Weekend recap

Well, it was one heck of a weekend. I made the committment, I took the plunge, I popped the question, I asked her to marry me. And thank God she said Yes. Of course, one of the keys to asking is knowing, at least 75% of the way, that she will say yes. I have known for some time that this is the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with. That was the easy part. She makes loving her very easy. I do, however, wonder about those guys out there who ask without knowing what the answer will be. Are they that clueless or is this like the second date and they are just really desperate? I see stories on the news sometimes, guy sets up airplane ride and carves Will You Marry Me in the wheat fields. She cries and says yes, like most stories. What about those guys who ask and get the blank look, or even worse, the get up and run away. That happened recently at a basketball game. I forget the teams, etc., but she got up and ran out of the building!!!! That is a rejection that is monumental. Didn't he have a clue as to what she might say? Or maybe it was just the setting. Some guys want to show the world how much they love thier partner. I know I do. But is she willing for the whole world to look into her life, one of the most cherished parts of her life? Maybe asking in a crowded public place is not for everyone. Which again, begs the question. Do you not know this woman at all?

Let me shed some light on how I did it. I knew for some time that she was going to be out of town for a few days. I set it up so that I could borrow a digital cam corder from someone and had it arranged so that I had quick access right after she left. After I dropped her off to head out, I went back, got the cam corder and filmed a short 10 minute movie about how much I, and my kids, loved her and wanted her to be part of our lives forever. As an aside, the kids were great. They loved the idea and participated in the whole process. It was icing on the preverbial cake. After I filmed the movie, directly onto my laptop of course (I am a computer geek after all). I downloaded a video editing program and went to work. I was able to edit together a decent, but not too polished looking, 8 minute film that said everything I wanted to say except a question that I saved until it was all over. I was even able to put in a title screen and some credits. After she sat and watched it, she turned to me and I asked her to marry me. It went exactly as I planned and hoped it would. We, of course, showed off the ring all weekend. And I am guessing that this week will be more of the same at her work and wherever she may be. And that is just OK, I like it. Now she has her "Permit". (Inside joke).

Back to my original point. I knew she would say yes, or at least I was 99% sure she would. I would never take that chance if it was a 50/50 shot. That is a deal breaker as far as I am concerned. If she says no, then why keep up the relationship? A good relationship is hard work. Why put in the work if the end isn't what you BOTH want?

3 whole days!

Wow, three whole days without an update. I am slipping but then I told you in the title that I am getting old. You get what you get. ;-)

It IS Friday, though, and that counts for something even if that is all that I mention. A quiet weekend ahead, hopefully. Waking up on Sunday, making a nice breakfast and some coffee, and reading the paper. I really enjoy those Sundays. Breakfast is usually a bigger one, no cereal necessary when you have all day. Eating in bed or in front of the TV. Reading the paper, every section. Coupons, of course, I can't forget those. There is someone who won't let me forget the coupons.

And if breakfast is done right and big enough then lunch can be skipped. Leave the dishes in the sink for later, too. Just one of those days I look forward to.

Responsibility

Ok, first off let me state this for the record. I am all for taking responsibility for your actions. Owning up. In fact, in my humble opinion, that is what is wrong with a lot of people. No one can take responisibility for thier own actions. That is the reason for the lawsuits, the stupid warnings everywhere, the overly concious Political Correctness that permeates every syllable of almost every conversation. Anyway, to my point. My oldest child, age 12, wanted to goto a friend's house to play some basketball after school. I said ok, after asking all of the important questions about homework, the ride home, what time, etc. Ok, now he is on the school bus and he and a couple of other friends, depart the bus at his friend's house. Here is where it gets a bit muddied between stories but the gist of it is this....he gets off and is told by the bus driver that he is suspended from riding the bus for 5 days for getting off at the wrong stop. Ok, there are a couple of problems with this. First of all, I was unaware that you had to have a note to get off at a different stop. Another bus or maybe a ride home with someone else I can handle, but a note to get off at a different stop on the same bus? So why did the bus driver let any of them get off the bus if they are not supposed to? I understand that she cannot police every student's every move while they are there but surely after knowing my son, and she does because I coached her son at baseball several years ago, she would stop him and say something instead of waiting for him to get off then yelling out to him that he is in trouble. Ok, I own up to the fact that this is my fault. I don't fault Justin for not knowing the "note" policy. I didn't know it either. I did know that picking a student up early or them riding a different bus requires a note but not the same bus and a different stop. So ok, this is my fault. So then I call the head of the transportation and ask to have the punishment set aside since I was the errant party. Then I get an argument! Why? If I own up to it and apologize then why it is necessary to keep up the punishment. I did try the "why did the bus driver let him off" angle but to no avail. It is the bus driver's job to drive the bus and see students acting up or doing wrong, they can even hand out the punishment but God forbid they do something simple like stop him and say, Hey you can't get off here without a note, sit back down. It would have taken 10 seconds and avoided several parents having to get off work a half day for a whole week. There is something wrong with that policy.

