you are going to play with me now, right?

Perhaps you don't understand. See, I have the string right here. Do that thing you do with your monkey hands.

in the meantime

This is a picture of our larger cat. She has a problem. She is no longer interested in any form of interaction except playing with the bootlace my mom gave her. We used to sit together, rub heads, have a relationship. Now she doesn't want anything but string. If I offer her any form of attention, she runs away and stands by her string and gives me a look like this one. As if to say, "if you are interested in spending time with me, I want string."


Here is a picture of the back of the house which we hope will soon be ours.


It's hot and boring in Mendham tonight and G plans to blow off her breastfeeding class. We are discussing the relative merits of a trip to Aunt Pat's pool or the local movie theater. Not sure if there is anything worth watching. Any suggestions?

progress report: nothing to report

Furiously getting nowhere in particular at the moment, so nothing exciting to report. This phase of the house purchase is a flurry of documents among contractors, lawyers, usurers, insurers, inlaws, realtors, etc. We are hoping to come to some agreement about the repairs needed to the house, and then we hope we can move ahead with our closing on the 10th.

There are only two major problems with the house: the chimney needs repointing, and the front porch needs to be reinforced before someone falls through the soft spot. Pretty good for a 100 year old house. I know that's nothing to many of you overseas types but it's a big deal around here.

Grey is well and truly into her third trimester now. She's still happy and beautiful but the tiredness is back and moving around is more of a production than ever before. At least she's been sleeping better lately, which is a mercy for everyone.

Fleet news: We're still trying to sell the Focus, not as much action on that front as I would have expected. I've been so busy with the house that I've been unable to work on the Mini but there are recent unconfirmed reports of progress from the reclusive lunatic that we've engaged to install the new engine.

space for all the babies

Well today we had the new house inspected. The results were very encouraging. The front porch needs some repair and so does the chimney, but everything else is minor. The place is in great shape for an old house. G wanted me to post these pictures of the nursery, which, in a shocking coincidence, is decorated in exactly the same way that we would have decorated it.



Our inorganic dependents will also be cossetted in a lovely detached garage.


So we're pysched. And today I had words with the current man of the house, and he assures me that the entire lawn can be mowed in less than 30 minutes. Right on.

not just a new haircut

Below you can see a picture of Grey and her new summertime-and-I'm-pregnant haircut!


In the background you might be able to see a Scion xB. This is the special 2006 Limited Edition in Envy Green. This is Grey's new car. She is very, very pleased with it. It was hard to find the cool green one. In the end we bought in on ebay. Some may be surprised that D'Amato's have bought a Japanese car, but there are two responses to this: (1) the lady who made the purchasing decision is not genetically a D'Amato, and (2) it's so well crafted that we might be reconsidering the family policy in the future.

So, we are almost ready to be a family. We have something practical and yet still cool to drive around in and clean cheerios out of.

Also, more big news! The lawyers have signed off on our contract and we are scheduled to close on our new house on August 10! At this point there are many fewer things that could go wrong with the whole enterprise. Tomorrow we have the house inspection and after that we should have any idea if there are other things to worry about.

And, I am almost complete with the partial deforestation that is a mortgage application in New Jersey.

Anyway, thanks for the good wishes. We would like to take you for a ride in our cool new car

house pics

I thought I just posted these thumbnails of the house we are trying to buy, but I haven't seen my deathless prose show up on the blog yet so I am beginning to fear it's lost to the ages. Damn.

This is the house we are trying to buy. We finished the first part, with the realtors, and have started the part with the lawyers. Then it's the part with the bankers and the inspectors, then the realtors again, then the lawyers. Then we might get to live there. Hopefully before school starts and I turn into a wage slave again in September.

Here's some pics. The lovely Kate gave me the idea to use this little photo collage.


We love the house and the town is going to be great. We have a guest room and space for children, so you gotta come visit when you can. There's a nice little town center within walking distance and a train that will take you to big ol' NYC mere steps away. Very civilized.

Speaking of houses, today we got the greatest old-fashioned paper postcard with a snapshot of the wonderful cottage that Ally and Mr B got for themselves in beautiful north Wales. I am awfully happy for them, and tonight I will daydream about shipping my child(ren) off to visit with them some summer, years from now. 

so much excitement

Bit of a catch-up post here... last week we went camping again at Lackawanna state park. We spent three nights out in the woods over the holiday weekend. You might not think that a pregnant lady would sleep all that well on a foam mattress in a 19' RV but she did and we had a great time. I finally got to make some progress on The Confusion. What a great book.

This is a great park, there's a big lake and we rented a boat to paddle around. I think we saw the same family of ducklings we met there on Memorial Day weekend. Back then they were puffball-size and now they are about pigeon-sized.

There's also a great big swimming pool. It's round, about 100 feet across. It's shallow at the edges and deeper in the middle, so there is a lot of area of little kids and some space for floating grownups too. It was a great family atmosphere, and wow do I sound like a grownup here.

