A Decade of Dual Dynamos

(Ahhhh, The Havoc They Can Wreak)

Ten years ago today our world was turned topsy turvey by the arrival of two long awaited individuals - Willam Padraig Gabriel and his twin James Eamon Gabriel.  If the road to their conception wasn't long and arduous enough, the day of their both was a tortuous affair all on its own.  Let me sum up;

 

You see, the boys were originally due in April but it had not been an easy pregnancy for Amy.  First, we had an amniocentesis to make sure the boys were going to be healthy and unfortunately it caused one of the amniotic sacs to rupture requiring Amy to be on bed rest for weeks.  Not too long after she recovered sufficiently to be get out of bed she had to be taken to the hospital three separate times for extreme dehydration due to the incredible morning sickness she was experiencing.

 

Then at the end of January, the second sac (not to be outdone by his brother) ruptured as well and this time they hospitalized Amy instead of having her stay on bed rest at home.  The idea was to keep her from going into labor as long as possible and also to try and introduce steroids into the boys so their organs would continue to develop.  If they could make it two weeks then it might be enough time to let their lungs (the last of the internal organs to fully develop) grow completely.  I would go and visit her as often as I could which was difficult since Sarah was only 3 1/2 at the time and I couldn't always get her there.  Yes, I was Mr. Mom and the entire world did not end.

 

The night of Februay 6, 2003 started out with a heavy snow that just kept coming down.  We knew that becuase of Amy's condition she could go into labor any day and we were trying to be ready for it but deep down we hoped we could just get past this blizzard they were predicting.  Now back then they didn't name the winter storms as they ahve taken to doing since last year (as of this writing Winter Storm Nemo is bearing down on us) so I couldn't tell you what the storm was, only it was piling up outside my door. 

 

At about 6:00 in the morning I get a phone call from Amy telling me to call her mother and ask her to drive to Smithtown to watch Sarah because I should probably get to the hospital.  I called her and she said she would come out and in the meantime I got Sarah dressed and I proceeded to start shoveling the driveway which at this time had about a foot of snow.  I then get another phone call from Amy telling me I should get the neighbor from across the street to watch Sarah because we weren't going to be able to wait for her mother to come.  By now it's really coming down and I don't even have the back of the Volvo wagon uncovered but I go and get Sue and she comes over to stay with Sarah.

 

I'm digging feverishly when Sue comes out to tell me there's another call from Amy.  I get on the phone with her just in time to hear someone in the background saying that she can't talk to me and they are taking her now.  I can't even get anyone to answer me, I'm just hearing it all over the phone.  So I hang up the phone, I shovel what I can and just make the decision to drive out of the rest.  And its still snowing hard!

 

I get on 25A ( small winding two lane road) and suddenly I find myself behind every person who should ABSOLUTELY NOT on the road in the snow.  It truly seemed like everyone had completely forgotten how to drive - especially everyone in an SUV!  But eventually I get there, get parked and get to the delivery room - only to try and get myself into the paper jumpsuit and into the delivery room to be with my wife.  Apparently Amy was still composed and conscious enough to tell the nurse to tell me that one of them was already delivered just to see if I would freak out.  Luckily for me she didn't do that.

 

The boys were tiny, only 3 lbs 5 oz, and 3 lbs 6 oz.  We were able to glimpse them just for brief moment before they were rushed off to the Stonybrook NICU where they stayed for the next six weeks.  We were so lucky because not only were they in arguable the best NICU on Long Island, they had no physical complications due to their ten week prematurity.  And this is what we were finally able to see once they got them all cleaned up;

 

 

It's been a rough ten years and for the first three or four we were constantly worried that some sort of physical complications would arise becuase they were born so early.  We would attend all the March of Dimes meetings with parents of other preemies and always feel so guilty that our sons were healthy and doing so well.  After a while we had to stop going because our "survivor's guilt" was just too much.  And now it's ten years later and they are the joy of our lives.  Our little fighters made it through all the possible complications and they are smart, inquisitive, giving, empathic, funny, brave, helpful, kind, polite, and so much more.  We are truly blessed by all they give us.

