HughesWeek

Our Little Girl Arrived...

2008-11-16T01:11:00.005-06:00

Sadie Lynn Hughes

November 15th @12:44PM

Weight: 7lbs 3oz

Height: 18 1/2"

Head: 13"

Mom, Dad, Mason and Baby are all doing great. Sadie is a spitting image of her Mom :) YEAH! She has a full head of black hair and big eyes. Mason came up to visit and was excited to meet her. Although I think the highlight of his trip was making the bed go up and down!

Beds were full at St. John's, so we ended up back at Woodwinds where Steph delivered Mason. Turned out to be a GREAT experience. The doctor and nurse were awesome.

September Birthdays....

2008-10-20T22:46:00.009-05:00

We have a lot of celebrating to do in September...

9/9 Happy Birthday PopPop!
9/14 Happy Birthday Steph
9/17 Happy Birthday Grandma!
9/24 Happy Birthday Matt
9/30 Happy Birthday Aunt Janice

I posted pictures from our celebrations on Kodak Gallery: September Birthdays

Dear Minnesotan, PLEASE VOTE NO!

2008-10-15T01:11:00.006-05:00

If you're voting this November in Minnesota, please take some time and be educated about the new CONSTITUTIONAL amendment proposed on the ballot.

I personally disagree with this proposal, but I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I don't think reading the words for the first time at the ballot box really gives you the information you need to say yes or no. If you chose not to read up on the proposal, please abstain from voting on it.

It's easy to read the wording and think "yes I want to protect our drinking water", "yes I want to support our parks and trails", "yes I want to preserve our art and heritage".

**This is why I think you should vote NO**

* We pay enough in taxes. Minnesota is one of the worst ranked states in the nation for attracting business due to our taxes .

* We have elected officials that we pay to manage our budget on a 2 year cycle. Let's hold them accountable to allocating funds where needed, given the state of our economy.

* Do we really need MORE money for our natural resources and the arts?? The Department of Natural Resources has a 2-year budget of $1.5 billion. A portion of the state lottery proceeds goes to the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund. The market value of this fund is currently at $415 million. In addition, in fiscal year 2008, the Minnesota State Arts Board gave away $5,146,926 in institutional support, $109,750 to American masterpieces, $626,573 to institutional presenter support, $57,000 to series presenters, $59,000 to artist initiative, $95,000 to cultural community partnerships,$7,262 to K-12 arts challenge Minnesota, $115,000 to organizational support, and $113,128 to school support.

* What's next? Do we need constitutional amendments for every special interest group out there? What about raising taxes and dedicating an amendment for education, health care, social security, etc. Many individuals argue that it's been done before (2006 - Transportation increase). That doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

If you'd like to read the exact wording of the amendment, here is a link. https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H2285.4.html&session=ls85

When the moon hits your eye...

2008-08-15T02:47:00.003-05:00

While I was out playing at the Children's Museum with Dylan, Mason and Dad made some homemade pizza. I know Mason had a blast because it was the first thing he told me when he woke up the next morning. Check out the pictures...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/making_pizza_with_dad?UV=281147108342_464345497605

Happy Birthday to You....

2008-08-12T00:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Graaaannnn

Happy Birthday to you

After a week of practicing, Mason was finally able to sing Happy Birthday to his Gran. We celebrated with a Pooh Bear cake and some John Deere paper plates...who could ask for anything more?!? Bella, Gia and Mason were there to help Gran blow out the candles...

Fly the UN-friendly skies of United

2008-08-08T01:28:00.002-05:00

Okay, so it's late, which may be adding to my slightly agitated state with United Airlines. I need to vent and so I post...

Mason and I flew United Airlines from Minneapolis to Philadelphia, with a layover in Chicago, last Tuesday. Our flight experience was ridiculous. United proved to be the most unfriendly, non-family oriented airlines I've had the displeasure of dealing with. Mind you I've been on five flights with Mason over the course of the past two years and have had NO issues up until now.

I urge EVERYONE to avoid United if at all possible. Here's a small recap of my wonderful journey out east:

Call night before flight to confirm seats. Too late, United can't confirm we will sit together, but she'll put in a request. Arrive at airport, we are together on both legs of the trip - boarding tickets issues. Phew! Plan lanes early in Chicago..whoo hoo, a few extra minutes to get to my connection. Oh wait, they forgot to mention that while I was in the air for 45 minutes, the connecting flight was canceled! I found out when I checked the time on the display boards. Thanks for the heads up. No worries, it's 9:15AM and I'm booked on the next available flight at 5:50PM! Oh, and we don't' have seats in the same isle available for you and Mason...so he's a few rows ahead of you in the middle of a few strangers. He's two, he'll manage, right!?!

Tried to get on standby for the 1:45PM flight (along with 42 others). No such luck. We checked out the huge dinosaur in the lobby for a few hours, played in the kids area for a few hours, took a two hour nap, strolled the moving walkways, watched others board their planes...still had some time to kill...and finally boarded our flight. A lady we met a few minutes before boarding was kind enough to move so Mason and I could sit together. Good thing Mason is so cute :)

There were flights earlier in the day available, but I was told since I checked baggage in at Minneapolis, I had a limited number of flights I was eligible for. Hmmm...okay. Somehow my baggage arrived faster than I did, because it was sitting off in a separate baggage area by the time Mason and I got to the Philly terminal.

Hey, hopefully the flight home will be better, right? It wasn't, thankfully we were seated together, but our flight was 3 hours delayed. I actually had to call their 800 number from the airport to get on a different flight because the Chicago gate agents were too busy to help out.

I wrote to United when I returned to kindly (I'm serious, I was nice) explain that I thought the least they could have done was provide some sort of food voucher for the 8 1/2 hours I had to wait with Mason. I also mentioned their gate agents were unfriendly and they were not very family oriented. Seriously, I barely backed enough diapers and toys to get through that long of a wait, especially when it was supposed to be a 40 minute layover.

Here was their wonderful response...I feel much better that they provided both Mason and myself with a $25 flight voucher so we can fly with them again. Now my flight will only cost $375 instead of $400. Perhaps if I slip the gate agent an extra $20 she'll let Mason and I sit next to each other....

Dear Mrs. Hughes,

I regret the inconvenience you and your son experienced when your flight was cancelled on June 29. I understand that you encountered the following:

1. Cancelled flight.
2. Seat assignment.
3. Poor Customer Service received from our representatives.
4. You were not served well.
5. Handling of your baggage.
6. You did not receive vouchers for food or drinks.

Mrs. Hughes, I would like to assure you that your satisfaction matters to us and we would not like our customers to be inconvenienced in anyway. We certainly don't want you to be inconvenienced by flight delays or cancellations. You also report that you did not receive vouchers for food or drinks. Your feedback is appreciated and I would like to assure you that I would register your comments with our management team for Flight Operations management for their internal review and consideration. We continue to improve service and performance because valued customers such as you keep us posted.

Additionally, we're concerned when our customers tell us that we could have demonstrated more attention to their individual needs. We regret the disappointment you've expressed and appreciate your taking time to comment on your experience. We realize you select an airline based on its quality of service. Your report of unsatisfactory behavior has been given to the responsible management for Customer Services at the Chicago Airport for their information and internal review. This will determine all necessary action to be taken in compliance with company policy. Our intention is to only employ a workforce who has the best attitude and aptitude to provide excellent customer service.

Although we cannot make amends the inconvenience you and your son experienced, as a gesture of goodwill, please accept the attached travel certificates worth $25 each for both of you, which can be redeemed on united.com. Before redeeming, review the attached terms and conditions.

Please give us an opportunity to provide you the service you expect from United Airlines.

Regards,
United Airlines Customer Relations

Pictures? What Pictures?

2008-08-07T22:36:00.004-05:00

So I finally took a look at our Kodak website and noticed something peculiar. Hmmm...no pictures posted since JANUARY! Perhaps it is time to make a few uploads. I'd make a promise to update more frequently in the future, but who am I kidding!?! Time is precious as summer quickly escapes me. I am definitely still snapping pictures every second I can...I just don't seem to get them on our website as fast as I should.

Hope everyone is doing well....take a look at our "new" photos when you have a minute :) I posted about 25 new albums...crazy!!!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek

Indecision 2008 - Who will Mason chose?

2008-05-15T15:34:00.002-05:00

Mason's take on who we should vote for...

...and Baby Makes Four

2008-05-15T15:08:00.005-05:00

Well, for those of you who haven't heard the news yet, we're expecting again! Matt and I just realized a few days ago we didn't send out a mass email or call around like we did with Mason. So here are a few pictures from our first ultrasound. The little alien baby is looking at us in the picture. Due date is November 7th, although I'd like to hold out until November 13th since that is my great grandfather's birthday. If this baby is anything like Mason, going a week late is nothing!

Hope everyone is doing well...I'm in the process of updating photos on our kodakgallery site, so check back soon for more updates.

Really?!? Where did the year go?

2008-01-20T13:39:00.001-06:00

I still think it's 2007 and refuse to believe that another year has passed us by. Matt and I avoided the long Christmas letter this year and opted for the '2007 Hughes Highlights'. So here is the update on Mason...

It seems as though Mason went from being an infant to a toddler in the blink of an eye. I really could just kiss him up all day long...despite his long, drawn out, 'Nnnnooooo MaMa'. Nothing gets by this kid. We go to school two days a week for a few hours, frequent the Minnesota Children's Museum, hang out with 'My Gia' (according to Mason) and still manage to go to the Park.

I'm truly amazed at how fast he learns new words these days. We're already saying three word sentences, the first of which was "MaMa hands COLD" :). Mason definitely knows what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it. He is learning colors already. At first he would only call things by Sesame Street charaters (Elmo = red, Big Bird= yellow, Oscar = green). This past week or so he's finally saying the color itself. Now he knows, red, yellow, green, blue, black, white, Oscar and Big Bird.

Despite my best efforts at blogging more, it fell to the wayside towards the holidays. I'll once again make an effort to start up again. Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year!

Turkey Bowl 2007

2007-11-28T16:11:00.000-06:00

This past Thanksgiving, Rob and Jim organized our first annual Turkey Bowl. After drawing for teams of two, we headed downstairs to battle it out on the Wii.

Jim and Matt went undefeated, taking the home the winning trophey (designed by Jim). Steph & Kevy took second place and almost knocked out the champs late in the game. Next year we'll see if Team Jimatt can once again defeat Team Stevy.

