Happy Halloween from the Cubicle Farm

When The Empire has a casual dress policy, this Storm Trooper takes it seriously...

"Droids? Let me tell you a story about some droids I was looking for once..."

You're still here?

Oh, hey. I did not know anyone had stuck around. I guess I kind of left you all in a lurch seeing as my last post was just a giant GIF vomit before we headed to the hospital.

Yep. The Librarian and I had a baby. And she is most awesome thing ever.

Notice how she radiated awesome from Day One.

The photo of me holding my daughter in the hospital seems like an eternity ago, but it just happened back in August. Now two-and-half months into this whole Fatherhood gambit and I feel like we are starting to get into a rhythm.

Granted, I keep saying that and then my daughter will throw us a curveball that makes The Librarian and I question everything we have been doing as parents.

Still, like everything else in my life, I am perfectly comfortable just blundering my way through parenthood making things up as I go and pretending that all the good things that happen are planned that way.

At least this is what I will tell my daughter when she gets older.

IT'S GO TIME!!!!!!!!

#BabyEkey is on the move!

#BABYEKEY!

MCC: leading the community college revolution.

MCC this was not so much a marketing department idea. Rather, this was conceived and written by MCC-Penn Valley student Bro.

It really drives home the well-worn idea that success is not something that is won by a single action or single person. Success is won by entire cities, families and people who are committed to the idea that education is the key to lifting any community.

The newest Lee's Summit Arts Council member

That's right, cats and kittens!

Lee's Summit Mayor Randy Rhodes and the City Council appointed me to the Lee's Summit Arts Council. Above, you can see Rob The Lobster—one of my many artistic talents.

All joking aside, I am honored and excited to work with this group. It is my first big step into working with Lee's Summit and City Hall. In talking with my friend who helped me submit my name for consideration, he says this council is incredibly diverse and very active in the activities and programs they oversee throughout the city. In working with MCC I have seen the council's work first-hand as they have been long-time supporters of the MCC-Longview Kite Festival, Longview Arts Festival and Longview Literary Festival.

Along with many sponsored events, the council also works with artists and art organizations to advocate for their work in the many different venues around Lee's Summit.

This week I will be sitting down with Parks and Rec. folks to get my official orientation into my first major board appointment and what my one-year term will entail.

Aug. 13 is our first meeting and hopefully, if we are sans baby, I will be able to make the meeting and start working with this group.

GAH! We are getting so freaking close.

At this point, the doctor says it's all about waiting for the baby.

Let's get this show on the road!

Testing the Ergobaby

Cat tested. Father approved.

Swayer seemed to enjoy the perch and only jumped out when the dog started getting jealous and whining.

I'm 6'4" and nearly 300 lbs. and the Ergobaby fits nicely around my body. Even with the cat I felt pretty secure and he did not move at all.

Fezzes and Fedoras are cool.

My cousin's kid decided that he wanted to have a Doctor Who-themed birthday party. Of course, I had to come dressed as one of my favorite Doctors. Even though he and his younger brother were the only ones who recognized who I was supposed to be, it was still a great time.

This was also a prime example of how my family will plan theme parties and invite everyone to dress up and then I end up arriving as the only adult in costume.

Epic Fail, family... Epic...Fail...

With two Doctors at one party, things got a little wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey...

Dog Days of Summer

The summer means playing in the sprinkler in the backyard.

Pre-natal nerd

I know there are a few of you who don't follow every amazing project I lovingly hand-craft and post to the Interweb. Hell, I'm pretty sure I have close family that only pop in here from time to time to make sure I am still alive...

So, I'm sure some of you might have missed this gem of an update from my other amazing web project 40 Weeks To Fatherhood.

Boom! Nerd vomit all over this Baby's Room.



The Librarian and I decided that while we are going to love our daughter we are not going inundate her with pink and princesses and other gender-specific decoration. Instead, as two educated (read: nerdy) individuals, we thought that Space and Space Travel was a much more suitable theme for our future little scientist/astronaut/engineer.

Sure, this might seem like a very science-oriented theme choice, but what other science has inspired more literature, art, poetry and introspection than outer-space?

And so with the AstroMonkey sheets in hand, we set out to design and create a whole solar system right in Elliott's room.



I designed the planet using Illustrator and had our printshop at work print them out on vinyl wall cling paper. We are now on the hunt for a TARDIS, Enterprise and X-Wings to fill in some of the holes.

The Librarian, designed and hand-painted the letters over the crib. She then painted each with a star and added some glitter before applying a clear glossy coat to make the whole thing shine. It's like each letter has its own galaxy.



The whole room is putting a definite reality to my wife's pregnancy. It is almost here. And, starting today all our Baby-Doc appointments are now weekly... One month until the big day.

Of course, Indiana is excited...



Yes, dog, we can see Uranus...