When did things get so busy?

What happened?

Oh yeah, I met Jen and everything in my life improved 100 times over.  Yeah, that did it.

This weekend is going to be a busy one.  Tonight I have to go to Burlington after work to pick up a tuxedo.  The kids want to see me in it (tux is the one look that I can make work) so prior to the start of the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay (devil) Rays and the Boston Red Sox I will have to put it on and show off.  While that might sound like a nightmare to most, it should be chuckle-worthy for Bellana and Harry.

So the ALCS.  I honestly don’t know what surprises me more; The Rays are in it, or the Sox are in it.  The Tampa surprise goes without saying.  A decade long laughing stock transformed into a final four team over night.  That’s obviously unexpected.  The Red Sox though are the defending World Series Champs.  I just thought the Angels were going to steam roll them.  I thought it would be three and out for my home town nine.  Not so.  The Angels now have to be considered collosal choke masters.  Sorry guys.  I know they won it all 6 years ago, but 04, 07, and 08 have been embarrassing.  Of course it could be worse… they could be the Cubs.  100 years and counting!  As It Should Be!

So I am picking the Red Sox in the series, of course.  If I picked anyone else they would litterally throw me out of the state.  I will say that I see this going seven games.  The two teams matched up evenly all year.  We just have to make sure we take one of the first two games.  Let tonight be the night that Dice-K’s puts all of the doubters to shame.  Go Sox!

Tomorrow night I am going to miss the game.  I am also missing the home opener for the Lowell Devils (one of 11 games we bought tickets for) and the second game of the Bruins season (after a shaky, but very happy, win last night).  I am going to be spending my Saturday night at a wedding rehearsal.  Larry and Nawal are tying the knot on Sunday.  Larry asked me to be in the wedding party.  The groomsman’s side of the aisle consists of me and Larry’s nephew Nick.  Lots of ushering for both of us.  It should be fun.

Sunday evening is the wedding.  In August I attended a wedding, the Ikonitski’s… damn I hope I spelled that right, that included people from Russia and some Jewish customs that I’d never been fortunate enough to be involved in.  Sunday’s wedding includes people from Morocco and France (at least?) and some Islamic customs that I’ve never been fortunate enough to be involved in.  I am really looking forward to seeing what Mr and the soon to be Mrs Cochran have planned for us.  Again, it’s going to be fun.

Last weekend was seriously busy too. 

On Friday I took a vacation day so that I could attend 2nd grade.  I shit you not folks, I went to 2nd grade again.  I lived the dream!  Actually, it was Grandparents and Special Friends day at Bellana’s school and I was asked to attend.  It was Bellana’s dad’s idea to ask me.  Thanks Mike, that was great.  I spent about 35-40 minutes sitting with Bellana at her desk.  We did a few word game worksheets that were fun, then we ate some applesauce that the class made from scratch the night before.  Then Bellana read me a book.  It was a BLAST.  I was honored and touched and without a doubt the proudest, happiest, special friend in the school that day.  I loved every second of it.

What else did I do that day?  Something… ummm… what was it? 

OH YEAH!

Baby P is here!  Sarah Elizabeth was born Thursday night.  Jen and Bellana and Harry and I went to the hospital to meet her.  I told Harry that my baby brother had a baby girl.  He said, “he’s not really a baby, is he?”  Mom and baby were doing fine and Sarah is absolutely adorable.  Jen and I, however, were both in the final days of a cold and very nervous about holding the baby… so we didn’t.  We still haven’t… and we both want to damn it!

Saturday was another day trip up North.  This time it was Me and Jen, the kids, and their dad, Mike.  We took the Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington and then retraced the route home that Jen and I took a few weeks earlier.  It was a little cloudy out that morning so when we got to Mt Washington the peak was in the clouds.  At the top it was impossible to see more than a few feet, and even worse it was FREEZING.  The temperature was in the 20’s with 40 mile per hour winds, a wind chill of about 5 degrees, and some snow.  There were a couple of inches on the ground and it was blowing all over the place.  We got off the train, ran to the visitor’s center, spent about 5 minutes there, and then got back on the train.  It was a great time.  I loved every second of it.  I want to go back next summer and try for a better view, but regardless I am completely happy that we did it.

As you may have guessed, there are hundreds of pictures.  As you may have further guessed you are about to be inundated with some highlights.  Jen took some of these, but I have lost track of which ones.

The view from the very front of the train, still below the clouds.

Holy shit it’s freezing!  Get inside, get inside!

I did brave the elements for a few minutes in an attempt to get a few pictures that might accurately depict the environment.  Yeah, I am a moron.

I tried to play with the macro function more this time.  I had high hopes for this one, but it’s nothing special at all.

My three favorite people.

Our train.

Heading home we stopped at the other cascade on Mount Webster.  The kids climbed a bit and loved it.

Another one

By the time we reached Bear Notch Road in… in… whatever the hell town it was in, the sky had cleared and the views were spectactular.  I think Jen took this one.

This is another one I had high hopes for that turned out… eh.

Me and the future Mrs Parker in the obligatory made-for-myspace pose.

Another macro shot on the bank of the swift river.

Jen took this one from the highway overpass. 

Two of my three favorite people posing with the mountains in the background.  I think Jen took this one.  Mike and I both shot this as well.

On Sunday we went to the hospital to visit Sarah and her parents again.  We seriously wanted to hold the baby this time, but we had both had brief moments of cold symptoms earlier in the day and had to bow out.  DAMN IT!

After the hospital we went to the Stonehedge Inn (I think that’s what it was called) in Tyngsboro to celebrate my sister’s 40th birthday.  It kills me to say that she’s 40 years old.  Not so much because it’s bad for her, but because that means I’m next.  I didn’t want to turn 30, never mind 40.  40 will be much easier on me though.  I will be able to look back over the years and actually see accomplishments.  I couldn’t do that when I turned 30.  Unless you count that gig at the Tewksbury Jr High in ’89 when some girl threw her bra at us.  I suppose that counts, but it was seriously depressing to consider that that event and my associates degree summed up the high points of my life.  Let’s just say that the past couple of years have been much better than the first 36 or so.

Now in closing I would like to post one more picture.  I stole this from Sarah’s dad.  It may qualify as the cutest picture anyone has ever seen.  My 12 week old nephew Patrick laying on the bed with my less than one day old niece Sarah.