ekattan's Blog - 2old2play

Wife's 31st Birthday

My wife turned 31 years old on Monday but she just wanted a 3 on her cake. We didn't do much just have friends and relatives over, a Monday really puts a cramp on your birthday plans. I didn't get her anything this year, just opened a savings account for her and deposited 800 dollars so she could buy what ever she wanted. Since the times are so financially gloomy she says she will save it for a rainy day. Julianne laughed the whole time we sang happy birthday, I can't wait till she turns one.

My nephew, Daniel, also came over and begged me to bring out Rock Band 2. He says he loves it more than Guitar Hero and plans on buying it. Daniel can play all the songs on expert, it simply boggles my mind. I can barely get by on medium, you never realize how hard or fun the game is until you play it.

It wasn't long until the girls started getting curious and wanting to play. I was amazed on how quickly they picked up the skills on the drums and guitar. I would have imagined they would be fighting over the mic but that wasn't it at all, they all wanted to play the drums. I was an idiot for putting this game out, the girls kept playing and playing and playing. Until I kinda hinted it was getting late. It was a fun time, that was exactly why I bought Rock Band 2, to have friends over and have a great time, best the heck out of Pictionary doesn't it?

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Concert and a Game

This weekend my wife wanted to go to watch a concert at a local bar and lounge. The band that was going to be playing is called Vilma Palma y Los Vampiros, a famous Argentinean band that reached its popularity in the 90's. They have great songs, so I decided to take my wife out since she's been stuck at home most of the time with Julianne. My mother in-law decided to look after Julianne while we went out, the only problem is that Julianne is in that stage where she goes nuts when she's not with her mother. As soon as we were leaving to go out we got a call from her mother saying Julianne wouldn't stop crying, so we had to go and see if we could comfort her until she quieted down. As soon as my wife walked in through the door Julianne quit crying, I'm not exaggerating, it was like a switch. So after Julianne quieted down and remained calm in the arms of my mother in-law for a good while we decided to leave. We had a great table almost in front of the stage but not so close if you know what I mean. We ordered a bottle of scotch and a bottle of vodka for the girls. An hour after we had arrived my wife’s mom called again saying Julianne wont stop crying. Luckily a friend of ours had a chauffer that night and offered to take my wife to try and sooth Julianne until she fell asleep. Well it took Elisa about 40 minutes to put Julianne to sleep, and she arrived even before the band started. The great thing was that Elisa, my wife, enjoyed the concert every single song.

So Saturday I woke up with a bit of a hangover. I had to go to work that day but took some time off to go and inspect the installation of my father’s granite bar top. A friend kept calling me that day inviting to go watch a soccer match, so I asked permission from my wife and she granted me the ‘visa’ to go. The game was exciting and filled with surprises. The final score was 3-2 our team winning.

Julianne update. She has been doing fine. We can still here her having problems breathing sometimes. The doctor said that the infection was probably bacterial and she also has some problems with her sinuses. Here is a pic my wife took the other day with her phone.

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Julianne is Sick

Last week we went to the doctor because Julianne was coughing when she got agitated. The doctor said it was RSV, respiratory syncytial virus. Supposedly it only lasts 5 to 7 days and the only treatment is nebulization. So we went and bought a nebulizer and gave her nebulization for 5 days. She is really brave, she only cried the first time we had the mask on her but now she is used to it and just smiles at us, of course I shake my as off trying to entertain her with toys and dolls. This week we took her to the doctor again because she had some vaccines due, and the doctor told us that she still had mucus in her lungs and it was probably due to Bronchiolitis; a lung infection usually caused by the respiratory syncytial virus which produces swelling and mucus production in the small breathing tubes of your child's lungs. The doctor once again prescribed more frequent rounds of nebulization and some antibiotics. The antibiotics is what I don't understand and frankly scares me since this would make the doctor assume it's bacterial and not viral or he is just being overly precautious which I believe to be the case. Something that scares me is that I've been reading about this ailment on the internet and read some very scary cases, one's where babies such as Julianne's age have died because of it. In most cases the pediatricians just diagnosed the cough as a cold but later it would worsen to pneumonia. This is why you have to really do your homework when you pick your pediatrician, you are practically trusting your child's life in their hands. Another issue is that having Bronchiolitis increases her risk of having asthma when she is older. Worse I had asthma as a kid, and it was a horrifying ordeal, I had to get two shots a week to keep my asthma under control for three years with frequent ins and outs of emergency rooms when I had an attack. I wish none of this for my daughter. What is comforting is that she really doesn't look or feel sick, she laughs all the time and feeds normally. The doctor said that it was a really mild case but it still freaks me out.

