St Louis

St Louis just keeps on beating Detroit - First the Rams beat the Lions, then the Cardinals beat the Tigers, finally Detroit gets a victory when the Wings beat the Blues. Now this St Louis is ranked the most dangerous city in the U.S with Detroit coming in second, yet again.

You want my blood...

I had some blood taken from me today, and I honestly can't remember the last time I lost blood. Which is kind of amazing, being that I play football and basketball, but I have escaped those games without a cut or deep scratch. It's possible of course that I cut myself last week, and just don't remember. But as far as I can remember I don't know the last time blood left my body. Until today, when I lost 4 vials worth.

Near disaster

As I mentioned earlier, Jonah came home Gan looking pretty tired but he rebounded well, and didn't go down for a nap.

I had to run out around 4:30 to help my brother with something and while I was there Nat called and said that Jonah just fell asleep on the couch, while eating an apple. This was the worst case scenario, he takes a really late nap, and screws up the whole game.

His little friend was coming over around 5:15 so we decided to let him sleep till then, and when she came we would wake him up. The first thing he did when he woke up was to finish chewing his apple. He was pretty crabby for the first half hour of her time with us, but slowly he woke up and became normal.

Around 8 Nat realized that he was really tired, so we put him in bed, he put up a decent fight, but finally he did go to sleep, I think around 8:30

Work

I just found out that my companies website is finally up and running.

Jonah just came home from Gan, and is really tired, it appears that he will tae a nap this afternoon

The results

After his outburst at 8:30 we didn't hear a peep from his room until 2:00, when he came into our room and announced he wanted apple juice. After refusing his request, he climbed into our bed, curled up, using Nat as a pillow and went to sleep. About 20 minutes later, Nat asked if I could take him to his own bed, which I did.

I vaguely remember him coming back to our room around 3ish, and he slept there the rest of the night waking up a little after 8:00, and once again asking for some Juice. This time we gave him the juice.

Having him wake up in the middle of the night and coming to our room isn't an aberration, so I can't include that in this test. The important facts as of day one are that he went to sleep without such a hassle before 8:00 pm and didn't get up for the day until after 8 am.

The Experiment

I told Jonah's babysitter this morning that if possible she shouldn't put him down for a nap.

Nat brought him home a little before 5:00 and he was a little cranky, he either wanted circle chicken or a treat. I decided that since he usually falls asleep when he eats dinner and has no nap, I would feed him earlier. I made him his circle chicken, and he stayed up the entire meal. Then he and I played while Nat went out for a half hour or so.

When she returned, we had dinner, and Jonah munched on some of our food, and for the most part behaved. After dinner, I gave him a bath, he didn't fall asleep in the tub, and then he played for a bit. Around 7:20ish he started to fall apart.

Around 20 to 8 I took him to bed read him one story, and started to sing Shema - he didn't want me to sing shema, he wanted more books, I said no and left the room. After a minute or two of crying, he fell fast asleep.

So that part worked out well, he was a little crankier than his usual self, (Nat thought he was much crankier than usual)something that will hopefully get worked out as he gets used to napless days. The final thing we have to figure out to see is what time will he wake up.

Stay tuned for more updates on fascinating story.

UPDATE:
8:38 - Jonah woke up screaming hysterically, probably confused why he was sleeping and it was only 8:38, or perhaps he was upset that he missed the start of teh World Series. Nat went in and made it all better and he's back to be asleep

HELP

Does anyone know what the normal, or average, time for a 2 year old to go to sleep? One thing I do know is that it isn't after 9:00, Or in last night case after 11:00.

Aside from sleeping, I think I have teh angel child, but for some reason he just doesn't get tired. He usually takes a nap around 1:00 and will sleep for an hour or two. Without the nap he just topples over at around 6 or 7 sometime even falling asleep in his high chair while eating lunch.
His bedtime was at 8:30 and that was when we would start the annoying process of putting him down, reading lots of books and what not, but lately we haven't even started putting him down till later than that because he so full of energy still.

The plus side of him going to sleep at 8:30 + is that he wakes up around 8 or later, which is nice, cause I don't imagine I want to hang out with him at 6:30. The downside is I (the royal I) have little to no downtime in the evenings , which sucks.

The plan for today is to eliminate his nap, and see how he does and put him to bed earlier, hopefully this will work. although it's nice when he naps for a few hours in teh afternoon, so that if Nat has to run out, she can leave him at home, and he won't disturb me while I'm working.

The only way to keep the nap and possibly get hm to sleep at a decent time is for him to start his day at 6:30 and nap before lunch, and see how that turns out, but again that would require early rising, for which I am not known.

This seems like a win lose situation and I hope the win is better than the lose.

More garbage cans

One of my neighbors knocked on my door this afternoon, and asked if I lost a garbage can recently. An odd question, since I never told the guy that I did. He said he found it rolling in Mr Efros backyard (of Efros drugstore fame) and knew it didn't belong to him. Since I had an identical trash can, he assumed it was mine.

Sadly, this wasn't the garbage can that I borrowed, must have been someone else's can that blew away. But the neighbor left it on my driveway. Perhaps this was gods way of saying that I should have three cans, but just the 3rd one that I had wasn't intended for me.

The good and the bad

After going months without going to see a movie in teh theater, I've gone twice in the past week. The movie I saw were polar opposites, Employee of the Month and The Illusionist.

Historically, I would prefer Employee of the Month over the Illusionist for many reasons: I like teh dumb comedies that require no thought, and I dislike movies where the actors need a bad fake accent, is made in times when there are no cars, and I have to think.

