Well, here we are, one year later. Today's the day I turn 40. Tomorrow will be Day 366, the namesake of this endeavor and the last day I'll be doing daily updates. Starting Saturday, I'll switch from posting daily diatribes (alright, I'm not really posting diatribes, but I liked the alliteration) to posting daily pictures of the world around me. But they may not be daily; they may be every other day or maybe even once a week. I may add text to the post if I'm in the mood, but hopefully the picture will contain everything I'm trying to impart.
You'll also notice that the title of this blog will change. While I will keep the Day 366 part (because I like the way it's a year plus one day -- sort of like putting 11 on your amplifier to make it one louder), I'll change the tag line to something different. No longer am I an average Joe on the path from 39 to 40: I'm an average Joe who is no longer 39!
To celebrate my birthday, I went to work. I was planning on taking it off, but will be going skiing next week and decided I should get some work done. So I went in. That's not to say I didn't go home for lunch (which I did) or leave early to go out to dinner with the family (which I did as well), but I did get some work done. Which I guess is why I go to work.
But before that, I was serenaded by the family. For some reason I got up early and went down to do some work in the office. About 7a I went upstairs to get ready for work and there were M, N and D in bed, lined up like peas in a pod. I barely walked into the room when they broke out singing Happy Birthday to me. It was the perfect start to the day.
For dinner we went to Red Robin, where I got my picture taken with Red (he's now appearing live and in person on Tuesday and Thursday instead of just Tuesday). Upon leaving the house and driving up the street, the D and the kids started singing to me again. This time, instead of Happy Birthday, they sang some songs that sounded like a mix between being made up and being school taught. Regardless, I enjoyed it to no end. After dinner the kids and I played some video games while D looked on. They wanted to play more, but D had to get home for Bunco (and I wanted to get home for dessert). Upon getting home, I had my birthday cake (Mud Pie Brownies, actually) and opened the presents D and the kids got me (a running shirt, an ice scraper and slippers...all of which were on my list!).
After D left for Bunco and the kids got ready for bed, I read them a chapter from Treasure Island. The Hispaniola has left on her voyage and Jim Hawkins has just fallen asleep in the apple barrel. We are now (finally) getting to the good point where we find out who Long John Silver really is. Of course, much to the kids' chagrin, that was the end of the chapter. They'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what Jim learned while he was hiding in that barrel.
Larry called later on and said he'd be over after all. He had a hot date but took a rain check. I'm not sure whether he took it to come over to shoot pool and kill the keg left over from Saturday or he got blown off by his hot date, but, regardless, he came over and we shot pool and tried to kill the keg (we almost succeeded, but it got late and Friday's a work day for both of us).
D arrived right as we were wrapping things up. We ended up chatting it up for a while before calling it quits for the night. All in all, it was a great day, from start to finish.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Friday, February 22, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Day 350 - 02/06/2008
It's Ash Wednesday: The first day of Lent, as well as one of the days of fasting during the Lenten season (Good Friday is the other). Not only are we to fast, but we're also not supposed to eat meat.
So, with that in mind, we had a code review at work today and, as usual, we had pizza. Mike was to have ordered a variety of pies, but ended up getting two kinds: meat lovers and cheese. I guess you can guess which one I ate from, eh?
Speaking of Lent, this year I've decided to forego the yearly ritual of giving up booze and give up ice cream instead. While some of you might think that's not an even trade off, but I only drink a couple times over the course of the week, whereas I typically enjoy a bowl of ice cream 4-5 times a week (and that's down from 7+ times per week since the doc started monitoring my cholesterol). I've also committed to attending Mass at least 2x per week. In the past I've attended on Wednesday, but will probably do it on Thursdays this year just to mix it up.
So, with that in mind, we had a code review at work today and, as usual, we had pizza. Mike was to have ordered a variety of pies, but ended up getting two kinds: meat lovers and cheese. I guess you can guess which one I ate from, eh?