 

And yes, we are still dealing with waiting on the results of William's operation.  Although the surgeon was 98% sure it was benign we are not going to be completely at ease until we get the pathology report that says 100%.  Until then we just wait and count our blessings - both of them.  And now a brief retrospective of their young lives;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there you have it, a quick retrospective in the lives of our two miracle boys who made it through the blizzard, survived the improbability of no complications after six weeks in an incubator and now they are the twin terrors tornadoes joys of our lives.  We couldn't imagine what life would be like without the topsey turvey journey they have given us but we wouldn't trade the ride for anything!

 

Stay well and I'll see you on the road (I'm still riding for William)!



 



2003 In Review

In 2003 I received the inspiration for naming the black steel bicycle that I will be riding from San Diego, CA to Wheatley Heights, NY in the summer of 2012 - "The Black Pearl" and she was unnamed until I saw this beauty flash up on the big screen;

I then made the comparison that like this gorgeous ship under sale, my Pearl wasn't the prettiest bike on the road but she was fast and she could take a beating!

So this brings us back to what else happened in the year 2003;

One of the most important events in the Connor Family history occured in February of 2003 - William and

   James were born (at 28 weeks) in the middle of a blizzard!  And so began the crazy journey of raising

   twins!  Our family would never be the same again but I wouldn't change it for the world!

The fall of 2003 saw me begin my sixth year of teaching at Syosset High School.

The summer of 2003 was (unebeknownst to me at the time) my last year of directing at Usdan Center

   for the Creative and Performing Arts.  (Boy do I miss that place and all my friends there - yes, I'm talking

   about you Eric Baum!)

The spring of 2003 saw us bring to the SHS stage an amazing production of Macbeth with Alex Numeroff (a

   young lady) as Macbeth and Jackie Silvestri as Lady Macbeth.

But what was happening in the world around us back then?  Here is a potpourri of US and World Events to remind you;



(Elevated home in Belhaven, NC - 2003)

For starters, here's how much things cost;

How Much things cost in 2003



Average Cost of new house $246,300.00

Average Median Income $45,016.00

Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.83 (to quote Adolfo from The Drowsy Chaperone - WHAAAAAATTTT?)

(Making Muppets Adult Friendly for All!)

Because I teach Theatre, here are the shows that opened on Broadway in 2003 (click here for a link that will provide links to all these shows);

Anna in the Tropics
Avenue Q
Big River
The Boy from Oz
The Caretaker
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Golda's Balcony
Henry IV
I Am my Own Wife
Laughing Room Only
Little Shop of Horrors
Master Harold and the Boys
Never Gonna Dance
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells it All
Retreat from Moscow
Sexaholix...(A Love Story)
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
Taboo
The Violet Hour
Wicked
Wonderful Town

And as a teacher of Theatre, I'm ashamed to say that I saw less than a quarter of those shows.  Of course, with the boys being quarantined in the house until June, its no wonder that we didn't get out much.  Of these (and yes, I know I'm about to commit a sacriligeous act here) my favorite of that season was Avenue Q - sorry all of your fans of Wicked.  I guess you'll just have to sing this little ditty;



And what else happened in the world around us in 2003?  I'm glad you asked.  You can click here for an in-depth, almost daily rendering of what went on in that great year.  However, for the time-crunched amongst us, here are some of the highlights in no particular order;



(NOTE: this video really doesn't have anything in PARTICULAR to do with the events of 2003, it just is a whimsical look at how consumerism is driven by politics)

