Okay, I know I can do it. A post sans mention of the baby. There are clearly other things going on in my life not pertaining to the girl waiting to emerge from my wife’s belly. Here goes nothing….
This Sunday we’re hosting family from Sweden. They will stay with us for a few days on their first trip to the United States. This shoud be fun as I really enjoy playing tour guide in our great city. I’m drafting up a fun driving tour of the area. We’ll hit a few touristy spots too, rain or shine, exposing the Swedes to coffee and fish throwing at Pike Place Market.
Speaking of family, yesterday I got a call out of the blue from my second cousin. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two kids. Her grandma and my grandma were siblings. Unfortunately her grandma passed away last year and she had some news to pass along to our family. I wasn’t surprised her grandma had died since she showed signs of Alzheimers when I visited her on my cross country road trip in 1998. The signs are easy to diagnose as my grandma (her sister) had severe symptoms of the disease as long as I can remember. The affliction is brutal on family members and friends. Honestly it freaks me out to think about Alzheimers as I grow older.
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Now, if the last paragraph wasn’t the most depressing paragraph, I don’t know what it is. Basically my reason for mentioning the phone call is about family reconnection. Back in about 1993, I spent a week or so in a red Ford Probe with my second cousin who called me yesterday. I was pretty young at the time, but really enjoyed learning more about my extended family and seeing Northern California. When you grow up in a large family, you don’t tend to interact much with your extended family. I have many cousins, but can’t tell you any of their birthdays and only know a couple names. We chatted yesterday for about 30 minutes swapping family updates and email addresses.
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Finally a fun fact about my family: six boys and one girl, that is correct. Most importantly though, none of us are all that mature. I will go on record and blame sugar cereals for our downfall. Instead of reading books or newspapers in the morning before school, I was too busy getting Toucan Sam out of a maze or locating the Trix bunny rabbit in a field. I lived on sugar cereals until about 20 years old and now I’m more of a yogurt, fruit, juice, and breakfast bar kind of guy. Keeps me "regular" and it’s the right thing to do!
The Continued Life of Monkey Boy 
Loved reading about the goings on in your life…I want to see this fish throwing..pretty please 🙂
Ah, the fish throwing. The reason the FISH! Philosophy is shoved down our throats at work. Too bad none of the managers want to use it.
Now, how did you come about hosting a family from Sweden? How does one go about doing that? I’m genuinely interested. I loved having our exchange student from Poland when I was in school. She and I became so close and we still keep in touch.
I think it’s great that you and your cousin reconnected after the years. Zac’s family is much like yours – they don’t really know their extended family. I, on the other hand, know all of my extended family down to my 3rd & 4th cousins. All thanks to the yearly family reunions we’ve been attending for as long as I can remember. This is only on my mother’s side, though. I don’t know hardly any of my cousins on my dad’s side.
Oh, and maturity is overrated. Has the yogurt, juice, & breakfast bar helped you get more mature?
Wait. Nevermind. I already know the answer.
LUCKY! We never got to eat sugar cereals. Except when we were camping and we got those packets of mini cereal boxes that you sliced down the middle and ate right out of the box. There was always a couple of Frosted Flakes boxes in those packages.
Amanda’s right. Maturity can be overrated. That’s cool hosting family from Sweden. I bet you will be a most awesome tour guide. Seattle has so much to see.
Of course you realize that you negated your sans-baby post by mentioning the baby at the beginning.
“Hejsan” or shorter form “Hej” is hellow in Swedish, that’s all I know. The rest of it looks like some sort of moonman language. Watch their plane when it leaves though for me, see if it heads towards Sweden or upon getting up in the air suddenly turns into a rocket and heads for the moon. Cool?
A lot of times being mature is not very fun. As long as you all are productive members of society, who cares how mature you are? In fact, I probably wouldn’t like you very much if you were all stuffy and grown-up like.
arm – that’s so funny about the FISH Philosphy. Pete the perch has made his place here at my office as well.
egan – it is nice to reconnect with distant relatives. i have few siblings and only a handful of cousins. and i’m not close to my cousins because they’re much younger. i imagine though that as we get older that age gap won’t mean so much and we’ll be able to reconnect like you and your second cousin.
