Week #35: YouTube, The greatest day of my life!

It is rare that you know before you wake up in the morning, that this will be the greatest, most memorable, most fulfilling day of your life. Better than your wedding day or even the birth of your children. When I started this 52 week adventure I knew that posting a video on YouTube would be one of my "new things." I knew years ago that I wanted to post these videos for other parents in our shoes to see. Our youngest son was born in October, 2004. On the next day, we found out that he had failed the newborn screening exam. Most of these failed tests turn out to be just fluid in the ears, that works itself out. Unfortunately, at nine weeks of age, our son was found to be profoundly deaf. It was a shock to say the least.

Thus began an enlightening journey. It would take hundreds of paragraphs to document all that has transpired. However, these three YouTube videos show how the miracles of cochlear implants have changed all of our lives. One of our early goals was to have him hear us sing "Happy Birthday" on his first birthday. He had his cochlear implants "turned on" two days before! It was the best birthday party ever!!! Thankfully, he is now almost 5 years old and he hears and speaks beautifully. He is on his way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuENcyiRRjA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afYOCvvz8M4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PsnuR_ehV8


I have included two other links of cochlear implant activations. One of a toddler (with a great reaction from her Mom), and the other of a teenager from Australia. Please take a look at these also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCZ3CBmYZfw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWe6iJmHKUE&feature=channel_page

Week #35: Part II Showering with friends and family

On to an entirely different thing this week, I went to my first couple's wedding shower. My original plan this Saturday was to go to my first Jimmy Buffett concert. Never been a parrot-head before. In fact, I have always been intrigued by the Hawaiian shirt wearing, portable blender carrying, generally freaky Key West loving groupies.

Instead, I went to a couples wedding shower. Nice people and a good time. Yet, I was thinking instead of having a "Cheeseburger in Paradise" I was having a cucumber sandwich. Although, someone did have a "pencil thin mustache" that was about as close to " Parrot-ville" as I would get.

Pictures above: Me and brother-in-law, my brother, same said brother-in-law loving his big brew, us having fun with the name tags (notice the three letter addition we wrote on the upper left name tag), the food was a little late coming and I couldn't help myself to the peach tree, I might have been feeling a little "peachy."

P.S. My brother-in-law sent me YouTube videos of my January 1st Polar Bear swim. I added them to my Week #1 post. Still regretting that swim many months later.

Week #34: Putt Putting and Braiding around.

Weak week. I know. I am still decompressing from the skydive. Believe it or not, our family has never gone miniature golfing with all three kids until yesterday. Let the hate email begin now! We decided that this Saturday was the time to go miniature golfing. Our family ended up with FOUR hole-in-ones .... fun stuff. Our youngest had the best time of all ... "Mommy, I love mini -golf, Daddy let's do mini -golf again!"

Later in the weekend, my wife mentioned that I should braid my daughter's hair. Good idea! The first braid was difficult with hair being pulled in the wrong direction and "Daddy, this hurts... you are doing it wrong!" comments abound. The second (and final braid) was much more smooth, she did not complain and I had a big smile across my face enjoying this task. I honestly will do this again, as long as my daughter will allow me to do so. Why should Moms get to have all the fun!!

Week #33: Explore the Door!

This week I went kayaking for the first time. My wife and I planned on doing this until the day of our launch. It was cold and windy and quite choppy. I was told that I might get my shorts wet and maybe should wear a swimsuit. I ended up doing a solo kayak trip ( good move on her part). It ended up being fun for a "little bit", but then I was bored on the water. I am glad I tried it and will try again with the kids, but will not rush my next kayaking adventure.

First three pictures are on the way out, next two on the way back, and last with wet bum.

Week #33: Explore the Door! Part II: Taking the ferry.

After kayaking this week, my wife and I drove up to Gil's Rock (which is at the tip of Door County). After many years, we were ready for the fairy ride to Washington Island. The island was much larger and longer than we realized. We were told to take a walk up to the Nelsen's Bar/Bitter End motel for an "island experience". When our boat finally landed (20 minutes or so) we planned on walking there. Told that it was about 3 miles away, we decided to rent two bikes for about four dollars an hour. We had a lot of fun, yet realized that a few hours was plenty to see the Island. We had lunch at Bitters' End Pub and I joined the "Bitters' End Club" by downing a shot of Angostura's Bitters. Apparently, this is the longest serving "legal" bar in the state of Wisconsin. They hold the Guinness Book of World Records for most bitters served a year. They still serve the most bitters a year of any establishment in the world. Glad to have joined the club (there are about 10,000 of us newcomers a year).

Picture of our ferry, long ago closed coast guard station on Plum Island (That I spent a hunting weekend at with my Dad and brothers back in the '80's) , my wife and I driving the new Lance Armstrong endorsed "Tour De France" bikes, and doin' the bitters at Nelsen Hall/Biter End.