Teams:
Lyns & Bren
Sam & Dylan
Rob & CK
Steph & Kev
Jim & Matt

Best Game: Team Jimatt
Best Upset: Team Samlan over Team Rock
Best Individual Score: Jim (over 300)

Looking foward to kickin' it on the wii next year! Check out photos of the winning team, winning game and the Turkey Bowl Bracket:

This Old House: Exterior Refresh

2007-11-05T20:37:00.000-06:00

We had planned on doing this project a few years from now but it did not make any sense to do all the landscaping and cement work only to wreck it while updating the exterior surfaces so we flipped the two projects. Not exactly sure how this happened but we pulled this refresh project off in 3 months! Most of the time was actually used up in waiting on materials and lining up the slew of contractor schedules. We did a lot of the heavy lifting, read demolition, ourselves to cut down on expenses and the contractors mainly did the final installations, save the windows. Steph did an excellent job managing the contractors; she's pickier than I am! Big thanks to my brother Scott and Jack for their wisdom and hard work. :)

Our plan was just to get done before the snow fell, but Steph did such a great job lining up and pushing the subs we finished at the beginning of October.

07-05-2007 Removed Unneeded Chimney (first task of the project)
08-16-2007 Replaced Roofing, added 2 Sky Lights, Ridge Vent replaced box vents
09-01-2007 Replaced all Windows with Andersen Windows
09-04-2007 Framed and Installed one 8FT and one 6FT Andersen Patio Gliding Doors
09-19-2007 Installed James Hardie Board siding, Keystones, New Soffette and Facia
10-05-2007 Installed Leaf Guard Gutters (last task of the project)

Well that was plenty of an update this year so we will probably just spend the winter cleaning up the interior molding around the windows and new patio doors. Little by little...

Steph's First Tattoo

2007-10-11T14:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally got my first tattoo! It took me a long time to decide exactly what I wanted. My Gran and I both have a sun charm and I don't wear necklaces a lot, so I though it would be great to get the sun as a tattoo. My brother Rob and Matt took me up to Mitzy in White Bear Lake and we talked to one of the artists. I first thought I would get one the size of a quarter, but when Alice drew it up, it was about the size of a half dollar. I kept thinking it was huge and everyone at the shop kept saying "it's nice and small". A few weeks later I finally went up to see the final drawing and it looked AWESOME!

Check out a few more pics on our photo gallery: http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek

Twin Cities Marathon: Way to Go SAM!!!!!

2007-10-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

(Click picture to enlarge route)

Sam Foster finished the Twin Cities Marathon in 05:17:01! She looked awesome out there. The 26th annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is considered "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America."

She ran 26.2 miles, starting at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, traveling around the lakes and ending at the Saint Paul Capital. Her sisters Erica and Nicki also ran. Lyns, Gia, Mason and I were able to catch up with Rob and Bella to cheer her on at the 11 mile marker and the 16 mile marker. Here is the official site that tracked Sam's time: http://www.championchipmn.com:8080/TCM/Maptracker?bib=F2012

Here is a clip of her crossing the finish line. She is closest to the rail all the way to the right in the video. She's wearing a visor and green shorts.

I also took a few pictures that you can view on our photos site: http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/foster

We are so proud of you, Sam. What an awesome accomplishment! Can't wait to cheer you on at Grandma's next June.

Check out this entry for The Clique Movie Contest

2007-08-28T20:03:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone! My cousin is trying out for a movie role that is casted based on online votes. She received enought votes to be eligible for the contest. If you have 30 seconds (which is really all it takes), click the link and vote a 10!

The contest is to win prizes or an audition for a Warner Bros. movie. They are making a movie based on a series of books called "The Clique." The monolog Paige is saying in the video was chosen by Warner Bros.

It would mean the world to her...(and me)

Thanks!!!!

Check out this entry for The Clique Movie Contest

Mason Update: Visit to the Children's Museum

2007-07-03T04:39:00.000-05:00

Matt and I took Mason to the Children's Museum of Minnesota. They are having a Curious George Exhibit, so we just had to check it out.

He had a great time playing at all of the exhibits, especially the water tubes! The museum has an area for kids ages 6 months - 36 months. It's full of padded ramps and tunnels. There were great views of Saint Paul from the third floor.

On the rooftop, they have a place where kids can build sand castles and paint on water stones. There was just so much to see we couldn't do it all at once. We will definitely be visiting again soon.

Check out the pictures on our gallery: Children's Museum

Mason Update: 14 Months

2007-07-01T01:51:00.001-05:00

Oh, the Places We'll Go....

Mason is off and running now. He started walking a few weeks ago and hasn't stopped since. For the longest time he was holding onto my hand and walking around. One day Maddie and Dylan were over for the afternoon and Mason just dropped my hand and walked over to Dylan. Then he walked right over to Maddie.

His two front teeth came in, so now he has his top two and bottom two. Mason chews on everything and I can see his back molars coming up.

Our little chatter bug loves to sing songs where he can clap or say the work 'Duck'. As you can imagine, we sing a lot of "If You're Happy and You Know It..." and "Old MacDonald Had a Farm". He also sings "E-I-E-I-EEE". He hasn't quite got the "O" down yet!

Latest words: DaDa, Buh (for Book), Pah (for Park), Pu (for Plate), Aaa (for Out), Baa (for Ball), Duck, Mmmm (for eat), Ahh (for drink), Uh Oh (usually when he wants the TV on)

He thinks it's really funny when I say "Say MaMa"...and he replies (with a huge grin) "DADA!"

Let's see, what else is new.... yesterday Matt was reading Mason the "Moo, Baa, La La La" Book, in which the first line is "A Cow Says...". Mason replied "MOOO!" We were both so excited we probably asked him what a cow said 20 times. I'm sure Mason was thinking "are you not hearing me, I said MOO!".

We go to the park across the street almost twice a day. He love seeing, you guessed it, the Ducks! He also loves the swings and the slides. We walk around waving to all the other little kids there.

Favorite toys right now: any sort of ball, Push Buggy, Play Kitchen, cars, motorcycle (check out the pictures in June to see him and Matt riding on it)

Mason is kind of neurotic about putting on the TV. He always says "Uh, Oh" when it's not on. He just gets louder and louder until we push play. He loves watching the Baby Mozart Nursery Rhymes and he still loves the Baby Einstein Day on the Farm.

That's about all I can think of right now. He's such a happy kid and such a joy to be around. I'll try and post updates more often. If you're still checking out the blog, drop me a line and let me know!

Photo Galleries: 20 NEW Photo Albums

2007-07-01T01:43:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. I finally uploaded all of our photos to the Kodak Gallery website. We have 12 new albums at www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek. I also create a Foster Family website at www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/foster. There are 8 new albums on that website.

If you want any of the pictures, you can right click and download them. Otherwise, you can always order prints from Kodak for 15 cents.

Mason Update: Trip to ComoTown

2007-06-29T04:02:00.000-05:00

Jim and I took Gia and Mason to ComoTown. The two of them had a blast. All four of us rode the train for the first ride. After that we figured we could put the kids on the cars by themselves. The rides are rated 1 - 3, 1 meaning no abrupt stops or acceleration. I couldn't stop laughing after the first car ride. That ride took off so fast Gia gripped the wheel and her hair was blowing in the wind. Mason just sat back and cruised around the track. Needless to say that was the one and only time they went on that ride.

Check out the pictures on our gallery. ComoTown

Welcome to Como Town where kids can drive cars, fly planes, fight fires, run, climb and play! It’s safe and wholesome family fun right next to Como Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul. www.comotown.com

Matt Update: Expect More. Pay Less

2007-06-15T02:07:00.000-05:00

For those of you that haven't already heard, Matt found himself a new job! He finally left Fair Isaac and moved on to bigger and better things at Target Corporation in downtown Minneapolis.

Matt is an Analyst in the Project Management Office (PMO). He started about three weeks ago and is really loving the new job.

Congrats Matt!

Hippity Hoppity, Easter's On Its Way...

2007-04-05T20:27:00.001-05:00

Mason's First Visit with the Easter Bunny

Mason's cousin Bella also visited the bunny the day before. She's growing so fast. What a cutie!

Welcome to HughesWeek, How May I Direct Your Call?

2007-03-21T13:59:00.000-05:00

Hello all,
It's been a while since my last post. Steph and Mason have been the most diligent about posting in the past few months even through all the crazy goings on. For some reason our February and March have been very busy; sick kids, sick adults, house work, new babies to meet etc. Isn't that the excuse you were waiting to hear? Right. Well, my goal is to get back in the groove too. So to get back on track I thought I would share a few new links to our online world to completely distract you from the lack of posts from me on this site. Overall, things are settling down and I plan on getting back into the blogosphere. Cheers, Matt

Friends and Family Sites:

My Sister Stephanie's Website. (It's her Birthday today! March 21st! Happy Birthday Sis!)

The Frey Family Steve and Karianna start an online life together. We wait patiently for little Frey to arrive in July. The Gnome Photo Gallery is a must see. As the unseen wedding guest, a true wedding crasher personally trained by Owen and Vince and a good reminder why you should never leave a disposable camera unattended at a wedding.

Estación Liceu, Kelly's Blog. Austin's better half gives the low-down on several topics in her daily-weekly blog.

Vivid Assault, My new "just for fun" blog that hopes to assault your senses. This blog will have nothing to do with the HughesWeek family blog; no kid pictures, no proud dad and mom moments, no family updates, its pretty much an outlet for the 18 year-old-boy still inside me that wants to talk about cars, guns, gadgets and boobies. Rated PG13 for the most part.

Foster News: Meet Karson Patrick Foster

2007-03-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

Born: March 13th, 2007

Time: Sometime Around 10:03AM!

Height: 19 inches

Weight: 6lbs 3oz

He's so cute...and so tiny! Check out picture from our first visit:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/2007_03-13_karson_patrick

Mason Update: 9 months old!

2007-02-07T11:56:00.000-06:00

Well everyone, it's been quite a month. The new year started off with a snowstorm so we had to stay home and watch the ball drop. Then my cousin Gianna was sick in the hospital. My cousin Isabella was born at the same time. Then I got sick with the stomach flu and had to go to Childrens Hospital. Grandma, Grandpa, Gran and PopPop all came to visit me.

I had my 9 month checkup too...I'm 17lbs 10oz and 27 1/2 inches long. My first tooth came in yesterday! Gran found it so I guess she's buying me my first pair of shoes :) Not too much else is new. Mom is home all day with me now. It's fun, she keeps telling me I'm really clingy, but I just love being around her.

Check out some of my pictures from this past month:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/mason_in_january?

Love ya's,
Mason

Mason News: Let the YouTube Begin!

2007-02-07T03:38:00.000-06:00

So the Dropshots videos were not really working out for everyone, so I switched over to YouTube. Matt also created "Labels" for our posts, so if you want to filter for just Mason, click on his name below. You can also click on "Video" if you want to see all the videos we have on the blog.

