Sunday, 15 August 2010
Some friends came over today. We first met at Buca for lunch, which pretty much made up for the bland crap I had a Ruby Tuesday lat time I went out to eat. So, good for me and my taste buds.
Later, they came over to our house and, right before they left, Owen whispered into my ear and said he wanted to give their daughter a hug goodbye. So I said to the little girl that Owen wanted to give her a hug goodbye, and she consented. Then I asked Owen if he wanted to hug anyone else goodbye (since our friends also have two sons), but he said he didn’t want to.
Aww, cute. I think he has a crush.
Monday, 16 August 2010
A few good things today:
First: I’m happy to announce that we’ve gone 48 hours without any cat puke to clean up. Also, I never thought I’d say this, but I was happy to see some poop in the litter box, too. This is great because it means food is going in the font end, staying in, and then coming out the back end. I’m so glad because any other scenario wouldn’t have been good at all (e.g., putting the cat to sleep, spending hundreds of dollars at the vet to figure out what’s wrong…).
Second: Some friends stopped by today to see Isla and they brought vegetarian soup. Total score! The soup tasted great and it’s like, the best present for new parents to bring them food. Actually, to be more clear: bringing food is always the best present for me, whether I’m a new parent or not.
Third, I finally got in contact with the Minnesota Department of Health this morning. I called the woman (Roxanne Summers) at 9:00 this morning, left a message, then declared to Jennifer that I would call her every hour and leave a message, until she responded. I didn’t expect this, but when I called again at 10:00, she answered her phone and as soon as I said my name, she said: “Oh, yes, James, I have your paperwork right here. Ha! Dam right you do!
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
More visitors came today. My sister made a return visit, and claimed that Isla has noticeably grown since she’d last seen her a little over a week ago. She’s probably right – Isla had a visit with the midwives yesterday, and we found out that she’s 8 pounds and 6 ounces, which means she’s put on one pound since birth. The midwife told us that a general rule of thumb is that babies bulk back up to their birth weight by the age of two weeks. So, in less than three weeks, Isla not only got back up to her birth weight, but even gained a pound. Man, with all that pooping and spitting up, all I can say is that my wife must be making massive amounts of milk. Either that or she’s feeding our daughter straight-up butter.
Then we had more visitors this evening. They brought over a gift for Isla and some books for Owen. Did I mention our friends who came over on Sunday brought a kite for Owen? Well, I’ll mention that now: our friends who came over on Sunday brought a kite for Owen. All I gotta say is, baby gifts are nice, but I looove the presents for Owen. Kites and puzzle books are way more fun than burp rags and onesies.
On a related front: we’re down to three chocolate cigars. Owen said: “What will we do if people come over and there’s four of them?” I told him that we’d have to convince them to share. Not sure what other solution there is…if anyone can think of one, let me know.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Today, while on our way home from somewhere else, I decided to stop at the Dakota County Library in West St. Paul. Owen and I stopped at a library in Hennepin County last week, and I asked the front desk clerk if she ever had any passes for the Children’s Museum. (In case you don’t know: the libraries in the metro area have passes available to get into museums for free.) She said they no longer had passes for the Children’s Museum, but that I could check with Dakota County.
So that’s what I did today. And – what luck! – they had one pass left just sitting there. Owen, who has ventured with me to a few libraries as I’ve searched for said pass, was very excited that we’d finally found one. We quickly took it up to the check-out counter, and the clerk took my library card and then announced, “Oh, actually, these passes are only for residents of Dakota County.”
“Oh,” I said, “I didn’t know that. That’s disappointing.” I looked at Owen, who was slumping his shoulders. He’s not one to spazz out, but if he ever was gonna have a meltdown, I really wished he would’ve right then. ‘Cause then I could say to the lady: “Can you please explain your arbitrary rule to my five year old?”
It’s not that we can’t go to the Children’s Museum, it’s just that it’s so expensive. In fact, I am even eligible for a discount thanks to my employer, but it’s still so expensive. So…you know, it’d be nice if the Museum Pass Program didn’t discriminate against non-Dakota County residents. Shame on you Dakota County Library. Shame on you and your stupid policy.
I’m so glad Emmeline is better.
It’s not the library who sets the rules it’s the museum. Shame on you for slamming a library system!
As a father I need to ask if your son’s intentions are honorable?
Debbie: Thanks. I hope she sticks around for a while longer.
Jeff: The Twin Cities’ metro area library site (melsa.org) states: “Check out a Museum Adventure Pass using your valid MELSA library card at any MELSA library location.” This is a lie.
You are correct that the Children’s Museum may have approached MELSA and said, “Okay, we’ll offer free passes, but only to people in Dakota County,” but the library didn’t have to say agree. They could’ve said: “Sorry, this is a metro-wide program we’re shooting for here.” But they didn’t do that. I love the library system, but they really screwed up on this one.
Cory: I guess I’d have to answer by saying I’m not sure what “honorable” means.
Again, your information is skewed. You are speaking of two separate library programs. The first is the Museum Adv. Pass Program which allows anyone with a library card in the 7 county metro to check out a pass to any one of nearly two dozen museums. The second is a Children’s Museum pass that is called the Passport to Play Program. From the Dakota County Library’s Museum Adventure Pass website: “What about the Children’s Museum? Free admission to the Minnesota Children’s Museum is available for Dakota County residents through the separate Passport to Play program.”
If I’m understanding correctly, the Dakota County Library system should have turned down the option to house passes at each of their libraries (which allow children to go to the museum for free or little cost) just because someone who pays taxes in a different county complains about not being able to check out the pass? That is beyond ridiculous. Why don’t you complain about (or to) the museum who is doing this- or better yet, why don’t you go to the library that your taxes pay for and ask them why they don’t have Passport to Play?
For the record, I’m incredibly proud of the Dakota County Library system and their various aray of FREE passes for children and adults to use so that they may educate themselves on all of the unique actvities that Minnesota has to offer. Shame on you for not researching your information better. Dakota County has librarians and circulation staff who would have cheerfully and fully described each program and its separate rules to you over the phone or in person. Something to think about.
My apologies for not being aware of the minute differences between the Museum Adventure Pass Program and the Passport to Play Program. The subtle difference must confuse others, as the clerk at the front desk admitted the signage was confusing, that others have been mixed-up by it, too, and that “we should do something about that.”
No, I definitely don’t think Dakota County should’ve said no to the Children’s Museum’s offer to have free passes on hand, but I’m still not clear on why they only let residents of their county use them. My library card works in several counties, and just last week I obtained a MN Zoo pass from a Hennepin County Library with no problem.
Also, I’m not sure how “researching [the] information better” would’ve resulted in any difference. As a former employee of the Dakota County Library system, I’m well aware of many of their policies ad procedures. Knowing the exact name of the program would’ve made little difference at that moment when I was trying to use my card, that I had previously been told was good at any library in the MELSA system.
Your argument about tax-payers receiving benefits from their own area is a strong one but, again, there’s a certain reciprocity here. At that same moment I was unsuccessfully attempting to use my St. Paul card in Dakota County, a Dakota County resident might have been in St. Paul, successfully checking out books, CDs and museum passes that my tax dollars helped pay for.
But don’t get me wrong, I love the libraries around here – I even prefer the Dakota County libraries over the St. Paul libraries. I’m not proposing any sort of boycott or protest, and I don’t think I was being “beyond ridiculous.” I was just commenting on something that happened to me on this day.