Another sappy entry

Ah yes, much like the Valentine's day post this one is gonna be sappy. You see, I am without my better half today. She is out of town. Left yesterday afternoon for a business trip and is gone till tonight. I know it's only a day and a half. Blah blah blah to all of that stuff, I still miss her even if it is only one day. There is a certain comfort to having your partner there with you during even the most repetitive of days. Sunday evenings are usually just that. We are shifting into work mode for Monday morning. Usually watching the same shows in the evening. Maybe doing some extra work before the week actually starts. Ironing clothes. Whatever it may be, it is still not the same when something, someONE is missing.

This is sort of the same feeling I get right before and for a while after I drop my kids off on Sunday evenings. That bit of lonliness. That little bit of sadness the comes with knowing that a constant is not there, at least for now. Unless you have planned something to do, you kind of wander around, wanting someone to talk with, someone to sit next to. I was able to do a few things that I wouldn't normally do but in the end I put a movie in to help pass the time until I was tired. But then, even tired and falling asleep, I felt it. I didn't have to reach over to feel the empty spot. I didn't have to turn over and look, I just knew. I felt myself missing her even after just an afternoon. I felt myself missing her this morning when I woke up. My normal routines in the morning were off just a bit, but enough that it made it feel wierd. The day is gonna be like that too, I can just feel it. Until I see her or hear her voice my day is gonna be off.

Just when we thought it was safe.....

All winter we were fine. No interruptions. Sure the kids got it but they are supposed to. They are with hundreds of other kids. And washing thier hands is something you can do at home but germs are everywhere and kids are gonna get em. But it finally got to us. Well, not me, her. The sore throat, head full of snot, tired, achey, the works. Friday is meant to be a springboard for the weekend not a springboard for a doctor's appointment. Illness and I have a love hate relationship. I hate to see the people I care for get sick but I do like taking care of them. I am funny that way. I am the world's worst patient but I will nag someone to death to make sure they drink lots of liquids. Dress warm. Rest and stay in bed. I can have walking pnuemonia and go grocery shopping. I know because I went from Urgent Care to Meijer to get my prescription and ended up there for an hour shopping. And the next day I went to work. Like I said, world's WORST patient. I know it ticks people off but I can't help it. I hate being helpless with the flu or some stupid virus.

Rant

I guess this would technically count as my first rant on the blog. Being a computer geek I need to vent a bit on this topic. Those people out there who think that the knowledge they hold is so valuable that it cannot be shared. If I teach someone how to do my job then I am less valuable. However it is said, it still means the same thing. Selfish geeks who are so insecure that they hold up progress on a project or even possibly the development of a whole department. What possible gain can come of being so protective over what you know? None. First of all, what happens when you step off the curb and get hit by a bus? That knowledge is lost and has to be learned, again. If it has taken you years to get to this point then that puts whatever you are working on back that far. And with the workload of most IT staff that means lots of projects will be hurt. Sharing that knowledge doesn't lessen your value or worth to a department or company, it actually strengthens it. You become a mentor, a teacher, someone that can be sought out for advice and guideance. In our industry, the only constant is the rate of change. Sharing the knowledge that you gain helps everyone. Think about it, why is the internet so popular? Besides the porn, I mean. The sharing of knowledge. Think of all of the most popular and influential sites out there. Search sites. Technical Support sites. News sites. All sharing information so that technology can grow along with the people who use it.

