Good early morning GH. Wow, the current temperature is 67 or 68 degrees, depending on which source you consult. Of course one of  those same sources is saying that we may get to 79 or 81 for a high. That one can't even agree with itself. The precipitation that they predicted for Friday turned out to be a few drops and nothing more. Now it looks like Sunday, our 40th anniversary, before we have another chance of T-storms. Sugar the Weather Dog will be happy. It is nearly 5:00 AM.

Friday turned out to be a great day and I had a terrific birthday. Lots of well wishes from friends and family. Mary worked indoors, and I worked outdoors on the estate. I swept, I mowed, I watered and got the Weber ready for the barbecue. I had a great time. Then, that rain prediction made us change our plans and we ended up at our favorite watering hole for dinner. Not a bad option, but I would have just stayed home if I had known. Mary probably thought I was working too hard on my birthday, but I was in heaven. Oh well, what's that they say about the best laid plans etc? I got in some guitar playing and some crosswords before that, and then the day became a blur. What's not to like?

Today, I have plans for college football and that's about it. I may get in some snacks and more guitar playing and reading and then the postponed dinner plans should reach fruition. Better late than never. Before you know it, it will be Sunday and time for our 40th. Mary will continue to work.

When last I left you, I was describing the early days of our life together, among other things. Adam was now an integral part of our lives. He is a great person and best of all, his wife, Stephany, truly is his better half. We have now have been the proud caretakers for several different dogs, each with their own personality. Scrappy, a mix of a springer spaniel and a golden retriever was not the smartest dog, but he was probably the sweetest dog you could ever meet. If you wanted him to do it, he would, without question.

Stay-C was a typical lab mix, no trouble and about as even tempered as you could expect. Her dog sitter/walker felt guilty because Stay-C didn't need a leash and never needed a walk. She was content to just wander around the backyard during her one-half hour visit three time per day. When we first brought Stay-C home from the shelter, I took her out in the back for a get acquainted visit with her new yard. I was walking and she seemed to be digging in her heels. I thought she was being stubborn. But, she had decided to lay down and I was taking her for a drag, not a walk. She never needed a leash

And then there is Sugar the Weather Dog. She may well be the cutest and smartest dog we have ever had the privilege to care for. Maybe the most expensive too. When you mix a Corgi and a beagle, you get cute you get smart, and you get skittish. Oh, you also get very territorial too. She herds and she hunts, both at the same time. For me, it was love at first sight. As Mary said, "If you had ever looked at another woman the way you looked at her," etc.

Shortly after Stay-C passed, we took a trip to New Orleans over the holidays. We were looking at all the dogs in town and each of us knew for sure that we would be getting another dog in our lives when we got back to the Chicago area. In fact, unbeknownst to each other, we were perusing the various shelter sites on the sly. We made a plan to visit several shelters the Sunday after we got home from our trip, starting with the farthest away and coincidentally, the one that opened the earliest on a Sunday.

We got there just as the shelter opened and flipped through their book of guest dogs. Sugar caught our eye and we asked to meet her. Mary decided it was time to make a trip to the restroom when Sugar was to make her first appearance, so when Sugar came out to the day room, I was the first person Sugar saw. I knew right away and so apparently did she, and the rest is history. We "road tested" her outside the shelter and as she bounced around in the snow Mary asked, "Are you sure?" I was. There was a man there saying to his children, "Looks like Sugar is going home with someone else." First dog, first shelter.

I paid the fee and we were off. Our goal had been to get a smaller dog in our later years, one that we could pick up if necessary. Sugar is smaller than the others we've had, but she is very high maintenance. If she doesn't get to walk one or both of us at least twice per day, she is very impatient. She has her own peculiarities in many ways. She can't ever be off a leash, because she would chase every other dog in town. I couldn't bear if anything ever happened to her, so I am content to keep her on a leash.

When I had to go to hospital a few years ago, Sugar was lost. Even now, when I go out for a long day trip, she waits at the door expecting me to return at any moment. I like to think that she feels as though I am hard to protect when I'm not here. In short, no man ever had a better dog. I am sure others feel the same about their canine companions, but that's one man's opinion.

Oh well, I've rambled on long enough this time. So it must be time for sports.