Week #32: Taking one small step and ONE GIANT LEAP!!

What a rush!! Skydiving was something I have always wanted to do, yet never had the chance. Well, this is the year to try new things! I have always known that I loved heights and never would have a problem with them. I have bungee jumped with one leg attached into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, para-sailed and taken the random roller coaster. WOW!! Talk about child's play!! That was nothing!

I finally said, enough is enough and this is the week. On Wednesday afternoon, my niece Sarah and my two oldest children came to watch my foolish adventure. I would like to say that I was cool and casual. Not really at all! I had to stop twice on the way to the airport to get some air. When we got there, the thought of what was coming next, turned me white as a ghost. This was very unlike me.

Either way, I was jumping today! The other four jumpers and I sat through a short safety video and then we were ready to go. I went first. It was CRAZY! Apparently, we all decided to go without jumpsuits and had to wear what we had on. I would have dressed differently if I had known this. My tandem master was named Chad. Cool guy who does about 10 jumps a day. He understood my freaked out vibe and mellowed me (or tried to).

You get in the plane and it goes straight up - no messing around. We kept climbing and climbing and Nicole (the videographer) told me we were only halfway up, I turned a "whiter shade of pale". I was surprised because we had already passed the clouds a long time ago (no lie). The moment of truth is coming up...

Nicole opened up the door and hung out of the airplane with one arm clinging on. Chad told me, this is it, let's go! The wind in the airplane was whipping around like crazy. It is a lot colder (obviously) than at ground level, the clouds are thousands of feet down and the ground is 13,500 feet down! I was slightly stressed out, but there was no turning back now. 1..2...3..GO! A little crazier than jumping into a cold pool! I made the leap. We free falled for one minute going 125 mph! It felt like 5 minutes (not 5 seconds)! After a few seconds of massive fear, it was pretty cool and the biggest rush of adrenaline I have ever had (or will have hopefully)! We actually passed through some clouds. Also, going from 125 mph straight down, then the chute is pulled and immediately moving just as fast in the opposite direction gets your attention. The 5 to 7 minute parachute ride down was calming, except the sideways spins Chad put me through. If you want to take your own jump check here : http://www.skydivemilwaukee.com/index.cfm?area=videos

I was glad I went first because during Chad's next tandem (minutes after me), the original parachute didn't open and they had to discard it midair. From what I heard, the emergency chute only opened partially and they landed about a half mile away from the original landing zone at a faster than wanted pace.

I am glad I took THE JUMP and equally glad it is over. Massively outside the comfort zone this week! I would like to thank my niece Sarah for being super cool during our ride to the jump and watching the kids while I was 2 1/2 miles above them.

Pictures and videos pretty much speak for themselves. Sorry for the video quality, I videoed the DVD playing on the TV. Hopefully soon, I will figure out how to download it directly.

Week #32: Additional Photos

Flying above the clouds was exhilarating! Going 125 miles per hour and then getting suddenly pulled back in the opposite direction gets your attention. Final picture is Chad and I happy with a safe landing.

The following videos are zipping through the air and a post-landing chat.

Week #31: Lets all get together!!

We all saw some long lost friends this week. My wife, our friend Laurie, and myself thought of the idea of a 25th year grade school reunion a few years ago. Months ago, we started looking for e-mail addresses, postal addresses, or our classmates' parent's addresses to track them down.

We ended up with about one third of our class attending. This was a pretty good showing with lots of classmates moving out of the state and not being able to contact many other fellow graduates.

We started out the day at 3:00 with a self-guided tour of our school. It was a great time!! We were able to leisurely go from the 1st grade classrooms to 8th grade. The old stories were coming out left and right. We were a little disappointed that our school replaced the old time "foot pedal" bathroom community sinks. I think I speak for all of us when I say the highlight was walking through "THE TUNNEL"! We went to a catholic school that had a tunnel that went under our school to the adjoining church. It was always fun to walk through there and perform our tornado drills in the tunnel.

Our original plan was a tour of the school at 3:00, move to the bar across the street at 4:00, followed by mass at 5:00, School's 150th anniversary BBQ at 6:00, then back to the bar at 8:00. We had such a good time that the itinerary got completely changed! Tour at 3:00 ... followed by hanging out in the back room at the bar from 4:00 until midnight! I can't tell you how much fun we had! Alot of reminiscing about the old days.

One of the most fulfilling nights in a long time. I forgot how nice everyone was. When we started singing the old grade school play songs by Mr. Fronczek (How the West Was Really Won and Christmas on Angel Street), I felt like it was 1984 again. Great, great night!!

Pictures above include: School entrance, two pictures entering "the tunnel", our old 8th grade room with our original desks, Dave and Norm in the boiler room (in the middle of tunnel maze) with the same old tennis racket used to swat the bats flying in the tunnel, picture at the bar towards the end of the evening