Wii have a TV again

Several months ago, Melody and I gave our TV and DVD player away to a charitable cause. We didn't have, or want, cable, and we still don't, but we figured we'd spend less time watching movies and TV shows on DVD if it were less convenient to watch them.

That didn't really work. We pretty much just transitioned our viewing habits to our MacBooks, which was fine, except when we wanted to watch a movie or something with friends.

So, in December, when prices for small, flat-screen TVs were ridiculously low, we decided to buy one. A few weeks later, we got a Wii.

Neither of us is a huge video game fan, but the Wii is amazing! It was definitely a good buy.

So relaxed my heart barely beats

I bought a heart rate monitor a few days ago so that I could make the most out of my visits to the gym. Basically I wanted to be able to tell if I am maintaining my optimal heart rate on the treadmill.

So far, so good.

I've also used it to figure out my resting heart rate. This morning it was 45 beats per minute. Sometimes it's 50. Apparently, a normal heart rate is between 60 and 80.

I'm not sure if my laid-back pulse is a good or bad thing.

Undelete

I can't make up my mind. Is having a blog a good way to keep friends and family up to date, or is it a waste of time and energy that virtually guarantees I'll stick my foot in my mouth?

I deleted this blog a few weeks ago. Thanks to Google's undelete button, my blog is back... for now.

Chloe!

For more pics, stories, observations, and basically all things Chloe, click here.

The rest of Jacob's visit

Without further ado...

First few days

Melody and I bought a shiny new video camera months ago in anticipation of Chloe's arrival, and for some reason, neither of us has so much as looked in its direction since.

But with my nephew Jacob visiting us from Colorado, I figured it would be the perfect time to give it a test run. So, here's a video montage of the first few days of Jacob's visit to New England. Enjoy.

Zombie Kickball

Charity. Laughter. Zombies.

Yes, that's right, zombie kickball.

I'm a little late in posting this, but better late than never. Toward the end of June, Melody was involved in a food drive event put on by a group of strange but fun people that created a thing called Zombie Kickball.

Basically, they dress up like zombies and play kickball. This year they decided to add a charitable facet by asking participants and spectators to bring food to donate to the food bank, which is how Melody got involved.

I enjoyed it thoroughly, as did the more than 100 people who showed up in the pouring rain.

What more is there to say? Zombies are fun. Charity is good. Oh wait, in zombese... zombies fun...charity good.

We <3 NYC

Hardly an original sentiment, I know. But, seriously, Melody and I fall more in love with New York City every time we go there.

Ukulele and me

My first Father's Day was amazing! Not only was it fun to have that day actually mean something to me for the first time in my life, but I got one of the coolest gifts of my life from Melody - a ukulele!

I've always wanted to learn how to play a musical instrument, but I couldn't really figure out which one best suited my personality.

A few weeks ago I was musing about how I should learn to play the ukulele so I could play Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to Chloe.

If you haven't already, download it from iTunes immediately! You won't be sorry.

Anyway, practically the moment the words left my lips Melody and I agreed that the ukulele was a perfect match for me.

So now I have one that I'm slowly learning to play. And as I small bonus, I'm also slowly getting over my fear of singing in front of humans.

First Father's Day

Father's Day, much like my actual father, has always been a non-entity to me.

I never met, let alone knew, my dad. And I've never celebrated a single Father's Day.

But with Chloe on the way, I thought it would be fun for me to spend my first Father's Day weekend reflecting on the kind of dad I hope to be.

Here's what has sprung to mind so far: loving, wise, devoted, strong, intellectual, understanding, forgiving, philosophical, articulate, compassionate and capable.

Now that I think about it, those words also describe the kind of person I hope to be.

Interesting. Maybe striving to be a good father will help me be a better person in general.

A past-due update

I wrote a few weeks ago about how hard I find it to keep up with this blog, and obviously, given my last update was over a month ago, that still holds true.

Sorry loyal reader. I'll try to do better.

I'll start by announcing that we're having a girl!

At first I had a hard time imagining exactly how I would relate to a little girl, having been a boy my whole life and all. But spending some time with our friends in Oregon and their two little girls put that to rest for good.

