Wood Anniversary Plus One

While there is no way that we were going to be able to top the wood anniversary from last year, this year was pretty good. It wasn’t because of anything special that we did or place we went, it was nice to celebrate our anniversary this year as a family. No cards, no gifts, just the three of us together. Something obviously a little different this year but the whole day has changed anyway with many of the things that we would normally be doing, dinners we would be having, this time of year no longer possible but forever part of our memory.

Ass I have said many times before, we have had great years and difficult times in our time together but we always stuck by one another knowing that this was just a simple fact of marriage. This past year was indicative of that cliched roller coaster. There have been times when we have had to just walk outside for some air and other times when you couldn’t pry us apart. However, throughout it all the love remained stronger than ever and now we have our son… our baby… the one who will forever be the symbol of our love and marriage.

Each year has brought something a little different. Sometimes it has been where we were living while other times it has been about where we were planning to go. I guess some of that will always be a part of our annual celebration but things are so much different than they were in the past. However, the constant thing that has remained is that I love my wife now more than I did the day we ran down the synagogue aisle and into the limo.

We have already had quite the journey and, as this year has shown us, things are only just beginning. There are so many things that we have to look forward to, plan for, and sometimes brace ourselves for. We have done so much and planned so many things with life surprising us in new ways each and every time. Throughout it all we have had each other and now we have our family.

Now this day no longer belongs to the two of us. This is a day when we can celebrate the life that we have built, the love that we have, and the family which we cherish. It is a day best described by the unwavering love that we have for one another and our son… the best anniversary gift that we could have ever hoped for. Now try and find a card that says all of that!

Light In The Dark Months

Throughout this past week I was doing my usual preparations for the stated meeting although the June meeting is a little different. Just like any job that you enjoy sometimes you just need a little break. This is time of year when we hope that the temperature isn’t too high outside and the meeting goes quickly. By June we are all itching for a little vacation.

The meeting on Thursday night was excellent. There were great proposals and others that we will continue discussing in the future… it is safe to say that we are all looking forward to a new kitchen. It was also a slightly more relaxed meeting as June meetings usually are. Finally, toward the end of the evening, I made the motion that everyone had been looking forward to… I made the motion to go dark until the September meeting.

However, there is still a lot of activity that will be taking place during the warmer months. In addition to the continued fellowship there are other meetings to attend, events to bring our families to, and plan that need to be finalized. And, for me, it is a time to catch up on the communications that have been slightly lacking and completing the tasks that will make the rest of the year much easier.

Of course, during this time we all have another job that needs to be done… the number of petitions this year has shrunk significantly from the previous year. We all know good men whom we see every day or on occasion. Now, during this down time, is the chance to talk with them about the fraternity and the opportunity that those good men have to be better.

This is also the time when I think back to the first time that I walked through the doors of the lodge. I had stopped by Grand Lodge the week prior and was subsequently introduced from one of the brothers from Ardmore. In between these meetings I had the chance to meet with my uncle, talk about the fraternity, and have him sign my petition.

It was a sweltering summer afternoon when I met with my future brother at the IHOP half a block down the street. We spent the better part of the lunchtime hours discussing my interest, motivations, and what I am looking to get out of becoming a mason. We also discussed his extensive experience. Our meeting then moved to the lodge where he walked me through many of the then foreign rooms before he took my petition and we went our separate ways.

Many months later I received my degrees but I will never forget that afternoon. That afternoon during the dark months of 2012. It is safe to say that these months aren’t truly dark when you can so easily find masonic light in the pages on the calendar. We may not be convening at the lodge for meetings over the summer but the fellowship, brotherhood, and commitment continues throughout the year.

Firearms Friday: Colt Bankruptcy

Anyone who has served in the military are familiar with Colt. Anyone who has some experience with firearms is probably familiar with Colt as well. Heck, if you ever watched a Western you probably recognize the name. Overall, it is safe to say that the Colt brand remains in the pantheon of firearms manufacturers. However, the question now is how long will the company hold that revered place in the industry?

