Why did Howard County announce a 2-hour delay for tomorrow (Tuesday)? My daughter is so disappointed that the schools are delayed again. This means she will miss her first rehearsal with the full fourth grade band originally scheduled for tomorrow. She has been looking forward to it for a while now, and has been practicing her clarinet and gearing up for their Spring concert. The delay only means the rehearsal will be later, but she is really disappointed. We drove around the area this afternoon to check on things, and it appears that the roads are fine, and the sidewalks seem clear. I know there are probably other parts of the county that may not be in good shape, but that isn't helping ease my daughter's disappointment.
Why is it so hard for me to introduce myself to an attractive, single stranger? My introverted nature gets in the way anytime I'm in this situation. And while I don't condone walking up to a stranger at a store, like, say, Target, I can't help but notice there is an inordinate number of very attractive ladies who appear to fit the bill. I just can't get the nerve up to say anything to them. Where else can you meet people, though? I don't go to bars or clubs. I don't drink. I'm sad to say that walking up to a stranger at my church is even a bit awkward, and that's where I would want to meet someone. The other issue is that I'm a very poor judge of age, and that makes me even more gun shy.
Why does our society celebrate newsworthy things that may have been scandalous a few decades ago? Today was a snow day, so I found myself watching the TODAY SHOW on NBC. I know they were biased since it was one of their own, but they showed some clips from the recent wedding of one of the shows hosts. She announced at her reception that she was four month's pregnant. The guests went wild and began yelling their approval through the celebration. I was surprised. I guess I'm in the minority in not believing in sex-before-marriage. I realize that it's looked at as an acceptable practice by much of our society, but I can't help be feel disappointed that it's celebrated. But how else are the guests going to react when the bride makes such an announcement, clearly expecting a show of support? I don't know. I guess I am too old fashioned and out of touch with modern society. And I guess I'm just too judgmental, as well.
Why does my little lovable dog decide to wait until I am just getting ready to eat my first bite of dinner to begin barking incessantly at me to let me know that she needs to go outside RIGHT NOW! It doesn't seem to matter what time we eat dinner, which can vary between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. She picks that one moment to need to go. She didn't start doing this until about a month ago. Previously, she seemed to be fine between her trips outside after we arrived home from work/school and just before bedtime. That has changed, though. I feel like the poor mother on A CHRISTMAS STORY, who, as Ralphie describes, hasn't had a hot meal in years because everyone else asks for things just before she gets to take a bite of her own food. My daughter does this to me, too. I'll get her dinner prepared and she'll be eating it, and as soon as I sit down with my food, she begins to ask for a glass of water, or a second helping of this or that, or a napkin. It's almost funny. Almost.
Why does stress have to be so stressful? Today was a snow day, and the Federal Government shut down in the Washington, DC, area. I spent the entire day worried about the work that I wasn't getting done, and knowing my boss, she'll wonder why I didn't work anyway. It was a day off that I had nothing to do with. It wasn't like I intentionally took off from work. I was forbidden from going in due to the weather. But all I did was worry about it. My worrying causes stress. The stress causes my body to hurt, my blood pressure to rise, my diabetes to fluctuate due to my inconsistent diet caused by worry, and I make myself sick. For what? For something that I have no control over. How frustrating is that?
Why? Why why why why why? I don't know. *sigh*
Monday, March 17, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Bits and Pieces of Stuff and More
I'm embarrassed to say that I wasted a beautiful day, even if I have an excuse. It was gorgeous outside, and I wish I could have been out in it. But I awoke this morning with more back issues, and I wasn't able to do anything I had planned to do. It's the second time this week that this has happened, and it's getting frustrating. I may need to invest in a new bed/mattress.
I sent my daughter to her grandparent's for the weekend. Last night, we met up with my in-laws for dinner, and she went home with them. We had planned this out about a week ago, and I thought it might be fun for her and them. My mother-in-law is always hoping for more time with her, so this seemed like a great opportunity to do it. I had something planned for Saturday morning, anyway, that she wouldn't have enjoyed. I had volunteered to help a friend do some intense cleaning to prepare for a move, though my back issues kept me from doing that.
Stuck on the couch all day, I decided to rent and download a movie, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. Wow, what a movie! Tom Hanks was very good as the title character, and the situation he has to deal with, Somali pirates boarding his container ship, is intense. At the end of the movie, and I don't want to give anything away (even though it's based on an actual event), the feeling of overwhelming relief that Tom Hanks' character experiences and exhibits had a pretty big impact on me, and I couldn't help but feel emotional. I think anyone who experiences something traumatic like that can relate to that feeling. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is a very good movie and highly recommended.
I was very disappointed in the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game today against rival Philadelphia. The Pens are clearly the better team, and have one of the best records in the league. But a combination of injuries to several key players resulted in a complete collapse versus the Flyers, and they lost 4-0.
I'm even more disappointed by my Maryland Terrapins athletic teams. It has been well documented the Maryland is leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference, a conference they helped found, after over six decades, to the Big 10 Conference. The reason has to do with the amount of money the football team will bring into the school as a member of the Big 10 versus the ACC, but for those who value tradition over money, it is a slap in the face. The Terps have established rivalries with a number of schools in the ACC, particularly in basketball (Duke, North Carolina, Virginia), but they will have to start anew next season. Because of the animosity that was created over the situation (and lawsuits - Maryland is suing the ACC regarding the exit fees the league is forcing on Maryland), what could have been a celebration and send off by the ACC to Maryland, there's been nothing, and Maryland's quick exits from both the men's and women's tournaments just added to the disappointment. It's shame. All of that tradition was just ignored and now it's over. I hope Maryland is happy with their decision, and that the extra money they get is worth it.
I've been loving this Winter! I love snow, so it has been great to see so much this year. However, even I have my limits. The weather guys are forecasting another snow storm for Monday morning. Here we are, in mid-March, and preparing for more snow. The weather, in the 60s today, is giving us no indication of the snow that's coming. It feels like Spring is already here. But it is coming! One more trip to the store to stock up on bread, milk, and toilet paper!
Have a great evening, everyone!
***
I sent my daughter to her grandparent's for the weekend. Last night, we met up with my in-laws for dinner, and she went home with them. We had planned this out about a week ago, and I thought it might be fun for her and them. My mother-in-law is always hoping for more time with her, so this seemed like a great opportunity to do it. I had something planned for Saturday morning, anyway, that she wouldn't have enjoyed. I had volunteered to help a friend do some intense cleaning to prepare for a move, though my back issues kept me from doing that.
***
Stuck on the couch all day, I decided to rent and download a movie, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. Wow, what a movie! Tom Hanks was very good as the title character, and the situation he has to deal with, Somali pirates boarding his container ship, is intense. At the end of the movie, and I don't want to give anything away (even though it's based on an actual event), the feeling of overwhelming relief that Tom Hanks' character experiences and exhibits had a pretty big impact on me, and I couldn't help but feel emotional. I think anyone who experiences something traumatic like that can relate to that feeling. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is a very good movie and highly recommended.
***
I was very disappointed in the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game today against rival Philadelphia. The Pens are clearly the better team, and have one of the best records in the league. But a combination of injuries to several key players resulted in a complete collapse versus the Flyers, and they lost 4-0.
***
I'm even more disappointed by my Maryland Terrapins athletic teams. It has been well documented the Maryland is leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference, a conference they helped found, after over six decades, to the Big 10 Conference. The reason has to do with the amount of money the football team will bring into the school as a member of the Big 10 versus the ACC, but for those who value tradition over money, it is a slap in the face. The Terps have established rivalries with a number of schools in the ACC, particularly in basketball (Duke, North Carolina, Virginia), but they will have to start anew next season. Because of the animosity that was created over the situation (and lawsuits - Maryland is suing the ACC regarding the exit fees the league is forcing on Maryland), what could have been a celebration and send off by the ACC to Maryland, there's been nothing, and Maryland's quick exits from both the men's and women's tournaments just added to the disappointment. It's shame. All of that tradition was just ignored and now it's over. I hope Maryland is happy with their decision, and that the extra money they get is worth it.
***
I've been loving this Winter! I love snow, so it has been great to see so much this year. However, even I have my limits. The weather guys are forecasting another snow storm for Monday morning. Here we are, in mid-March, and preparing for more snow. The weather, in the 60s today, is giving us no indication of the snow that's coming. It feels like Spring is already here. But it is coming! One more trip to the store to stock up on bread, milk, and toilet paper!
Have a great evening, everyone!
Friday, March 14, 2014
Sting and Paul Simon: An Entertaining Show
My daughter, Melody, and I went to see a wonderful concert last night: Sting and Paul Simon. Both have been performing for a long time. Most fans know that Paul was a part of a duo with Art Garfunkel before moving on to a solo career. Sting was a member of The Police with guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland, before abandoning them at their peak for a solo career of his own. Now the two are touring North America with merged bands and playing their hits, and each other's hits, together. When I found out they would be in Washington, DC, I tried to get tickets. Unfortunately, I didn't find out until after the tickets had been on sale for a while, so the tickets I bought for our seats were in the far reaches of the Verizon Center arena. They were the cheapest tickets available, however, and they got us in the door, so I surprised Melody at Christmas with the tickets.
