Happy Birthday to Two!

     As fate would have it, both my mother and my wife share the same birthday.  Yesterday morning, Radha and I met up with my mom at a nearby outdoor mall.  I wanted to treat mom to a nice birthday brunch so after offering her the choice of any restaurant at the mall or in the surrounding area, she chose...Sonic.  Gotta' love her.  Maybe she feels she can only enjoy/invest in junk food once a year and her birthday happens to be that day.  Friends from Michigan were in town for Reese's birthday dinner and we all ended up at Maggiano's where they seem to have never heard of "small portions".  That's okay though because pasta usually tastes just as good the second day.  Of course we had to make a trip over to my parents' house so gifts could be exchanged and then get home before it was past Radha's bedtime.  Though I may not have realized it in earlier years, I'm really thankful that I have two special women in my life that are honored on the same day.  Let's do it all over again next year, ladies!

Settling in

     And so begins my second week.  My first week as a SAHD had a few good days and a few not-so-good days.  If there is one thing I learned, it was to never expect the same day twice.  I am on HER schedule and she never keeps the same schedule.  Seeing as how this process carries an evolutionary aspect with it, I believe adapt or die will be my adage going forward.

     Reese and I attended our first post-Radha cookout yesterday, and I must say that it was a very enjoyable experience.  Seeing as how the weather has been progressively warming up since the end of February (it was in the low nineties yesterday), our friends Chris and Crystal must have figured that since the summer weather is here we should be diving right into summer activities.  Chris and Crystal have an eight-month-old girl and the other couple attending, Mike and Tammy, brought their eleven-week-old girl along as well.  A strangely satisfying feeling washed over me while sitting there partly involved in the conversations and partly tending to Radha as the fajita meat cooked on the propane grill.  It was comforting to be among my fellow Americans who are also facing similar challenges.  Chris made the comment that, "There must be something in the water with all of these girls being born."  If that's the case, then I'm glad I took a drink when I did. 

One down...

     So I have conquered one whole day of, what I've been assured on many occasions, is the most important job of my life.  I've got to say that things went rather smoothly.  Radha didn't cry much, she got enough to eat and she slept for a good long while.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't breath a sigh of relief when Selkie made it home from work though.  Yeah, I think this job is going to turn out okay.  Like most bosses I've had in the past, I'm sure Radha will have days where she is quite pleased with my performance and others where nothing I do will be satisfying.  That's okay though, she can't fire this employee.  As for the job I had been on for fourteen months prior to this one, my last day was, as expected, rather anti-climactic.  I turned in my ID badges and gate pass, moved my remaining lab coats to the "Employees no longer with the company" rack and rode off with a $25 iTunes gift card.  I made a lot of good friends while working there.  Ones I know I should make the effort to keep in touch with.  I'll be sure to touch base with them every now and then to let them know how well my performance evaluations are going.

Fear not...

Dear Selkie,

     I just wanted you to know how much I love you.  Over the past seven weeks, I've watched you endure great pain, conquer paralyzing fear and emerge with the greatest sense of joy I've ever known you to have.  I am so proud to have you as my wife.  Even though you return to the workplace tomorrow, it will be comforting to know that you will be on her mind and in her heart.  My wish for you is that your day flies by quickly and that we are all safely reunited tomorrow afternoon.  Sleep soundly...   

Dr. Mom???

     Slowly but surely, news of my departure is spreading among my coworkers.  A few days ago, a guy who I consider a friend addressed me as "Dr. Mom."  Let me get this straight, I am neither a doctor nor a mom.  As politely as possible, I informed him that I would soon be a stay at home dad and reminded him that he would still have to work with me for six more days.  He changed the subject and became overly friendly real quick.   It seems like my female coworkers are a lot more capable of stringing the words stay, at, home and dad together.  Maybe it's not that big a deal.  I'm the one who's getting out of that accursed place and doing what I want to, right?  Heck, this same friend told me he would have stayed at home with his son if he was given the chance.  Maybe he'll be lucky enough to be addressed as Dr. Mom someday down the road.

Wouldn't it be nice?

     I have loved video games for a very long time.  Alas, there is not much time to devote to them currently.  I've really been thinking about digging out my Game Boy Advance and revisiting Power Quest from the Game Boy Color days.  About fifteen minutes should satisfy the current withdrawal symptoms I'm experiencing.  I guess this video will have to hold me until I can find fifteen minutes where I'm not working, eating, sleeping, holding Radha, blogging...you get the picture.

A Sense of Not Belonging

     I thought that I belonged there.  I was there right before the darkest time in my life and I returned there two weeks after Ronan passed away.  I stayed there all throughout 2008, not because I liked the job but because there was absolutely no desire for change in my life.  As Radha's birth drew nearer, the last thing on my mind was finding a new job.  Now I've been there just shy of fourteen months.  Since returning post-Radha's birth, my co-workers have been quite friendly...congratulating me and asking to see pictures.  Most of these people offered words of sympathy when I returned following Ronan's passing.  However, I still feel like I don't belong there anymore and that my skills are better used elsewhere.  I'll find out if I'm right soon enough.