The fact remains that of the countless veterans with whom I have spoken that remain involved in the firearms community the majority of them refuse to purchase a Colt for the simple fact that there are better firearms on the market (especially for the price). Heck I can even remember the issues I had with my service rifle on the range and thinking to myself at the time “how do they expect this to hold up in the field?” It has become pretty clear that while the name remains near the top of the echelon, the actual firearms that are being produced fall far short of that reputation.

While there is no hard evidence to back up this assertion, it seems as though this is a significant contributing factor to the ongoing financial struggles that Colt continues to face. With contracts being cut and a variety of other options in the civilian marketplace, Colt is finding it difficult to compete and remain financially solvent. The current bankruptcy mumblings have been part of the everyday operations of the company for the past decade and now might finally be the time when the hammer falls.

The poorly structured company has nearly exhausted their resources even going so far as mortgaging many of the patents that the company holds. When the reserves are depleted and the revenue streams begin to dwindle down to a trickle, it won’t be long before the company faces the inevitable. While I don’t want to see the company go under, at some point you have to come to the realization that maybe it is for the best. The products they are putting out into the marketplace are not Colt quality like production runs in the past. It might be time for them to step aside.

Given the power that the name and brand still holds in the mind of consumers, even a bankruptcy will not spell the end for Colt. It is almost guaranteed that the brand will meet the same fate at Springfield Armory and be reborn in a completely different company and corporate configuration. It may not be a bad way to go.

Head on over to The Firearms Blog for additional coverage on the Colt saga... 

And The Search Begins…

2012 Chevrolet Malibu

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I had to make a couple of stops on my way to lodge on Tuesday night. Thankfully I was able to get out of the office at the usual time which allowed me a few detours before I was supposed to be in Ardmore that evening. So where did I go? As is evident in the title, I stopped at a couple of car dealers

My wife and I decided last week that it might be time for me to get a new car. I have enjoyed my Chevrolet Malibu over the last three years and haven’t had a single issue with it (beyond potholes) but it just doesn’t work for us now that we are a family of three. While we aren’t really flushed with cash (to say the least) we need something that will serve us better than my current car. Plus it would keep us from putting so many miles on my wife’s Subaru Outback that we got earlier in the year. So, with that in mind, I put together a short list of things that I am looking for in a new vehicle. Here is the basic criteria:

Reasonably priced (preferably under $25,000) – easier than you might think using USAA pricing but still significantly limits the options given the criteria below.  

Reasonable Insurance Rates – I really would like to see my rates stay about the same (lower is obviously preferred).

All Wheel Drive - four wheel drive is also acceptable (my wife is at least laughing at that one).

Automatic – because manual is a ‘pain in the what’ and I haven’t had to drive a manual car in 15+ years.

SUV – Putting a stroller in a trunk is not fun. Add anything else in the trunk and it becomes exponentially more difficult.

Leg/Head Room – This is a basic comfort level. If I can’t fit in the front AND back seats I know it won’t work.

Other Basics – power driver’s seat, windows, doors, air conditioning (still not included in the base models of some cars), radio, etc.

Here are some things that I would like to have but can do without:

Remote Start – I don’t use it much but there are some hot/cold days when it is needed especially when we are taking our son.

Bluetooth – I am usually on the phone when I am in the car.

Cruise Control – most of my driving is on the highway.

Full Size Spare Tire – see posts about potholes.

Side Molding – I have seen the dings on doors in the parking lot on cars that don’t have this.

Regular Outlet – I have used a fair amount. You never know when you need to plug your computer or some other electronics in on the road.

Roof Rack – For the longer road trips that we hope to take our son on in the future.

As you can see, I have put some thought into the list of things I would like to have in a new car. With all of those things in mind I began searching using USAA’s car buying service. The three vehicles that cleared the board and met all of the aforementioned things on my list (including the optional ones) are the Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass, and Chevrolet Equinox. With those three in mind I mapped my course on Tuesday night stopping at a Jeep dealer first because I had never driven any model Jeep before.

2015 Jeep Patriot

Contrary to some of the reviews I found in some of the industry publications, I really enjoyed the ride, feel, and finish of both models. They are on the smaller side of the SUV market but there is a lot there for the money (fully loaded (more options than I have specified above) limited models are near the top of the budget). They look to be solid options and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked them.  

