Vol 2

Do you know what it is like to be sick? The achy, sneezy, coughy, yucky feeliings seizing your body. It is never a good time being sick. You pump your body full of medical remedies in hope that the NyQuil will carry you through to feeling better. The problem is the need of rest. Rest is usually the real cure for most "common" illnesses. You can only run so far before your body crashes and forces you to sleep. That kind of sleep for me is always so fast. I am sick and awake one moment, and the next I am waking up with sleep boogers in my eyes and snot crusted around my nostrils. Gross, I know. But it is always worth it, once you get the crusties out.

The best part of the whole being sick process is the hot shower. I don't know if anyone out there enjoys the post-illness hot shower like me. But there is such a beautiful feeling that comes over my body when that hot water starts melting away the aches and pains. It is such a beautiful thing. The hotter the water the better. It makes it seem as if the illness is rising off of you with the steam. I find that you alwasy feel better if you choose a fresh towel from the closet. I always like the fresh smell of a towel of right out of the linen closet.

Being sick is terrible. But for me, the post-illness hot shower is almost worth it.

Vol, Issue 5

So I Get to go back to work on the morrow. Honestly, I am really not looking forward to it. I would be more excited if an unknown distant relative told me they were going to give me a trillion dollars because I was so good looking. But it could be fun to sell toilets again. I will just try to keep my chin up and hopefully the minutes will fly by quickly.

The problem is that of course I would rather spend the day with my new son Parker. It has been nice this past week just enjoying the quiet times with him. I usually am with him alone first thing in the morning. Erin usually is up more in the nighttime and enjoys sleeping in more than I. It has been a huge change for us. Erin and I were talking just the other day about how "grown-up" we are. We have a house, a dog, college degrees, cars, a church home, and now a baby. When we first started this journey together, we knew all these things were on our horizon. Yet, now that they are finally here, it is very humbling to see all that God has really blessed us with.

Parker is only two weeks old, but even in the short time we have grown so much as a family. It is crazy to think of the changes we have seen and then will see in the future. I am so pumped for them to come.

Special Birthday Edition

Okay, So I am 27 today, and I must admit that I feel old. There was a time in this life that I wasn't convinced that I would make it past 22. now I am looking back on the past five years and realize that they are the best of my life. It was almost five years ago that Erin and I got married. We had such a quick love story, I feel sometime that we were married after the first month. I would have it any other way. Erin is the greatest woman i could ask for.

Now we are about to have a baby, I wish he was already here. This has been the worst thing to wait for ever. It is so tough to be patient. Yet I know that we will receive the greatest reward ever.

The problem is that I am the worst person to give a gift to. I really do like getting gifts.
But I never show good emotions or reactions to them. The picture from my surprise 25th party says it all. The look is pure dumbfoundness. It really is sad. Erin last night gave me several great gifts. Typical me, I just nonchalantly said "great" "thanks." I know it makes me seem really ungrateful. I don't want it to seem that way. I really am grateful for all the gifts I get. I am working on showing it better.

Maybe some of you out there could give me a gift, and I could practice.....

Vol 1, Issue 4

My wife and I are competing with our friends Casey and Sarah in our own version of "Biggest Loser." We started in January and are planning to weigh ourselves every month. We have put a little money on this competition. Today was our first "weigh-in" and I am happy to report that Erin and I came out on top. (Of course Erin isn't technically participating while still pregnant and won't get started until next month) All the same, it is fun to know that the sacrifice I have put in paid off in a real way.

Erin has been getting on to me about not working out at all. But I knew that it would be hard for me to try to change my diet and work in a exercise routine at the same time. I feel like I am getting my handle on the diet thing. For instance, last night Erin had a craving for an M&M blizzard from Dairy Queen. I was in the drive-thru placing the order, and I was able not to order my customary Peanut Buster Parfait. Even though the combination of Soft serve, salted peanuts and Hot fudge is obviously a gift personally from the almighty Creator Himself.

Anywho, we will continue trying to lose weight and make ourselves healthier. Hopefully we can take home a boatload cash from our friends.

After all what is a little profit among those that you love......

Vol 1, Issue 3

So young Parker Dugan is due to come tomorrow. Unfortunately, the doctor says that we shouldn't hold our breath. He actually said our chances of being on time were "crummy." Is that a medical term? When do we get the point that our chances are "sorta good"?

So anywho, Erin and I are patiently waiting for the full moon on Monday and planning many walks around the block to see if we can help him along. I might try to slip some Castor oil into Erin's next Diet Dr Pepper.

With Parker's arrival so close, I am struck by the gravity of it all. I knew that the day would come sooner than I thought. But now that we are so close, I can hardly wait. I know that we have all the preparations available made, but I wonder how Ready we really are. I am afraid of letting him down. Lately I have been thinking about the kind of father I grew up with. I absolutely love my dad. He was exactly what I needed to become the man that I am today. It wasn't always good times and happy memories, but it was perfect for me.

I suppose what i really want is for my son to one day look back and realize that I tried to give him everything he needed. I hope that as a man, he is grateful for his childhood.