What? Are you supposed to stop eating sugared cereal when you grow up?
I still eat Frosted Flakes, Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter, Froot Loops etc. I love them all!!!!
I loved showing my best friend around Washington when she came with me to visit a few years ago. We went everywhere from Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Ruby Beach, Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Ocean Shores, Puyallup,etc.
Have fun doing that!
Of course you would have a baby free post when I want to share with you a baby related clothing item. Check this
Dude! You have to get that onesy that Amy linked to! Too freaking hilarious!
I’m a cinnamon toast crunch girl myself (is it weird that i just spelled it ‘cinnamAn’?)
Alzheimers really freaks me out too. I cannot even imagine watching a loved one go through that.
I sometimes eat sugary cereal because I was not allowed to eat it as a kid.
I was actually going to write something similar about Alzheimers as the person above me wrote. But I will add that I am sorry to hear about that. It is a very sad topic.
Have fun with your guests this weekend. I would love to come to Seattle some day.
I always figured I would mature once I had kids. I will just keep reading here to see if that happens.
Cazzie – why thank you for the compliment. I’m not sure how exciting my life really is, but thanks anyways. Fish throwing at the market downtown is really popular. The tourists love it.
Amanda – I will have to study up on the fish theory. We’re hosting the family from Sweden because they’re relatives of my wife’s family. I think my wife met them once in Sweden when she was about 4 or 5 years old. If you’re truly interested in hosting a foreign exchange student, check out YFU. They’re a non-profit group I volunteered with for this very cause.
Amanda – moi? I’m about as mature as Scrappy Doo.
Jeci – those “teaser boxes” of sugar cereals are the work of the devil. That amount of cereal can’t make anyone full. Aw, camping. I need to get outside for a weekend.
Patches – it sounds like you’ve been to Seattle before. So cool. Do you have family here? Being that you’re from the Midwest I would assume you have some relatives here. Tour Guide Egan in the house!
Karl – you had to point that out didn’t you.
Furiousball – moonman language? Where did you come up with that description? It’s pretty funny. Thanks for the language tip.
Tori – you’re right, maturity is very overrated. I will be digressing very soon. Next post I will chat about my teddy bear Terry.
Good for Me – now that you’re a homeowner-to-be you can host all the distant relatives. Sounds pretty cool if you ask me.
Rachel – I still eat them, but not nearly as often as I did as a youth. I could polish off a box in two sittings easily. Now I blog. You’re coming back to visit the old ‘hood this summer. Your neck of the woods has changed a fair amount. Do the Puyallup! You can do it a trot, you do it at a gallop, but just don’t be late!
Amy – I’ve seen that very onesie around town. I might have to snag it next time I’m out and about. (said with a Canadian accent for dramatic affect)
Amanda – I’ve seen them around town near Pike Place Market.
Brookem – do you looooooooooove Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Damn those ads and their jingles. Yep, Alzheimers is a scary disease and happens to run in our family along with Parkinsons. Welcome back!
Naynayfazz – we can just avoid the Alzheimers topic and chat about marriage, sugar cereals, seatbelt laws in NJ, and Seattle. Your choice. Are you excited to be married?
Lynda – maturity is highly overrated, that’s what me thinks.
It keeps you “regular” – you are totally sounding like someone’s Dad.
I don’t stay in touch with my extended family – kind of sad, especially since some of them live in the same area as I do.
You bet your ass I love it. I remember back in the day, after swim practice (go backstroke!), I would literally devour, several bowls of it, BEFORE eating a full dinner.
Beckie – hello and welcome to my blog! I will be someone’s dad soon enough and that child will suffer. It can be really tough to manage the extended family, especially if you have your own.
Brookem – wow, you’re making me weak in the knees with a comment like that. First you’re a backstroker and then you had to tell me about your ability to polish off a few bowls of your favorite sugar cereal. You must be stopped.
For some reason I had it stuck in my head that there were 8 siblings in your family. My bad.
Alzheimers is a cruel, cruel disease. Keep away from aluminum!
I love being married although not much has changed. I have two rings on my left hand and two last names. I kept mine and added his. I couldn’t decide so I took both! How long have you and the Mrs. been married?