On a lighter note, about a month ago I got my wife an iphone 3g, so she nows sends me an email per day with a picture of Julianne. Here are some of them,

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No Gaming Just Fishing

So I finally got my visa (permission) from my wife to go fishing with my cousin. She hates it when I go fishing because she know the level of debauchery that occurs on the boat. So here are lots of pics from my trip, hope you enjoy them.

Packed and ready to go. Two things you must always have on a fishing trip, Swing scotch and a case of Corona. Diving gear comes secondary.

Here's the boat, a Team Pursuit 34 footer.

Here is my cousin doing a great job of setting off the boat.

Here's a pic of the marina as were heading off to the Belize Keys.

The Belize Keys are just 50 minutes away. Here is a pic off them from a distance.

Here is a pic of the station were you report yourself and file your papers to obtain the permission to go fishing.

We interrupt these pics to bring you a sponsored advertisement. Enjoy life one Corona at a time.

Here is the "chanel" (helping crew hand) preparing the hooks and bait.

We found prefect spot and started casting with the electric reel at 700 feet. We call these fish "Barra". They are perfect for filets.

Here is a pic off me already drunk. Notice how I never put down my Corona.

The fish just kept coming.

We were making a killing. But then a shark came up and fuck everything up. He got caught on both reels and we hand to find a way to salvage the hooks and lead and most importantly to try and save the shark. After about an hour of struggle we manage to release it without harm.

So we filleted the fish right there and then to make some sashimi for us to enjoy.

This is the final result. The sashimi was out of this world.

So we were tired and decided to get some R&R at the spot we call "the pool".

Many of our friend were already there enjoying the day with their boats.

We joined some boats up and started the grill.

We threw in some ribs and ribeye.

Then it was time to say goodbye to our friends and head off.

I passed out on the way back home. Don't remember anything, thank you Mr. Swing.

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2 Months Old

My they grow up so fast. In no time soon I will have to send her off to college. Exciting day today, my baby girl turns two months old. I guess during the first year you count the months with anticipation but I know that will change, but for now let me rejoice. For all you atheists out there here is the proof that there is a God.

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Rough Night

My baby girl had a very rough night last night. She is in the small percentage of newborns who are affected by colic.

Infant colic is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or screams frequently and for extended periods without any discernible reason.

But then they explain,

Traditionally, colic was ascribed to abdominal pain resulting from trapped gas in the digestive tract.

Which is what I believe to be the case. So it's for no apparent reason that they cry, but because they are actually feeling pain. You see, I don't care about sleepless nights, cold dinners, endless crying, as long as my baby girl doesn't feel pain. It's fucking gut wrenching seeing your baby cry out in pain.

Julianne started showing signs of colic around 5 in the evening and it didn't get any better, just worse. We gave her some pain medicine our pediatrician recommended but it didn't seem to help this time. She couldn't get even 10 minutes of sleep without twisting and turning showing signs of discomfort. I usually sleep in the master bedroom and my wife with the baby in her room, but last night I couldn't bear to be apart seeing her the way she was. So I practically stayed up all night looking after her and trying to soothe her the best way possible, but nothing helped. She finally fell asleep around 3 in the morning after she made "doodi". It kinda eased her back down.

Supposedly colic only lasts during the first three or five months of a newborn's first year, but then you have the teething to look forward to.

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Over 10 years ago

Me and my wife

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Work Area

I mostly don't spend enough time at my desk just when I have to complete my monthly production reports, which I'm currently behind on. I do get flooded with paper work; memos, equipment spec sheets, CAD drawings, quotation forms, and equipment maintenance sheets. It's very hard for me to get organized, I usually have to take some time about every three months to throw out old paper work and just keep the digital copies which was a big mistake.

About three months back I reported a worm in the network to the IT guy, to see if he could locate it and terminate it. The first PC to go was mine. I lost everything. I had Kapersky and was pretty confident I was ok, so hadn't back up my files in a long time. The second PC to go was my CAD artist's PC. We had to spend over $2,000 to send the hard drive to see what we could salvage. The good news is he got most of his files back. I didn't. Then the third victim was my Inventory guy's PC. He also lost everything but had a good back up.

From this point on I said fuck PC's. I bought a 20" Imac. Couldn't be happier. My boss has a Macbook and contacts me everyday when he is away through Ichat. I have Turbo Cad, E-Drawings, Slingplayer, Windows Office for Mac installed on my Imac. I don't use Entourage, I just prefer Mail. The only thing I haven't figured out is how to make a Table inside the email.

Beside my desk I have an Espresso machine. I'm a big coffee nut. I get great blends of coffee down here in Honduras. I usually mix Espresso beans and Arab beans together to make one awesome blend. I usually come into work about 45 minutes early s I can read the newspapers and drink my espresso. This was I avoid almost all the traffic. I estimate in ten years that it will take me roughly 45 minutes to get to work from inside the city. That is why I'm seriously considering living on the beach, the nly set back is there are no good schools close by.

