August 25th Well, here we are meeting once again like strangers in the night. It's been quite some time since I have worked on FabersPlace.com-well, actually, since I worked on the front end of the Web site. For the past few months, I have been working on new design ideas for the Web site; hopefully, I can live with some of these ides by the end of the summer. If you have any suggestions, or pages that you think should stick around, please let me know on this Web site, by posting any suggestions on our message boards. Gosh, it's the middle of August and I'm looking back wondering where the heck the summer has gone. It just feels like yesterday that I was sitting here writing about getting ready for the trip to California (which was at the beginning of May), and now the summer is finishing up. The trip to California was an amazing adventure. (See last months "What's New" for the pictures of the trip.) First off, William did great on the airplane; he actually played with some toys and slept a little bit. We started in California by going to see Angela's relatives in Santa Maria. It was nice to finally meet that side of her family (Angela's father's brothers and mother). We also got to see central California, which was very hilly, with plenty of farmland, and was neat to visit. Next, we spent a few days visiting with friends and seeing a few sights (the beach, Disneyland, etc.). It was fun seeing William's reaction to the beach, and also watching him interact with the ocean for the first time. At first, he didn't know what to make of the waves and sand, but then he started having fun, and just enjoyed it. California is a great place to visit, and worth a few more return visits.
The rest of the summer has been quite a blur. We have spent most of it going on small excursions, such as day trips or small weekend jaunts around the Northwest. Sometimes, we have just been hanging around the house. We had Dan visit for over a week during the middle of July. He took the train out again-the stories he has to tell about his train ride is nerve-wracking and makes me not even want to ride the train at Disney. This summer, I've been focusing on work, baby-proofing the house, and rooting on the Mariners. William has already been to three baseball games this summer, and he's only ten months old, (one of the times was even in a suite, heck it took me 33 years to get into one of those). It's hard to believe that September is right around the corner. Looking back at the pictures from around the summer, I can't believe how big William is already getting. He just went for his 10-month doctor's visit, and he weighs 26 lbs. 10 oz., and is 30.5 inches tall. I can't believe how much our little guy is growing. It's very hard to think he's going to be 1 year old in a little over a month. William is crawling everywhere, and walking with assistance from his walker (making life miserable for all the cats). For William's first birthday, Pop-pop Ira and Max will be coming to visit. I'm really looking forward to seeing their reaction to how much he's grown. (Pop-pop Ira hasn't seen William in person since his birth.) It should be a neat visit.
In the sports world, it's been an incredible summer for the Mariners. They have basically been in first place since the beginning of the season (with only a two week stretch of being in 2nd place), and have kept up with one of the best records in Major League baseball. It's been fun going to the games and seeing the stadium packed, cheering on the team, to levels that, six months ago, not one Mariners fan could have imagined. Then the inevitable happened-a losing streak, and the once faithful M's fans are starting to get doubts and go "ah, here we go again!" At one point, the Mariners record was 22 games over .500 and seven games up on the closest team in the division (Oakland). Now, with a small eight-game losing streak, everyone and their brother is jumping ship. I don't know, I get the feeling the M's will bounce back, take the division, and go deep in the playoffs. I also think that if all of us fans pull together, we can make this planet a better place for all of us. ARRRGGGGHH! Okay, I'm back from Never-Never Land (or left field, as Dan would put it)-sorry for the slip. I'm feeling much better now. In other sporting news, being the middle of August, we are smack in the middle of FOOTBALL PRE-SEASON, and guess what, boys and girls? With the regular season starting next weekend, most of the major sports writers have picked the Washington Redskins to win the Super Bowl this year. That's right, kids, the Redskins are the team to beat in the NFL this year! I know most experts will claim that this is the team to beat, but in this era of free agency and daily player injury, it's almost impossible to pick who will come out on top. Of course, I would love to say the Skins would come out on top, but deep in my heart, I'll say, "Go team!" However, call me at the beginning of January, and then I might give you my real Super Bowl predictions.
In the political arena, the fall election season is getting closer. Now that the Republican and Democratic conventions are over, it looks as if we are going to have one of the tightest, most hard-fought battles (and I don't think it's going to be pretty on either side). Each of the candidates chose his running mate quite wisely. Bush's choice of Dick Cheney is a wise move as vice-president nomination in that it adds to Bush's national appeal, and gives him some foreign support know-how. On the flip side of the coin, Gore's choice of Joseph Lieberman was a perfect move. Lieberman brings a centrist reputation and well-respected record from his years in the White House. I don't think either presidential candidate could pick a better running mate. (Still makes me miss the days of Dan Quale) As in years past, I won't fully endorse either candidate, because I don't want to influence neutral parties or start picking one or the other. Both of the candidates running for president have strong points, and also stand behind good issues. Most of what they say during their campaign speeches is election year hogwash, but deep down, I hope that somewhere one of these candidates makes some of his promises come true. It would be nice for a change.

That's about it for now! Hope everyone is having a great summer, check back often to see the changes going on here at Fabersplace.com.

See Ya, Peace Mike

P.S. Don't forget to take a peek at the Boards@Fabersplace.com to see almost daily updates, & conversations. (Sorry no longer in service- Mike - Jan 2003)

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