And I couldn't be happier for the already trashed downstairs! It took them all of 30 minutes to have all of their toys out of their toy room and scattered all over the place....I even helped! I was a Lincoln Log building machine just so my son could play Godzirra and knock them down. Sooo happy to have my family back again...
At dinner my son sat on my lap and I was sandwhiched in between my girls. I've had more hugs the past day and a half than I had the two weeks preceeding their departure.
My wife was a site for sore eyes too....*WARNING MUSH AHEAD* we cuddled on the couch after the kids went to bed...............................................
I'm not cut out for bachelorhood...Though I did get to hang out with some friends, which was fun. I bowled. First time in about 10 years......I bowled a 111 and a 123.....yeah I'm not good.
And our psycho kitten, Pumpkin, finally has someone else to terrorize.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
What would you do?
A buddy of mine asked if this made him a complete jackass....
Story:
When he and his brothers were younger, they were saving their money up to buy a go-cart. Their father was putting the money into an account for them. Well something happened, they ended up forgetting about the account, their dad bought them a go-cart later on anyway, and just recently his dad was going through his finances and saw the account was still active. He withdrew the money, closed the account, and divided the amount 3 ways; each brother getting $400.
My buddy has not told his wife about the money yet for a few reasons. 1) she'll want half and he's a little selfish at the moment with it, since it was his money that he was saving. 2) she'll want half to go spend on something and it won't get saved (my friend is really good about his finances and saves his money.
So is he wrong for not telling his wife? Is he a dickwad for wanting the money for himself? Either to spend on himself or to save?
I have been known to use my birthday money (I still get birthday money from parents and grandparents :)) on gifts for my wife, but I spoil her rotten and probably shouldn't...because as a result she bought me some orange Nike Air Max's for $160.00. I appreciate the gesture, but for some reason she didn't hear me saying "I would never spend $160 on a pair of running shoes." She justified it by saying I splurge on her all the time (she spent $180.00 at my Dad's jewelry store....we get 50% or better discounts there (most times we pay cost or less even) and I said it was fine). *Here is where I'd insert the head bashing off the wall emoticon*.
Feedback?
I think the only ones who read this are Sarah and Jackie :D.....
for which I'm grateful!
Story:
When he and his brothers were younger, they were saving their money up to buy a go-cart. Their father was putting the money into an account for them. Well something happened, they ended up forgetting about the account, their dad bought them a go-cart later on anyway, and just recently his dad was going through his finances and saw the account was still active. He withdrew the money, closed the account, and divided the amount 3 ways; each brother getting $400.
My buddy has not told his wife about the money yet for a few reasons. 1) she'll want half and he's a little selfish at the moment with it, since it was his money that he was saving. 2) she'll want half to go spend on something and it won't get saved (my friend is really good about his finances and saves his money.
So is he wrong for not telling his wife? Is he a dickwad for wanting the money for himself? Either to spend on himself or to save?
I have been known to use my birthday money (I still get birthday money from parents and grandparents :)) on gifts for my wife, but I spoil her rotten and probably shouldn't...because as a result she bought me some orange Nike Air Max's for $160.00. I appreciate the gesture, but for some reason she didn't hear me saying "I would never spend $160 on a pair of running shoes." She justified it by saying I splurge on her all the time (she spent $180.00 at my Dad's jewelry store....we get 50% or better discounts there (most times we pay cost or less even) and I said it was fine). *Here is where I'd insert the head bashing off the wall emoticon*.
Feedback?
I think the only ones who read this are Sarah and Jackie :D.....
for which I'm grateful!
Friday, July 14, 2006
Voicemail
Had a voicemail last night from my kids. They were outside catching "lightning flies". I guess they mixed up the terms fireflies and lightning bugs; it was cute. They love me and miss me too. It brought a smile to my face.
now.....
I'm increasingly disturbed by the amount of unrest in the world. I wonder why some people feel that war and violence is preferred over diplomatic solutions, or why diplomatic solutions fail. Is bloodshed and death really that much more desirable to these people than peace and progression?