The boys in blue, lost to Ryne Sandburg's Phillies 5 - 6. I heard a radio host suggesting that the boys in blue should trade their shortstop and move on in spite of his considerable skills. He is skilled, but he has too many mental lapses in the field etc. The Tigers crushed the Tribe 7 - 2, to open a 7.5 game lead over the Tribe. My beloved Red Sox beat that other team from Chicago 3 - 2, to open a 3.5 game lead  over the Rays. The Caps fell to the Fort Wayne TinCaps 1 - 5. I know that the TinCaps name looks weird, but that's how they spell it. Next time I'll be able to tell you how the Spartans and the Wolverines fared in college football.

I just have to mention, that at about 8:30 last night, a train rumbled through "The City." An odd time to say the least. The lead locomotive was sporting the newest livery of the line and it looked great. Mary and I stood and watched because it was such an odd time. I think it had to do with the upcoming holiday. Mary thinks that it was a needed load. Maybe the same thing, I dunno.

Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 2:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 69 degrees heading for a high of 84. If the Weather Channel app. is right, the chance of scattered T-storms is 50% starting around 9:00 AM. I await the prediction of Sugar the Weather Dog for a more accurate forecast.

On Thursday, Sugar and I went for a long walk and then we came home to read the paper. After that, I played some on the guitar and then did more reading in Drinking With Men: A Memoir  by Rosie Schaap. I also found time to vacuum, so I am done for the week with my chores.

It is now officially my birthday. I am now in my 63rd year of life. When I was younger, I never thought about how I would get this far, I was just sure that somehow I would, and here I am. Which led me to reflect on what my day will be like. I tried to think about what I might have for my birthday meal, and Mary suggested that a thick pork chop was in order, grilled ever so slowly on the Weber grill in the back forty. I think I like her idea. Other than that, I don't have any plans and that's the way I like it too. Too many plans spoil the pot or something like that.

Since I have been reflecting on the early years of our life together, I think it is appropriate to add to what I have already written. As I recall in our last episode, I wondered why Adam was a car guy. I suspect that the fact that I was into Austin Healeys when I was just a lad may have had some effect. The guy across the street was kind enough to lift me up and place me on the fender of his Austin Healey 3000 engine compartment when I was just big enough to see. I seem to remember that he and his family had something to do with the Leinenkugel Brewery, but I am not clear on what it was. I just knew that I loved his car, even if it was British and had that Lucas electrical system that consisted of four circuits and two fuses.

But I digress. I owned a motorcycle for a short period of time, and the settlement from an accident provided the down payment on our first condo.  I went on from there to own and operate a few cars and to work as an auto mechanic, manage a gas station for Mobil, own that same station for a short time, and teach that subject in a trade school for a few years after earning my certification. I also directed that same school for a few years when Adam was younger. But I thought it was time to get on with my life, so I went back to college, earned a degree in history, which Mary encouraged, and then I taught for 16 years. Mary's advice was that if I did nothing, I would still be four years older, so why not go for it?

One thing of which I am certain, cars, and for that matter anything with wheels, have played a big part in my life. If it wasn't for Mary's broken Fiat taillights, we never would have met and all the wonderful things that came after would never have happened. There was an old beer commercial that had a tag line "It doesn't get any better than this," and I am certain that it doesn't.

So now I am in retirement and enjoying it immensely. Mary and Sugar make life infinitely more interesting and sometimes more challenging. But that's okay with me. Stephany and Adam are self sufficient and that means that the question that I once asked Mary about whether I could stop worrying about Adam has been answered in the affirmative. You never really stop worrying, but the worries can take a back seat to other things most of the time. If I could just make my knitting work out better, my life would be infinitely more satisfying. But that's a story for another day.

So, when next you hear from me, it will be one day post birthday and life will be normal again, whatever that is. I will be awaiting the start of our 41st year together, something that seemed a long way off when I met a certain young lady over 40 years ago. I still see that girl in the woman that I am celebrating 40 years with. Some people are surprised that we got married without a long engagement, but the truth is, when you know, you  know. Why put it off?

We chose not to live together because of Mary's mother as much as anything else. I know that today, many advice givers recommend living together, but if you live, learn, and love together, sometimes it just works out. At least it did for us. Would I recommend this course to others?  I don't know.

