Let me drop what I am doing and work on YOUR problem!

Not much going on today. Busy catching up some, still. Not sure if the whole diet update thing is a good idea since I know subconciously I am not weighing myself due to the potential for depression when I see that I have made no freakin progress whatsoever. Of course, I haven't gone to the gym either and my excuses (baseball season) are long over. Of course, I probably don't want to change too much since I have a tuxedo to fit into. Yeah, Yeah, that's it. I can't get into losing weight because the tux won't fit right if I lose too much between fittings. Whew, for a second there I thought I was truly out of excuses.

I'm back....

Ah yes, first day back from vacation. What a relief it is to get back to work. All of that relaxation, stressless days, sleep, fun...it was all getting to be too much. I need to hear the grinding of my teeth at night, the coffee induced meetings, the pain flaring up in my wrists from the incesant typing day after day. Now THAT'S fun. Enough sarcasm (if you can ever have enough). Vacation was awesome. A few notes on the Niagara area. The US side, touristy and not as well kept at the Canadian side. The falls...you must see them in person. There is no way that pictures or video or words can do them justice. Awesome. Mother Earth/Nature at her most powerful. There were a lot of statistics thrown around in various tours, brochures, etc...but the amount of water and the power at which it flows is staggering. Along with the amount of people there to see it. We stayed on the US side, due mainly to price and toured the Canadian side while we stayed. While the US side was a bit more touristy, the Canadian side can keep up the area due mainly to it's pricy sites. Almost $20 just to park near the area. There is a main strip just up from the falls that reminds one of the Gatlinburg area on steroids (insert your own Rafael Palmiero pun here). Lets just say that there was enough on both sides for us to stay busy for the entire time we were there. No boredom allowed. The border crossings were good, faster than I had expected given the current climate and the recent London activity. Even though there were lines it moved quickly. The drive up and back, yes we drove, was good. Yes, 4 people in a car for over 8 hours and we arrived without killing anyone. The kids were great the whole trip. I even got to spend some time with my oldest son fishing. He turned 13 right after we got back. He really enjoyed it and so did I. In fact, he got a set of golf clubs for his birthday and I made a tee time for early that morning so he could use them first thing. Dad of the year material right here. Actually, the idea is mostly my sweetie's and I am just taking credit for it. :-)

We bought a few bottles of local wine from the areas. An Icewine from Canada, a local New York wine along with that. Really building up our collection nicely. We also started a magnet collection of all of the states we have visited together. I have a feeling it won't be long before our fridge door is going to look like a really wierd Rand McNally map.

Other than that, we got more of the wedding items marked off. Got the gazebo/chapel booked and the invites sent to the printers. Ordered the boys' gift. Got the Announcements ordered also. Things are starting to fall into place. T minus 84 and counting. I can't wait.

The day before vacation blog...can you say short? I can't either.

Vacation starts tomorrow!!!!! Today is gonna be a great day. Of course, the last time I went on a real vacation I got laid off the day I got back. No worries, mate. That was then, this is now. This is actually a company that values the employees and a boss that can see past the next dollar sign. Did I mention that I am going on vacation? Today is admin/makeup/catchup/get ahead day at work. All of those pesky little admin tasks that are stacked up get done. Any emails, documents, phone calls, that I have not gotten too get made up today. Anything that needs immediate attention when I get back gets started so I can get ahead. See, there is a method to the madness (One Step Beyond!). Can you tell I got the 80's CDs out? Actually my sweetie got them out, I just enjoy the heck out of them. The ME decade. New Wave. Synthesized everything when it came to music. I rebelled against anything and everything that was synthesized back then. If it wasn't pure guitar and drums then I hated it. Now I wax nostalgic for it and love it. See what old age does to you? Did I mention that I am going on vacation tomorrow? I know my legions of blogging fans will miss me for one week. But I shall return. Old bloggers never die, they just faaaaaaade away.

We told the kids about the wedding date being moved up. They were truly excited. And the oldest wanted to know if we had decided about having more kids! He needs to ask that AFTER vacation. Did I mention vacation yet? I am going on one starting tomorrow. Just a small reminder. Anyway, they are excited. Although I did have to make a slight change. I am having CO-best men. My youngest is a little jealous that the oldest gets to be best man so he gets to me ring-bearer AND CO-best man. The bat will have to be modified. Speaking of which, after we get back the planning will be in full motion. We got the rings last night. Really nice hand made white gold with two very fine lines of black in them. Very nice. Our jeweler (I love being able to say that we have a jeweler) did a really great job. They look nice on, too. Tonight is dress shopping (not for me, of course). I know she is going to be the most beautiful bride EVER. I can't wait to see her in a wedding dress, waiting for me. Puts that silly ear to ear grin on my face every time. I am going on vacation tomorrow. Just in case you forgot.