Speaking of Lent, this year I've decided to forego the yearly ritual of giving up booze and give up ice cream instead. While some of you might think that's not an even trade off, but I only drink a couple times over the course of the week, whereas I typically enjoy a bowl of ice cream 4-5 times a week (and that's down from 7+ times per week since the doc started monitoring my cholesterol). I've also committed to attending Mass at least 2x per week. In the past I've attended on Wednesday, but will probably do it on Thursdays this year just to mix it up.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Day 344 - 01/31/2008
LOST is back!
But I missed it; I went and saw the Caps beat the Habs instead. That's alright, it was Tivo'd!
A few of us from work got together for the game and boy, was it a good one. After meeting up at Fado for a few Guinnesses (or 19), we walked down to the Verizon Center, picked up our tickets at will call and made our way to our seats. They weren't at the top of the arena, but they weren't bad, either. Actually, I'd wager that there's not a bad seat in the upper concourse as no matter where you're sitting, you've got a birds-eye view of the action, allowing you to see plays develop and foresee where they puck will probably be played. That's one thing you can't say sitting on the glass in the lower bowl, that's for sure (although you are closer to the action).
I got back home about 1045p and hit the sack. Although I jokingly told Mike I'd be in late tomorrow (late as in Monday), I was tired and ready to end the day.
But I missed it; I went and saw the Caps beat the Habs instead. That's alright, it was Tivo'd!
A few of us from work got together for the game and boy, was it a good one. After meeting up at Fado for a few Guinnesses (or 19), we walked down to the Verizon Center, picked up our tickets at will call and made our way to our seats. They weren't at the top of the arena, but they weren't bad, either. Actually, I'd wager that there's not a bad seat in the upper concourse as no matter where you're sitting, you've got a birds-eye view of the action, allowing you to see plays develop and foresee where they puck will probably be played. That's one thing you can't say sitting on the glass in the lower bowl, that's for sure (although you are closer to the action).
I got back home about 1045p and hit the sack. Although I jokingly told Mike I'd be in late tomorrow (late as in Monday), I was tired and ready to end the day.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Day 339 - 01/25/2008
I worked from home today to be around the house when the satellite guy showed up. We're switching our box in the family room for a HD receiver/DVR, which requires a different dish up on the roof. I'm also having him run an outlet to the office so I can Tivo shows in there without having to worry about whether the kids will stumble upon them (e.g., The Sopranos). Everything went fine until I set up the box in the office. For some reason, the second tuner's no longer working. I'm going to have to call DirecTV and have them ship out a replacement. Oh well, I guess we'll be down to two Tivo boxes and two DVRs.
After he left, I put the office back together and continued working on the migration. I made great headway this morning and am looking to (one day) have this tar baby behind me. While the migration was running, I started adding new features to Melon. Two of the features were suggested by a user (allowing the font to be changed on the lists and support for 64 million colors vs. the 32 or so that are available via Delphi) and the third feature (linking files) I came up with on my own. There's a couple minor items I need to get working (e.g., drag and drop), but once that's done, Melon will be out the door and I'll start focusing on iTriTracker.
We went out and got the car before D picked up the kids from carpool. Hopefully it'll be good to go for the next year or so. Even though we've spent a big chunk of money over the past few months on car work, we're still ahead of the game vs. having to shell out a monthly payment. While I'd love to get a new car, I don't relish the monthly payments that come with them.
D and some of her friends went out to dinner and a movie tonight, as well as went to visit a friend who just had a baby, so the kids and I were left to fend for ourselves. This we much easier than I thought it would be since as soon as D left, the kids went down to the Craigs' house to play. I followed them shortly thereafter and we ended up ordering pizzas and eating over there. Burke, Ted and I hung out in the kitchen eating, drinking and shooting the breeze while the kids played in the basement.
We ended up leaving later than I had intended, but the kids were having fun and since it wasn't a school night, I wasn't too concerned. After putting them to bed, I did some more work on the migration and Melon and watched a couple of episodes of The Sopranos before hitting the sack around 1130p. Surprisingly enough, I didn't even watch any TV on the new receiver as I didn't want to bother the kids (especially after N's TV watching escapades the other night).