Sprizee – seven total kids so you weren’t off by too far. I was the only one who happened to pedal crack in the evenings. I had to pay for college somehow.
Naynayfazz – we’ve been married for six years and she kept her last name. I’d share, but I want to respect her privacy. It’s a rather unique last name so I’m glad she didn’t change it. Her name is so much a part of who she is. I would be you’d be very hard pressed to find another person on this planet with our names. Had she taken my name, it would have been much easier.
Thanks for that link! I will check it out. I truly am interested for we’ve thought about hosting a student someday. I don’t think anytime soon, for our house is a bit too small. But one day.
What kind of volunteer work did you do there?
One girl. I’d love to meet your sister someday. Or at the very least, read her blog!
Amanda – I really love the idea of hosting a student at some point. Maybe you can’t send your kid abroad, but there’s chance to bring the world to them. My wife and I helped interview potential host families. We were advocates for the students so if anything happened or if they needed a new house, it was our job to facilitate this. I liked the job, but it was a bit scattered work.
Jennifer – my sister is the second oldest in the family and more of a brute than some of us. She’s a rough woman in her own right. To my knowledge she doesn’t have a blog. I think her four kids keep her pretty damn busy.
If I eat sugar cereals, they are more of a dessert item because we were raised to think of them as “evil”.
And don’t think anything of the Alzheimer’s freaking you out..it does me, too.
I was a foriegn exchange student when I was younger. I met one of my very best friends there, and he is actually the friend I have known the longest that I am still friends with. YFU rocks! I would love to host someone someday.
So, tell me about these yarn photos…
Sharing last names is not a good thing on a blog. I understand.
I swear I am determined to make it to Pikes Place one of these days. My fiance and I love seafood. That would be so yummy.
Make sure they get a nice close look at the monk fish!
😀
My dad’s family is on the east coast and he is second of twelve kids. Having an extended family that is not well known is definitely part of my experience. My mom is the first of six and we are all in the Puget Sound area so I actually do know all those cousins pretty well.
Extended family is good stuff too, eh?
Deteriorating mental ability for any reason is depressing and terrifying.
Good choice on the yogurt but are those breakfast bars chocolated coated??
Weird coinkidink: the trip The Antidote and I took before I gave birth to Emma was to Sweden.
And the YAWN in my last comment was both figurative and literal. 😉
This is kind of a Look! A Chicken! post. 🙂
I love sugar cereals! Mostly because I didn’t get them much as a kid. But I like yoghurt, too. I had some of both today.
Gotta love the iPood onesie! 🙂
So is this family of yours or Mrs. Lessinge’s?
I’ve always blamed cartoons for my maturity level…my grandma had Alzheimer’s and I, too, often worry for my future in that respect.
Hilly – sugar cereals shouldn’t be thought of as all that bad. You can eat them any time, not just as dessert. I have them for dinner some days. Alzheimers isn’t fun, nuff said.
Tori – where did you go study abroad? Was the yarn picture to your liking? YFU is a great non-profit, yet the could use some organization… then again most non-profits can.
Naynayfazz – yeah, you just don’t go there. Using real name without consent and last names are a no-no.
Burr-ee-toe – I’m doing my best to look past the PikeS Place thing. Just a hint, no S on Pike. Everyone does it though so you’re okay. Yes, come here and have some seafood and coffee.
Logo – the breakfast bars I eat don’t tend to be chocolate coated. I tend to eat Clif Bars most often. Family is family and I know where you stand with this stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Curare_Z – Sweden is the land of lovers and other cool stuff, literally and figuratively speaking. Yawn, I can only imagine. Soon enough I will know first hand what you mean.
Tall Chick – the family from Sweden is from my wife’s side. I don’t know any of our relatives outside of North America. I do love the onesie, but I love that you’re here commenting more. Welcome back.
Thank you. Your stalking comment reminded me of a Blackadder quote:
“Disease and deprivation stalk the land like. . . two giant stalking things.”
So naturally I pictured you and Amanda as such. ^_^
PS are they bringing Absynthe?