I'm thrilled! And just tonight, I felt little Chloe kick for the first time!

It was amazing!

iDrowning

One of the drawbacks of living in the information age is that it is so easy to get overwhelmed with information.

I usually find that The Diane Rehm Show is worth my time.

But with two hours of programing a day, I haven't been able to keep up. The funny thing is, it actually stresses me out to see those podcasts piling up in my iTunes queue.

Back when I lived in Phoenix, a city that requires a 30 minute commute of stop-and-go traffic to get pretty much anywhere, I would usually turn on NPR to catch The Diane Rehm Show, Science Friday, On The Media or any of the other excellent programs NPR offers.

If I missed them, it wasn't really a big deal. I would just catch them when I could. It certainly didn't stress me out.

Now I feel like a slacker if I don't keep up with the constant stream of media hurtling toward me through cyberspace.

I've heard Tivo has the same effect on people. Thankfully I don't own one.

Come to think of it, I also feel like a slacker if I don't keep up with this blog.

What's the deal here?! Technology is supposed to make our lives more convenient and organized, not hopelessly chaotic and stressful.

I guess the lesson to be gleaned from this post, assuming there is any merit at all to my random musings, is that it is important to not let technology run our lives.

Easier said than done.

Wow!

Our little Sea-Monkey is starting to look like an actual person.

It's amazing how a grainy ultrasound image can make the abstract idea of parenthood seem so real.

Planet of the JDs

Maintaining a highly visible Web presence (do a Google search for my name and I'm at the top of the results) can have some surreal consequences.

For example, I've been forced to confront the fact that my identity, at least my superficial identity, is not as unique as I thought.

I discovered this because there are other Jeremy Dowells in the world that do Google searches for their names and then find their way to my blog.

One of them contacted me and mentioned something about a Jeremy Dowell convention.

I'm not sure why exactly, but the thought creeped me out. As absurd as it is, I can't help picturing a hundred versions of myself milling about in a convention hall.

The image sends shivers down my spine every time.

I suppose one upside to attending a Jeremy Dowell convention is that I'd have a fairly good shot at remembering everybody's name.

Thanksfast

I recently attended an event called "Theology on Tap," where I was introduced to the basics of Lent - a time of sacrifice and charity, one purpose of which is to reacquaint Catholics with their spiritual core.

I'm not Catholic, but the discussion got me thinking about the value of fasting and similar forms of self-sacrifice.

Spending one day a week hungry, for example, would certainly help me remember that millions of Americans, and millions more around the world, spend every day hungry.

That reminder would then make me more likely to appreciate my life of relative ease and maybe even inspire me to donate my time or money to charity.

So, as a kind of experiment, I've decided that I'm going to fast at least one day a month. I may also identify certain luxuries that I can go without for more prolonged periods of time.

If nothing else, I'm hoping that I'll end up with a renewed appreciation for just how good Melody and I have it.

We're not rich. In fact, we're far, far from it. But we live a comfortable life, generally free from want.

And for that, we both have good reason to be thankful.

Buy or die

I was walking through the aisles of Target the other day (an almost daily routine for me since I freaking love that store), when I came across the emergency hammer like this one.

Now, an emergency hammer is one of those things that one could go through life never even being aware of, let alone owning.

But it's also one of those things that is really hard to justify not buying once you've become aware of it.

I kept imagining being trapped in my car, or coming across an accident where someone was trapped in their car, and not having the right tool to help.

Confronted with several such nightmare scenarios of my own creation, the $15 price tag didn't seem that much to ask.

I know you probably think I'm a marketer's dream come true, and maybe you're right.

I promise I won't hold that against you when I use my new emergency hammer to pull you out of your burning car just before it explodes.

Pregnant wifey craving no. 1

I've officially been sent out on my first husband/daddy-to-be pregnancy craving run. I know I'm supposed to act put out, but I think it's fun.

The constant

I realized the other day that no matter what changes life has in store for me, there is one thing that will always stay the same: whenever I go shopping for anything requiring a shopping cart, I will always - and I mean always - wind up with the cart that has the annoying broken wheel.

Welcome to the world, Sea-Monkey!