Here is a video I took in November when Mason was 6 1/2 months old. He was talking to his horsey in the high chair.

Blog Talk: Mad Hits

2007-01-26T00:11:00.000-06:00

We got our first international hits this week! One from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a city which I personally think is the next New York City, and another hit was from Beijing, China! The blog has been getting some more interesting hits lately. The viewership is split 50/50 with half of you as loyal repeat viewers, and the other half are complete noobs to the awesomeness that is the HughesWeek blog. All I have to say is, thanks for coming!

Updated Hit Map 2/2/2007

Photo Galleries: Christmas 2006

2007-01-25T23:07:00.000-06:00

Christmas this year was very special. It was a unique alignment of the moon and stars were everything seemed to go off with out a hitch. Once Mason figured out what the colorful paper was covering he really starting having fun.

Stephanie and I had an amazing time with Mason over the Holidays as we were home several days through the new year. Check out Christmas 2006 on the Easy Share site.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/christmas_2006

Photo Galleries: Mason in December

2007-01-24T23:09:00.000-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year... okay so lets not get too hokey here. Anyways December was a blast with the Mason. We had lots of firsts and enjoyed every minute of it especially since December means more time at home and with family. Check out the pictures on the Easy Share site.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/mason_in_december

Mason News: Patty-Cake

2007-01-20T21:19:00.000-06:00

Friends of ours posted a video on their blog and I thought it was a great idea. So here is my first attempt. The quality of the video isn't great, but it's really cute. Mason LOVES patty-cake...take a look!

Foster Family Update: Meet Isabella Rose

2007-01-18T21:11:00.000-06:00

Born: January 18th @ 7:41AM
Name: Isabella Rose Foster
Weight: 7.1 lbs
Length: 21 inches

Mom looks fantastic, Dad and baby are doing great. Bella is absolutely adorable. Can't wait to start kissin' those cheeks. Click on the pictures to make them bigger. You have to see all that hair :)

She also had pictures taken at the hospital: http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage_view.asp?URLID=6X9J6S3O7X

AHughesMent: Hanks, Tom Hanks

2007-01-12T16:56:00.000-06:00

What if they made Tom Hanks the next Bond? Answer: It would still suck but have more slap stick. Just what the Bond series needs, more slap stick and puns...lots of puns.

Weather Bulletin - North Dakota

2007-01-03T18:41:00.000-06:00

Steph just sent me this forward on email and I liked it so much, I had to post it. Not sure if it is the real deal or not but I like the message anyways. The writer is nicely Darwinistic with the "Work or Die" statement.

Weather Bulletin - North Dakota News

This text is from a county emergency manager out in the western part of North Dakota state after a snowstorm.

WEATHER BULLETIN

Up here, in the Northern Plains, we just recovered from a Historic event--- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions” --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FYI:

George Bush did not come.

FEMA did nothing.

No one howled for the government.

No one blamed the government.

No one even uttered an expletive on TV.

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.

Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.

CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snowstorm. Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.

No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.

No one looted.

Nobody - I mean nobody demanded the government do something.

Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.

No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera.

No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found.

Nope, we just melted the snow for water.

Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars.

The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.

Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snowbound families.

Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.

We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.

We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die".

We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.

Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of the world's social problems evaporate."

It does seem that way, at least to me.

I hope this gets passed on.

Maybe SOME people will get the message. The world does not owe you a living.

I know, I know, it was a lot of water. But hey, you live on the coast in a town below sea level. Might want to think about that a bit. Probably time to build or buy a boat. :)

How 'bout that?: Return Policies

2007-01-02T14:22:00.000-06:00

Did Santa screw up and get you an XXL Ramones shirt instead of your normal Large? Not very happy with your "ightPOD" Mp3 player knock-off? Well return it or exchange it for something you really want! No thy rules of engagement to avoid the run around from a disgruntled Customer Service person who's Holiday employment is about to end like a typical Vikings post season.

Photo Galleries: Mason in November

2006-12-26T23:45:00.000-06:00

Mason is growing fast! We try to take a lot of pictures but some times we are just having too much fun to remember to grab the camera. So there are a few pictures from November loaded up on the Kodak Easy Share Site. Lots of smiles and fun times with Mom and Dad!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/mason_in_november

Robot Domination Countdown: Transformers Movie in 195 days!

2006-12-21T22:43:00.000-06:00

Just 7 more months until the Transformers Movie launches. Here is the new trailer!

Bumble Bee looks very evil for the "good guy" lovable bug (now a Concept Camero) that we all grew up with and what is with Optimus Prime having a standard semi tractor front end and a flame paint job? WTF??? But everything else looks pretty good in my opinion.

How 'bout that?: Death and Taxes

2006-12-12T19:45:00.000-06:00

Sometimes when the government talks about tax dollars it is hard to really comprehend how many dollars they are talking about for the needed "social" services. Comparing your purchase of your car to a purchase of a M1A1 tank can be really hard, especially if you are not in the habit of buying tanks. I found this website with a graphical representation of tax dollar usage. It compares each government agency to each other.... the larger the circle, the more tax dollars used by that agency.

http://www.thebudgetgraph.com/view.html

AHughesMent: Addicted to Line Rider

2006-12-11T16:46:00.000-06:00

There was a time in the 80's when "Line Riding Addict" probably had a different meaning, but today it is for this highly addictive game. Draw your line, click Play to ride the line...try not to kill the little guy.

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/40255643/

AHughesMent: I HAS UR PHUN EES

2006-12-08T14:52:00.000-06:00

There is a ton of these at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/buro9/sets/72157594379214637/

Guns N' Roses Concert: Velvety Smooth, with a Few Thorns and a Very Long Barrel

2006-12-06T23:19:00.000-06:00

So last week I got some free tickets to the event booth for work. This time it was for Guns N' Roses, a band that I have loved for ages, but never really had liked enough to spend the $48.50 ticket price and $91.75 on Ticket Master fees. This time was different, free tickets means you can have very low expectations and still have a good time even with a "has been" lead singer and a band backfilled with non-original members. I called up my concert hound friend Kevin (or should it be fiend? Seriously he has been to like 500 concerts) to see if he wanted to go with me to the show. I knew the answer before I even called him as Kevin would skip his first born's birth to see a concert regardless of who was playing. More importantly I knew Kevin would actually dig seeing Guns N' Roses for the simple fact we have jammed to them in the college dorm and on road trips to Eau Claire's finest establishments many times.

The night went like this: Beers at the Local on Nicolet, then off to the show. We arrived late to see the first opening act finishing up on stage...naked. You see, never in a million years would it cross my mind that an opening act would consist of college girls jumping around on stage wearing only dental floss undies and smiles while dancing to music, so I as the rest of the 7000 people at Target Center was a bit confused. After the girls left the stage and everyone got that "am I seeing what I think I'm seeing" look off their faces, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row came on stage and did a normal, get the crowd drunk and ready, warm-up band performance. To our surprise Sebastian, who did not look or sound one long haired-leather pant strutting ounce different than he did in 1990, sang all the Skid Row songs pumping up the audience. 18 and Life, I Remember You, Monkey Business, and Youth Gone Wild did plenty to get everyone ready for some head-banging hair-band rock-n-roll and was actually starting to pass my still very low expectations.

We were now ready for GN'R! for Axl! for the lights and overpowering noise of the headlining band and we got.... Helmet. This third opening act is the act that should never have been. If we had been at the Metrodome the place would have deflated as the energy just left the building like Elvis on his way to a burger joint. So we drank more beers to pass the time, and the now 9000 strong audience just sat there with that "I wish they would bring back the strippers" look on their faces.

Finally, 11:45 PM, the most perfect arena opening guitar cords ever produced pierced the air. Welcome to the Jungle was the opener and it immediately lifted the crowds energy. Then it hit me, "This is not that bad." Heck "This does not suck!" I thought as my lower expectations of the performance began to rise. It may have been the beers, but I was thoroughly enjoying all the old GN'R tunes. Thankfully, they also played some of their newest album tracks which gave me plenty of time to hit the food concessions and beer stands. Overall they could have left the new Chinese Democracy songs out of the show entirely. After the sixth hour of their performance, yes it felt that long, I decided to go rest on the couch in the booth. Thankfully the band did not wait that long when the fans normally beg for an encore, maybe for fear that everyone would just leave so they got right down to business of closing the show. Finally at 2:15am they played Paradise City and the show was over. All in all, the old Guns N' Roses tunes were very well done and worth the show. Slashes stand-in did a reputable job on lead guitar. You just might want to bring a book or a pillow when they start playing their new stuff that drags out the show past bar close.

Month End Recap: Three Months At Once for Your Convenience

2006-11-30T00:27:00.000-06:00

Hughes News September, October, November 3-for-1 recap... (November calendar provided by the America's Cup)

Ate way too much at the State Fair-amazingly no food on a stick this year, Mason's first trip to the Swine Barn, Sold Steph's Cutlass-realizing now that we really do have a big driveway, Dad's (Foster) Birthday, Family together on 9-11, Steph's Birthday-turned 24 again this year, Mom's (Rollefson) Birthday, Matt's Surprise 30th Birthday party-"What do you mean we are not going to the Science museum?", Cousin Eric from California came to visit-my stomach still hurts from laughing for a weekend straight, Hinder, Hoobastank, and Nickleback Concert-Nickleback was really good live- gets 2 diggs from the Hughes household, Frey Wedding Celebration in Door County-"Worst Golfer Ever", Matt moved offices again back downtown in the AT&T tower- And there was much rejoicing...Yeah..., Sold Matt's Kawasaki Spectre-the Harley was getting all my love anyways, Traveled back to New Jersey to see family, Mason's first time at the Ocean, MomMom's 75th Birthday-"we drank how much?", Mason's first Halloween-"ROARR!", Pat Conlin's Wedding-"we drank how much?", Steph becomes eBay guru - sells popsicles to Eskimos via UPS, Thanksgiving with the Hughes and Foster families, Finished the Guest Room remodel - stop bye-stay the night...in a room!, Matt gets another bot. Finished the Upper Hallway remodel, Matt promoted-"Gonna need you to come in on Saturday...oh and Sunday too."

That is all for now. Good luck to all of you as we prepare for the Holidays. Remember it is supposed to be relaxing and fun, so no stressing out! My only advice to make Dec 25th a bit easier on everyone comes in three words: BYOB, Pizza, Giftcards!

Photo Galleries: Mason in October

2006-11-29T22:07:00.000-06:00

There is another new gallery on the Kodak Easy Share site. This time it is Mason's October Pics. ROARRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/mason_in_october

This Old House: Not So Extreme Makeover Update - Upper Hall

2006-11-27T00:09:00.000-06:00

Movin' right along to the finished upper hallway... if the pace gets any quicker TLC may think we're trying to "Flip" this house and film our every move. Boy would that TV audience be outrageously bored. Flipping this place is very unlikely as the more we remodel the more we are really starting to enjoy our house.

