Jamie's Main Blog

Pinewood Derby 2012

2012-01-22T13:21:00.001-05:00

Pinewood Derby 2012, a set on Flickr.

Photos of Jude and Ruby at the local 2012 Pinewood Derby in Pensacola, Florida, for Pack 608.

Jude's Star Wars landspeeder Pinewood Derby car

2012-01-22T13:10:00.003-05:00

Jude and I built a Pinewood Derby race car this week. He decided he wanted a Star Wars design. Then, he decided, specifically, on the Luke Skywalker landspeeder. He helped with sanding, painting, and wheel attachment. He did a great job on the paint color mixing and painting the main parts of the design.

The car finished third overall in his age group (Tiger Cubs) and won the Most Original Design award. He gets to go to the district competition next, since he was in the top three.

We were mostly just aiming to make this car look cool. But, his car was surprisingly fast, getting off to a huge lead in the first run, and finishing first in three of the five runs his car completed, and a close second in the other two. (Someone accidentally removed a shim under the track before one of his heats, creating a bump in the track that sent his car flying through the air, off the track. I don't think they re-ran that heat, but I'm not sure why.)

Oil slick threatens Gulf coast

2010-04-28T22:54:00.003-04:00

PBS Newshour just ran a great story on the status of the Gulf of Mexico oil rig disaster that's unfolding daily.

"Crews in the Gulf of Mexico began to burn parts of an oil slick from last week's rig explosion that is now threatening the coastline. Judy Woodruff talks to two experts about the challenges of stopping the leak and getting rid of the oil spill."

You can also download the MP3 of the report.

CNN has good overall coverage. Latest news: "The oil spill from last week's deadly rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico has increased to 5,000 barrels a day -- five times more than the original estimate...."

Ruby and Me on a snowy day

2010-04-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

Have you seen this great photo of Ruby and me?

Ruby and me at the Wyndmoor train station in Chestnut Hill.

End of winter update 2010

2010-03-13T12:27:00.006-05:00

The Barger family had a great time in the record-breaking snowstorms this winter in Philly. This week, as winter is turning to spring, we headed out to Hershey on a family road trip. We had a great time. The kids loved the Chocolate World tour ride (see photo).

Fall 2009 - another infrequent update

2009-10-18T12:15:00.002-04:00

I haven't had much time for blog updates, so here's a quick summary of what's up. My summer job at a mass torts firm provided some great insight into the practice of law and some great practical experience.

Now, I'm in my third year of law school (a.k.a. 3L). I'm taking the following courses: Taxation, Bankruptcy, Criminal Procedure, Cyberspace Law, and a clinical program at SEPTA's Tort Litigation department.

In the SEPTA clinical, I've been representing SEPTA in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, in arbitration proceedings. I won my first case last week. It's a great experience, because they let fill the entire lawyer role at the arbitration, including the opening statement, calling witnesses, questioning, cross-examination, raising and defending objections, and closing arguments.

Charline, Jude, and Ruby are doing fine.

Ruby's getting better and better at communicating. She loves to open books and "read" them aloud, making up cute stories about the pictures. She's also great at making up stories while she's lying in bed, just before falling asleep. One recent story was about a family of dogs who find and befriend a baby dragon. Great stuff.

Jude has developed some strong martial arts skills, especially his roundhouse kick, which he figured out on his own. He and Ruby still like Scooby Doo more than anything else, but Jude is getting more interested in super heros every day. He has some Spiderman and Batman and Superman books. He wants some Flash and Red Tornado (an obscure DC character) comics next. Jude's still going to pre-school at the co-op, which he loves.

Charline has been doing some work as a board member for the Maternal Wellness Center, which she really enjoys. Of course, she always has her hands full at home, with Ruby and Jude. She continues to manage the www.GermantownAvenueParents.com blog also.

My other blog

2009-07-16T14:08:00.001-04:00

Did I mention that I have another blog page at JamesBarger.blogspot.com? I don't know if it's any better or if I'll use it more. But, it's there.

An Update

2009-07-16T13:58:00.002-04:00

Since I haven't posted in a while, here's an update. I'm getting ready for the third and final year of law school (the "3L") year. I'm working at a mass torts law firm in Florida for the summer, with travel to Philadelphia a few times, for cases in federal and state courts there. Charline, the kids, and the dog came to Florida with me. They're having fun at the local beaches and parks. Jude and Ruby are learning to swim.

In my final year of law school, I'm going to earn course credit for working at SEPTA, in the tort claims division, and at the Bucks County District Attorney's office. These clinicals are going to provide some excellent hands-on education, and will help me decide exactly which branch of law I want to practice.

Lately, I've been using twitter (twitter.com/JamesBarger) and facebook (facebook.com/james.d.barger) a bit more. And, I've opened a Google Voice account (you can call me from a button on JamesBarger.com). All very useful tools.

Jude explains Muffin Land and a fast shadow

2008-09-17T00:33:00.001-04:00

I have some old notes about Jude stuff I need to post, so here it is... (There will be more about Ruby as she continues to learn how to express herself and get around and do Ruby things.)

Jude Notes:

Jude said...

Jude was looking for his "blue green duck dinosaur" and he said...

"Maybe it's in the universe.
Or, maybe it's on the planet Nowhere.
Or, maybe it's in Muffin Land.
Muffin Land is on the bobbdum of the earth. Muffins in Muffin Land can fly, because they have wings. But, the muffins don't have any bones. They just have head bones. They cannot see where they are going."

I said I would like to go to Muffin Land someday. Jude said...

"You can't go to Muffin Land, because it is very far away."

I said maybe I could go there on a big ship. Jude said...

"But a ship would be too slow. If you had a dragon, you could fly to Muffin Land, because dragons can fly very, very far. Dragons can fly for 20 and a half miles."

I said it would be really fun to fly to Muffin Land on a dragon. I think that's what I'll do. Jude said...

"You should bring a coat, because it's very cold down there on the bobbdum of the earth in Antarctica."

MORE Jude Notes:

rat wolf... did a pig sound, then a chicken, then made a crazy sound... "That's a rat wolf," he said.

"Not exactly."
Said he saw his shadow and ran... "Did you get away from it?" I asked.

He paused and said very seriously, "Not exactly."

He went on to explain... "...and it was riding on a little bike and it went (zoom) right past me.
and then it was riding backwards."

He's also talked about something called a "rat plane... waits for all the children to get on...
...then takes off... ...has a big dance room..."

STILL MORE Jude Notes:

"In the aquarium they have little holes that go in the water and i put the crayon in there and I put a toy shark in there... and a beetle car. A REAL ONE."

"WHY ARE YOU USING LITTLE LETTERS?" he asked.

Ruby's words

2008-08-20T00:40:00.004-04:00

Lately, Ruby loves to use her sign language for "monkey." Anytime anyone says "monkey," she smiles and does the sign -- which is sort of like a gorilla, beating its chest -- and makes a little monkey sound.

Jude's quote of the day

2008-08-20T00:38:00.004-04:00

"I'm going to kick you out of the universe on Sunday!" -- said with his pseudo-angry, scrunched-up nose expression and while flexing Hulk-style.

Later the same day...

"I'm going to kick you off the planet on Saturday!"

Ruby's antics

2008-08-17T14:39:00.004-04:00

Lately, Ruby has been getting really aggravated anytime someone tells her "no, no" or "no touch." She immediately stops what she's doing, but she also looks right at you and starts to cry. It's really hard to maintain one's resolve in the face of that.

Mostly, though, she's a happy, smiling, little angel. I guess that's why it's sort of funny to Charline and me when she make a fuss over simply being told "no."

She loved swinging at the playground yesterday. And, she ran all over the place, very independently, without worrying at all about how far away she was getting or where she was going.