So the show was last night. Sting and Paul Simon are wonderful musicians and are experienced at their craft, so they put on a pretty good show. The selection of songs included most of their hits, and I was especially surprised by the number of Police tunes Sting brought out of his bag. I'm a bigger Police fan than Sting fan, so that was good with me. And while I don't necessarily like all of Paul's older tunes, he performed a nice mix of old and newer hits. Melody has heard a healthy amount of the music I like, including The Police, Sting, and Paul Simon, so she also was familiar with and enjoys most of their songs, probably more so than me. So she enjoyed the concert a great deal. I loved watching her sing the words of so many of their songs.
The show was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. We had arrived at 7:30 via Metro, and had gotten a couple of personal Papa John's pizzas. They weren't great, but filled us up. We reached our seats only to find we were sitting next to a couple of guys who had already been drinking for awhile. They reeked of beer. Our seats were in the 400 level, but we were in the front row and on the aisle. The arena quickly filled up and the show started at around 8:20. They sang "Brand New Day" to start off, then went right into Simon's "Boy in the Bubble", one of my favorites. There was some fun banter between the two stars, with Paul noting that after a few months touring together, he felt Sting was rubbing off on him, making him feel like an Adonis. That was probably the funniest line of the night. Melody thought it was funny how short Simon was next to Sting.
Sting then did a solo set, singing "Fields of God", followed by one of the great Police hits, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic". Next was "Englishman in New York" and "I Hung My Head", followed by a couple more Police songs, "Driven To Tears" and "Walking On the Moon". Both surprised me, as neither were big hits, but they were well performed, particularly by the drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta, and the backup singer, Jo Lawry. She was really awesome.
Paul Simon returned to the stage for "Mother and Child Reunion" and the two shared the stage again. Then it was Paul Simon's turn to do a solo set. This pattern went on to an exciting joining of the bands and featuring a few more hits, and a rousing "You Can Call Me Al" took us to the end of the show. They returned for an encore to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Every Breath You Take", "Late in the Evening", and the Everly Brothers song, "When Will I Be Loved", with Sting and Simon alone on stage with acoustic guitars, at which point the two legendary performers walked off-stage arm in arm.
We had a few disappointments on the evening. The two guys sitting next to us had to get up to either use the bathroom or get more beer every 15 minutes, it seemed, for the duration of the show, which required us to get up out of our seats for them. Then when we left the arena and headed back to Metro, the subway was only running a few trains all the way to Greenbelt, our stop, and instead had more trains running only to Fort Totten. Plus, we had to wait 20 minutes for the Greenbelt bound train, which allowed the platform to swell with people. We were positioned to get on the train first, but were "pushed" out of the way by selfish late-comers with an "every man/woman/child for themselves" attitude, and we were not able to both get a seat. My back was still killing me, and standing was not comfortable. Then we got stuck at Fort Totten with the doors open for another 20 minutes so they could move the two trains ahead of us to the other track. It was frustrating. I don't know why Metro can't run more trains during major events downtown.
Anyway, that didn't ruin our night. We were pretty tired by the time we got home, which was about 12:30 a.m. We crashed and went straight to bed. It was a great evening!
So the show was last night. Sting and Paul Simon are wonderful musicians and are experienced at their craft, so they put on a pretty good show. The selection of songs included most of their hits, and I was especially surprised by the number of Police tunes Sting brought out of his bag. I'm a bigger Police fan than Sting fan, so that was good with me. And while I don't necessarily like all of Paul's older tunes, he performed a nice mix of old and newer hits. Melody has heard a healthy amount of the music I like, including The Police, Sting, and Paul Simon, so she also was familiar with and enjoys most of their songs, probably more so than me. So she enjoyed the concert a great deal. I loved watching her sing the words of so many of their songs.
The show was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. We had arrived at 7:30 via Metro, and had gotten a couple of personal Papa John's pizzas. They weren't great, but filled us up. We reached our seats only to find we were sitting next to a couple of guys who had already been drinking for awhile. They reeked of beer. Our seats were in the 400 level, but we were in the front row and on the aisle. The arena quickly filled up and the show started at around 8:20. They sang "Brand New Day" to start off, then went right into Simon's "Boy in the Bubble", one of my favorites. There was some fun banter between the two stars, with Paul noting that after a few months touring together, he felt Sting was rubbing off on him, making him feel like an Adonis. That was probably the funniest line of the night. Melody thought it was funny how short Simon was next to Sting.
Sting then did a solo set, singing "Fields of God", followed by one of the great Police hits, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic". Next was "Englishman in New York" and "I Hung My Head", followed by a couple more Police songs, "Driven To Tears" and "Walking On the Moon". Both surprised me, as neither were big hits, but they were well performed, particularly by the drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta, and the backup singer, Jo Lawry. She was really awesome.
Paul Simon returned to the stage for "Mother and Child Reunion" and the two shared the stage again. Then it was Paul Simon's turn to do a solo set. This pattern went on to an exciting joining of the bands and featuring a few more hits, and a rousing "You Can Call Me Al" took us to the end of the show. They returned for an encore to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Every Breath You Take", "Late in the Evening", and the Everly Brothers song, "When Will I Be Loved", with Sting and Simon alone on stage with acoustic guitars, at which point the two legendary performers walked off-stage arm in arm.
We had a few disappointments on the evening. The two guys sitting next to us had to get up to either use the bathroom or get more beer every 15 minutes, it seemed, for the duration of the show, which required us to get up out of our seats for them. Then when we left the arena and headed back to Metro, the subway was only running a few trains all the way to Greenbelt, our stop, and instead had more trains running only to Fort Totten. Plus, we had to wait 20 minutes for the Greenbelt bound train, which allowed the platform to swell with people. We were positioned to get on the train first, but were "pushed" out of the way by selfish late-comers with an "every man/woman/child for themselves" attitude, and we were not able to both get a seat. My back was still killing me, and standing was not comfortable. Then we got stuck at Fort Totten with the doors open for another 20 minutes so they could move the two trains ahead of us to the other track. It was frustrating. I don't know why Metro can't run more trains during major events downtown.
Anyway, that didn't ruin our night. We were pretty tired by the time we got home, which was about 12:30 a.m. We crashed and went straight to bed. It was a great evening!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Back Pain and Aging Gracefully
As I've documented here on the blog over the past few weeks, I've finally found relief from my sleep apnea with my CPAP machine, which has helped me to sleep so much better than before. The new issue is trying to find a comfortable position to sleep without knocking the mask off my face or off my nose resulting in air hitting me in the eye or something ridiculous like that. I'm a side sleeper, so sleeping on my back, which I'm not used to doing, would be hard, but would keep the mask on my face in the correct position. So I've been sleeping on my back for the last week. My main issue has been trying to stay comfortable. My lower back is taking a lot of abuse. A friend said that I needed to keep my knees raised, so I tried placing a pillow under my knees. That still didn't help. My lower back was still sore when I woke up each morning. So I tried putting a pillow under my upper back. Well, that was a mistake.
This morning, I woke up in severe pain. My lower back felt like it was on fire. I ripped the CPAP mask off of my face, and tried to roll over on my side. It didn't help, and I just couldn't get comfortable no matter what position I was in. The pain was excruciating. I didn't know what to do. I got up and tried walking it off, but it wouldn't improve. I took some Bayer Back and Body and tried laying down again. The pain was intense, but I was able to snooze for a little while. I called the office to say I couldn't make it in. I laid back down and slept for several more hours. I finally got out of bed and went down to lay on the couch. I fell asleep again for another three hours! My back improved over the course of the day, fortunately, but I figured I needed a heating pad. I went to the store to get one after picking up my daughter at school.
So now I'm trying to figure out what to do. My back hurt so badly that I'm not going to be able to sleep on it anymore. I'll likely go back to my side sleeping and just try to deal with the mask moving around. That's a lot better than the aches and pains from last night.
Faithful Pup Scout is getting old. We've had her now for 12 years, and I've watched her deteriorate significantly over the past year. Her back legs and hips are giving out, and it's harder for her to get around. I carry her around the house (fortunately she only weighs ten pounds), and we no longer go for walks outside. She does her business in the front or back yard. She can't jump down off of objects more than one or two feet off the floor, and will bark at me when she needs to get down. It's really sad to see, especially since it feels like she's aged so quickly.
A friend of mine at work suggested that I get another dog. He figures that, when Scout's time comes, it will make it easier on me and my daughter, Melody. Plus, he said, another dog will help keep Scout younger by playing with her and providing exercise and company. I'm not sure how much I believe all of that. Scout has been a loner for a long time. I don't think she'd like to have to share her peeps, if you know what I mean. It's kind of like the "only-child" syndrome. They're so used to having everything to themselves, including attention, that I can't imagine they would be able to share. Besides, Melody keeps telling me she wants a cat. While I don't, a cat would be less work. The downside is that my mother-in-law wouldn't be able to visit, since she's allergic to cats. So I'm just not sure if that's a solution, either.