Once when we asked Adam what it was like to be an only child, he answered truthfully, "I don't know, because that's what I am and I don't have a basis for comparison." Neither did we. In many ways, we grew up together and that means we don't have anything to compare to either. Would I change anything? Yes, I would change having the need for two surgeries three years ago, but maybe that helped us to go in a new direction. Sometimes you just need a push.

I can remember Stephany asking me what I wanted to happen when I was down with my back, and I knew that it was time to retire. I recovered from the back surgery, only to face the more serious issue with my brain. I got past that too, with a lot of help from Mary. She never felt sorry for me, and pushed me to keep on keeping on. That's part of what makes her so special.

In sports, I am going to keep it short and sweet. Boys in blue, day off. Tigers, win, Red Sox, loss. Caps, win. Bears, loss. Lions, win.

But I have rambled on long enough. When you get on a roll, sometimes you just can't stop. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It should be just after 2:30 AM when I hit the publish button. Our current temperature is 69 degrees and the outlook for the day is 86 humid degrees with only a 10% chance of precipitation. On Friday, my birthday, it is expected to be about the same temperature and humidity wise, but the chance of precipitation goes up to 50%. Sugar the Weather Dog will let us know.

I am not sure where the day went to yesterday. I typed up some music, and then I read more of my latest book, Drinking With Men: A Memoir, by Rosie Schaap and I really like it. I have to be sure that Mary finds time to read it. Sugar and I took the time to go walking twice, so that took some time. Sugar of course had to check her messages and that can take some time in and of itself. Mary of course was working.

Today I may have to finish my housework, but that shouldn't take long. More guitar and more reading are also on tap. For Mary, more work.

Where was I? Oh yes. When I left off, Mary was getting ready for the wedding. I was working at the gas station where she and I met and generally doing what most grooms do, letting the women take care of the wedding plans. I remember Mary had a bridal shower, but what happened there is mostly a blur. I think about the only thing left from that day is one casserole and some pictures. Oh there is me too.

Once our wedding day came, it was time to go to the church and get on with the rest of our lives. I do remember that the route to the church went past Mary's apartment and she was outside when my brother and I went by in my 69 Camaro. Since you are not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, she felt obliged to run back inside, but by then it was too late.

I remember on that day that her mother said something along the lines of, "She's your problem now." If that was an omen, it turned out to be a good one. 40 years later we are still together. I remember the ceremony, a little, and the people who came, but mostly that's all I remember. Even today, we don't have a copy of our marriage certificate to prove we are married. I guess that a piece of paper doesn't really prove a thing. Fortunately for me, what proves that we are married is the fact that when I got sick a few years ago, Mary was there for me. The doctor's accepted the fact without a piece of paper.

After the ceremony, a few pictures outside the church and we were off to our small reception. There too, just a few friends and family present, like the wedding itself. I do remember that the hall is still there, but I don't know if they still do weddings. I also remember that we went to the Hyatt Regency O'Hare for our wedding night. We had put off our actual honeymoon due to Mary's whiplash injury. Maybe this year we can do it right. Too many people don't' get the chance to celebrate 40 years together, so our next big trip should count.

The years have passed quickly really. Adam was born, Mary and I have had a few different jobs, and a few different cars. As I mentioned, Mary's car at the time we got married had been crashed and mine is long gone. That car today would probably bring mucho dinero as it was a 69 Camaro SS 350. Very much like the one at this link. http://www.69pace.com/1969_ss_2009.htm. There weren't that many built and there are very few still running today.

Adam and I set the land speed record for downtown Glenview, IL when he was a baby in that car. Speaking of Adam, the day of his birth was like a lot of others, except for the fact that Mary had a few extra days in the hospital due to Adam being a C-section baby. He was a big boy, nearly 10 pounds and 23 inches long. I don't know where that size came from. I also don't know why he is a car guy either. Well, that's about enough for now. I'll add the final touches to our early life tomorrow.

In sports, the boys in blue are back to normal, losing to the Dodgers 0 - 4. The Tigers were crushed by the A's 4 - 14. They still have a 5.5 game lead over the Tribe. My beloved Red Sox edged the Orioles 4 - 3 to give them a 2.5 game lead over the Rays. The Caps shutout the Fort Wayne Tin Caps 2 - 0. The Lions and the Bears play Buffalo and Cleveland respectively. The MSU Spartans open tomorrow night against the Western Michigan Broncos. The University of Michigan Wolverines open Saturday against the Central Michigan Chippewas. I should be a good weekend in sports.