Did I mention her "chicken dance?" Adorable stuff. Anytime she hears someone say "chicken," even in passing, she starts to do her chicken impersonation. Hilarious.

Jude's quote of the day

2008-08-17T14:37:00.001-04:00

This is actually a quote from a while back, which I just remembered...

Jude: "Did you say that, or did I say it?"

Jude's Blue-Eared Crab

2008-08-17T14:36:00.000-04:00

While we were talking in the kitchen today, Jude said "I have something to tell you Dada. I love you." And, of course I told him I love him too. Then, he said "And I have something else to tell you. When I was four [note: he's currently only 3 1/2 years old], I ate a blue eared crab."

I asked him about this blue eared crab and he described it.

"It has five legs and it eats sharks and it can eat things that are bigger than it is." [This last part was obviously inspired by something we saw in one of his fish books recently, about a deep-sea creature that eats things larger than itself.]

He then went on to describe the orange-eared crab, which is 20 1/2 feet high, and the gray-eared crab, which has four legs. He had other details about them, which I've already forgotten.

It's not the moon. It's not the movie. It's just us.

2008-08-09T23:18:00.005-04:00

The Barger family went over to the town of Media today, to visit an arboretum, visit a town festival, and see an outdoor showing of the movie "Cars" on a baseball field.

After the arboretum, and after a walk through the town, we were headed back to our van and we saw the half-moon in the sky. The sky was still bright, but the moon was vivid. Charline and I pointed it out to Jude, who always appreciates moon sitings. He and talked about why we only saw half of it.

Then, Charline and I told him we were on our way to see a movie outside. We didn't tell him it was his favorite film, but he was pretty happy about the idea anyway. But, then, after a moment of reflection, as we were getting into the van, he said something profound.

Jude said "It's not the moon. It's not the movie. It's just us."

He was right. Well said, Jude. Well said. It was a wonderful day for the whole family, from start to finish. But, it wasn't about what we saw or did. It was just great being together, the whole family, for the whole day and night.

Jude's quote of the day

2008-08-08T20:08:00.002-04:00

"Remember, when you cough into your hand, your hand coughs back at you."

Said when his mother suggested it's a good idea to put one's hand in front of one's mouth when coughing. I think he's been reading Nietzsche:

"He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee." - from Beyond Good and Evil, by Friedrich Nietzsche, at Chapter IV: "Apophthegms and Interludes," #146.

Jude says...

2008-08-08T20:06:00.002-04:00

"I'm not afraid of monsters, or not even... giant spider webs!"

He says he's "not afraid of anything" when we try to tell him something on TV is too scary for him to watch. Today, he got really specific, with the above quote. He said this with his nose crinkled up in his you-better-watch-out expression.

Jude's quote of the day

2008-05-11T17:17:00.001-04:00

"When I jump up, my hat jumps up too."
-- Jude, commenting on his "bouncing hat" while sitting in the mini-van

Jude's quote of the day

2008-05-07T23:50:00.003-04:00

"On one day, I did brush my hair with my toothbrush."
-- Jude Barger
-- age 3
-- May 5, 2008

Shave and a haircut

2008-03-09T11:42:00.002-04:00

I finally made myself look presentable for a change. I got a haircut and shaved off the beard. It's been several years since I looked "clean-cut." Of course, I promptly stopped shaving again, and am starting to look a bit scruffy.

Why the change? I'm in law school and on my way to becoming a lawyer. So, I figured it was about time to start looking the part. It has been a refreshing change, actually. Charline's not crazy about the lack of facial hair. And, as I said, I am letting that grow back in a bit. Maybe I'll do a better job of keeping it trimmed this time. Any wagers?

Maybe Charline will snap a photo of my new look, so we can post it. Stay tuned.

Ruby's first word and Jude's favorite planet

2007-11-30T11:13:00.000-05:00

Ruby is doing a pretty good job of sitting up on her own lately, although we have to sit her in a good, safe spot and watch her. She's also "saying" her first word. Charline's been showing Ruby some sign language words, which worked really well for Jude when he was a baby. Ruby has starting "saying" the sign for "dog," which is done by patting one's leg, as if calling a dog.

Jude has been learning astronomy, with Charline's help. We had a conversation about the planets this morning, during breakfast. Jude's favorite planet is Neptune. He told me the biggest planet is Jupiter and the smallest is Pluto. He knows that Saturn has rings and Mars is red. He also knows that the sun is at the center of the solar system (yes, he even knows "solar system"). It really surprised me when he said Neptune "has two moons." (Maybe not technically correct, but it's likely Charline read something like that to him from an old astronomy book for kids.) In any case, he seems really curious about these things. He even knows a little about gravity. He said on the moon there's no gravity (of course, there is some), so you "bounce." Maybe he'll get to go there someday and try it for himself.

Leaves and Hay: two fun weekends

2007-11-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, the Philly Bargers drove out into the hills and mountains to see the fall foliage. Weather.com said it was peak season for leaf-watching in our area.

When we got out there, driving northwest, with no particular destination, we found the little town of Jim Thorpe -- named after the famous athlete. They had an historic, scenic train ride, which Jude really loved. After the train ride along a river, we played in the leaves in the park at the center of the town. We got some great photos.

This weekend, the Philly Bargers went on a hay ride tonight, with a group of people from our church, at an orchard in the Philly suburb of Media. It was a lot of fun, especially the bonfire afterward, where we toasted marshmallows and cooked hot dogs.

Jude loved the marshmallows and the apple juice. (It was at an apple orchard.) Ruby was really cute in her snug winter outfit. Maybe Charline can describe it on her blog. Jude like playing with the flashlights. He wanted to help cook the hot dogs, but the fire was too hot (or our stick was too short). Once he got some marshmallows and apple juice, he was really happy.

More cute stuff Jude does

2007-05-29T12:56:00.000-04:00

Some things Jude's been doing or saying lately that I'd like to remember...

stomps his little foot once and says "Nowwww!" to emphasize requests, but usually with a smile or laugh... e.g. "Jude play outside... Nowwww!"
lists things explicitly, such as "[That's] Mama's car and Dada's car and Jude's car and Maggie's car too." (he likes to use the word "too")
likes to use the word "maybe" and almost always uses it correctly, though sometimes in funny ways
told Charline yesterday "Maybe Mama looks good" when she put on her white dress with red flowers (one of her maternity dresses, of course)
loves picking up one or two rocks whenever he finds some, and gives to people to hold for him
has been playing with two clear, plastic "rocks" my mother enclosed with an anniversary card for Charline and me (labeled "Imagine" and "Remember")
learned to put those two rocks in the pockets of his shorts and kept doing that for the past two days
awoke yesterday and immediately said "Jude no pants. Jude no pockets. Where's Jude's rocks?" (I got his shorts for him and found the rocks and he was thrilled.)
sits at the piano and sings songs that always go like this "Happy birthday Mama... Happy birthday Dada... Happy birthday granddaddy... Happy birthday ba-ba... Happy birthday nana... Happy birthday Maggie..." (though not all those together most of time... usually just one or two)
learned and likes to sing practically the entire "Old MacDonald" song! (at least the "cow" part with a "moo, moo" and the chorus)

I could go on and on. It's really a joy to watch him growing and learning and exploring. He seems to be a very sweet kid at this age.

No more Topamax

2007-01-24T10:10:00.002-05:00

Several months ago, I stopped taking my Topamax prescription because I hated the side effects. It really made me feel like my memory was failing and my IQ was slipping. After getting off the prescription, I felt much better. It took a couple weeks for my memory and thinking to get back to normal. The change was quite perceptible.

I took some new steps to reduce the frequency and intensity of my headaches. I'm on a more regular sleep schedule, I got prescription eyeglasses, I'm eating better, and I'm cutting out the caffeine. Overall, I feel much better than I did before or during the Great Topamax Experiment.