I have looked at a few shelter websites in the area to see what kind of dogs they have. I would prefer to rescue a dog than go through a breeder, which is what we did with Scout. I don't know what kind of dog I'd like to get. Scout really has been an exceptionally easy dog to care for, even when she has longer hair. No matter what, this process will be hard on all of us. I can't imagine what life would be like without Scout in it. She's a great dog.
Have a great evening, everyone!
This morning, I woke up in severe pain. My lower back felt like it was on fire. I ripped the CPAP mask off of my face, and tried to roll over on my side. It didn't help, and I just couldn't get comfortable no matter what position I was in. The pain was excruciating. I didn't know what to do. I got up and tried walking it off, but it wouldn't improve. I took some Bayer Back and Body and tried laying down again. The pain was intense, but I was able to snooze for a little while. I called the office to say I couldn't make it in. I laid back down and slept for several more hours. I finally got out of bed and went down to lay on the couch. I fell asleep again for another three hours! My back improved over the course of the day, fortunately, but I figured I needed a heating pad. I went to the store to get one after picking up my daughter at school.
So now I'm trying to figure out what to do. My back hurt so badly that I'm not going to be able to sleep on it anymore. I'll likely go back to my side sleeping and just try to deal with the mask moving around. That's a lot better than the aches and pains from last night.
***
Faithful Pup Scout is getting old. We've had her now for 12 years, and I've watched her deteriorate significantly over the past year. Her back legs and hips are giving out, and it's harder for her to get around. I carry her around the house (fortunately she only weighs ten pounds), and we no longer go for walks outside. She does her business in the front or back yard. She can't jump down off of objects more than one or two feet off the floor, and will bark at me when she needs to get down. It's really sad to see, especially since it feels like she's aged so quickly.
A friend of mine at work suggested that I get another dog. He figures that, when Scout's time comes, it will make it easier on me and my daughter, Melody. Plus, he said, another dog will help keep Scout younger by playing with her and providing exercise and company. I'm not sure how much I believe all of that. Scout has been a loner for a long time. I don't think she'd like to have to share her peeps, if you know what I mean. It's kind of like the "only-child" syndrome. They're so used to having everything to themselves, including attention, that I can't imagine they would be able to share. Besides, Melody keeps telling me she wants a cat. While I don't, a cat would be less work. The downside is that my mother-in-law wouldn't be able to visit, since she's allergic to cats. So I'm just not sure if that's a solution, either.
I have looked at a few shelter websites in the area to see what kind of dogs they have. I would prefer to rescue a dog than go through a breeder, which is what we did with Scout. I don't know what kind of dog I'd like to get. Scout really has been an exceptionally easy dog to care for, even when she has longer hair. No matter what, this process will be hard on all of us. I can't imagine what life would be like without Scout in it. She's a great dog.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Kiss Me LIke A Stranger
I try to stay away from controversial topics on this blog. It's not that I don't feel strongly about subjects that seem to divide the populace of this great country. I just choose to stay away from these subjects on this blog. For example, I don't believe in sex outside of a marriage relationship. It tends to be accepted in today's "anything goes" culture, but, for me, it ain't right. I've been accused of being too old-fashioned, but I believe in tradition. I'm a Bible-believing Christ-follower. So I'm not going to pull any punches with today's controversial topic: kissing. What? Kissing isn't controversial? I don't know about that....
I can't remember what it felt like to kiss my wife. It has been ten years since her death, and I was thinking about it. It bothers me that I can't remember. I remember kissing the last woman I dated seriously. She loved to kiss. We would spend hours making out. Since neither of us believed in sex outside of a marriage relationship, that's as intimate as we got. But with my wife, I can't remember how she kissed! I know we enjoyed kissing, though.
I just watched a short film about kissing. The director asked several pairs of attractive models who had never met each other to kiss. There wasn't any background information on the models/actors in the film, but I assume none of them are married. When they were asked to kiss, it was interesting to see how they handled their instructions. In every case, the couples appeared to be kind of shy about it, and a few were embarrassed. One woman seemed to get very into it, and almost got too carried away. Most seemed to loosen up once they started to kiss, but it was interesting to see them hesitate before that. A few really got quite passionate. A few only kissed once. It was an interesting exercise. I wish that they had gotten more "mature" couples. They were pretty much all young and beautiful, which I guess was the director's purpose for doing this film. But I found it fascinating.
If I had been asked to kiss a stranger, I'm not sure I could do it. Several years ago, I went to a conference for work. At the opening meeting, we were asked to go around the room and introduce ourselves to someone we didn't know. I was approached by Dina, a woman I didn't know at the time. She asked me my name, and I replied, "Eric." Her brow furrowed, and she looked confused, then leaned close and pointed at her cheek. I had no idea what she was doing, but then I though she wanted me to give her a kiss on the cheek. I started to lean in, then reality smacked me in the face and I figured out she couldn't hear me, and was pointing at her ear, not her cheek! I quickly repeated, "Eric," and I thanked God that I hadn't made a fool of myself and kissed her! Ironically, she later became my boss several years later. To this day, she doesn't know how close I came to creating an awkward situation. There is no place in an office for affection of any kind.
Then there's Karen, an old friend of my wife's. She insists on greeting me with a kiss every time we get together. I always turn my cheek to her, but her lips make their way to mine regardless of how far I've turned my head. It's completely awkward, since I know she really doesn't like to kiss. It's as uncomfortably unromantic as it gets.
So, could you kiss a stranger? I'm not talking about a little peck. I'm talking about a deep, passionate, kiss and embrace that makes you weak in the knees. I'd like to give it a shot. I mean, it has been over six years since my last kiss like that. I think I'm way overdue.
Have a great evening, everyone!
I can't remember what it felt like to kiss my wife. It has been ten years since her death, and I was thinking about it. It bothers me that I can't remember. I remember kissing the last woman I dated seriously. She loved to kiss. We would spend hours making out. Since neither of us believed in sex outside of a marriage relationship, that's as intimate as we got. But with my wife, I can't remember how she kissed! I know we enjoyed kissing, though.
I just watched a short film about kissing. The director asked several pairs of attractive models who had never met each other to kiss. There wasn't any background information on the models/actors in the film, but I assume none of them are married. When they were asked to kiss, it was interesting to see how they handled their instructions. In every case, the couples appeared to be kind of shy about it, and a few were embarrassed. One woman seemed to get very into it, and almost got too carried away. Most seemed to loosen up once they started to kiss, but it was interesting to see them hesitate before that. A few really got quite passionate. A few only kissed once. It was an interesting exercise. I wish that they had gotten more "mature" couples. They were pretty much all young and beautiful, which I guess was the director's purpose for doing this film. But I found it fascinating.
If I had been asked to kiss a stranger, I'm not sure I could do it. Several years ago, I went to a conference for work. At the opening meeting, we were asked to go around the room and introduce ourselves to someone we didn't know. I was approached by Dina, a woman I didn't know at the time. She asked me my name, and I replied, "Eric." Her brow furrowed, and she looked confused, then leaned close and pointed at her cheek. I had no idea what she was doing, but then I though she wanted me to give her a kiss on the cheek. I started to lean in, then reality smacked me in the face and I figured out she couldn't hear me, and was pointing at her ear, not her cheek! I quickly repeated, "Eric," and I thanked God that I hadn't made a fool of myself and kissed her! Ironically, she later became my boss several years later. To this day, she doesn't know how close I came to creating an awkward situation. There is no place in an office for affection of any kind.
Then there's Karen, an old friend of my wife's. She insists on greeting me with a kiss every time we get together. I always turn my cheek to her, but her lips make their way to mine regardless of how far I've turned my head. It's completely awkward, since I know she really doesn't like to kiss. It's as uncomfortably unromantic as it gets.
So, could you kiss a stranger? I'm not talking about a little peck. I'm talking about a deep, passionate, kiss and embrace that makes you weak in the knees. I'd like to give it a shot. I mean, it has been over six years since my last kiss like that. I think I'm way overdue.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Monday, March 10, 2014
Did I Really Just Write a Post About Shoes?!?
I used to have a really nice pair of shoes, but the bottom of the shoe broke off of the rest of the shoe. I felt like I had lost my sole. Ha, ha, ha!
I'm a white sneakers and blue jeans kind of guy. That hasn't changed much over the years, though I've had to go to a much more professional look as my career has progressed. I'm usually dressed professionally for work, shirt and tie, slacks, and nice shoes. As a journeyman cartographer, I could get away with blue jeans and sneakers. Management really does change you.
I find it interesting that, growing up, all the way through my twenties, I dressed up for church. Every Sunday, I would wear a tie and a sport coat, or suit, with a nice pair of shoes. As I've gotten older, I've dressed more and more casually for church, just as I've gotten more and more professional for work. Grace Community is about the most casual church I've ever attended. It's refreshing.
