A Long Day Away From Baby

Given how things played out last year, I expected things to be busy today at the trade show. What I didn’t expect was sheer volume of people that would be attending the show. What had taken me 20 minutes to go from getting on the bus to the booth, was now an hour voyage through the sea of attendees and exhibitors. Thankfully, I had left early enough that I still made it to the booth with plenty of time to spare before the first appointment that I had booked for the day.

As the day flew by you could tell who had been at the show for both days walking up and down the aisles. Sore feet and slow moving legs were apparent. And, of course, there was the larger than life crowd… the ones that made me look like the after picture from a weight loss commercial. It was a constant fluffy wave that made you think twice when you took a lunch break or went over to the cart to get a cup of coffee.

While our booth was busy throughout the day with only a handful of moments when we were left to ourselves, there were other companies when the exact opposite was true. It was rather odd to see the lack of interest that they were inciting especially in a room where there were more than a few niche companies and products that were constantly talking to customers all day. Makes me glad that some of our previous discussions never panned out but also make me wonder how we could have made the show different for them.

Even during the numerous humorous and busy moments, I couldn’t help but think about what I might be missing back home. I kept thinking about my wife and son and hoping that he wasn’t missing me too much. While he may not be aware of everything he does know when I am out late and I am certain that he knew I was gone.

Those times were tough but it was also nice getting those pictures and videos from my wife and sharing them with those around me. While I may not have been able to talk to him, I could at least talk about him. That was my way of getting through the times when I missed him most and the best way that I was able to relate to those around me who all had kids. That is how I got through today!

Turkey Fallout

Since we were out all day yesterday, today was our turn to cook the turkey. This was a maiden voyage for my wife and the first time I had attempted cooking a bird since college in 2001. Heading into the experiment we knew it was at least going to be an interesting experience.

With my wife prepping the carrots, celery, and onions I began getting the gobbler ready. Everything went smoothly with the exception of my wife getting a little disturbed by the innards neatly tucked away in the carcass. Having gone much faster than expected, the bird was in the oven in about thirty minutes swimming in a warm pool of Muscato wine.

Four hours later, the button had popped and we unwrapped the turkey to crisp up a bit. While it never achieved the golden brown seen in the cook books and on television, it was still a very tasty result with leftovers to last a week. We shouldn’t have any problem doing this again in the future.

Although it probably would have been smarter to get out of the apartment today and walk around. So much food, actually I wasn’t too bad this year, and little activity has given me the Thanksgiving lean and the occasional hunch. It is not a pleasant feeling and one that I haven’t felt in a while… it is the kind of feeling that sucks all the energy out of you and leaves you looking for the nearest soft and flat surface to lay on.

It is this sensation that took over soon after our dinner and began making me feel the fowl fallout. My body isn’t used to having to process so much turkey let alone two nights in a row and my body is slowing down rapidly leaving my eyes and fingers to struggle tapping the keys on my laptop. This is the lean to one side to get comfortable and yawn every fifteen seconds blog.

The only think keeping me up tonight at this point is the Comedy Central standup (or in the case of Bill Cosby, sitting down) marathon. Nothing like some dummies and a fluffy guy to keep you awake as you continue to laugh through the discomfort. But it is a pretty good end to a day that felt like Sunday from the time I woke up. Knowing that I don’t have to set an alarm for tomorrow makes everything better.

I’m A Nudist And I Don’t Like It!

A couple months ago I made a drastic decision and shaved my beard. It was the first time that my face had seen daylight in nearly a decade and the first time my wife had ever seen me without one. While it may seem odd, not a day goes by that I don’t miss it. I guess you could say that my beard was my blanky.

It is also a source of memory for me as it has been a part of “my look” for so long. When my wife and I got engaged, my beard was neatly groomed for the pictures.

Engagement Beard (January 2007)

By the time our wedding came around I had gained a considerable amount of weight but still kept the beard looking good for our big day.

Wedding Fat Beard (June 2009)

Between our wedding and my wife’s birthday the following year I had lost a significant amount of weight and gain a number of inches on the beard.

Back to Nature Beard (October 2010)

Israel saw probably the best beard to date as I had lost some more weight and had everything trimmed with just the right amount of length.

Israeli Beard (July 2011)

Last summer we took a family vacation to Disney World where things got a little scraggly because, hey, we were on vacation.

Tired Disney Beard (July 2012)

And here I am recently at Crystal Cave, naked and fluffy.

Naked Spelunking (July 2013)

So, I am frequently asked, why did I do it? The reason is simple; beards are not seen as professional. I don’t agree with it but there is the reality of the situation. I had put it off as long as possible but I could no longer risk losing potential employment opportunities because of the way I look.

However, I think I look better with a beard and I know I feel, for some reason, more comfortable with one. Contrary to popular perception, my wife misses my beard as well and asks almost daily when I am going to grow it back. This leaves me to pose the following question every morning: to shave or not to shave?

The only thing I can say for certain is that it will be back. I don’t know when but it will most certainly be back. I miss my blanky.