Table

of Contents
Introduction 1.1

The Dustbuster
Chapter One 2.1
Chapter Two 2.2
Chapter Three 2.3
Chapter Four 2.4

Happy Birthday Kayla

Happy 17th Birthday 3.1
The Bug Park 3.2
The Birthday Show 3.3

Star Trek
My Thoughts on Star Trek 4.1
My Reactions to "Star Trek Discovery" 4.2

Family
Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center 5.1
Fun with Golf Balls 5.2
First Days of School 2017 5.3

1
Introduction

The Morgazine

2
Chapter One

One
My adventure started just a few minutes after the conclusion of this months historical society
meeting. The society president, Larry, tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me about
the box of assorted treasures which had recently been donated to the societys historical
museum. There was one item in particular that he wanted to show me.

Its a dust buster, I said, when he dug it out of the box. But, as I looked more closely at it I
realized that it had the long, angled nose and the narrow handle of the classic dustbuster,
but a few other odd additions. Notably a keypad on the top of it which looked like an old
styled cell phone which had been disassembled. A thick battery jutted out through the
bottom.

What do you make of it? Larry asked.

I dont know, does it work? I asked, growing more and more curious by the minute. I turned
it around, and looked for the slot where the dirt would normally be sucked in through, but any
gap which was there originally had been placed by some kind of lens. Behind the lens there
was a myriad of wires. Who was the donor?

Anonymous, Larry said, shrugging. He reached in, and pulled out a large suitcase. This
was in the box, too. He released the latches on the front with a click, and lifted the lid.
Inside, the suitcase was filled with neatly folded clothes.

I pawed through the clothes, identifying a pair of pants, some button-up shirts, a business
tie, and even a couple of t-shirts. Then, my hand hit upon something hard beneath the
stacks of clothes. I pulled out, and recognized one of the corners from the battery pack
which was inserted into the dustbuster.

I pulled and pushed the battery pack, hoping to remove it from the dustbuster. It was Larry
who found the release button. I pressed, and the battery slid right off.

I picked up the second battery we had found in the suitcase, and slipped it into place
beneath the dustbuster. I set the original battery aside.

Picking up the device again, I tried using the power switch to turn it on, without luck. Next, I
pressed and held down the power button on the keypad. To both of our surprise, the screen
lit up. A message tickered across the digital screen:

Enter a Destination Date

Do you have any idea what its asking for? Larry asked. I shook my head.

3
Chapter One

I thought for a bit, then for the fun of it entered 09-23-2000.

Why that date? Larry asked.

Thats when my daughter was born. The date didnt seem to register at first, so I tried a
couple of buttons. The screen changed after I hit the button marked SND.

Enter Destination Time

By now I felt like I was playing some kind of game. Wanting to stay consistent, I entered 7
a.m. Next, it asked for a location. I entered Sparrow Hospital, Lansing, Michigan.

I hit SND one last time. The dustbuster began to hum, and the handle began to vibrate a
little bit.

Whats it doing? Larry asked.

I dont know. Should I switch it on? I could see on the right side of the device there was a
red bar labeled BATT which seemed to be growing with every passing minute or so. It was
now a quarter of the way filled. The hum was growing louder.

Maybe we should take it outside, Larry urged.

Agreeing, Larry placed the other battery inside the suitcase, sealed it, and then followed me
downstairs into the museums garage space. I aimed the dustbuster at the garage door. By
now, the thing was shaking so much it was difficult to aim it straight, and the hum was
changing to a low whine.

I steadied my feet, aimed the device with both hands, and flipped the switch. There was an
immediate pop, and then a whoosh as a bright beam of light shot out from the end of the
dustbuster with so much force that I was thrown back onto the floor. Whatever the light was,
it was as bright as a car headlight and at first I thought that it had somehow burned through
the garage doors. But, as I watched closely I realized that we were not looking out into the
darkened streets of Shepherd. Instead, we were looking at the clean hallway of a hospital.
Doctors and nurses passed by as if caught by a surveillance camera. The whole thing
seemed surreal, as though a movie had been projected onto the surface of the door.