The upper hallway was our first floor plan reconfiguration. We took out a small broom closet and a built-in linen closet. These two spaces will be given to the bathroom during that remodel. The goal will be to make the bathroom bigger and include the linen closet inside the bathroom so you do not have to go out into the hallway dripping wet to get a towel. Now most of you are thinking, "Why not just bring the towel into the bathroom before you get into the shower?" And to that I say, "You people must drink coffee in the morning cause I never can remember". Besides, I would much rather spend my time and energy reconfiguring my house to make up for a lethargic morning fogginess. Anywho, below are some Before, During and After pics.

Before

During

After

This Old House: Not So Extreme Makeover Update - Guest Room

2006-11-26T23:20:00.000-06:00

I totally forgot about posting the house updates. This fall was sooo busy that I rarely had time to pick up a hammer or paint brush since August. Finally we are back on track and the Guest Room is done. Here are the usual before and after pictures. The closet door is the last update needed for the room, and since a shiny object has taken my attention onto other remodeling projects I will just wait until the furniture is installed before mounting it. :)

Onto the next room...

Before

Another After

Photo Galleries: Family Trip to New Jersey

2006-11-21T16:16:00.000-06:00

The Hughes Family returned to New Jersey in October to see family and attend "MomMom's" surprise 75th birthday party. The last time Mason visited New Jersey the view was not so good if you know what I mean. This time he was able to actually see everyone and meet many of his new family members. Mason loved meeting his Great MomMom on such a special event. He loved seeing his Great Gran! He got to spend a lot of time with "The Kissy Lady" (Aunt Donna) who makes him smile and laugh. He was so excited to meet his cousins, great-aunts and great-uncles. He even saw the ocean for the first time when all of us took a quick trip down to Seaside Heights with Aunt K! Overall it was a great trip out east!

Check out the galleries below:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/a_trip_to_new_jersey

http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek/main/the_jersey_shore

Robot Domination Countdown: Bartender, Make it a Double!

2006-09-29T14:10:00.000-05:00

Not that I want to beat a dead horse on the alcohol serving robots, but there are plenty of dead horses in the room and I loves-me some bartending bots!

Apparently, Number 5 really is alive, and now Jonny has to get a job cause Stephanie got tired of him looking at her "Software" and kicked his Saturday-Night-Fever-dancin' John-Wayne-talkin' free-loadin'-laser-totin'-robot ass out on the street. It took him only 6 weeks at Minnesota Bartending Academy and he got his license and a gig and now earns tax evadable cash in "the fun and exciting world of bartending". Click on the vid to see who might be helping you drown your sorrows in the future. Coming to a pub near you.

Photo Galleries: September Pictures Loaded

2006-09-28T02:13:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to making a few photo galleries. I loaded three September galleries on the Kodak Easy Share Site. I will add more as time goes on, working backwards until Mason is born. Who knows, maybe I will add a few random galleries from before "The Era of Baby" after that. I seem to remember us having some activities in our life once in a while back then. The three new albums are: Random Mason at 4 months, My cousin Eric Visits, and the State Fair. Enjoy.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek

Robot Domination Countdown: PBRMEASAP

2006-09-27T13:16:00.000-05:00

Finally a truly useful robot. All I have to say is, "It's about frickin' time!" Everyone has been building these home vacuum robots and life saving military combat robots. They kept completely missing the most important needs of man kind. No speakers required as I think it is saying profanities in Japanese, but who would know?

Steph's new Hooptie, Whip, Donk, Hot Rod, Kiddy Bus, Grocery Gettin', Low Rider, Shaggin' Wagon, PT Bruiser

2006-08-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

Look at this hot momma with her new car! With the arrival of Mason, came a need for a new car. So we went on the hunt for the perfect four-door family car. Steph's old car was a two door 1996 Cutlass Supreme SL land yacht that was not the best equipped vehicle to haul an infant and the accompanying cargoship-size holds of baby goods that need to follow every infant around. So during the car hunt, she started using her Dad's Woody PT Cruiser to make life easier. After 3 months of driving the Woody PT around we could not find a small, fuel-efficient family car that could compare with the PT's utility and decided to get our own. It may look like a small package, but much to our amazement we carried two 8 foot kitchen counter-tops back from HomeDepot inside the car with all doors shut. We are constantly in awe of what this little car can haul around and how easy it is to get Mason in and out of it.

This time around Super-mom Steph got to pick out her car 100% without the influence of her husband. I was hoping she would get a Corvette ZO6 or a 1970 GTO Judge in "Fly Orange", but she would not be persuaded. In the end, she got everything she wanted including the leather, factory tint, and heated seats... and dang-it if she doesn't look good driving it too!

Mason News: "Get in my belly...I'm gonna eat you"

2006-08-14T23:21:00.000-05:00

That's right, our little boy wonder has figure out how to clasp his hands together and my how he loves to shove whatever he can into his mouth. As we quickly found out, he has his dad's temper (ha ha!). Mason tries to chew on his buddy Marvin (it's a brightly colored Moose toy). He actually yells when he can't fit it in his mouth. Other things he attempts to fit in his mouth are his fingers, both fists (occassionally at the same time), Gran's shoulder, bibs, blankets, toys, books...you name it, he gums it.

He can almost turn over! His arm gets in the way and he can only go 1/2 way. Won't be long before he figures it out.

I brought him up to BabiesRUS for some photos:

What a cutie! I could just kiss him up all day. Just amazing how fast he grows. Check back next week for pictures of Mason with his Aunt Donna and Aunt Karen. They will be visiting this week.

The Cannonball Run: Don't Call it a Come-Back!

2006-08-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

With the recent major successes of the Gumball 3000 and Bullrun rallies gaining attention faster than Mel Gibson at a bar mitzvah, the original coast-to-coast car race is making a comeback! After a 27 year break, Brock Yates the originator of the Cannonball Run is attempting to bring it back in spring 2007. The first Cannonball was completed in May 1971. The race was named after cross-country record-setting automobile racer Erwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker. It was a meant to be a protest against the then-recently imposed 55 mph speed limit. Yates was trying to prove “that good drivers, in good automobiles, could employ the American interstate system the same way the Germans were using their autobahns”.

The difference between the Cannonball; and the Gumball 3000 and Bullrun is simple. The Cannonball is a true race; go like hell and get to the other coast the fastest and you win. The Gumball 3000 and Bullrun are rallies, not races. Rich kids and celebrities spend a week driving by day and parting by night in exotic locations (i.e. Playboy Mansion, Castles, Las Vegas Suites etc) across the states (Bullrun) and around the world (Gumball 3000). Get out your Burt Reynolds mustache and load up the fake Ambulance with a crazy doctor!

Extra: The best time ever set driving coast-to-coast was in 1983 in the US Express race. 32 hours and 7 minutes!

Check out these great links:
http://www.gumball3000.com/flash/flash.html Checkout the Films in the Gumball TV section!
www.32hours7minutes.com/ Be sure to check out the upcoming Movie Trailer!
http://www.bullrun.com/showGallery.php?contentGalleryID=72 Check out the video clips!

Cannonball Run Times
1. May 1971
Fastest time: 40 hours, 51 minutes
Average speed of winner: 70 mph
Cars: 1
2. November 1971
Fastest time: 35 hours, 54 minutes
Average speed of winner: 80 mph
Cars: 8
3. November 1972
Fastest time: 37 hours, 16 minutes
Average speed of winner: 78 mph
Cars: 33
4. April 1975
Fastest time: 35 hours, 53 minutes
Average speed of winner: 81 mph
Cars: 18
5. April 1979
Fastest time: 32 hours, 51 minutes
Cars: 46

Month End Recap: Ummm...Where did July Go?

2006-08-02T11:34:00.000-05:00

Hughes News July recap…(July calendar provided by the CIA)

Kitchen appliances were installed, the kitchen is still rough around the edges but usable. Waterskiing on July 4^th morning at Lindsey’s cabin in Pine City. July 4^th night provided a rain of fiery hotness as Roseville City fireworks hit too close for comfort in our yard and actually started a fire in the park (my brother Scott "Fire Chief" McBeath put it out) as well as hit a college kid in my driveway, second degree burns included. Steph worked a Charity Beer Bash in New Prague for the 3-day Breast Cancer fundraising. The Harley Custom had a gasoline hangover, puked its petro guts out in the driveway. Wife sold of our old household assets on Craigslist at record pace, soon to start "Stephmart" chain. We moved back into the Dinning Room. Mason was baptized, party at the Foster’s followed. Steph knocked around some balls at the Softball Tournament in Duluth, banged up knee. Matty’s Caddy got a new pair of shoes. Mason rolls over for the first time. Super Mom Steph returned to work. Matt’s company gambles with 2 employee’s careers by making him their supervisor. Moved back into the Living Room, movie night anyone? And finally, helped Kevin and Tara (Luther) and Kevin and Tara (Foster) move into their respective new homes on the exact same day, how weird.

Looking forward to a bit less-busy August.

This Old House: Not So Extreme Makeover Update - Living Room

2006-07-31T03:25:00.000-05:00

The Living Room is done! Man is it nice to have a place to hang out and watch movies and TV again! The only problem is, I like to hang out and watch movies and TV again! We did the usual, new... everything. The floors turned out amazing thanks to JB's Flooring who happens to be our neighbor and friend John. We hope to come back and put a sliding door out to a patio but it will be at least next summer before that can happen. Steph and Mom (Foster) did the faux painting work.

Here is the before..

During...

And After...

Car Economy: Assembly Soil turning into Spoils?

2006-07-30T16:33:00.000-05:00

Recently Toyota has started advertising how they now have 10 plants in the US. They are trying to get everyone to accept that they are just as American as Apple Pie and any other car manufacturer. It must be working too, since everyone I talk to that purchases a foreign car says "but I think it was assembled here." That's great, but how much of the profits stayed here? This is what I want to know and am trying to find out.

So far I only have one dated example. I had a professor in my senior year of my undergrad in Management 440 at UWEC that really drove this point home. We'll call him "Mr. W". Apparently, Mr. W did a pretty extensive study on the profits and taxes that foreign automakers encounter while selling vehicles in the USA. According to his findings, in 2000, I told you it was dated, the average dollars that returned back to Japan was $14,000 per car when combining the profits of all Japanese cars regardless of class and model. Now I say apparently, because I can't remember the sources and data set he used to confirm on my own. Which is where you come in; if you come across any of this information in news, books, TV, or on the bathroom wall of a bar, let me know. I want to try and figure this issue out again. Mr. W seemed like he had a lot of integrity. However I want to confirm and I want to see what has happened since 2000. With foreign-car market share increasing year over year, what are the impacts of cars that are built here versus cars that are imported on our economy? How much of the profits on average per car get sent back to the mother country of the Rising Sun? I will continue my searching, if you come across anything, shoot me an email.

