Babies and Snow Days
Folk,
Added January 29, 2007
If you haven’t been reading them, Billy Ivey has been regaling us with his open letters to Trojan in the Letters to the Editor section, and they’ve been hilarious. We want to congratulate him on the birth of his son Abraham today, the 29th of January.
Also, check out our continuing lovefest for Portland band Menomena, who will be taking the US by storm in the next year. We’ve got an interview with Justin Harris and a review of their live show this week.
Hello, everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying the early strains of 2007. We’re humming merrily along here with the Collective. Two things:
2) PENNY IS PREGNANT! We are so so so happy for her and her husband Dave. If Penny cares half as much for her baby as she does about the world, this kid is going to be the most loved human in existence. You should post congratulations in our message board below, and keep her in your prayers.
3) The Oregon Ducks basketball team is rolling along. They recently beat the top-ranked UCLA Bruins and the 9th ranked Arizona Wildcats. Awesome.
So, the second wasn’t as important as the first. All in all, though, we’re excited about this year so far. John and Bob are working out splendidly as our new book and music editors, the Ducks are on a roll, Penny is having a freaking baby and we’ve got some more stuff up our sleeve in the coming year.
Before I go, I wanted to mention we had a snow day here in Portland last week, and it was a blast. I wrote some words about it and I thought I’d post them here.
It used to be, when I was younger, there were two or three snow days per year, times when the city went blank white, days where you checked the window in the early morning and slept impatiently ‘til your mom broke in to tell you school was canceled.
Today was one of those days, and it was the first snow day the city of Portland has had in a while.
This morning, I boiled a cup of coffee and stood on the front stairs before the kids had come out to sled, and the best part of snow, the silence, slid out over the neighborhood.
As the day rolled on, much too quickly for my taste, we took out a pickup truck with a rope tied to the hitch and dragged a sea kayak behind, whipping around East Moreland. It was nice to have another use for sea kayaks than kayaking.
My friend Steve lives close by, and I spent the afternoon and evening at his house, playing Xbox, walking to the store and talking to neighbors out in the street, looking for the best nearby hill to sled.
After midnight, after a near-perfect day where there was nothing to do but enjoy the sort of weather we rarely see any more (the last day like this was in early 2004), I walked home. At one intersection, though I was cold, I stood for a while and stared at the snow clinging to wiry oak branches, and watched a street lamp throw a cool yellow glow over it all.
For the most part, I felt a little melancholy. The last 3 years have taught me that snow doesn’t happen all that often, even if it had when I was young, and I tried not to picture those same trees bare and slick with rain.
I’ll tell you this: I don’t know if climate change is real (as the vast majority of scientists tell us), or if it’s a mass hoax perpetuated by that damn liberal media. I do know this: I’d trade high gas prices, a new iPod and a flattened subdivision to experience another day where a whole city is washed white and clean, and neighbors come together to shovel side walks and dig each others’ cars from the snow.
Jordan Green
P.S. I was going to write about an indoor basketball team I’m playing on now, but figured it was too boring. Anyway, that explains the thumbnail on the main page.
Posted on January 22, 2007 12:00 AM
Comments
Congratulations, Penny.
Dave... God be with you, brother.
Seriously... you guys have an awful lot to look forward to.
(please do not read anything into the fact that I included the word 'awful' in my "atta-way-to-go!" Just a coincidence, I'm sure)
Posted by: Billy | January 22, 2007 6:25 AM
Congrats Penny! Can we have a contest to name the baby?
Posted by: Chad Gibbs | January 23, 2007 11:36 AM
Ooooo....
I'm with Chad. We should come up with a poll -- The Top Ten Possible Names for Penny's Baby, As Decided by BWC Readers.
And I'm that Sufjan will be in that Top Ten, even though my vote is for Richard.
And by the way -- Congrats to Penny & Dave!
Posted by: Adam P. Newton | January 24, 2007 7:36 AM
Congratulations, Penny and Dave! My wife Andrea and I had a baby girl the end of September, and not only has the last 4 months been some of the best months of my whole life, but God has revealed many great examples of His love and His desires for us through how we love, nurture, care for, and teach our daughter. It is simply the most amazing gift.
Blessings to you both, and share lots of pictures! That's my second favorite part of fatherhood aside of showing Amelia off in person.
Posted by: Tim McGeary | January 24, 2007 1:16 PM
Thanks guys! You're all very sweet. Takes my mind off of my beaten insides and comical (but frustrating!) inability to tie my very own shoes.
As for a poll, as long as Chad's not in charge I think we might have a winner of an issue coming up, and we can get our parents off our backs!
Posted by: Penny | January 24, 2007 4:10 PM
penny! excellent news - congrats, for sure. even though i don't know you, i loved reading about your character in 'blue like jazz'. that's so cool that you and don have stayed friends for so long.
anyways, be blessed
matt
p.s. check out my review of 'emily haines' if youre up for some good lounge/furniture/lazy afternoon music.
Posted by: MATT MCKECHNIE | January 29, 2007 5:52 PM
Congratulations Penny! Will your husband write a letter to Trojan? Jordan, lovely thoughts on snow. I love winter weather and melancholy. Don't forget to watch My Name Is Earl on Thursday, February 15!! I play a drunken floozy. In the Lord.
Posted by: Susan Isaacs | February 2, 2007 3:13 PM
Congrats. I think chocolate goes well with pregnancy.
Posted by: Jeff | February 6, 2007 11:47 AM