I stood back up, dumbfounded. Dusting myself off, I wandered close to the projected image,
as though I might catch some detail up close that I could see from where I had been
standing. As I walked closer and closer, I felt a growing attraction towards the image, as
though I had suddenly been caught by the wind. I would have fallen over if Larry had not
grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.

Careful, he exclaimed. We dont know what this is.

4
Chapter One

Its a movie of some kind, I said. They turned the dustbuster into some kind of portable
projector.

I dont think so. Larry said. He paused, glanced around, then walked over and grabbed a
small wrench from a nearby toolbox. Then, he stood in front of the visage of the hospital
again until an orderly pushing a cart walked into view. He chucked the wrench at the door.

We both expected the tool to bounce off. Instead, it slipped through the portion of door which
had been hit by the light, and then continued on into the frame of the shot. It hit the orderly in
the back of his leg. Startled, the man stopped, looked down shaking his leg as if it had hurt,
and picked up the wrench.

Oh my Lord, Larry muttered. We both looked at the dustbuster. The battery indicator was
now at fifty percent, and we had no clue how much power it took for it to do what it was
doing. Did we use up juice when we fired the projection, or did it take battery life in order to
sustain it?

Could this be some kind of time machine? I asked. Larry didnt say anything. He didnt
have to, because I was thinking the same thing: There was only one way to find out.

We moved quickly after that point. Larry ran up to the third floor and found an old lab coat
which he felt might make me look more like a doctor. I also changed into one of the dress
shirts from the suitcase. The battery was a third of the way full when we were back in front of
the garage door and again peering into this strange abyss that had been opened up. I
slipped on the lab coat. Larry also offered me goggles just in case I would need them.

I emptied the contents of the suitcase into a duffle bag. I swung its strap over my head, then
gripped the dustbuster firmly with my hands. I counted to five in my head, then bolted
confidently towards the projected image of the hospital hallway, half expecting to ram right
into the wood frame of the garage door. Instead, there was only a little bit of tension, like in
the pool when Ive dove underwater, and my ears popped. I tumbled forward and fell flat
onto the sterile, linoleum floor of a hospital.

Edit Google Doc

5
Chapter Two

Two
Are you okay? A young nurse with blonde curly hair had stopped to help. I accepted her
hand, and she pulled me up off the floor.

Yes, or I will be, I said, glancing up at the ceiling behind me. I am not sure if I expected to
see Larry peeking back at me, or what, but all there was now was ceiling tile. Had the
doorway closed when I stepped through?

Well, thats good. Excuse me, though, doctor, but Im late for my shift.

Oh, er, thank you. I stammered. As soon as she was out of sight, I began looking for a
place where I could collect my thoughts. I discovered, a couple of doors down, a lounge
which was unoccupied.

Suddenly, the dustbuster emitted a loud, long chirp. I thought that it was warning me that the
battery was almost dead, but when I looked at the battery indicator I could see that there
was still some time left. A message on the screen read, Scan complete. Press 1 to print ID
Card. I pressed the 1. Next, I was prompted for my name. When I was done, there was
the sound of gears moving, and then a brand-new Sparrow Hospital ID Card was ejected out
of the front of the device.

I grabbed it, and tucked the dustbuster into the duffle bag.

I needed to think.

Back in the museum--back in 2017--I had entered the year 9/23/2000, and the location
Sparrow Hospital, thinking about what it might be like to experience my daughters birth all
over again. And, here I was, seemingly inside the very same hospital where she had been
born, and on the morning of that same day.

I headed for the nearest directory, located the maternity ward on the map, and then headed
towards the nearest elevator.

The doors into the ward were locked, but somehow the ID card was enough to get me
through. I hid my duffle bag in a janitors closet. I found a watch mixed in with the assortment
of clothes. I had my smartphone, but I was hesitant to be caught using it.

The watch said that it was nearly 8 a.m. I headed towards the nurses station on the way
towards the row of triage rooms. My younger self and wife would have still been in one of
them.

Doctor? Doctor? Someone called. It was the nurse with the curly blonde hair.