Another side note here is an interesting thing about Japanese car taxes that I also learned from Mr. W. If a car is manufactured in Japan and stays there it is subject to higher taxes than if it is built to be exported from Japan. Okay not too out of the ordinary but still makes you think. What if we wanted to import cars to Japan? The professor above, "Mr.W", does this each year with a group of business men. (He was one of those guys that donated his teaching salary since he was already retired from a Fortune 500 company and had pet projects like teaching and importing cars to Japan to keep busy.) Each year they buy a brand new Cadillac and import it to Japan. By the time that it passes all inspection costs and import taxes they have to sell the Caddy for a minimum of $245,000 USD just to break even. Kind of one sided huh? Anyways, hopefully some of my research will shed some light on this subject too.

FYI- I am not totally anti foreign manufacturer, heck one of my motorcycles is a Kawasaki. Okay so I do treat it a bit like a red-headed step-child compared to my other vehicles, but I am trying to be opened minded. I just feel like everyone is using this tag line of "it was assembled here" to make themselves feel better. About what exactly? That is what I want to know. Overall, I just don't buy what Toyota and everyone is saying and want to learn for myself. Only 3.4% of the US workers are in the auto industry but since 1 out of every 10 jobs overall is some how tied/linked to the US auto industry, you might be curious too. (2004 US Auto Industry Stats http://www.pittsburghmultimedia.com/auto/index.cfm)

Mason News: The Baptism

2006-07-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

Mason was Baptised on July 16th at Transfiguration Church in Oakdale. It was a small service with our close family and friends. Mason wore a gown that his PopPop's was orignally baptised in. His cousin Gia also wore the gown a few weeks ago. After the ceremony we headed over to Gran and PopPop's to celebrate. Check out our pictures on the Kodak Gallery.

Thank you so much Mom and Dad Foster, Mom and Dad Rollefson, Kev, Tara, Maddie, Dylan, Jim, Lyns, Gia, Rob, Sam, Frank, Scott, Tammie, Kalya, Mary Ray, Tamra, Kirk, Elise, Teres, Maggie, Sara, Andrew and Sheri. We're so glad that you all could celebrate with us.

This Old House: Not So Extreme Home Makeover Update - Dining Room

2006-07-27T01:30:00.000-05:00

The dining room is done. Not much to say about it, other than that during the planning for the remodel we decided that we should change up the locations of the dining room and living room. Sounds odd, but the house layout gave us two rooms close in size that where both next two the kitchen. After living in the house, we decided that we got it wrong and the dining room would be better in the larger of the two rooms. Since this room is so large, half will be a formal dining room and the other half will be for Mason's play area and Stephanie's piano. As always, click on the pictures for the full size view.

So here is the before... (not the greatest picture, don't I look thrilled?)

here is the during...

...And here is the other half of the room for the after.

Robot Domination Countdown: Transformers in 368 days; Global-domination-human-enslavement in 4018 days

2006-06-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

Some of you know that I have a fascination for robotics. I read more about robots than I build or buy them, as I only own one robot, (a Wowwee Robosapien V2), but I’m certain I have figured out where this obsession was conceived. Transformers! When I was a kid, this was my Pokemon, my Harry Potter, and my Gameboy. Transformers… robots in disguise; it does not get much better than that for a guy who loves cars and loves robots. Well, we’ve all grown-up now, so I guess that means Transformers are all grown-up too and they are making a live action movie that is showing some real maturity. What’s more interesting is that it is a Michael Bay movie; remember the intense sequences of Pearl Harbor, The Rock, and Armageddon? Or how about the insane car chases in Bad Boys and Bad Boys II? This will not be a kids' movie; this will be a grown-up kid's movie. Only 368 days until its release; I know I already have my $13.50 for a movie ticket sitting in an envelop tucked away for 7-4-07.

Here are some links to more information and the teasers.

Official Movie Teaser

Live Action Screen Tests (preproduction prototyping)http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/movies/transformers-rollin-out-trailer-next-month-movie-release-in-2007-174140.php

Spy Shot of the New Bumble Bee Character

Fan Site

Mason News: A Little Classical Music

2006-06-23T01:39:00.000-05:00

It seems as though Mason is taking a liking to his Baby Einstein Activity mat. This mat has a star at the top that lights up and plays music when it detects motion. He just starts smiling and his legs and arms get moving. It's amazing how much he just enjoys being on the mat. When the music stops he just sits there and waits for it to come back on again. I took a small video clip of it with our camera (not great quality, but hey, it works). You can hear him talking to the star and then at the end of the clip you can see his little leg moving to the music! It's really short, so take a look. (http://www.savefile.com/files.php?fid=8851223 - click the big orange "download" button on the bottom right)

I also posted pictures on our Kodak Gallery (click the link on the right to the Hughes Family Photos).

And yes, I took more than the 11 photos posted, but I managed to narrow it down to these top favorites. (See mom, I'm getting better!!)

Foster Family Update: Gianna Marie 3 Months Old

2006-06-23T01:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, can you believe it's already been 3 months since Gianna was born! She's just looks so darn cute I had to post the pictures that Lyns emailed. Don't you just want to kiss those big cheeks!!

Mason News: Capture the Moment

2006-06-13T11:39:00.000-05:00

Time is FLYING by so fast it's hard to believe Mason is already 6 weeks old!!

I've finally posted a few albums on our kodak gallery for everyone to see. They are of our first few days with Mason at the hospital. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll have a few more recent photos posted. Keep checking the gallery for more updates. There is a link on the side of our blog you can click on.

www.kodakgallery.com/hughesweek

Random Rambling: Von Dutch Never Wore a Trucker Hat

2006-06-10T23:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we find things or people in life that are genuinely "cool". You can't always put your finger on it but it usually stems from someone's unique idea, invention, or talent. Something created from the soul. And when "it" really is "cool", no one from the marketing machine told you that "it" really is "cool", so you should buy "it" or you will not be "cool". Von Dutch, the man, was cool because of such talents that I will detail in a minute. It twists my stomach when I see what the Von Dutch brand has done to the memory of Von Dutch the man, a pioneer of car culture. I had to find out how this happened and thought I would share with you a brief history of cool in the form of Von Dutch.

Von Dutch, born Kenny Howard, is the father of free-hand custom pin striping and flame paint jobs. In the mid 40's, he began work at a southern California motorcycle shop as a mechanic, ...a 15 year old mechanic. He soon started free-hand pin striping motorcycles, something that had not been done on a vehicle in America since GM stopped doing it in 1938. Except his radical designs were a new step forward in custom painting. They were an expression that no one had seen before and it caught on quick. Ten years later he had a reputation that followed him from town to town working until he saturated the custom bike scene every where he went. He moved from motorcycles to cars only by chance as it was meant to be a joke and it snowballed from there. His work was so head turning that everyone in the 50's wanted their custom car to be pin striped and flamed by Von Dutch.

Von Dutch is one of the reasons the 50's and 60's Kustom Car craze stormed over the nation, with Southern California as the epicenter of the rodding culture. Cars owners would bring their rides from all over the country to be "Dutched". When a car owner came to him, he never told him what he wanted, just how many hours of work he was willing to pay for. The designs were completely up to Dutch and he never let anyone down.

Apparently, Von Dutch never liked the popularity much and would double his rates all the time to keep people away and let him be alone with his work. Dutch never made any real money from striping. Money was something he could care less about. He was quoted in 1965 explaining his philosophy on money: "I make a point of staying right at the edge of poverty. I don't have a pair of pants without a hole in them, and the only pair of boots I have are on my feet. I don't mess around with unnecessary stuff, so I don't need much money. I believe it's meant to be that way. There's a 'struggle' you have to go through, and if you make a lot of money it doesn't make the 'struggle' go away. It just makes it more complicated. If you keep poor, the struggle is simple. " And he walked the talk, living many years in a converted city bus on the back of a friends property.

Since the 70's he worked quietly for Cars of the Stars in LA. He is most recognizable for his logo, the Bloodshot Winged Eye-ball. It came from his theological beliefs and it stood for "the eye in the sky knows all and sees all". He was a believer in reincarnation and according to many people, had a photographic memory as he would recite mechanics manuals word-by-word and then give the page number it was from. When asked why he kept his manuals if he already memorized them, he said "I still like to look at the pictures".

He died in 1992, of a stomach abscess, leaving behind two daughters. It was the daughters that sold the rights to his name four years later to Michael Cassel, an entrepreneur who wanted to open a business that would appeal to the hot rod crowd. He and his partners opened the first Von Dutch store in 2000, on Melrose Avenure in Los Angeles. Not exactly what I would call Hot Rod central. Since then their goal has been simple, get every celebrity they can to wear a piece of their Von Dutch clothing so everyone will think Von Dutch is cool. Their "Hall of Fame", already has 100's of celebs strutting their stuff in Von Dutch merchandise and for those who don't know any better, I guess that makes Von Dutch "cool".

Mr. Jalopy, a favorite of my web blogging weekly visits says exactly what is on every gear-heads mind. "The $65 Von Dutch trucker hats sold at Bloomingdale's are an abomination. [However] Von Dutch's pinstriping tool box selling for $270,000 [on eBay] makes a sort of sick sense. Sure, it is insulting at some level that anything less than a 3 bedroom house should sell for that much money, but this box is key in the history of hot rodding. Not the dry lakes and khaki's hot rodding of the 40's, but the acid and Coors drenched metalflake 60's. Everything you love, everything meaningful with depth and history, all passionate authentic experiences will be appropriated, mishandled, watered down, cheapened, repackaged, marketed and sold to the people you hate."

Next time you see a high schooler wearing a Von Dutch hat, ask them if they know who Von Dutch is and what he painted.

If you want to see the real cool of Von Dutch, check out these links.
The Art of Von Dutch
and
Von Dutch: The Art,The Myth,The Legend

This Old House: Not So Extreme Make Over

2006-05-31T00:18:00.000-05:00

A few blog posts back I believe I said something to the effect of NOT doing another remodeling project until we are in a routine with the baby. Well, like many Bush Administration members, I did exactly the opposite of what I said I was going to do. In this case, not only did we do some remodeling, we pretty much went to war with Home Depot using a Menards credit card. I have no idea what that means, nor should you sit there and try to figure that reference out. Don't bother... we'll just move on shall we...

