I Voted NO to the New Constitution

and I voted yes to all the other amendments to the current constitution. As expected, I think Josh stated the basics more clearly than I would have. However, I would add a couple things. In my personal situation, the three petition-trustees I voted for are all against it, Unai's for it (as well as on the committee that created it), and individuals with a wide spectrum of idealogical beliefs came together to oppose it in various publications. Clearly, I was leaning towards voting against it from the start. I did read everything I got and even cut out the WSJ op-ed from a couple Fridays ago.

The primary argument for the new constitution is increased democracy, especially as it was reiterated in Unai's email. However, the supposed increase in democracy is really an increase in *appointed* positions to the governing committees by various groups of "under-representated" members of the community . Appointed positions would outnumber directly elected positions, limiting the alumni's ability to effect change through elections. And don't get me started on the "power arc".

If they really wanted a more democratic association, they would simply elect an alumni council (Pres, VPs, Sec, Treas, etc.) or assembly through direct elections. One alumni, one vote. The council (however many there may be) would nominate a slate of trustee candidates with the same option of petition candidates as currently allowed. I'm not that up-to-date on what we currently have, but it seems a whole lot more convoluted than is necessary.

I just like voting against Unai.

VOTE

A quick reminder to check your email for the link and PIN to vote on the proposed alumni constitution and/or the additional amendments to the current constitution.

http://dartmouth.electionadmin.com

Surgery update

Surgery was a success. They found a big tear of the medial meniscus, which the surgeon sutured. There was also a partial tear of the ACL, which they did not do anything about.

I went back to work the next day, and will be laying down all weekend to recover.

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts.

Dan

Days to go? Weeks to go?

I know Anne understands exactly how I feel and I'm sure some other BLD women can relate as well - will this baby ever decide to come out and meet us?

My doctor keeps telling me second babies come before their due date, but I'm starting to have real doubts about this one, now that I'm only days away from the estimated arrival.

Everything is ready - co-sleeper, car seat, clothes washed, names picked (probably), health insurance (you wouldn't think that might have been a problem, but that's life when the primary breadwinner is still preparing to win bread). We've even scheduled the baptism for October 1st, assuming baby actually arrives by then of course. (Sorry, no trunk show for us either, Shannon, but we'll be thinking of you.)

In good news, Josh seems to be getting more productive as I am getting less productive (though perhaps I should get bonus points for building up fat on baby).

I have nothing else to talk about.

um... maybe the cavs will be good again

Today is my brother's birthday. Please pray that he survives the evening. I am only partially kidding.

I lost in week #1 of my fantasy football league. I know you are all crying on the inside.

Shannon, I have an engagement party in Cincinnati the weekend of your trunk show, or I would definitely come down to visit.

Comments

1. Dan, we will be praying for you. I hope that the surgery goes very smoothly, and that you have an easy recovery. Lucky that you are married to a physical therapist.

2. More than 20 years ago, my mom saw Galapagos turtles mating at the Cleveland Zoo, and she still talks about it. She says it was absolutely riveting, and she couldn't tear her eyes away.

3. I dreamt last night that Baby Papsdorf was born, and it was a boy. Does anyone have a home phone number for the Papsdorfs? I do not. If you do, please email it to me. Or if you are the Papsdorfs and know your own phone number, please email it to me. We pray for Baby Papsdorf and Baby Doucet every night.

4. I am planning to launch my business with a trunk show on October 1. Let me know if you'd like to be invited.

5. The Walsh family is currently enjoying a week in Hilton Head. It is quite relaxing, and we would highly recommend it to all.

E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles

I have knee surgery scheduled for Wednesday. I'll be hopefully getting a meniscus repair, but possibly getting a meniscus removed instead.

I saw Invincible this weekend. It was the greatest movie I've ever seen. Except when the Eagles lost to the Cowboys.

Geronimo Berroa

One more thing...

Since I know not a single one of you reads the El Paso Times on a regular basis, I thought I would post this article from the "Living" section. My uncle, a REAL cowboy, is the feature of the article. He's a stud too.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/living/ci_4297666

Blog this

Good call, Jon. It is "The Rainmaker."

Lots of goings on with the Mazzuccos. I tore some meniscus in my knee Sunday, which may have ended my frisbee career forever. My partners and I met with our accountant for the first time. We hosted a French exchange student for a few weeks, but then she went back to France. And, since I'm yapping, Betsy and I are having another baby. I was going to call people individually, but I've been too busy, and now it's old news. She's due in March. I hope to be unemployed in less than a month.

New Address

I started working Aug 1 at my new job for E&J Gallo Winery. That also means I had to move. Time to update your address books! My new address is:
1824 Empress Lane
Turlock, CA 95382
It's the door in the middle (the small 2/2 condo). We're renting until we can find something to buy. My cell phone stays the same for now. When I say "my new address", I mean only *my* address at the present time. Devon is living at my parents' house until she's done with the Army on Oct 2. Speaking of the Army, I am TOTALLY out of the military as of June 12. My 8 years are up and they would have to draft me to get me back in. Whew!