6
Chapter Two

I slowed to a stop in front of the nurses station, and grinned at the nurse. Yes? I asked.

I didnt realize that you worked in maternity, She said.

Well, they were busy tonight so I was asked to come in, I said nonchalantly.

Wheres your badge, Doctor--

Morgan, see? I grabbed the ID and showed it to her. I misplaced my clip.

Oh, you should have just asked, she said, opening up a drawer. Inside, there was a entire
stack of badge holders. There you go.

I slipped my card into the back and attached the clip to my coat. Thanks.

Rachel, she said.

Jo--I mean, Joseph.

Joseph Morgan?

Yep.

Any relation to our patient in Triage room 2? Rachel asked.

I dont know. There are a lot of Morgans.

I suppose so. She shrugged, then turned her attention to the computer on her desk. You
dont happen to know anything about computers, do you?

Well, a little, I said, glancing at the screen. I recognized the Start button and the taskbar
of Windows XP.

Im trying to read this file, but it wont open.

I drifted behind the nurses station, and took a closer look. Well, I dont think theres an
extension. I made an adjustment to the settings in explorer so that all of the files extensions
would display. The file Rachel wanted to open had an extension that didnt conform to any
program I had heard of.

I think its an Acrobat file.

Oh, okay. I changed the extension to PDF. Now try it.

She double clicked the document, and let out a giggle when it opened. Wow, it worked!
Thank you.

No problem, I said. I waved, and slinked off towards Triage 2.

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7
Chapter Two

8
Chapter Three

Three
As I approached the triage room I was overwhelmed by a flood of memories sparked by the
sound of the heart monitor and the scent of disinfectant used on the hospital bed sheets.
From other rooms there were the sounds of people crying, and one woman was struggling
through her labor pains. It was a strange sensation, experiencing moment that at the same
time you could recall experiencing exactly the same way seventeen years ago.

I peeked into the door, and saw a younger version of myself observing while a nurse
checked a younger version of my wife, Theresa. Theresa was laying in bed, her legs up in
stirrups. I was holding onto Theresas overnight bag, and it sounded like the nurse was
saying that a labor and delivery room was going to become available soon.

I had paused to watch, but now decided to keep walking. Before I could step out of view,
though, I could feel a familiar set of eyes on me. I could not resist looking back over, and
found myself locking stares with my younger self. At first, it was a very eerie feeling. I
continued on, but immediately discovered that it was very difficult to walk. My legs became
heavy, and my surroundings began to twist around. For the second time that day, I dropped
towards the floor.

Jon...Jon! I was startled awake by a sharp shove to my shoulder. I opened my eyes to find
Theresa staring back at me. She looked very frustrated. I cant believe you fell asleep, she
said.

Im sorry..I must have been more tired than I thought, I offered weakly. I glanced around,
then down at my clothes. Not only was my lab coat missing, but the clothes I was wearing
were different than the ones I had put on in the museum. In fact, my body was different.

Right then I was struck by the realization that I had somehow taken the form of my younger
self, perhaps right after he had seen me.

Theresa was now looking worried. They said we could switch to the delivery room. After we
move there, why dont you head down to the cafeteria for a few minutes and get something
to eat? Maybe that will help you feel better.

We talked only a little while we waited for a nurse to come to usher us over to the delivery
room. Outside, it was raining like crazy.

Nurse Rachel appeared in the doorway with a wheelchair. I almost greeted her by name,
then stopped myself. I gathered up our things, and then we switched over to our new room.

9
Chapter Three

Once we were settled, I left the room under the pretense of grabbing some food but stopped
by the janitors closet to retrieve my dufflebag. I double checked the contents to make sure
that everything was there, and it was.

A few hours later, events unfolded just as I remembered them. After checking Theresa a few
times, the nurses finally said that she was dilated enough to deliver. So, the doctor was
called, and everyone worked on delivering our baby. It was strange going through it all over
again. It felt familiar, but still brand-new. I still cried when Kayla was born.

