Yesterday was spent at Storybook Island, a free park built upon storybooks and playground equipment based on those stories. It's basically an LSD trip for kids who are culturally inclined in the storybook world. The other good thing, aside from being free, is that most places like this requires you to follow and watch your kids closely. This place, however, allows you to relax and know that the equipment are made for those young kids and that they won't fall off and get hurt. You should still watch them.

We got back and I grilled potatoes and steaks out back. We ate dinner and showered and spent a while getting Ayana to bed. Jeanne's contractions came back stronger today, but we were cautious because of before. I forget the type it is, but it comes on strong and hard and you think you're just about to be in labor and it goes. And that was last Tuesday and Wednesday. To a point where she couldn't even walk. Shannon (our doula) and Jeanne (the midwife) told us what it was and that when she does go into real labor that it'll hurt so bad that she won't be able to walk or talk and it'll be a fast one.

So Jeanne finally got to bed and Ayana finally fell asleep just about 10 pm. Jeanne went to the bathroom and I started to eat ice cream. Jeanne came back out and said she heard a pop sound and that we should go. I grabbed my bag and her purse and my coffee mug and placed pillows on either side of Ayana so she doesn't roll off the bed. Jeanne told Cecilia that we're going. We go downstairs and I give Jeanne the key and told her to go in the car and I got coffee. When I got to the car she just got off the phone with Jeanne (midwife) to tell her we're heading there and then left a message with Shannon who lives near our hotel and called right back to say she's right behind us. The time was now 2210.

After getting on the Interstate and passing the few cars of Rapid City traffic, had clear sailing all the way going 80. Shannon called back and had gotten off the phone with Jeanne (midwife) and said she's right behind us and if Jeanne (wife) started to deliver we'd pull over and she'd jump in and we'd high-tail it to the birthing center.

Jeanne (midwife) called to get our update and told her where we were and that Shannon was on the other line coaching Jeanne (wife) through it which helped out tremendously as I couldn't do anything and couldn't understand anything as Jeanne (wife) was moaning and couldn't articulate anything.

We got disconnected and I called Shannon back to say we just passed Sturgis and are seven minutes from the birthing center and we'll see her there and Jeanne (midwife) is right behind all of us (coming down from Terry Peak). chelsea (who lives in Sturgis) was already there starting the bath. We got there at 2245 and I lifted Jeanne (wife) out of the car and helped her in the door where she immediately collapsed from the pain. I grabbed Chelsea and we helped her into the first room, but the tub wasn't filled so we took her to the next one on the bed where we'd do a normal delivery if needed. Shannon showed up right after that and started coaching her, so I pulled out the camera. Jeanne (midwife) showed up about 2250 and got us to remove Jeanne's (wife's) clothes and got her to the tub. Max's head was right there and Jeanne (midwife) helped assist Jeanne (wife) through her contractions and urged her to feel Max's head and to hold her breath and push hard through her contractions and to pull Max's head to help her deliver Max herself. Jeanne (wife) was working really hard through the pain as best she could. I got behind it all to video and saw Max's head begin to crown and his head came out Jeanne (wife) stopped and I wondered if that could choke him. Jeanne (midwife) urged Jeanne (wife) to continue pushing and got Max out and handed her to Jeanne (wife). This was 2312. All this happened within an hour.

So all's good now and we're here for a couple more days and heading back. Just ate at Ihop because it's near and we missed the free breakfast and had to writhe my way through a table of morons argue their experience through their check. Everyone had a problem with the meal they mostly ate and never once complained until their check arrived. This is why I don't ever want to work at places like Ihop. I tipped our waitress well and we're back at the hotel now and not doing anything. Gonna make ramen (not instant) for dinner tonight.

Ayana was really enjoying Fugazi the past couple of days. When "Repeater" came on she kept laughing and counting with Ian for, "1, 2, 3, repeater." Then she kept counting higher. Then she thought it was funny when Guy kept saying, "I'm not playing with you."

It's been getting thoroughly boring. I wish I brought my bike as originally planned. Lots of hills, but for the errands that I've been running, I could do it on the single-speed, no problem. I feel bad for spending $15 on sunglasses. It's about $14 more than I'm willing to pay. I keep thinking how I should've bought the rack of those sunglasses at that Goodwill in Vegas the other year. Would've still had some and all less than $10. But finding glasses that cheap that can also fit over my glasses are hard to come by, so I caved in.

