Funny thing about working for a lunatic...

I haven't had time to blog since I quit my job.  All because I started back at the same job exactly 24 hours after I quit. Apparently, I needed to blow off some steam that had been building up pressure for 2 years! Overworked and under-compensated definitely described my disgruntled ass.  Now, I'm just overworked and exhausted.  In a new house, trying to decide what to renovate first...


Oh and on a side note, the Gathering of the Vibes Festival (GOTV) was awesome! We all had a blast. The drive up sucked, the drive back sucked, but the vibes were flowing freely at the festival. I'm glad our first family festival was the GOTV check it out here http://www.gatheringofthevibes.com/Home.  We went on Friday, missed Jackie Greene (very bummed about that) because we were stuck in traffic in Brooklyn. But we got to see Robert Randolph and the Family Band , Steve Kimock, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and the best part of the day was of course, Furthur!

Furthur was awesome! Just like being at a Grateful Dead show, without Jerry of course. But the dude who sang and played Jerry's parts, herein referred to as Fake Jerry, was a worthy stand-in. Just looked it up, he's actually from Dark Star Orchestra, guitarist John Kadlecik.  They played some of my favorite Dead tunes. I'll post the set list below.

07/30/10 (Fri)  Gathering of the Vibes @ Seaside Park (Main Stage) - Bridgeport, CT

Set 1: The Golden Road, Jack Straw, Ramble On Rose, Dupree's Diamond Blues, Friend of The Devil, Estimated Prophet > Eyes of The World > Not Fade Away Set 2: Playing In The Band, Althea, Wharf Rat > He's Gone > Scarlet Begonias > The Wheel, Standing On The Moon, Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin's Tower, E: Terrapin Station Suite

It was sweet!

Anyway, my bed's calling my name...

Gathering of the Vibes!!!

Well, everyone is blogging now. My wife is blogging. My sister-in-law has a blog with followers. WTF?! I blog occasionally.  Extremely occasionally.  Working Class Dad. That's what I called this one. I have two blogs. This one I haven't touched since my son Gabe was born, about 4 months ago.  Too busy. Working a lot.  Bennies are here, 60 hours a week, not a lot of time dedicated to writing.  That's right, the creative side falls to the wayside. The cool thing is though, I'm taking the family on a mini-vacation.  We're going to a hippie music festival, the Gathering of the Vibes Festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  I'm psyched. The kids are psyched. I think my wife is excited just to get out of the house, let alone the state!  It will be our first family trip (as a family of 5 that is).  It should be pretty interesting, considering the kids attention spans, and the fact that we'll be on the road for 3 1/2 hours and then be at the festival ALL DAY! I think they'll dig it, the music, the scene... After all, they are my kids!!!

What to do When You Work for a Bi-polar Psychotic Megalomaniac

I'm thinking I may have a lot more time to blog now that I'm probably quitting my current job. Yes, that's right, that's what you do when you realize that your Bi-Polar Megalomaniac boss is never going to change. You weigh you options. Come up with a contingency plan. Have your leverage in your pocket, and when your leverage isn't quite enough, fall back on your contingency plan. I sure am glad I don't burn my bridges, and can always rely on my excellent work ethic and reputation to give me a paycheck. Well, tomorrow will be a day to decide my future at Klein's.  I'm thinking it's not going to end well... For Klein's that is. We'll see.

New addition

My wrist is adorned with a new piece of jewelry: a bracelet. It connects me to something, or rather someone, who has recently become a major source of anxiety, stress, and joy.  My newborn son Gabriel has a matching bracelet and anklet. He was born at 8:07am Friday, weighing a whopping 10 lbs 1 oz and measuring 21.5" in length! He is a handsomely cherubic version of Alfred Hitchcock. And he's been confined to the special nursery, tucked away and isolated from his mother who has desperately wanted to hold and nurse him for the past 5 days, but couldn't. Wednesday, she got the chance to do both for the first time! It was a true mother and child reunion. Friday, we got to take him home! It's been a few days now, and our little family is perfectly dysfunctional!

My new toy

I just got a new toy. I can't put it down. I can use it to blog with... That's right, I got a new smart phone. Replaced my not-so-smart-anymore T-Mobile Wing with the Samsung Behold II.  This is my first Android phone, and I don't have any real complaints.  I will probably mod it once I figure out what the hell I'm doing... Looks like I have to learn Linux so I don't brick the damn thing. The only things it doesn't have, but I'm sure I'll find an app for, are a good voice recorder and word processing app. Well, we'll see. Just picked up a new book, a novel by Stieg Larsson called The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It promises to be a good read, I'll come back to review it after I finish it.  I've also been listening to a lot of new music and some that's been around a while, namely The Xx, Temper Trap, Beach House, Collie Buddz, Cold Cave, Neon Indian, The Doves new album Kingdom of Rust, Kings of Leon, Band of Horses, Javelin, The Big Pink, Jackie Greene, Derek Trucks, Moe. and of course, the Grateful Dead! And it all sounds great on my Ipod and my Behold II!

Rambling/What happens to our brains?

My wife was yelling at Olivia on the television before.  I walk around with songs like Riding the Range and the theme from Yo Gabba Gabba in my head. My brain sometimes turns to mush at work because I'm preoccupied with wondering about how my wife is doing at home (5 more weeks 'til C-day) with our 3 year old, and how our 6 year old is at school (behavior at home suggests he might have Oppositional Defiance Disorder--but I am NOT a doctor!).  So yeah, my brain turns to mush. Oh, and that script and short story I'm supposed to be finishing... I recently got a new smart phone, so that's a distraction--or is it merely an excuse for procrastination?  I don't know. But something's gotta give. I'm becoming more and more disillusioned at work, trying to make the transition to working from home as a writer instead of slaving 60 hours a week in the summer and getting cut down to 30 in the off-season. Oh and it's time to get our shit together and get what we need for when we bring the new baby home... My head hurts!

Introduction/First Post

Becoming a Dad was the scariest thing that I've ever done. It's full of it's ups and downs, it's happy and sad moments.  Not having kids as a newlywed couple, my wife and I had the freedom to do anything and go anywhere. Half a second later, I have two kids a dog, and another child making his/her entrance in a few weeks.  I wouldn't change any of it. Not for one minute.  Do I yearn for the old days sometimes? Yes. But I couldn't go back having experienced the birth of two children.  The first smile. The first words.  The first teeth.  The first steps. The first day of school. I think that is one of the most wonderful parts of being a dad.  Experiencing all of the firsts. Savoring all of the tiny miracles, bittersweet moments, happy (and sad) accidents; just being there as a dad. 

They say that Anyone can be a father, but not everyone can be a dad. This is why I chose to write this blog.  To share my experiences and thoughts on being a dad. And to try and be the best Dad I can, even after I come home from a long day at work and just want to relax or pass out. Making time to be Dad no matter what.