Keelie Has More Visitors, Goes More Places

Keelie turned two weeks old today!

She has been spending most of her time at home, of course, but there have been some visits out. So far, she likes riding in the car.

This past Thursday, we went to Puma & Graddaddy’s (what we’re calling Kori’s parents now for Keelie’s convenience) so that Puma, Grandaddy, Auntie Kendra, Uncle Steve, Uncle Troy, and Uncle Toby could see her again.

Later, Troy and Toby came over to remove our old, nonworking wall air conditioner that I had started to remove, and install our new one. It was very nice of them to do that, bless them, since Kori and I had been frustrated in trying to get a couple of the big chain stores to do it. Apparently, they only deal with window units and central systems now. Together with the window unit in our bedroom, the whole condo should be kept cool now.

Friday brought Keelie’s first trip to go see a pediatrician since leaving the hospital. She cried the whole time the doctor was present. The doc worked on where Keelie’s umbilical cord had fallen off.

Saturday, Grampa and Grandma Pellman came down for a visit. While my father had been there in the hospital with us, he hadn’t had the chance to hold Keelie yet, and Kathleen had only seen her in pictures. They brought diapers along as another gift – bless them.

That's Kathleen with Keelie, and this is my father with Keelie.

Sunday, we ventured to an afternoon session of Homecoming, our small fellowship of church friends. Jeni & Jon were hosting at their place in Glendora. None of our Homecoming friends had met Keelie yet. Jenn & Dave and James & Chrissy were there, too. Jeni & Jon’s Graci, who was born in August, looks so big now! People took turns holding Keelie. This picture below is me holding her.

From there, we went to Puma & Granddaddy’s again for a family dinner. Everyone was there, including Auntie Kirby, who often misses such dinners due to work.

That's Uncle Steve holding her, and below in Auntie Kendra with Keelie.

I went into the office on Monday to take care of some things and get some work done. It is so hard to peel myself away from my two favorite ladies. Jeni & Jon provided dinner for us. - bless them! Jeni brought it over – homemade enchiladas, chocolate cake, and some veggies. There were enough of the enchiladas to have a full meal of leftovers for later, and enough cake to last for days.

Then, Puma and friend Diana came over to see Keelie for a little while.


Today, we ran a couple of errands together. Dave and Rachelle came over and brought pizza for dinner – bless them! It was nice to sit and talk with them and eat pizza as they met Keelie for the first time and held her.

Shelby, thankfully, does not seem jealous of Keelie. On the contrary, she has been very protective. Her bark and strangers passing by has become more ferocious. One evening, when I took Keelie to the minivan and sent Kori and Keelie away for a short while, Shelby was waiting for me to return to the front door as usual. However, she wasn’t satisfied with my return. She wanted Kori and Keelie to come back, too. But the clearest indication that Shelby has been changed by this is when we were getting ready to go out on Sunday. Normally, when Shelby realizes she is about to be left home alone, she eagerly anticipates an edible chew-treat. On Sunday, however, Shelby refused to accept her treat at first. Instead, she indicated she wanted to go with us. Thankfully, she eventually took the treat.


Thanks again for all of the comments, e-mails, calls, cards, gifts, and visits. We hope your Independence Day holiday is a good one.

Midweek Update, More Pictures of Keelie

Here is Keelie with her Auntie Kim and her Nanny this past Sunday.

We’re not getting all that much sleep, but we are getting naps here and there. Kori has been recovering quite well and her figure has come right back! Keelie is threatening to turn into a full-fledged night owl as she sleeps quietly through so much of the day, in the arms of her parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, and then cluster feeds at night.

Friends, family, and coworkers have been wonderful, offering all kinds of support, such as dinners. It is nice to have such loving people surrounding us.

Monday, I pried myself away from the baby and the babe to go into the office for a while to take care of some work and make sure I had some essential work taken care of so that I could stay with Keelie and Kori until next week.

Yesterday, Kori and Keelie had their first outing since coming home from the hospital. We all went up to attend the baby shower thrown in our honor at my office. We were overwhelmed by the attendance, the generosity, and the thoughtfulness. I really haven’t been there all that long – actually, we found out Keelie was on the way the week I started there. So, it was quite touching that there was so much participation. It was a really nice celebration, originally planned for last week with the plan being that Keelie would attend in utero.

But, as you know, she came out early, and the folks at the office graciously moved the date of the baby shower.

From there, rather than suffer through the afternoon traffic to get home, we went to Nanny’s place in Pasadena so that she and my sisters and nephews could hold Keelie again, and so that my brother could meet Keelie for the first time. After eating delivered Chinese food (my mom loves to cook as much as I love to eat, but her kitchen is being remodeled) - and waiting long enough for traffic to die down, we made our way home.

Today, we stayed home and took care of some phone errands, napped, and tried to make Keelie as comfortable as possible. She’s been upset today. Probably because no aunts, uncles, or grandparents came over to hold her. Or, perhaps because the umbilical cord fell off already.

Keep checking back for updates. Thanks for your comments, e-mail messages, cards, and calls!

Keelie's Birth and Everything Since - So Far

As any of you who’ve had a child of your own know, life has been very different for us this past week. The anticipation, and then the joy and elation - the nerves, the running on adrenaline so that it doesn’t matter that you haven’t slept. It's so strange, in a good way!

Here’s what has been going on.

I worked on Monday the 18th, and Kori had a morning appointment with the doctor. Kori experienced contractions throughout the day. I went to bed at roughly the usual time, and was awoken by Kori around midnight. The contractions were consistent to the point where we decided to gather up our bags, give the dog a “we’re going to be out all day” treat, and head in to the hospital.