Law School beckons

2007-01-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

Soon, I hope to be attending an excellent law school, on the road to my new career as a lawyer. My applications are in. Now, I just have to wait and see where I am accepted. It's an exciting time for me, as I head off in a new direction, toward my true calling.

For now, I continue to develop web sites, including work with programming, user interface design, and usability. But, the programming thing has been pretty boring for me for several years now. When I got into web development, those of us who created websites were the cowboys of the programming world. We were out on the wild fringes of technology, with the freedom to develop our code quickly and loosely, turning out new applications and new features with ease. These days, the field has become truly boring and tedious.

So, I'm off to my next and final career, in the law. I'll aim for a niche where I can exercise my mind and make some kind of an impact on my corner of the world. I'm not saying it has be something altruistic. Just something substantial.

German restaurant - My new favorite lunch spot

2006-10-06T15:47:00.000-04:00

One of my co-workers recently directed me to a new German restaurant here in Jacksonville that serves authentic German cuisine -- along with a full pizzeria menu for the less adventurous patrons. This is my new favorite lunchtime spot. The role of Jamie's favorite lunch spot was recently vacated when the local pizza-and-subs restaurant "Duo's" closed.

My new favorite is the "German Schnitzel Haus." The owner operated a restaurant in his home town of Kiel, Germany, for 27 years before coming to Jacksonville to start this one. He even brought over the furniture from the old restaurant. It definitely looks German.

The two dishes I had have been great. I tried the wiener schnitzel and the jagerschnitzel. Both delicious. The side dish was incredible -- Bratkartoffeln (slices of sautéed potatoes with bacon).

http://www.germanschnitzelhaus.com/

More Jude Antics

2006-08-17T12:16:00.000-04:00

Jude is about 16 months old now. It's been a while since I wrote about what Jude's doing lately. So here's a brief list:

recently started learning to take naps in crib
spins around in circles for fun (self-taught)
learns and repeats words on first hearing, if he's interested
puts on cowboy hat whenever he has the chance
pushes little tractor around house until parents get tired of helping him turn it at every corner
puts his head on one's shoulder when asked for a "hug"
predicts what's happening next (says "bye" when I'm getting ready to leave for work; points at my shoes and says "off" when I come back from walking the dog)
plays with Maggie by picking up her toys or bones and giving them to her
likes to grab or sit on Maggie's tail (we're trying to get him to stop)
asks people to read books to him all the time
holds phone toy next to his ear and says "hello" (sounds like "allo")
kicks balls around the house like a soccer player (and like Maggie)
sits on rocking horse by himself and rocks back and forth and says "riding" (sounds like "wy-deeen, wy-deeen, wy-deeen")
says "riding" when sitting on rocking chair or glider, etc.
for a while was saying "good morning" ("mor-neeen") as a general greeting
indicates that his toy whale is "in the water" by pointing at the floor and saying "water" (sounds like "wah, wah, wah...")
does same with toy boats
corrects Maggie, when she picks up a sock or toy, by wagging his index finger at her and saying "No! No! No!" in a baby-harsh tone while he walks toward her or chases her around the house

He also learns new signs quickly, often combining the sign with the word. I put him on an ottoman and said he was on "top" as I patted the ottoman with both hands. Later in the day, he started saying "top" and using the same hand gesture I had used -- palms down, in a downward patting motion.

You can see he's really starting to learn and explore the world at an exciting pace. And, he's as delightfully happy and nice as ever.

Jude's sign language skills

2006-04-26T11:49:00.000-04:00

Jude's been learning sign language, thanks to his mom and a class she takes him to each week. His favorite signs are for "fan," "hat," and "more." I think "fan" was the first one he really did well. He learned "more" pretty soon after that. He picked up "hat" after Grandpa Burga put a hat on him for some photos.

Charline figured out that Jude also started using "hat" to mean something like "let's play" -- because we always played with the hat for a while when he used his sign. "More" also has a broader meaning, because he uses it to say "food" or "let's eat". That makes good sense, because he mainly saw us using the sign when he was eating. Of course, we're trying to show him the sign for "eat" too, but as long as we understand him, we're not too worried about which sign he uses.

It really was exciting for Jude, and for Charline and me, when he started using his signs. We could see how happy he was every time he communicated with someone. It seemed to really open up a new world for him.

Even before he used any sign language, he showed that same excitement over the ability to point at things. He discovered that people could understand that he wanted to play with something or see something up close, or that he just liked something. The other communication step that he really enjoyed was learning to clap his hands. He saw how people laughed and smiled when he did that -- and that made him laugh too.

Now that I think about it, I suppose smiling and laughing was one of the earliest steps in learning that he could communicate with people. He's very good at smiling and laughing. Probably better than anyone I know.

How to keep an eye on your elected officials

2006-04-24T17:38:00.000-04:00

Here's a great site for finding out who represents you in the U.S. federal government, watching their voting record, and contacting them to straighten them out.

www.congress.org

For example, you can see who represents the people of Springfield, in Jacksonville, Florida.

Rotavirus strikes the Bargers

2006-04-24T17:28:00.000-04:00

Last week, Charline caught the very pesky rotavirus while babysitting for a one-year-old child of some friends. They didn't know he was sick when they dropped him off, but it soon became apparent. A pediatrician diagnosed it as rotavirus.

So, I stayed home Thursday and Friday to take care of Jude and Charline. Fortunately, Jude never got sick. By Saturday, Charline was feeling normal again. Of course, that's when I came down with the bug. Then, I spent the whole weekend in bed.

Rotavirus was a pretty horendous experience. I don't recommend it. I can only imagine how bad a one-year-old child would feel, if afflicted with this abomination. It apparently much worse for children, as you would guess.

rotavirus explained on Wikipedia

Jude does flips (sort of)

2006-03-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

Today I sat down at the computer with Jude in my lap and he seemed really interested in the keyboard, so I figured I'd open Notepad and let him bang away at it for a few seconds to see what he could come up with. If it started to look like the opening lines of Macbeth, I might let him continue.

Well, after less than two seconds, he had somehow hit exactly the right keystroke combinations to do something that I did not even know was possible. He turned everything on my monitor's display upside-down. Everything. The background. The icons. The taskbar. Every image and word. Even the mouse pointer was upside-down, so that it moved in exactly the opposite direction one would expect.

Needless to say, it was fun trying to operate the mouse and read the screen to correct the situation. Fortunately, I stumbled on the solution right away. (My display software, it turns out, has a feature that lets you "rotate" the display 180 degrees.)

So, now I'm wondering if there is a simple utility to put a Windows computer into "child" mode. I'm sure there is. I need to look into that someday.

Why I love Chick-fil-A

2006-03-14T16:12:00.000-05:00

How many fast food joints have managers who come to your table and offer to refill your drink and replace your fries with some fresh, hot ones (at no charge)? That's what happened today when I ate lunch at my local Chick-fil-A. I was stunned. I declined the offer. But, as I was leaving, that same manager took my tray and offered again to refill my drink. This time, I accepted.

I had already been impressed with the place before I witnessed the great service. When I came in, I saw lots of happy children playing in the kids area at the front, where I also heard some "top 40" music playing over the sound system. I thought, "that's nice, but I was hoping for a more relaxing environment." I got my order (served so quickly I was amazed) and headed toward the back of the place.

Here's the cool thing. They had different music playing in the back of the restaurant. It was soothing and quiet -- exactly what I wanted. I have to assume they had an architect or interior design expert put a lot of thought into this. They realized that the people who headed to that area were trying to get away from the noisy Kid's Zone, so they adapted the music accordingly. Perfect.