After he left, I put the office back together and continued working on the migration. I made great headway this morning and am looking to (one day) have this tar baby behind me. While the migration was running, I started adding new features to Melon. Two of the features were suggested by a user (allowing the font to be changed on the lists and support for 64 million colors vs. the 32 or so that are available via Delphi) and the third feature (linking files) I came up with on my own. There's a couple minor items I need to get working (e.g., drag and drop), but once that's done, Melon will be out the door and I'll start focusing on iTriTracker.
We went out and got the car before D picked up the kids from carpool. Hopefully it'll be good to go for the next year or so. Even though we've spent a big chunk of money over the past few months on car work, we're still ahead of the game vs. having to shell out a monthly payment. While I'd love to get a new car, I don't relish the monthly payments that come with them.
D and some of her friends went out to dinner and a movie tonight, as well as went to visit a friend who just had a baby, so the kids and I were left to fend for ourselves. This we much easier than I thought it would be since as soon as D left, the kids went down to the Craigs' house to play. I followed them shortly thereafter and we ended up ordering pizzas and eating over there. Burke, Ted and I hung out in the kitchen eating, drinking and shooting the breeze while the kids played in the basement.
We ended up leaving later than I had intended, but the kids were having fun and since it wasn't a school night, I wasn't too concerned. After putting them to bed, I did some more work on the migration and Melon and watched a couple of episodes of The Sopranos before hitting the sack around 1130p. Surprisingly enough, I didn't even watch any TV on the new receiver as I didn't want to bother the kids (especially after N's TV watching escapades the other night).
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Day 337 - 01/23/2008
I went in and left work early in order to get the van looked at again. There's a noise coming from the rear when you hit about 25-30 mph that wasn't there before D had her date with the curb. I ended up waiting in the waiting area for about 50 pages worth of reading (which translated to about 90+ minutes). As it turned out, the rear driver wheel bearings need to be replaced. They were also damaged in the accident. Why they didn't find them the other day is beyond me, especially since the service rep indicated they had inspected the van and deemed it to be in good shape. The only wiggle room they had was if they didn't drive it faster than 10-15 mph while going from the lot to the bay and back again (which they probably should have).
I was going to have them fix it right then and there and be done with it, but they didn't have the right parts. They ordered them though, so when they arrive, I'll have to take the van in yet again. Hopefully that'll be the last of it.
Once I got home, I worked from home for the rest of the afternoon. Network traffic was sort of slow, but after 5p it picked up. I guess everyone leaves thereabouts and I had the network to myself.
The kids' school was sponsoring Chick-Fil-A Night at the local Chick-Fil-A. It's yet another fundraiser the school puts on to suck even more money out of the students families pockets. Actually, the number of fundraisers haven't been too numerous this year. In years past it seems there have been more, so I guess I shouldn't complain.
The kids complained when I told them we were taking it to go. They both wanted to stay. We could have as it wasn't the zoo it's been the past few years, but D was waiting for us to bring dinner home, so I made the executive decision to hit the road. My popularity index wasn't that great...well, not until we doled out dessert in the form of cookie's-n-cream milkshakes -- they're the bomb!
After getting the kids to bed, D and I lounged on the couch and watched junk TV. We flipped back and forth between "Deal or No Deal" and "Hogzilla" (on the National Geographic channel). While I wouldn't say I'm a fan of DoND, I enjoy watching it when I can fast forward through the show and only play it regular-like when they open the case. In between, we switched tuners and watched Hogzilla (about the quest for wild hogs, including one reported to be 12' long and weighing about 1000 pounds). It wasn't great TV, but it kept our attention until it was time to go to bed.
I was going to have them fix it right then and there and be done with it, but they didn't have the right parts. They ordered them though, so when they arrive, I'll have to take the van in yet again. Hopefully that'll be the last of it.