Shoes have never been a big deal to me. As I mentioned, I'm a sneakers kind of guy. Because I have to dress nicely for work, I have a couple of pairs of dress shoes. I also keep a pair of hiking boots that I wear, in the snow, mostly.
Back in 1997, I made my life-impacting road trip around the country. Along the way, I stopped in Wall, South Dakota, at the legendary Wall Drug Store. It was there that I found a shoe store specializing in cowboy boots. I never had a desire to have a pair, thinking they were just not very comfortable. A sweet old lady who worked there talked me into considering buying a pair, and with her help, I picked out a pair of boots that I kind of liked, and bought them. They were kind of a rusty color, with a nice design. The boots lady said they were a nice pair of dress boots. I was happy with my purchase, but I didn't think they were very comfortable. The boots lady said it would take a little time to break them in.
Fast forward a few years, and she was right. It took a long while to break them in, mostly because I didn't wear them very often, maybe a couple of times a month. Plus, I started to not like the color. It actually seemed more orange than rust. Anyway, in 2000, Teresa, my wife, and I took a trip out west and we stopped at the same boots store at Wall Drug. I wanted Teresa to get a pair of boots. She easily and quickly found a really nice pair, and we got them. I decided I didn't want another pair, especially since the previous pair wasn't what I expected.
In 2007, I took my daughter, Melody, to Wall Drug, and, just like her Mom, I wanted her to get a pair of boots. We found a pink pair that she fell in love with, so we got them. I was having second thoughts about boots, and decided to get a new pair, this time with a different look. I found a pair that really was more of a work-style boot compared to the other pair that I had. They were light brown and were immediately comfortable. To this day, I love wearing these boots. They are great with a pair of jeans. I wear them to church regularly, too.
My newest shoes are driving shoes. I began to really hate wearing dress shoes to work, especially when I bought a nice black pair that were as uncomfortable as any shoes I've bought in the last decade. So I got a pair of driving shoes. Basically, they're like moccasins. They are really comfortable, and they're nice enough to be able to wear as dress shoes to work. I liked them so much, I got a second pair so I would have a brown and a dark gray pair.
When I started this post, I really didn't plan on writing about shoes. Who writes about shoes? It's really ridiculous, when I think about it. I guess my whole point is that I really felt like I only needed a pair of sneakers back in my younger days, but as an older guy, I have about five pairs of shoes that I can wear, depending on the occasion. I have to laugh, though, because, shortly after my wife died, I had to clean out our closet and all of her shoes. I think she had at least a dozen pairs, maybe more. It was a funny comparison. But I'll take comfort over looks any day.
Have a great evening, everyone!
I'm a white sneakers and blue jeans kind of guy. That hasn't changed much over the years, though I've had to go to a much more professional look as my career has progressed. I'm usually dressed professionally for work, shirt and tie, slacks, and nice shoes. As a journeyman cartographer, I could get away with blue jeans and sneakers. Management really does change you.
I find it interesting that, growing up, all the way through my twenties, I dressed up for church. Every Sunday, I would wear a tie and a sport coat, or suit, with a nice pair of shoes. As I've gotten older, I've dressed more and more casually for church, just as I've gotten more and more professional for work. Grace Community is about the most casual church I've ever attended. It's refreshing.
Shoes have never been a big deal to me. As I mentioned, I'm a sneakers kind of guy. Because I have to dress nicely for work, I have a couple of pairs of dress shoes. I also keep a pair of hiking boots that I wear, in the snow, mostly.
Back in 1997, I made my life-impacting road trip around the country. Along the way, I stopped in Wall, South Dakota, at the legendary Wall Drug Store. It was there that I found a shoe store specializing in cowboy boots. I never had a desire to have a pair, thinking they were just not very comfortable. A sweet old lady who worked there talked me into considering buying a pair, and with her help, I picked out a pair of boots that I kind of liked, and bought them. They were kind of a rusty color, with a nice design. The boots lady said they were a nice pair of dress boots. I was happy with my purchase, but I didn't think they were very comfortable. The boots lady said it would take a little time to break them in.
Fast forward a few years, and she was right. It took a long while to break them in, mostly because I didn't wear them very often, maybe a couple of times a month. Plus, I started to not like the color. It actually seemed more orange than rust. Anyway, in 2000, Teresa, my wife, and I took a trip out west and we stopped at the same boots store at Wall Drug. I wanted Teresa to get a pair of boots. She easily and quickly found a really nice pair, and we got them. I decided I didn't want another pair, especially since the previous pair wasn't what I expected.
In 2007, I took my daughter, Melody, to Wall Drug, and, just like her Mom, I wanted her to get a pair of boots. We found a pink pair that she fell in love with, so we got them. I was having second thoughts about boots, and decided to get a new pair, this time with a different look. I found a pair that really was more of a work-style boot compared to the other pair that I had. They were light brown and were immediately comfortable. To this day, I love wearing these boots. They are great with a pair of jeans. I wear them to church regularly, too.
My newest shoes are driving shoes. I began to really hate wearing dress shoes to work, especially when I bought a nice black pair that were as uncomfortable as any shoes I've bought in the last decade. So I got a pair of driving shoes. Basically, they're like moccasins. They are really comfortable, and they're nice enough to be able to wear as dress shoes to work. I liked them so much, I got a second pair so I would have a brown and a dark gray pair.
When I started this post, I really didn't plan on writing about shoes. Who writes about shoes? It's really ridiculous, when I think about it. I guess my whole point is that I really felt like I only needed a pair of sneakers back in my younger days, but as an older guy, I have about five pairs of shoes that I can wear, depending on the occasion. I have to laugh, though, because, shortly after my wife died, I had to clean out our closet and all of her shoes. I think she had at least a dozen pairs, maybe more. It was a funny comparison. But I'll take comfort over looks any day.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Craving Blueberry Pancakes
This was a nice weekend. We had a couple of commitments, but otherwise it was a nice, quiet couple of days.
Our first stop was for one of Melody's little cousins. It was Judah's 5th birthday party, and we had a nice time helping him celebrate. I spent most of the party chatting with Uncle Jerry, or UJ (shout out: Hey, UJ!). UJ told me a delicious story about him and Aunt Janice going out to eat pancakes, and how they were talked into getting all-you-can-eat pancakes, and even after they ate all they could eat, the waitress kept bringing more. I had an immense craving for pancakes when he finished the story.
We also talked about diet drinks. UJ mentioned his daughter-in-law was trying to cut back on sugary drinks, but didn't care for diet soda. I told him about my new favorite drink: Sparkling Ice!
Sparkling Ice is a carbonated flavored water that has zero calories, and is one of the best tasting on the market. It comes in multiple flavors, my favorites being the Crisp Apple, Coconut Pineapple, and Black Raspberry. The only hassle so far has been finding it. We originally found it at Harris-Teeter, but it took awhile before Wegman's and Weis started carrying it. I love it, but at a dollar a bottle (on sale), it's not the cheapest drink around. The bottles are 18 oz., though, so that's good.
After we left the party, and with the weather hovering in the lower 60s, we decided to take the front panels off the top of our Wrangler for the first time. It felt great, and it wasn't as windy as I expected, but it also wasn't quite as warm as we thought, either. We were in the neighborhood, so we stopped by Mom & Dad's for a brief visit. We hadn't seen them in a few weeks. We ended up watching some old videos of when Melody was about 2 years old, and also of Faithful Pup Scout when she was a puppy. It was neat to see. It was nice to reminisce.
We headed home to clean up, and we put the panels back on the Jeep, then we went to church. It was a nice service. I always get something out of Mark's messages, and I left feeling gung-ho about trying to improve my work-home-life. Afterwards, we went to dinner at.....you guessed it, IHOP! I was craving pancakes by this time, and I got a stack of blueberry pancakes. Melody got the chocolate chocolate chip. I don't know how she does it, but she loves her chocolate. That's just too much chocolate for me to even think about. The scrambled eggs, hash browns, and turkey bacon, along with the blueberry cakes, made for a delicious comfort food dinner. To really add to the overkill, though, we also stopped at Sweet Frog for some frozen yogurt, before heading home for the evening.
It was a great day! We followed it up with a good night's sleep, though the time change knocked me out until 9:15. Once I was up, though, I was up for good. We didn't do much today. I paid some bills, watched an incredible finish to the Terps men's basketball game versus UVA. Maryland won 75-69 in OT. It was their last regular-season ACC game, so it was great to go out as winners.
Now it's time to turn in. Have a great evening, everyone!
Our first stop was for one of Melody's little cousins. It was Judah's 5th birthday party, and we had a nice time helping him celebrate. I spent most of the party chatting with Uncle Jerry, or UJ (shout out: Hey, UJ!). UJ told me a delicious story about him and Aunt Janice going out to eat pancakes, and how they were talked into getting all-you-can-eat pancakes, and even after they ate all they could eat, the waitress kept bringing more. I had an immense craving for pancakes when he finished the story.
We also talked about diet drinks. UJ mentioned his daughter-in-law was trying to cut back on sugary drinks, but didn't care for diet soda. I told him about my new favorite drink: Sparkling Ice!