That's all folks, as Porky Pig would have said. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It has just passed 3:00 AM in "The City" and the weather is calm right now. Currently our temperature is 75 degrees as we head for a high of 84. No rain in sight until Friday. Nothing currently on tap according to Sugar the Weather Dog. We had a good blow last evening, and there were predictions of T-storms, but I don't think they came our way. However Sugar the Weather Dog did repair to her hide-e-hole last evening, so maybe after I went to bed something happened.

On Tuesday, I did some laundry, dusted upstairs and down, and played the guitar along with reading. As Mary remarked later in the day, "You were busy, maybe you should take tomorrow off." So I shall.

Last evening I went to the final Tuesday evening concert for the season  in Central Park. The young man was doing music by one of my favorite performers, so Mary joined me after working for an hour or so. I was there before her and she left before me, but that's okay, I had a good time.

That new book I started reading, Drinking With Men: A Memoir, by Rosie Schaap is very interesting. I think that Mary should read it, but she probably won't have the time. When I am done, I'll give a complete report, just like in middle school.

Speaking of middle school, and I guess schools in general, MI is one of three states that by law do not allow classes before Labor Day. That may change, but for now that's it. Apparently it was signed into law by a previous governor of MI to extend the tourist season.

When I last left you, I was discussing that fateful night right before Mary and I were to be married. The phone rang, and Mary said, "I was in a car accident and I can't get up." As I said before, when you are at work, that's not what you want to hear.

A lot of that evening is a blur to me, but I can remember that Mary and her mother had been driving on Potter Rd. in Niles, IL and they got rear-ended in Mary's 1968 Mustang convertible. The car had a 390 CID engine with mag wheels and similar to this one, except in a beautiful shade of blue. It would be worth abut $17,000 today. The car was about $4,000 new.  It was a nice car before the accident. Afterwards it was a wreck. But I digress. Given the propensity for exploding that Mustangs from that era had, I guess we should all be thankful that her car didn't explode. If you are curious, here is a link to a similar car in red.

http://mustangs.about.com/od/modelyearprofiles/a/1968-profile.htm

Mary spent some days in the hospital where they had her in traction and gave her muscle relaxants. I suspect that her memories of the days following the accident are kind of blurry too. She and her mother had gotten whiplash in that accident. In fact, Mary had to wear one of those neck braces that seem to be prescribed for everyone in that condition. She even wore it on our wedding day, at least before and after the ceremony. I have pictures of her both in and out of that brace. She was also rear-ended a second time while driving with my mother right out in front of the gas station where I worked, but I guess that it was minor by comparison. The trailer hitch on the back of my dad's station wagon took most of the hit. However, Mary wasn't helped by that event.

I think that was about three days before the wedding, but I'm not sure. In any event we're almost there. More next time.

In sports, the boys in blue snatched a rare victory from the Dodgers and their ace pitcher 3 - 2. They can't beat the Brewers, but they can beat the Dodgers and the Cardinals. Go figure. It won't make much of a difference this year, but wait til next year. The Tigers still have a 5.5 game lead over the Tribe, but Justin Verlander is having a hard time finding the strike zone lately. The game was shortened by rain and the A's got the victory, 3 - 6. My beloved Red Sox blasted past the Orioles on the strength of the long ball and solid pitching to open a full 2.5 game lead over the Rays. Final score, Tigers 13, Orioles 3. The Caps once again beat the Cougars, 4 - 1.

So there you have it. The train went by about 45 minutes ago. Mary said that I should amend my previous blog to say that Father Burke asked if we would raise any children in the Christian faith. I can state without reservation that Adam is one of the most christian men I know. His mother did a good job raising him that way. But that's a story for another day. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just about 4:30 in the AM, and we have a current temperature of 74 - 76 humid degrees as we head for an even more humid high of 84. That 30% chance of rain on Monday became a 100% reality. We had a gully washer that added to the humidity. There is a similar chance of T-storms today. As I said yesterday, Sugar the Weather Dog will let me know for sure.