Once I got home, I worked from home for the rest of the afternoon. Network traffic was sort of slow, but after 5p it picked up. I guess everyone leaves thereabouts and I had the network to myself.
The kids' school was sponsoring Chick-Fil-A Night at the local Chick-Fil-A. It's yet another fundraiser the school puts on to suck even more money out of the students families pockets. Actually, the number of fundraisers haven't been too numerous this year. In years past it seems there have been more, so I guess I shouldn't complain.
The kids complained when I told them we were taking it to go. They both wanted to stay. We could have as it wasn't the zoo it's been the past few years, but D was waiting for us to bring dinner home, so I made the executive decision to hit the road. My popularity index wasn't that great...well, not until we doled out dessert in the form of cookie's-n-cream milkshakes -- they're the bomb!
After getting the kids to bed, D and I lounged on the couch and watched junk TV. We flipped back and forth between "Deal or No Deal" and "Hogzilla" (on the National Geographic channel). While I wouldn't say I'm a fan of DoND, I enjoy watching it when I can fast forward through the show and only play it regular-like when they open the case. In between, we switched tuners and watched Hogzilla (about the quest for wild hogs, including one reported to be 12' long and weighing about 1000 pounds). It wasn't great TV, but it kept our attention until it was time to go to bed.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Day 335 - 01/21/2008
The kids were out of school for MLK day so I took advantage of that and went in to work early. I was meaning to go to the gym, but since I had to go to the eye doctor this afternoon, I decided against it. I'll just go tomorrow (and then Thursday).
I haven't been to the eye doctor in a couple of years and, as it turns out, I need a new prescription. I definitely need new glasses (and possibly new sunglasses as well), so I'm glad I waited to get a new pair. Of course, if my track record is any good at predicting the future, I probably won't get new glasses for a few months.
After my exam I spent my time playing guitar as my eyes were pretty dilated and I really couldn't see anything anyway. I just hung out and strummed the evening away.
I haven't been to the eye doctor in a couple of years and, as it turns out, I need a new prescription. I definitely need new glasses (and possibly new sunglasses as well), so I'm glad I waited to get a new pair. Of course, if my track record is any good at predicting the future, I probably won't get new glasses for a few months.
After my exam I spent my time playing guitar as my eyes were pretty dilated and I really couldn't see anything anyway. I just hung out and strummed the evening away.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Day 331 - 01/17/2008
We had our first significant snowfall of the winter today. It started around 1030a or so and really started coming down fast with flakes the size of half-dollars at times. School didn't let out early, but evening activities were canceled, so I left early to beat the high-schoolers (and parents picking up their kids) on the road. I originally planned on working the rest of the day at home, but those plans changed when I got a call from D, saying she was fine, but she needed help.As she was rounding a curve, the van did a 180° turn and she ended up on the curb. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be any major damage (other than a broken rim). I'll have to take it in tomorrow and get it repaired. I guess I'll go ahead and bite the bullet on the alignment as well, especially since it's either a) really out of alignment; or b) back in alignment.
The kids played out in the snow until it got dark and were called in. N came in first because none of the other kids would play with him (he didn't want to walk down to where they were playing, which translated into "they didn't want to play with me"). Usually he's pretty good about getting himself involved in the mix of things, but I guess he just didn't feel it today.
D had bunco tonight, so I had the kids to myself. We started Treasure Island, getting through the first chapter before calling it a night.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Day 325 - 01/11/2008
Work was a scramble...with family friends coming over for dinner and my desire to get to the gym, I wanted to leave work at 230p. However, migration issues popped up, almost causing me to have to stay late. Fortunately I was able to get them resolved (at 220p), so I was able to leave work on schedule.
When I arrived at the gym, I saw a new employee overseeing the place. She looked vaguely familiar, but not instantly recognizable. As I signed in, she said "Hi, M!" and I responded with a hello, are you new here, welcome aboard, etc., before heading into the gym for a workout. As I was riding the bike, I kept trying to figure out who she was, until it finally dawned on me she looked like one of D's roommates from college.