The other great thing about the park was the world's most unlikely Snack Bar. In addition to the standard repertoire of burgers, dogs, and ice cream this place had a full Italian menu cooked from scratch on the premises. Marinara sauce made from actual tomatoes, zuppa di pesce, and a killer eggplant parmagiana. I guess the man who has the concession from the park has ambitions beyond the hot dog trade. I say it's a triumph of the free market.

Oh and the other little snippet of news is that we are in negotiations to buy a house in Bernardsville. They have accepted our offer and now the legal fun begins. Nice house. Nice location. More details coming soon!

 

weekend in wisconsin

Last weekend I drove 1700 miles to spend 48 hours getting rained on in Wisconsin with my pal Doug and some other buds from Back in the Day. My pregnant wife encouraged me to make this Man Journey even though I was a little apprehensive.

We had a great time. More copy pending!

Before: setting up camp in the rain.

After: regrouping at Todd's house for a sandwich in the dry.

the ol' swimming hole

Well, you can't see much on the pictures from our stone-age (ca. 2003) camera phone, but this is Grey in the swimming hole at Buttermilk Falls right here in Mendham. It's a hike of about 2 miles right from our house, way out in the woods. There used to be an iron foundry nearby in the 18th century but there's no trace anymore except for a couple stones.



We walked up there with Joe and Jill, G's parents. You can see Joe in the blue shirt on the right. A couple kids were there too and after seeing the pregnant lady paddling around they worked up the courage to get in too. It was beautiful but very cold!

Didn't see any wildlife other than a couple of toads. Good looking ones though.

more bear news

Here's an even better picture of Jack and the Bear.



And also from New Jersey, there's the bear in a hammock incident.

diadophis punctatus edwardsii

Yesterday we went walking at Willowood Arboretum and I saw a northern ringneck snake.



(These are someone else's fingers and someone else's snake. I was good and I didn't pick him up.)

Soon to be employed!

Well, it looks like I've got a job! I've accepted a position at Pequannock Township High School and though I haven't signed any papers yet it looks like the rest is going to be easy.

In my job search I sent out more than 40 applications (many unsolicited) and interviewed at about 10 schools. I had a total of six job offers by the end. The vast majority of the people I met were great.

The process was really pretty miserable. It felt kind of like going to the shelter to adopt a pet. How can you pick??

But, in the end, I think it has turned out really well. I'm really impressed with the administration and faculty at Pequannock. They are really interested in doing the best for the students, they were serious about good teaching, and they were willing to put their money where their mouths were. Big time.

For the time being we imagine staying in Mendham while I commute to Pequannock. It's only about 35 minutes away, and most of the time the commute will be pretty easy by Northern New Jersey standards. So I guess I will hang onto my commuting barge despite the drawbacks so that I can enjoy the peaceful woodgrain atmosphere with an audiobook when I am not worrying about lessons or tests.

Grey is doing very well. Her folks are here for a few days and we are having a nice visit. Today we went to Fosterfields, a local farm run by the county as it was in 1880. They have piglets and cows and sheep and horses and chickens and more pigs. It's big fun for grownups and of course we are scoping out places to take children. You should come visit us with your children and we'll all go look at piglets.

New Jersey Welcome

This black bear clings to a backyard tree after it was chased by a New Jersey cat. (Suzanne Giovanetti/Associated Press)


Jack sits under the tree. (Suzanne Giovanetti/Associated Press)

Don't screw with the cats in Jersey. The Associated Press reports:

A black bear picked the wrong New Jersey yard for a jaunt earlier this week, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree - twice.

Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, chasing small animals when he can, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising.

"We used to joke, 'Jack's on duty,' never knowing he'd go after a bear," cat owner Donna Dickey told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Friday's newspapers.

Neighbor Suzanne Giovanetti first spotted Jack's accomplishment after her husband saw a bear climb a tree on the edge of their northern New Jersey home's back yard on Sunday. Giovanetti thought Jack was simply looking up at the bear, but soon realized the much larger animal was afraid of the hissing cat.

After about 15 minutes peering down at the cat from the tree, the bear descended and tried to run away, only to have Jack chase it up another tree.

At this point Dickey, who feared for her cat, called Jack back home and the bear scurried back to the woods.

"He doesn't want anybody in his yard," Dickey said.

mango-avocado salsa

I dunno if anyone cares about this sort of thing, but since the blog is experimental anyway, let me tell you about what I made for dinner, with which I was well pleased:

avocado, ripe haas, 1, cut into small salsa-size chunks
mango, 1, chopped small. mine was mexican, not too sweet but very spicy
pepper, green sweet capsicum, 1/2, chopped small. I peeled mine but you might not bother
chili, indian-style hot pepper, 2, minced. you might want to try just 1 first.
lime, 1, juice of
onion, red, 1/4 cup or so, minced. I'd use more next time.
garlic, 2 cloves, minced or squashed in a press I suppose
cilantro/coriander, 2-3 sprigs with stems, minced
salt, plenty.

Directions: Combine in non-metal bowl. Let sit for bit.