After we left the party, and with the weather hovering in the lower 60s, we decided to take the front panels off the top of our Wrangler for the first time. It felt great, and it wasn't as windy as I expected, but it also wasn't quite as warm as we thought, either. We were in the neighborhood, so we stopped by Mom & Dad's for a brief visit. We hadn't seen them in a few weeks. We ended up watching some old videos of when Melody was about 2 years old, and also of Faithful Pup Scout when she was a puppy. It was neat to see. It was nice to reminisce.
We headed home to clean up, and we put the panels back on the Jeep, then we went to church. It was a nice service. I always get something out of Mark's messages, and I left feeling gung-ho about trying to improve my work-home-life. Afterwards, we went to dinner at.....you guessed it, IHOP! I was craving pancakes by this time, and I got a stack of blueberry pancakes. Melody got the chocolate chocolate chip. I don't know how she does it, but she loves her chocolate. That's just too much chocolate for me to even think about. The scrambled eggs, hash browns, and turkey bacon, along with the blueberry cakes, made for a delicious comfort food dinner. To really add to the overkill, though, we also stopped at Sweet Frog for some frozen yogurt, before heading home for the evening.
It was a great day! We followed it up with a good night's sleep, though the time change knocked me out until 9:15. Once I was up, though, I was up for good. We didn't do much today. I paid some bills, watched an incredible finish to the Terps men's basketball game versus UVA. Maryland won 75-69 in OT. It was their last regular-season ACC game, so it was great to go out as winners.
Now it's time to turn in. Have a great evening, everyone!
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Saturday Morning Short Stack
Wow, I am loving my CPAP! My sleeping habits are returning to the way they used to be, when I was an early-to-bed-early-to-rise kind of guy. I got all kinds of tired last night at around 9 p.m., which is early for me, but much more normal, and I got up without an alarm at 7:30 a.m. On a Saturday! I love it!
I have to apologize for last night's blog post absence. This is the only problem with these kinds of sleep habits. I generally would type up the blog at around 9 or so. I was just too tired last night. I've found that I tend to type a lot of gibberish when I'm tired, and while that might prove to be kind of entertaining for you, the readers, it may take the blog in a whole different direction. So I need to develop some new writing habits.
Last weekend, after my daughter and I attended the Lady Terps basketball game, we were driving around campus and I was pointing out various buildings and their significance to Melody. We reached Route 1 and I noticed a large construction site where the Maryland Book Exchange was located. The Exchange was gone! Wiped out! I could hardly believe it! That place has been a fixture for almost 80 years. I did a little research and found out it was demolished and will be replaced by a 287-unit apartment complex six stories tall! At least the Book Exchange will return in a new format at the location with the addition of retail space at the complex. But it was a shock to see the building gone. Although a six story building is going to look really odd in that location. There are no other buildings that size anywhere around that area.
Speaking of the Lady Terps, they had their first game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament last night and they lost! The North Carolina Tar Heels beat them 73-70 in a game they were never really in. It was unfortunate since it was the last ACC Tournament for the Terps, and they bowed out early and rather unceremoniously. At least their season isn't over yet. They should be competitive in the NCAA Tournament beginning in a few weeks.
FYI - I had to turn on comment moderation on the blog due to the amount of spam I've been getting. I've heard from a few readers that they are having problems submitting their comments. If this is due to the moderation process, I apologize. All I can say is please try and I will attempt to get them published as soon as possible, but there may be a delay getting your comment to appear. I hate that a few spammers have to make it difficult for everyone else, but it's my only recourse. Thanks for your understanding.
I've made no secret of the fact that I'm battling stress and depression, among other ailments, for a while now. The stress is primarily from the issues I'm dealing with at work. I supervise more than 100 employees and it's a challenge at times.
I'm was discussing this with my boss and she recommended that I look into massage therapy. I've never received a massage before, at least professionally. My wife and I gave each other massages, but that's a whole different ball game. My wife passed away almost 10 years ago now, so it has been more than 10 years since my last massage.
I don't even know where to start. I'm so self-conscious about my body that I'm not sure how comfortable I would be receiving a massage. I also don't know where I would go. My imagination keeps taking me in a bad direction, and I keep thinking about the episode of HAPPY DAYS (one of my favorite all-time shows) when Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), stressed out from running for student government president at the local college, is taken by the Fonz (Henry Winkler) for a massage, to get his mind off the election. He takes a little bit of time to warm up to the massage, and as soon as he does, his opponent rushes in and takes a picture of him, compromising his image and his chances of winning the election (season six episode, "Richie Gets Framed"). That's pretty much how I feel and how I imagine my experience will turn out.
I can't help but think that it would be good for me and my health, though, so I'm entertaining the idea. I just need to get my nerve up.
With that, have a great Saturday, everyone!
I have to apologize for last night's blog post absence. This is the only problem with these kinds of sleep habits. I generally would type up the blog at around 9 or so. I was just too tired last night. I've found that I tend to type a lot of gibberish when I'm tired, and while that might prove to be kind of entertaining for you, the readers, it may take the blog in a whole different direction. So I need to develop some new writing habits.
***
Last weekend, after my daughter and I attended the Lady Terps basketball game, we were driving around campus and I was pointing out various buildings and their significance to Melody. We reached Route 1 and I noticed a large construction site where the Maryland Book Exchange was located. The Exchange was gone! Wiped out! I could hardly believe it! That place has been a fixture for almost 80 years. I did a little research and found out it was demolished and will be replaced by a 287-unit apartment complex six stories tall! At least the Book Exchange will return in a new format at the location with the addition of retail space at the complex. But it was a shock to see the building gone. Although a six story building is going to look really odd in that location. There are no other buildings that size anywhere around that area.
***
Speaking of the Lady Terps, they had their first game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament last night and they lost! The North Carolina Tar Heels beat them 73-70 in a game they were never really in. It was unfortunate since it was the last ACC Tournament for the Terps, and they bowed out early and rather unceremoniously. At least their season isn't over yet. They should be competitive in the NCAA Tournament beginning in a few weeks.
***
FYI - I had to turn on comment moderation on the blog due to the amount of spam I've been getting. I've heard from a few readers that they are having problems submitting their comments. If this is due to the moderation process, I apologize. All I can say is please try and I will attempt to get them published as soon as possible, but there may be a delay getting your comment to appear. I hate that a few spammers have to make it difficult for everyone else, but it's my only recourse. Thanks for your understanding.
***
I've made no secret of the fact that I'm battling stress and depression, among other ailments, for a while now. The stress is primarily from the issues I'm dealing with at work. I supervise more than 100 employees and it's a challenge at times.
I'm was discussing this with my boss and she recommended that I look into massage therapy. I've never received a massage before, at least professionally. My wife and I gave each other massages, but that's a whole different ball game. My wife passed away almost 10 years ago now, so it has been more than 10 years since my last massage.
I don't even know where to start. I'm so self-conscious about my body that I'm not sure how comfortable I would be receiving a massage. I also don't know where I would go. My imagination keeps taking me in a bad direction, and I keep thinking about the episode of HAPPY DAYS (one of my favorite all-time shows) when Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), stressed out from running for student government president at the local college, is taken by the Fonz (Henry Winkler) for a massage, to get his mind off the election. He takes a little bit of time to warm up to the massage, and as soon as he does, his opponent rushes in and takes a picture of him, compromising his image and his chances of winning the election (season six episode, "Richie Gets Framed"). That's pretty much how I feel and how I imagine my experience will turn out.
I can't help but think that it would be good for me and my health, though, so I'm entertaining the idea. I just need to get my nerve up.
With that, have a great Saturday, everyone!
Friday, March 7, 2014
Too Pooped To Blog
Sorry, folks.... I'm too pooped to blog tonight. I should've had my daughter do her guest blog tonight instead of last night. Speaking of her guest blog, thank you all for the kind comments to her. She read them all, and she was so excited by them that she will likely give me another post in the near future. I'd say she's a future blogger.
My eyes are getting heavy.... I am not looking forward to Daylight Savings Time. Have a great evening!
My eyes are getting heavy.... I am not looking forward to Daylight Savings Time. Have a great evening!
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Guest Blog: Carl The Crow And Some Other Things
Last night, I made a deal with my daughter and allowed her the opportunity to do a guest blog for tonight. Here is what she wrote:
And that's all she wrote. If demand warrants, we'll have a sequel. I didn't expect her to write about Carl. She's correct: I'm not a fan. He IS annoying. I'm disturbed that my daughter feels that she needs to share him with you. Millions of topics to choose from, and we get Carl. 10 year olds.... almost a teen, yet so far.
Well, thanks, Melody. Next time, let's pick out a subject that has a little more appeal. :-)
Have a great evening, everyone!
