Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Stuff That Keeps Me From Blogging.



My Kids.

Assembly Park beach.

Last week I took The Boys up to Delavan, Wisconsin. Delavan, once known for the Clown Hall of Fame within it, is about 15 miles from Geneva. My parents own a cottage in a place called, Assembly Park. We've owned since about 1990, but previously we had always rented a cottage for about two weeks in August dating back to '76. This was my summer place. Every year I would arrive, a year older, but the park remaining, largely, unchanged. My banner photo was taken at this beach ten years ago. Now, I bring my kids here. I find great comfort in these places.



My Car.

1999 Dodge Intrepid dead on the Kennedy.

Last week my car broke down. It was a Friday and I was on my way to work. It died in the center lane of the southbound Kennedy expressway, a major artery in and out of the city. A stopped car, in the center lane, in Friday rush hour traffic is not a good thing. I'm not sure how I did it, but channeling Homer Simpson in the episode when his car gets the boot, I restarted it and willed it to this exit ramp where it stopped for good. Triple A towed it to my brothers garage where it was pronounced dead. It's to bad, it was a good car. It got me around LA for a good 8 months and drove me back to my home today. Now we gotta go Minivan.

So long car.

Badarts' New Baby

Zelda Ivory Rain Brennan.

Beautiful, ain't she? She was born on July 27 in an unassisted, home birth. No doctor. No Midwife. Just Mom, Dad, Finn and eventually baby. Crazy, I know. So crazy it worked.

So we have been heading into the city, in a car I borrow from my Mom, and hanging out with Team Brennan. Meeting the baby, playing and visiting a water park. Good times.

Patrick and Finn hiding.

Shelto, Ava (pictured upside down) and Dave.


Finn, Patrick and Philip at waterpark.


Patrick sits.

14 comments:

Some Guy said...

Sorry about your car.

How excellent that you can share your "summer place" with your kids!

Johnny Yen said...

I can't think of any better reason than the kids.

I'm sorry about the car. That really, really sucks.

Sure you can't talk the wife into a Masserati instead of the mini-van? I'm sure it'll seat all three kids-- if you figure out a way to put a back seat in it...

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the car again phil, if it makes you feel any better I had to give the same news too Tim about the same car years ago.

The assembly park beach, if those fish on the walls could talk. The stories they could tell.

Anonymous said...

yay kids!
boo car!
i miss you.

Foofa said...

Sorry about the car. That sucks. I thought home birth was strange (my sister was one0 but without a midwife??? Crazy is right. sounds like good times at the cottage great you can share that with the kids.

Cup said...

Great photos ... even of the dead car.

Moderator said...

Awwwwww.

About the baby and kids. Not your car. Sorry about that.

Anonymous said...

So it's not like you've been busy or doin anything - why haven't you blogged!?!?!?! :D Passing summer memories down to the kids and making new ones in return- that's AWESOME!!!! I know the feeling about the car situation - and let me guess, you weren't even REMOTELY thinking about getting a new one any time soon, right? It always happens that way - Damn that Murphy and his freakin laws!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Phil
your children are soooo beautiful, ok i mean HANDSOME. They are so much fun at that age, my littlest one is 4 and it is going WAY to fast for me. My oldest will be 9 next month and he already know everything.
Please pass this little message on to Dave and his beautiful family, Congrates on the birth of your beautiful daughter Zelda. As a mother of a 6 year old girl, you will surely have your hands full with Zelda and you will not have a dull moment with a girl. just so you know, the boys start calling your daughter in PRE-SCHOOL!!! So be ready for it and again, congrads on the beautiful new addition to your wonderful family.
Can you believe it, we are all parents now. i remember watching wrestling at Doug's house in Jr. High.

Megan said...

I love that you can share your childhood summer place with your own children! As a military brat, I'm totally jealous of anyone with roots.

And sorry about your car. . .

Tenacious S said...

Did your car die near Canfield? Looks like my old 'hood. Don't worry about not blogging. The kids will get older and need you less, but right now soak up every inch of them. It passes too quickly.

Tenacious S said...

Oops, I also wanted to tell you that if I had a good picture of me on my favorite pier in northern Wisconsin, it would be my banner as well. We've gone to the same lake since I was a child and now go there with our children. When the world gets a little crazy, the place I go to in my mind is out on the pier, laying in the sun with the sound of the waves lapping against the pier and the rowboats knocking against the pier. See, I'm there right now.

Phil said...

Chris - Thanks. Yes, it's kind of a thing I like to promote. With us living in Elmhurst, in the house I grew up in, I find myself sharing alot from my past with him. It's nice.

Johnny - Thanks. It would be nice. Someday...

Dan - Hey, my brother everyone. Yeah, those fish have seen alot.

Stacy - We miss you. Keep it real in Missouri.

Natalie - Thanks. It's very cool. Re: the home birth. You should have seen my female relatives while hearing Dave's story at the kids party. All were mightily impressed and I got to use the joke in response to the question, 'What did you do with the afterbirth?' Me: 'They ate it.'

Dave's cousin - We actually were thinking about buying a new one, but I've never bought a car from a dealer. I'm abit intimidated.

Angel - I will. I still wrestle at Doug's house.

Megan - Thanks. I do like it, and it's really the hard work of my parents that lead to this.

Ten S - Just north of Canfield. Oh yeah. It's summertime, gotta get out there with them. It's pretty neat taking them to these places isn't it.

Anonymous said...

maybe Ms. Zelda Ivory Rain will marry that chocolate rain guy on youtube.

sorry, but doesn't dave have access to the interweb?
everyone's lovely and wonderful & I'm a jerk