The Rogers Family reached our 1 year anniversary with Type 1 Diabetes in March.  Anne took Scott to lunch and they made a list of all the words new in our vocabulary:  insulin, Humalog, Lantus, basal, bolus, correction factor, highs, low, carb ratio, glucagon and the list goes on.

We’ve learned that if we have pizza or spaghetti for dinner, it sends Scott’s blood sugar over 350 around 3:00am.  We’ve learned that if he eats a meal full of carbs made of fruit and vegetables, he needs much less insulin for the same amount of carbohydrate made of starches because he’s usually “low” when I go to bed at 11:00.  He gets a juice box and a few goldfish in his sleep.  I’m surprised we don’t have any cavities yet.

We’ve made huge strides this year and we continue to grow in our knowledge and management.  He went on the OmniPod insulin delivery system last October.  (It is the same one Nick Jonas has!)   Scott has been a much happier child since then.  He wears a “pod” on his body all the time.  It is about the size of ½ an egg and a canula is inserted into his skin, delivering insulin 24 hrs a day/7 days a week.  We have to change the pod every 3 days although he’s been known to lose one occasionally during wrestling matches with his brothers or soccer at recess.

When Scott was diagnosed, we, as a family, decided that we would make diabetes a part of our lives, but it would not BE our life.  We work hard to help him have a normal childhood and not be overly protective, but sometimes it’s not that easy.  He went to the movies with his friends and he was supposed to call and let us know how much popcorn he was eating, to decide insulin amounts.  He didn’t call.  When he returned home his blood sugar was over 500 taking several hours to bring it down to a safe level.  How do you get mad at a kid for just being a kid?

Type 1 diabetes strikes without any warning.  It has NOTHING to do with the child’s diet: he didn’t eat junk food all of the time and he’s not overweight.  It does, however, change their lives forever.  He will never again eat a piece of food without thinking about how many carbohydrates are in it.  He will never again play soccer without the fear of having a “low” during the game.  We will never be able to sleep thru the night without worrying that his blood sugar might drop too low.  He will never again go one day without pricking his finger at least 8 times (normally its 10-12).

We also decided as a family that we would support the JDRF in any way and their efforts.  They are the largest contributor of money to Type 1 Diabetes research in the world, giving over $1.16 billion since their creation.  The JDRF was started in 1970 by parents who believed in a cure for diabetes, just as we do.  Won’t you please give as generously as you are able to the JDRF.  They are working on finding a cure for Scott and millions of other children like him.

That commitment to support means that we will be participating in the Walk to Cure Diabetes Saturday, November 1^st at the Nortel Campus in Research Triangle Park.   Please help us support the JDRF by visiting http://jdrf.jrr4.com (which redirects you to the JDRF website) and donating to our team or joining us on the walk. Any amount, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for any support you can provide.

Anne & Jimmy Rogers, Scott, Brad & Jay

I’m about 75% decided as to who I’m voting for in the upcoming presidential election.  I’m hoping that there will be some substance discussed in the debates to help me over my indecision.

One of the things that has bothered me this election is what has happened to John McCain.  I used to think he was the greatest – a moderate Republican who went against the stream of party thought when he disagreed, and would reach “across the aisle” when reforms were necessary.  I’ve seen none of that in this campaign, and I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

Thank goodness for The Daily Show.  Sadly, I present what should be a commercial for Barack Obama’s presidency.

It’s hysterical, and sad all at once.  Who’s the real John McCain?

and it’s not the one that involved throwing the jeep into reverse and getting out of the way.

Scott and I were involved in a head on collision yesterday.  Fortunately, thanks to airbags, and my theory of “yield to tonnage”, which is the lighter object should always yield to the heavier one, no one was seriously hurt.

I saw it coming.

I knew it was going to be bad.

My reaction, instead of getting right with my Lord and Saviour this one last time (my backup plan – covering my bases)?

“OH, SHIT!”

Not “Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me of my sins, and should I die from this, accept me into your heavenly kingdom.  I’ve tried hard to obey you, to love you, and to live by your Son’s teachings, but just in case we’re not quite right…”

Too many words for those milliseconds when the white Scion, traveling west on Perry Creek Road at Soccer Center, clipped the teenager using the “ For Entrance Only” as an exit, and came speeding at my jeep, which was quietly awaiting its opportunity to turn into WRAL Soccer Center.