Kori’s mother was not on shift that night.

We were admitted to the hospital around 1am.

As it turns out, Kori wasn’t actually in labor, but seeing as how the due date was close and there were some other concerns, Kori’s doctor, talking with the staff by phone, told them to go ahead and induce. That’s how the process began, in the wee hours of the morning.

As the hours grew more appropriate, I contacted various family members and friends to update them on the situation.

The doctor came in before her usual office appointments. She’d come back during her lunch break, too.

Pam and Bill were there early, Pam dressed for work because she was scheduled to work later that night. My father was also there fairly early, and throughout the day, others arrived – my mother, my sisters Kim and Vicky, Kim’s husband Mike and sons Blaine and Macon, Kori’s brother Troy, and her youngest sibling, Kirby. Our younger brothers – Chris and Toby, couldn’t make it, and Kendra & Steve were out of town but there in spirit.

I left the room just once – to eat lunch, which my father had picked up from the cafeteria.
Pam, used to a nighttime schedule, took a nap in the middle of the day.

The process was going slowly at first, and then spend up incredibly in the afternoon, so that when Pam woke up from her nap it was almost showtime.

As it turns out, Kori is a very good pusher. With her mother and I by her side, and with my mother replenishing cold damp washcloths, Kori pushed so well that the attending nurse had her breathe through three contractions without pushing, as Keelie’s head was in plain view for everyone to see, because the doctor was still on her way over. Because of how slowly things were going before, the doctor was contacted later than she should have been – but that’s hindsight for you.

I was an emotional wreck.

More medical staff appeared, anticipating the moment of delivery.

While holding Kori, I kept an eye on the monitors to check Keelie’s heart rate and Kori’s contractions. I just wanted it over with! I wanted Keelie out and Kori to be able to rest. Kori was just amazing – absolutely amazing.

Finally, the doctor, literally running, popped into the room, threw on some gear and out came Keelie at 4:27pm!

She was adorable and perfect, and had a head of thick, dark hair. I cried more than she did.
I cut the umbilical cord, and Keelie was placed on Kori’s chest. As Keelie was introduced to her mother face to face for the first time, Keelie made an “I love you” sign with one hand, as if she was going to suck on her middle fingers, but didn’t.


Then, Keelie was taken off of Kori to be examined and cleaned. She was placed on a warmed table while the doctor attended to Kori. Happy and shaking with excitement, I was trying to get video and pictures of Keelie, and I let Keelie hold on to my finger. At one point, Pam joined me and Keelie had one hand grasping my finger, and the other hand grasping Pam’s finger. It was around 5:30 or so before the doctor was done with Kori and Keelie was back with Kori.

After that, it was a parade of family coming through to see the mother and daughter. Kim and Vicky were the first back in the room with us.


Cousin Macon and Uncle Mike!



Grampa!

Pam was given the night off.

In the early evening, I went home to check on Shelby, who had been home alone since a little after midnight (she had access to food, water, and the doggy restroom). Pam and Bill stayed with Kori and Keelie. That’s when I was able to shower, upload the first couple of pictures, and call to make arrangements for Shelby to stay with our friends who live close to the hospital who have graciously watched Shelby many times before. Shelby knows them and gets along with their dog, so it works out.

When I got back to the hospital, Kori, Keelie, Pam, and Bill had been moved to the private postpartum room.

Keelie was sleeping. I picked her up in my arms and she made little humming noises. Lord, I was wrapped around her little finger!

Pam and Bill went home to get some rest. Kori has a great doctor, but it was also so helpful through the pregnancy and the delivery to have Bill and Pam’s experience and reassurances. Pam was not just being a grandmother and mother, she was a coach and so much help.



It was also nice, during this and the previous hospital visit (they kind of run together in my mind) to have friends and former coworkers of Kori - who now work at that hospital - stop by.

I turned the convertible chair into my bed, but Kori and I really didn’t get all that much sleep. Nurses were coming in to check on mother and daughter throughout the night, and of course there was our wonder over our little bundle of joy.

Wednesday the 20th, I pried myself away from the two most important ladies in my life to keep an appointment with the CHP in Santa Fe Springs. They check car seat installation for free (by appointment) and give some other safety tips. What a service! That was at 11am. I had scheduled it for late morning so that Kori could manage to go while I was at work, but since Keelie emerged a little early, I took the minivan.

From there, I went home to pick up some things per Kori’s request, then returned to the hospital.

Aunt Kirby, Uncle Troy, and for the first time, Uncle Toby dropped by to see our little bundle of joy and take pictures.

Pam worked that night and checked on us. It was so special to have Pam there as grandmother, mother, and postpartum nurse!

Thursday morning, the 21st, Pam spent some time with us after her shift.

I had been hoping to make it up to Arcadia for a previously scheduled baby shower at the office, but by the time everything was done and we were released in the afternoon, I would have arrived late, smelly, in casual attire, and with a beard going. I hated to disrupt plans, but the baby shower had to be rescheduled.

So, Kori, Keelie, and I dropped in to Pam & Bill’s on the way home. This allowed for more pictures with everyone. Pam woke up and joined us. She had prepared food for us to take home - bless her!




Back home, we enjoyed some of the food that Pam had prepared. Pam came over later and then we were joined by Aunt Kendra and Uncle Steve, who came straight over after getting home from being out of town. Bill came over to pick up Pam.