I'm not prejudiced, I hate everyone!

I love that T-shirt. Saw it again last night. Ok, ok, for all of you clamoring for a diet update, here it is. Same ole, same ole. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Stats Quo. SSDD. No movement (something later on that subject).

Onto more pressing matters. The wedding. Next week is vacation and I am already looking past it to October. It is going to be really nice to have a week off, though. Going NorthEast. Never been up thata way before. I know the boys will have a blast. Sorry, back to the wedding. We have the rings ordered. We are having them hand made. The jeweler recommended that to us so we are going for it. Registered for the tuxes. She has an appointment to look at (translation: try on) dresses Friday evening. Although I know which one she has her eye on already. Her sister, the matron of honor, is also getting a dress that we are insisting that we pay for. She better let us, too! Later this month, we are going to check out pics for photographers and officially book that gazebo/chapel, weather permitting. Invites need to be sent to the printers also. I am ordering 2 baseball bats with special printing on the barrel for the best man and our ring bearer. They are gonna love that. Rawlings bats with thier name, title, and date. I am thinkin that a pic of them with the bats after the ceremony would be really cool. Maybe with thier jackets off over thier shoulder, leaning on the bat. Yeah, like I am creative enough, THAT is why we are hiring a professional (at least we think that until we see the samples). The total group will be less than 40 people so it will be nice and small. Right now, the plans are coming together nicely, and I can't be more happy. The fact that I am looking past VACATION speaks volumes about that.

One thing I would like to comment on. I have very definite opinions on professional sports figures. Let me lay the groundwork before I rant. I feel that if an owner with more money than he knows what to do with wants to pay a (insert sport and position here) millions and millions of dollars then hey, get what you are worth and have at it. If the owner of my company all of the sudden decided that IT geeks should get paid 12 mill a year, then I am not going to turn it down because it looks greedy. OF COURSE IT LOOKS GREEDY, IT'S MONEY!!!!! If we are all so high and mighty then why do we complain about not getting raises or promotions? Hello! Same principal, just different circumstances. I do also believe, to a point, that sports figures are role models. Kids, of all ages, look up to certain people. Mom, Dad, older brother or sister, and whoever thier favorite player is that year. I also believe that it is the parent's responsibility to monitor, to the best of thier ability, what thier children see and hear. So if thier sports hero decides to push around a camera man, or get caught with a hooker, or have 14 kids with 14 different women, then it is MY responsibility to be there to answer the questions that will definitely come from that. Now for my slightly awkward and yet somehow conflicing point of view. Why are some sports figures such jerks? Is it the money that made them that way? Not in my opinion. That is like blaming alchohol for making someone a mean drunk. It just intensifies the personality. So does money. If a guy is a jerk, then that guy with an unlimited amount of cash and subservient yes-men is a HUGE jerk. A giving guy that will donate his time to a soup kitchen or donate part of his paycheck to a charity is gonna be a great humanitarian with huge sums of cash. Cash does not make someone change the way they are, it just intensifies the way they are.

I am willing to take on several millions to prove my point, too.

Like sands thru the hourglass....

so is this day finally ending. Only hump day...it feels like a Thursday. Diet update? Nah, why ruin a good thing now and spoil it by telling you that I haven't made any progress? Of course, any update would be a lie since I have no idea where I am on it.

The baseball all-star game was last night. I didn't watch more than a few pitches late in the game. Strange for me, I love baseball. But I do hate Tim McCarver. I would watch 162 all-star games with Joe Morgan and Jon Miller. Joe Morgan has to be one of the smartest ex-players to come along in a while. His insight is awesome. Being from Cincy doesn't help it that I like him either.

How hard should it be for someone who runs a business to answer even ONE of the phones that they advertise you to call? How hard is that, really?

Why are wedding photographers so expensive? Cuz they know you need the pics. Supply and demand, baby. Supply and demand.

