Took the first steps toward my 20th high school reunion…

Thank God for modern technology.  If it wasn’t for this internet thing Al Gore created, I might have had to take days to get information to my class president for this year’s reunion.  I left information about where I’ve been, who I’m married to, pictures of my kids, etc., etc.  And done is done.

It seems that everyone who graduated from my class is doing well.  I just got off the phone with my buddy Kyle, who’s a pilot.  He keeps me in the loop on what the rest of the class is doing that he knows.  I also know our class president, Emidio, is now living in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.  I started checking in to this class creator site to see what people have been up to.  It’s actually kind of exciting, which surprised me, since in my romanticized version of high school, I really hated it.

I didn’t hate the people so much.  I was just not all that enamored of myself.   I had serious social anxiety, though no one picked up on it or just thought I was aloof.  I was an OK kid and wasn’t going to commit suicide or anything, but I’d always seen my high school days as somewhat of a failure.  I didn’t date much, because of the anxiety.  I couldn’t go to parties by myself–that kind of thing.  I had fun playing sports, even though I was a terrible athlete.  I feel like that Robin Williams character in “The Best of Times,”  thinking about passes I dropped or tackles I missed.

As a result, I don’t really have a lot of close memories with people.  Except for a few.  I miss two people very much–Steve Marshall and Richie Beshara.  Steve had brain cancer off and on for as long as I can remember.  We hung out with Jason and Jon Bryan a lot and went on road trips together.  I remember going with them on a road trip to OSU’s Lincoln Hall during senior year.  He was a good kid.  He went to OU for a while before he died, and while we moved in different social circles, I knew he was still my friend.  Beshara was the goods.  He was a motivator to me on the football field, trying to make me more aggressive and efficient as a player.  He was also one of the only people who appreciated that a smart kid like me could put myself out there playing football where other people wouldn’t.  I always respected that.

I’m looking forward to seeing other people this year at the reunion.  Hopefully, I can catch up and build new relations with them.

Things I’m loving in 2008

I have a lot to be thankful for this year (What is this?  Thanksgiving?).  My baby girl, Cecelia, is a month old now and healthy.  My wife is also healthy and recovering from the delivery.  I have a great job working for a hospital of the Cleveland Clinic Health System.  There’s tons of opportunities there and I’m finding creative ways to keep the right side of my brain satisfied while the left side is strategizing and working with prospects and donors to bring support to the hospital.  I’m loving that my boy, Jimmy, is potty-trained and acting more mature (well, mature enough for a three-and-a-half year old).  My oldest girl, Vivian is growing more mature as well.  She teaches me more about kindness and generosity than I thought a child could.  I’m loving that I have the opportunity to go on vacation with my parents this summer to Myrtle Beach.  We didn’t vacation that much when I was a kid, but I sure did enjoy the times we did.  I’d like my kids to experience some sort of vacation every year.  I’d like them to really get to know my parents the way I learned to know my grandmothers.  I’m liking that my sister is expecting a girl in May, so Cece will have a cousin to play with.  If certain Freudian slips are true, than my sister won’t be the only sibling bringing life into the world this year, so I’m loving that too.  That’s all I have for right now.  I just haven’t had the time to share lately, so I’m loving the fact that I was able to do it tonight.

An Office–You need to see this…

Yay, New Yorkers!  Folks from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater made this online mockumentary of “The Office” while the writers are on strike.  My friend Michelle Dobrawsky has a cameo in this one.  I think she’s supposed to be Shirley….

Running for office is HARD!

Just got done watching Hillary Clinton’s comeback speech after she won the New Hampshire Primary.  I like that she’s full of scrap and willing to fight her way out of a corner.  It will be interesting to see how she and Obama go toe to toe from here on in. 

People made a big deal about Hillary having a “real” moment in a NH diner yesterday where America got to see her real side.  I’m glad that happened.  Showing who you are to close friends, your spouse and family can be hard, let alone showing the whole country.  I know this because I just ran an unsuccessful campaign for Mayor of the Improv Resource Center.

 The what?  Exactly.  It’s a forum site where improvisers (of which I was) get together to talk smack, talk shop and on occasion, start a flame war (Don’t hate the players, Mr. Phan.  Hate the game!).  I usually go to the Off-Topic Forum and/or the Political Forum to crack wise and drop knowledge.  This site has a Mayor of Hilarity.  I lost out to the ubiquitous Ethan Kaye of NYC.  The man had infinite pull on this New York centric site and ran a campaign without any advertising.  I did my part.  Observe:

In Chicago:

Even the writers guild had my back:

Much thanks to Ab Williams, John Bolger and my skywriting team.  Alas, I was not able to win.  I lost 36 votes to 23 votes.  But that’s the point.  I had to hustle for each and every vote.  I pandered.  I gave out bribes (pending a win).  No one saw me cry.  No one saw the real Coolmite.  Which is sad, because he had so much to give the IRC as Mayor.  Oh, sure, the token cabinet post as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is nice, but I wanted the IRC to see the real me, not just the wiseacre behind the avatar. 

I guess it helps to actually live in the city where you might actually know people who could vote for you.  Maybe the lesson is don’t carpetbag from long distance.  It just doesn’t pay off.

Cecelia Kathleen is here!

OK, it’s already 2008 and I’ve not told the world about my second daughter!  Cecelia was born on December 28, 2007 at 5:42 a.m.  She was 8 lb. and 10 oz.  She’s been an unbelieveable blessing to us.