I had told myself that I wouldnt use my smartphone in the past, but I couldnt resist the urge
to snap a photo of Kayla while the nurses were giving her a checkup. Someone did see my
iPhone and asked if that was a new kind of camcorder, and I just nodded silently.

My plan was to let events carry out as they had before, then attempt a time jump back to
present time while I was downstairs in the cafeteria helping my niece, Allyson, buy
something for dinner. I was just about to step away when I noticed a man wearing work
overalls and heavy goggles step into the room. At first, I didnt recognize him, but on a
second glance I realized it was Larry. He was carrying a dustbuster just like mine.

I asked Allyson to find a table then hurried to catch Larry. Larry? I said.

Jon? Youre so much younger, I almost didnt recognize you, he said. He stared at me for a
few minutes, then added, Wait. How are you younger?

I described how I had seemed to merge with my past self when we made eye contact.

Thats what I was afraid of, Larry said. You need to stop her.

Who?

Kayla, your daughter. She used the device to time travel here and see her own birth, but
she doesnt understand the risk. Time corrects itself when two versions of the same person
come within proximity of each other.

What about me? I thought Id just be able to jump back.

You can because you merged a forty year old mind with someone in their twenties. Theres
no telling what happens to a person when they merge with a baby. I noticed the fear in
Larrys face, and started to wonder how he could feel so certain about anything of this.
When I left, time travel was new to both of us.

Wait. How did you get here? Did you find another dustbuster? I asked.

No. Im from your future, Jon. From my perspective, all of this has already happened. You
asked me to stop it from happening.

I did?

10
Chapter Three

You need to hurry. Right now, youre the only one with access to the maternity floor.

I returned to Theresas room, dropped off Allyson, then headed over to check on baby Kayla.
As I rounded the corner, I spotted an adult Kayla standing outside the observation window. I
swallowed hard, then grabbed her and pulled her away.

Owe, hey!

Kayla! I said. What are you doing here?

Dad? She said. Youre so much..younger.

Its a long story, I said.

I know, you told me some of it.

You cant be here.

Well, She retorted, It was your idea. You said I should time travel.

I did? I said, astonished. I was going to say more, but a passing nurse tapped me on the
shoulder.

Mr. Morgan?

Yes.

Your wife is asking for you.

Ill be there. I turned to Kayla, tried to get past my feelings of fear and dread, then said,
Leave. Dont interact with anybody.

I wont. I saw in her eyes, though, that she wanted to stay.

My sister and her future husband were in the room when I returned. We talked, and then
they asked about seeing Kayla. The nurses offered to bring the baby back. A few minutes
later, a nurse returned with a contently sleeping Kayla her their arms.

I noticed the blonde hair, and realized that it was adult Kayla. The older Kayla handed the
baby to Theresa. Shes so beautiful, she offered.

She is, my mother in law responded. She looked at Kayla. Do you have kids?

My daughter hesitated, as if she wanted to answer but couldnt. I never heard the answer,
however, because just then baby Kayla began to wake up. Excuse me, she said. She
made it out of the room, but stopped at the threshold when she heard the babys crying. At
first, she watched with wonderment but her expression slowly changed to pain. She tried to

11
Chapter Three

step farther back, but struggled at it. She moved as if she was suddenly underwater. I
started moving towards her when I saw that she was starting to faint, but was too late. She
had blinked out of existence by the time I had reached the hallway.

I glanced and stared back at my newborn daughter, who in the same moment had stopped
crying.

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12
Chapter Four

Four
When I saw the adult Kayla disappear, I knew that I had to stay and raise her all over again.
Id admit though, that it took until that evening before I was sure. It would mean leaving a life
in 2017 that included a good job, two sons, a house, and Facebook. I would also experience
a lot of painful events in my life all over again. Funerals, mistakes, and job changes.

Kayla was one month old when I realized I had made the right decision. She was crying in
her crib. I came in to collect her, and as I picked her up I leaned close and whispered, I
know what happened.

It could be my imagination, but she stopped crying as soon as I said this, and just stared
back at me, as if she understood. As if she needed to know that I was there for her not only
as a father, but as someone who understood what had really happened.