Friday, the 22nd, I ran some errands. In the evening, Kendra and Steve came over again, and brought food – bless them! After dinner, Steve and I went to retrieve Shelby from our friends.

We were worried about how Shelby, who sleeps in our bed, would react to the new addition to the family. Kori was nursing Keelie in bed when Steve and I returned. Shelby jumped up onto the bed, sniffed around, sniffed Keelie, and then softly and briefly licked the back of Keelie’s head. She seems fine with Keelie, even with the crying. Actually, she seems to be protective of Keelie and was looking at us like she had done something wrong when Keelie would cry.


Saturday the 23rd, nobody came over and we were home all day except for my short drive to pick up a new wall unit air conditioner I found on Craig’s List. We have an air conditioner working in the bedroom, but we need to replace one in the dining room. Nobody seems to do wall units anymore, unfortunately. So, I’m still trying to pry the old one out so I can stick the new one in.

Today, Sunday, we’ve been home all day, but Pam stopped by after working and going to church, and brought food – bless her! Also, my mother (Nanny) and Aunt Kim came down to see Keelie, and they brought food – bless them!

Keelie has been delightful. She seems to love being held by her grandparents, aunts, and uncles, reserving most of her crying for when they are gone.

Kori is such a wonderful, patient mother. I’m so proud of her and so amazed by her.

The nights are broken up by attending to Keelie, with Kori doing most of that and with me trying to do as much as possible to assist her and make her comfortable.

It’s quite a time in our lives, an incredible new journey on which we have embarked.
Thank you for all of your prayers, advice, and help. We’ll likely have more pictures to upload soon.

THANK YOU, LORD!

Introducing Keelie

Born Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 4:27pm PDT. 7lbs, 0oz. 19+ inches. Mommie and Keelie are both doing well. More details and better pictures (like ones with Kori's eyes open) to follow. Daddy needs to get back to the hospital to be with them.

Pregnancy Update

Early yesterday (Thursday), Kori woke me up a little bit before when I'd normally wake up and was concerned that she might be in labor. We grabbed our stuff and went to the hospital, were here mom was still on her shift. The monitors showed that Kori was indeed having some contractions, but a check showed that she was not in active labor.

After a while, we were sent home, and I kept an eye on Kori.

First thing this morning (Friday), we had a regularly scheduled doctor visit. The doctor said everything was okay, and we were fine to go on our day trip to La Jolla.

So, Kendra, Pam, Kori, and I drove down to La Jolla so that family friend Shelley could take some more pregnancy photos of Kori, using her beautiful cliff-over-the-beach home as the setting. The rest of us took turns being in the pictures with Kori. Shelley was great and was very gracious. She also passed along a a great gift from Tez (one of her daughters) and Fermin. We also were able to say hi to Reinhold.

Kori was dealing with contractions throughout the day.

Before 3:30pm, we were back on the road towards Anaheim. Ah, Friday afternoon traffic... we didn't pull up to Pam and Bill's place until well over three hours later.

Kori is resting now. She is so ready for Keelie to emerge. It would not surprise us if she is born this weekend, but we still have a few weeks until the due date.

Thanks for all of your prayers, thoughts, and encouragement!

We Looked For Nemo

The wee hours of Sunday morning are upon us. This is a picture of Kori about to enjoy our first ride on the new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland Park. A few weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to hear a ride-through of the attraction, but this was our first time riding.

I had been aboard the "last" ride of the original Submarine Voyage back in 1998, and once I was sitting in the sub earlier tonight, it didn't seem like all that long ago.

As the name indicates, the attraction incorporates the characters from the Disney/Pixar film, "Finding Nemo". If you remember the old attraction, you'll recognize that this version builds heavily on it and even has some clever nods to nostalgia, but the experience is significantly different. Clever use of video technology brings the attraction, which originally opened in 1959, to the 21st century. The subs themselves are also quieter and more pleasant for the surrounding area, as they no longer give off combustion fumes.

It's nice to have the subs back.

Unfortunately for the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, their equivalent 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction was removed years ago, so their Nemo overlay went to the Living Seas Pavilion at Epcot.

The Disneyland attraction officially debuts June 11, and we could see preparations for the news media event.

There's not much else to report on our end. We're in the last month of the pregnancy. Really, Keelie could emerge any day now.

In the realm of minor annoyances, we experienced a DSL/phone outage of 24-hours or so a few days ago. We called India, and then they gave us a local contact, and they said they'd be over the next day, claiming that it was just our condo, and not a service outage to the area. They never called us, but our service was restored without fanfare. The only reason we knew was because of a solicitation phone call.

Regardless, our cell phones were working the whole time, so if we needed to call out we could.

Until next time...

-Ken

What We've Been Up To

I have been woefully neglectful in updating this blog. Kori and I have been keeping busy, especially in getting ready for the arrival of Keelie.

Our friend Jen took some great pregnancy photos in mid April. We also had more ultrasound pictures taken on April 20. You’ll see these photos in this update.

Keelie is quite a mover and loves to kick Mommie. It’s easy to see her movements on the surface of Mommie’s belly. She’ll stop moving long enough to listen to Daddy’s voice. She also loves listening to music. Yeah, this is how we all got here and hundreds of millions of women are pregnant at any given time, but isn’t it always different when it happens to you? And since Keelie is our first child, we’re going through experiences we’ve never had before. It is definitely one thing to know something on an intellectual level, but an entirely different thing to actually experience it.