One of my biggest frustrations comes about when I fail to understand the "why" behind certain decisions or thought processes. When there is no rational/logical explanation behind some decision to insult, assault, or committment towards prolonged aggression I still try to find one....because I cannot comprehend the severity of evil that lives inside the minds of men.
What does Korea have to gain by testing the tolerance of the world? Even their own allies in China want them to cut it out.
WTF is happening in Isreal now? The Lebanese had to know that Isreal would not tolerate the kidnapping of their own soldiers, especially when the kidnapping took place within Isreal's border. Did these Labanese covet the bombings of their roads? The deaths of their families?
Hell, I should just throw in the whole Middle East right now, and include the U.S. in this. I understand fighting for people's civil liberties and God given rights, but there has to be some point where we need to realize we're a hated nation, and that our continued military operations only increase that hatred and aggressions toward us and our allies....and that some people just don't like our God; and some just don't believe in our God...or any God.
And this comes from a former U.S. Soldier and moderate Republican who is as patriotic as you can get. I'm just at a point right now where I'm tired of the U.S. being the answer. I'm tired of our guys in green...having the targets on their backs, and chests....I would like to see the U.S. back off from these military operations for a long while.
The problem with that is Europe is so inept at handling conflit that evil would spread unchecked and the problem would get worse, and then what?
I suppose the forces of good and evil will always clash in this perpetual struggle for dominion, and I will watch in wonder and fear the type of future that is laid out for my children.
now.....
I'm increasingly disturbed by the amount of unrest in the world. I wonder why some people feel that war and violence is preferred over diplomatic solutions, or why diplomatic solutions fail. Is bloodshed and death really that much more desirable to these people than peace and progression?
One of my biggest frustrations comes about when I fail to understand the "why" behind certain decisions or thought processes. When there is no rational/logical explanation behind some decision to insult, assault, or committment towards prolonged aggression I still try to find one....because I cannot comprehend the severity of evil that lives inside the minds of men.
What does Korea have to gain by testing the tolerance of the world? Even their own allies in China want them to cut it out.
WTF is happening in Isreal now? The Lebanese had to know that Isreal would not tolerate the kidnapping of their own soldiers, especially when the kidnapping took place within Isreal's border. Did these Labanese covet the bombings of their roads? The deaths of their families?
Hell, I should just throw in the whole Middle East right now, and include the U.S. in this. I understand fighting for people's civil liberties and God given rights, but there has to be some point where we need to realize we're a hated nation, and that our continued military operations only increase that hatred and aggressions toward us and our allies....and that some people just don't like our God; and some just don't believe in our God...or any God.
And this comes from a former U.S. Soldier and moderate Republican who is as patriotic as you can get. I'm just at a point right now where I'm tired of the U.S. being the answer. I'm tired of our guys in green...having the targets on their backs, and chests....I would like to see the U.S. back off from these military operations for a long while.
The problem with that is Europe is so inept at handling conflit that evil would spread unchecked and the problem would get worse, and then what?
I suppose the forces of good and evil will always clash in this perpetual struggle for dominion, and I will watch in wonder and fear the type of future that is laid out for my children.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Ugh
Either I had a bad day, or my body's beginning to shut down already.
Got up at 3:30 to see the family off, and couldn't go back to sleep. Went in to work about 9. Came home for lunch, and at the end of lunch I begin to feel lightheaded, and I can't catch my breath. So like a real man I go to work and ignore these silly ailments. As the day drags on I feel worse off. A colleague offers to walk me down to the client's medical wing, I politely decline...I assume I'm either dehydrated or my blood sugar level has plummeted and I need a boost. So I get a glass of water, a Coke, and a Snickers. The Snickers helped for a little while, but slowly the dizzyness returned (minus the shortness of breath). I leave work early but don't bother calling my doctor (I emailed a doctor I know from the Internets :D but he didn't bother to reply to my symptoms :(). I'm still a little dizzy. I'm hoping it's just fatigue, but I normally don't feel this poor after just 3 hours of sleep. I'll be really pissed if my body up and decided I'm old just because I'm in the twilight of my 20's. I don't know how you old 30-somethings manage :D.