Rather than dwell on the Christian learning experience that this should lead to, I’d rather propose something else.

I’d like to see the phrase “Oh, Shit!” come to mean the very same thing as my prayer above.

It’s shorter.

It’s much easier to say.

It would then cover all the bases.

Call me St. Jimmy.

As first reported in David Menconi’s blog at newsobserver.com, Comboland Radio is live on Live365.com.  In the last 30 minutes or so, I’ve heard Arrogance, PKM, Glass Moon, Brice Street, Mothers Finest, Connells and Mitch Easter.  If you grew up in Raleigh, you must revisit your roots.  I’m loving this – subscribed to Live365.com (you do not have to to listen) and loaded the mobile version on my phone.  I’m hooked.

From the website:

Comboland… this catchy moniker was coined by Godfrey Cheshire in 1985 for a project he and Bernie Reeves were developing at “The Spectator”, a weekly entertainment magazine in Raleigh, NC. The idea was to expose to the rest of the world the many great artists and bands that made up the “North Carolina Music Scene”. 27 bands/artists submitted 48 songs for the project. These tapes were shopped to record companies and found some success in England. A BBC special was filmed and a single compilation album was released on Making Waves records. A couple of the bands secured deals of their own thanks to this exposure. The others either toiled on or broke up. In the process some wonderful music was made. Beginning in the early 70’s the “Comboland” era sort of ended in the early 90’s but great music kept coming out of the region. Today the number of artists/bands making music in Comboland is remarkable! I know I don’t have them all represented here…yet! While Comboland Radio features quite a bit of the older tunes we feature plenty of the recent releases too. Hopefully this new outlet will expose the great new music coming out of Comboland. Comboland lives on!

• Armadillo Grill
• Jason’s Deli
• Five Guys
• Chick Fil A
• Jersey Mike’s
• Los Tres Vaqueros
• King’s Wok
• Sweet Tomatoes
• Amante Pizza
• Casalinga – not inexpensive, but the best Italian in town.

Wow, that list depresses me, but when you’re feeding 5, including a 12 year old that eats like he’s 16, it really needs to be inexpensive.

We generally try and stay away from “corporate” eating, despite the list above being more chain than small local.  The Rogers family will never darken the door of a Red Lobster or Olive Garden.  EVER.  Not as long as there is a Kemp’s Seafood or any small mom and pop Italian restaurant.

This past weekend, however, clearly shows the paradox being a food snob can present.  Friday night, we made a return to the Magnolia Grill for the wife’s birthday.  I will not do a repeat of that magnificent review from last year’s visit, but suffice it to say that it was a wonderful sacrifice to the culinary gods.  We need to solve the world hunger problem, and then we must figure out how to replace those round, red things in the grocery store with heirloom tomatoes.  Oh my lord!

Then there was our Sunday road trip.  When on the road to anywhere but the beach, we will eat at Cracker Barrel, a clear exception to our chain, corporate restaurant embargo.  I do despise the fact that there is as much gift shop as there is restaurant, but the food isn’t bad.  It’s actually pretty good.  It’s somewhat reassuring that within 5 exits on any interstate, there will be somewhere we can sit down and have a decent “meat and two”.  The Cracker Barrel has found a niche in that it is impossible to know of a mom and pop hole in the wall restaurant everywhere, and that’s why, when going to the beach, we only eat at Wilbur’s, McCalls, and the Meadow Village Restaurant – not Cracker Barrel.

We visited the depths of hell, however, Sunday night for dinner.  This trip was to take the oldest to Camp Cheerio Extreme (“Just 30 minutes past the middle of nowhere!”).  For the 2nd year, we’ve let our middle child choose where we ate dinner, and both years we’ve ended up at Streets of Southpoint, or the home of the corporate restaurant.  Last year it was Maggianos, but their fried cheese was “weird”, so it didn’t make the cut.  He chose the Cheesecake Factory.

What a god-awful attempt at mediocrity.  Their website claims “something for everyone”, which is the whole problem.  The 15-20 page menu has mexican, italian, american, chinese, and thai food.  PICK SOMETHING AND TRY AND DO IT WELL, instead of everything with mediocrity.

I would have been happier if the fish tacos had been bad, but they weren’t.  They were completely tasteless, even when covered in guacamole and salsa. Salt and Pepper didn’t help.  There was no saving them.

Of course, the place was packed the whole time we were there.  At least the cheesecake was good.

