tuesday, some "broad" in the multiple parents group Meva and I belong to passed along a joke that was very long winded and meant to be funny about how men are thoughtless, lazy, stupid, sex maniacs. It was meant as a joke, but it just pissed me off to know end. So much so that I replied to this entire group, which consists almost entirely of women, that I found the email offensive.

I'm sharing this because in my little rant, I came up with a twist and turn on the stereotype for women that I am rather proud of because like most stereotypes, you can find support for it if you look hard enough, but it's mostly ridiculous and I aimed it at this group of women, who for the most part use the multiple parenting group as a mothers social network (and there's nothing wrong with that). So to this group I referred to women as:

"nothing but self indulgent, image obsessed martyr bags of hormones and gossip!"

Meva and I laughed at that until it hurt. I say that because if we laugh too much right now our chest colds act up and we start coughing like crazy.

But anyways, all of the above annoyed me and I felt much better (and tremendously pleased at my attempt at being witty) after having said that.

Anyways, that's something for everyone to think about and laugh at. And if you still aren't laughing, just laugh at me, I'm an easy target. I am a white male parent after all!!

Danger! Danger! Danger!

I've been doing some thinking the last few days, which is always something my wife says should cause everyone around me to be concerned. As it is past 4 am while I write this, I am prepared to admit I am suffering from some serious insomnia. Just like I said in my last post, I'm getting little sleep, I'm up all hours, and I find myself growing more and more restless and listless at the same time. As I've tried to find a cause for this new behavior and a way to combat it, I think that I may have finally come up with an answer tonight while writing on my other blog.

Basically I think my problem stems from an inability to write. If you don't write, then that will sound silly, but if you're someone like myself who feels compelled to write everyday, then you'll understand how damaging it can be to feel as though you're being held back from creating. The current set-up here at home no longer is working for me, with my desk right in the middle of triplet central and between the TV and my wife's computer.

Meva and I talked about this before and I've been saving up trying to get a used laptop so that I can go into another room for some piece and quiet and pound away at the keys. One of my ways to raise the money for this is to start consolidating my collections of books and other items I know longer use and put that money towards my laptop. I've left that as a lower priority, but I think I need to raise that up and focus a bit more on this so I can make my laptop a reality, so eBay here I come!!

In the real world the Presidential race is starting to narrow down, which always causes the remaining candidates to try and make themselves stand out and inevitably the mud starts getting slung all over. We're entering put and shut up time and they no longer have the luxury of talking out of both sides of their mouth on every issue and they're going to be forced to let some of their real intentions and plans out for the public to judge. This is where it all gets exciting and I think I'm going to very much enjoy this race.

Time for some Zzzzz's.

Messes

That little ball of fun to the left has become the newest member of my rogues gallery. That is an enhanced image of the rhinovirus and I've been battling it for what seems like weeks. Basically it's the virus that is responsible for the common cold, or something like 90% of all colds. At this point I'm pretty much past the fevers, chills, and sinus issues, all I have left at the ridiculous congestion and coughing symptoms. I say that because of the severity and unusual pattern that they follow for me. I'm usually fine when I wake up and don't have any coughing whatsoever, but then a few hours later it hits me like a train out of no where. I can be busting my hump around the house or with the kids or just taking it easy and reading or watching TV. When this happens the coughing is just nasty and painful. Everything starts breaking up in my chest and it feels like I'm trying to exhale small shards of glass It can last 10 minutes up to a few hours. The only thing that helps me is taking hydrocodeine for a cough suppressant, which is basically vicodine. I end up taking these pills 2-3 times a day and right before bed because I've been waking up in the middle of the night in one of these coughing fits. Well, the damn thing is getting weaker and weaker, so hopefully it's on the way out.

Other than dealing with the plumbing issues in the laundry room, I haven't been able to do much around the house or even write as I rest and try and get through this. It's a shame I don't have a TEMPORARY extra Meva or two for around the house. She herself has been fighting it off and working real hard around the house and at work. Between the two of us the house is a mess and in a state of disrepair. About the only thing we've accomplished is watching some DVD's and the NFL Playoffs. I've also rekindled my love affair with the Dick Van Dyke show. There's something about the simple, yet likable characters and stories that I love and appreciate. And you can't help but enjoy the talented cast and writing that I truly think was ahead of its generation. One of the local non-network stations airs it twice a night, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts. I would have to say that it really is one of my favorite TV shows, right up there with Frasier, WKRP, and The Office.