2015 Jeep Compass

From there I drove to a Chevrolet dealer near the lodge. The same dealer from which we bought my wife’s previous car. There I was able to see the Equinox. In addition to being larger than both Jeep models the price tag is also higher (about $4,000 – 5,000 more than a comparably equipped Jeep). However, I have had a great experience with Chevrolet and am familiar with many of the options that are available. Also nice is the fact that GM now offers 2 years of free maintenance on new cars.

2015 Chevrolet Equinox

By the time I got to the lodge I was basically in the same place that I started. I liked all three options that met every single item on my rather extensive wish list. I would be happy with any of them and they would all work well for many years to come. I guess it is probably going to come down to price and how much they are willing to work with me on getting those payments as low as possible. Of course, I am going to have to test drive each of them some more as well. Stay tuned for an as of yet unscheduled update on the decision.

The Other Conversations

Thankfully we didn't find this many keys.

Having finished up the notice late last week and getting the email sent the day before, it was time to head to the lodge to make sure that everything was ready to go before the stated meeting on Thursday night. Of course, I had to make a few stops on the way to Ardmore (more about that in a later post) so I was a little late in my arrival. Heading into the evening, I knew of several brothers who would not be able to make it so I was prepared for a very light turnout when I walked through the door.

While it wasn’t a large group, I was pleasantly surprised to find a small group of us discussing some of the other things that needed to be addressed both before the meeting and over the summer. Sometimes it is in these free flowing conversations when you can really find the passions that drive the masons who make up the membership. These casual nights are a great time to discuss and sometimes debate a variety of topics or changes that some of us would like to see happen.

That is the really interesting thing about some of these fellowship nights. While everyone has an equal voice during the meetings, many times there are a slew of things that have to get done that night, presentations to be made, and motions to be proposed. Sometimes those things that you would like to discuss can get lost in the lateness of the evening. At the same time, it is good to discuss ideas before a meeting so that they can be more fully formed before presenting them.

Of course, these nights are also perfect for the various scavenger hunts that highlight the year. Last night we were in search of some elusive keys to the display cabinets. We thought that we had completed the thorough search a couple of months ago but, somehow, another possible location was brought to our attention last night. So we all headed back down to my office, walked over to the corner, and pried open a large steel box which has remained sealed for the past several years.

Inside we found the keys that we were looking for and others that we were not looking for. So now a new hunt begins as we try to figure out which keys go to which locks. All the while there will be casual conversations among brothers about anything and everything. Sometimes it will have something to do with lodge and other times it will be a means of continual bonding between members or our fraternal family. All of this because we take the time to show up on Tuesday nights, enjoy the relaxed fellowship, and work together to accomplish even the smallest of tasks like trying to find a key.

TMI Tuesday: Blasting The Baby Monitor

When we first starting putting the baby registry together last year one of the things that we made sure to put on there was a monitor. Rather than going with the usual ones, we wanted to upgrade a little bit and get the video monitor for no other reason than we felt more comfortable being able to see our son and not just hear him. So far, that has been the primary use of the camera (especially when he is eerily quiet in his sleep) but it has also been a great source of entertainment at times.

There have been many nights when our son has had trouble sleeping or getting to sleep. Being able to see him has allowed us to take preemptive action during those times. While he may not be screaming yet, we know the restlessness that comes before the ear piercing. We both hate to hear our son cry and preventing that from happening by calming his flailing legs has been a great way to avoid those moments.

Sometimes there are moments, especially after a long and/or tiring day, when we just want to see him. It is calming to watch our son sleep but sometimes we don’t want to risk stepping on that one squeaking floorboard and waking him up. The camera has afforded us the best of both worlds by watching him dreaming peacefully without the risk of disturbing those restful moments for him.

And then there are the entertaining times. Whenever we hear him rustling in his crib we turn on the video. Sometimes, as mentioned above, we need to climb up the stairs and settle him. Other times we know what is about to happen. It can be just as loud as those aforementioned screams and they are much stinker as well. Those are the times when we know he is about to let his colon calm him.