Speaking of Sugar the Weather Dog, she was downstairs with us yesterday in the AM awaiting breakfast. Before I could get her to take me for a walk, she did the best impression of a frightened dog as she headed for her upstairs hide-e-hole. I couldn't get her to go out until later in the afternoon. Once she hears a clap of thunder all bets are off. Believe me, she knows her stuff when it comes to the weather.

Yesterday, I went to the local health food store twice. First in the rain and later in the afternoon. I also went to the library after I finished my latest book. I am now set to begin my next book, Drinking With Men: A Memoir, by Rosie Schaap. I read about this book months ago in the NY Times Book Review and I have been waiting for it to be available at our local library. No comments on what it is like yet.

Otherwise, I played some guitar and baked a new loaf of banana nut bread using a totally new recipe. That activity was the only thing that caused Sugar to leave her hide-e-hole long enough to assume her role as household sous dog.

I thought that I might pick up where I left off on the tale of Jack and Mary. I don't want to get too verbose today, but I will write a few words.

As I noted yesterday, our life together would get and is still interesting. We did fall in love, we did get married in September of 1973, but not without some additional adventures. Since we had our first date in May of 1973, getting married just three short months later might qualify as a whirlwind romance. But somehow, I knew it was right. Fortunately for me, Mary thought so too, so it was just a matter of making the arrangements.

After a meeting with Father Burke from Mary's church, and vowing to raise any children in the Catholic faith, we had what we needed; a church in which to get married and a clergy person to marry us. At that time in history, we had to get blood tests at the hospital before getting a marriage license, something that I don't think is done anymore, at least no the blood tests. I think a liense is still a requirement. Amazing that a marriage needs a license from the county in which you reside.

We were on our way to the altar in a few weeks. Back then, I had a great head of curly hair and the requisite 1970s haircut and mutton chop sideburns and mustache. Mary had her hair cut as she mostly did in those days, in a short and very becoming cut that went well with her glasses. We called them Fearless after the cartoon character Fearless Fly. Of course what would a day in our life be without adventure.

One night I was at the gas station when the phone rang and Mary said, "I was in a car accident and I can't get up." Now that's not what I wanted to hear just a few days before our wedding. So it was time to panic.

Oh well, time to move along. I'll write more next time.

Today, more guitar, more reading, and more housecleaning as Mary works. Not much else. What's not to like?

In sports, the boys in blue continued their quest for a losing record, losing to the Dodgers on the coast 2 - 6 to fall further into the abyss. The Tigers fell to the Athletics 6 - 8 and they are down to a 5.5 game lead over the Tribe. Miggy did hit another home run, his 41st. My beloved Red Sox now have a 1.5 game lead over the Rays and the off day allowed them to get ready for the arrival of the Orioles tonight. The Caps once again topped the Cougars, 4 - 1. They are still languishing down the charts in their league, but they have a plus two game record.

So, that's about it for now. The train woke me earlier and that's why I'm here now. Ciao.

Good morning GH. Once again, I have risen to do my part for the edification of others on what's going on in GH. It has just passed 5:00 in the AM and the current temperature is 73 humid degrees. We are anticipating a high of 87 later today and there is a 30% chance of T-storms, though those are expected north of I 96. Sugar the Weather Dog will let me know later what the real chance of precipitation will be. 

On Sunday, Sugar and I took a nice walk in the AM and then as promised, I became mostly inert and did some reading and guitar playing. Oh yes, I did get to that watering. Finally Sugar and I repaired to the "Bone Zone" where I did that reading and Sugar cleaned her teeth.

Today, not much beyond yesterday. I need to do some dusting and that may require a visit to the big box hardware store for some furniture polish. I'd like to get some without lemon scent, but I have been unable to locate any locally. I know that unscented polish exists, but most outlets don't carry it. Both Mary and I are sensitive to just about anything that is scented, so I'll have to give each type the sniff test to find the least scented one. 

I wanted to make good on that promise of the way that Mary and I began our lives together. 

I was fortunate enough to work in a gas station at the corner of Camp McDonald Rd. and Route 12 in Arlington Heights, IL. Up to that point, that was the best paying job I'd ever had and what I learned there was the springboard to many things that followed.