Got up at 3:30 to see the family off, and couldn't go back to sleep. Went in to work about 9. Came home for lunch, and at the end of lunch I begin to feel lightheaded, and I can't catch my breath. So like a real man I go to work and ignore these silly ailments. As the day drags on I feel worse off. A colleague offers to walk me down to the client's medical wing, I politely decline...I assume I'm either dehydrated or my blood sugar level has plummeted and I need a boost. So I get a glass of water, a Coke, and a Snickers. The Snickers helped for a little while, but slowly the dizzyness returned (minus the shortness of breath). I leave work early but don't bother calling my doctor (I emailed a doctor I know from the Internets :D but he didn't bother to reply to my symptoms :(). I'm still a little dizzy. I'm hoping it's just fatigue, but I normally don't feel this poor after just 3 hours of sleep. I'll be really pissed if my body up and decided I'm old just because I'm in the twilight of my 20's. I don't know how you old 30-somethings manage :D.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
My hat = FUBAR
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale.....
out on Canyon Lake Saturday afternoon when a nasty storm hit us unawares...well we were aware, but we thought we had a little time before it was upon us....we were wrong. That storm blew in in seconds when we thought we had several minutes. We had waves crashing over the side of the boat, idiots cutting me off, and my two little girls were terrified. I was driving the boat back (we were about a mile from the house), my friend Matt was holding my 3 year old, my wife's 12 year old cousin was holding my 5 year old, and my wife and her friend Lee-Ann were on the bow, to balance the weight. At first everyone wanted to be in the back, but the weight was too great and I couldn't see over the bow.
Well we made it back to shore safely, but as my wife was getting off (while myself, Matt, and my father-in-law prepared to take the boat to the ramp to take it out) I asked her to take my hat with.....
it died. She crumpled it as she jumped into the water, and it was beyond repair this time. My son tried to kill it once, but I was able to get it back to its proper shape....not this time. RIP hat.
I am very sore today. I tried wake surfing Monday morning, and it was a blast. But I wrenched my knee while learning the proper way to get up. It's not normal. You lie in the water with your heels resting on the surfboard, then as you tell the driver to "hit it" you stand up. At first I was telling them to "hit it" (meaning to gun the throttle) and then tried to stand up....my knee couldn't handle the pressure of standing up against the drag of the boat....whereas when I stand as I'm telling them I'm ready, I'm already half out of the water when the boat takes off, therefore pulling me up the rest of the way, as opposed to dragging me.
After that it's really cool. I use the rope to pull myself into the boat's wake (about waist high) then once I'm ahead of the wake I toss the rope (someone on the boat reels it in) and I surf the wake for as long as I can. If the driver keeps making left turns, it's easy to stay in the wake. A lot of fun, but I did come away with a slightly sprained right knee.
Then, my wife drove the boat Monday afternoon, and pulled myself, Matt, and my father-in-law on a 3-seater tube. My head got bounced around so much that I have a serious case of whiplash today. Over the days I could feel my neck get progressively sore-er.
It didn't help that I went out twice for said punishment, only the 2nd time around my father-in-law was the smart one and stayed ashore. By the end of the run I had no strength in my neck to lift my head off the tube.
Also, having my arms yanked for so long before getting up on the surfboard, and being whipped around on a tube has left me with sore arms and chest....and to top it off, the wakeboarding I did has left me with sore thighs.....
So I'm sore in the following parts:
Neck
Chest
Arms
thighs
knees
....and my hands and feet are sunburnt. I learned my lesson and kept a good amount of sunscreen on my head and face, and I wore my surf shirt.
All in all a very good weekend.