Of course, the food was pretty tasty too. Plus, they have those cool cow mascots.

Jude's language

2006-03-08T16:06:00.000-05:00

People think Jude can't talk yet. Of course, that just means they aren't speaking his language. Here are some of his favorite words:

prego (one of his first; not the sauce brand, or is it?)
wiggew
boom (often used as "boom-boom-boom")
waggew

There are plenty more, but these are the ones that I've been able to transcribe so far.

Tibetan Buddhist Monks in Jacksonville

2006-01-29T23:53:00.000-05:00

Charline and I had the privilege of meeting some very nice Tibetan Buddhist monks from India this weekend. They are on an awareness-raising, money-raising trip around the world, as they are wont to do. (They want the world to put pressure on China to allow Tibetans to have religious freedom, for example.) They put on a great show of dancing and singing/chanting - and even a crazy and fun form of "debating" - at FCCJ. It was wonderful.

We also saw the nearly finished sand mandala they've been working on all week. Spectacular stuff. Built one grain of sand at a time.

If only I could attain a small portion of the serenity and joy those guys seem to have. That would be nice. But, I'd probably have to watch less television. I think Buddha said something about less TV, didn't he?

Sand Mandala Photos

Jude and Charline on TV

2006-01-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

Jude and Charline were on the local television news. You can see the story on the First Coast News web site. This was quite a coup after already being featured in a full-page photo feature on the city newspaper (see entry about that below).

The TV news item was a nice piece about the stroller fitness classes Charline attends near the beach. Charline will soon be teaching these "Strollerjize" classes in the San Marco area. You can read about that on her new web site, www.Pramenade.com.

They showed Jude in his stroller and Charline doing her exercises, along with a few other moms who were at the class. The story ran early Tuesday morning, then again, in a slightly different version, Tuesday evening.

And this is a major news program in Jacksonville. It runs on both the ABC and NBC affiliate stations, due a strange arrangement in Jacksonville. And hardly anyone watches the local news on the CBS and FOX affiliate stations. The only real competition is an independent station (Channel 4, WJXT).

Mission Stardust: Jamie in Space

2006-01-13T16:27:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning, January 15, the NASA spacecraft Stardust will return to Earth after a seven-year, three-billion-mile mission to collect -- you guessed it -- star dust. (You'll be seeing this in the news, if you haven't already.) And the name "James D. Barger" has been along for the ride the entire time. That name, along with many others, was etched into two microchips that were placed aboard the spacecraft while it was being assembled, way back in 1997. You can read the details about how that happened on the NASA web site.

The craft is expected to bring back particles from a comet and from outside our solar system. These particles will provide new insights into how the solar system, and everything in it, was formed.

See "James D. Barger" on the Stardust craft

National Geographic explains the Stardust story

NASA's Official "Where is Stardust now?" Page

NASA's Official Stardust Photo Gallery

Map of the Landing Site

Google News search for NASA Stardust stories

Jude is on the move

2006-01-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

Jude has been crawling around like crazy ever since he figured out how, on Christmas Day, at grandparents-Bargers' house. Now Charline and I have a whole new set of challenges to keep him from getting into trouble. But, it's wonderful to see him so happy and having so much fun. He really seems excited about his new ability.

My Fantasy Football Record

2005-12-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! now provides a way for everyone to see how my fantasy football record is shaping up. You can see my whole three year profile. Here's the link:

Jamie's Yahoo! Fantasy Football Profile
http://profiles.sports.yahoo.com/jamiebarger

Gas main breaks in our neighborhood

2005-12-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

We had a little excitement in our neighborhood recently when a main gas line broke during some construction a few blocks directly east of our house. It was quite an event. The city evacuated 20 square blocks. The Red Cross swooped in with buses to help people who did not have cars. The news crews reported throughout the night. The fire department devoted all their resources to shutting down the leak and clamping off the pipes. The gas company did what they could to avoid an explosion that would lead to the Great Fire of 2005.

Charline found out about it right away when Dad called her to tell her the news. I think he heard it on the radio. She could smell the gas already, so she took Jude and Maggie (the dog) to my parents house in Fruit Cove, south of Jacksonville.

We returned home the next day and everything was fine. The fire department and the gas company avoided a disaster. The neighborhood was intact. All is well.

Jax Gas Main Breaks: from First Coast News
... or ...
Jax Gas Main Breaks: from Yahoo! News

Jude's first teeth

2005-12-16T11:02:00.000-05:00

Jude is finally getting some teeth. Charline noticed a couple days ago that Jude has two teeth coming in. At eight months old, it's about time. I was starting to worry.

While I'm on the subject of the kid... We need to get some new photos up on our Kodak site again soon. We've been slacking. I haven't even posted anything on the Flickr site in quite a while, and that's really easy to do. Maybe this weekend. We've just been so busy, with the extra time I'm putting in at work, and some small extra projects at home... But, we'll get on the ball.

Topamax: It is working. Goodbye Inderal. (but still more side effects)

2005-11-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

I'm still at 100 mg. per day (50 morning, 50 evening), but now I'm sure it's working. One bit of news: my doc now has me ratcheting down my old dose of Inderal, so I can get off that stuff. The theory is I won't be needing the Inderal anymore. I'll be totally dependent on the Topamax instead. :-) I'm gradually reducing the Inderal, using 40 mg. tablets. I had been on a daily dose of 120 mg.

The side effects of the Topamax are mildly annoying. The fumbling for words and saying the wrong words is just not like me and it is embarrassing. It's also not like me to leave out letters and misspell words so often when writing. Plus... Does Topamax mess with motor skills, like hand-eye coordination? I think I it does. I keep dropping things, like pens and keys. I dropped my truck keys and broke the key fob this morning, which was really aggravating, because I then could not turn off the alarm to start the vehicle. But, at least the stress did not trigger a headache, like it would have in the past. (Eventually, I got the fob back together, sort of, and got on the road.)

The most precise Google search EVER

2005-11-03T18:09:00.000-05:00

I just encountered the most precise Google search EVER. I put in my search term -- the name of a file that appeared in an error related to some programming that I'm doing -- and I got exactly one result from Google. Did you hear me? ONE result! Not one million. Not one thousand one hundred and one. Just ONE! And it was exactly what I was looking for. It was a discussion of the exact error I was receiving, in the exact circumstances under which I generated it. Plus, it was being discussed on a respectable forum. Amazing!

See the search results for yourself...
The most precise Google search ever

Who I'd invite to dinner

2005-11-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

Charline recently asked me who'd I'd invite to my ideal dinner party (I think this was inspired by a recent edition of Oprah, in which O posed this classic question to George Clooney). So, with no further ado, here are the five people I'd invite, if I were guaranteed they'd accept and show up -- listed in no particular order:

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton
Debt-relief champion and rock star extraordinaire Bono
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
The Daily Show host Jon Stewart
Comic, political scholar/author, radio host Al Franken

That's a pretty well-rounded list, I think. A semi-retired politician, a rock-star who has turned into a global economics leader, one of the most beloved religious figures of all time, one of the most populare entertainers in America (who has also become the main source of news for young adults), and, finally, a man who has evolved from Harvard graduate to Saturday Night Live writer to political scholar and author to wildly successful radio host.

Now, I just hope they all like barbecued ribs.

Where were the Bargers?

2005-10-22T16:28:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered where the Bargers were in the 1920s? Well, now you can see a graphic representation of that very thing...

So, now you know. You're welcome.

My own ancestors were right there in that dark Pennsylvania patch in 1920. Right in the middle of Pennsylvania, actually. Some of my relatives are still there. It's a nice place. Maybe I'll move there someday. They have good weather and nice rolling hills and mountains.

Topamax: I think it's working!

