I have lots of time to blog.

I just don't.

I mean really. I am a stay at home dad of one kid. My wife is usually home at a decent time, and basically takes over for a bit while I veg out. I guess I am just too busy surfing the web when I am online to really stop and think enough to write something.

Let's catch up a bit then, shall we.
I have started home brewing! It is definitely one of the more addicting hobbies I have picked up. There is all the new equipment that I get to buy, or drool over on the brewing forums. The recipes I can invent and brew. The alone time, or time with brewing friends while brewing. Then the big payoff of actually cracking open a beer that I MADE!! Its pretty damn cool! I learned how to BBQ from a friend a couple years ago. Even though I liked it, and I love to eat some good BBQ, it just didn't click with me as something I was passionate about. Beer on the other hand, I am getting really into. I have made 3.5 batches to date (the .5 batch is the one fermenting). The first was a kit, and it was not good. Drinkable, I guess, but nothing I would be proud to say was mine. The second was a stout recipe that I found online. Turned out pretty good, and everyone that has tried it, likes it. The third batch is my own IPA recipe. Wouldn't you know it, it's the best one yet! I tweaked the recipe a bit, and brewed another batch....MORE HOPS!! ;)

Today I took my now 8.75month old son to the children's museum. I met two guys that are in a local at home dad group called LinOma Dads. Good guys that have been doing the dad thing a little longer than myself. It was fun to get out of the house, and Ryder got a kick out of the other kids running around. I could tell walking in that it was going to be a great place to bring him on a regular basis. Lots to see and learn in that place. I can't wait until he can run around on his own and mess with all the stuff. I went ahead and bought a family membership to the Museum and the Zoo. I am sure we will go several times this year. The best thing about the zoo is that it's right on the bike path. I can ride there in about 30min (probably 45min with a bike trailer and a fat baby in tow). So on those nice days in the summer, Ryder and I can just shoot up there for the afternoon. It's definitely not the same caliber as the Henery Doorly Zoo in Omaha, but it's a good small children's zoo.

Ok...I'm done for the night.

Cheers!
Kurt

Endurance Rearing

Long story short....

We were at the in-laws tonight, for a small get together. Someone was saying to another that I used to do triathlons and stuff. They then asked me what was harder, staying at home with the boy, or doing tri's. I replied with, "there is no endurance sport that can prepare you for child rearing!"

For the most part, I thing that is a fairly good blanket statement. Really, they are similar in some ways, and very different in others. Let's stick with the similarities.

When you feel tired, rest. Your body knows best and is telling you to stop.
Training: take a rest day, or go easy with your workout.
Rearing: take a nap when the kid does, don't try to "catch up"

Sometimes you have a good day, and sometimes you just do the mileage.
Training: not all swim/bike/runs's are your best workouts.
Kids: keeping your cool, and keeping the kid alive can be the "win" for the day.

The hard part is not crossing the finish line, but making it to the staring line!
Training: all those workouts, day after day.....
Babies: ever change a dirty diaper, just to have him soil the new one within 30sec? Multiply that by 365 and you don't have a year, you have about two weeks. LOL!!

Time crunched.
Training: getting up at 4:30am for a swim and run before work.
Stay at home dad: getting up at 4:30am to feed the baby, in a different room, so mom can get that extra hour of sleep.

That's all I have for now....time for bed!!!!

Cheers,
Kurt

Lazy Shiftabout

Well, a lot has changed since my last post. I took that video while working on a Sunday. I no longer work on Sunday's....in fact, I no longer am employed! I have joined the ranks of the Stay At Home Dads.

Some of my friends tell me I am super lucky. Others say I will want to go back to work about two weeks into the whole thing. The later of the two groups (you guessed it) have kids. I don't know what will happen. Over the last three months, Kate and I have had a child, she has gone back to work for two weeks (to finish up her residency after only 4wks of maternity leave), I quit my job of the last 8.5yrs, we bought a new house, put our old house on the market, moved to a different town, and all of the little things that happen during the whole process. Talk about a busy summer!!!

Now comes the fun part.... Kate starts her new job this coming Monday. I will officially be a full time daddy from 8-5. On one hand, it will be really nice to have some sort of schedule. It should help us all to get better sleep and more things done. I seem to be much more enclined to take the little man out and about when it's just the two of us. Doesn't make sense, but it seems easier. I go where I want, and he comes with. Just need to plan ahead for food and diaper changes ;)

I am more stressed about our old house sitting on the market, still paying the mortgage and taxes, than I am about any part of taking care of an infant every day.

Time for a beer.

Stuck Truck

Not sure that this method is the best way, but what do I know, I am neither a tow truck driver or a semi driver.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

So, it's Christmas and stuff...

Well, a lot has happened in the past few months! The biggest news is that I am going to be a Daddy around the first of May 2011. Pretty exciting!!!  Sorta makes the other stuff that I have been doing seem trivial, but with a few more months of selfishness ahead, I hope to pack in some good beer drinking, guy trip, bicycle ride, food eating and fun having in!!!!

Last thing we did that was notable would be going to Las Vegas a few weeks ago. I ran the Rock 'N Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon, along with my Sister Diana and Brother-In-Law Joe (and my sisters friend Angie). It was lots of fun, and I would love to do a Triathlon event that is as big as this was. It's just crazy with that many people, and you sorta forget about any sense of time, or the pain that is in your legs. Until the end...I had trouble walking for the rest of the trip. My darn right knee was basically useless due to joint pain. Not cool.

I carried my HTC Droid Incredible with me on the run, and snapped some pictures along the way:



Diana and Angie


ME! Like my Dodgeball sweatband? ;P


I took this picture right after Diana and I called our Uncle Larry and left him a message...


"Downtown" Las Vegas (about the 1/2way point of the 13.1




Diana, Joe and Angie at the start


After the race, and a shower, we grabbed a couple bloody mary's at the bar in the Luxor. Then Kevin and Amy took us all to Hash House-A-Go Go. Pretty good food, with RIDICULOUSLY HUGE portions!


Joe was hungry!



The rest of the trip was nice. We just spent time doing Vegas stuff together. It's not very often that we are all in the same place, so it was fun to just go out to eat or get drinks. Here is Kevin throwing up the "E" for Egypt (because we are in the Luxor....get it?)