Serving suggestion: This was great with grilled chicked thighs marinated in oil/vinegar/salt/pepper. Would like to try it with tuna or salmon.

P.S. While I am on the subject of food, let me tell Mr P. A. that I have finally taken his advice and got a big-ass Le Creuset which we use for everything now. Well, not for uncooked salsa obviously.

my speech to the graduates

Transcript of the Rutgers Graduate School of Education Commencement 2006 if I was in charge:

"Welcome everyone. Now you are officially unemployed. In conclusion, there is free beer and chicken on the quad."


The real graduation was 120 minutes longer and there was no beer or chicken. Men talked at us for ages. Some old guy presented his brave vision for revolutionizing K-3 education which must have been really interesting to someone somewhere.

Still, it was a beautiful day. My loving wife and parents sat through the whole ordeal with every sign of good cheer, and we all went for Ethiopian lunch afterwards.

Exotic Ocean City

We had a great time in Ocean City, which is like our own familiar Point Pleasant raised to the power of Blackpool. The birthday girl started her day with yoga on the beach and did a headstand at 20 weeks of pregnancy.

We went off with Kim while Michael studied for his paramedic degree. At the boardwalk the birthday girl strengthened herself with a wholesome calcium snack and then we rode on the great big Ferris wheel.

Then, for something completely different, we went to Assateague Island to see if we could find some of the wild ponies alleged to live out there. Turns out we didn't have to find them, they found us. In fact the whole island was infested with wildlife. We saw a red winged blackbird. And a ton of horses that looked like little-girl pony-porn come to life.

Gretchen drove out from DC and we all had a festive birthday dinner. Michael grillled steaks and I went around the corner for a sack of hot and spicy Callinectes sapidus. While waiting for the nice man to slaughter twelve invertebrates for our dinner I got to watch a crab moult. It was amazing, the shell popped up at the back and then, really slowly, a bigger crab came out. Not, like, a slightly bigger crab but a BIGGER crab. It was like a David Blaine trick.

If anybody needs to know a better way to field-strip a crab, get Michael to show you his method.

Then we had an epic birthday cake and went to bed. Maybe Grey will make a post about what happens if you are pregnant and eat too much crab and birthday cake. She's fine now though!

Update: I have learned that the latin name of the blue crab means "beautiful swimmer that is savory."

birthday weekend

Tomorrow is Grey's 40th birthday. As I write she is off to ShopRite to get ingredients for her own birthday cake. She has her heart set on pink icing with a ballerina on top, and there was a certain amount of deliberation this morning about frosting and filling recipes. And cake tins. And choice of flour. The only thing not uncertain is the fact that some form of Chocolate will feature prominently.

We had been planning a camping weekend in Delaware but the timing turned out to be unfortunate for most of our friends, and now it's supposed to rain all weekend. So that's officially off, but we are looking forward to a visit with Michael and Kim at their shore house in Ocean City, Maryland.

new d'amato well underway

Well, we went for another ultrasound yesterday and spent 40 minutes looking at the baby. As medical procedures go this is pretty low-impact. The scariest part was when the tech squeezed blue goo on the maternal belly. It looked cold. But it turns out I was worried for no reason, the goo sits in a warming device in between customers. Would be good for shaving cream too I bet.


Short version: everything looks normal except the baby is a little big for his age. Still looking at a due date of about October 4. Oh yeah, and he's definitely a boy.

What they can do with the technology is kind of amazing. There was a lot of looking at the heart. You could see all four chambers pumping and the valves opening and closing. There was a doppler-shift function where all the blood coming at you was colored blue and moving away was red. Pretty amazing combination of physics and biology. (I think a lot in terms of lesson plans these days.)


It was an emotional experience but maybe not as acute as last time. I think we are starting to get used to having him around. That's intense in a different way.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

I think this is my favorite book ever.

G and I were reading it together back in ought-four but I started school before we finished. I thought about it for a year until I finally bought the audiobook version off audible, for my commute back and forth to Rutgers. It livened up a semester spent on mostly unexciting classes.

This is the best money I ever spent online. And on a DRM'd proprietary format no less. It simultaneously gave my iPod a reason for existing too.

The reader was great and every minute of the 32 hours was a pleasure. I think I have finally figured out how to be an adult student and still read a book once in a while.

If anyone knows where I can get a copy of Thomas Lanchester's Treatise concerning the Language of Birds please let me know.

this time last year

We were enduring our family cruise to Alaska. As you can see from the picture, Alaska is a terrible place. We had to put up with a helicopter ride and hike several miles just to get to this location, and once we got there we could not even find a Dunkin Donuts. Just some porcupine quills and an answer to that old question about the bear.


No, seriously, it was a wonderful trip with Joe's company, on the sister ship to this one. We went with both D'Amato and Valenti parents and Mark and Lauren and the kids. We gotta get more pictures up one of these days.

The contrast between wild Alaska and the shockingly indulgent shipboard treatment really did show both lifestyles to their best advantage. Or at least on high contrast. I never expected to see wild bear poop and a four foot eagle carved out of butter on the same day.