Joshua Dana Baron returns

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted, but I felt like it was time to resurrect this beast of a blog. I’ve had a lot of interesting experiences over the past few years, many of which quite unbelievable. For those of you who might know me personally, I am happy to talk with you on a one to one basis about them. For others, just know Joshua Dana Baron is back... hopefully this time for good. Though I am now living in Chicago, I’m looking to get back to the Oak Park area to get a bit closer to my kids. Take care, all, and I look forward to getting back to you sooner than the last time.

Evolution?

Hi, all...

Clearly life has changed significantly since I last posted, but life evolves in unusual ways sometimes.

For those who don't know, I have traded in my stay-at-home Dad duties for a life in clinical informatics.  This is a fancy term which means that I help hospitals support the implementation of their electronic medical records (EMRs).  This is not nearly as much fun as hanging out with my kids, mind you, though it is more effective at paying the rent.  Currently I am working in Owensboro, Kentucky and have been working at Owensboro Medical Health Systems for the past 2 1/2 months, with the plan of being here for several weeks more. 

This has been my first long-term foray into the South and while Owensboro is limited compared to Chicago in its cultural offerings, I am appreciating Southern hospitality.  I have been lucky enough to make some good friends here in the physicians who I come in contact with on a day-to-day basis.  My efforts at work are much-appreciated, which I also enjoy.

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PoBPAH

Jill and I like to spar periodically as to who is more hip out of the two of us.  For fun, I claim to be hip, but know otherwise.  Left to my own devices, I would be wearing acid-washed jeans, listening to Cyndi Lauper and playing PacMan... but that's the subject of another blog post.  In any case, Jill seems to have her finger on the pulse of what is, at least in this dork's mind, cool... it is one of the reasons I really like her.

I can't recall now how Jill heard of the above cryptically named band, better known as The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, but I seem to be addicted to their first (self-titled) CD in a serious manner (and we no longer joke about addictions).  It is brilliant indie-pop (oxymoron?), that at times reminds me of old Jesus and Mary Chain, at other times The Vaselines or one of my favorite lesser-knowns, Fuzzy.  The lyrics are interesting, to say the least, ranging from songs referring to incest ("You're my sister... and this love is fucking right!") to losing one's virginity in the stacks of a library to a shared love of Jesus Christ and heroin.

I've been trying to get into the PoBPAH's 2nd and most recent CD, "Belong," but it seems to lack the same intensity of the 1st and it is just not happening.

Check them out... you can hear just about all of their stuff streaming on their website... enjoy!

http://www.thepainsofbeingpureatheart.com/

Back to the Basics

So... for those of you who do not know, I have a new position these days.  A life of academia and clinical medicine is at least temporarily behind me, and I have taken on the post of "domestic engineer", aka stay-at-home Dad, aka househusband.  It is a post that I have held since January and as Dickens once famously wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."  Cliche, but true.


When Jill stayed at home, I envied her position.  I think she thought I was crazy.  She referred to the job as "thankless" and noted that it does not command any respect.  Nonetheless, I thought that I would, at least for awhile, like to have a crack at it.  So here I am...

I love connecting with the kids on a day-to-day basis, and I know that the kids are well cared for (very much unlike some of our au pair experiences within the past several months... if nothing else, I don't threaten to call the police on the kids and generally know where my kids are at any point in time).  The kids crack me up, and I love the bond that we are creating.

Not to state that it is all bon-bons.

For example, today started with my urine-soaked boy asking for help, followed by a code brown from our youngest that clogged the toilet -- the toilet that has never before been clogged before -- and much whininess.

I do miss working and hope to return to the workforce soon -- likely in a non-clinical position, hopefully with an EMR company or perhaps as a medical writer.  I know when I return, I will miss days like these, as crazy as they seem as they are occurring.