So, it has been a blessing to repeat what has always been the greatest adventure of my life.
Ive been there again for Kaylas first steps, and Ive attended her brothers birth all over
again.

I cant say that I have done everything exactly the same way that I remember; I
unsuccessfully tried to avoid being laid off at the Michigan State Medical Society and left an
anonymous tip with the Secret Service warning about 9/11. But, where it comes to Kayla I
havent changed anything.

Ive kept the dustbuster and the suitcase, but havent needed either of them during the three
years since I time traveled backwards from 2017. Ive been thinking I might someday donate
them to the historical society.

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13
Happy 17th Birthday

September 23, 2017

Dear Kayla,

I wanted to wish you a happy 17th Birthday. Im very proud of everything youve achieved so
far, but know that the best is yet to come. This is going to be a crazy year for all of us as you
complete your senior year in high school. While Im writing this, youre touring CMUs
campus with your mom.

I also appreciate how much youve done to help out with your brothers. For example, helping
Josh with his homework and being a fun big sister for Elijah.

Love,

Dad

Google Doc

14
The Bug Park

The Central Park, or Bug Park as we referred to it, was a frequent destination when we
lived on Clark street. I would take the kids there if we wanted to go somewhere, but I didnt
want to devote the time required to walk to and hang out at one of the parks that were
farther.

15
The Bug Park

As parks go, it is rather sparse. There is a jungle gym shaped like a giant ant. When we lived
on Clark street, there was also a see saw.

As there are plans to change the park, I said to Kayla I wanted to get another set of pictures
of her on the ant-shaped climbing bars while we had the opportunity. We had already been
out that morning to take photos during the opening ceremonies of the new MMCC annex
across from the Shepherd Elementary School.

16
The Bug Park

17
The Bug Park

Google Docs

18
The Birthday Show

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C91D5505FCC905F[/embed]

19
My Thoughts on Star Trek

Tonight, the Star Trek franchise will enter uncharted territory when a brand-new series airs
on CBS called Star Trek: Discovery. Although I am unsure about its quality or longevity, I
am planning on watching it tonight. Ill also be reacting via Twitter, so if anybody else wants
to follow along or jump in with their comments my handle is @morga2ja.

I was at the local library yesterday trying to pick a movie to rent, when I happened to glance
at their collection of TV shows on DVD. It occurred to me how much TV programming their
two bookshelves represented. Among the selections were of course Star Trek, Firefly, X-
Files, Fringe, Dr. Who, and many other shows.

This is remarkable to me, because back when I was a kid there definitely was not as many
choices for sci-fi on TV. The shows I do remember watching around the time I was ten or
twelve were Lost in Space, Star Trek, The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, Buck
Rogers, and Battlestar Galactica. These shows were beam to our TV on a regular basis
courtesy of a cool little thing called TV syndication. They were basically reruns of old or
cancelled TV shows which were being shown on different UHF channels. For the curious,
Im fairly sure that UHF stood for Good luck if you want to see this channel clearly,
because there is no way youll ever position the antenna in exactly the right spot. I once
gave myself a headache because I caught an episode of Battlestar Galactica on one of the
more obscure channels, but couldnt get it in very clearly. I basically just tried to see around
all of the interference on the screen.

So, I very much gravitated towards Star Trek. I owned a little toy phaser. There was a little
bit of an alcove in the dining room in our first house which I pretended was a transporter
room. I very much saw Mr. Spock. I very much loved seeing the Enterprise in space, or all of
the different special effects. It didnt really matter to me that the special effects were
outdated, because at the time what did I have it to compare it to? Lost in Space was made
right around the other time, and while more modern Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers
were just as limited by their shoestring, TV budgets. And, I was too young to really noticed
William Shatners overacting.

My favorite original Star Trek episodes were Space Seed, whatever title they gave the one
where they battled the planet killer, the one episode with the space parasites, and The
Tholian Web. In my adult years, Ive also grown to like more thoughtful episodes like City
on the Edge of Forever.