Now comes 2 weeks of loneliness and sadness. My wife leaves at 4 a.m. tomorrow for her trip north to see family (her's and mine). She comes back on the 26th.....that's almost 3 weeks! I just realized that! aarrgh! *sobs*
My oldest cried last night. She wants to go see Nanny (my mom) but she also wants me to come with. She said it's going to be so long until she sees me. I told her it wouldn't and that it'd go by fast......it won't.
I'm going to leave a card on my wife's steering wheel saying I miss her. And I'll need to talk to my kids at least once a day.
wow. writing those last 3 paragraphs has really depressed me. I feel a cry coming on one of these nights. I bet it comes tomorrow morning.
out on Canyon Lake Saturday afternoon when a nasty storm hit us unawares...well we were aware, but we thought we had a little time before it was upon us....we were wrong. That storm blew in in seconds when we thought we had several minutes. We had waves crashing over the side of the boat, idiots cutting me off, and my two little girls were terrified. I was driving the boat back (we were about a mile from the house), my friend Matt was holding my 3 year old, my wife's 12 year old cousin was holding my 5 year old, and my wife and her friend Lee-Ann were on the bow, to balance the weight. At first everyone wanted to be in the back, but the weight was too great and I couldn't see over the bow.
Well we made it back to shore safely, but as my wife was getting off (while myself, Matt, and my father-in-law prepared to take the boat to the ramp to take it out) I asked her to take my hat with.....
it died. She crumpled it as she jumped into the water, and it was beyond repair this time. My son tried to kill it once, but I was able to get it back to its proper shape....not this time. RIP hat.
I am very sore today. I tried wake surfing Monday morning, and it was a blast. But I wrenched my knee while learning the proper way to get up. It's not normal. You lie in the water with your heels resting on the surfboard, then as you tell the driver to "hit it" you stand up. At first I was telling them to "hit it" (meaning to gun the throttle) and then tried to stand up....my knee couldn't handle the pressure of standing up against the drag of the boat....whereas when I stand as I'm telling them I'm ready, I'm already half out of the water when the boat takes off, therefore pulling me up the rest of the way, as opposed to dragging me.
After that it's really cool. I use the rope to pull myself into the boat's wake (about waist high) then once I'm ahead of the wake I toss the rope (someone on the boat reels it in) and I surf the wake for as long as I can. If the driver keeps making left turns, it's easy to stay in the wake. A lot of fun, but I did come away with a slightly sprained right knee.
Then, my wife drove the boat Monday afternoon, and pulled myself, Matt, and my father-in-law on a 3-seater tube. My head got bounced around so much that I have a serious case of whiplash today. Over the days I could feel my neck get progressively sore-er.
It didn't help that I went out twice for said punishment, only the 2nd time around my father-in-law was the smart one and stayed ashore. By the end of the run I had no strength in my neck to lift my head off the tube.
Also, having my arms yanked for so long before getting up on the surfboard, and being whipped around on a tube has left me with sore arms and chest....and to top it off, the wakeboarding I did has left me with sore thighs.....
So I'm sore in the following parts:
Neck
Chest
Arms
thighs
knees
....and my hands and feet are sunburnt. I learned my lesson and kept a good amount of sunscreen on my head and face, and I wore my surf shirt.
All in all a very good weekend.
Now comes 2 weeks of loneliness and sadness. My wife leaves at 4 a.m. tomorrow for her trip north to see family (her's and mine). She comes back on the 26th.....that's almost 3 weeks! I just realized that! aarrgh! *sobs*
My oldest cried last night. She wants to go see Nanny (my mom) but she also wants me to come with. She said it's going to be so long until she sees me. I told her it wouldn't and that it'd go by fast......it won't.
I'm going to leave a card on my wife's steering wheel saying I miss her. And I'll need to talk to my kids at least once a day.
wow. writing those last 3 paragraphs has really depressed me. I feel a cry coming on one of these nights. I bet it comes tomorrow morning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