Hump Day

Wednesday...hump day. The mid point for the week. The day where we all look at and say if I can just make it past THAT day then it's all down hill from there. I like Wednesdays. Not better then Fridays, and I still loathe Mondays, but I do like them. My weekend plans are starting to get made. I know that, usually anyway, today and tomorrow I get to see my kids. My honey is off today too so I know she is relaxing. It's sort of a stress free day. Sort of. It does mean that there are still two days left and the end is in site but it's not here yet. Casual day is still far away too. One more day of, *gasp*, wearing dockers! Thats the worst thing I can think of for a Wednesday.

Some days...

are just better than others for ideas. Unfortunately I am a computer geek and therefore not as creative as some. So today is just going to have to be boring but I think I will survive. I will try to be more creative tomorrow, I promise.

Happy Valentines Day

To everyone. Only someone truly in love can make that statement without sarcasm. Although it still sounds a bit syrupy.

What a weekend. Wonderful weather Saturday, check local listings in your area, down in Gatlinburg. Watched the sunrise from our room, ate a great breakfast. Side note: I have the recipe for some of the best bacon I have ever had. Took our time going down the mountain and just basked in the sunshine and warm temps all day long. Ended it with a really cool dinner. I must say that this little tradition of ours is going to be a perfect way to get out from the humdrums in February when I start getting a little stir crazy. Getting away for a day or two to just concentrate on each other is so nice. Speaking of each other, it is amazing how much we can have in common and still be different enough. I wish I could explain better the way that works but when it does it works wonderfully. I guess the best way to describe it is this: Our lives are in sync and we agree on most every way that we live but we keep enough of our independence to make each experience of every day unique.

Overall, the whole experience was just great. We drove back yesterday in rain the whole way but after Friday night and Saturday, I just didn't mind it at all. And of course, it was nice to be home. Work on the other hand....

Comments

There was a comment posted yesterday about trying. I try to be a good father. You see, I am kind of a part time dad since I was divorced. I am as involved in my kid's life as I can be and still remain employed. I have not only a wonderful woman to share my life with but she has also become a huge part of my kids' lives as well. I know this for a fact because my oldest, who fortunately or not, has his father's personality, has taken to her from the first time he met her. He has never done this before. He is very laid back but very reserved with his feelings so for him to accept her so quickly and so completely is very reassuring at least for me. I think she got him when, at the very first meeting, she literally raced my oldest up the stairs and gave my youngest a piggy back ride later. We were at a local mall/gathering place and she knew how to have fun. This is missing from so many adults these days and I know that both of my kids picked up on that right away. Actually do did I. But that is another post for another day.

Parenting is very hard. Being a step-parent is even harder. My mom was a step parent and she has told me how hard it was on her so I try to imagine how hard it might be. I admire my love for the time and effort she puts in to every moment with my kids. She very easily could have just told me from the get go that she will see me only when the boys are not around. She doesn't have any kids and that would have been perfectly acceptable for her to want. For her to love me enough to want to be part of my family makes me love her that much more. I can't assume to know what her feelings are when it gets hard for her. I can only be there for her. All I can do is listen and let her know that every day is something new for all of us so feeling like things are falling down or that she is somehow failing is perfectly normal and allright. As long as we can remain best friends as well as lovers I know we can talk everything through and get over anything that might stand in the way of all of our happiness.

Sleep

How can I get 7 good hours of sleep and feel like I ran a marathon. Or being the tackling dummy for the whole Ohio State football team. Or Donald Trump's comb. Or Camilla Bowles beauty consultant. (Rather timely if I do say so myself). Or Micheal Jackson's PR person. Either way, I am tired. I am looking so very forward to this weekend.

Fog

Foggy outside, foggy inside. It feels like I am going through the day in autopilot. Geesh, not even the standard cup, ok several cups, of coffee are helping. Should make for an interesting day to say the least. Thank god I am a geek and don't have to do any manual labor or operate any heavy machinery. Today should come with a warning label.

Parent teacher conferences are coming up. I try to have an open dialogue with my kid's teachers. I think it helps everyone involved. Just an opionon, mind you.

Had dinner last night with some family I haven't seen in a while. It was very nice. I know that someone, who shall remain nameless, gets all of the credit for that. And she deserves every bit she gets. Her penchant for keeping close to family is what pushed me into that. Had a really good Mexican meal last night, of course I love Mexican food, ok, I love MOST foods. But it really was good and we will be going back there.

