It’s ten o’clock and we’re still downstairs in the den. I was just about to nudge my wife to head upstairs, thinking it’s bedtime. Instead, I looked around.

Kelly’s on the couch and Travis is sound asleep in his Take Along Swing seat. Both are snoozing better now than then have for three weeks!

It’s always good policy to let sleeping family members lie.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful family and friends! since Travis arrived, we’ve been inundated with generosity from just about everyone we know. Whether its a meal, a card, a gift, or just a phone call or visit, we’ve been humbled at the outpouring of support.

Truly, thanks. You guys rock!

Blogging from the Z is never easy. But neither is blogging with a newborn in the house. You do what you can, stealing what moments present themselves. I’m sitting in our den in the recliner. Kelly is sleeping on the couch next to me while Travis is rocking in his rocking seat. The Boy loves motion, so the chair is one of the few things that keep him quiet.

We haven’t made much progress in getting him to sleep through the night, but we’ve made some. And some is precious. I think we’d all be feeling better with more sleep. Poor Kelly stays up most of the night with Travis and then entertains both him and Hallie during the day. Her strength is simply amazing.

I’m enjoying work. Its challenging and fun. I’ve got the right amount of work to do and I take immense pride in doing it. I only wish I could do my work and be able to play with my family at the same time. Regardless, I’m feeling fufilled.

My Saturday is booked with the all-day driving improvement class I have to take to erase my ticket. Already, I’m wondering if I can take my laptop (or Z).

The yard looks great now. EPM has come out twice to reseed it. Apparently, no one talks to each other at the company. We won’t complain, though!

In short, life is good right now. Peace!

I discovered last night that Grier Martin, who ran as a Democrat for a seat in the N.C. House, is actually a registered Republican. While I find that a bit odd, the N.C. Democratic Party certainly didn’t, pouring $150,000 into his campaign against fellow Republican Don Munford.

Strange bedfellows, indeed.

UPDATE. [23 Nov 2004]: I read the wrong voter record. Grier is a Democrat and I’m an ass. See the updated story for my mea culpa.

When I ranted yesterday about Clear Channel turning WTRG into a country station, it looks like I spoke too soon. In yet another bewildering twist, Clear Channel has now switched the station to alternative. I believe the whole format-swapping is simply a stunt to gain media attention, from what I’ve read on message boards out there. Cheap publicity.

Alternative format or not, I think Clear Channel is evil. No local station would change directions twice in three days. I’ll stick with the kick-ass WKNC for my alternative music and let the Clear Channels wither.

The only Clear Channel radio station I have programmed into my car stereo has now changed its format. Oldies 100.7 has stopped spinning Motown hits and is now going (wait for it) …country!

Makes me wish some of those low-power community radio stations like WZRU in Roanoke Rapids were close enough to listen to here. On our trips up to Lake Gaston, I’ve been mesmerized at how good that tiny public radio station is. Small, local radio will beat corporate radio every time in a contest based on content. That’s probably why Clear Channel and others feel so threatened by low power FM.

As Doc likes to point out, the listeners aren’t the customer in the station owner’s eyes: the advertiser is. But the listeners own those airwaves. The station owner only leases them. So it really is our radio. We should make sure crummy station owners like Clear Channel don’t ever forget that.

Yassir Arafat pitched himself as the only legitimate leader of the Palestinians. In fact, he was a liar of epic proportions, as well as a terrorist until his last days. Now that this hustler and killer is gone, Palestinians may now have a legitimate shot at obtaining peace, as well as statehood.

They’ve got their work cut out for them. Arafat left them a mess.

Did you vote today? You might have had the chance, thanks to the work of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform. Among other recommendations, the bipartisan commission, headed jointly by former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, suggested that elections take place on a federal holiday, possibly on Veterans Day.

While President Bush gave tacit approval to many of the Commission’s recommendations, the idea of voting on a holiday seems not to have been one of them. I think its a shame, personally. I consider the duty of voting to be important enough to deserve a holiday of its own. Maybe some day.