She came out of the office a couple of times and asked me how everything was and the more I saw her, the more I thought it was her. She (D's roommate) was younger than me by a couple of years and this woman looked older by a few years. Well, maybe she's lived a hard life I thought to myself, trying to remember whether she led a partying lifestyle in college (of course she did...who didn't?).
On the way out of the gym, I stopped in to sign out and struck up a conversation with her. It went something like this:
"Did you ever go to Mason?" I asked her.
"No, but I dated a guy who went there," she responded. "He's dead now."
"Oh, sorry to hear that" I said and explained the reasoning behind the question.
"I did go to McLean High School though." she offered.
I told her that my cousins went there and told her their names.
"I know them!" she said, "I just spoke with Michelle on classmates.com the other day! So you were their little brother then?"
"No, they're my cousins."
"Oh."
Pause.
"You probably know my brothers and sisters," she said, before rattling off their names.
"No, I went to Lake Braddock."
"Oh, do you know the O'Connells? They went to Langley."
"I went to Lake Braddock."
"Oh."
I've got to get out of here I thought. What have I gotten myself into? As I was turning to go out the door, she shared with me that she...
"...used to work in real estate, but since the market slowdown, I decided to go into property management. How long have you worked here?"
"About 12 years."
"Wow, that's a long time. So you worked for the company before they were bought?"
"Yep."
"Which property do you manage?"
Huh?
"I don't," I told her and explained who I worked for.
"My brother-in-law works for them in Falls Church. Do you think you could get him a job out here?"
"He can check out the openings online."
"So, do you have any kids?"
At this point, I really wanted to just say "see ya" but for some reason I was fixed to the spot.
"Two. One of each."
"Oh, can I see them?" she asked, putting her hand out.
"I don't carry pictures of them with me. My wallets in the car anyway."
"So do you live around here?"
"I live nearby," I told her, not wanting to answer more than I needed to.
"I'm babysitting for my sister tonight, she has two kids." As she shared this, she held up four fingers, quickly putting one of them down so only three remained. "They're angels."
"Alright, well, enjoy that gig, I've got to run to pick up dinner." I told her and left before responding. As I was heading out the door, she stood up and put her hand out before pulling it back in.
"Sorry, she said, I would shake your hand, but it's covered with Cheetos debris. I guess I'll see you next time you come in. When do you work out?"
"Monday, Wednesday and Friday." I told her, trying to figure out why I told her that the second the words had left my mouth.
"See you then!"
I fled. I got into my car and got out of there as fast as possible, expecting to see her come out of the gym and follow me or something. I think I'll have to rearrange my workout schedule so I workout at lunch (or in the morning) from now on. I really have no desire to interact with that whack job unnecessarily.
Fortunately normalcy was just around the corner at home. When I got there, Doug, Nancy and Michael had already arrived, along with Pat and Larry (Larry served in the Air Force with Dough back in the '60s, Pat is his wife), their daughter Janet, son-in-law Mike and their two kids Taylor and Garrett. Garret's a musical prodigy and can pretty much teach himself whatever song he hears two or three times. After hearing him play for a while, we ate dinner (I got Willard's on the way home), before heading back into the family room for some more playing. I'm not sure why, but N brought my guitar up for me to play. I guess I should be happy that he thinks my playing is on par with Garrett's (who's pretty darn good!).
I played the few songs that I know and flubbed a few times as well. Afterwards, I got some feedback from Garrett on the intro and outro for a song and was quite embarrassed when he told me what it was. I couldn't believe how simple it was!
After they left and the kids were in bed, I sought out a couple new songs to learn and hit the basement to play guitar until the wee hours of the morning. D went to bed as she was beat after subbing today and then hosting, so she didn't get to hear me learn the strum pattern for "Bad Moon Rising" (which some might say is a good thing).