If you want to watch it the way it was originally released, you can break it up into the 3 acts:

Act One:

Act Two:

Act Three:

and spend $3.99 on Itunes to buy "Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog".  It was free last week at their website, but I bought it after the first "Act".

It’s silly, absurd, cheesy, and beautifully fantastic.  Neil Patrick Harris has a really great voice, and his ability to just look at the camera and express a myriad of emotions is nothing short of amazing.  I think they call it "ACTING"!

Nathan Fillion is perfectly over the top cheesy as our "hero" Captain Hammer.

This show has more heart, humor and talent in in than anything on TV right now.

The idea for this came the other day when I left my XM Radio at the office and pulled out my Disney CD.  Yes, I have a Disney CD.  Let’s move past that.

I’m new to the brother dynamic.  I’ve got 3 sisters, and my father is an only child, so I have never experienced the closeness of brothers until my own sons.  Nothing seems more appropriate…

This is the best show on TV. The “confessional” at the end gives goosebumps, and you cannot help but cheer a little bit.

I can kinda sing.  This has come as part of my mid-life crisis - until 6 years ago, the only singing I did was to the radio in the car.  Then came Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Children of Eden, a couple of solos in church, and the time since in the Tenor corps of the church choir.  I’ve had a blast…

Stephen Colbert is extremely funny, and based on this clip, can sing too.  The very idea of singing with John Legend is intimidating at best, and Colbert holds his own to create something amazing.

Extremely Funny, and can really sing.  I think I hate him.

I was asked to escort a young lady to the St. Mary’s Prom “back in the day” - we were friends from church, and she needed a date. I, being the young stud that I was, was certainly willing to oblige.

Back then, I did a pretty good job of transcending the cliques.  I could run with the nerds and the cool kids equally well.  I’ve never been much of a partier (not that I have ever had any problem with it at all, but it’s the rare occasion that I have more than one beer, even to this day), but I was usually handy to have around to transport the rowdier folks

We went in the front door of the Prom, had our picture made, and went out the back door, to the parties. We dined at the City of Oaks Diner (R.I.P.), and settled in at the Ramada Crabtree. Once there, I departed hastily, as my “date” had accomplished her end goal, and no longer had any need for me. I felt so used.  I would have been happier at the prom. Confident that she was with friends, I went home.

The next morning, everyone in the family had gone to church, and I was awakened by the phone ringing.

“Mr. Rogers, this is Officer Smith of the Raleigh Police Department, and we need to inquire as to the whereabouts of your date of last evening.” I explained that I had left her with her friends at the Ramada. The officer asked me to come down to the Ramada, where he was, so I could “answer a few questions”. I hung up the phone, rushed to get dressed, and the phone rang again - it was Mom, calling from church to make sure I was awake.  I gave her the details and she asked if I needed her to meet me at the Ramada.  I indicated no, hung up, and the phone rang almost immediately.  It was my date of evening last.  She was at the Ramada, and had fessed up to everything.

Turns out, she had told St. Mary’s staff that she was spending the night at home, and she told home that she was staying in her dorm room on campus. Someone had caught wind of this and called the police (she was a little rowdy).

By this time, my mom was walking into the Ramada.  I climbed back into bed.

I was the only good guy in the whole transaction. Shoulda just stayed at the prom.

It was a dame, and she was bent out of shape like an old paperclip.

“Johnny, I’ve got a big problem on my hands.”  Not knowing who Johnny was, I listened intently. “Anyway Johnny, I’ve gotten mixed up in a dangerous world, and I’m worried”

Guns? Imports/Exports? Murder?

“No worse, Johnny, much worse - Politics”

I took a shot, and poured myself another.

“I’m running for President, and I’ve gotten myself into quite a mess.  Seems I misspoke, and they had video, and Johnny, I just don’t know what to do.”

I was on my last handkerchief, and I wasn’t gonna waste it on this blubbering dame.  Time for another shot.

“Johnny, I need you to find me some snipers.  I’ve got campaign stops all this week - surely you can do something for me?  Firecrackers, then?  Please?  I’m desperate, Johnny.  I owe my supporters some snipers.”

I told the dame to hit the bricks as I poured my last shot of the morning - murder’s not my game.  Not today anyway, and not for this broad.  It was time for lunch.