The last mess I've got is a bit of a doozy. I wouldn't call it insomnia, but I am having some difficulty sleeping. I find I either can't get to bed until it's almost morning (or actually morning) or I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep for several hours. It's definitely not something that 19 month old triplets are very sympathetic to the next morning. Meva and I aren't sure if it's something I'm doing (like too much caffeine late at night), a side effect of my depression medication, my depression in general, or if its not a warning sign that I might be bi-polar. My therapist seems to think there is some merit there also and wants me to look into that also. I can tell you despite the early tests I've done for this, I am probably going to be a very difficult and bad patient when it comes to treatment . I'll expound on that more as I know more.

Lastly, all of this has really begun to hamper my ability and even desire to write, even here on the blog. I instead find myself distracted by facebook or countless mindless games. I really need to get back into my projects like Toy Chest and finishing up the Veil. That project is almost bursting to come out at times, yet I'm having a hell of a time finding that groove. I really wish I had a laptop so that I could go into a nice quiet place and start banging out pages. I don't need anything fancy, just something with microsoft office and the ability to connect to the web for images and research. Looks like it's time to hit the old eBay store and start cleaning out some closets and putting things up for auction.

Well, it's much too late for me, as usual, so I'm going to try and get a few Zzzz's in before the triplet monster rears its ugly head!

The Root Of My Problems

Well, we had the plumber come out and attack my problem with the laundry room drain pipe problem. As I suspected, that drain was blocked. What was surprising is that the blockage was a network of roots that had trapped years of lint. I say it's surprising because there isn't a tree or bush anywhere near this area that the drain pipe is in. That means the roots are from an old tree that was removed before we bought the house or they are from a huge oak tree over 100 feet away. In the end, we paid about $500 for them to do this and replace some pipes and give us no guarantee that the problem is solved. The washer is working, so for now we're happy. Once I get back to working full time, we might go for a more drastic solution to this. Saturday morning begins the tearing of the drywall and the bleach moping of the entire laundry room!! Yeah!

I think I've entered another one of my manic episodes because I find myself wired and sleeping aids to be of no help. While I would like to sleep, my mind is just racing around and unable to settle for me to relax and sleep.

For no real reason, the last few nights that I have slept, I've had a recurring dream that Meva and I are in a plane crash in the Canadian Wilderness in a small plane. We are the only survivors and Meva has a broken leg. The rescue attempts have been called off because of a developing storm that is starting out as ice rain and turning into a snowy blizzard that will soon start bearing down on us. I then spend the next several hours in survival mode trying to make sure Meva is comfortable and building a shelter to protect us from the elements. I always wake before I finish and as of yet we've never been rescued, although one dream featured me getting help from hundreds of badgers who had dubbed me their god.

I made it through the week with sick triplets and Meva and I under the weather. It was rough and I really feel like I need a vacation. In all honesty, it may have been one of the more challenging weeks with the kids I've ever had. As big as I am, even I have trouble hugging and soothing three babies on two shoulders!

The political race is starting to heat up seriously and due to the precarious nature and importance of this race, I want to be more informed than I have ever been before. That means I'll probably start spouting my radical views here from time to time, but it's important for all of us to do the right thing and stay informed as to what is going on.

Hopefully I can get my laundry room set in time to get to my brother's house for the football games. I plan on being there for both the Seahawks vs Packers and the Jaguars vs. Patriots game in the early evening. Those should be some good games.

One thing I had the misfortune of suffering through this week was watching daytime network and local TV because I spent much of my time holding babies. There are far too many court TV shows on! I hate them all, and the people who appear on those shows ever more. I'm beginning to wonder if these people don't just immediately leave the stages of Jerry Springer and Maury and then appear in front of short tempered judges for additional legal humiliation. I'm almost tempted to watch soap operas, but I will gladly watch Bob the Builder in their place!

Stay-at-home dad of triplets, I am the last true minority in this country!!