Appeasing the Gods

I have failed.....

Today is Fat Tuesday, and I have failed. No King Cake. No special decor. It's no wonder I was stuck in traffic this morning. The Fat Gods are angry with me. Fat Tuesday is my favorite holiday. First off, no Hallmark holiday. Not too many Fat Tueday cards out there.

"Happy Fat Tuesday, hope you gain 5 pounds!" You are not likely to see that in the card isle any time soon.

I usually stop at a local bakery and grab a King Cake on the way into work. Besides being very tasty and going very well with several cups of coffee, they are a tradition. Find the baby doll and you will have good luck. Of course there is the whole, eat what you want cuz Lent is right around the corner thing too. But I am not catholic, or very religious either so I can pick and choose what to celebrate. Eating sweets and forgetting any resemblance of a diet is for me!

I hope that a feeble attemtp at purchasing a King Cake tomorrow (even a day old one will suffice) will appease the Fat Gods. Pray for me, or at the very least eat a candy bar and think of me.

Wow, a whole day

Looks like I have been slacking a bit. At least that is what I am told. ;-)

Yesterday was Monday. And if you subscribe to the "Monday", or having a case of the Mondays, then you know what I mean. Today, of course, is NOT Monday. That in itself is a nice change.

Tried a new Chinese buffet last night. Not too bad. Its close to our house but its in a spot where there have been about 5 restaraunts go in and out with little or no success. So we shall see about it's long term viability. As far as the food, it was pretty good. Very extensive buffet with lots of choice. A grill for a steak and shrimp with some veggies that a chef will cook to your order, with a choice of sauces and veggies. The price was ok, grand opening special. Not too sure its worth the $9 dinner price, though. They did advertise some daily changes with steak and roast beef on certain days, that may help.

Continued fundraising for my son's baseball team. Now I know why this is a full time job for some people. It can take up a lot of time. I was online for a good hour last night just typing up letters and researching addresses for businesses. I still haven't spent enough time on the big tournament that I am supposed to be organizing. With our meeting cancelled last night I am hoping to have quite a good bit of information for the next meeting.

Oh well, enough for now. Hopefully, my daily reader (or readers if I am lucky) will be satisfied.

wrap up

Wow, a weekend that felt like a week. Very busy but won't bore you with details. Suffice to say that work might offer a bit of a rest from the weekend. Caught the game last night. It was a good game but everyone had to be wondering why the Eagles did not HURRY with a little over 5 minutes left and down by 10. That will be over analyzed for the next several weeks. I did like some of the commercials. The Bud Lite spot where the pilot jumps out after the beer was good. The .com spot, I can't remember the name, was bad. The Burt Reynolds/Dancing Bear one was funny. So was the one with MC Hammer. Actually there were two with him, WTF? He hasn't done a thing in 15 years and he snags two bowl commercials. The one poking fun at this "15 minutes" was hilarious. The kids throwing him back over the fence was funny too. And I am just old enough to know every word to "can't touch this". Ugh, does that make me feel old. Nothing too controversial...but that was to be expected. The game was sloppy, especially the first half. Penalties literally giving life to Philly. Two turnovers reversed on penalties and at least one other on instant replay. If Donovan makes 3 or 4 of those passes its a blowout in the first half. The defenses did an excellent job of keeping it close when they had too.

Boy, does that sounds like an audition for ESPN or what? Maybe I should start recapping the day on each post. That would be sooooo interesting.

The weekend

What defines a good weekend? Is it time with the family? Is it relaxation? Is it a combo of both? Whatever a good weekend is, this one would be considered it. Time spent with family, my kids, some good relaxation. Even some birthday cake, which makes any day, week, weekend, or month better. Had to punish the oldest of my kids...schoolwork comes before birthday parties or any other activity in this house. But oh well, being that age, I would be wondering if he didn't get in SOME trouble.

One question before I head off...and I will try to answer this as the days go on. Why is it so hard to start a hobby? Music, crafts, genealogy. It all seems really easy to think about, plan out, even prepare but why is it so hard to start and keep going. Sort of like the gym. Another subject for another day.