The picture above is of Keelie snuggling up next to the placenta, and you can see her knee in the shot. The shot to the right shows Keelie with her foot in front of her face.

I have to say that Kori handles pregnancy well (and looks great!), though she has finally reached the point where she is ready for the pregnancy to be over.

We’ve had a lot of friends and acquaintances welcome babies over the last year, and we’ve been able to observe, on a casual basis, some of those babies as they go through their first few months. My father’s wife’s daughter just gave birth to her second child. Our friends Lynn & Erin just had a boy. I guess we’re just at that age.

We went to the birthing classes at the hospital, and a class at church designed for expecting first-time parents. I have three books for first-time expectant fathers that I’ve been reading through. Of course, there has also been the shopping, a baby shower limited to Kori’s close female friends, and the gifts (thank you!).

To get ready, we’ve been de-cluttering the condo in general, and I went back to working on “The Cave” so that we could turn it into the Nursery. That’s been quite an effort. That picture to the right should give you an idea of the look Kori is creating for the nursery. Also, rather to fix the problems we were having with our 4-year-old computer, we went ahead and got a new one, complete with Vista. This will no doubt keep my blood pressure raised as we work through the problems of Vista. Thanks, Microsoft.

Anyway, the reason I brought that up is that it meant we had yet another old computer taking up space in our place. I’ve been trying to move everything still on the one with Windows 95 to the one with XP so we can then properly dispose of the hobbled thing, and I won’t bore you with all of the gory details of that migration, which I haven’t managed to entirely finish yet.

Kendra and Steve, as a gift, recently devoted a lot of time and energy (with some assistance from Kori and I) in putting up shelves for our Christmas village miniatures. The village had been set up on a collapsible table along our front window while we were on our honeymoon. Since that was in December of 2004, It was well-past time to get that table back to Kori’s parents and free up some more space in the living room while enhancing the look.

Our most recent out-of-town trip killed three birds with one stone. We went to the San Diego/La Jolla area. It was a delayed Valentine’s Day/first-date anniversary observance combined with a “babymoon” that we deliberately moved to coincide with our attendance at Tez & Fermin’s wedding. Tez’s parents and Pam (Kori’s mother) went to high school together and have been friends ever since, and that extended to a family friendship between the two households.

As gifts, Kori made two blankets in their wedding/reception colors. The wedding was beautiful (so was the bride!) and the reception was a big-time party. The father of the bride is a successful TV writer/director/producer, and I was able to recount to him how, early on in our dating, I was telling Kori about how I watched his show and about a certain moment of a certain episode that I found hilarious, not knowing that Kori’s parents even knew him, let alone that they were consultants on that very episode. When Kori had filled me in, we’d shared a good laugh. So, I thanked him for being one of the reasons Kori and I ended up married. I was able to meet a couple of the actors, too.

We did a few other things on that trip. Kori and I ate at the 1950s-themed Corvette Diner, because Kori has for memories of that place, and hankering for a burger with peanut butter on it. That was good. The place is popular. We also ate at a Mexican restaurant in old town, visited the San Diego Zoo, and went to Sea World, where I finally got to see the haunted lighthouse 3-D movie in which ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic has a cameo.

Speaking of Mr. Yankovic – he and his band are on tour again, and scheduled to appear at the Orange County Fair again, but those appearances are awfully soon after Keelie’s due date. So, it looks like we’ll need ear plugs for Keelie. Okay, I kid. It looks like this will be the first time in ten years I’m going to be passing up a chance to go see my favorite act. I really hope they add a date or two later on at another local venue, like they have in the past - sometime in the late fall or whatever.

Something new we’ve been able to do in recent months is attend some of a certain friend’s Friday night film viewings. He’s from our parents’ generation but is young-at-heart, lives in beautiful, enchanting home he designed himself, and has an impressive home entertainment system. Typically, some of the folks meet for dinner out, then even more join up at the house afterwards or at a cinema for the viewing. In addition to new/impending feature film releases on DVD, the home viewings often include material attendees have brought to share. It’s a lot of fun. Kori had never been over the house before, and so she got a full tour. Also, she found kindred-spirit fans of “The Happiest Millionaire”.

With changes to our schedule and changes to the television networks’ schedules, we’ve resorted to taping more shows. Because of Kori, I watch more shows (or parts of shows) than I would have otherwise.

Not only have I been neglecting this blog, but I’ve haven’t been spending as much time contributing to LaughingPlace.com, The Disney Blog, and personal projects as I’d like. We’re not making Disneyland trips as often as we’d like, either. I guess we’re being prepared for life with a child. In recent months, every other set of days off or so, I get in some extra sleep, such us sleeping for thirteen hours or taking a long nap. We know we need as much sleep as we can get before Keelie emerges. Unfortunately, it is a lot easier for me to sleep than it is for Kori, as you can imagine.

There’s no resolution yet to our open legal matter. (We are the plantiffs.) That should all be wrapped up during an arbitration session sometime this year. Interestingly, three of the four people on “the other side” have long since left the company or have been fired.

Things are going well for me at the office. ACWM is a much lower profile place than DPW, so my quotes aren’t in print or going over the air nearly as much as they did when I was at DPW. I’m building a Public Information Office there, which involves a combination of taken some things off of the hands of others, and doing things that weren’t ever done before. Although it has been a while since we’ve all worked together, Marina, True, Kerjon, and I keep in touch.
Kori has been working hard and keeping busy getting things ready for Keelie. She’s doing a great job, and all of the help and encouragement from our families and friends is highly appreciated.

