Remember the Phil-man!

Another Test

2009-06-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's multiple choice.

Sent from my iPhone

2009-06-06T18:10:00.001-07:00

Test post.

Conjunctivitis (a.k.a. Pink Eye)...

2009-03-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

...is a pain in the eyes.

No More Crib

2009-01-26T12:34:00.001-08:00

So Zachary has moved out of his crib. After a few months of not being necessarily happy about going to bed at night (nothing out of the ordinary actually) or taking naps during the day we have found a solution (albeit a temporary one I am sure). Lately Zachary has been asking to sleep on the floor for his naps. That of course turned into requests to sleep on the floor at night. The other night we decided to let him sleep on the floor. While I experienced my first "oh my god my child is growing up" feelings, it appeared to be a success. He did not fight when it was time for bed, and he did not call for us for various reasons after going to bed. While he started out the night in the middle of the bedroom floor, he awoke the next morning completely underneath his crib. He gave a concerned cry for us at which time I went into his room, got down on the floor, lifted the bed/crib-skirt, and let him know that he was only under his crib. Understanding the situation he crawled out smiling after a good night sleep, happy that he was still on the floor.
So now we've replaced the crib with a mattress on the floor. He moves around a lot in bed so we did not want to jump right to a mattress set and regular bed for fear he would fall out of bed during the night. We showed him his new bed last night and asked how he liked it, to which he responded, "Oooh, it's comfortable." So he went to bed last night without any objections on his new mattress.
I woke up at about 2:30 this morning (not sure why) so I went in to check on him. There he was curled up, fetal position, face down, three feet from the mattress on the floor against the wall under the windows. I told you he moves around a lot. I picked him up and put him back in bed. He stayed on his bed the rest of the night. At least I think he did, but I left for work before he woke up.

People Just Don't Read!

2008-03-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

I have been involved in a project at work where it is necessary for me to send many e-mails to people where I provide instructions on how to verify that a certain software package is on their machine and then instructions to verify that they have the correct version of that software. Two sets of instructions because the information comes from unrelated sources. 7 times out of 10 I get a response stating that the software is on their machine but not the correct version. So then I respond to them with only the version verification instructions and ask them to provide me with some additional information such as machine name and user ID if it still appears that they do not have the correct version of the software. Half of the people I get responses from tell me they do not have the software and provide their user ID and machine name, one quarter of the responses state that they do not have the software but do not include the additional info and the other quarter tell me they have the correct version of the software. For the people that state that they do not have the correct software version I am able to either remote into their machines or just go to their desk and have a look for myself. Using my instructions, I see that all of these people have the correct version.

My conclusion: People just don't read. Based on this I am pretty sure that nobody will read this either.

Alexander Phillip Graham

2007-11-07T03:26:00.001-08:00

He's here!!! Alec was born Monday, November 5, 2007 at 1:24 AM. At birth he weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. We are now a family of four with the males outnumbering the females 3 to 1. Zachary was very happy to meet his baby brother. Knowing that Alec is so young, Zachary didn't want to hurt him, so he kissed Alec's picture.

Mo' Baby News!

2007-11-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Still no new news.

Baby News!

2007-11-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

No news is good news?

Well today is supposed to be the due date for the new baby. The day is more than half over and so far there are no signs that this baby wants to meet us face-to-face. I don't really blame him/her. After going to the Bears game this past week, he/she is probably thoroughly disgusted with them and does not want to face the truth that the Bears stink. But more about the baby. Christie went to the doctor today. Nothing. Nothing happening. The baby is curled up comfortably in an inverted position and seems happy to stay there. So unless something happens between now and Monday night, labor will be induced Tuesday morning. Fortunately Sunday is free since this is the Bears' bye week, though I would really like to watch the Indy / New England game. Unfortunately, Tuesday I have a three-day training class I am scheduled to attend. Oh well, looks like I will miss that.

Baby name we are currently leaning toward: Vladimir (even if it's a girl.)

It's Been A While...

2007-09-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Yes it has been a while since my last post, and well I don't put too many posts out here as it is, but hey like I've said before, busy, busy, busy.

We closed on our new house on July 30th and the following weekend we moved in. So we've been there over a month. Here's a photo of the house. We're mostly settled in, though there are still a few stray boxes hanging out here or there. Zachary seems to like the place and even the first night we stayed there he showed no concerns about sleeping in a new house for the first time. I assume that since mommy puts him to bed that helps a lot.

We purchased a new plasma TV and, thanks to Rob, a friend of mine, we've mounted it above the fireplace. It looks really nice up there.

The sod seems to have taken nicely to all the watering we did during the first two weeks. And well the following two weeks of rain also helped.