In September 1987 I had a new chance to become a fan of Star Trek all over again when
Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered. I remember watching the two part pilot episode
on my birthday, although Google says that it premiered on September 28, 1987, so maybe I
remember it being my birthday but it was the next weekend right after it.

20
My Thoughts on Star Trek

I caught each series after that. DeepSpace Nine was a spin-off of TNG which was
broadcasted as another syndicated series. Voyager was the first series to be shown on a
broadcast network since the original series, although since the network showing it was UPN
thats not such an accomplishment. After Voyager ended, there was Enterprise, which
took place before the original series.

Ive been thinking a lot about how my and Star Treks histories have been tied together.
Again, Im celebrating another birthday and, as I may have mentioned, getting ready to
watch the beginning of a new Star Trek show. This is a great time to be a Star Trek fan,
right?

I guess. But the backstory for the production of Star Trek: Discovery has been sounding
pretty crazy, and I am not too keen on the idea of CBS airing the rest of the season on their
exclusive, subscription-only streaming service. The vibe Im getting is that CBS just wants to
kickstart their Netflix competitor, and theyre using the Star Trek brand to do it. They did it
once again (or, Viacom did) when they launched UPN and made Voyager their flagship
show. I remember reading once that back in the mid-1970s, there was talk of starting up a
new network, and if Star Trek Phase II had been greenlit as a TV show instead of as the
very first movie then it would have been on this brand-new network.

So, basically, this is an example of corporate executives not only taking from the same bag
of tricks, but trying the same exact thing over, and over, and over again. Will they be
successful this time? It is too soon to say for sure, but Id have to say that its really tacky to
force your audience to pay for a subscription service just so they can watch one new show. I
think that this stems from the fact that CBS sees what Netflix has been doing, and what HBO
has achieved with shows like Game of Thrones, and wants a piece of the action.

Part of the back story is the complaint from long time fans that Discovery will change a lot
of elements that weve come to expect from Star Trek. The Klingons are different, the
technology doesnt fit within a time frame that comes before Kirk and Spock. The U.S. S.
Discovery is ugly (well, I cant really argue against that).

I have thought about this a lot, and if you really look at the history of Star Treks production,
they all originate from the very first movie when the budget was a lot bigger and they could
take things a little farther with set construction, makeup, alien designs, etc. Mr. Worf, from
the Next Generation was a Klingon with ridges on his head. Why? Because the Klingons
from the movies had ridges, and the look of the movie Klingons originated with Star Trek:
The Motion Picture. So, if you flip that around, you start to realize that Klingons have looked
they way they do because some guy back in the 1970s made a few creative decisions. The
sets from the motion picture were redressed for at least the first season of TNG.

21
My Thoughts on Star Trek

Its not a bad thing that sets and makeup designs were recycled. It saved money for the
studio and allowed them to create other things that were way more interesting. But, maybe
the people behind ST:Discovery got together and agreed to throw out everything that had
been done before for other Star Trek shows because very little of it felt fresh. Im not sure
that Ill love the look of the new Klingons, but I think I will be able to look past it. Ill let you
know later.

The biggest variable affecting the premiere of the new Star Trek show, however, is a Star
Trek lookalike currently being aired on FOX called The Orville. Say what you will about this
other show, but it will steal a little bit of thunder from Star Trek. Ive watched the first three
episodes, and it has a lot going for it. It is familiar, because it is set on a ship and the cast of
characters perform ship roles which are similar to the ensemble we saw on TNG. But,
judging from the third episode of the season, The Orville will fearlessly go places with its
storylines that perhaps the other Star Trek series refused to go. If The Orville is the
counter-Star Trek, then Discovery will need to be twice as bold to stay ahead of it and
satisfy fans who will no doubt compare it to previous Star Trek series.

Google Docs

22
My Reactions to "Star Trek Discovery"

The first episode of Star Trek: Discovery, titled Vulcan Hello, but what really should have
been called, Hey suckers, you only get to watch the first hour of this two-parter on CBS, so
ha-ha!, was mostly pretty good, but there were some parts that were a little hard to
understand. Such as why the Klingons didnt just transition to English like during Star Trek:
The Undiscovered Country. Okay, I get it...you have an entire, made up Klingon language. It
doesnt mean we want to spend 15-20 minutes reading subtitles while people in makeup are
basically grunting at each other.