As for other news about our families… Troy has been selling insurance since coming back from Louisiana and has recently brought Toby in to help him, and Kirby has been performing as a fill-in in Pirates Dinner Adventure (and we’ve gone to see her). Kendra and Steve have been a GREAT help to us in preparing for Keelie’s arrival, Steve being a trooper given he’s had a tough job doing things like working on the website for a certain top-rated television singing show and will still join Kendra in helping out. Pam’s been working with the new mothers and newly arrived babies in her nursing duties, and Bill continues to work in real estate. Chris has been working for a local school district. Vicky is still working at the Pasadena Ritz-Carlton, and she has also been keeping company with a certain famous lawyer who is in the news a lot lately. Mike is still working in the same line of work, and Kim is still assisting with the special needs students in school, and they are also raising Keelie’s cousins Blaine and Macon, who are both in high school. Mom is teaching less as she oversees some home improvement projects. Dad continues to work hard in private practice three years after retiring from county service. His wife, Kathleen, is as busy as ever with her work and projects.

Through participating in online pregnancy forums, Kori has discovered MySpace. I may have to set things up here so that we can both be online at the same time on different machines.

So, that’s what’s been going on here. If you want more my thoughts about stuff such as television, computer/online stuff, work, and so on, check it out on my blog. I didn’t think that Kori’s friends should have to wade through all of that here. Only my friends should be so tortured.

It has been over three years since I proposed to Kori, and I was struck the other day by the intense feeling that I have absolutely no doubt that I made a good choice, the right choice, in proposing to her. With so many things in life, it is easy to think “What if I had made a different choice? Would I be better off now?” I can say with certainty that in this case, I made the best choice. I have no regrets or questions lurking in the recesses of my mind – that was the smartest thing I’ve ever done for myself.

Drop us a line to let us know how you are doing and what you’ve been up to.

-Ken

Ken's Going to Be a Disneyland Cast Member Again

UPDATE: For the record, the message below was an April Fool's joke.

As you may remember, my 15-year tour of duty as a Disneyland Custodial Cast Member came to an end in June 2005 over scheduling requirements. After over five years of just working weekends and holidays (the days I had off from my office job with the County of Los Angeles), Disney’s enforcement their full-time-all-summer requirement forced me to quit.

At the time, I was looking for professional positions with Disney at Disneyland and in Burbank/Glendale, but nothing came of it. Since then, I did get a promotion with the County, but I have always missed being a Disneyland Cast Member.

Since I left, Disney has gotten more aggressive about recruiting Cast Members, and scheduling requirements have been softened again.

After talking with Disneyland Custodial management and the HR folks, I will be returning as a Disneyland Custodial Foreman, working weekends and holidays. If all goes well, I will transition to full-time and take a position at the salaried Assistant Manager level. Of course, this will necessitate that I leave County service. I’ll be working at the Happiest Place on Earth again! That means getting the discounts and perks I always enjoyed so much, but more importantly, it means more exercise as walking around all day is inherent to the job. That should help with my weight. Cutting my commute down and not having to drive that horrid I-5 or 605 anymore should also be good for my blood pressure.

There is some downside, however. This will mean a substantial pay cut, exchanging my office for a communal desk, exchanging my 4-day workweek for a 5-6 day workweek, working all holidays, working varying shifts, giving up job security and a great deal of autonomy, and a loss of some nice benefits. Also, part of the understanding is that I will not be able to write for LaughingPlace.com, The Disney Blog, or any other website of that sort that covers Disney.

Kori is a little concerned about this change, given that we have a baby on the way and all, but she’s happy that she and the baby will be able to hang out at Disneyland. It is going to be a big change in routines and money will be tight.

It’s hard to believe that it has almost been two years since I left Disneyland in June 2005. I mean, it’s already April 1.

April 1...

Also known as April Fool’s Day.

Ken's Latest Column Posted (In Full)

Ken's latest Kenversations(TM) column is now posted in full on LaughingPlace.com. The third and final part, about recent changes and trends in the theme park industry, went up today.

Part one is here - It is about major changes within the Disney Company in the last few years, and in the feature film industry, and animation.

Part two is here - It is about major changes over the last few years in cinemas, home viewing of feature films, DVDs, cable television, telecom, broadcast television networks, radio, and record companies.

Ultrasound Pictures of Keelie

Here are a couple of pictures of Keelie, our baby girl, taken on February 5, just before the halfway point for her time in the womb. She is due around Independence Day.

She's raising one arm up, and rubbing the other hand against her face, just like her mother. She was active during this ultrasound - moving around a lot.









This was also the ultrasound where it was very easy to see that she's a girl. How? There was a phone in her hand, and she had it up to her ear.

Second Part of Latest Kenversations(TM) Now Online

The second of three parts to Ken's latest Kenversation(TM) column is up at LaughingPlace.com. The first part is here.

In this part of the column, Ken talks about the big recent changes and trends in cinema, home viewing of feature films, DVDs, cable television, telecom, broadcast television networks, radio, and record companies.

Ken's Latest Column Now Online

The first part of the latest edition of Kenversations(TM) was posted today at http://www.LaughingPlace.com.

In this three-part column, Ken examines the big changes both inside Disney and around Disney over the last few years - in media, entertainment, communications, and theme parks.

Check out the column and tell Ken what you think by using the feedback form at the end of the column. Talk about the column with others by following the link at the end of the column to the discussion boards. Then, spread the word. Don't forget to check back for the second and third parts!

(Cross-posted just about everywhere.)