World Events 2003

•The new United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation
•United States plans for an invasion of Iraq due to an imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction
•The United States and the United Kingdom start with their shock and awe campaign with a massive air strikes on military targets in Baghdad before the invasion of Iraq by Land Forces.
•Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, is captured in Tikrit by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division.
•A major severe weather outbreak spawned more tornadoes than any week in U.S. history. 393 tornadoes were reported in 19 states
•Earthquake in Boumerdès region of northern Algeria - 2,200 killed
•Lance Armstrong wins his fifth Tour De France
•Do Not Call List starts providing consumers with an opportunity to limit telemarketing calls.
•Armed undercover "sky marshals" are used on Aircraft to prevent terrorist attacks following 9/11
•Americans rename "French Fries" to "Freedom Fries" in protest to France's stand on Iraq
•Toyota overtakes Chrysler to get the number three slot in US Car Sales
•Ex-soldier John Muhammad is found guilty of the Washington sniper shootings
•10's of thousands of Harley Owners gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to celebrate 100 years of Harley-Davidson Motor Cycles.
•The last old-style Volkswagen Beetle rolls off its production line in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
•Italy suffers a near countrywide blackout when electricity supplies fail
•The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK - 38.5°C (101.3°F) at Brogdale near Faversham in Kent
•A car bomb attack in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq has left nearly 100 dead including a leading Shia Muslim politician Ayatollah Hakim.
•Voters recall Governor Gray Davis from office and elect Arnold Schwarzenegger to succeed him.
•The wanted terrorist Abul Abbas is captured in Baghdad
•Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch is amongst those captured US Troops free her 9 days later
•A massive earthquake devastates southeastern Iran. Over 40,000 killed
•In France a 104 degree heat wave kills approximately 5,000
•Dafur Rebels begin attacking Sudanese government targets, bringing a swift military and police campaign to Darfur causing millions to flee their homes.
•President George W. Bush on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln announces major combat in Iraq is over
•US Interest Rates at 45 year record low of 1% and core inflation rate of 37 year record low 1.3%
•Justice Roy Moore, is suspended when he refused to take down the Ten Commandments from an Alabama state justice building.
•Hurricane Isabel claims 40 lives and leaves six million people without power
•Kyoto Protocol in danger of failing following International Climate Conference in Moscow
•Terrorists bomb the United Nations Baghdad Headquarters
•Terrorists from Al-Qaeda drive two trucks packed with explosives and bombs into the Bet Israel and Neve Shalom synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey killing 27
•Suicide bomb attacks on British interests in the Turkish city of Istanbul kill 27 and injure 400

(to keep this in the bicycle theme, I was actually riding home from Usdan to Smithtwon as this was happening.  I was riding on Jericho Turnpike and I couls see the traffic lights slowly going out down the road in front of me - one by one.)

Technology 2003

•The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts onboard.
•The highly infectious disease SARS ( Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ) spreads from China, Singapore and Vietnam, Worldwide nearly 9,000 People are effected in 15 countries and over 800 die from the effects.
•Human Genome Project successfully completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to 99.99% accuracy.
•Secretary of State Colin Powell urges the U.N. Security Council to move against Iraq due to possession of weapons of mass destruction
•In the biggest blackout in the history of the north America some 50 million people in the northeastern states of US and southern Canada lose power.
•The birth of Prometea, the first cloned horse by Italian scientists.
•The space probe Galileo makes a fiery dive into Jupitors atmosphere it was launched in 1989 and is one of the most successful NASA Projects.
•Concorde makes its last commercial flight, bringing the era of airliner supersonic travel to a close, at least for the time being
•Libya agrees to give Up Chemical Weapons
•Concerns continue to grow over possible Asian bird flu outbreak also known as avian influenza




(One of the original commercials used by Apple in 2003 to launch iTunes)

Popular Culture 2003

•The ABC's 20/20 airs the controversial Granada Television documentary Living with Michael Jackson
•Keiko the Orca made famous by the "Free Willy" movies, dies
•The Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA) files copyright lawsuits against Internet users for trading songs online
•Apple launches Itunes which becomes a major success selling 10 million songs within 4 months of launch
•A white tiger attacks Roy Horn of the duo "Siegfried & Roy" leaving him partially paralyzed
•Michael Jackson is booked on suspicion of multiple counts of child molestation ( later acquitted )
•JK Rowling's fifth Harry Potter book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is released



(There were so many incredible movies this year but my kids love this scene and so do I!!!)