The show has a lot going for it. Stylistically, everything is very interesting. In terms of plot,
they moved immediately into the central conflict involving the Klingons. If the show was
trying to explain the motivations for the Klingons, I think some of the it was lost on me
because I was very distracted by the revamped designs.

So, I dont think theres any secret that there is a lot of talk about war with the Klingons in
this episode. Without spoiling it, it basically went something like this: Talk, talk talk talk, talk,
ooh something happened, talk talk, something else happened, and--roll credits.

I get that CBS is trying to start its own streaming service to rival Netflix, and maybe even get
out of the free broadcasting game altogether. Thats their choice. But, I already pay for
cable so that I can get their programming. If I wanted streaming, Id choose Netflix over a
one trick pony like CBS All Access. Because I dont even spend a lot of time watching CBS
at all, until tonight. Offering a quick nibble of a series and then locking the second half of
what is obviously a two-episode story behind their paywall is just not fair.

I think that I must be just old fashioned about my TV watching. Antenna TV shows should be
free, aside from any cable fees. TV networks should not use one lower tier property to
advertise for programming that will be shown on their premium property.

Sadly, I think that the TV network model is doomed, and I think that the executives are
realizing it as well. People want to go straight to the source for their programming, and
networks want to be that source so they stay relevant. Now when people cut the cord, CBSs
All Access service is there for them. But, for me this only makes CBS less relevant in my life,
and Ill have to wait until Star Trek: Discovery becomes available outside of this streaming
service--kind of how I got started watching the original series in the first place.

The other sad thing this is the way that theyve offered this on Netflix internationally except
for the US. If it was for everybody, then maybe I would have signed up for Netflix and
watched it there. I already might sign up for a subscription to Netflix because of season two
of Stranger Things, and in general for the other shows and movies that are offered there.
But, they didnt go this route, so in a way Im blocked twice from seeing the series.

What CBS doesnt understand is that in order to offer a streaming service that people will
pay for, they first need to demonstrate that their service offers a value they cant find
anywhere else. If you are only offering mostly the same shows that you air on your

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My Reactions to "Star Trek Discovery"

broadcast network plus Star Trek: Discovery, then thats not nearly enough to go on. A
subscription wouldnt be for a whole service, just for the one series. They might as well call it
the Star Trek Streaming Service.

So, I guess I am looking forward to watching the rest of the season a year from now when
its finally released on DVD, or its on Netflix, or whatever. In the meanwhile, Ill be staying
caught up with shows like The Walking Dead, which airs on a network that I know wont
jerk me around.

If anything, I dont need to deal with crap like this. Its just a reminder of how unimportant TV-
-even Star Trek on TV--is to my life. There are so many other more constructive ways I could
spend my money, or even my time. And, the moment when im forced to prioritize my TV
watching against other things in my life, is the moment that CBS loses my viewership. I think
this is the same for a lot of people, and is another reason why their strategy isnt going to
work.

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

This weekend, I took the kids to the Chippewa Nature Center during its Fall Festival. This
was about our fourth visit to the center. For the previous times we had gone with Joshs cub
scout pack or with friends. Those had been normal days for the center compared to
Saturday, so it was busier than ever.

This was Elijahs second visit to the nature center. During his first, when I took him down to
the shore of the river he had loved standing and just commenting on everything he saw. So,
now that he is a little bit older I knew he was going to love it even more. It helped that it was
a day when they were having the Fall festival, so there could be a little bit more for Josh and
Kayla, who are older and had been there before, could do. But, as it turned out there really
was enough to do without the extra activities, and they werent as into the special activities
as maybe I had thought they would be.

The Visitor Center

The first place I took Elijah when we arrived at the nature center was the set of windows in
the visitors center overlooking the Chippewa River. He immediately crouched down low and
began chattering about everything he was seeing and asking questions.