Instead of just warring in one room at a time like we have grown accustomed to in the Hughes household, we took it upon ourselves to remodel several rooms at once, the "Axis of Evil" if you will, and decided to support many theaters of operations all at the same time. The theory was simple, our house is old and dingy, lets do a quick surface refresh fast. That way we can hang out with our son the rest of the summer instead of going to HomeDepot to pick out tile. So I engaged the enemy with my wife's support. We have a medium sized infantry unit in the guest room; a small SEAL team in the upper hallway; we air-lifted several MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) into the kitchen before a major invasion with vast amounts of heavy duty resources that pretty much flattened the landscape; we launched a joint air-sea-ground assault against the dining room, and finally we re-invaded the lower family room and entrance hallway where we had fought so hard just a few years ago but where ordered to bail out before the trim molding was mounted.

As you might have guessed my approval ratings are now at an all time low. We are still in engaged in every room and this is displeasing to my constituents. However there has been some progress that I am happy to report. All ceilings are now painted, All walls are painted, All new interior doors installed, all new interior trim installed, all new electric outlets, switches, doo-dads and most importantly all hardwood floors have been sanded and refinished. No luck yet with the tyrant in the kitchen though. Better yet, Mom and baby are back home after a few nights exiled to La Chateau Foster. The house is now dust and fume free and starting to feel if not look newer. I have much left to do as the kitchen work is slow going. Before and After pictures will come sooner or later, probably once I actually have an "after" shot to take. The ones of me flipping off the camera while muttering obscenities will be censored by the US media.

One last note: Thank goodness for the many now battle-hardened family members that have given their Saturdays to support this effort. The lesson here is to fight only one battle at a time but if you must fight on all fronts, bring your family.

Mason News: By Popular Demand

2006-05-25T20:12:00.000-05:00

(Update: Fixed Links to enlarge photos.)

Here are a few pics to tide everyone over until we start the KodiakGallery pages when we get a free moment. (This is especially for Grandpa Don and Aunty Stephanie!)

Mason News: My First Post

2006-05-15T16:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I turned two weeks this past Saturday. Mom thought it would be nice for me to start posting news about how I'm doing. You'll be happy to learn that I've gained back all of my weight. I'm already up to 6lbs 9oz! It's been a pretty good two weeks. I like to eat and sleep a lot. Mom says she can't believe how many diapers I go through...The most fun I've had is with Dad. I wait to pee when he takes off my diaper and it gets him every time. You should see how fast he moves!

I'm still living at my Gran's house while Dad is making updates to our house. I go and visit during the day. The nursery is pretty great, I've already napped in my crib a few times. It's not as comfortable as when Mom or Dad is holding me, but it's a close second.

Gran makes me smile a lot. She likes to try and keep me up during the day so that I sleep at night. I still prefer to stay up with Mom all night, but lately I've been getting better.

My cousing Maddie is teaching me a lot of new songs already. Yesterday she sang "You are my Sunshine" and "Three Little Monkey's." I think it will be a while before I can sing, but I love to hear her sing.

Not to much else is new. Mom is looking at a place to post all of my photos. It's crazy how many pictures these people take of me. The flashes from all of the cameras are blinding sometimes. Mom tells me to get use to it because she plans on capturing everything she can on film. Oh well, it will just prepare me for when I'm famous and walking the red carpet :)

Time to eat and then take a nap. Chat with all of you later!

Foster Family Update: The Bachelor Season Finale

2006-05-15T16:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are actually fans of the TV show "The Bachelor," this post is completely unrelated :)

This past weekend Rob and Sam shared awesome news...they are engaged and also expecting a little one in January! Mason is very excited to have a new niece/nephew. He told me last night he hopes Frank the fetus turns out to be a boy.

So best of luck in the months ahead. We are all very excited and happy for the both of you!

Baby News: Meet Mason Charles Hughes

2006-05-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

Mason Charles Hughes

Baby Boy
Born: 6:38PM 4-29-2006
6 lbs 5 oz
20 inches long

Mason is a pretty content baby. He loves to look around and see what everyone is up to.

Mom and Dad, and baby will be at Woodwinds Hospital (Baby Resort :-P ) until Wednesday.

More pics soon.

Baby News: It's a Boy! (by Kev Foster)

2006-04-30T21:48:00.001-05:00

It's a boy! Mason Charles Hughes was welcomed into the world on April 29, 2006 at 6:38PM.
Mason weighed in @ 6 lbs. 5 oz. and is 20 inches long. Steph is doing fine and Matt is still on cloud nine. More to come when Matt & Steph return home with Mason.
One proud Pop Pop

Baby News: Ah, Push it...Push it good.

2006-04-28T23:09:00.000-05:00

I doubt Salt N Pepa had baby delivery in mind when the wrote the song, "Push It". In fact I am positive that is not what they were thinking, but what the hell. My wife's contractions are 7 minutes apart and she is taking a shower. Earlier tonight, she sat through dinner and chatting afterwards quietly for 3 hours when she finally decided to tell us that the contractions have been happening every ten minutes consistently. You should have seen my Aunt Georgia's eyes light up when she heard that news. So we decided to head for home and get some rest. On the way, we stopped at Home Depot and ordered some appliances. Cause ya know, there is no time like the present to order new appliances. You can't make this type of shit up, I'm dead serious. Then we finally headed home and the contractions switched to every 7 minutes within the past hour. We gave the Hospital a call to see what was in store for us, and they basically said go take a shower and hang in there. So here I sit in the office, blogging about the evening... a way cool and fun evening so far. My wife is a trooper and is still smiling. We are both acting like kids on Christmas Eve.

Anyone got any name suggestions??? kidding...

Hughes Family Update: Meet Kaydence Rae

2006-04-26T11:26:00.000-05:00

Another baby girl for my sister's family.

Name: Kaydence Rae McBeath

DOB: 4-19-2006 12:15 AM

Weight: 6 lbs, 12 onz
Length: 19 inches
Amanda and baby are doing well!

Baby News: The Waiting Game

2006-04-19T22:15:00.000-05:00

They say time flies when you are having fun. That is very true for pregnancies too. August 14th, 2005 seems like yesterday. That is the night I came home from a weekend with the guys to have my wife tackle me at the door beaming. (She already had that glow about her.) She announced the best news I have ever heard and it seemed at the time like the start of a very long journey. Not so, for 9 months has pasted in a blink of an eye and this guy is about to become a Dad. Ready or not here comes Baby.

The past few days have slowed down a bit. We are now four days away from the "Due Date". That special date that really does not mean much if you think about it. Only 5% of women have their babies on their Due Date. Overall, I can tell Stephanie is ready. I can tell the baby room is ready. I can assure you that my car is ready; loaded up with bags for the hospital, car seat installed, heck it already looks like a "family truckster." Everyone else must be ready too; they keep asking Stephanie and I the same questions over and over..."Baby here yet?", "Are you ready?", "Bet you can't wait?", "Do you think you know what it is?", "Do you have the name picked out?"...and on and on.

Putting aside all the commentary and questions, all the build up and preparation, all the nervous energy and anxiety of being a good parent, all the anticipation while waiting to meet this tiny little person...put all that down for a minute and what do you really have to be prepared for? In short, just a little life-event that will forever change my life, Steph's life, our marriage, and our household...forever.

You bet I'm ready... just call me "Dad."

Foster Family Update: Meet Gianna Marie

2006-03-22T21:20:00.000-06:00

Name: Gianna Marie Foster

Weight: 8 1/2 lbs

Length: 20 1/2 inches

Mom and baby are doing well! For more photos, check out the album on Shutterfly.

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcMWzVo0cNH-A

Baby News: Minnesota Family Baby Shower

2006-03-21T21:40:00.000-06:00

Baby Shower!

Hosted By: Tara, Lynsey & Brenda Foster
Location: Tara Foster's House
Date: March 6, 2006

Attendees: Brenda Foster (My Mom), Maddie Foster (Niece), Tara Foster (Sister-in-law), Lynsey Foster (Sister-in-law), Linda Ashfield (Family Friend), Sara Franzwa (Family Friend), Pam Lande (Family Friend), Barb Knoll (Family Friend), Barb Gilliam (Family Friend), Joyce McBeath (Matt's GodMother), Aretha Lloyd (Matt's Grandmother), Tamra Maroushek (Family Friend), Elise Maroushek (Tamra's Baby Girl), Sharon Rollefson (Matt's Mom), Mary Martin (Family Friend), Theresa Jones (Sister-in-law), Pam Rollefson (Sister-in-law), Angie Warren(Sister-in-law), Sherry Kinatader (Family Friend)

Thank you so much to everyone for the WONDERFUL gifts. Matt and I are truly blessed to have so much love and support. The shower was a lot of fun, even though I did terrible in the rice game! Did I find even one pin?? I don't think anyone had a chance once Grandma Lloyd had a turn :) Aside from the rice game, the Milwaukee girls swept the rest of the prizes! I hope everyone enjoyed the day as much as I did. Thank you again!

Check out pictures from the shower: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcMWzVo0cNH6Q&notag=1

This Old House: The Cribs Episode Not Seen on MTV

2006-03-21T20:24:00.000-06:00

The producers of the MTV show CRIBS would be proud, but since our baby does not yet have a double platinum album their camera crews have not come knockin' to document this Crib. (We did put some "Chriss-taall" in the fridge though, just in case.) As for the remodel, the nursery is pretty much done. As usual we did the fresh paint, outlets, switches, carpet, pad, moldings, lights and doors. Check out the pictures by clicking on them to enlarge.

We are going to take a remodeling break until the baby comes next month, and then it will be onto the guest room after we get into our new routine.

.................................

South Wall, Before and After... No furniture.

.................................

South-West Wall Before, During, and After... with furniture.

Baby News: Not from Sweden; the furniture is finished.

2006-03-20T18:19:00.000-06:00

Just in time, I finally finished all of the baby furniture painting and polycoat sealing and we now have all of it in the baby room. Everything is pretty much done and Steph has spent the past two weeks putting everything in it's place...you know that whole "nesting" thing. Anyway just a few more tweaks, some artwork, drapes, and what-nots, and we should be able to call the baby room done too.

Baby News: Where Oh Where Has the Baby News Gone??

2006-03-16T22:28:00.000-06:00

AHHHH...I know, I know, I know...where has all the baby news gone? I've been terrible at keeping this blog up to date. So, what's new? Here is what I promise I'll post about before the end of this week...

Nursery is almost complete
Surprise Baby Shower in New Jersey
Baby Shower in Minnestoa

We had the last of our bi-weekly appointments this week. Baby is head down and doing well. Heartbeat = 140 (which I'm told is good). Starting on March 30th, we'll be going to weekly appointments. I really can't believe how fast time is going by now!