We went to Jeanne's birthing center the other day and hung out and talked for a while. We decided to go through Spearfish and drive around Spearfish Canyon. By the time we left her place, I needed to eat and get more coffee. We had to go to Wal-Mart to get a prescription and as an unfortunate result, we had to eat at GD Papa John's for mediocre pizza that I never wanted to partake of. The only good (and surprising) thing is they had a tip jar. I was surprised that Wal-Mart and Papa John's allowed that, since the Starbucks in Target doesn't allow it because Target owns those franchises and doesn't allow it. Wal-Mart seems to be worse than that and Papa John's, well, we all know about that asshole.

So we drove through Spearfish and passed by the bed and breakfast where we had Ayana at. It was sold for $75,000 and the realty place is probably going to sell it for tons more. The drive through the canyon was nice. We've only ever been here during the winter, so the mountains were much nicer and there were waterfalls. We stopped near the creek and one point and got out to take pictures and feel the water. It was nice. I'd explain it but then it'd be like writing poetry.

Now we're back and just getting cabin fever. The workout room is not open today since they're fixing the a/c. I wish they had free weights and stuff, it's just cardio. I'd like to work on my back. At least the elliptical allows me to work on my back upper-arms.

BTW, the Kansas DOT is giving them $18 million to generate things like bike trails. How come in Kansas they get it and Omaha is stupid? Kansas!?!

Grandstay Hotel

Still no update, but the good news is that the old Borders is now a BAM! Not that I like that place because I think those big box book stores are ridiculous to some extent. Glad because there's nowhere to get a New York Times and they have it...but only on Sundays. I would hate to pay money for the Rapid City paper, because its a dollar a day and very little news. I don't feel bad for paying $.75 for the World-Herald, because by comparison, the World-Herald's a trove of information. Today's paper is 80% comics and ads and the Parade deal, and the news section is like five pages, mostly about local nonsense. National and world news, more like news briefs. It's no wonder these people are conservatively Republican.

On that note, looking at the discount books, I found the "Christian Fiction" section and went and got a Bible and put it there .

Last night went well into the early AM but still nothing. It was suggested we go to sleep because sometimes the mother would be too exhausted that her body won't go into labor. There was another couple there so we didn't have access to both rooms, which would have been ideal so the kids could hang out there and go to sleep. Instead they were playing and watching TV in the waiting area and we just did our deal.

I ended up going across the street to Tony's Motel for a room. Cecilia had called to ask about being wheelchair accessible to which he replied that all rooms were. She was, understandably, dubious. I went there and knocked on the office door and he told me to come in. I try the locked door and he goes, "Oh," and comes and lets me into his smoky office. I ask about a room, needs to be wheel chair accessible and that we're across the street at the birthing center and just need a place to stay for a few hours.

He walks me into the first one, which looks accessible, then the second one with one bed , which he assures me is the better deal for a wheel chair, even though I told him there are three adults and two kids. So I tell him I'll take the first one and we walk back to the office. He says it's $86-something. I have only twenties and left my wallet across the street. He tells me he only has $6 and twenties. I tell him I'll be back and give him the $6-something when I get my wallet. Oh, by this point, I understood why he sounded the way he did on the phone; he's drunk. He asks me at this point, "Hey, you want a free beer? It comes with the room." I decline and tell him I'll be right back.

I go to get them (sans Jeanne) and go back. Ayana follows me into the office where I give him $7 and he gives me $6 and asks if that's what he owes me. I tell him that I gave him $7 so he should give me the twenty back. He tosses it on the desk towards me and says, "Ah, doesn't matter; I have lots of those." I ask for the room keys and he says, "What do you need those for?" He gets them and hands them to me and asks, "You want a free beer or pop or something?" I say no, because I don't want Ayana in a smoke-filled room and just then Cecilia rolls in and asks if they have pop. He tells me, also, for the third time, that the windows open so we probably should turn the heat on and close the window since it's pretty cold. I'll figure it out.

I get them settled in and change Ayana into her jammies and lay her down. I go back to the clinic and decide to sleep and come back.

This morning, after sleeping through what seemed like people welding and moving steel beams and stacking them....we ended up driving back to Rapid City to the hotel for the breakfast and shower. Did not want to shower at Tony's as the towels seemed to be just thrown in there like he grabbed them from a pile of something. There was also no trashcan in the entire room. I went to the front office to turn in the keys, but no one was there and it was locked so I left a note stating they were in the room on the microwave. We weren't attached to the room in any way as we paid cash and didn't give any info. So if I'm on the lam at some point in my life, Tony's would be the place to lay low for a bit. I mean, there was a sign on a post-it on the door for which rooms were unlocked and to just stay and pay later, per Tony.