Saturday Night Live was not spectacular, but it did have some solid highlights, from Tina Fey (across the board - nearly everything she did was funny) to Mike Huckabee on Weekend Update.  Sadly, Adam Samberg’s Digital Short was not that funny - it fell into the “Cats with Lasers” category.  This was the highlight, though:

(This is from hulu.com - the Fox/NBC site that shows what a TV “new media” website should be.  I’ve got some invites to the private beta if you email me.)

Also, after the Oscars (Jon Stewart - great, most everything else blech), Jimmy Kimmel posted his response to the viral video from a few months ago by Sarah Silverman. It is here, with a recap of the first video:

And just for good measure, the original Sarah Silverman video:

(That’s me after Scott’s run…)

Because we’re cool parents, we surprised the kids with a trip to the Great Wolf lodge in Williamsburg, VA, land of a pancake house on every corner in honor of our great presidents Washington and Lincoln.

Let me preface by saying that I am a kid at heart.  I love Disney, and I love the things that my children have reintroduced me to.

The Great Wolf Lodge is amazing.  The hotel room we are in is as nice as we’ve stayed in as a family, and the water park is a blast - an exhausting, crowded blast.

All in all, I can recommend the experience, if you’re willing to part with some serious coin.

That said, there’s a lot to hate here.  The check-in process is a disaster, with rooms available “as they are ready”.  Sure, check in time is 4:00 p.m., but if your room is not ready, well, you’re welcome to hit the water park.  We’ll be glad to rent you a locker for $5.00 for the stuff you can’t put in your room you can’t have, because we’re not ready.

The dining here leaves much to be desired.  They have a somewhat captive audience, with hopping in the car straight from the water park to get some dinner inconvenient at best.  That leaves the buffet restaurant or the Pizza Hut take out.

In the evolutionary chain of restaurant servers and cooks, the starting point is here.  We were warned, but convenience dictated that dinner last night and breakfast this morning was done here at the hotel.  Bad food and worse service.

UPDATE! - I’ve had some time and distance to rethink things.  What bothered me so much about the Great Wolf Lodge was that it wasn’t Disney.  I love the ways that Disney tries to take money from me - there is a cleverness and an element of appreciation that I get from Disney that the Great Wolf Lodge lacks.  It seems that they have you captive, and therefore it doesn’t matter that the food is average at best, and the wait staff service is perhaps the worst I’ve ever seen.  In a buffet restaurant, your job is to get me a drink, make sure it stays close to full, and bring me the check when I’m done.  When you cannot do this, you don’t care. 

The Failure To Be Disney is magnified in the Country Bear Jamboree wannabe show in the lobby, where the tree, squirrel, and bear sing a song that is a very clear rip off of Circle of Life from the Lion King.  I wanted to wear cinderblocks into the wave pool.

The bottom line is this:

Room - A+
Waterpark - A+
Everything else - BLECH!

Go, take your wallet and outside food, and you’ll have a great time.

Aretha Franklin at the 2008 Grammy Awards

Sea Witch Ursula from The Little Mermaid.

I bet you’ll never see them in the same room together.

R.E.M.

REM’s new one. - MP3 Music Streams on IMEEM

I can’t remember when I was excited about an R.E.M. album.  The last few albums have left me cold, and based on the song above, you can understand the lyrics!

U23D

Last weekend the whole family went to the Imax at Playoris/Exspace/Marblemax facility to see the latest experience of U2’s excess.

I like U2.  I have most of their albums in my collection, leaning heavily to the older stuff.  I have very mild issues with Bono and his self proclaimed messianic complex, but certainly not enough to bother me. Unfortunately, after seeing U23D, he may be right in his proclamation of divinity.

My experience with live U2 sadly is limited to video, but that may be the best way to see them.  I cannot imagine that their power translates to the back row of your local stadium - I could be wrong.  Their set from the original Live Aid is hypnotizing, and the Red Rocks video may rank as one of the greatest concert videos that I have ever seen.  

In U23D, their performance is AMAZING, and the 3-D effect is there only to enhance the experience.  There is one moment, where the audience is sprayed with water, that I nearly reached to dry off.  This was not some cheesy Disney effect, it was just that immersive.  The only time there is anything digitally added to the film for 3-D effect is near the end of the movie, when the letters and words being shown on the giant screens behind the band leave the screens and blanket you in their message.  Totally unobtrusive in execution.

The Fat Boy Movie Review gives it 5 stars!

It’s funny how certain songs and artists have escaped my attention over the years, and the Pogues are one that I would have totally been into “back in the day”.  Celtic Punk. ‘Nuff said.