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

We checked out all of the nature exhibits and stayed in the bird observatory for a little bit
watching the squirrels fight each other over the bird seed that had fallen on the ground.
Elijah asked tons of questions about what he was seeing and made up stories.

The Homestead
Once we had seen everything we could inside the visitors center, we walked out towards
the homestead where a few of the other activities were taking place, and I knew we would
be able to check out a few farm animals. The hike was long and tedious (as according to
Josh) but eventually we made it there.

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

We found pigs, a sheep, and two cows. Next, we walked over to the one room schoolhouse.

There were a lot of fun things happening, but the older two werent so interested in them and
there was a line for everything. So, we started back towards the visitors center. But, we
couldnt resist stopping by the river for a closer look.

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

It was really exciting to get my kids out into the woods a little bit and to immerse ourselves
into nature. I wish that we were able to visit more often, because I can see how relaxing it
would be just to sit and watch the river flow by, or to just sit and observe all of the different
birds that land and feed off of the bird feeders. I think that if there is any lesson to take with

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Our Visit to the Chippewa Nature Center

us, it is that nature is everywhere and should be appreciated. This isnt always easy when
we live in the Village of Shepherd, but we still see some animals in our backyard, and the
walking trail isnt very far away. Its just a matter of taking the time to stop and look or listen.

As usual, Elijah helped me to keep a fresh perspective on a lot of what we saw. Ive seen a
cow before, but it was fun seeing Elijahs reaction.

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Fun with Golf Balls

On Thursday while I was finishing up work, Elijah started to play around with a couple of golf
balls that he found on the ground. I told him he needed to be careful to roll the balls, not
throw them since theyre so hard, and showed him how he could drop them through things.

As he became more and more mesmerized by this I decided to set up something in the living
room that he could play with. I grabbed two of our card tables from our garage, and set them
ups that one was at a slight slant so that the balls would roll naturally. I also grabbed Kaylas
old wooden doll stage. I set the stage at the bottom of the slope so it would catch the golf
balls.

We used a letter holder shaped like a dog to launch the gofl balls. The letter holder has a
tube shape (picture a weiner dog made out of wires) so the balls just rolled through easily.
Elijah had tons of fun rolling the balls down the table. There was also a second video.

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First Days of School 2017

For me, the years when each of our kids attended school for the very first time will always
seem the most monumental. That is the kind of year that four-year-old Elijah is having this
year, as he has been attending preschool. I still fondly remember Kaylas first day of
Kindergarten, and Joshs first days of school for both Headstart and Kindergarten as though
they were not that long ago.

Now that our oldest two are in high school, the first day of the school year should probably
feel old hat. But, each grade theyve entered, and each grade theyve completed, have
been milestones. This is Kaylas senior year in high school, so these next few months will be
anything but ordinary. Already shes been having her senior pictures taken, gowns are being
ordered, and college plans are being discussed as she chooses the career she will be
pursuing beyond high school. I always knew that these moments would come--I went
through them myself--but when your kids are small, like Elijah is now, it all seems so far
away. Im not sure what happen, but things got busy in the middle and now here we are.

Josh is close on his sisters heels. He started his Freshman year at Shepherd High School.
Id like to say that we will get all of the kinks worked out by the time he is graduating high
school, but it will all be different for him when the time comes.

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First Days of School 2017

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First Days of School 2017

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First Days of School 2017

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First Days of School 2017

No matter what happens, this year will go down in our history as a year of transition. The
year Kayla graduated high school, Joshs first year of high school, and Elijahs first year
attending a school of any form. All this really does is remind me of how short my stint as
parenting really is. Weve gone from one baby, to two babies, then one baby, and now no
babies and two young adults.

I feel like my experience as a parent has been too fleeting. Its all been like trying to catch
every drop of water in a stream. You can bottle it, you can hold it in buckets you can try to
grab it with your fingers, but it moves too fast to get it all. I think over time Ive learned to just
appreciate the stream, and let the drops fall where they may. I hope that my experience will
help improve me as a father as we continue to raise Elijah, and that I can support Kayla and
Josh as they continue on into adulthood.

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