Went up to Oak Park after walking around Whitewood and hiked up a short trail to the top. Really nice day. Still nothing, but came back and Jeanne (midwife) hooked Jeanne (regular wife) up to the monitor to check the contractions which were coming steadily and intense.

Some guy in Mitchell (according to the small-town-type newspaper here) had been arrested for voter fraud in the school board election.

Whitewood, SD

Went in for a check earlier and now we're back and baby's on the way...sometime.

Jeanne got her membrane stripped and now we're trying to induce...into another sleepless night. Literally "drinking black coffee" and staring at the wall...I mean still video screen.

Our hotel's one of those places that seem to be portrayed in sitcoms where all the guests hang out in the lobby area.

Rapid City, SD

Jeanne was at 4 cm dilated yesterday so we had to head out quick. Plan was originally to drive to Mitchell, SD then see how it was. After talking to some people we decided to go to Wall, SD which makes it about a seven hour drive. This is on top of being up since four in the morning, working at the grill for breakfast, then Ted & Wally's where I froze about eighteen ice creams (with a big special order for a festival) which put me finishing just before 5 pm when Jeanne called, and a total of about 25 miles of biking.

Anyway, we made it to Michell and Jeanne was better so we stopped here about 2 am and crashed immediately. In fact, Jeanne's contractions stopped once we left Omaha, but it's good to be out of town.

She didn't go to the concert Friday, so I went with Todd since we've not hung out as we're on opposite schedules at the grill. I got off of work at TW's at 3 and dropped Jeanne and Ayana off at her mom's, picked up beer, went home, showered, and went to get Todd. Todd was not answering his phone. I stayed outside his place for a while, kept calling him. Finally he answered and had just gotten off and was about to shower and realized his ringer was off. I went into his place and had a beer.

Once showered, we drove to the hospital so he could give Sam his keys and took a while. I texted him that we needed to leave as it's now about 5, and the concert starts at 6:30 and we needed to prime ourselves. Sam and his girlfriend came out heading back to their place then Todd came out. He had a footlong Subway that Linda gave him with tons of meat on it and said Hanook was telling him not to get me drunk.

We stopped at Bucky's so Todd could get his deal and then headed over to the casino. De La Soul was starting soon but we just got there so we parked at the end of the parking lot next to some bushes and drank and ate. After about an hour, I poured a cup full of gin and we walked in and De La Soul had just finished. By the time we walked around to the entrance and got in, Public Enemy was just taking stage so I quickly worked my way up front. Once they started I did my pogoing deal to work my way up. I ended up next to some guy who doesn't like people rocking out to music at a concert, which I pointed out to him when Todd caught up later.

Public Enemy was great. They had a DJ plus a band so it was rocking. They also were able to play the "Bring tha Noize" version they did with Anthrax. "Shut 'Em Down" was crazy. Flavah was great and they were both next to each other rapping and doing their stuff. I hate that Flavah did that reality show and people (of course) have this image of him as a crackhead when he's just zany and realizty shows will (of course) show the more entertaining aspects to an audience. He's smart and on point and you can tell by his monologues throughout his set. There was some article a bit back that talked about how this guy was surprised because Flavah was a good cook and made amazing fried chicken. As if he's some fucking idiot who couldn't pull shit together because of some lifestyle choices and character flaws.

Ice Cube's set was beginning to end crazy. He opened with "Natural Born Killaz" which I did not expect him to play, since he did it with Dre, but he had a dude with his crew. So from the first song I was jumping around and rapping along. Part way during the set it went silent and heard, "You are now about the witness the strength of street knowledge," and I went beserk. He went into "Straight Outta Compton" and did just his part, but taking me back to seventh grade being one of the first gangsta rap songs and album I got into, it blew my mind. I took some pics that look like some guys flashing the West Side deal. But if you look close, the hands are eighty times bigger than others. This is because Ice Cube had inflatable West Side hands on stage. He played a good amount of stuff from Predator which is my favorite album, so I was all right. The stage was right off one side of the casino and there's all these kids looking out their window at the performance. He closed his set with "It Was a Good Day" and the place went off.

Ran into Dave Goldberg, my friend Erica, and Jaime from work.

Finally made it to Rapid City in our hotel and went grocery shopping, ate, showered, and timing these contractions. Super tired.