Hello! I am Melody. I am Eric's daughter. My dad agreed to let me do a guest blog that is about our favorite computer character: Carl the crow. The following link is the link to the person who made Carl's YouTube channel, SplashKittyArtist: http://www.youtube.com/user/SplashKittyArtist. And here is Carl: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=YwLdcY5cW6A and http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=rkpODwvZIfA I do hope you enjoy.Carl is awesome, and my dad REALLY thinks so, too (not really, he just thinks Carl is annoying).Last night, my dad pointed at the clock and said, "Time for bed." No. Carl doesn't like bedtime. So I said, "Carl. He doesn't like bedtimes." But I went up anyway.Writing a blog about a made up character is really hard. So, I am going to have my dad name this blog "Guest Blog, Carl, and Some Other Things".
The "Some Other Things" part of this guest blog is that I just want to say, I really hope you enjoy my dad's blog! I watch him every night, typing for your entertainment, and typing to inform you of our life, I guess.This is the shortest guest blog I have ever done, if I've ever done one at all! So, I'm going to let my dad take over now. Have a good night, everyone!
And that's all she wrote. If demand warrants, we'll have a sequel. I didn't expect her to write about Carl. She's correct: I'm not a fan. He IS annoying. I'm disturbed that my daughter feels that she needs to share him with you. Millions of topics to choose from, and we get Carl. 10 year olds.... almost a teen, yet so far.
Well, thanks, Melody. Next time, let's pick out a subject that has a little more appeal. :-)
Have a great evening, everyone!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Randomness By The Numbers
2,483 - number of songs that are now loaded onto the hard drive of our stereo in our Jeep.
3 - number of players cut by the Steelers today.
11 - number of cars I've owned since 1987.
2 - number of dogs that I've had over the years.
3 - number of jobs I've had.
30 - number of first cousins I have.
41 - number of states I've traveled to.
1 - number of states I've lived in.
3 - number of serious relationships I've had.
2 - number of trades the Penguins made today.
5 - number of slices of pizza I ate for dinner tonight (they were small!).
60 - my daughter's height in inches.
10 - my daughter's age in years.
74 - my height in inches.
18 - age at which I was fully grown.
5 - number of roller coasters at Busch Gardens.
61687 - number of views of this blog as of right now.
366 - number of views of this blog today.
39 - number of episodes made of ULTRA MAN!
1 - number of broken bones I've had (shoulder).
2 - number of concussions I've had.
1 - number of organs missing from my body.
17 - number of pills I take each day, including prescriptions and vitamins.
5 - number of New Year's resolutions I broke last year.
25 - number of pounds I want to lose.
200 - number of Facebook friends I have.
45 - approximate number of Facebook friends I actually correspond with fairly regularly.
123 - number of Twitter followers I have.
26 - number of Twitter followers I know personally
15 - number of pastors I call friends.
6 - number of flat tires I've changed.
8 - number of trips to Las Vegas I've taken.
21 - number of trips to Oklahoma City I've taken.
36 - number of professional football games I've attended.
2 - number of musical instruments I play.
10 - number of toes I have.
1 - number of wives I've had.
10 - number of years it will be on April 19 since my wife died.
1 - number of children I have.
1 - number of times my heart has been broken.
1 - number of people who currently have my heart.
3 - number of times my eyes have closed because of how tired I am.
10:00 - time I go to sleep.
Good night, everyone!
3 - number of players cut by the Steelers today.
11 - number of cars I've owned since 1987.
2 - number of dogs that I've had over the years.
3 - number of jobs I've had.
30 - number of first cousins I have.
41 - number of states I've traveled to.
1 - number of states I've lived in.
3 - number of serious relationships I've had.
2 - number of trades the Penguins made today.
5 - number of slices of pizza I ate for dinner tonight (they were small!).
60 - my daughter's height in inches.
10 - my daughter's age in years.
74 - my height in inches.
18 - age at which I was fully grown.
5 - number of roller coasters at Busch Gardens.
61687 - number of views of this blog as of right now.
366 - number of views of this blog today.
39 - number of episodes made of ULTRA MAN!
1 - number of broken bones I've had (shoulder).
2 - number of concussions I've had.
1 - number of organs missing from my body.
17 - number of pills I take each day, including prescriptions and vitamins.
5 - number of New Year's resolutions I broke last year.
25 - number of pounds I want to lose.
200 - number of Facebook friends I have.
45 - approximate number of Facebook friends I actually correspond with fairly regularly.
123 - number of Twitter followers I have.
26 - number of Twitter followers I know personally
15 - number of pastors I call friends.
6 - number of flat tires I've changed.
8 - number of trips to Las Vegas I've taken.
21 - number of trips to Oklahoma City I've taken.
36 - number of professional football games I've attended.
2 - number of musical instruments I play.
10 - number of toes I have.
1 - number of wives I've had.
10 - number of years it will be on April 19 since my wife died.
1 - number of children I have.
1 - number of times my heart has been broken.
1 - number of people who currently have my heart.
3 - number of times my eyes have closed because of how tired I am.
10:00 - time I go to sleep.
Good night, everyone!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Okay, NOW One More Snow Day...
And we thought yesterday would be the last snow day...! Today started out as a delayed arrival for both me and my daughter, but Howard County schools reconsidered and closed, so we had another day at home. I'm sure my employees missed me today, though, at least as much as I missed them.
I wanted to do something other than just sitting around at home all day. At first, I thought we might go see a movie. We obviously didn't need to be housebound with the improvement in the weather and conditions from yesterday. We haven't seen FROZEN yet, and Melody really wanted to see it. One thing led to another, though, and we ended up just staying home. Later, with it being Shrove Tuesday, I thought we might go out to IHOP for Free Pancake Day. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. It marks the end of Epiphany, and is a day of celebration and feasting before the beginning of Lent and fasting. It's also known as "Fat Tuesday". We got ready to go, but changed our minds again and we just stayed home.
I ended up deciding to grill some burgers on the stove instead. However, we had some excitement. I had recently made homemade pizza and had inadvertently dropped a little bit of cheese under the burner on the stove. It started to burn and smoke as the stove got hot, and pretty soon, the entire kitchen was in a fog. Next was the smoke alarms, which are working well, apparently. That scared my daughter and she came running downstairs wondering if the house was, indeed, on fire. Faithful Pup Scout got scared, too, and pretty soon she was shaking and trying to jump up into my arms. I fanned the alarms and they stopped, but the silence didn't last long. The smoke just wouldn't dissipate, even with the vent fan running full blast, and the alarms kept going off. I put Melody in charge of fanning until the burgers were done.
After eating, I started to get a little stir crazy. All of this sitting around yesterday and today has taken a toll. If nothing else, I finally got Melody to clean her room. Other than that, I got to watch a few movies and free up some of the memory on my Tivo. Also, I finally started planning and reserving our Spring Break vacation.
A few months ago, I asked Melody where in the entire USA she would like to go, if she could. She replied, "Hollywood!" I'm not sure she really understands what Hollywood is. I've been there several times, and the city of Hollywood really isn't much to build a vacation out of. But I knew we could have a good time in Southern California.
Initially, I thought I might surprise her by taking her to Disneyland, but I decided that we could do more for less money instead. I also lallygagged too much before nailing down our flights. I found that it was much cheaper to fly into Las Vegas and drive to Los Angeles, and I could show her a few highlights of Vegas, too. Obviously, I'm not going to be taking her to the casinos, but I've been there enough times to know what she would like to see and do. I reserved a room at the Excalibur on the Strip, which is a good place to use as a home base. We'll be able to ride the roller coaster at New York New York, see the volcano at the Mirage, go up into the Stratosphere Tower, see the Fremont Street Experience, and lots of other things. Then we'll head south and jump on Route 66 in Kingman, AZ, and continue west across the Mojave Desert into Southern California and on to the coast. We're going to do a few studio tours, hit an amusement park (Six Flags Magic Mountain appears to be the front runner), and then return to Vegas before flying home. It's going to be a great trip, I think.
In the meantime, we're find something to do for the next hour or so before bedtime. As much as we love a snow day, we need to get back to our normal routine. Only Faithful Pup Scout will be disappointed.
Have a great evening, everyone!
I wanted to do something other than just sitting around at home all day. At first, I thought we might go see a movie. We obviously didn't need to be housebound with the improvement in the weather and conditions from yesterday. We haven't seen FROZEN yet, and Melody really wanted to see it. One thing led to another, though, and we ended up just staying home. Later, with it being Shrove Tuesday, I thought we might go out to IHOP for Free Pancake Day. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. It marks the end of Epiphany, and is a day of celebration and feasting before the beginning of Lent and fasting. It's also known as "Fat Tuesday". We got ready to go, but changed our minds again and we just stayed home.
I ended up deciding to grill some burgers on the stove instead. However, we had some excitement. I had recently made homemade pizza and had inadvertently dropped a little bit of cheese under the burner on the stove. It started to burn and smoke as the stove got hot, and pretty soon, the entire kitchen was in a fog. Next was the smoke alarms, which are working well, apparently. That scared my daughter and she came running downstairs wondering if the house was, indeed, on fire. Faithful Pup Scout got scared, too, and pretty soon she was shaking and trying to jump up into my arms. I fanned the alarms and they stopped, but the silence didn't last long. The smoke just wouldn't dissipate, even with the vent fan running full blast, and the alarms kept going off. I put Melody in charge of fanning until the burgers were done.