The concrete patio we had the builders pour turned out to be a lot smaller than we expected so we have since had it expanded. It is about 20'x30' now and gives us more of what we were originally looking for from a patio. Though did you know that concrete is very hard? If the wind blows hard enough your glass top patio table can actually be lifted up into the air (even though the umbrella was closed). You know what they say about every action has an equal and opposite reaction? Well when the table came back down to earth it landed on that hard concrete patio and exploded. Fortunately we were not home at the time so no one was hurt. But it did take me an hour and a half or so to clean up that mess.

Next on the agenda is to have a fence installed. Gonzo could use some exercise off the leash. We're thinking of an aluminum fence. It looks like a wrought iron fence but is much less expensive. Hopefully we will have that in within the month.

OK, gotta run back to class, I'll provide more later.

Busy, busy, busy...

2007-07-26T18:45:00.001-07:00

So much going on so little time. The house is finished! We close on Monday, July 30th. I have a busy week ahead of me. There will be counting and measuring, installing and moving, renting and buying. But first, of course, a lot of money that has been earning a lot of interest in the bank, will be changing hands. Out of my hands into someone else's. I really don't like thinking about it. Well, at least we'll have our new house.

The sod is supposed to be in on Monday or Tuesday, so I will have a lot of watering to do. Tuesday is time for me to move our stuff out of the small and medium sized storage units. Wednesday we'll get cable and internet hooked up, and the refrigerator, washer and dryer will be delivered and installed too. Then Saturday is the big move day. Want to help? In between Monday and Saturday I will be doing many other things. I'll have to pace myself. Wish me luck.

Zachary's First Birthday Photo-shoot

2007-07-01T19:16:00.001-07:00

ZRG c 7-1-2007 bw
Originally uploaded by J. Philip Graham

Tomorrow (July 2, 2007) is Zachary's 1st Birthday!!! So today we had some pictures taken of him. What a cutie!!!

Ted's Choir

2007-05-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Choir
Originally uploaded by J. Philip Graham.

Yes, that's what it is called, Ted's Choir.

I drove down to Decatur, IL, on Tuesday evening to listen to them and to take some pictures. So I took some pictures and listened. they sounded very good. So did the church. I sat/stood in the balcony and their sound seemed to be coming from all around. I really enjoyed it. And it was nice to see Ted too, even though it was only for a short period of time.

I took a bunch of pictures, though all from the balcony. A few of them can give you an idea of how beautiful it is in the church. I also added a few abstract type photos just for fun. You can see them in Flickr.com when you click on this photo.

Moving Along!

2007-05-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2007
Originally uploaded by J. Philip Graham.

Well, work on the new house is progressing nicely and much quicker than originally expected. We now have a roof and windows! Closing is beginning to look more and more like it will be in July instead of August. This is fine by me. Unfortunately we will not be moved in in time to hold Zachary's birthday party there, but I don't think he will mind.

Christie has been offered and accepted a part-time position with a company in Roselle. So this removes our worries about qualifying for the mortgage loan. Also, the location of the new job works quite well with Zachary for daycare. The daycare provider is in Roselle too!!!

Living Space

2007-05-02T09:53:00.001-07:00

First Floor Panoramic
Originally uploaded by J. Philip Graham.

We had not been out to see the progress on the new house in over a week so we took a ride out to Geneva after Zachary's baby sign class Tuesday. The house now has a second floor, though no roof yet. The builder tells us that work on the house is ahead of schedule and, barring bad weather, the projected completion date has been moved up from mid-August to mid-July. Normally this would be a good thing but a July close would cost us $3-5k in savings! I guess it is a toss up between extra savings and getting out of Christie's parents' house. While Ray and Angie probably enjoy having Zachary around, I would have to assume they would like their quiet house back. Well, they'd still have their two dogs, so how quiet can that really be?

I took another handful of photos including a few of the kitchen/nook/family room area of the house. The picture you see here includes six pics that I stitched together for a panoramic view of those rooms. Of course since the walls are only studs you can also see (from left to right) the den, garage, dining room, foyer, and living room. I know, this means nothing to you. That's OK, it's not your house.

The First Floor!

2007-04-22T14:56:00.001-07:00

April 21, 2007
Originally uploaded by J. Philip Graham.

Well the house is now starting to take shape. The first floor has been framed (no, not like, "I was framed!" more like it was given a frame). They tell us now that our projected close date is sometime in the middle of July. This would be a month earlier than what they had originally told us. Let's hope the weather holds up and we are able to move in sometime in July.

The Secret Project

2007-04-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

Not to be a secret for too long, the cat has been let out of the bag (figuratively!). Kathe was right on track with wondering if the project involved Christie or not. Yep, it does. She's pregnant again!!!! Yea!!! Child number two is on the way. This week she'll be 11 weeks along. Due date is November 2nd. I think it's a girl. Just because. No reason.

