Fatherhood, Friends and Stuff

Father Hood

I’m gonna be a daddy. I’m gonna be a daddy.

Well, this past Wednesday the doctor confirmed what 2 home pregnancy tests told us. Eliza is pregnant!

The original plan was about 3 years after we were married…and Wednesday was our 4 year anniversary. So not too far off. We might have been closer to 3 but we really enjoyed vacationing and our time as a couple. But with our siblings and friends having so many babies and my ever increasing age, we decided it was time.

Now we’re joining the club of parenthood.

Fatherhood is something I’ve always thought of, but it was always in the back of my mind. I know it’s going to change everything. EVERYTHING, but in a good way. I have to grow up, or at least pick my immature spots.

I’m looking forward to fatherhood.

Boy or girl? We don’t know, and won’t know until the day our baby enters the world.

It’s one of the last real surprises in this world. Maybe we’ll find out when and if we have other kids.

But for numero uno, we’re going with the tried and true, old fashioned way God intended, we’re waiting.

Friends

Yesterday we had a send off pizza party for a friend of mine who is leaving the area. He’s a manager and is moving out of the state for another job within GM.

He’s really one of the great guys in the world. He and I have had several great philosophical and biblical talks. He’s a fellow believer and has challenged me and my faith from time to time.

Well I went down a few floors to the party and there were people everywhere. And they kept coming. It was very impressive turnout and a testament to what a great guy and friend this man is to so many people.

While I was sitting there I remembered the scripture my father used to tell me, “If a man is to have friends, he must first show himself friendly.” This guy is living proof of that statement.

Someday, when I retire or leave the company I want to be able to say 60 people came to see me off. And they all could call me friend.

Friends part 2

I got an email from my boy Kenny Watson last night. I didn’t know it at first, as it was a forward and said something like “vocalnous sent you a video”. I had no idea who vocalnous was, and why were they sending me a video.

I usually delete forwards, but I opened and saw the name Kenny Watson. Clicked on the link and there was my boy Kenny singing for an American Cancer Society video with international recording artist Mike E.

Then I did a search on Mike E and came across some other videos of his. Kenny is in another video!

Then I googled “Mike-E Kenny Watson” and came across tour posters with Kenny!

Here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvr5iOujdDs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvvyryDV5-c

Gotta say I’m proud of him and I’m gonna be braggin on him.

Kenny is a good friend and someone who inspired my own writing and creativity. I remember him struggling to find odd jobs and still have time to record and sing. He always had a notebook to write his poetry and his lyrics. Many times he’d run them by me.

Kenny sang at our wedding. He sang the Lord’s Prayer and a song that he wrote. We were honored then, and I’m even more honored now.

And, we’ve got it on DVD!

So when VH1 comes around looking for video of Kenny before he blew up….

Seriously, good job Ken. I’m proud of you, Brutha.

How soon we forget

So I think Detroit most sports fans are some of the most fickle people in the world. It’s like once a team sets the bar high, it has to stay there. Once the bar is high, the team isn’t allowed to struggle anymore.

It’s like people forget that that’s what competition is all about.

Getting there and staying there. And it’s tougher to stay there. It’s tough being the hunted instead of the hunter.

Injuries play a factor. Complacency plays a factor. After all, these guys are human.

Take the Tigers. Four years ago they lost 119 games! Last year they went to the World Series. At one point this year they had the best record in baseball, and then injuries and slumps all hit them.

They lost Kenny Rogers. Bonderman and Verlander started pitching poorly or at the very least inconsistently. Zumaya was down for awhile. Sheffield came on and off the DL and back on again. Yet their still in the thick of it with over 25 games to go.

But people are acting like it’s over.

It ain’t over.

Then people who bragged about the depth of the minor league system wanted the Tigers to trade it for mercenary like hired guns who would only be with them for the rest of the season.

Why? You went to the World Series with 90% of this squad, added Sheffield and rode the lineup to the best record in baseball at one point.

And fans want to blow it up?

That’s stupid. You’re competing now, challenging the top spot even, have a great farm system that should maintain an Atlanta type dominance for the near future, and people want to trade it away.

Thing is, if the Tigers made those trade, the fans would rue the day if the trade doesn’t propel them to the World Series.

It ain’t over, guys.

St. Louis had injuries last year, snuck into the playoffs and got hot at the right time. They only won 83 games during the season, but won the World Series. If the pitchers get hot at the right time. If Kenny can come back and solidify the rotation. If Zumaya, Rodney and Rogers can hold down the 7th – 9th, and if Sheff can get back in time for the last few weeks. The Tigers can still accomplish what most of their fans say they can’t do now.

It ain’t over.