On TV Envy: 2008 Primetime Emmy Nominations

SeaWorld orca trainers are crazy!

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Personal



seaworld shamu believe jump

Maybe it’s just me, but I would have a real problem swimming underwater with the animal called the killer whale, which can destroy sharks. I’d have an even bigger problem putting my feet on its nose underwater, while it swam towards the surface at top speed, only to jump out and launch me into the air. Look at the picture above - it was taken while we were at SeaWorld Orlando (which thoroughly enjoyed.) I mean, look at how high that killer whale launched the trainer. Don’t get me wrong, the show is definitely a sight to behold...but, man...crazy.

By the way, if you ever get a chance to see these creatures up close, they are truly magnificent and beautiful.



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Alijah, Grandpa, Cancer Medicine, and a Donut

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal, Videos



A few days ago I put up a video of Alijah and my Dad at the park. I liked how it showed a glimpse of the relationship that they had, even while having only a short amount of time to get to know each other. The next video I wanted to share was one that I think showed my Dad’s sense of humor, as he was even able to make light of his dying of cancer - not that he took it lightly, just that he was able to not dwell on it and always find the silver lining in things.

In this video Alijah starts laughing as my Dad shakes his inhaler, notices a box of donuts (or “no-NEETS") up on the counter, and starts asking for one. I then inform him that he already has one in his hand, that he has been eating for the past few minutes. He looks down at it, looks back at me while doing some sort of “Oh, that’s embarrassing!” dance, and leaves the room.




Alijah plays with Grandpa’s hat

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal, Videos




Ever since my Dad, George Budabin, died of lung cancer back in December 2006, Monica and I had been kicking ourselves for not taking any video of him with our son Alijah. A couple of days ago, I was reorganizing everything I had in iPhoto just so that things would be better tagged and more findable, and I came across a few videos of Alijah and his grandfather that I had totally forgotten about. I will be posting them here over the next few days. This first one is from a day we spent at Wave Hill park in Riverdale, back home in The Bronx. I particularly love the interaction that they have with each other. That was so cool to see for me. Also of note is how my Dad almost tears Alijah’s arm from its socket at the very end.




Alijah’s Trip to the ER (Or, What is a Febrile Seizure?)

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal

Alijah

On Friday afternoon, Monica and I got the scare of our lives. It all started when our son Alijah walked into my office after Monica asked me to check and see if he was warm. I felt his head, and let her know that he did, in fact, feel hot. Nothing abnormal about a three-year-old child having a fever. We would give him some Childrens Tylenol and things would be back to normal as usual we figured. A minute later, I am still in my office answering an email, and I hear a very loud “THUD.” I thought something huge fell from a high surface and I hear Alijah start crying, so I rushed into the living room to find Monica holding him. She said she walked into the room, where he was standing with one hand on the couch. She told him they were getting ready to leave, and he didn’t respond. It was as if he were looking through her instead of at her. Then he just fell straight backwards. The noise I heard was him hitting his head on the floor. That had to hurt. While Monica held him, I went upstairs to find the thermometer so that we could check his temperature - it was 101.7. High, but not horrible. The only oddity was that it came on so suddenly.

I then went to find him some Tylenol while Monica began to check on him. He wasn’t answering, but that isn’t completely abnormal for him, since when he gets hurt he tends to just want to be held, but left alone until he is ready to talk - but this was different. He wasn’t saying anything. He wasn’t looking at her. He was off in his own world. I came over and tried to talk to him, and his eyes didn’t even track towards my direction, which would be natural. He finally looked up, but not at me - instead he was staring at the top corner of the room, where the ceiling met the two walls. As Monica turned him back her direction, his head and eyes stayed fixed on that area of the room, and still, he was completely silent.

Click to continue reading Alijah’s Trip to the ER (Or, What is a Febrile Seizure?)


Alijah’s New Haircut!

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal

Alijah with Hair

So, in the image above, you see how Alijah looked when my wife Monica left to do a little shopping. When she gets back, he will look very different. Check the new image after the break. Leave your comments…

Click to continue reading Alijah’s New Haircut!


Alijah Realizes Widescreen vs. Full Screen

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal

Monica always tells me how much ‘s personality is like mine. Not totally, but his little intricacies and nuances. I agree mostly, but the issue he had last week took the cake. He is totally in love with Cars, the Pixar movie. He has probably watched that movie in excess of 25 times. Anyway, when he last watched it, he wasn’t happy with the movie for some reason. He kept asking for it to be turned on, despite the fact that it was playing right in front of him. Monica didn’t understand his issue until she realized that the movie, which is widescreen, was being played in full-screen 4x3. At three years old, Alijah knew that this particular movie was not a pan and scan feature, and should thusly fill the entire screen. However, when he is actually watching 4x3 content, he is fine, so it isn’t something where he wants everything to be widescreen. Very funny, as he is becoming a little version of me - a miniature technophile, if you will.


Alijah Breaks It Down At The Pirillo Wedding

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal, Videos


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This is just too cute. cuts a rug on the dance floor at Chris and Ponzi Pirillo’s wedding after much coaxing. He shakes his groove thang so well that he is even approach by Lila, daughter of our friends David and Cathia Geller. What you don’t see is him running away when he realizes she is asking to dance with him. Bonus points go out to Jesse and Brenda, the two dancing fools you see in the video with Alijah.


Alijah Turns Three, Destroys Pinata (With My Help)

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal, Videos


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My little guy is getting all grown up (comparitively speaking.) When Alijah turned three, we figured we would have him try his luck at destroying a pinata. He needed a little help, but in the end, he did it. Oh, and why we hung it from a freaking Swiffer? Please...don’t ask. It wasn’t my decision. I love how in the middle of the video, he starts getting noticeably tired, but we keep cheering him on, as if we were deep into the child labor industry.

Oh, and we don’t still have the Christmas tree up. Alijah turned three back at the beginning of January.


Three Things: A Father’s Words To A Son

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal

So, while I was preparing to post a smattering of images from my trip to Puerto Rico, which is just an amazingly beautiful place, even at this time of year, I got a call that meant leaving immediately despite only being here for 3 out of 9 scheduled days. My father, George Budabin, was diagnosed with lung cancer some months ago. I will go into more of those details in my next post more than likely, but suffice to day, things aren’t looking good. I am sitting here in the airport getting ready to board a red-eye flight into NYC’s JFK airport so that I can be by his side as soon as humanly possible. I just got off the phone with his, and as he lay in his hospital bed, too weak to even hold the phone to his ear on his own, he had just three things to say to me before he was too tired to continue. Mark my words, I will never forget them:

1) I am proud of the man you have become, and the man I know you will be.
2) Thank you for loving me, and for allowing me to love you.
3) Thank you for Alijah.

Of course, I had more than a few things to say back to him - but it is impossible to fit what would take you hours to say into a 20-second increment of time. There is just no way I can tell this man - my father - what he means to me, and how infinitely grateful I am for all the ways that he has fought, sacrificed, loved, and guided me to make me who I am today. I just can’t.

Update: My father, George Budabin, passed away on Tuesday, December 19, 2006. 


Alijah Loves The Balloon Bathroom

Posted by Andru Edwards
Categories: Alijah, Personal, Videos


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We had a birthday party for myself and my friend Jesse. Aside from having all our friends dress us up like robots (as in, the ugliest robots ever,) we filled the bathroom with balloons so that the first person who had to go would likely wet themselves from the shock. During the filling of the bathroom, my son Alijah was having a good time in there. Take a look.


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