Cooper and Stacy had their first child LATE last night. Shelby Alaina Welling was born at around 3:40AM EST. Check out the photo of my mom with Shelby! As the unofficial "Uncle Ben," I can assure you that this child is going to be spoiled rotten. Welcome to the family, Shelby!
I got tired of the self-centric lifestyle of a young professional in DC: living every moment of your life focusing on nothing other than yourself. Enter Lucky. I brought my new cat home from the DC Animal Shelter today after a many days of paperwork and home visits. Lucky was a tough cat for the shelter to place because he's large, old, and not as lively as the other younger cats they have. When I picked him up I was something of a hero to the workers. They actually clapped as I walked out the door! I even got an email from the PRESIDENT of the Board for the Washington Humane Society: "I was simply overjoyed to learn that Lucky had found a wonderful new home. He is a noble cat and I have been so concerned about him." I'm sure I'll be clogging this site with more photos, so stay tuned.
My boss, mentor, and friend Lee Abrams has launched a blog. Many people are on his ass right now for comments about local radio. Check it out for yourself.
Cooper and I in his back yard...grilling, beers, and Cardinal baseball...
Me, Grandpa Eric, Mom and Dad.
Here's my Uncle Bill (Warren's brother) and I with one of his beautiful horses in South Dakota [thank's for catching that mom!).
My roadtrip is coming to an end. I'm staying the night in Lexington, KY on the way to DC. Here's the strange part: my hotel in Sheldon, IA ($44.23 per night) had free high-speed WiFi and my hotel tonight, a MARRIOTT ($189.29 per night) DIDN'T! I explained to the front desk girl that it's the year 2006 and if a roach-motel in IOWA can provide free WiFi than so should a MARRIOTT in a decent-sized city. I told her that's a deal-breaker for me so she ended up throwing it in for free. 10-bucks isn't a big deal but after my Iowa experience it's now a "principle" thing.
Great trip so far. Horseback riding with my uncle Bill in South Dakota. An awesome BBQ with old friends in Jefferson City, and a great day with my family.
I'll post some great pics when I get back to DC!
Today marks my first visit to Sheldon, IA in 28 years (it's my city of birth). I decided a few months ago to make the pilgrimage out here to check out my roots. Steve Mays once called Iowa a "very wired, progressive state" in his blog and I didn't believe him at first. However, I'm finding that to be very true the more I explore:
1. Upon entry into Sheldon, I noticed what's playing at a small movie theater (see pic).
2. After checking into a very creepy roach motel (where I'm writing this) I asked the front desk girl if they had a computer somewhere with an internet connection. She looked at me strangely and said, "Dear, there's free high-speed Wi-Fi in every room." They still don't provide that in most New York City hotels.
3. I was driving on an old country road and stopped to talk with an elderly woman. I asked her if there were any local publications that dealt with real estate. She also looked at me strangely and said, "Dear, just Google "Sheldon real estate" and I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for."
4. I had a beer and burger a few minutes ago at a local bar. A country boy saw me typing on my Blackberry and said, "Hey boy...that's the old 7250 right? I got the new one here!" He then proceeded to pull out a new Blackberry model (with his grease-stained hands) that only one of my coworkers in Washington, DC has.
The residents of this 5,000-person town are just as tech-savvy as some bohemian creep in an LA coffee shop. No shit.
Random pics: one of KIWA, my dad's first radio gig (I'm taking the GM out for lunch tomorrow afternoon). The other is of the long road winding into Sheldon.
I have a new hobby: weekend racing! My friend Steve from work coaxed me into joining him for Friday at the Track at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. Here's a pic of me leading a Corvette and a Porsche through turn 6 today. My new H&R race suspension held up well...notice the driver's side tire lifting off the pavement! I called Mom and Dad shortly after the event to let them know I was alive. The Porche in this pic was totaled towards the end of the day...nice way to flush 120-G's down the crapper!
A man was shot 3 times less than 50-yeards from the front of my house
tonight. The street is currently shut down and police lights are still
pulsating through my living room window. Not sure if he's going to
live. Did I mention I live a mile from the US Capitol
building?
[pic taken 1-minute before this post]