But the roles were reversed, I didn't like Employee, sure it had some laughs, but it was TOO dumb for me. The first thing I thought was teh guy who played Van Wilder should have gotten this role,, he would have been perfect, Dane Cook just didnt do it for me, and Jessica Simpson's voice annoys me.

The Illusionist was a great movie, despite all the aforementioned things I don't like in movies this overcame that and I really liked it, and recommend it.

I think that Paul Giamatti, who co-starts in the Illusionist, is really Rob Schneider. When he plays a serious role he uses the Giamatti name, and when he plays an Adam Sandler movie he uses the Schneider name. Either that or they were separated at birth.

Stupid Lions

I just watched Matt Leinart drive teh Cardinals right through the Bears tough "D" and all I can think of is, I can't believe the Lions passed on this guy.

Of course it's a pretty safe bet that had they drafted him he would have turned into another Andre Ware.

Quick Trip

Greetings from Pittsburgh:

I arose early this morning, around 6:15, and made the trek down the Ohio Turnpike - fueled by food from Dunkin Donuts - to Pittsburgh. I did this trip solo leaving the wife, child and fetus at home (did I say that) for a business meeting followed by what will hopefully turn out to be a guys night out with some old friends. -- I think we may see a movie or go to a sports bar.

then its another early morning followed by more meetings and then a nice long drive back. The goal is to leave by noon, so I get home fro dinner, relax then some learning and possibly even a game or two of basketball, but time will tell on that one.

The garbage can

This is truly a bizarre story:

Yesterday I called my mom and asked if we could borrow a trash can, the two that we usually don't fill out by garbage day were overflowed, not with joy but trash.

Last night, like just about about every other Thursday night, I took out the trash. This time I put out 3 cans, instead of the usual two. When I awoke this morning however, there were only two cans in front of the house. My initial reaction was that the can must have blown into the street. But when I went outside I didn't see the trash can, and there were no remnants of trash blowing around. Additionally, the other cans, that didn't have covers (I don't think I mentioned the missing can did have a cover) were still standing and all the garbage was still inside of them.

So, I'm left with the conclusion that someone drove past my house and thought, what a lovely can full trash, I think I will bring it home with me.

121 losses or 0-16

A few years back, while the Tiger were sucking like few have sucked before, I told a friend and fellow Tiger enthusiast that I hoped they would smash the all time loss record and lose 121 games. He looked at me as if I murdered his family, or least how I assume he would look at me had I killed his family, which I did not. I told him that they aren't going to accomplish anything anyways, may as well change the history books while you're losing.

He said some things about my Tiger fandom, that I'm sure he regrets, gloated as the Tigers ended the season on a hot streak and ONLY lost 119 games. I said even when losing they come in 2nd place. poor guys couldn't even win at losing.

The other day I asked this same if, knowing that just 3 years later the Lions would have a shot at the Super Bowl, would he root for the Lions to go 0-16. This time the conversation took place over the 'net, so I couldn't see his face, but his answer was much the same. No, he would rather they go at 2-14 then 0-16, and I still have to disagree with him.

If we learn anything from history it's that the Lions can't draft, with teh exception of probably only Barry Sanders, they have wrecked many promising careers with their high draft picks, (somewhere, probably in Arizona, Matt Leinart is thanking someone that the Lions passed on him for Ernie Simms) so I'm not worried about draft position, I just think an 0-fer will guarantee change, that 2-14 won't necessarily get.

Hallel and Take me out to the Ballgame

I was asked to lead the services for Shachris (Morning service) on the 2nd day, and I accepted. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever lead of a Shabbat, and certainly the first time on a holiday. This was the morning after the Tigers beat the Yankees, so I decided that I was going to sing Kedusha or Hallel to the tune of "Take me out to the ballgame"

Those of you who know me, this isn't a big shocker, but singing isn't anywhere near my top 10 things I do well. It's probably near the bottom of my top 200.

So I get up to Kedusha, and make a game time decision to wait until Hallel to break out the tune. Finally it's time, I start to sing, fully assuming that once people heard me start singing, and recognized the tune, they were chime in, and help me out. But this didn't happen, I heard crickets, and then laughter. (I don't think the laughter was at my singing, but my song choice) All the sudden my heart stopped, knees buckled, as I realized I wasn't getting any help from the congregation, so I manned up and finished the song strongly.

Jewish ???? Community Center

On my way to daven on Yom Kippur I passed by the JCC and I noticed a sign on the front door
"Co-ed swimming all day today"

If the center can't shut down the operations on Yom kippur, it might be time to take away the Jewish part, and just call it what it is...a Community Center

Neilah and the Tigers

Before Nei'lah (The final prayer on Yom Kippur) the Rabbi gave his speech to inspire us for one last prayer to G-d. He presumed many people were wondering why we needed one more prayer after a day of prayers.

He gave a "hypothetical" answer - You're playing teh final game of a 162 game baseball season, if you win teh game you win the pennant. By the 4th inning you have a 6-0 lead and one of your best pitchers on the mound (this scenario sound familiar?) You can't pop the bubbly assuming you won, you have to finish strong, and close out. Neilah is (lehavdal) the same idea you have to close out strong with a good talk with Lord.

Now that the Tigers collapse has an element of holiness to it since it (hopefully) inspired our shul to pray harder during neilah, in that Z'chus the Tigers will prevail this week over the Yankees.

Yom Kippur

Just wanted to wish everyone an easy and meaningful fast, may you be sealed for, life, wealth and happiness (not neccarsarily in that order) and whatever else you want ..perhaps a return of teh Tigers from the first half the season for the playoffs??