Just gotta

I just gotta post this.

She is absolutely the best. They say relationships take work, and they are right. They say that when its good, its the best. Right again. They say when its right, you know it. Absolutely correct!

I can talk to her about anything. She listens. So often you are with someone, and not just that special someone but friends, relatives, and co-workers alike, and you talk and they hear you but don't listen. She always listens. We have the best communication I could ever hope for. I have about a hundred examples and I won't bore anyone with them but I know that she is the best thing to ever happen to me. She is the whole package. I can't say enough about how much she loves me and I know that she does every second of the day. I hope she reads this little rant of mine and gets one iota of how much I love her. There are days when I am moody, some days when I am grumpy and it just doesn't matter to her. I hope in the many years we spend together that I can repay her for all that she does for me.

... to the ...

I should have posted last night but didn't. Lazy. Pure and simple. Anyway, god bless Applebees and their half price appetizers. Wings, nachos, cheese sticks, AND onion peels. My arteries hardened before I paid the bill. It was fantastic.

...

Ah yes, Friday. The one day we all look forward too. The precursor to the weekend. The light at the end of the tunnel. And so on and so forth. Today is a busy one. I am in full geek mode today at work, updating several of our systems to the latest security updates and service pack levels. I also have a conference call, like I do every Friday, for about 2 hours. Plus I like my Fridays to be "admin" days. The afternoons are kept free of meetings so that I can concentrate on cleaning up my administrative tasks. Letters that need to be typed, filing, binder updating, getting my emails and voicemails returned that need to be. Ensuring that when that blackest of days returns, Monday, I will at least have a clean slate to work from. Mostly just a personal preference. I would imagine a lot of people actually do thier "admin" work when it is supposed to be done, when they get it. But then I never claimed to be just like everyone else.

Kids

Raising kids is tough. My oldest is going with his friends this evening instead of going out to dinner with us. Normally, this is ok especially at his age, but since I only see him part of the time I struggle with that decision every time I get that phone call. It happens with my younger one too. Most of the time I let them do thier thing. Having friends and "socializing" is healthy for both of them. Hanging with thier friends is good over all. But dammit I get selfish every once in a while and want to see them too. Is that a bad thing? In my opinion, no. So here I sit hashing and re-hashing the evening plans. Plans.....no such thing when you have kids. ;-)

Midwestern Winters....yuck

Another snowy morning. Not enough to keep anyone home, just ask my kids about that one, but enough to make everyone who drives become seriously mentally disabled. And by the weekend we are expecting 50 degrees. Oh well, no use in complaining. It'll all change to something else next week. We have already experienced WHITE DEATH once this winter so another big snowfall is not gonna happen. Maybe it will just get warm and stay there. Yeah, right. Did I say there was no use in complaining....I lied. It actually feels good to rant a bit. Maybe I will just stop just short of whining. Maybe not.

Good Morning

Ah yes, morning. Can we please look into moving these a little later? But then, that is why God invented Coffee...nectar O' the Gods. Life giver. The kick start to millions of days. The reason the stockholders of Starbucks can afford the Corinthian leather seats with position memory and bum warmers in thier Beemers. Waxing poetic about a bean....hmmm. And if I spend any longer here my morning will be gone.

Catching up

She has a way of making family seem important again.

Home tonight...calling some folks I haven't talked to in quite a while. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles.
It should never be any other way but sometimes pride, ego, and "life" get in the way. Last night we went to a viewing of a great great uncle. Funerals should not be family reunions but a lot of times they end up being just that. We should all work to change that.

More updating

If this gets too boring for you....you can move on. Its really not meant to be earth shattering, mind altering, attitude adjusting, or anything else. Just boredom rearing its ugly head.

Update

Wonderful, the first posting worked. So now onto a more formal intro for this little blog and it's author. I am a mid 30's man with two kids. I am in a wonderful relationship that I can't, and don't, complain about. She makes me whole. Nuff said.

Why a blog? Idle hands are the devil's playground, or something like that. This is what they get for inviting me to a boring meeting. Now I have a hobby, at least for the time being.

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Introduction

Good afternoon. This is the first post to my blog. Why not? Seems like everyone else has one and I am old enough to have my own opinions and geeky enough to want to publish a blog.