The odd thing about this is that we're living with her parents while our house is being built. Talk about uncomfortable!!!!

The House: Week Two

2007-04-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Well not too much going on, but some progress. The garage has been filled in and they've built up the basement walls (where needed). Since I have never built a house before I can only assume that the first floor is next. Or maybe they first have to give the basement a floor. Hey I don't know. Take a look at the photos I stitched together below of the basement.

Where's My House???

2007-03-31T18:48:00.000-07:00

OK, so we've been waiting for the folks at Mill Creek to tell us that the permit has arrived from the city and that they will begin building our house. It has been almost two months since we signed the contract and we were led to believe that the "ball" would be rolling by now. So on Thursday Christie called them and asked, "What's up?" Turns out there was a mix up and they forgot to call us. They received the permit on March 19th and broke ground on the 23rd. Cool!

So on Friday we decided to take a drive out there and see exactly how much progress they actually made. I figured that there might be a shovel stuck in the ground and that was there way of breaking ground. Well guess what? The foundation is there!!!

See that house in the background? The one on the left. That is the same model as ours.

The Secret Project and the Bad News

2007-03-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

What do you want first the bad news or the secret project (yes, I said secret project, Eric... you aren't the only one who works on secret projects!!!) OK, the bad news first...

Christie is looking for a new job. Her previous employer, whom she had only been with for about six months, had a bad year ('o6 I assume) and let a bunch of people go. She was one of them. She's OK with it though, since she really didn't like the location, she really didn't like the company, and the people there were ridiculously stupid and rude. We're OK with too because we really had not planned for her to be working there after we moved into the new house. Will it cause a problem with finances for the new house? Nope. A slight dent, more like a door ding, but nothing we have to really worry about. Even if she doesn't find a new job somewhere soon, we're doing OK.

The Secret Project...

Yes, I am working on a secret project. What it is, is a... Whoa! I almost let the cat out of the bag. Well I really don't have my cat in a bag, that would be cruel. I've put him in a box before. He actually kind of enjoys that. He plays in there for a while, chasing his tail. It's kind of fun to watch. Though not as much fun a watching Pinot and Livvie when they used to play. But I digress... I'm sorry, I really can't talk about the secret project. I mean, it's secret!!! If I were to tell you all about it, it would not be secret anymore, right? I can say this though... No, actually I can't. Sorry.

The Stewart, El. III

2007-03-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

We're building a new house in Geneva, Illinois. To be more specific, it will be in the Oakmont neighborhood of Mill Creek. The model we will be having built is the Stewart, elevation III, and after all of our additions (or bump-outs as they call them), it will tip the scales at roughly 3000 square feet. Nothing spectacular compared to everyone else we know, but hey, it will be plenty big for the five of us (Christie, Zachary, Gonzo, Pinot, and me). If you look at the website, elevation III of the Stewart model more closely resembles the Remington model that they have pictured, though it will have a front porch.

We signed the contract and selected all the structural upgrades at the beginning of February. The last few weeks we've been going back and forth trying to choose all the non-structural upgrades we'd like. We're still not done, but at least the plans were drawn up and they were sent to the city (county?) for permits. Hopefully they will break ground by the end of March, and if so, they say we'd be closing in the beginning of August (we'll see about that).

Chicago Bears

2007-02-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well. Ron Rivera has essentially been fired! Good news for the defense. I think they will drastically improve next year on the defensive side of the ball. On the offensive side? Well Ron Turner is not going anywhere, but Wade Wilson is out. I mean really! Wade Wilson was the QB coach? What was he really going to teach Rex Grossman?

OUCH!!!

2007-02-04T22:14:00.000-08:00

After an exciting start, the Chicago Bears stumble and lose to the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI. It was not pleasant. Oh well, we move on.

What's next? My opinion? Get rid of Ron Turner, Wade Wilson, and Ron Rivera. Turner and Rivera might get new jobs as head coaches somewhere. One can hope.

Bears are going to the SUPERBOWL!

2007-01-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

NFC Champions!

Splish Splash I Was Takin' a Bath!

2007-01-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Zachary's First Christmas

2006-12-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

Today, Zachary visited Santa for the first time. Unlike one of my memories of a visit with Santa, Zachary did not cry. Take a look. Click Pics over there on the right --->

You have new Picture Mail!

2006-11-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

Zachary wearing a monkey hat.

Zachary @ 3.5 Months

2006-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Zachary Ryan Graham -- August 11, 2006

2006-08-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

Z's up to 10 pounds 12 ounces and 22.75 inches. He sleeps fairly well at night but during the day he just prefers naps. Christie left him alone with me last night so she could go out to dinner with one of her girlfriends. Zach and I had some fun. I propped him in my chair and snapped about 30 pictures of him. A couple of these I posted in my pictures blog (click Pics over there on the right to see them). Other than that I fed him, we hung out together, and watched Grey's Anatomy and Supernatural on TV.