It's Been a Good Start to the Year

We had our latest ultrasound session today - pictures may follow later... need to scan them, having computer issues, etc. etc. etc...

Anyway, Aunt Kendra and Grandma 'Nanny' were there with us. Everything is looking great, and the baby is being very active. We finally confirmed for sure that the baby is a GIRL! That's right... the first granddaughter on either side of the family is kicking and waving and being shy. We have photographic evidence, however, that she's a girl. I'm sure she'll be happy that we kept those, oh, about 12 years from now.

Not much else to report. We caught some big football game on television yesterday.

We're trying to make the adjustments to being parents. I'm so proud of Kori.

Merry Christmas 2006

Greetings to you and your kin. We hope you are in good spirits, good fortune, good health, and filled with His peace.

It's been another big year for us and has involved some transitions. The most significant is that we found out that we have a baby on the way! That’s right – with our first child on the way, we’re now parents, though Kori is doing all of the work because, well, she is the one who is pregnant. Since the baby is due July 5, we’ve nicknamed him or her "Firecracker." We are so happy, and so far, Kori is handling pregnancy well. We had the most recent ultrasound session a few days ago, and there was the baby, beating heart and all (which we heard for the second time), waving, kicking, and looking like he or she had the hiccups. Many of our friends had their babies arrive this year or found out that they will be welcoming babies next year, too.


As for work - two of my (Ken) coworkers who’ve become good friends - True and Marina - left Public Works for another County of Los Angeles department, and some of our other coworkers left as well. I was already looking for a promotion inside or outside County government, but this heaped additional motivation on my search for other opportunities - it just seemed like the right time. At the urging of my two friends, I applied for a position with the County Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights & Measures (ACWM). ACWM was looking for someone to pioneer their Public Information Officer position. There was a long selection process that culminated with a two and half hour interview with the Director of ACWM, and at the end of it, he offered me the position. So, in late October, I finished packing up at DPW one day, and started at ACWM the next. It has been going well.


Meanwhile, Kori went to work for Long Beach Miller Children's Hospital (at Long Beach Memorial) for a 13-week contract, working four 12-hour overnight shifts a week. That meant there would be days at a time when we would literally not see each other. She enjoyed her time there and worked with some great people. For most of the year, Kori was still on the books at her previous employer - the one we’ve been having a dispute with since June of 2005 because, after four and a half years of being a great nurse for them even with her disability, they’d suddenly raised issues regarding her disability and wouldn’t let her work. A full day of mediation this year didn’t resolve the situation, though Kori handled the day with poise and strength. Later, they made a tactical offer to bring her back as a secretary - which was odd, considering they’d cited her speech as a reason to prevent her from returning to work. Turning down their offer allowed them to formally end her employment with them. We’re heading to arbitration.


To celebrate the anniversary of our first date, which falls near Valentine’s Day, we went to Las Vegas for a weekend. We enjoyed time with our friends the Wests and the Ippolitos - both families were gracious enough to let us crash with them for part of the trip. I surprised Kori with tickets to KA at the MGM Grand.


Bob and Julie got married April 30th, and I had the honor of being Best Man. Bob and I first met as teenagers who were both trying to figure out how to be first on the under-construction Splash Mountain at Disneyland. There were a lot of weddings this year, and we would have attended all of them if only we could! The ones we were able to witness were all beautiful and moving.

In early June, we went back to central Illinois - which we’ve done every year we’ve been together - this time to the Peoria area for my maternal grandfather’s funeral. He had been in fairly good health heading towards his 90th birthday, but felt like he’d lived too long, especially having lost Grandma almost two years prior. After several weeks of failing health, he passed away, leaving behind reassurance to us that he’d lived a full life. After that unplanned trip, we took a planned trip in the later part of June to the greater Dayton, Ohio area to see my dad’s side of the family and attend the wedding of my cousin Chris and his bride, Alex. I hadn’t been there since 1997, and it was great to see uncles, aunts, and cousins and for Kori to meet everyone. As a couple with a marriage that is still just starting out, it was great to witness another wedding and to talk at length with Uncle Bob & Aunt Sharon, who’ve now been married for over 50 years!

In August, we lost our friend Carlo after he fought hard against cancer for two years with True’s help. About a month before his funeral, we attended his wedding to True - the wedding being an example of how he and True lived life to the fullest in the face of his battle. This young man’s life-prolonging fight and his upbeat attitude, and True’s strength and caring were touching and inspiring.

There were a few other events of note - Kori’s ten-year high school reunion was in August; October brought a difficult session of jury duty for her; our second wedding anniversary, in early December, was kicked off by seeing The Lion King at the Pantages. I stood in line to have "Weird Al" Yankovic sign a copy of his latest Al-bum, though I’ve met him and had him autograph stuff at least a few times before. Other than all of the things I’ve discussed in the letter, life continues as usual. We’ve enjoyed having our holidays together for the past year and a half without me working the Disneyland job anymore. We continue to visit Disneyland with our annual passes, which are a little more expensive than free! Homecoming, our church-based group of friends, has been a great place to see babies on a weekly basis. The annual Keel Family Christmas Party went well. I haven’t been doing as much freelance writing as I’d like (TheDisneyBlog.com and LaughingPlace.com), but I hope to get back into the rhythm of that before the baby gets here. Kori bought me a nice headphones-and-microphone set so that I can now provide an audio version of my writing for those who’d prefer to listen more than read.


It is nice to have family and friends with whom we can share everything. Thanks for being there for us. Please keep us updated on what you’re up to. We hope 2007 will be a great year for you.