Popular Films

•The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
•Finding Nemo
•The Matrix Reloaded
•Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
•Bruce Almighty
•The Last Samurai
•Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
•The Matrix Revolutions
•X2: X-Men United
•Bad Boys II
•Lost in Translation

Popular Musicians

•Amanda Perez
•Elton John
•Beyoncé
•Christina Aguilera
•Travis
•David Gray
•Limp Bizkit
•Evanescence
•Coldplay
•Sheryl Crow
•Hilary Duff
•Norah Jones
•blink-182
•Pink
•Shania Twain
•Madonna
•Avril Lavigne
•50 Cent
•Clay Aiken
•Kylie Minogue
•Stereophonics
•Kelly Clarkson
•Blur
•Ashanti
•Fleetwood Mac
•Eminem
•Nelly
•P. Diddy

Of course this is only a small sampling of what happened, there were still so much more that went on in the world in 2003.  But isn't it fun to go back and walk down memory lane and remember?  To say to oneself, "oh, right, I remember that!" 

But why this walk down the memory lane of 2003?

TODAY I HIT 2003 MILES ON MY ODOMETER!!!!!!!

Yes, Connor's Army fans, I have already ridden over 2000 miles on my bicycle and its only the middle of October!!!!  I have ten more weeks of riding to do.  If by some miracle of modern time-crunchedness I am able to ride an average of 160 miles a week (I really don't think that's possible) I will be able to ride 3600 miles this year - the same amount that I will be riding across the country this year.  Basically the route we will take will look something like this;

This is the actual route that I created on Google Maps.  It looks like it would be doable since I programmed it in using the bicycle directions feature.
I am feeling much more optimistic about the ride now.  I know that I'm committed to finishing what I started (and some people think I should be committed for doing what I'm doing).  But I do still feel frustrated because I can't seem to get the support.  I see people everywhere starting wonderful foundations for their family members and entire communities getting on board to support them.  Yet, I can't even get my school community on board with it.

Now granted, I haven't tried to get my ACTers really into fundraising for this because of the entire political aspect of it.  I don't want to have any kid put into the position of things being said behind their back that the only reason they got a role was becuase they (or their parents) gave a lot to Connor's Army and to the cross country trip.  I would NEVER allow anything like that to enter into my casting of a role.  Accusations like that were made in the past which is why I'm really not leaning on those kids for help.

However, I am going to start appealing to the other clubs at school for their help in fundraising for this.  They fundraise for a variety of other charities.  I'll let Breast Cancer month wind down and then I'll ask for their help.  Its the only way I can think of doing this.

In the meantime, I've sold about $250 in bicycles through what I'm calling RECycle for Sunrise.  I take used bikes that have been donated or that I find in the trash and I refurbish them.  I then place them out in my yard and/or list them on Craigslist.  So far I've sold two kids bike, a ten-speed racer, and three mountain bikes with more on the way.  If I have to do that to get the money I need to pay for the cross country then I'll do that.

But there are some former ACT alumni who have really been so incredibly supportive in these endeavors.  Mel Mednick helped organize a comedy improv night to help raise money for Connor's Army last spring.  This fall Jamie Blanch and her fellow warriors at UNO Fights Cancer have held bake sales and are selling ribbons to help raise money for Connor's Army and ACS.  I am so incredibly grateful to them because it does remind me that people out there do care about what I'm trying to do for these kids and believe that I can make the 3600 miles to bring some attention (and hopefully donations) to Sunrise Day Camp.

If anyone else out there wants to help organize a fundraising event either here or where you are at school (ALUMNI PLEEEEEAAAASSSSSSEEEEEEE???????) let me know and I'll do all I can to help you.  Remember - its for the kids of Sunrise!!!!!

Stay well and I will continue to see you on the road!!!!!!