I first heard this song last Christmas season on the Ron & Fez Show on XM Radio.  They start every show with an amazing song - the producers almost always pick something that is either a favorite, or something that I haven’t heard, but really like. Our tastes are remarkably similar.

My problem was, as subject matter goes, this song is only slightly more appropriate for Christmas as “I Believe In Father Christmas” by Greg Lake, a song that I used to like simply for it’s pomposity (is that even a word?) - but the lyrics  ruin the song:  “..The Christmas We Get We Deserve…”  As someone who tends to be cynical, that song is just too much. 

This one, however is not much better.  From Wikipedia:

The song takes the form of a drunken man’s Christmas Eve reverie about holidays past while sleeping off a binge in a New York City drunk tank. After an inebriated old man also incarcerated in the jail cell sings a passage from the Irish drinking ballad The Rare Old Mountain Dew, the drunken man (MacGowan) begins to dream about a failed relationship. The remainder of the song (which may be an internal monologue) takes the form of a call and response between two Irish immigrants, lovers or ex-lovers, their youthful hopes crushed by alcoholism and drug addiction, reminiscing and bickering on Christmas Eve in New York City. MacColl’s melodious singing contrasts with the harsh sound of MacGowan’s voice and the lyrics are sometimes bittersweet, sometimes plain bitter: “Happy Christmas your arse/ I pray God it’s our last”.

That being said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SONG.  And yes, that is Matt Dillon as the cop in the video.  Without further adieu - the Fairytale of New York:

But That’s not what this is about.  I love a lot of different types of Christmas music, and some of my favorites are sort of odd or obscure.

This one comes from last years Christmas episode of Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip (a show that deserved better - Aaron Sorkin can do no wrong when he is on his game).  It is by the the Tipitina’s Foundation, a group whose mission is to restore Louisina’s music community.

The runs at the end are just glorious.

Check back between now and Christmas for other “favorites” of mine.  Hopefully, there’ll be stuff you’ve never heard, or an old favorite.

I was on “Grey’s Anatomy” and it was my turn to sleep with Izzie.

While the details have been lost to dreamland, I do seem to remember that I was magnificent.

===================================================================

The nursery was set. Anne and a friend had painted the room a really pretty shade of blue (“It’s not Carolina Blue, I promise”) with a circus theme – there were elephants on one wall, a giraffe on the other one, balloons on the third, and a train on the last.

Our first son was on the way, and the arrangements had begun. It was the Christmas season of 1995, and after six years of wedded bliss, we were getting ready for what would be, in hindsight, a defining moment of our lives.

Our friends:

“You cannot imagine how things are going to change”

“Your world is going to be turned upside down”

“Get ready – your lives are never going to be the same”

“Ha ha! You’re going to get peed on!” (that was an unmarried friend)

We’d read all the baby bibles: “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”, “Baby’s First Year” – I’d even bought a copy of “When We Were Very Young” by A.A. Milne. Some traditions must be kept, and I was ready to read the bedtime poetry that was read to me.

We had cleared out our extra bedroom, and our lives, for our first son. We were ready.

And then Brad was born.

We weren’t ready.

Some days, we’re still not ready.

All the reading we had done went out the window. Everything our friends had warned us came true – every last thing.

We had prepared in every way possible, and yet, we still came up short. We had made room for our little one, but until we truly experienced it, we had no idea; no frame of reference.

Advent is the same way. All the excitement. The anticipation. A time of preparation, and yet we’re never really ready for the fullness the coming little one brings. Despite the fact that we do this every year, the thrill of this season builds in us again and again.

Making Room… For The Little One. Let’s celebrate His arrival as we would our own child. Get ready – your life will never be the same.

- James R. Rogers IV
November 1, 2007
“Ruining Future Generations Since 1996″

It’s parenting by incentive and disincentive.  A friend of mine has an Iphone, and my boys are drooling all over it.  I told them, in all sincerity, that if they could behave in a manner I expect, and completed their chores, I’d buy them Iphones.  I meant it.  They got excited, until they were made to realize that a promise was not sufficient, and it was going to be based on performance.  They were told that if they would meet the standards being set, two iphones would be delivered on October 28, 2008 and as further incentive, an Xbox 360 would be delivered before Christmas.

They made it a day and a half.

More details after the break….