2005-10-21T12:42:00.000-04:00

I'm on a regular dose of 100 mg. per day now -- 50 in the morning and 50 at night -- and I think it's working. My headaches are no longer a constant droning ordeal. I'm still getting them a few times per week, but at least it's not all day long, every day, like it was through most of the summer.

The respite might be more due to a regular sleep pattern than the Topamax though. Charline is doing all the Jude work and is letting me sleep straight through every night. That made an immediate, substantial difference. It was like night and day, if you'll excuse the pun. Suddenly, I was able to think and work and function almost normally again.

Another big factor is the weather. The ungodly humidity and heat finally lifted from Jacksonville in mid-October, as it always does at this time of year -- allowing life to return to normal until about March, when the oppressive temperatures and rain and dampness and heaviness of air will descend on us again. When the weather changed for the better, last Friday, it was amazing. I felt like a completely different person. My head was clear. The pain was gone. The pressure was gone. I felt like I was on vacation.

So, with more Topamax, more sleep, and a change of season, I have quite a bit of relief from the migraines. That's all for now.

The next hot housing markets - Jacksonville makes the list

2005-09-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

My home town of Jacksonville makes the list of the next hot housing markets, according to Liz Pulliam Weston of MSN Money.

The list is described as "latecomers to the real-estate party but where values have recently zoomed." It's good to see Jax continuing to show up on these round-ups. Of course, if the entire market nose-dives, maybe nobody will be safe. But, you'd like to think you're in one of these "bargain" cities, rather than one that's overvalued already.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Liz!

San Marco Heat errr.. Art Festival

2005-09-19T17:34:00.000-04:00

Charline, Jude, our dog Maggie, my parents and I went to the San Marco Art Festival this Sunday. It was a nice little event. Pretty typical for a Jacksonville arts and crafts festival, in my experience. Just the right amount of good paintings, sculptures, photos and whatnot.

There was even a strange, crazy guy in a full pink unitard (?) on a high unicycle zooming around the area singing some kind of song about himself. I think he called himself the "pink man." Every time Maggie saw him, she went nuts and started barking angrily. People seemed to think that was funny. It was.

Maggie was the belle of the ball. She got a lot of attention from kids and adults alike. Plenty of compliments and questions and pats on the head. I walked her all around the San Marco plaza, trying to keep her in the shade and in the breezy areas as much as possible. She got water in a bowl from the waiter at the restaurant where we ate at a patio table. A vendor poured some water in a bowl for her also. And, she drank out of a fountain too. She got to see and bark at several other dogs during the day. After she got hot and tired, she calmed down a bit.

The ultra-muggy Florida heat and humidity was the big downside to the whole day. Maggie, with her double-layered coat, was miserable in the heat if we walked too long and I felt almost as lousy.

I cannot wait for this summer to end. And, yes, I do say that every day of every summer. I start saying it around March 1 and don't stop until about October 15, by my best estimate.

In the longer-term picture, I cannot wait for the day that we can move out of the god-forsaken south and into a more humane climate where I don't have migraine headaches triggered by heat and humidity during three quarters of the year. Every time I have travelled to a colder, drier climate, at any time of year, in any weather -- in other words, any time I've left the south -- I have loved the weather and felt much better.

Autumn is just around the corner and it won't be one day too soon. (On another topic... why doesn't anyone use the term "autumn" anymore?)

Topamax: 50 mg. and Rising

2005-09-08T16:32:00.000-04:00

I'm up to 50mg per day now, and plan to increase the dosage another notch soon, maybe this weekend. It does seem that the Topamax is decreasing the frequency of my headaches. I wish I had kept a strict log, but I've never been one to do that. It would be far too much hassle -- especially considering how often I was getting them.

The side effects seem to have dropped off a bit. I think that was due to some kind of tolerance or adaptation effect. Some people talk about it as if increasing the dose in gets rid of the side effects, but I think I dispelled that myth by staying at 25 mg. for far longer than I was supposed to. Some minor side effects came and went with no change in dosage.

Anyway... I'll post more when I increase the dosage again.

Back in Jax

2005-08-30T16:58:00.000-04:00

I'm back from my trip to D.C., for a class on usability research. Washington was much cooler than Jax, which made for a nice visit. I walked around plenty in the evenings, doing my siteseeing thing and taking dozens of photos.

View my Washington D.C. photos on Flickr

I could tell the security level was higher than usual in D.C. There were a lot of cops around, especially on the subway, which I rode a couple times each day. I sure wish we had a subway in Jax. It would make life a lot easier.

It was a nice surprise to see that some of the Smithsonian Institute museums had extended hours for the summer. Some open until 6:30 (Museum of American History) and some until 7:30 (Museum of Natural History). It was also good to see that the Washington Monument was open again. It was closed for renovation, or some such thing, the last time I was there. The views of the town from the base of the monument are beautiful.

I visited the Jefferson Memorial at sunset and took some photos over there. If it weren't for some confounded scaffolding they had up, those photos would be perfect. It's always something.

Topamax: Day X+ (side effects noted)

2005-08-30T09:20:00.000-04:00

Lately, my headaches seem to be abating slightly. And, I have noticed some very slight side effects. Here's what I've noted so far:

Tingling
Yesterday, I felt very noticeable tingling in my face for several hours while I was at work (I'm back in Jax after my trip to D.C.).

Memory Tricks
I have a peristent sense of everything sort of reminding me of things that happened about 15 years ago, even though there is no literal connection. Maybe this would be considered a very slight case of lingering déjà vu?

Lousy Cola Taste
Another expected side effect: cola has started to lose its appeal. I normally love the taste of Dr Pepper or Mr. Pibb. Now, every soda/cola/pop/Coke I drink, including my cherished Dr Pepper, tastes like something's just a little "off." My best analysis is that the fruity flavor is enhanced and the carbonation sensation is minimized relative to the flavor sensation. Yes. I just took another sip and that is definitely my verdict at this point. Subdued carbonation feel and amplified sweetness/fruitiness. End result: lousy taste.

These side effects are happening in spite of the fact that I've been sticking to a meager 25 mg. of Topamax daily, even though I'm past the first week and should, therefore, be taking more than that each day. I will increase the dose soon. The main reason I've delayed is that I keep missing a dose here and there. I want to get into a consistent routine.

Topamax: Day X (What day is this?)

2005-08-24T14:10:00.000-04:00

I've already forgotten to take my Topamax tablet a couple times during these early days of my new prescription. I'm going to really need to remedy that. But, I'm feeling great today -- largely because I'm at a higher latitude, in Washington, D.C., where the air is cooler and clearer and easier to breathe than back home in Jacksonville, Florida.

The heat and humidity in Florida drives me crazy, and I've always gotten more headaches during summer. These few days in D.C. are going to be a nice respite.

Why am I in D.C.? For a three-day class on the latest usability research. But, that's a whole different topic.

Topamax: Day 1, Part 2 (Nap time, anyone?)

2005-08-18T22:51:00.000-04:00

The Axert eliminated the headache within about half an hour, as advertised. But, the pain returned before the workday was over. Maybe within about four hours? So, I took my second Axert. It also dispatched the pain quickly. A little pain returned before the day was over, but not a full-blown headache.

Each Axert made me really, really tired. I'm not used to medication making me that tired, even when the label says it might. It's funny that the solution I normally use -- Excedrin -- does exactly the opposite. The caffeine in Excedrin makes me hyper and energized and jittery. As a practical matter, the latter solution is more conducive to a productive work day. The down-side is that the experts say taking Excedrin all the time leads to "rebound" headaches -- headaches triggered by too much caffeine. (I think that's what triggers them. But, don't quote me.)

I only had two Axert tablets to try. Next, I'll try Relpax to eliminate a headache.