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I would like you to meet

Julianne Marie

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Beach Life

I live about 30 minutes away from the beach. Every weekend me and my wife head off to the beach to unwind. If I'm lucky enough a friend of mine will loan us his wakeboard boat. But still we just love being so close to the ocean.

"I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, our sweat, and in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came." --Pres. John F. Kennedy, Australian Ambassador's Dinner for the America's Cup Crews, September 14, 1962, Newport, R.I.

Let me share some pics. This is our beach home. My father in-law was gracious enough to give us a home here.

This is the pool area.

This is the marina were se set off on the boat. You have to go through a small lagoon first. [

This is the boat with my dog onboard.

And this is our backyard.

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All Hail to the Queen of My Universe

It's my wife's birthday today. She is turning 30, a real milestone for her. The sad part is she is during the nauseas stage of her pregnancy so she feels terrible. She can't celebrate or drink, so we are just going to have some people over. I really haven't gotten her anything yet, I'm on a pretty tight budget right now. Had to buy her a car, I hope that will have to do. But in Christmas I'll get her something extra special.

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Going to be a Father for the First Time

Holy shit, my wife just called me with the great news. That’s right. I'm going to be a father for the first time. As George Constanza best put it "My boys can swim".

We started trying about two months ago. She went to the hospital to get a blood test to be sure and it was positive.

I'm fucking trembling in joy. It's an unbelievable rush thinking of all the responsibilities and amazing joy that child will bring us.

Notre Dame is getting a QB for 2025. Go Irish!

It means a great deal to us since my mom is battling lung cancer, she has been begging for me and my wife to give her a grandchild. I want her to be a part of my child's life more than anything.

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Vacation to SF and Vegas

Well I decided to take my wife to San Francisco this summer since she has always wanted to get to know the city. We both were extremely impressed with how beautiful the city was. We have always have had the bets of luck when it came down to the weather when we travel, and this time it was no different . The weather was perfect, no fog, sunshine and great temperature at 75 degrees. After San Francisco we decided to go to Vegas and try our luck since my birthday was this year lucky sevens 07/07/07. So here are some pictures of our trip.

So here we are at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Here we are at the Rubicon Estate owned by the Coppola family in Napa Valley

Here is my wife at the Joseph Phelps Winery in Napa.

Here I am at Crissy Field Beach while we were on a bike ride from Pier 39 to Sausalito.

Here's my wife while we were crossing the Golden Gate bridge on our bikes.

Here I am at the Pier in Sausalito after watching the 4th of July parade.

Here I am at Wipeout having a cold Pacifico beer after a long ass bike ride.

The band Tainted Love, one of the best 80's cover bands in the US playing Pier 39 for the 4th of July.

My wife at Red Square in Vegas. They make the best martinis and have the best selection of vodka anywhere.

Wakeboarding trip to Lake Mead. We rented a boat for the day, a Malibu Wakesetter. It was 120 degrees that day in Vegas.

My wife and I at Lake mead.

After getting pounded from all the falls wakeboarding, I decided to rip it up wake surfing.

My wife and I at Tryst at the Wynn celebrating my birthday 7/7/07. Ordered my favorite scotch, Macallan 18 year.

My wife and I still at Tryst. At that point I almost had gone through the entire bottle.

My wife at the botanical gardens of the Bellagio were we stayed.

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Workaholic Lifestyle

One of the reasons I decided not to stay in the US was the workaholic lifestyle that has been adopted in mainstream society. Somehow it has been inscribed in our psyche that the longer we work the more successful will be at our jobs. Sometimes this is true but at what expense? We take for granted our family, we are overwhelmed with stress, don’t enjoy life as much. We take one or two weeks off so we can spend it somewhere with our family and somehow forget about work. Many of us just say, “Well you know what? That’s life”. No it isn’t, maybe in the US, but not here. I work in Honduras as an engineer. I have a supposed work time which is never enforced. Supposedly I work from 7 to 5 and get two hours off for lunch. But it’s not about how many work hours you have in a day, it’s about how much you get done. Sometimes if I can get most of my work during the morning I take off at 3 to go wakeboarding. That freedom gives me the force to go on and on exceeding at my job. No worker is more effective than a well rested happy worker. Happiness is really the key to productivity. If your workers are happy, you will have a very productive unit.

When I first started, as most of us do, I worked non stop. Worked weekends for as long as I can remember. Then I hit a slump. My work suffered for it. It’s until you learn to take the time off you need and think with a clear mind when you will most excel at what you do.

So please, take sometime off this Memorial Day weekend. Take your family out and enjoy yourselves. Because this mad world starts over on Tuesday.

Here are some pics of my trip to the Keys here in Honduras so you can relax a little better.

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