Padawan Dad

Well, we spent the entire weekend home sick. Judy, the only one who alluded illness this weekend, was able to leave the house for the 11:30am Mass this morning.

Luke started a fever on Wednesday night, and he just recovered, Mary also had a fever, and was vomiting all day Saturday and has pretty much bounced back to good health today. As for me… well I have been developing a head cold since Thursday and it peeked just last night.

When you work all week, and can’t leave the house on your only two days off, it gets VERY frustrating. My excitement for today was having Luke fall asleep on me while watching the “UFO Hunters” marathon on the History Channel, and listening to the rain fall outside… what a thrilling weekend. Oh boy! Back to work tomorrow.

I just got over a violent stomach virus that lasted six days; now Luke and Judy are both sick. Luke is running a fever over 100 degrees, and Judy just feels blah! I’m actually not feeling all that well either with a sore throat and head congestion.

Hopefully we will all feel better by the weekend… and hopefully Mary will stay well.

Luke had his haircut for the second time today. We got it cut a bit shorter than we did last time. Anyway, I had my soft box set-up, so I got the kids after their nap, and they somewhat cooperated for a quick portrait opportunity.

Since I was about 15 I always wanted to play a musical instrument. Unfortunately, for me, my mother never considered the drums a musical instrument, and I’m pretty certain that the thought of a 15 year old banging senselessly on a drum set, led her to not allow such a thing in her house. Twenty four years later, I can understand that. At any rate, I took up guitar and piano to fill the void, and played drums from time to time over a friends house.

Still, the desire has always gnawed at me, and having a small home, with young kids; a loud, cumbersome, acoustic drum set still doesn’t seem practicle. However, technology has come a long way in 24 years, and I found a set that is compact, and can be used with a headset, or an amplifier, and sounds completely authentic to the real deal. So, about three weeks ago, I purchased an electronic drum set by Roland; The TD-9.

It’s like the instrument I was always meant to play, and even though it can be played “silently,” I’m sure that the subtle sound of repetitive thumping, from the base pedal, above the kitchen, occasionally drives Judy insane.

Since my kids are far more enjoyable to look at than me, I posted a couple of photos of them behind my new set. You can probably tell from the photos, that they love it just as much as I do.

I was up early this morning, around 6:30am, so I decided to go to the 7:30am Mass at Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Wakefield. After the prayers of the faithful, instead of sitting with everyone else, I was thinking about my mother, and mindlessly knelt down. After about 20 seconds, I realized that I was the only one kneeling, and everyone else was sitting. Anyway, I just finished my prayerful thought, made the sign of the cross, and sat with the other parishioners.

Fast forward to after the 9am Mass, which my wife attended. The kids, and I picked her up and she told me that she was thinking about my mother and knelt down, instead of sat down after the prayers of the faithful. We hadn’t even discussed this until then. Weird!

I have tried it all on the internet. I learned how to build my own website, I instant messaged with ICQ, I dabbled in the chat room scene briefly, I created this blog, and among many, many other activities one can engage in on the internet, I tried out “Facebook.” Why? I really don’t know. On an invite from my sister, I think that I joined just to see what all the talk was about; then when I began, I found some old friends and relatives, and became hooked. I played a few senseless games that wasted a ton of my spare time, I answered 25 questions this, and 48 questions that, and even took that stupid Dr. Phil test.

After a few months of telling people that “Bill is… whatever,” I started to wonder if this whole facebook thing was just a total waste of my valuable free time. I have people that I don’t know from a hole in the wall asking to “be my friends,” (seriously, is there some kind of “how many friends can YOU have” contest that I am just not aware of?) I’m also learning quite a bit of sensitive information about friends and relatives that I don’t think I really need to know… or want to know for that matter. I have been “poked” thousands of times, and I’ll be darned if I even know why the heck people are poking me. I hate being poked in reality! Seriously, who likes it? I should have learned from the instant messaging, and chat room days, that these things are just fads that I have always looked back on and said, “Wow, I wish I could get that time back.”

I really think that facebook, in my opinion, is just another anti-social dent in today’s culture. People tell their deepest secrets, say nasty things about people, use profanity freely, and share personal opinions that they would never share with people face to face. Since the early 90’s we have been so into “expressing ourselves” that we forgot what it means to respect others… and yes… even respect ourselves. That virtual wall that blocks us from humanity has turned us into disrespectful “virtualites” (yeah, I think I just made that word up.) I really do believe, to some extent, that ignorance IS bliss. I don’t want to to be poked anymore, I don’t want another virtual flower in my collection, and I don’t want to have another drink passed to me.

I think that facebook had a great concept, that being, you can connect with relatives, and long lost friends. However, once you connect, how about making a phone call, meeting somewhere for lunch, or just grab their email. There is just way too many senseless games, too much poking, and too much detailed information that many, I’m VERY sure, will eventually regret sharing with friends and family at some point. The concept is lost, and people now use facebook… well… just to use it, just to waste away some spare time.

Although it may sound like it, I’m really not trying to deter people from using facebook, knock your socks off! I’m just sharing my personal experiences with it. As for me, I think that I’ll stick to my blog.

02/16/2009 [EDIT]: I just wanted to clarify that I still do use Facebook to communicate with friends and family, but just don’t partake in the trivia quizes, poking and pointless other games that get passed around.

Well, I was getting a little tired of the same old look, so I found a new format that I liked a little bit better. I’ll be changing the banner up from time to time with different photos to keep things fresh. Hopfully I will also be blogging a bit more than I have been of late.

It has been a very sad time, these past two weeks, for my family and me. My mother , among many other ailments, has been battling pancreatic cancer for several years, and she has, of late, been rapidly losing the battle. Times like this you just don’t know what to pray for. I often pray for a miracle, I have for years, but that doesn’t seem to be in God’s plan for her. These days I pray that God’s Will be done, but sometimes that is not so comforting, since I know what the outcome will be. Nonetheless, His Will will be done, and my mothers days have been numbered by the doctors. She is not expected to make it to the end of February.

Myself, Judy, Mary and Luke visited her today, she has been staying at my Aunts house in Wakefield, and we got about five minutes with her before she fell asleep. She is just fading so fast. It’s so difficult to see the one who raised you, so helpless.

I am asking for everyones prayers, for my mom and my family during this difficult time.

Being a part-time wedding photographer it’s always nice to attend a wedding without having to worry about “getting the shots.” My cousin George, who I have not seen in years, and his fiance’ Cathy were married yesterday at St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish in Danvers, MA.

The Mass was beautiful, with music provided by one of the most talented “Church” musicians I ever heard. At the reception, about 11 members of my family and relatives were present (we all fit at one table.) The live band was great, and it was nice to catch up on what everyone was doing in their life.

I did take some time to snap a few photos, but mostly enjoyed the atmosphere. My wife and I had to step out a little early to relieve my mother-in-law, who was watching Mary and Luke for us. Congratulations George and Cathy!