MY BABY!

Yesterday, Nana and Papa went to see Grady after he was brought home. Of course there was diaper and feeding duties... I can't do the feeding since he is breast fed. I got to burp him, which was fine. A little male bonding.
Grady is still getting settled in his new environment with siblings hoovering around him. Big brother Cody wanted to hold him and big sister Emily wanted to check out all the baby body parts and help change diapers, and then report back on the progress. Both call Grady as "MY BABY". I am sure that will wear-off when he grabs something of theirs.
Tina is just relaxing as John fills in for any jobs that arises like dinner and laundry. Nana and Papa enjoyed the time holding the little guy... and burping him.

Just before the fireworks

May I introduce our seventh grandchild, Grady Anthony Bauer, born on the 4th of July at 8:33 PM and weighing 8.4 lbs. and 20.5 inches. Mother and child are doing fine and resting comfortably.

Taking the Chevy to get painted

After nearly two years of body work, welding, modifications and planning, my project car (51 Chevy hardtop Bel-Air) is finally loaded and on its way to the painter.
The paint color will be a candy red on the body and a cream looking white on the roof. This is about the halfway mark. There is still a TON of work to done before I can finally drive it. Can not wait.

Give the firefighters their due!

For the last week, due to an unattended campfire, more than 3000 firefighters have been fighting the second biggest fire the the history of Arizona. Over 300,000 acres have burn, 24 homes and thousands of beautiful trees.
Those firefighters have worked furiously 12 hour shifts, hiking up and down mountainsides, over boulders and dead tree trunks, carrying axes, hoses and chainsaws, without showers or proper rest breaks. And for that they get only $10 a hour? According to some politicians, that's too much. AND, they don't believe the firefighters should have a proper pension either. They believe firefighters and police officers are cheap public servants that are over paid and over funded. I guess those politicians never heard about the 343 firefighters who ran INTO the WTC on September 11th to save lives while the building where collapsing around them.
I suggest those politicians switch jobs with a firefighter, carry 75 lbs. of gear into a burning house, pull furniture and people out of the fire, do mouth-to-mouth on a woman who is throwing-up from too much smoke, pull a drowned child from a pool, stand in the middle of a busy street working on an accident while cars whiz by... and do that for $10 an hour, a very small pension, and probably no Social Security. That OK, after all WE ARE CHEAP LABOR AND OVER PAID, right?

Cody's promotion ... to 1st Grade

Sometimes, as grown-ups, we make things for kids...I don't know...more grown-up, than a simple event.
My grandson, Cody, advanced from Kindergarten to first grade the other day and the school calls it a "PROMOTION". It's like a job promotion or a higher rank in the military, or something. When he entered Kindergarten from Day Care, they had a "GRADUATION". I realize it a celebration of his advancement in knowledge and aging, but cap and gowns in Day Care? Of course it all has changed a lot since I and even our kids were in school. No matter...I am proud of Cody and Emily and Nicole and our three grand kids in Florida too, as a Grandfather should be. They keep me smiling and happy. And I love to be a Grandfather. They are a joy beyond belief.
The program the school put on was really special. This was the last song. You got to love the sunglasses.

A new Adventure to the East

On April 18th, Nancy and I embarked on another adventure to...CHINA. Yes, the country many of us grew up watching over our shoulders. The country of Mao, and the Red Army. Well, it's not as bad as I once thought. It is changing FAST! It is a beautiful country that is changing quickly toward capitalism and opening its doors to all. There is still a little of the old China visible. Maybe a little more or less than we know.
Besides the battle with an exploding population, very visible pollution problem and cooping with massive traffic expansion, China will treat you well.
Our trip was a 12 day whirlwind taste of some major cities and cultural emulsion into the Chinese history from past to present. Our guides were extraordinary. From the Forbidden City, to the enormous graves of the Terra Cotta Warriors, to the Vegas style dinner theaters, (and my highlight)a walk on the Great Wall. China was the last place I thought my lovely wife could convince me to go, but I loved it. Yes, I complained about the crowds and the Chinese food, but HELL, I was in China. Cities with 27 million people and not the flair for cooking western foods. Thank God for McDonald's and KFC spotted everywhere. Yep, commercial capitalism is doing VERY well in China. I guess we have polluted the world with that.

Rescue the Rescuers

This is not a new story. It is happening all around the country, not only in Arizona. Legislators want to cut our (firefighter retirees) pensions, cut our COLA (and we do not get Social Security), which equals to about 1/3 of my income. We did not cause the economic down-turn, but now we are the target. And we are not the only ones...teachers, Police and many other state workers. But, if a legislator serves for 4 years, they get the Medical insurance paid for life. Mine cost me $800 a month. They get a pension which NO ONE can touch. Mine is managed by the Legislature.
Maybe I should run for office.