Lyns update...no baby yet, but only a few days to go. She'll be induced on Sunday (3/19) if the baby doesn't decide to come earlier. I'm so excited I jump anytime the phone rings :)

Okay, picture update... like my new glasses? (I found them bargain shopping with Aunt Donna and Mom in Jersey)

Guilty Pleasures: Shiny Objects That Grab My Attention

2006-03-07T10:15:00.000-06:00

Here are a few "Inna'net" interests that I regularly digest and find interesting. You may find them interesting too...or maybe not...but that's your own issue to deal with. Maybe you are just not an interesting person, have you ever thought about that?

1: The GM Death Watch. I'm addicted to this column located at 'The Truth About Cars" website. Since two-fifths of the Hughes fleet are GM products, I like to see where the company is going. Okay, actually that's bullshit, what I really like to read about is how this company is going to try to save itself... from itself. Competitors are not even half it's problem and the GM Death Watch consistently dissects the real challenges this behemoth is facing.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/1141419410727162957/

2: Gawker Media. I love reading niche blogs and this media company keeps on top of them all. They have professional writers that are given free rain (sp?) to write/blog/opinionate about what ever they want as long as it fits there blog's topic. Below is a list of their current blogs with descriptions of the topics. The ones I regularly visit are in blue text. Check 'em out, you may fall in love with their writing style and humor as I so badly have....but they still never call.
Gizmodo - Gadgets and technology
Wonkette - DC gossip and politics
Deadspin - Sports
Defamer - Hollywood news and gossip
Jalopnik - Cars and automotive culture...my personal favorite.
Screenhead - Internet miscellany and humor
Gridskipper - Travel
Lifehacker - Productivity, tips, tricks, downloads and getting things done in general.
Sploid - Headline based news...not exactly CNN, so not for the sheltered souls.
Kotaku - Video games
Gawker.com - New York City area media local stuff (for my east coast family)
Valleywag - San Francisco and Silicon Valley stuff (for my west coast family)
The Consumerist - Consumer advocate and exposer of the evil corporate world with an affinity for picking on Best Buy.

3: Wikipedia. An online encyclopedia that is in constant editing mode by it's users. Scary huh. I'm not saying you should write a thesis based on information from this site, but it is interesting stuff. Search on a topic of interest and learn everything about it in a matter of minutes. Go ahead try it....you will learn something....I promise. If something is incorrect or out of date submit your change to be reviewed. This is perfect for all of you out there that have to be "that guy" and correct the sorry understandings of inferior minds. Here is your chance...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

"Picture book; pictures of your mama, taken by your papa a long time ago..."

2006-03-06T11:40:00.000-06:00

Queue the Hewlett Packard photo-printer commercial music....(Picture Book, by the Kinks)... Just a friendly reminder that all pictures on the Hughes Week family blog can be seen in a larger size by simply clicking on the picture inside each post. I have heard from a few people recommending that we put bigger pictures on the site. When Steph and I create new posts, the images are just smaller versions of the full size digital pictures. If a certain picture interests you and you would like to see it in more detail, click on the image to view it at actual size. Easy as pie..... mmmmmm..... pie. :)

Homeward Bound: New Job Moves Me Back to the Arden Hills Office

2006-03-03T13:38:00.000-06:00

"I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind... You could have done better but I don't mind...You just kinda wasted my precious time." Bob certainly speaks to me on that one regarding how I feel about leaving the downtown Fair Isaac office and returning to the Arden Hills office after only a two month separation. Being back in the Arden Hills office is kind of like going back to a nicer ex-girlfriend after some time going your separate ways, you actually appreciate her more. Sure everything was exciting during your little fling with lots of new sites to see and things to do, but after a while the cost of the dinners and movies were adding up and the new girl never pays for anything, nothing! Add to it that she lives on the other side of town and never wants to go out for drinks near your house which really sucks since you spend all your time in the car. So you finally get wise, call up the ex-girlfriend, make amends, and voila...you go back to were you belong. Every day seems brighter with no commute, every free parking space, even the ones at the end of the lot, seem.... well, frickin' awesome! It truly is the little things that make the day-to-day life enjoyable; so I am doing my best to not take it all for granted.

Oh, and I got a new job.

Baby News: Our First Photos

2006-02-02T19:36:00.000-06:00

Well, better late than never. Here's your first introduction to Baby Hughes...

Baby was holding his hands together. You can see the elbows too...

Here's lookin' at you kid!

You can barely see the footprint on the left side...

I like little butts and don't know why :)

New PC: If you build it...you will have fun.

2006-01-31T23:12:00.000-06:00

Mad scientist I am not but slightly irritated I was as it took an insane amount of time to get the new Hughes super-computer together and working properly. After 2 weeks of tweaking, "Deep Hughes" is now up and running and it has already re-tallied the 2000 Bush-Gore Florida votes, balanced the national budget, found oil in Oshkosh Wisconsin, and challenged Kevin Luther to a game of Chess. Overall this beauty is lightning fast like my wife Stephanie's wit and it will probably take over the world once it starts mass producing robots covered in skin that resembles the Governor of California.

Now why would I build a computer of this caliber for home use? Its not like I need to write the next "Million Little Pieces" novel at the speed of light,( I would never go on Oprah if I did!) and its not like the Hughes Week family blog is getting mad hits like Google or Amazon.com, (does anyone read this thing?) but rather I blame Microsoft. I could have purchased an Xbox 360 and have been plenty satisfied to play video games on it. Let's face it though, I would sooner find Osama Bin Laden at the Stillwater Wal-Mart than an Xbox 360 for sale inside the lower 48. So I built this new PC to play games and escape the real world a few hours a week. And what’s the fun of being a guy and building something if you can't OVER build it! Oh well, I hear it will be obsolete by next Tuesday....[sigh]

Baby News: Nursery Progress

2006-01-29T23:39:00.000-06:00

The baby room is well on its way! To be honest the toughest part of this remodel has been the color debate. Though I am not a huge fan of green, Steph found a great set of samples and we finally picked one out. Overall the Nursery is getting closer to complete. The furniture and carpet has been ordered so we have very little time to finish up the dirty work. Come back soon for the full before and after Nursery posting.

Baby News: Third Trimester

2006-01-26T21:49:00.000-06:00

That's right, we've started the third trimester! Time is flying by and the baby will be here before we know it. I'm still getting the "but you don't look pregnant" comments from family and friends. What can I say except... HA HA HA... less weight to lose later :) As long as karate kid is healthy, I'm happy. That's right we've nicknamed the baby "karate kid". No such thing as gentle movements with this little guy (or girl).

We've met all but one of the midwives now. There are five on rotation at the clinic. Blood pressure is a little high, but that seems to fluctuate depending on the stress level at work. Passed my glucose screening yesterday...yeah! Now I know what it's like to down a can of orange soda in 2 minutes ~ good times. We also opted to do a "quad-screening" for any abnormalities and everything came back negative. So far, each of midwives tells me I'm a text-book pregnancy.

Not much else is new. We're working hard on getting the nursery ready so keep checking back for pictures.

This Old House: Our Bedroom is Done!

2005-12-30T23:17:00.000-06:00

What's this? A room in our house that does not look like it came out of a Brady Bunch episode? tis true, new paint, base and crown molding, doors, outlets, switches, knobies and doo-dads. We no longer have the ugly long radiators or giant plumbing access panel. The final addition was soft carpet to warm the floors. (Don't worry, the hardwoods are safely tucked away under the carpet, we did not rip them out.) Below is a before and after set that you can click on to enlarge it.

...On to the Baby's room!

Happy Ho...lycrap It's Over!

2005-12-28T02:57:00.000-06:00

Wow! It's Over! We made it!
Doesn't it seem like we were carving pumpkins and handing out treats to the neighborhood rug-rats in "little devil" and Elmo outfits just a few weeks ago? Man the Holidays came and went quick this year for me! Well the Fat Man was good to everyone on all sides of the family and Jesus' birthday once again went off without a hitch or cake and candles. My nieces and nephews were bouncing off the walls like Courtney Love hosting a Toys for Tots drive. On Christmas Eve we had dinner at our house with 11 from my side of the family. My sister Stephanie and her family traveled from Casper Wyoming this year. It was great having them home! On Sunday we went to Mom and Dad's on the Foster side for more holiday festivities . Overall, I really loved all loot and thoughtfulness from the entire family. But if I somehow ended up in a game of Truth or Dare and was forced to pick, my favorite gift of this year was from my wife. I'll give you a hint. It has blue eyes, stands 2 1/2ft tall, roams the house autonomously, and can pick up and throw things, all while laughing, burping, dancing, tracking random objects, making insults and asking for money. Any guesses???

Anywho, I hope everyone had an awesome Holiday! I know this big kid did. You were all in our thoughts. Okay...Now on to the New Year!

Baby News: Lesson Number One

2005-12-05T22:46:00.000-06:00

Lesson Number One: Everything is on the baby's terms and only the baby's terms.

Either stubborn like a Foster or strong-willed like a Hughes, you be the judge. As it turns out we were not able to find out the sex of the baby during our ultrasound this evening. During the first try the baby's legs were too close together and during the second try the umbilical cord was in the way.

On a brighter note, the baby was very active and we could see the heart beating on the screen. Quite the site to see...or sort of see. I couldn't quite tell what the technician was pointing out most of the time. Matt was an expert within 5 minutes and was even pointing things out before the technician!

I'll post the pictures soon, so come back and take a look. Don't worry, I'll let Matt provide the captions so there is no mistaking a head for the rump :)

Baby News: Interview with a Pregnant Women

2005-12-01T22:38:00.000-06:00

The following is a rare interview with a real live pregnant woman. Parents be advised, some material may be inappropriate for children… okay not really, but it sounded cool to say it anyway.

And now, in all her glory, Stephanie Hughes, as interviewed by Matt Hughes.

M: The ultrasound is only 4 days away….how are you feeling?
S: Very excited and anxious.

M: Do you know who the father is yet?
S: I have a good hunch, but I won't know for certain until the paternity test comes back...keep your fingers crossed.

M: Any thoughts or aspirations on if it is a boy?
S: I'm hoping he grows up to be the next JFK, or man on the moon, or Babe Ruth. I'm trying not to set my expectations too high though.

M: Any thoughts or aspirations if it is a girl?
S: Here's to being locked up until your 18 kiddo :)

M: Rumor has it; you and possibly the father, are having nervous break downs? Is this true?
S: For me it comes in spurts...I can't really speak for the father, see the question above.

M: You seem to be a bit of a workaholic; will you miss work while on leave?
S: Not at first but I'm sure after I've been home a few weeks I'll be itching to log in and see what's going on. Then again...probably not at all.

M: Have you been buying baby items yet?
S: We bought some wipes the other day, but that's about it. Still need to find out if it's a boy or girl. I'm kind of a pink and blue person.

