Whirlwind day

Lynn and Kevin headed to the beach on Friday night but I didn't go up until yesterday morning - I wanted to do the grocery shopping, get a haircut, and do some work. I did the first two but eventually I didn't feel like doing any work. My barber shop opens at 8am on Saturdays so I got there at 7:55 so I could get in and out. But when I got there, 3 guys were already getting their hair cut and there was a number of people in front of me! I was bummed because I really wanted to listen to something on the radio. So, I got to the beach around 10am and we got to hang out until 12pm when the tide came in.

We were going to spend the rest of the afternoon at the neighbor's house but Lynn got a call that her father had a seizure and was being rushed to the hospital. Bruce was in the hospital last week due to complications from his diabetes and was just released on Thursday. There was a woman coming to rent the house at 2pm so we decided that Lynn would leave to go to the hospital and Kevin and I would stick around to meet the renter. We hung out for a bit at the neighbors since they have a little pool and toys and I went over at 2 to meet the renter. After that Kevin and I headed home. But Lynn called as I was on the road and said her family was all at her parent's house in West Roxbury so Kevin and I headed there instead.

When I got there the mood was solemn. Bruce was in a medically induced coma and had a breathing tube. We all ate some lunch/dinner and eventually the hospital called to say he was awake and off the breathing tube. Lynn, Kevin, and I went to the hospital to see him although Kevin could not go in (he was in ICU). Lynn's sister and brother-in-law were there too so they watched Kevin as we went in. Bruce looked OK - he seemed groggy and aggravated. He kept on wanting to get up to go to the bathroom and was fighting with the nurses! I guess that's a good sign.

Lynn's sister called around 10:30 last night and said the seizure was caused by something called DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis). Essentially, a person's body doesn't have enough insulin so it begins eating muscle. Hopefully Bruce will get his insulin under control.

I think Lynn is headed to the hospital again today. Luckily she is on vacation this week so she can go down there and take him to the doctors, help her mother, etc. As for me, I am taking a class all week at Fitchburg State College. I am teaching AP US Government and Politics next year for the first time and the College Board has a class on how to teach the class. So, blogging may be lighter this week. I am looking forward to a little change in routine and to be around some grown-ups for a little while! But, you can tell that the school year is fast approaching as I had a dream last night that it was the first day of school and I didn't make any of the syllabi and wasn't prepared for classes. I think I dreamt that because last night I was thinking about how much I still have to do this summer. I am teaching three new classes next year and I really need to prepare for them. Time to get cracking.

Day in the city

Kevin and I made our second annual trip to the Boston Children's Museum today. This time we were accompanied by my parents (aka Mema and Bepa). We met up at their house in Melrose around 11am and then took the T into town. My parents crack me up - they gave me detailed instructions on where to put the money for parking at Oak Grove and my mother asked me if I knew how to use the Charlie Ticket.

We stopped for lunch in South Station and we all got pizza at Pizzeria Regina. As I was sitting there I thought back to my four years of high school in Dorchester, the 2 years I worked in Copley Square, and the 2 years I lived in South Boston. While I don't miss studying, working or living there, I sometimes miss the "idea" of Boston if that makes sense.

We then walked over to the museum. When we got there, Kevin was obsessed with a make believe airplane and would not leave. I had to pick up him and bring him to the other parts. He had a great time running around and playing, especially with the basketball nets and play trains. We stayed for about 2 1/2 hours and then headed back to the train. Kevin LOVES trains and was in 7th Heaven the whole time. He was fast asleep within minutes after I dropped off my parents. He stayed asleep even after I brought him inside which is unusual. He typically wakes up the second I get him out of his car seat but he stayed asleep this time and didn't flinch when his leg banged into his highchair.

Tomorrow is Hampton Beach and Sunday, I think, a visit to his grandparents in West Roxbury. Lynn's father suffered a minor stoke recently and I think he would enjoy a visit from Kevin.

More Howie

This has been a great week for politicos! Howie has another column on the 2010 governor's race with a column on Tim Cahill as a potential straw man. A straw man is essentially a guy who is in a race in order to take votes away from another candidate (intentional or not). Read it here.

Howie on 2010

Howie has a special Thursday column today about Charlie Baker's entrance into the governor's race and the impact it has on the the candidates. He thinks Tim Cahill will fade away but may play a spoiler and turn the election to Deval Patrick. See it all here.

I kind of hope that the GOP encourages Christy Mihos to drop out of the governor's race and run for another office so the Republicans don't have a bruising primary. But, Mihos was never one to obey party bosses so I doubt he will. Instead, he will beat up Baker, drain Baker's finances, and leave him limping in the general election. Mihos was good on the Turnpike Board but he is seen as a sort of fringe candidate - no one takes him seriously.

Who is Charlie Baker?

Many people don't know who Charlie Baker is so the Globe did a pretty nice overview of his bio today. I have seen Baker speak twice: once when I was an intern at the State House in 1997 and last year when he was the speaker at my graduate school commencement.

While I don't know for sure, I am pretty sure Baker is socially liberal but so is Christy Mihos, the other Republican candidate. Ironically, the most socially conservative person in the race may be Tim Cahill. He may get my vote but I have to wait and see how it all plays out.

Deval getting ready

Deval Patrick realizes he's on the ropes with three other candidates now in the race for 2010. He's sent a message out tonight to his supporters asking them to declare "I'm With Deval."

Election 2010 has begun.

BAKER IS IN!

Go Charlie, go!

What liberal media?

I don't have a lot of time to jump into this article but take a look and see how the media treats Sarah Palin and Joe Biden when they both say the exact same thing. I think you know where this is going.

Viva la revolution!

Howie's Wednesday column is about State Treasurer Tim Cahill's decision to leave the Democratic Party to become unenrolled. Howie said that Cahill did this to appeal to the "conservative wing of the Democratic party" and the "blue-collar voters." Howie doesn't come out and say it directly but implies that Cahill will go no where. He hopes he does well but is not confident.

Towards the end of his column, however, he points out that FOUR of Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo's cronies got raises this year. This after DeLeo ushered through a $1 billion sales tax increase and a complete gutting of local aid?!?!?!? One guy, DeLeo's deputy chief of staff, went from $70,000 to $100,000! DeLeo's spokesperson said the raises reflect "enhanced duties" but Howie nails it when he said:

Out here in the DPS, the reward these days for “enhanced responsibilities” isn’t a 30 percent pay raise. It’s not getting fired.

Get rid of these people in 2010.

Whoa...

I just made shrimp scampi for dinner. Dang, it was GOOD. Make it. Now. See the recipe here.