Are we sure we want to go to Cleveland twice in one year? I mean once for New Year's is enough, but for Jon's wedding too?! Maybe we should rethink this. Turlock anyone? Just kidding...

Why are we waiting?

Rabbits continue to eat Aidan's peppers in our garden, and I persist in going to work every day.
I recevied the terrible and fateful news last week that I would not be fired after all. My body continues to conduct expert biomechanical analyses to be regarded in the highest courts in the land while my mind and soul drift ever so further toward an elusive position that will save and better human lives, rather than playing baby vulture to the evil beast that pecks the eyes of our society's rotting carcass. (No offense to the esquires among us.) In any case, it turns out I'm going to have to do more than tell everyone I'm leaving and stop showing up at work to get rid of my job.

I'm open for suggestions.

"And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell." Matthew 18:9
Kristin, do you think you could get me a discount lobotomy?

Alternatively, for the secular minded, recall the scene from which this quote is taken:
"I'm just wondering, do you even remember when you first sold out?" (I predict only Ha-Doug will know the source)

By the way, if I knew it just took a pregnancy to get power over the location of the BLD New Years...

It's not selfish if it's good

Hey all,
Just sitting here in the med student on call room, praying with all my might that no children need to be admitted to the hospital today. I would much rather blog. It's not selfish when you want other people to be well, I suppose.
At any rate, just thinking of you and hoping that your lives are going well. Not much new in AL. Jay starts his firm job on the 21st and finished his clerking over a week ago, so that dirty rat has had a couple weeks off. I'm trying not to dwell on it. He went up to Buffalo recently to visit Jeff Ott, for anyone who knows and may care.
Otherwise, our dog is adjusting to my being gone, although, he still acts up a bit more now that I'm not at home. Fair game, I suppose.
Catch y'all later.

Updates

Here are a few updates.

1) We finally signed our last rookie draft pick on Friday. Then I spent some of Saturday tying up loose ends, but it ended up being a pretty relaxing weekend. My friend Tanya and her husband hung out Friday night (Tanya went to law school with me), and then Hillary threw a semi-surprise birthday party for me on Saturday night, since I wasn't really able to celebrate my birthday the previous weekend due to work.

2) We've all but decided that the date of the wedding will be May 26th (over Memorial Day weekend). So I hope none of you have ironclad plans that weekend. Save the date!

3) Any more input on New Years? I know we have discussed Cleveland, and that's still great on my end. But I also know that there will be a new Doucet, Slack, and Papsdorf around that time that might not make it the best option. Let me know what you guys are thinking.

7 weeks to go

I have also been shockingly silent on the BLD blog. I ask your forgiveness and point to Caleb's blog which is well over a month old as evidence of my general slacking as opposed to avoiding the BLD.

Seriously, I've been working insane hours as well, though vastly undercompensated compared to Walsh and Mazzucco. The only bright spot is that I'm earning comp days like mad, which all translate into actual money during my otherwise unpaid maternity leave.

I've decided my main problem is that I've been trying to convince my employer that they can't live without me. No, that's not the problem. The problem is I've come to believe it. So I'm trying to put 100 different things in place before I go on leave for 6 weeks, worried that everything will fall apart while I'm gone. Which it won't. Or maybe it will. Either way, it's only 6 weeks and I'm sure it would all be fine again within a few months.

Thank goodness I'm not playing Family Business at work. Real life FB would probably have me committing career suicide just to get into a different game, like the $1 buy in poker for $20 worth of chips where everyone can have a good time. (I'm sure you will all be shocked to learn that I am a terrible poker player. Seeing as it's my family's game of choice, Josh is always struggling to win at least as much as I lose so we come out as close to even as possible.)

Baby update: everything's good. Baby looks big. Doctor predicts on time or early arrival.

General Update

I apologize for not having a post that rivals the parallels of real life to Family Business... I realized that I should give an update on Devon's status at the very least since I haven't posted in a while. Devon's back is doing better - when she doesn't have to go to work and sit at a desk all day, she gets better quite quickly. But, since she is at work every day, she is getting better much more slowly and frequently has poor days on the roller coaster to recovery. I'm convinced that she is also carrying stress in her back from her incredibly incompetent command in the Guard. It's such a bad environment for her and I can't wait for her to leave.

I also can't wait for her to leave so she can join me in Modesto. Today was my first day with E&J Gallo, though I spent it in Fresno touring the biggest winery in the world (I think - certainly they press the most grapes there in any given year) and looking at accounting journal entries that eventually will have some relevance to my job in Modesto. I believe I found a temporary place to live in a new townhouse community in nearby Turlock while we seek to buy a small place here in town. We know exactly what we want and where we want to buy it so we're just waiting for the right property to open up. Hopefully that happens soon. I am excited for the $320k mortgage on a 2/2, 1200sqft home and can't wait to start paying!

Otherwise, all is well and I'm excited to get working for Gallo and actually earn money instead of only spending it. Should be a nice change of pace. My all your mobsters stay off the hit list...