After eating, I started to get a little stir crazy. All of this sitting around yesterday and today has taken a toll. If nothing else, I finally got Melody to clean her room. Other than that, I got to watch a few movies and free up some of the memory on my Tivo. Also, I finally started planning and reserving our Spring Break vacation.
A few months ago, I asked Melody where in the entire USA she would like to go, if she could. She replied, "Hollywood!" I'm not sure she really understands what Hollywood is. I've been there several times, and the city of Hollywood really isn't much to build a vacation out of. But I knew we could have a good time in Southern California.
Initially, I thought I might surprise her by taking her to Disneyland, but I decided that we could do more for less money instead. I also lallygagged too much before nailing down our flights. I found that it was much cheaper to fly into Las Vegas and drive to Los Angeles, and I could show her a few highlights of Vegas, too. Obviously, I'm not going to be taking her to the casinos, but I've been there enough times to know what she would like to see and do. I reserved a room at the Excalibur on the Strip, which is a good place to use as a home base. We'll be able to ride the roller coaster at New York New York, see the volcano at the Mirage, go up into the Stratosphere Tower, see the Fremont Street Experience, and lots of other things. Then we'll head south and jump on Route 66 in Kingman, AZ, and continue west across the Mojave Desert into Southern California and on to the coast. We're going to do a few studio tours, hit an amusement park (Six Flags Magic Mountain appears to be the front runner), and then return to Vegas before flying home. It's going to be a great trip, I think.
In the meantime, we're find something to do for the next hour or so before bedtime. As much as we love a snow day, we need to get back to our normal routine. Only Faithful Pup Scout will be disappointed.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Monday, March 3, 2014
The Last Great Snow Day of 2014?
Last night was a rough night. We were anticipating a lot of snow, and the fact that be both knew we were going to be off today kept us from going to sleep at a normal time. We instead stayed up and watched the Oscars, watching them until the end. Then we went to bed. It was well after midnight. So we went upstairs to get ready for bed and, as usual, my daughter takes a looooong time to get ready for bed. I was already pretty tired, and laying on my own bed reading, but almost asleep. Daughter Melody finally got ready, and we went into her room to get her tucked in. I noticed her night light was out. Apparently, the bulb burned out, so I went out to get another light, a backup out in the hallway. I plugged it in and it blew right away. I unplugged it and started to unscrew it from the light, but it shattered in my hand.
I was just a bit frustrated because it was late, I was tired, and I was trying to get Melody to go to bed so I could go to bed, and now I had a mess on my hands. Literally. The glass from the bulb was in pieces all over the bedroom floor, and I had a very bloody thumb. Plus, with the sight of blood, my daughter was in a panic (she doesn't take well to injuries). I calmed her down and assured her I was fine, then I administered some first aid. Next, I had to get the vacuum so I could get all of the glass sucked up off the carpet. By this time, I was pretty much wide awake. Despite all of the excitement, Melody was very tired, so we prayed together, then said goodnight. The room was darker than usual, but we could fix that tomorrow. Then I laid down in my bed. I had my CPAP machine all tuned up and ready, and I closed my eyes.
All of a sudden, I heard the heat pump out back making all kinds of racket. I had never heard it so loud before. It was sputtering and clanging like a Model T Ford. I sat up, and then it cut out completely. I didn't know what to make of it. I got up and went downstairs to check the thermostat. Everything looked normal, and it was right at the temperature it was set at. I decided that I just wasn't in the frame of mind to deal with it right then, so unless I awoke in a few hours much colder than usual, I guessed that it would be okay. If not, I'd take care of it in the morning, since there really wasn't anything I could to at that moment.
It was 1:45 a.m. at this time, and I was exhausted. I went back up and fell asleep within minutes. The next thing I knew, it was 8 a.m.. I could see a layer of snow over the skylight in the ceiling of my room, and everything came back to me. I could hear the heat pump running normally out back, and the temperature felt normal. After giving Faithful Pup Scout her morning belly rub, we got up. Aside from several inches of snow on the ground outside, everything was normal, and, actually, having snow on the ground again really is kind of normal with the Winter we've had. I had a leisurely breakfast, and Melody slept through until 10 a.m. It was a pretty snow storm to watch. The heat pump ran fine all day, so I have no idea what got into it last night. The last thing I need is to turn into Darren McGavin's "Dad" character from A CHRISTMAS STORY, yelling at and battling the furnace every morning.
The rest of the day was fine. We didn't do much, but I still felt good, not at all tired. My little girl stayed in her PJs all day, even though her friends were out playing in the snow. I finally went out and shoveled when it became clear it wasn't going to snow anymore. And that was our day.
While it would great to get another day at home tomorrow, I think we both feel like we need to get back to normal, and we need to get back to school and work. I know I have a lot of stuff to take care of when I get back into the office, and these days off just don't help. They sure are nice. though.
Have a great evening, everyone!
I was just a bit frustrated because it was late, I was tired, and I was trying to get Melody to go to bed so I could go to bed, and now I had a mess on my hands. Literally. The glass from the bulb was in pieces all over the bedroom floor, and I had a very bloody thumb. Plus, with the sight of blood, my daughter was in a panic (she doesn't take well to injuries). I calmed her down and assured her I was fine, then I administered some first aid. Next, I had to get the vacuum so I could get all of the glass sucked up off the carpet. By this time, I was pretty much wide awake. Despite all of the excitement, Melody was very tired, so we prayed together, then said goodnight. The room was darker than usual, but we could fix that tomorrow. Then I laid down in my bed. I had my CPAP machine all tuned up and ready, and I closed my eyes.
All of a sudden, I heard the heat pump out back making all kinds of racket. I had never heard it so loud before. It was sputtering and clanging like a Model T Ford. I sat up, and then it cut out completely. I didn't know what to make of it. I got up and went downstairs to check the thermostat. Everything looked normal, and it was right at the temperature it was set at. I decided that I just wasn't in the frame of mind to deal with it right then, so unless I awoke in a few hours much colder than usual, I guessed that it would be okay. If not, I'd take care of it in the morning, since there really wasn't anything I could to at that moment.
It was 1:45 a.m. at this time, and I was exhausted. I went back up and fell asleep within minutes. The next thing I knew, it was 8 a.m.. I could see a layer of snow over the skylight in the ceiling of my room, and everything came back to me. I could hear the heat pump running normally out back, and the temperature felt normal. After giving Faithful Pup Scout her morning belly rub, we got up. Aside from several inches of snow on the ground outside, everything was normal, and, actually, having snow on the ground again really is kind of normal with the Winter we've had. I had a leisurely breakfast, and Melody slept through until 10 a.m. It was a pretty snow storm to watch. The heat pump ran fine all day, so I have no idea what got into it last night. The last thing I need is to turn into Darren McGavin's "Dad" character from A CHRISTMAS STORY, yelling at and battling the furnace every morning.
The rest of the day was fine. We didn't do much, but I still felt good, not at all tired. My little girl stayed in her PJs all day, even though her friends were out playing in the snow. I finally went out and shoveled when it became clear it wasn't going to snow anymore. And that was our day.
While it would great to get another day at home tomorrow, I think we both feel like we need to get back to normal, and we need to get back to school and work. I know I have a lot of stuff to take care of when I get back into the office, and these days off just don't help. They sure are nice. though.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Tall Women are Still Taller
I've mentioned before my "appreciation" of tall women, and I was reminded of this today while attending the women's basketball game at the University of Maryland. Maryland played Virginia Tech and beat them soundly, which was nice to see. It was the final game of the regular season, and the Terrapin's final game as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), as Maryland will be joining the Big Ten Conference beginning next season. Anyway, it was a nice win for the Terps, and they will be playing in the ACC Tournament next weekend, and will more than likely be playing in the NCAA Tournament beginning the following week.
Now, I know what you're thinking, and, no, I'm not going to "declare my love" for the young women who were playing in today's game, all of whom could be my daughters. And if you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I have been down this road before and have declared that any age difference more than, say, five years really doesn't work for me. The generation gap is too great.
What I DID notice was the large number of very tall coaches on the Maryland staff. My goodness, there are a lot. And I found myself wondering just how I might be able to meet them. I'm a bit of an introvert, in case you haven't heard, and it really is just too hard for me to meet any new women. That said, I can't guarantee that any of these women fit my age criteria, since our seats at the game were just too far away to be able to guess. And, of course, I should know better than to even be thinking about trying to meet women who are very much "out of my league", as they say. I have no clue if I'd even like any of them, either, since I can't even guess what their personalities are like. Knowing their head coach, Brenda Frese, they must be good at what they do. She's very successful at her job, and her staff would have to be good.
I was thinking about the games I used to attend at Maryland back in the 90s. My buddy, Darrell, and I began attending the Lady Terp's games regularly since tickets were fairly cheap and the games were sparsely attended. It was next to impossible to get seats for the men's games, but games at old Cole Field House were a blast, regardless of who was playing. It was then that I started following the career of the lovely Bonnie Rimkus, a 6'4" center for the Terps. I was a bit enamored by her, partly due to the fact that she was a mini-celebrity, partly due to her being from Pittsburgh, my home away from home and possible future home, and partly because she was so tall. I ran into her on campus several times, and though we never had any conversations of any substance, I really liked her.