Topamax: Day 1 + Axert x 2

2005-08-18T11:42:00.000-04:00

I'm calling this "Day One" of my "Topamax Experiment" (or "Good-bye Migraines"). I took my first Topamax tablet last night, so that was "Day Zero."

As usual, I felt a headache coming on already today, before noon. I just took my first Axert tablet, instead of my usual dose of two Excedrin pills. I'll post at the end of the day to say how things went.

The Axert is the other part of this experiment, even though it's not really related to the Topamax. My pseudo-doctor (more on that later) just happened to prescribe the Topamax and the Axert at the same time. She also gave me a sample of Relpax to try. I'll give that a spin after I've had a go at Axert. It serves the same purpose.

What do I mean by "pseudo-doctor?" On my last two visits to my neurologist, I ended up seeing a nurse practitioner instead. Nobody asked me. I just made my normal appointment with the doctor. But, it was a nurse practitioner who saw me and prescribed the medicine. On the first visit, I think she said the doctor wasn't there that day. I remember thinking maybe he had taken the day off unexpectedly. But, on the next visit, when I found out I'd be seeing the nurse again, I asked about the situation and was told that everyone sees the nurse on "follow-up visits" now.

What's up with that?! Isn't almost every visit a "follow-up visit?" It sounds like the only time this doctor's patients will actually see him is on their very first visit. Maybe the loophole is to claim that each visit is for a completely new and different problem and is, therefore, not a "follow-up visit."

"The Topamax Experiment" (or "Good-bye Migraines")

2005-08-17T22:42:00.000-04:00

Today, I begin a new treatment for my chronic migraine headaches. I'm going to start taking migraine preventative Topamax, which doctors say can really change the life of someone who gets chronic migraines. I'm also going to try Relpax and/or Axert to stop headaches when I do get them. These medications, if they work, will replace my latest regime of Inderal and Excedrin.

I've had migraines almost all my life. Since I was about seven years old, I think. My mother took me to several doctors, including a very good neurologist who diagnosed the condition as migraine. Previous doctors thought it might be eye strain or some other such thing. I suppose they thought it was unusual for a seven-year-old to suffer from migraines.

Just to make sure it wasn't something more serious, like a tumor or whatnot, the docs gave me a CAT scan, EEG, MRI, and even a spinal tap. All normal. Just plain ol' migraines.

Over the years, I tried several different medications -- Fiornal, Inderal, Midrin... I think I tried Migranol, Imitrex... There was some tiny blue pill in the late '70s or early '80s... I think it was shaped like a hexagon and the name started with an "m". Some were medications that end a headache once it starts. Others were "prophylactics" -- medications that prevent the onset of migraine. Some of these drugs seemed to work for a while. But none provided great relief or long-term substantial decreases in the frequency and/or intensity of the migraines.

The frequency and intensity has varied a lot over the years. Lately, it's been about 20 moderate migraines per month. Pretty annoying. They really make it difficult to function normally. As any migraineur knows, it's pretty hard to act normal or put together coherent sentences or tolerate sound and light during a migraine. But, I long ago realized that I cannot afford to use "sick days" every time I get a migraine. Of course, every now and then I get one that incapacitating and I don't have any choice but to lie in bed in a cool, dark, quiet room and deal with it. Fortunately, the really severe headaches only happen a few times per year for me.

I went through some biofeedback training also. That was really interesting and did seem to help a bit in keeping me relaxed and calm -- even during a migraine. It also taught me that my brain and body react unusually quickly to sensory triggers or emotional triggers. My EGR response was particularly rapid and strong, for what it's worth.

Now, I'm ready to try the next cool migraine drug to get these headaches under control. People who take large doses of Topamax, like 250 mg. per day, sometimes have strange side effects, like having trouble finding the right words when speaking, or experiencing jamais-vue or presque-vue. Some people say they look at items on their desk and it absolutely feels like things have been moved around, even though nobody has touched a thing. Like I said -- strange. But, I'm starting with a very small dose of 25 mg. per day. I'll increase it, on a gradual schedule, until it seems to have the desired effect. I'll try to post something here each day to report the progress.

Musical houses

2005-08-02T17:40:00.000-04:00

It seems that a lot of people in Jacksonville, Florida, are playing a giant game of "musical chairs" with their homes -- moving into and out of houses at an unusual pace. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm just saying it's an odd happenstance that we didn't used to see.

One of my co-workers is selling his house after buying it pre-construction just a couple years ago, in 2003. He'll make a killing on the profit, thanks to crazy increases in home values around here, and all over Florida -- and in many other places around the country.

Of course, once mortgage interest rates go back up to historically "normal" levels, we can expect a levelling off of housing prices. I would even expect a gradual decline in prices after rates go back up to where they were in the mid-90s.

The whole trick is locking in a good fixed rate mortgage on a long-term home before rates and prices head in the wrong direction. How do you know the optimal moment? If I knew that, I'd have a servant typing this blog entry for me. And, I'd use a gold-plated font.

Our very own island

2005-08-02T17:31:00.000-04:00

Charline and I will soon have our very own island. It will be a nice refuge to escape to every once in a while -- while we're cooking. That's right, it's a kitchen island. I had you going there for a moment, didn't I?

We are getting new cabinets, a new dishwasher, a new stove, and a new Corian countertop too. Even the kitchen sink. The whole enchilada. It's going to be sweet. Hmmm... A sweet enchilada... No. Probably a bad idea.

We'll be sure to post some photos on our Shutterfly gallery when we have them. Or, maybe on our Flickr site.

Hurricane Season 2005

2005-07-07T15:12:00.000-04:00

Hurricane season is underway again. Things aren't looking so bad for my home town so far, but it's a different story for those living in west Florida, in Alabama, and in Louisiana.

Hurricane Projection Maps and Information

The History of the Hironimus Name

2005-06-08T12:43:00.000-04:00

My mother, who was born a Pennsylvania Hironimus, sent me the following text about the Hironimus family name. It was written by a Hironimus in 1976. I do not know the author, Leon Francis Hironimus, but I'm sure he would not mind me sharing this information. I took the liberty of turning some of the text into hyperlinks, and added some formatting, but have otherwise left it intact, as I found it.

The History of the Hironimus Name
About a hundred and forty years ago, or more, Jacob and Hannah Hironimus settled in the area that would take the name Weikert one day. This little town would locate in Union County, Pennsylvania. The Hironimus children would scatter across the United States from this tract of land that is believed to have been given Jacob as a grant from the country of France. We continue to search our beginnings even in 1976.
There is much history to the Hironimus name, and it can even be traced to the pre-Christian era. The Apocrypha, written just prior to the Roman period that dominated the Hebrew prior to and during the life of Christ, contains two books of Maccabees. The name Hieronvmus can be found in II Maccabees 12:2. The Apocrypha is not included with the Protestant Bible; however is included with the Roman Catholic Bible. During the early Christian period and after the death of Christ a man translated the Bible for the first time. He was later named a saint. He was named Saint Jerome. His correct name was Eusebius Hieronymus. The name seems to have followed the growth and fall of empires and cultures in the Western world. Variations of the name crop up in various places in the world throughout history, but have never varied so far that making a connection is impossible. Names found by this writer are: Hironimus, Hieronimus, Heironimus, and Hieronymous. Thus, the name comes to us from a period sometime within the four hundred years just prior to the Birth of Christ, through the St. Jerome period of about four hundred years after the death of Christ, through the Greek, Roman, and the German empires, and to the present American period. While the nation of the United States celebrates its bicentennial, we can look even further into our history. In my studies in history, I can find no other name that has been so consistent in spelling for so many years.
While this history is by no means complete, and in fact is saturated with assumptions, I believe that it is close enough to fact that we can take pride in the acknowledgement that ours is a name that has spanned the history of the world.
Leon Francis Hironimus

Our Third Anniversary

2005-06-03T15:13:00.000-04:00

Charline and I recently celebrated our third anniversary. By cool coincidence, we both bought gifts for each other through the Web site for a store called "Red Envelope."