Merry Christmas!

Ken & Kori Pellman
(and Shelby)
December 2006

It's Been Quite a Week

Ken here.

We finished off this weekend with a visit to Boot Hill in Irvine earlier tonight. The place gets better and better every year. I used to help out with the operation. I certainly can't take any credit for the design and installation. There are some talented, imaginative, hard-working folks who put this together every year. The score was composed and performed by a professional composer I know and some of the sculpture work was done by another pro who does that sort of work for the film industry.

It's been quite a week.

Monday, I cleared out of my space at DPW. First thing Tuesday morning, I was doing my paperwork at ACWM. The three days I've spent there so far have been great. Seems like a great group of people working there, and I'm trying to soak up as much as I can about what they do and how they do it. My schedule has been filled with trips and classes.

Kori continues to sell on EBay. She's not doing it on a large scale, just some items here and there.

There's some other good news developing, but that will have to wait for a later time.

Let us know how are you are doing and what you're up to.

Farewell DPW, Hello ACWM

It can now be revealed that Kori was recently serving on a jury in a criminal case. The deliberations laster longer than expected, and the vote ended up being "not guilty".

She's also been keeping busy around the condo and running errands.

She drove up last Thursday to be at the Happy Hour held in honor of my promotion.

And, as of about 5:30pm today, I am no longer a DPW employee. Tomorrow, I begin my new position with Agriculture Commissioner/Weights & Measures.

Closing down at DPW was quite an operation for me. Six and a half years of accumulated work and memories had to be either filed, transferred, recycled, or boxed to take home.

Change is never easy for me. But some change is necessary.

There were some very touching well-wishes from my co-workers. I'm going to miss all of them.

-Ken

Ken's Getting Promoted

Kori has been on a special assignment (more on that at a later date, maybe).

As for me...

I'm getting ready to transition to another County of Los Angeles Department. Switching departments may not big a big deal a company, but in County terms, Departments are like their own little worlds, though most are run by someone appointed by the same elected Board of Supervisors. The switch I'm making, for instance, means I will be working in a different city with a whole different set of people who are responsible for entirely different services to the public than where I was before.

Since May 1, 2000, I have been with the Department of Public Works at the headquarters tower in Alhambra. It is just down the street from where I went to Elementary and High school in South Pasadena. When I started working there, oddly enough, I was living in Fullerton, which was about 45 minutes away without traffic, which meant it was really 60-90 minutes away. Then, I moved back to South Pasadena to get closer - about 10 minutes away max - to work.

It wasn't long before I got into the media relations activities and then starting functioning as a Public Information Officer. Finally, I got married and moved in with my beautiful bride in Anaheim, which is even further away than Fullerton, giving me a long commute again.

I've been poking around for new position for a while now.

For one thing, I dropped my part-time Disneyland job in the middle of 2005, so we lost that tiny additional income and my status as a "Part of the Magic". Also, being a newlywed gets you thinking about other major life changes. Secondly, given the County's job classification system and what "items" were available in my corner of Public Works and the reality of staffing changes, I had nowhere to advance there. Finally, some of my coworkers who had become some of my dearest of friends left for other County Departments.

Public Works is a great Department. The people there are highly dedicated, professional, and social, whether they are the people patching up potholes, sweeping streets, inspecting sewers, checking tap water, checking numbers in Accounts Payable, operating a dam, training, processing payroll, surveying, enforcing building codes, fighting graffiti, fixing vehicles, securing grants, investigating traffic conditions, providing lighting, inspecting bridges, checking underground storage tanks, reducing water pollution, issuing construction permits, planning for disasters, keeping our office technology running, keeping the Headquarters in shape, managing the construction of Sheriff and Fire stations... you name it.

In addition to the people and the great work that DPW does, I like the location and I like the building itself. It was used as the location for about half of "Weird Al" Yankovic's "It's All About the Pentiums" video, and since Yankovic is my favorite performing artist, you know I got a kick out of that. DPW also has two accomplished Toastmasters International clubs, and I have been an active member (and officer) of one of them.

But, as I wrote above, it was time to take that next step. In this case, that means getting a promotion within the County, but to a new place. I have accepted a position with the Agricultural Commissioner/Weights & Measures (ACWM) as their Public Information Officer. If you're asking "What does ACWM do?", then you're making one of the points as to why they need a PIO. They've never had one, so this is a great opportunity to create something new and serve a different team of County employees.

ACWM's two main objectives involve environmental protection (which is also something DPW is involved with), and consumer protection. I had a 150-minute interview with their Director, who seems like a terrific guy, and I'm looking forward to working for him and being able to continue serving the public. That seems to be something that's in the Pellman blood.

Since I start at ACWM on Tuesday, October 24, My last day with Public Works will be Monday, October 23. That's coming up so very quickly, and there's so much to do at DPW as far as transferring my work to others. Already, I've reverted back to missing my breaks (I was actually taking them for a few weeks there) and not leaving the office on time to go home.

So, that's the big news for now.

-Ken
*It should go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway. This our personal blog, with our personal comments. I get paid to write and represent, so if you're not paying me to write this, then it is not written on your behalf and you don't get to approve or disapprove of them in a professional capacity as my employer. The comments are clearly my personal opinions and thoughts, written on my own time using my own resources and not presented on behalf of any employer with whom I have been, am currently, or will ever be employed. If that's still not enough, go here.*

Guess What We've Already Done This Weekend?

Well, we went to an Angels game and watched an inside-the-park homerun.