She was a really good basketball player, too. She was arguably the Terp's best player and always seemed to be playing hard, and I rooted just as hard for her. I really didn't ever think she and I could be together, but it was fun to think about. But once she graduated, she was gone. I really didn't have a way to track her whereabouts, and didn't try. I kind of forgot about her. That is until today. After observing the wonderfully tall women on the Maryland coaching staff, my thoughts returned to those days of watching the Terps play at Cole. And Bonnie. And tall women.... And here I go again. Full circle.
Oh, well. Bonnie, wherever you are, thanks for being who you are and where you were at the time I knew you. Best wishes & blessings.
And to tall women everywhere... Thank you!
Now, I know what you're thinking, and, no, I'm not going to "declare my love" for the young women who were playing in today's game, all of whom could be my daughters. And if you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I have been down this road before and have declared that any age difference more than, say, five years really doesn't work for me. The generation gap is too great.
What I DID notice was the large number of very tall coaches on the Maryland staff. My goodness, there are a lot. And I found myself wondering just how I might be able to meet them. I'm a bit of an introvert, in case you haven't heard, and it really is just too hard for me to meet any new women. That said, I can't guarantee that any of these women fit my age criteria, since our seats at the game were just too far away to be able to guess. And, of course, I should know better than to even be thinking about trying to meet women who are very much "out of my league", as they say. I have no clue if I'd even like any of them, either, since I can't even guess what their personalities are like. Knowing their head coach, Brenda Frese, they must be good at what they do. She's very successful at her job, and her staff would have to be good.
I was thinking about the games I used to attend at Maryland back in the 90s. My buddy, Darrell, and I began attending the Lady Terp's games regularly since tickets were fairly cheap and the games were sparsely attended. It was next to impossible to get seats for the men's games, but games at old Cole Field House were a blast, regardless of who was playing. It was then that I started following the career of the lovely Bonnie Rimkus, a 6'4" center for the Terps. I was a bit enamored by her, partly due to the fact that she was a mini-celebrity, partly due to her being from Pittsburgh, my home away from home and possible future home, and partly because she was so tall. I ran into her on campus several times, and though we never had any conversations of any substance, I really liked her.
She was a really good basketball player, too. She was arguably the Terp's best player and always seemed to be playing hard, and I rooted just as hard for her. I really didn't ever think she and I could be together, but it was fun to think about. But once she graduated, she was gone. I really didn't have a way to track her whereabouts, and didn't try. I kind of forgot about her. That is until today. After observing the wonderfully tall women on the Maryland coaching staff, my thoughts returned to those days of watching the Terps play at Cole. And Bonnie. And tall women.... And here I go again. Full circle.
Oh, well. Bonnie, wherever you are, thanks for being who you are and where you were at the time I knew you. Best wishes & blessings.
And to tall women everywhere... Thank you!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Bits And Pieces of Stuff
I had a rough night of sleep last night, waking up several times to adjust my CPAP mask and trying to get comfortable, but a rough night with the CPAP is significantly better than a good night with sleep apnea. I woke up at 8:15 a.m., which is about what I had hoped for, so I'm concluding it was a success. The big positive I'm noticing is much more clarity in my thinking. This is something that I really didn't notice, but had become a real problem. I wasn't concentrating very well on anything. With a solid night's sleep, I can really see it now, and I feel like everything makes so much more sense. It's incredible how much sleep apnea can affect your body, mind, and spirit in such a negative way. I have to say, if you suspect you have a sleep issue, get it taken care of. It will make a world of difference.
Will this Winter ever end? I hope not. I'm as excited as a pig in slop over the possibility of another snow storm on Monday. Current predictions are at 8+ inches for the immediate area in Central Maryland, and the plus is a strong possibility. This is a major storm. Ironically, today is the first day of meteorological Spring. My daughter and I got our bread, milk, and toilet paper this evening, so we're as ready as we can be, although my snow shovel broke after the last snow, which means I've probably guaranteed us a foot of snow. For a snow lover, this has been a very romantic Winter.
Speaking of romance, I have quite a large backlog of romantic ideas for some lucky lady. If I ever find myself in another relationship, she's going to benefit greatly. Just sayin'.
I have to say we are really blessed at Grace Community Church. Not only is Mark Norman, our lead pastor, one of the best preachers I know, our teaching/young adult pastor, Mitchel Lee, can preach a message, too! I continue to be amazed by his delivery, depth, humbleness, and messages.
If you're looking for a church home, please consider Grace in Fulton, MD. It is a wonderful community of believers.
My daughter and I went out to eat after church tonight at one of our favorites, La Palapa, Too, near Maple Lawn on Johns Hopkins Road. It was really crowded, more than usual, and we waited 20 minutes for a table. In addition, once we ordered, the food took a very long time to arrive. This apparently was the reason for the crowd. The server hinted that the problem was in the kitchen, and my guess is maybe they were unexpectedly shorthanded, and it created a backup which, unfortunately, led to a few patrons leaving before their food arrived due to the long wait. It's too bad, and I'm willing to give them a pass since we have always had a great experience here, but I'm guessing not everyone has the same patience. Our food was as delicious as always, and I really have no complaints other than the longer than normal wait.
While we waited for dinner, my daughter and I had a really nice conversation about her mother. Teresa was an awesome wife and mom, and I always wonder what she would've been like as a mom with an older child. Melody, our daughter, asked me a lot of questions about Teresa tonight, and it was fun to share with her a lot of stories I hadn't shared previously, such as details about how we met, many of her likes and dislikes, and other fun facts. My feeling is that she will likely be more and more curious about her mom as she gets older, and I look forward to sharing anything she wants to know. Teresa was an extraordinary lady.
With a new term in our vocabulary, I found out that I have to be a little more exact in how I use it around my daughter. Her grandfather is "Pap". CPAP sounds like "see Pap" and it has led to some confusing and amusing conversations.
I'm starting to run out of gas as we pass the 11 o'clock hour. My energy level has increased each day with the CPAP machine and I'm able to stay up a little bit later each evening. But I'm going to bed now. It has been a great day, and it's time to get my sleep on.
Have a great evening, everyone! Enjoy your Sunday!
***
Will this Winter ever end? I hope not. I'm as excited as a pig in slop over the possibility of another snow storm on Monday. Current predictions are at 8+ inches for the immediate area in Central Maryland, and the plus is a strong possibility. This is a major storm. Ironically, today is the first day of meteorological Spring. My daughter and I got our bread, milk, and toilet paper this evening, so we're as ready as we can be, although my snow shovel broke after the last snow, which means I've probably guaranteed us a foot of snow. For a snow lover, this has been a very romantic Winter.
***
Speaking of romance, I have quite a large backlog of romantic ideas for some lucky lady. If I ever find myself in another relationship, she's going to benefit greatly. Just sayin'.
***
I have to say we are really blessed at Grace Community Church. Not only is Mark Norman, our lead pastor, one of the best preachers I know, our teaching/young adult pastor, Mitchel Lee, can preach a message, too! I continue to be amazed by his delivery, depth, humbleness, and messages.
If you're looking for a church home, please consider Grace in Fulton, MD. It is a wonderful community of believers.
***
My daughter and I went out to eat after church tonight at one of our favorites, La Palapa, Too, near Maple Lawn on Johns Hopkins Road. It was really crowded, more than usual, and we waited 20 minutes for a table. In addition, once we ordered, the food took a very long time to arrive. This apparently was the reason for the crowd. The server hinted that the problem was in the kitchen, and my guess is maybe they were unexpectedly shorthanded, and it created a backup which, unfortunately, led to a few patrons leaving before their food arrived due to the long wait. It's too bad, and I'm willing to give them a pass since we have always had a great experience here, but I'm guessing not everyone has the same patience. Our food was as delicious as always, and I really have no complaints other than the longer than normal wait.
***
While we waited for dinner, my daughter and I had a really nice conversation about her mother. Teresa was an awesome wife and mom, and I always wonder what she would've been like as a mom with an older child. Melody, our daughter, asked me a lot of questions about Teresa tonight, and it was fun to share with her a lot of stories I hadn't shared previously, such as details about how we met, many of her likes and dislikes, and other fun facts. My feeling is that she will likely be more and more curious about her mom as she gets older, and I look forward to sharing anything she wants to know. Teresa was an extraordinary lady.
***
With a new term in our vocabulary, I found out that I have to be a little more exact in how I use it around my daughter. Her grandfather is "Pap". CPAP sounds like "see Pap" and it has led to some confusing and amusing conversations.
***
I'm starting to run out of gas as we pass the 11 o'clock hour. My energy level has increased each day with the CPAP machine and I'm able to stay up a little bit later each evening. But I'm going to bed now. It has been a great day, and it's time to get my sleep on.
Have a great evening, everyone! Enjoy your Sunday!
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