We had 34 walkers, three dogs, and 2 strollers.  As a team we will have raised over $8,000!  Thank you to those of you who supported us in this most worthwhile endeavor!

It was originally my intent to transcribe parts of the column here, and then rip myself to shreds for the hack writing and triteness.  I cannot even bear to do so, as it is really that painful.  I started with a list of the sights and sounds from the fair.  I then go on to profess my love of the fair and how it’s a ripoff, both facts that remain true, twenty three years later.  Then through a series of too short sentences (a style I still employ, but to better effect now I hope), I tell of our visit to the fair and seeing Momba the gorilla girl - a fiction, if my memory serves, to fill column inches and an attempt to be clever.

The 2007 State Fair had many of the same sights and smells I remembered from the 1984 version.  We overheard outside the World’s largest Horse (I think there were three different booths claiming this this year) the announcer invite all comers to “see the giant horseshoe… smell the odor - you’ll know this is a live horse”.  We were obliged to tour the animal exhibits, and were disturbed by the banners hanging over the prize winning cattle as to who the purchaser was - it seems Harris Teeter is a big sponsor of the competition, as they purchased most of the cows.  I am a little concerned as to what the NC Farm Bureau Insurance will be doing the cow they bought.

I guess, in looking back on the 2007 Fair versus the 1984 Fair, I’m a little sad.  The years of smoky room politics that led to Strates Shows fairs for so many years meant that the fair was dirtier.  The element of danger as you rode the rides was palpable, and the fair was just sleazier.  I miss that.  During one of my visits to the 1984 fair, the guys I was with decided that we needed to visit the girly show.  Just down the midway from the freakshow tent, every 30 minutes the barker would attract a huge crowd in front of the huge stage where six or eight reasonably attractive women would come out and strut in whatever little clothing they could get away with.  You would then approach said barker, purchase a ticket, and then cross the stage to enter the tent.

I was at the end of the line of friends to purchase, and as I was making the move to enter the tent, the “beauties” came out for the strut, and I was pinned.  I’m stuck on the steps as the crowd behind me builds.  I’m 18, doing something I CAN do but shouldn’t, and I’ve just realized that my parents were coming to the fair with a bunch of friends that night. I was convinced that I would be busted for sure.

I wasn’t, and soon discovered that they women outside on stage must have had a break coming, as the women inside taking off their clothes were not the caliber of the ones I had seen moments earlier.  I do remember a woman approximately my grandmother’s age doing a dance with a hand puppet to the tune of “What’s New Pussycat”.

The 2007 Fair had hand sanitizers every 30 feet, and the 1984 Fair had shows that required them.

Monkey attack kills New Delhi official

I really shouldn’t find this funny. Sadly, I do.

• I’d like to be able to say that I’ve been quiet lately because I’ve wanted to leave the diabetes letter at the top of the blog, but it’s been more laziness than anything else. On the diabetes front, we’re doing pretty well - our team consists of 34 walkers, and the team has raised almost $5000 as of this morning. As a reminder, you can join us or donate at The Rogers Family JDRF page and you can read my letter at Scott’s Story. This is the first time we’ve done any significant fundraising and it’s been pretty surprising. The idea is to flood family and friends with requests for support, and cross your fingers. The surprising part is how some friends have really stepped up, and others have been disturbingly silent. Sadly, you go into this with certain expectations, with the thought that certain folks should be able to donate, and others won’t participate because of their financial status. Belle’s thoughts on giving have really rung true at our house, and we will more thoughtfully consider requests in the future. We’ve been asked for the three years prior to support the JDRF walk through a friend, and we’ve previously ignored that request. A $10 donation would have spoken volumes to them, and that’s $10 more than the JDRF can put to a cure.

Anniversary at Our House!

• This past weekend was our (the wife and I) 18th anniversary - Holy Crap! It’s actually been 21 years of “exclusivity” - more than half our lives! What started out as the boys spending the night at Grandma’s, fancy dinner and….. ended up with a very interesting meal at Tasca Brava (with perhaps a Fat Boy Restaurant Review© to come) and a George Clooney movie. My attempts at romance included a comparison of my looks to Mr. Clooney’s, which yielded the response “well….. you both have salt and pepper hair”. Seriously, though, it is amazing that the past 21 years have been as great as they have been, and it seems like only last week…

Growing up, I wanted to be a garbage man… (Seriously - you can ask my mom)

• As I was leaving for work this morning, the good folks of the City of Raleigh Waste Department were picking up the recycling that they failed to get yesterday - and throwing it all in the back of a regular trash truck. Good thing we separated it out and pay them for the privelege. I hope the City manages the Great Drought of ‘ought 7 better.