The traditional gift for a third anniversary is leather. The modern gift is crystal. Charline gave me a really cool and incredibly useful, leather-covered valet box. That's a box in which I can place my wallet, keys, sunglasses, pills, watches, etc. when I come in the house. I gave her a set of bracelets made with colored Murano glass and Swarovski crystals.

I definitely recommend Red Envelope. They have really interesting items that you don't see every day.

Visit to South Florida

2005-06-03T15:06:00.000-04:00

The whole family (Charline, Jude, me) went down to South Florida last weekend. That was a long drive for Jude, but he handled it well. We made stops for feedings, since we didn't want to drive with him out of his car seat. Other than that, the drive was business as usual.

Once down there, we introduced Jude to friends of Charline's family. He was a hit. They put up with some fussing and complimented him enough to make him smile now and then.

Charline and I had an anniversary dinner at a Caribbean-styled restaurant called Bahama Breeze. (More on our anniversary later, perhaps.) On another day, we went out to dinner with a large group to celebrate the 50th birthday of a family friend. We ate at an interesting buffet restaurant called "The Ark." The interior is designed to look vaguely like the inside of an old ship. The buffet was great. My favorite item was the crab cakes with buffalo sauce.

Star Wars outing

2005-05-27T12:47:00.000-04:00

Charline, Jude, Grandma Barger and I went to see the last Star Wars movie Sunday. It was incredible, of course, as the reviewers are saying. Jude was fussier in this movie than he was at the first two he sat through. For about the first third of the movie, he was threatening to become a problem. Charline had to take him out of the theater for a little while. The last two thirds of the movie were peaceful and pleasant.

Normally, we wouldn't go to a crowded theater with Jude, but this was a special event (and we had four free tickets, thanks to Cingular; I gave one away outside the theater; the guy was pleasantly surprised). For future movie outings, we might be able to leave Jude with his doting Barger grandparents. We just need to get him accustomed to drinking from a bottle occassionally, rather than only breastfeeding.

Family Outing #2 - Dinner, Shopping and Movie

2005-05-16T12:27:00.000-04:00

Charline and I took Jude out on the town again this past weekend. We went to the big, new shopping center, "St. Johns Town Center."

The sling-type-thing that Charline bought to carry Jude around sure worked well. And, it was a good thing we had it, because Jude didn't seem to like riding in the stroller very much -- even though his Peg Perego "Aria LB" is practically the Ferrari of baby strollers.

In the sling carrier, he was great. We had a very tasty meal at a place called "Ted's Montana Grill." Then, we strolled around and checked out several shops. Jude fussed a bit now and then, but once we gave up on the Peg Perego, he was fine.

After the shopping trip, we took Jude to his second movie, a simple romantic comedy called "A Lot Like Love," starring Ashton Kutcher. I thought it was pretty enjoyable, although it did get to a point where I thought the plot was repeating and dragging out too much. Funny stuff, at times, though.

Jude only made a couple little noises during the movie. He never cried or screamed or ran around the theater yelling. So, it was another theatrical success for the boy. The next big test, if we are brave enough to try it, will be the final Star Wars installement, which opens Thursday. We have some free tickets to see it during the weekend, thanks to our mobile phone provider, Cingular.

Jude on Mother's Day

2005-05-11T13:03:00.000-04:00

The Bargers Celebrate Mother's Day

2005-05-11T09:25:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday was my wife's first Mother's Day as a mother. It was also our son's first big excursion out of the house and around the town. He was amazingly calm and content the whole day.

To start the day, we took our son, Jude, out to a brunch with his paternal grandparents, the "elder" Bargers. We went to a typical Mother's Day brunch at a hotel restaurant. I did have to walk around the outside walkways of the hotel with Jude for a while to keep him calm. Later, his grandmother did the same for a little while. But, we were able to have a whole meal together. I thought that was impressive enough and would have been happy just going home at that point and declaring the day a success. But, Jude was ready for more.

Charline thought it would be nice to go to the Cummer Gallery of Art to see their impressive riverfront garden and take some pictures of Jude there. We invited the grandparents and headed across town to the gallery/museum/garden. It went very smoothly, except for the time I wasted trying to figure out how to put the car seat into the stroller (I'll have to figure that out later).

We walked around the good-sized garden and got some nice photos of Jude and the rest of the family. I even managed a group photo of all of us, in spite of the fact that the Cummer forbids camera tripods. A had brought a tripod along, but was told I had to leave it in the van. Little did they know I had a miniature tripod inside my camera case. Ha! You can't stop a determined photographer. The mini-tripod did the trick nicely, when placed on a table on the garden lawn.

Now, once again, I was thinking "This is great. I'm impressed that this has been so easy with a one month old baby." But, Charline was feeling gutsy. When the grandparents turned down an offer to go get ice cream, Charline and I decided to take Jude to his first movie. Yes, that's right. A one month old baby at a movie theater. Crazy, right? Wrong. It actually worked.

We went to see "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," which was a cinematic version of the renowned book of the same name, which I loved when I was in junior high school. Amazingly, this was the easiest part of the whole day. No crying. No noticeable fussing or agitation. And Jude did well too. But, seriously though... Jude didn't seem to mind the movie sounds or popcorn smells or being in one place for two hours. It was wonderful.

Afteward, Charline said something to me along the lines of "And you thought you'd never see another movie again." It's true. I thought it would be years before we could peacefully sit through a theater movie again.

Of course, all this is due to Charline being in tune with Jude's needs and having good instincts. Also, I think the fact that Jude is breastfeeding makes it easier. Charline tells me you need to lug around a fair amount of apparatus when bottle-feeding the kid. Having a minivan to sit in while changing a diaper helps too.

So there you have it. A full day of activity: brunch, photos at the museum, and a real theater movie. Not bad.

A Summer on the Road

2005-05-09T17:03:00.000-04:00

My best friend and I took a road trip around the contiguous 48 states in the last summer that we would both be in college together at the University of Florida. The western boundary of our clockwise circumnavigation of the country was the Pacific Coast Highway. It was a gorgeous drive. We travelled the full length of it. My only regret is that we were driving north. For the best view, one has to drive south on the PCH, so as to be as close as possible to flying off the edge of the continent. (Because we drive on the right side of the road here, in the States.)

See more progress on: Drive the Pacific Coast Highway.

Kerouac and Pooh

2005-05-09T16:58:00.000-04:00

Try “On the Road,” by Jack Kerouac. If you don’t like this book, you don’t like life. It’s full of it. Life, that is. And, “The Tao of Pooh” is also a great book for anyone who wants to jump start their reading habit. It’s quick, fun and truly inspiring.

See more progress on: Read more books

Read the Tao of Pooh. It helps.

2005-05-09T16:55:00.000-04:00

I highly recommend the Tao of Pooh for anyone who likes being happy and content. It really helps.

See more progress on: be happy

Find your mate on a Southwest flight

2005-05-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

Southwest airlines lets passengers choose their seat when they board the plane. Do this. Wait until plenty of people are on board, but not so late that all the seats are filled. Then, be prepared to scan quickly, follow your intuition and sit next to that person who looks intriguing. Strike up a conversation about the in-flight peanuts. It worked for me. We’re happily married and just had our first child. Thanks, Southwest!

See more progress on: Fall in love

Buy a digital camera

2005-05-09T16:51:00.000-04:00

A good digital camera, along with a good printer (with built-in card reader) makes photography so easy that it can be a regular habit. Digital cameras have reached the point where the quality and flexibility matches that of traditional film cameras. Try one.