Tall Chick – Amanda and I are a force to be reckoned with. We’ve been working on business plans in our spare time amongst many other things. So yeah, Blackadder is fine show and a mighty good quote.
Candace – I will bring the Absynthe. It’s a solid drink destined to give you freaky dreams.
TALL CHICK!!!! Woot woot!!
And, Egan. Holy. Shit. You know what I mean. You’re probably still watching. But Holy. Shit.
“Two Giant Stalking Things.” I love it. Yes, we are a force.
Amanda – I haven’t started watching yet. TiVo and American Idol. I peeked on the net and know who won American Idol though. Holy Shit, we’ll have plenty to talk about for sure.
Amanda – stalking is very fun amongst bloggers on your blogroll.
I love connecting with family from long ago…I got to know some family members I havent seen since i was a kid, last summer at my sister’s wedding. THEIR kids were the age we had been the last time we’d been together. THAT was something.
I went to Australia for my foriegn exchange…almost like cheating because of not learning a language, except I was only 12 when I went. Seriously, when I think about it now I can not imagine what my parents were thinking letting me go at that age! I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, but when I look at my 9 year old daughter I am amazed that I was only a few years older and in a different country than my parents!
Did you see Lost????
You better have watched it last night! For I have become officially lame (more lame than I already am) and dedicated a whole post about it. I’m almost done writing it. Don’t make too much fun of me. I have no life.
Tori, I watched Lost!!
Good Morning, Monkey Boy!!
OK Amanda, I am on my way over to read what you wrote about Lost since Egan is too busy to chat with us right now.
I wanted to hear about the baby.
I like Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries (mostly the Crunch Berries.)
Amanda – yes, it was a crazy episode of Lost. I love the suspenseful episodes. The underwater base scenes were pretty damn cool.
steppingoverthejunk – it’s great to connect. I’m thrilled my second cousin reached out to us. Yeah, with kids I can see it being even better/meaningful.
Tori – I did see Lost. I think Amanda has a great discussion going on there about it and you’ve been chiming in. Jack and Kate, damn. I’m so confused. Australia isn’t cheating. Sure you didn’t have to learn a new language, but their culture isn’t the same as ours so it’s a good experience. And the slang, the slang is heaps different.
Amanda – I watched Lost and have voiced my opinions on your blog and even left you a voicemail. Get with the program.
Candace – what’s shaking? I see you’re kind of back. How’s the tkd treating you?
Tori – you got to cut me some slack with time difference thing. Damn those two hours. I cheated and found out the American Idol winner ahead of time.
Nessa – ha, I loved the pinkish crunch berries too. The normal part of the cereal tears the roof of your mouth apart. It’s like a paper shredder inside your mouth. Me loves the peanut butter variety.
I’m still immature enough to eat sugar cereal in my forties. Mmmmm.
Churlita – and nobody can stop you. I think eating sugar cereals is why I’m as active as I am. Sugar isn’t entirely bad for you. Eat away I say.
Re-connecting with family is amazing – I recetly did that with a cousin of mine and it’s been fun getting to re-know my funny, intelligent down to earth cousin/friend.
I love hearing from people I haven’t connected with in a while, out of the blue! It always seems to happen when I’m in a personal state of reflection or instrospection, too.
It is with great reluctance, I confess I’m from the Southeast. My mom took a trip to Seattle a decade ago and she talked about it for months afterward. She really talked it up. I’m trying to visit this summer, travel gods willing.
And scene with Desmond is damn cool.
Any. Any scene with Desmond.
Stupid typos.
Princess Extraordinaire – yeah, it’s nice to see a different said of them and making your own opinion about them as adults.
L – yeah, the timing of such things can always be a bit odd. When reflecting things or when you have the least time to sit down and chat.
Patches – you’re trying to visit Seattle this summer? That would be very cool. You could meet Meno and a handful of other bloggers. The southeast isn’t so bad. I have two brothers in Georgia, and yes they are on my mind.
Amanda – correct, any scene with Desmond is good. I’m rewatching this episode again. I’m a huge dork.
My great-great-grandfather came over from Sweden with his wife and a few of their kids (they had more once they got over here). It’s the one country in Europe I really want to visit … although, Scotland’s pretty close on that list, too.