I worked the "Graveyard" shift at that station, and Mary lived just down the street about a block. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for her, she was the proud owner of a Fiat Spyder. That car made our meeting possible. She came in one night to satisfy a cop's "suggestion" that she have her brake lights fixed. Of course, the chances of finding a gas station with anyone who could repair anything in the middle of the night was slim to none and slim had left town before she got to me. However, both she and I were fortunate. I knew what to do to reverse the wiring error that a previous repair person had committed, and that allowed me to ask her out to dinner. 

Now I know what you are thinking. We met, fell in love, and then got married sometime later. Alas that was not what happened. I did not get her phone number, but for one of the few times in her young life, she remembered my dinner invitation. She had gone out of town with her mother to Hawaii right after my invitation. When she got back, she came in and asked if that invitation was still open. She told me later that she was hungry. 

I got her address that time and when I came to pick her up on Saturday night, she had to buzz me in to her apartment building. When she asked "Who's there?" I replied, "Me." She had been hoping that I would supply my name because she had forgotten. Oh well, she had a back up plan. When she came down, she asked to see my driver's license because she needed some "additional information," when I told her my name was Jack. She said that she couldn't "believe" that. I proved it and we were off to dinner at Hackney's in Wheeling, IL. A nice dinner and then a quick ride to Chicago's downtown. She wanted a balloon that a young woman was selling on a corner, and before I could get a price, the salesperson stuffed it in my car and I was in debt for $2.00. 

We drove back to her apartment and we walked slowly to her door. As I leaned in to get the proverbial good night kiss, the balloon popped with a resounding boom in that long, deserted hallway. Her dad opened the door and said, "Oh, it's you," and closed the door. I should have had my first warning that our lives together would be interesting. 

Oh well, I've rambled on long enough for now. More next time. Time now for a quick sports report.

The boys in blue lost to the Padres, 2 - 3. No change in the standings. The Tigers crushed the Mets, 11 - 3, also no change in the standings. My beloved Red Sox handily defeated the Dodgers 8 - 1, behind some great pitching by recent acquisition Jake Peavy. That gives them a one game lead over the Rays. The Caps slipped by the Cougars 4 - 3, giving the Caps a one over 500 record.

So, that's about enough for yesterday and today. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It will be 3:00 AM by the time I hit the publish key. Actual, I just decided to edit, so this blog will be republished at 4:00 AM. The current temperature of 65 degrees is only temporary as we head for a high in the upper 80s today. No precipitation is expected until Monday and Tuesday, which means that watering is back on my list today. Oh well, I can do that after I walk with Sugar the Weather Dog later this AM.

On Saturday, Sugar and I walked Mary over to the local farmer's market at Chinook Pier. Like many towns and cities, we have a twice weekly market that seems to grow in scope with the ongoing growing/harvest season. Mary needed some tomatoes, as ours are nearing the end of their growing season. Sugar pulled her way towards other dogs both going and coming. Like I have said before, it's a dog's life.

I saw a comic in Saturday's newspaper that depicted a dog who was being urged on by his human on their daily walk. But his thought bubble indicated that he had to read and answer his messages before he could move along. If you've had or have dogs, you know what I mean.

Otherwise, Mary worked and I tried to remain inert to keep my headache at bay. I seem to be succeeding, but once these things begin, they just seem to hang on for a long time. We watched as the workmen came and removed the tree that fell. It took about 30 minutes and it was all gone. We also got in an afternoon walk, sans Sugar, and then some TV viewing when we got back.

Today, it looks like "Bone Zone" and reading are in my future as Mary works. That's after I get the watering done. Not much, but I need more down time.

In sports, the boys in blue managed to eke out a win in San Diego 3 - 2, behind stellar pitching by Jeff Samardzija and a hot bat swung by Darwin Barney. Unfortunately, they are 21 games back in their division. Statistically, they still have a chance at post-season play, assuming that the teams ahead of them lose every game from now until the end of the season. The Tigers and Max Scherzer held the Mets at bay, 3 - 0, which gave Scherzer his 19th win this season. That maintains their six game lead over the Tribe. My beloved Red Sox are still in a statistical tie for first with the Rays, having defeated the Dodgers 4 - 2. The Caps bounced the Lake County Cougars, 6 - 2. Sadly, their season is drawing to a close and they are a sub 500 team.

Congrats to Ellen and Joel on the graduation of their daughter. That's a milestone that all parents hope to see.

Looks like that's about it for yesterday and today. Ciao.