It usually starts with the legs high in the air as if he is practicing some odd form of flatulent yoga. Keep in mind that we are watching this from the foot of the crib (maybe the funniest of all the possible angles). This is followed by a little shimmy. This can happen several times depending on the intensity of the end result. Once everything is primed the fuse is lit and the explosion vibrates the crib. I guess you could say that it is a brief moment of satisfying wakefulness for our baby. Once the dust settles he turns his head to the side and falls right back into a deep and restful sleep. At this point we just hope our laughing isn’t so loud that it will wake him up.

So there are many uses that we have gotten out of the video monitor. Some are very practical and have been beneficial since we brought our son home in the winter. Of course, there are also the other times when it has just been a great source of laughter.  

Baby Bucket List

As the days fly by and our son keeps getting bigger and bigger, the list of things that I want to do with him keeps getting longer. Actually, it is not just about things I want to do with him, it is also about the milestones that I am looking forward to witnessing. While by no means my complete list of scribbles, here are a few of the things that I am looking forward to as our son grows up:  

1. First Words – He is already proving to be quite the vocal child and while he is already making a sound similar to that of saying ‘Hi’ when I come home from work, I am looking forward to hearing that first distinct word. I am hoping that it will be either mommy or daddy (or something similar) but I am not completely ruling out the possibility that we could have a similar instance than that seen in “Meet The Fockers”.

2. Crawling./ Walking – He has surprised us at this point by standing with little help from either of us (we are mostly there for stability) but he also has no interest in laying on his tummy so I am curious to see how this progresses. While a whole new host of issues arise once he becomes mobile, I am looking forward to the day when he demonstrates this little kernel of independence.

3. Pool / Swimming – This one is more for my wife. We haven’t taken him to a pool yet. This should be an interesting experience. Hopefully he likes the pool as much as he enjoys his bath (at least the first half of the bath).

4. Baseball – Now we are progressing a little further in his development. While he has already shown an interest in throwing things and watching baseball on TV (made for a quiet dinner at Fox & Hound last week), I am looking forward to putting those two things together. I just hope he got his grandfather’s athletic ability because it definitely skipped me.  

5. Lodge Events – While we have taken him to the lodge once I am looking forward to the future events both at my lodge as well as other masonic events in the area (and outside the area like our trip to Pittsburgh coming up). There are a lot of us with young kids and I really want to see all of us get together for an experience far different from those on meeting nights.

6. Synagogue – We are a little behind on this one. While there isn’t much that he will comprehend early on, we want our son to be used to going to synagogue and make it part of his routine. We need to get moving on this search.

7. First Day of School – Again, looking into the future. This is a milestone that I think every parent looks forward to happening. I will be there the day that this happens (mixed emotions and all). Hopefully he proves to be a better student than his father.

8. Family History – My wife and I have spent a lot of time learning about our families and we want to share those histories with our son. We want to make sure that he knows where he comes from and learns all about the people we come from both more recent and in the distant past. Hopefully, I can find some answers along the way and share these discoveries with him. After all, he is a continuation of both our families.

9. Family Reunions – This is something that my wife and I agreed is incredibly important for us as a family. We are starting this year with my side of the family (I will be writing extensively about our trip to Virginia this summer) followed by my wife’s family next year. We plan on going back and forth every year. Again, we want our son to know his family and family history.

10. Family Vacations – In addition to bringing our son to some of the places that my wife have been and enjoyed over the last several years both local (i.e. Jim Thorpe, Gettysburg, Knoebels, etc.) and not so local (i.e. Florida, Massachusetts, London, Israel, etc.), we are also looking forward to exploring new places and destinations with him. While we have no idea where those places will be at this point, it is still fun to think of the possibilities.  

As I previously mentioned, there are countless other things that I am looking forward to but this at least gives you an idea of some of the things that I am eagerly anticipating. There are a few things that I have already been able to check off (cooing, smiling, first weekend trip, etc.) but the list is growing much faster than we are able to take things off. I guess this is also a part of parenthood… the annoying, slightly OCD, impatient part.  

So I now turn things over to you: What does your list look like? What have you already checked off? What are some of the things that you wish you had done?