No shuttle launch today. Weather or fuel sensor, something went wrong. And just what in God's name is the 'pass-out game,' the 'fainting game,' the 'tingling game,' or the 'something dreaming game'?????? Headline at CNN.com is that a boy died playing the pass-out game. He hung himself looking for a cheap high. Another girl died of the same thing last week or so. Huh? Choking each other and or hanging one's self? Fun? I would rather my teenager sneak a beer. Worst part about this sad situation is that this boy was 10 years old. TEN!!!!! Is losing conciousness like being high? Wow, this scares me. There are no blood or urine tests for this. And definitely no way I could ever expect someone to tell me that my child hangs himself for the fun of it.

Depression Is Merely Anger Without Enthusiasm

You would think that I might learn my lesson when it comes to the sun and sunburns. After spending countless weekend days out in the sun watching baseball games, I go to the pool. Now mind you, there is a reason that I have been keeping a quasi-diet log on here. Lets just say that I have more area to tan than the regular sized guys. More specifically, more area to burn. And yes, its burned. Not too bad but still, you would think I might learn. I remember the days when I didn't know what a sunburn was and I was out in the sun from daybreak until dusk every day from June to September. Oh well, another peril of getting old.

Diet log. Hmmmmm. Best way to put this is to be honest. I have no update cuz I can never remember to weigh myself. Maybe because I am just afraid too somewhere deep in my subconcious. I am afraid that instead of a number the display on the scale may just read "One At A Time Please". Oh well, I am not overwieght, I am under-tall. Thats my story and I am sticking to it.

Wedding plans are progressing nicely. Place and Time are set. We have even discussed honeymoon ideas. And boy did she come up with a dandy! Cruisin in the winter. Nothing chases away cabin fever like 80 degrees, sunshine, beach, and a huge boat. That is one plan that I hope comes together. Our last cruise was great, not quite as sunny as I would have liked, plus there is that cell phone in the Gulf of Mexico thing, but it was still nice. Eastern Carribean will be nicer, or wherever we decide to go. You know, even though we are technically partners and we live together and all of that, getting married and "officially" starting our lives together is something I want to do so very badly.

Let's see, I have not been the best of bloggers lately. Any worldly events that need commentary? Any one person out there worthy of a rant? Actually, yes. Not so much a person but a thing. Dennis. And Emily after him, and Frank or Fiona, or whatever the next hurricane is gonna get to the coasts. I hear it is supposed to be an "active" season. Wow, it sure looks like it. Sometimes I wonder just how pissed off Mother Nature is. She can sure pack a punch when she wants too. Drought in the Midwest, Hurricane in the gulf, wild fires in the west. She is one powerful lady.

Long time no see

Its been a while, I know. No excuses...holiday...some vaca time...lazy. Take your pick. But the blog is not the only thing I have slacked off on. The diet is not doing so well. As I last left you I had managed to drop around 5, according to the doc's scales. I am fairly certain that what was once lost is now found. No scales involved, lets just say I have that feeling. No matter, though, a renewed sense of motivation is upon me. What could that be, you might ask? Well, ok, no one is asking but I am telling anyway, so there. At the end of this month is a nice little out of town vacation that we (the family unit) are taking and I would like to be able to strut around Canada with less bulk. Plus, I think that a certain life changing event has been moved closer to coming true THIS fall instead of NEXT fall and I sure as heck don't want my love to look like she is standing next to the Michelen man on that important day. The kid's baseball season is winding down which means more time for some structured workouts. Maybe some more rest time too...it has been a looooong baseball season this year. Cardio workouts are gonna hafta start soon and the only time we have is after work. And without games to take up 2-3 evenings a week we might actually get to do something.

Today, London was hit with some terror attacks. Very sad but not altogether unexpected from my point of view. It seems that Tony Blair likes to follow our (The USes) lead a lot and if it wasn't going to be us hit then, to me at least, Britain seems the next likely target. And yes, some form of Al-Quaida (sp?) has already claimed it. Yesterday, London got the rights to host the 2012 Olympics. Coincidence? Not sure. Not being a terrorist, I have no idea how long it takes to organize a bombing so given 24 hours might just not be enough, or maybe it is. Either way, as the days drag on I can't help but wish that we would just finish what we need to do with Iraq and get our troops home. As I get older I appreciate more and more the freedoms that this great country stands for. But also, as I get older, I see my son hitting the teen years and I can't help but worry. How long will we be in Iraq? What about North Korea? They blustered about recently spouting off about Nukes. China. The newest Iranian leader was named as a hostage taker and/or leader from the 80's. As we pound our collective chests to the world we seem to be painting a huge red target on it as well.