Politics

• Mark my words, this 18th day of October, the Democrats are going to screw this presidential election up. It’s their’s to lose.  It is time for a change, but the front runners don’t seem to be much of an option.

Raleighing R.I.P

• I’m not sure which was a bigger blow to growth in Raleigh, the City Council elections, or the death of Progress Energy’s CEO Robert McGehee. We should all hope that Progress Energy’s support of Downtown Raleigh was not because of their former CEO’s vision.

Dear Friends and Family,

Our son Scott turned 9 back in July. It’s been a tough year for him.

He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on March 6. He’s been very fortunate – so far.

Fortunate in that he has only had to endure 1400 finger sticks in those past six months to check his blood sugar. Fortunate that he has only had more than 750 shots since his “D-day” – the alternative could be much worse. We’ve been very fortunate in that Scott has not been rushed to the emergency room because his blood sugar got so high that he has gone into ketoacidosis, fortunate that our son has a disease that can be controlled, albeit through an insulin therapy that will dictate the rest of his life, fortunate that our 9-year-old has developed an early maturity that helps us all deal with this life changing event. If his disease is not managed closely, he faces a future of a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, renal failure, retinal damage, and risk of amputation.

It’s said that a person with diabetes (or their parents) cannot go more than 2 hours without having to make a diabetes related decision. We can attest to that. We’re counting carbs, fighting with the insurance company, and giving him at least 4 shots a day. We play the “What’s Scotty’s Blood Glucose” game every time he checks his sugar. We don’t get chocolate fudge pop tarts for breakfast anymore, and Anne hasn’t baked a cake since Scotty was diagnosed.

This is not a pity party though. We’re writing to you to ask for your support in a very special cause.

This year, we’ll be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Walk to Cure Diabetes along with a half-million other walkers across the country. Our goal: To raise $90 million to help fund research for a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications.

Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating, often deadly disease that affects millions of people–a large and growing percentage of them children.

Many people think type 1 diabetes can be controlled by insulin. While insulin does keep people with type 1 diabetes alive, it is NOT a cure. Aside from the daily challenges of living with type 1 diabetes, there are many severe, often fatal, complications caused by the disease.

That’s the bad news… and yes, it’s pretty bad.

The good news, though, is that a cure for type 1 diabetes is within reach. In fact, JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research to date. And JDRF funds a major portion of all type 1 diabetes research worldwide, more than any other charity.

We’re writing to ask for your support because now, more than ever, EACH of us can be a part of bringing about a cure. Each of us can make a real difference

Won’t you please give to JDRF as generously as you’re able?

Together, we can make the cure a reality

To join us in the Walk to Cure Diabetes, or if you’re unable to join us, but would like to donate to the JDRF, go to: The Rogers Family Team Page. Our family goal is to raise $3,000. Can you help? If you’d like to join us on the walk, or if you would just like to donate, that’s the link to do so.

Thank you for your consideration.

Anne & Jimmy Rogers, Brad, Scott and Jay

High School Musical 1 & 2

Disney’s latest attempt to drive pop culture worked it’s magic (in HD on Directv no less) on us this past weekend. My oldest had done a local kids theater production of HSM 1 back in the spring, but that was my only exposure to the first one, and perhaps not the best initial experience.

In the hype leading up to the premiere of HSM 2, the Disney Channel was running HSM pretty much non-stop.  One night after climbing into bed, it was on.  An hour later, it was decided to turn it off - work was just a few hours away.

I’m not entirely blind to the flaws - it’s fluff, and HSM 2 basically repeats the themes of 1.  Instead of a basketball production number, it’s baseball this time.  Troy and Gabriella hit a rough patch (is this really the end?), just to reunite to the surprise of no one except Troy. Sharpay approaches redemption!  Everyone sings a big number by the pool as the curtain call with microphones and everything!  Who’s gonna end up in the pool before it’s all over?????? The Suspense!

The songs are disgustingly catchy where they’re supposed to be and sappy and sentimental when the moment calls for it.

All in all, it’s mockable.  You will roll your eyes at least once.  It’s prepackaged manipulative junk.

And I Loved, Loved, Loved it.  When’s the DVD out?