But that's not what I'm writing about.

See that brand new 2006 Toyota Sienna 8-passenger slate-colored minivan? The one behind that stunningly beautiful wife of mine?

Yeah?

Well, after all kinds of research, we went and bought it yesterday.

Today, we went back to pay for it. Not gonna spend a dime on interest. Nope. It's paid for.

So now we've got three vehicles, and still just the one carport spot.

Anyone want a 1997 Saturn SL with manual transmission?

Everything's Different Five Year Later

Kori and I have enjoyed a weekend home together, the second weekend home together in the last several months. She had surgery very early on Friday and has been recuperating while I've been taking care of her. While the pain has been intense, she wishes she would have had the surgery years ago.

Five years ago, as we were unknowingly on the eve of the biggest world event of our lives (so far), our lives were different. We didn't even know of each other. Now, we're a few months from our second anniversary. Back then, we both had different working schedules.

Life has changed a lot, both with world events and with our personal lives. Personally, we're both better off. (I think I got the better deal, but I can safely say we're both better off.)

We have friends who've recently given birth and some who will soon. More of our friends are married. There have been a couple of friends who've passed on. I guess that is the natural way at our ages.

Hopefully, your life is getting better, too.

-Ken

We'll Miss You, Carlo

It was a pleasure to know you.

You were brave.

You fought long and hard.

You lasted longer than it wanted you to.

The fight is over.

No more chemo.

No more pills.

No more struggle.

Rest now.

We'll meet again.

We Went to Kori's Ten-Year HS Reunion

Over the weekend, Kori and I attended her ten-year high school reunion - Class of '96 at Fountain Valley High School. It was nice to meet everyone in Costa Mesa. Don't become strangers!

-Ken

Ken's Now Contributing to The Disney Blog

Yes, I didn't have enough to do, so now I'm also contributing to The Disney Blog - http://www.TheDisneyBlog.com. If you bookmark The Disney Blog and LaughingPlace.com and visit them both frequently, you'll be up to speed on everything that's happening at The Mouse, why it is happening, and what it will mean for the future.
-Ken

Major New Appliance

Our new refrigerator is here. The old one we'd been using had been Kori's grandmother's extra refrigerator, and she passed away over five years ago.

-Ken

Attention All Residents of India

We don't need a new mortgage. Really. Stop calling us. And you aren't fooling anyone when you say your name is "Bob".

Anyone For Rabbit Stew?

I got up this morning to move my car so Kori could park her truck in the carport when she got back.

What did I see as I was walking back to our front door?

A bunny.

One of the neighbors must not be concerned that their pet is hopping around eating grass where cats and dogs can easily get to it.

I'm waiting for chickens to start roaming the grounds. It wouldn't surprise me.

-Ken

Ken's Latest DVD Reviews Now Online

Go to LaughingPlace.com to read Ken's reviews of "Jeff Lange Remembers Disneyland's 40th Anniversary" and "Jeff Lange Remembers Disneyland's 40th Birthday", two fan-created DVDs.

Happy Independence Day!

Thank Heaven I'm an American!

It's nice to pause and think about the courage and the vision that brought about the United States of America, where we can go to church without having to fear that some crazed person is going to run around cutting heads off, or that government soldiers are going to find us and send us to Siberia.

Kori and I had a rather busy June. She's working four shifts per week, and actually working more hours than me! How's that for a switch? We traveled out California twice in the month, going to Peoria, Illinois area for my grandather Kenneth's services, and two weeks later going to Dayton, Ohio area for my counsin-once-removed Chris' wedding to Alex. Hence, the picture. In both cases, it was nice to see family. Kori hadn't been to Ohio and it had been nine years since I'd been back there to see the kinfolk.

So, as we celebrate Independence Day, Chris and Alex are getting used to dependence on each other!
-Ken

Ken's Latest Column Now Online

The first part of the latest edition of Kenversations(TM) was posted today at http://www.LaughingPlace.com

In this multi-part column, we go back to 1990 Disneyland, when the park was celebrating "35 Years of Magic".

Obit From the Peoria Newspaper

http://www.legacy.com/pjstar/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=18016621
Kenneth Palmer
PEORIA - Kenneth E. Palmer, 90, of Peoria died Wednesday, May 31, 2006, at Proctor Hospital.

Mr. Palmer was born May 24, 1916, at Edelstein, Ill., the son of Benjamin and Flossie Minnig Palmer. He married Doris Larimore on May 7, 1943, at Arcadia, Calif. She preceded him in death Aug. 8, 2004, in Peoria.

Mr. Palmer was Vice-President of National Accounts for the International Paper Co. for many years. Mr. Palmer was an Army Veteran of WW2, serving as a 1st Sergeant in the Military Police in the Intelligence and Security Division.

He was a former member of the University United Methodist church and was active with the Boy Scouts of America. He served on Board of Directors for the Independent Manufacturing Association for many years. He served on the Political Action Committee in Washington, D.C.

He also Chaired the Steering Committee in Washington, D.C. He was a member of the Mt. Hawley Country Club.

Surviving are one son, Dr. Ronald (Kathleen) Palmer of Dunlap; and one daughter, Barbara Palmer of Pasadena, Calif.; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one son, Dr. Gerald Palmer and one brother.

Services will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Cumerford-Endsley-Diggle Funeral Home at 428 W. McClure Ave. Mary Jane West will officiate Visitation will be from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the funeral home. Cremation rites have been accorded.

Memorials may be made to American Diabetes Association or the Salvation Army.