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Reports from Interzone...

"Mine's rotten." Rich nodded. "I've been getting rotten bananas, ever since Mom started going to WinCo."
Barry fingered the plastic wrap on his ham sandwich and twisted his face.
Rich pulled the brownish-yellow fruit from his dented lunch box. A few fruit flies spun drunkenly in its wake. "I hate old fruit." he croaked. "It smells like my grandmother."

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The snow is almost gone....and Greer is up to 10lbs.

He's barely three weeks old and starting to find some semblance of stride. As babies often do, he's asked for things and cried about a few others. He's rolled over and used his legs to push, taken his first bottle and filled countless diapers.

He's doing great.

First week back at work was ok. The staff structure in our department is changing next month - and with it will come a new workload. There is no way I can keep up while coming in half-time....I'll just try to keep the wolves at bay until I resume normal hours.

Saw the debut of Tears of Joy Puppet Theater's "StellaLuna" - as part of my volunteer work at the hospital. I help book films and theater events for them - in my spare time after work. I've managed to bring in three TOJ shows for them in 2004. May and November are the next two. Based on the crowd reaction last night, it's looks like a sure thing.

In other news...

The U.S. military casualties list reached 500 today, after 3 G.I.'s were killed by a bomb near Baghdad.

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I've resurfaced at work. Yesterday was my first in a series of half-days that will take me to the end of January. Finding the balance with Greer will be challenging as we rejoin the workforce. It feels like I won't be getting much time with him once February begins.

Speaking of which, why is it that our workforce is so damn busy to get back to work after a major health event/crisis? In Canada, you have a paid year to return to work after birth. In France, you get six weeks vacation and they only work three days a week.

No...we Americans must work until it kills or bankrupts us.

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Our world is once again a winter wonderland.

Since Greer was born, it's snowed three times in Portland. Today, it snowed all day and began freezing rain in the afternoon. It's still going as I type this. 2.5 inches and slowly freezing over.

So....we call Greer our snowbird.

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Things are much the same four days into the new year. The snow has been beautiful to watch - and fun to share with Greer. He had his first checkup this week and is doing swimmingly. Up to 8lbs, 2oz.

Time has acheived a new type of elasticity that comes with parenthood. Having not left the house in a couple days - things are starting to boil down to sleeping, eating and spending time with Greer. He had some more visitors yesterday - and was very well behaved.

For all who are checking in....more Greer pictures are up.

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Time keeps on tickin'.....

After all that's happened in 2003, the passage into 2004 was calm by comparison. With Greer in the mix, Alex and I are busy trying to establish a schedule that allows for as much sleep as possible. That being said, our New Year's celebration was a big plate of spahgetti, a documentary, two episodes of South Park and an early bedtime.

So....here's to 2003. I didn't raise a glass, but I'm glad to put this one to bed. It's been a personally exhausting year with changes that will resonate for some time.

The passing of my wonderful grandmother...
Moving into our first house...
My mother's struggle with breast cancer...
The birth of my firstborn son...

A year such as 2003 is like a pomegranate. A singular entity filled with hundreds of sweet suprises - and the occasional tough seed.

I've stuggled with fear and doubt - like never before.

Fear of death and birth. The passing of my grandmother and the birth of Greer spoke volumes on the subject of family. I saw Baba in a diffferent light. One that lay outside of the boundries of "grandmother" - and looked at the person and her humanity. The birth of Greer reaffirmed my faith in the divine. From him, we will learn a new language - and he will learn ours.

Doubts about my country and social system. The war in Iraq has moved me to new level of social activism. Instead of blind acceptance, I've been trying to look deeper into the policies and motivations of the U.S. government - and finding a lot to be desired. Greed, Power and Fear instead of Faith, Hope and Love.

We have a long road ahead of us.