Baby Graham - The Arrival!

2006-07-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Zachary Ryan Graham was born Sunday, July 2, 2006, at 12:52 pm. 7lbs, 5oz, 19.5 in. Click the Pics link on the right to see some pictures of him.

Baby Graham - Only a Few Days Left

2006-06-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

...or maybe even less. The due date is Saturday (July 1). If nothing has happened by Sunday, we go to the hospital Sunday evening and they induce. So the baby's birthday should be no later than July 3.

I can't wait!!!!

Baby Graham - 36 Weeks and Counting

2006-06-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well we're getting closer to that day, when that day will be here we just don't know. Christie's got a belly. I keep telling her to lay off the beer! This is exciting, and starting to make me nervous. When is it going to happen? Are we ready? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO NAME THIS CHILD??? So many questions, so little time!

Dad, Golf, and, Oh Yeah, Me

2006-04-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

Dad had surgery this morning. They tell me everything went well. Apparently he isn't the happiest person coming out of anesthesia. They'll watch him tonight and maybe he'll come home tomorrow or Thursday.

So while Dad was in surgery, Ted, Bill, and I played golf with Bill Cope. Hey, it was opening day at Cantigny! We don't miss opening day. Besides, Dad wanted us to play. The weather was great! 70 degrees and just enough wind to make it interesting. I hit the ball ok. Didn't score very well, but not terrible for the first round of the season. And there isn't much else I would rather do than play golf with my brothers.

After golf we had lunch/dinner at Portillo's, Ted and Cope headed back home, and I drove Bill and Sarah to the airport. I think Sarah was tired, and ready to go home. Hopefully she'll sleep a bit on the plane.

Now it's on to a relaxing evening of watching my wife's belly grow.

Cubs: 4-2 Sox: 3-4

Cubs 3 - Cards 2

2006-04-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Went to the Cubs game yesterday with my wife and my brothers. Sat in the third row directly behind home plate. It was fairly cold, though not as bad as a few of the Bears games at the end of last season. There was a Cardinal fan sitting in front of us who was acting like a dork, but other than that the experience was a good one. Especially since the Cubs won!!!

Baby Graham @ 26.5 Weeks

2006-04-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Doc says everything looks good! That due date is creeping up on us. I really need to get the floor board installed in the bedrooms. Well, I need to buy it first. Then stain it. Then install it. Hmmm. Maybe my bro-in-law will help with the staining.

Once that is done I can start putting up the baby room furniture. And the new linen closet door.

So much to do, so little time.

Aruba!

2006-03-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a view from the beach at the resort where we stayed while in Aruba.

Aruba is mainly a desert island with no drastic change in terrain. Because of this there is a fairly constant breeze moving across the island. It seems to be around 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit every day. A little on the hot side but with the wind, you are relatively comfortable. We stayed in the Eagle Beach area which is on the west side of the island. This area isn't as busy as the Palm Beach (high rise) area. So it made for a quiet and relaxing vacation.

More pictures of Aruba in Pics (see Links).

DONE!

2006-02-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

MBA

2006-02-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

One more day, one more paper!

My MBA

2006-02-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

Two more days, three more papers (short ones, I will have them done tomorrow night), and I will be done with my MBA. Well, then I will have to pay any outstanding bills I have with the university, including any graduation fees, before I actually get my degree. What's next? I dunno. Working on a business plan for an idea some friends have. Maybe I will be able to parlay that into something bigger. We'll see.

In the mean-time, we begin celebrating the MBA and the baby. Heading to Aruba this weekend. I think I already left.

Baby Graham!

2006-02-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

21 weeks and counting! Someone's moving around in there. Someone else is getting a belly. Shhh, don't tell Christie I said that.

Baby Graham!

2006-01-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

Ultrasound of baby Graham at 16.5 weeks (January 17, 2006). Tiny person was really moving around in there during this US. It was actually fun to watch.

World Series Champion White Sox!!!

2005-10-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah!!!!

Controversy?

2005-10-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

Did the ball hit the ground or the mit? It definitely hit something and moved upward. If the webbing of the mit flattened on the ground and the ball hit that, then the Sox got the lucky break. If it hit the ground then all is good. Does anyone really know for sure. Cubs fans say it hit the mit and was a clean catch. Sox fans think it must have hit the ground. Cubs fans are just jealous that their team is not in the playoffs...

Go White Sox!!!

2005-10-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Cursed Cubs! Un-cursed Red Sox! What about the White Sox? They had not won a post-season series (until this year) since when? 1917? It's the White Sox turn!!!