Yesterday I learned that I am going to be a daddy! It hasn't fully sunk in yet, but so far I can report that I had no idea it was possible to feel this happy and excited!

My mind is racing with thoughts of all the firsts that are coming my way - the first time I'll hear my baby's heartbeat; the first time I'll put my hand on Melody's belly and feel a kick; the first time I'll hold my son or daughter in my arms.

It will be weeks before Melody and I find out if it's a boy or a girl, so in the meantime we've decided to call him or her Sea-Monkey, since that's what he or she most resembles right now anyway.

Don't worry, we have real names picked out too: Chloe Mae Dowell for a girl and Ryan Alastair Dowell for a boy.

Lost (on the couch)

For the past several days my wife and I have been making our way through the first three seasons of "Lost." It's a great show, but I have no idea how anyone could stand to watch the episodes as they first aired. We can barely stomach waiting the amount of time it takes to change discs and press play on the remote, let alone an entire week.

Speaking of stomachs, we better get off the couch and do some sit-ups...as soon as we figure out what the hell the monster is. Surely all will be revealed in the next episode.

Someone save us...this show is the devil.

Happy New Year!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

-Robert Burns, 1759-1796

Fun with eggs

This makes me smile every time I cook an egg. And it makes the job a lot easier.

In defense of (some) sitcoms

First, the definition of farce: "A farce is a comedy written for the stage or film which aims to entertain the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations."

I've always enjoyed sitcoms. Some suck, no doubt about it. But others are actually well executed and very funny. Some people dismiss the entire genre as mindless entertainment for the great unwashed masses. I've known people like that, and for a time, they convinced me their unfounded snobbery had merit, turning sitcoms into a guilty pleasure of mine.

A few months ago, I went to a play in Boston that changed my perspective. The play was a farce centered around a dinner party. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. And it occurred to me while I was watching it that it wasn't all that different from some of my favorite sitcoms, except the sitcoms tended to be better acted.

It also occurred to me that people who dismiss sitcoms as mindless entertainment probably wouldn't be as quick to dismiss the play I was watching, and that's just plain silly.

Sitcoms are farce delivered through a modern medium. Just because they're on TV doesn't make them inherently inferior to something you'd see on the stage.

So, if you enjoy sitcoms, there's really no need to feel guilty about it.

Check-ing it off the list

After years of putting it off, I've finally learned the basics of chess. Of course, I learned it while sitting through impossibly boring lectures in Employment Discrimination Law. No doubt that will be reflected in this semester's GPA.

For some reason my professor didn't test us on where on a chess board the horse or castle guy can move. And yes, I know those aren't the proper names for the pieces.

Best purchases of 2008

#1 Melody's engagement ring. For obvious reasons. Plus I love the way it catches the light.












#2 My wedding band. Brushed titanium. Simple. Inexpensive.












#3 Skagen brushed titanium watch. Like my wedding band, it's simple. It's also amazingly thin and lightweight. I wear it every day. Looks good with a suit or jeans and a t-shirt. Thanks to Jacob for helping me pick it out.Yep, my nephew has style.












#4 iPhone 3G. I'm not much of a gadget guy, but the iPhone really is more than hype. I was one of the suckers who got the original iPhone a few months before Steve Jobs released the 3G. The original was a great phone, but a little slow on the data side. The 3G is much faster, and as for ease of use and style, well, nobody does that better than Apple. Let's put it this way. I traded my original iPhone in on a Blackberry this summer, thinking that the Blackberry would be better. After about two minutes I was ready to run screaming back to Apple. I traded in the Blackberry within the same month and paid extra to get the iPhone 3G. It really is that good.


#5 Magnetic sculpture. I got this as an early Christmas present for Melody and she loved it! The smile on her face as she started sculpting was priceless.

First snow

My winter reading list

It's finals time in law school so reading for pleasure isn't on my agenda until the week before Christmas. Also, I'm a ridiculous procrastinator. Nevertheless, here's what I hope to read in the coming weeks:

• "The Conscience of a Liberal" by Paul Krugman
• "Lincoln" by David Herbert Donald
• "John Marshall" by Jean Edward Smith