Jason Raven

I Alone

Angela left for Maryland last Thursday, so I've been a single dad for the last few days. The three of us have managed to stay pretty busy! Friday morning, we made our first trip of the year to the Maine Wildlife Park. There was no school on Friday, so I took the day off and met up there with Steve from work and his two boys. The kids ran from animal to animal like it was a race, but they pretty much behaved themselves. Highlights were seeing a coyote out and about in the daylight, which is pretty rare, and having a moose with budding antlers bedded down just 15 or 20 yards from the fence. One of the mountain lions was unusually alert and perched on top of his little hill like a sentry. The deer were a disappointment, though. Just a single doe came up to be fed while the rest laid down on the opposite side of the pen. No little ones tearing around yet, either.

Down with disease

One of the things I dread most about visiting a new medical office is having to fill out all of the paperwork. Now that I have children, it's even worse because our visits and referrals to specialists are much more frequent. The part of the form that gives me the most trouble is the "Family History" section where you are expected to list all of the various genetic diseases and conditions that have plagued your clan. How much of my family should I include? Are we really susceptible to high blood pressure or does my uncle just eat way too much fast food?