See more progress on: Take more pictures

Fatherly Advice from a Three Week Veteran

2005-05-02T19:01:00.000-04:00

Ever since April 9, 2005, I have been a father. So far, it's been much easier than people led me to believe. That's mostly due to all the work that my lovely wife, Charline, has been doing. It's also due to the fact that our son, Jude Dylan Barger, is pretty easy to get along with. He's not too demanding or temperamental (yet?).

Here's my advice to all those novice fathers, from a guy who's been at it for a solid three weeks.

Choose a mate who likes the idea of breastfeeding. If there's no bottle, the father doesn't have to get up at crazy hours to feed the kid. Kudos to Mother Nature!
Get a midwife during the pregnancy. Many midwives adhere to a philosophy that says the father should not be expected to become some kind of coach or expert advisor in the childbirth process. He should be there and help out during the birth. But, why try to teach a man to tell a woman how to give birth? It's much better to have someone with experience do that.
Take time off work to get to know the kid. I took a little more than a week off work and plan to take off more time in a couple months. If I lived in a more rational country, like Sweden, Switerland, France, Germany, etc., I could take several weeks off work without having to give up my paycheck during that time.
Move to Sweden, Switzerland, France, or Germany before having children. That way, you benefit from real paternity benefits, unlike America where the benefit is that you're "allowed" to take all the time you want to be with your new child, so long as you don't expect a paycheck during that time.
Buy more trash cans. Those kids can really help increase the total waste output for a household, even when they're not doing anything useful.

That's all I've got so far. Look for more wisdom here as things develop.

Hey, Jude!

2005-05-02T17:44:00.000-04:00

Over on our main Web site, Charline and I recently announced the birth of our first child, Jude Dylan Barger, born in Jacksonville, Florida on April 9, 2005, at 11:06 a.m.

Jude was born weighing 9 lbs. 9.6 oz., at a length of 21.5 inches.

Mother and child are doing very well and are relaxing at home.

See our Photographs page for more images, including shots of the nursery.

Daytona 500

2005-02-23T15:44:00.000-05:00

My father and I went to the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Dad bought the rather pricey tickets from a scalper a couple hours before the race, and didn't even let me chip in, since this was a birthday present for me.

For those of you who live in caves, the Daytona 500 is the kick-off of the NASCAR racing season. It's also the most-hyped, biggest event of the NASCAR season, which makes it's placement at the beginning a little odd, but there you have it.

Watching the race

Our seats weren't as good as Dad is used to, but I really enjoyed the race, especially since my two favorite drivers were battling for the lead for a good portion of the race. Which two? Well, most NASCAR fans wouldn't normally group these two guys together, but my favorites are Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, in that order. After those guys, I guess I root for the crowd favorite, Dale Jr., then the "other Dale," Dale Jarrett, after him.

If you saw the race (and who didn't?), then you already know that Stewart led most of the race, but was overtaken near the end by Gordon. In fact, Stewart led for a very impressive 107 laps. If it weren't for two yellow flag delays near the end of the race, he most likely would have cruised to victory lane.

Dale Jr. made a very exciting run in the final 20 laps or so, seemingly moving up in position one or two spots on every lap. The crowd was going crazy, watching him maneuver past one car after another. Kurt Busch was moving up to challenge for the lead too, but that's not who the crowd was rooting for. Everyone turned their attention to the leader board for a few seconds each time the front of the pack crossed the start/finish line, to see where Dale Jr. was listed. Amazingly, he made it all the way up through about 15 positions in the final laps, to the take lead around lap 195, but relinquished the lead to Gordon on lap 198, after a wreck caused a re-start, and finished in third place.

Two wrecks in the final few laps kept the pack close, but on the final two laps, nobody could pass Jeff Gordon, as is usually the case when he gets out in front. He took the Daytona 500 checkered flag for the third time in his career.

Barger tradition

Going to the Daytona 500 is a bit of a Barger tradition. My parents took me to the Daytona 500 to celebrate my birthday a couple times when I was a wee tyke. Since then, we've gone a few more times over the years. The NASCAR folks have been nice enough to keep the race on or about my birthday all this time.

In those years (the 1970s), tickets were relatively cheap, good seats were easy to find, the stands had plenty of room left for everyone to spread out, and Richard Petty ("The King" of NASCAR Racing) seemed to win every year. Back then, the race wasn't even televised in its entirety (CBS was the first to do this in 1979).

Big-time racing

These days, tickets cost a minimum of about $100 if you buy early, and at least $200 if you wait until the day of the race (and then they're only available from scalpers, due to the early sell-outs). The stands are packed with more than 168,000 fans (the largest in all of motorsports), mostly wearing red to support crowd favorite Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He and a handful of other drivers, like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, are annual contenders for the Daytona 500 victory. And, since 1995, television ratings for the Daytona 500 have been the highest for any auto race of the year -- with more than 25 million viewers this year.

View my photos from the Daytona 500

Survey says... Jamie's old.

2005-02-18T15:14:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that only one day after my 35th birthday, I'm already confronted with this survey question...

Right smack in the middle of the range. My youth is over. (See previous post.) Aarrrg.

Turning 35. Am I middle-aged now?

2005-02-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

This is my 35th birthday. If I eat too many greasy cheeseburgers and pizzas and only make it to age 70, then this will have been my "middle age." What a strange feeling.

Like everyone says, I don't feel any different than I did at 18 or 21 or 25 -- except that I'm a little calmer and my interests have migrated from entertainment (music, TV) to what I consider "real life" -- science, history, politics, family, religion. Of course, my body's not quite the same quality that it was when I was younger, but since I'm not a professional athlete, that hasn't bothered me.

Fortunately, I am at just about the spot in life that I expected I would be at this age. I have a wonderful wife, a nice house, a good job, and I've seen some interesting places around the world. Best of all, Charline and I will soon have a child, which I expect to radically change our lives, just as college, graduation, and marriage did.

The only thing that bugs me about getting older is the way that time speeds up. A summer used to last forever when I was young. That's another thing everyone says. To avoid any more cliches, I'll just wrap up this posting here.

Fly-By Cafe at St. Augustine airport

2005-02-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

I ate at the Fly-By Cafe at the St. Augustine airport a couple days ago. The place has a great atmosphere, with huge murals of flying planes covering the walls. The murals and the rest of the interior design conjure up images of the time when barnstorming was in its heyday.

The guy behind the bar was taking all the orders and waiting on the tables. One guy hidden behind the wall behind the bar was frying up the food with some hard core music blaring from his confines. He didn't turn the music up quite so loud until about the time the sun went down outside the large windows, which look out across the runway and hangers.

The medium-rare cheeseburger with bacon and mushrooms was cooked just right and served with a hefty helping of thick fries.

This place is a great respite for anyone cruising along the old US 1 highway, just north of St. Augustine. Just look for the airport and stop in.

Let the time wasting begin

2003-08-16T15:58:00.000-04:00

Well, well, well. It looks like I've found yet another way to waste my time (and yours) while sitting in front of a computer. I already have a blog on my main web site, but I've chosen to create one here too, just because I can. Plus, I didn't build this one, so I don't have to worry about adding new features or fixing bugs, like I do on the one I developed.

This web log (blog/journal/diary/newsletter) will be the one where I put lots of small thoughts on big topics, and big thoughts on small topics, and plenty in between -- but nothing too way-out-there controversial. I'm saving those rants for other blogs.

If you want to know about a cool new restaurant I've found, or how many migraine headaches I have each week, or what new tricks my dog has learned, this is the place for it. On the other hand, if you want to know who you should vote for and why, or what sort of unethical hucksters I've come across lately, you'll have to seek out my other blogs.

So, let the time wasting begin!