Helicopter Fishing and Blogging Olympics

Artwork by Wes Molebash of WesDraws.com

The epic battle between Team Ricky (yay!) and Team Rob (boo!) is still going on, but it's almost over. Because you guys absolutely rule, Team Ricky took the lead over the past couple days and is starting to pull away.

With that said, I've never been one to be cocky or celebrate before the final horn sounds. It's not over till it's over...and it's not over.

So, if you haven't cast your vote for Team Ricky yet, go ahead and do that HERE. Remember, a vote for Team Ricky is a vote for the underdog, for the common man, for apple pie and for common decency. Voting for Team Ricky proves that you don't hate puppies and/or the environment. So, you're gonna want to go take care of that ASAP.

To motivate you to vote, I've included a video of a man jumping out of a helicopter into the ocean, where he wrestles an 800-pound marlin for ten seconds.

Enjoy:

She's Going the Distance: Approaching Pregnancy's Finish Line

That's my wife Kim, every bit of 38 weeks pregnant.

We've made it thus far, and she's been a total trooper. She's made it through the majority of the journey, and the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching.

We can see it. We can sense it. It feels so close but also far away.

With a due date of August 12, out first son, Aidan Robert Haggerty, has reached a point in his quest to enter the world where he could literally come any day now.

We're ready for him -- as ready as we can be. The nursery is painted. The crib is up. The rocking chair and nursing stool are in place. The baby monitor has been hung and tested (at great lengths).

As an "almost daddy," I feel a mixed sense of nervousness and excitement. It's totally crazy. But it's totally awesome.

I can't wait to hold him. I can't wait to show you guys how beautiful he is.

Two final things.

First, I've asked a good deal of friends to help me out with guest posts for me to use for the period of time that we will be busy either delivering a baby or recovering from that process. A good many of them obliged, and I'm excited to post them for you soon.

If I didn't ask you to guest post, and that's something you'd be interested in, shoot me an email. I'd love to host your words on my site.

Second, the All-Star Blogging Challenge is still going on at RobShep.com. I'd still love it if you went over and voted for Team Ricky and continued to encourage your friends to do the same. Thanks for that.

On a totally unrelated sidenote...



What's been your favorite part of the Olympics, so far?

The Blogging All-Star Challenge

Ricky vs. Rob: The Epic Battle of the Century...or at least this week.

A few weeks ago, Ricky Anderson emailed me to inform me he'd picked me for his All-Star team. I dusted off the cleats and found my old glove, just in time to find out that we were not going to be playing softball (much to my dismay), but instead, we were going to be taking part in an online popularity contest.

Here's the deal.

Rob Shepherd and Ricky have both selected a list of their favorite bloggers on the whole wide world webernets.

It should be noted that Ricky, a guy I just met on the internet a few months ago and have never met in person, picked me. Rob, a guy who I have personally known for over 18 years, did not. I'm not bitter about that. Not at all.

Moving right along.