I Hate My House

Anyone who loves pain and has been a frequent visitor to this blog knows all the headaches my wife and I have gone through and overcome in regards to our house. You can see were this is going right? More problems!! This time it involves, flooding, mold, and a clogged drain.

The drain pipe in our laundry room has clogged so that every time we run the washing machine it backs up onto the floor. We discovered this from the overwhelming smell of the mold that has built up along the drywall on the floor. So tomorrow I'll be having a plumber coming out to fish through the clog so that the washer works again. Afterwards it will be the fun hobby of ripping out the drywall and drying everything out, and then scrubbing it all down with bleach before we redo the drywall and repaint.

I wish we weren't broke as hell so I could just hire a contractor and have them do all this work. It's not that it's all that difficult, but time is the more precious commodity and I'd just as soon see someone else take care of it while I did other things that are pressing as well.

You know it's been a wild month when a bunch of tornadoes come rolling through the region in January. I feel for all those people who got smacked with this due to the uncommon weather, but I don't want to hear people telling me it's all due to global warming. It happened in 1950, and probably happened hundreds of times prior to the keeping of weather records. Don't get me wrong, I believe that we have some serious greenhouse gas issues, but it's not to blame for everything.

All three of the kids are sick too. The boys are the worst off and they are very clingy. This is one of the most stressful times for being the parent of triplets. These poor little guys are so sick, and feverish, and just all over miserable that most of the time they just want to be held. The house has pretty much become a disaster area as I give them the love and attention they need and try to hold my sanity together. It's not always easy, but so far I've gotten through it.

Not too much in the way of good news to report, although things really are good for us overall. I have great kids, a wonderful wife (although she is lacking in football enthusiasm). You basically count your blessings and focus on what you have.

Getting Back On The Saddle

The Holidays, as much as I love them, sure do seem to sap much of my energy from me. It didn't help having that friendly little cold over New Year's either, but it beats getting poked in the eye with a stick.

The weekend has been very relaxing and slow. Of note my wife and I watch The Bourne Ultimatum and Vacancy. I loved Bourne in the theaters, and I was really surprised with Vacancy. I don't usually go for movies of that type, but it was suspenseful and it never got too terribly out of hand or control. It's biggest asset is that it's a story that could conceivable happen (although probably not at intricate or complex) and it's that knowledge that sits at the back of your head as you watch it. Anyone who has ever traveled along out of the way places and stayed at lonely generic motels will instantly be able to relate to the setup of that movie. Again, nothing fancy, but it was definitely a good movie.

With the NFL playoffs here that means a few things. First is that my beloved Bears have the same seat to the games as I do, and second that the fantasy football season is over. In total, I was in 6 leagues this year and I won two, came in second in two more, and the other two I just tanked. At least one of the leagues I won has some money as a prize, so I'll be getting a nice donation to my laptop fund here real soon!

My hand is really starting to feel good here and once my wife and I get the house back in shape I'm going to be going full steam ahead on the writing. I've already started going over The Veil and plotting out how I want that to go. Since I've been on this hiatus, I'm going to to a recap and put some special links on the side to make it easy from anyone interested in starting over, to do so.

Well, it's now so late that it's early and I should have been in bed hours ago. Be safe everyone.

Welcoming The New Year

My buddy Cary marked the New Year that he still had his fingers and toes. For that matter alone, I am glad to see 2007 behind me. I spent the latter part of the year in pain and in a cast due to my arthritis in my left hand. 2008 has rung in with my hand out of a cast and in a splint!! That's just awesome.

We had a great New Years celebration, despite a nasty cold taking root in me, at my brother's house. I of course didn't drink, but I didn't get home until 4:30am. I was beat, but I had a fantastic time talking with my friends and family without any worry of getting home and checking on the triplets. I have to give a big thank you to my mother and father in-law for allowing us to have a very rare treat that night.

There's not a whole lot going on lately. As the year gets in gear I'm preparing to finish my last assignment for my Master's Degree and looking to get back into teaching again after this school year. That's important because it will take away some of my time for writing as I prepare resumes and applications. It sucks, but it's a necessary evil for my family.

That's about it for now folks.