M: Have you been picking out Baby names?
S: We've tossed a few around, but nothing solid. I'm guessing we won't know until the baby is actually here. I'm told it could all change once you actually meet the little one.
M: Might I recommend if its a boy,"Speed"? ...Speed Hughes... now that is a good name.

M: How is the baby room coming? I’m assuming you’re almost done with it by now.
S: Oh yeah, we're almost done moving out of it so we can start. I'm sure we'll be done in the next six months or so.

M: How is your sex life? (JUST KIDDING!!!! Man, you should have seen the look on your face! Common, we keep it PG-13 on this site the best we can. :-P )

M: What is the best part about being pregnant?
S: Daydreaming about all the amazing things we will get to go through with our baby.

M: What part could your live without?
S: The sore kidney's, the "not quite showing but starting to" look, having to be cautious about how much I'm lifting and how much I'm running around...

M: What is the square root of 41?
S: My calculator is broken... I have no idea
M: Are you sure you are ready to have children?

M: Any outrageous food cravings?
S: Not yet...although I seem to enjoy cheese and mustard sandwiches a lot...and grilled cheese sandwiches...and cheese and relish sandwiches...and cheese cubes...

M: I’m sure are readers are just in awe...how could they not be. :) Thanks for your time and good luck with the whole baby thing. You will have to let me know how it goes.

This Old House: Monster Garage Complete, more projects to come...

2005-11-28T02:22:00.000-06:00

Some of you know that Steph and I's home is a bit of a fixer-upper. Besides the recovery of the lawn, a bit of clean up inside, building a storage shed and some painting here and there, we really have not remodeled any rooms yet. That is about to change and you will see it here on the Hughes family blog. A few months ago we finished the first big inside remodeling project, the garage! Now that we have a clean, bright, insulated and heated garage, the house projects should start falling into line as we have a great place to complete them. Currently in progress are a new central heat and air system and our bedroom. More pics will becoming soon on those projects so keep checking the site.

Click on the picture to enlarge the before and after picture. Garage before and after notes: The only items from the before picture that survived the remodel of the entire garage are the Craftsmen door opener, my hand-built workbench, and the vintage Snap-On tool box. Everything else has been completely reworked; new doors, windows, walls, electric, sound system, cable TV, ceiling fan, heater, fridge and tool cabinets. I plan on moving in shortly... :)

Baby News: The Beagle Blues

2005-11-17T16:45:00.000-06:00

We'll, Matt and I went to my second appointment today and found out that it would be another 2 weeks before I get an ultrasound. While I found it to be a little disheartening, our poor beagles took it the hardest. After I came home and told them the news,

Duke pouted all day on his bed...

while Chloe sleep off her disappointment.

They weren't even interested in their bones! I can just imagine the sleepless night they had sitting up wondering if it would be a little girl or a little boy that will soon try to eat their food, steal their toys and pull on their ears. What will they do in the meantime...the agony...the anxiety...the (can't think of any more "a" words...)

It seems the wait will continue until December 5th at 5pm, which is when the ultrasound is scheduled.

Blogmaster Beginner: Comment Posting Security Fix

2005-11-16T10:42:00.000-06:00

It has come to my attention that no one could post comments to our blog messages. Turns out, the newbie behind the wheel of this 18-wheeler-of-expression just got his permit. I had the blog site "locked down" if you will and no one could submit their comments. Abracadabra...Abracadabra...this should now be fixed for you family members, friends, opinionated masses and chit-chatters. Go ahead, drop a line, say "Hello", give us a piece of your mind, your 2 cents, your manifesto, or even just a friendly comment for discussion. We would love to hear from you!

You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go...

2005-11-16T01:20:00.000-06:00

"..........Downtown,
things'll be great when you're
Downtown,
no finer place for sure,
Downtown,
everything's waiting for you,
...Downtown"

So I have been singing that song for like 2 weeks straight now and it is not making me feel any better... It's official, the powers that be are moving my department to the downtown Fair Isaac office. As you might suspect the thought of going downtown again after being there for 2 years with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young kind of... well... sucks, it sucks. Allow me to elaborate.

Its one of those total lifestyle downgrading events. Let's see, the short list would be some thing like:
- I currently live only 5 minutes from work,... now it will take any where between 45-60 minutes depending on which idiot slammed into another idiot while both were talking on their cell phones in SUVs the size of Exxon oil tankers.
- My current daily commute now consists of leaving the house when I am appropriately ready for a leisurely 4 mile drive with no highways, no traffic, and free parking right next to my building....However, in a few weeks I will get to enjoy the vast openness of the local "Park and Ride" during -30 degree wind chills at 6AM, ride a packed bus with other unhappy "bus people", pay extra Rush Hour bus fares so I can experience the thrill of riding in a bus going 95 MPH on the shoulder of a highway passing stopped traffic like something out of an LAPD hot pursuit chase while I'm not even half awake and already stressed to the max! And let's not forget that fabulous bus schedule that my life will now revolve around. Wonderful.

Other things I am looking forward to... Downtown! (there's that song again)
- Days I need to drive my car anyways due to graduate classes in the evenings means bumper-to-bumper traffic, costly parking, more gas than normal, and everyone's favorite, the panic-rush-hustle leaving Minneapolis to get to my Saint Paul campus classes on time 2 nights a week.
- Let's face it, there will be no more college fund for Baby Hughes. Why you ask??? Because parking downtown costs as much as a 2 bedroom Condo costs in Miami, and lunch at a fine dining establishment like... Taco Bell, costs about $21.50 for 2 tacos and hot sauce packet.

But I'm not complaining, what's not to love? After all, I get to work in the top 4 floors of the AT&T Building (pictured above). Did I mention that I get vertigo when I stand on street curbs? Or that I watched WAY WAY WAY too much 9/11 news footage?...hmmm this should be awesome working on the top floors of a skyscraper!

Well I'm sure all this will be made up for by the happy and inspiring people in the city that I will be interacting each day. There is Mr. Pissed-Off Bus Driver, Mr. Pissed-Off Taco Bell Cashier, Mrs. Pissed-Off Parking Attendant, and let's not forget all the other positive individuals that I get to interact with from now on including, Mr. Snotty-stuckup-know-it-all-corporate-type fresh out of college that thinks his shit doesn't stink.... oh yeah, I was one of those...but I digress.
What is really important here is that my user community that I support is completely served! Um... yeah... you see, they are not coming to the downtown office with us. My users, my clients, the reason I exist, they are staying at the old office. Soooooooo, the people that I normally work with daily in their cubes are now going to be 45 minutes away by car. This outta make troubleshooting the Payroll systems VERY interesting. But hey, I'm sure everyone in the company has a spare paycheck in the bank, no worries.

Where was I???

Oh yeah..."I'm not complaining"...okay, okay, so I am venting heavily, ya got me. :)

Most of you aleady have this commute and see it as no-big-deal. And I have to agree, downtown is not really all that bad. I'm just worried about all these "little things" adding up and the impact that will have on my wife, school, budget, and soon...Baby Hughes. Yeah I know, I'm being a tinny tiny bit dramatic, but it is more fun that way at 1:30 in morning.

To wrap up...being the (sucker, no, pushover, no, wuss, no, spineless, no, guy-how-cares-too-much-about-the-mortgage-payment, no) ...ah yes... team player that I am, I said I would try it out and see how it goes.

Stay tuned, this should get interesting.

Baby News: The Inevitable

2005-11-11T21:13:00.000-06:00

Yes, the inevitable happened this week. I'm sure you've all guess it by now... Maternity pants! That's right, I bought myself two pair of work pants with adjustable waistbands at the nudging of Matt. Mom bought me a few tops too. I don't need them quite yet as my regular close still fit...for the most part. However, I'm sure my days are numbered.

In other news, we're anxiously awaiting our next appointment (count down: 6 days). Hopefully we'll get in for an ultrasound to take a peek at the little one. Or, as Lynsey's doctor would say, to find out if it's a hamburger or a hotdog...

More to come later...post a comment if you're reading these :)

Baby News: Shopping time!

2005-11-03T20:45:00.000-06:00

So tonight mom and I went to Burlington Coat Factory to look at a highchair and a portable play crib. Found one or two potentials, but too early to choose.

Had an ice cream cone from McDonald's on the way home...while it sound good and tasted good (the first time), I think I'm done with those for a while.

Lyns and Jim found out they are having a girl :) How exciting!! Makes me anxious to find out what we are having. Two weeks and couting.

That's all for now...

Easy Rider: Matt's Harley

2005-11-01T10:33:00.000-06:00

Most parents to-be sell off all the "toys" and prepare to "grow-up" and "act like adults". I'm not so sure Steph and I fit that mold just yet. So on Friday I finally found the Harley Davidson that I have been seeking out for the past year. You have no idea how hard it was to find a simple Black & Chrome HD Softtail Custom that has not been grotesquely violated by misguided motorheads. All that searching is over now and the new arrival is home in our garage. We've owned her only 3 days and have put 140 miles on it...man what a ride!

Baby News: Week 15

2005-10-31T22:00:00.000-06:00

Well, we're three weeks out from finding out if we're having a boy or girl (Nov. 17th). So far, not so bad. I seem to favor grilled cheese sandwiches these days. Not much to eat that won't make me nauseous. Feeling good otherwise. I'm finally able to stay awake past 7pm :)

That's all for now...

Baby News: Heartbeat

2005-10-31T21:05:00.000-06:00

Week 11: During our first appointment we heard the baby's heartbeat. I can't put the file on this site, but if you go to http://www.savefile.com/files/7662149, you can download the file and listen. (Click the "download" button in orange, and then click "download file now".)

Baby News: We're Expecting!

2005-10-31T20:53:00.000-06:00

Matt and I are expecting!!! I found out the weekend Matt was up north for a bachelor party. It was hard not to barrel him over when he came in the door :)

Okay...usual questions:

Q Were you planning this?
A Yeah :)

Q Really?
A Yes, really

Q Are you going to find out if it's a boy or girl?
A We plan to if the baby is willing to cooperate that day!

Q How are you feeling?
A Pretty good right now. Ask me in 10 minutes and it could be a whole different story.

Q So when are you due?
A April '06

Q So what was your last hoorah?
A Steph & Matt posed as the drunken Kennedy's at Rachel and Jim's wedding!

I'll be posting...so keep coming back for more :)

Matt and Steph Hughes at the Nohr-Trunnell Wedding

2005-08-29T14:34:00.000-05:00

HughesWeek the Blog

2005-08-29T13:17:00.000-05:00

Scarier than a 50's horror film and far less usefull than a cordless extension cord, HughesWeek the Blog is up and running.