When I arrived at the gym, I saw a new employee overseeing the place. She looked vaguely familiar, but not instantly recognizable. As I signed in, she said "Hi, M!" and I responded with a hello, are you new here, welcome aboard, etc., before heading into the gym for a workout. As I was riding the bike, I kept trying to figure out who she was, until it finally dawned on me she looked like one of D's roommates from college.
She came out of the office a couple of times and asked me how everything was and the more I saw her, the more I thought it was her. She (D's roommate) was younger than me by a couple of years and this woman looked older by a few years. Well, maybe she's lived a hard life I thought to myself, trying to remember whether she led a partying lifestyle in college (of course she did...who didn't?).
On the way out of the gym, I stopped in to sign out and struck up a conversation with her. It went something like this:
"Did you ever go to Mason?" I asked her.
"No, but I dated a guy who went there," she responded. "He's dead now."
"Oh, sorry to hear that" I said and explained the reasoning behind the question.
"I did go to McLean High School though." she offered.
I told her that my cousins went there and told her their names.
"I know them!" she said, "I just spoke with Michelle on classmates.com the other day! So you were their little brother then?"
"No, they're my cousins."
"Oh."
Pause.
"You probably know my brothers and sisters," she said, before rattling off their names.
"No, I went to Lake Braddock."
"Oh, do you know the O'Connells? They went to Langley."
"I went to Lake Braddock."
"Oh."
I've got to get out of here I thought. What have I gotten myself into? As I was turning to go out the door, she shared with me that she...
"...used to work in real estate, but since the market slowdown, I decided to go into property management. How long have you worked here?"
"About 12 years."
"Wow, that's a long time. So you worked for the company before they were bought?"
"Yep."
"Which property do you manage?"
Huh?
"I don't," I told her and explained who I worked for.
"My brother-in-law works for them in Falls Church. Do you think you could get him a job out here?"
"He can check out the openings online."
"So, do you have any kids?"
At this point, I really wanted to just say "see ya" but for some reason I was fixed to the spot.
"Two. One of each."
"Oh, can I see them?" she asked, putting her hand out.
"I don't carry pictures of them with me. My wallets in the car anyway."
"So do you live around here?"
"I live nearby," I told her, not wanting to answer more than I needed to.
"I'm babysitting for my sister tonight, she has two kids." As she shared this, she held up four fingers, quickly putting one of them down so only three remained. "They're angels."
"Alright, well, enjoy that gig, I've got to run to pick up dinner." I told her and left before responding. As I was heading out the door, she stood up and put her hand out before pulling it back in.
"Sorry, she said, I would shake your hand, but it's covered with Cheetos debris. I guess I'll see you next time you come in. When do you work out?"
"Monday, Wednesday and Friday." I told her, trying to figure out why I told her that the second the words had left my mouth.
"See you then!"
I fled. I got into my car and got out of there as fast as possible, expecting to see her come out of the gym and follow me or something. I think I'll have to rearrange my workout schedule so I workout at lunch (or in the morning) from now on. I really have no desire to interact with that whack job unnecessarily.
Fortunately normalcy was just around the corner at home. When I got there, Doug, Nancy and Michael had already arrived, along with Pat and Larry (Larry served in the Air Force with Dough back in the '60s, Pat is his wife), their daughter Janet, son-in-law Mike and their two kids Taylor and Garrett. Garret's a musical prodigy and can pretty much teach himself whatever song he hears two or three times. After hearing him play for a while, we ate dinner (I got Willard's on the way home), before heading back into the family room for some more playing. I'm not sure why, but N brought my guitar up for me to play. I guess I should be happy that he thinks my playing is on par with Garrett's (who's pretty darn good!).
I played the few songs that I know and flubbed a few times as well. Afterwards, I got some feedback from Garrett on the intro and outro for a song and was quite embarrassed when he told me what it was. I couldn't believe how simple it was!
After they left and the kids were in bed, I sought out a couple new songs to learn and hit the basement to play guitar until the wee hours of the morning. D went to bed as she was beat after subbing today and then hosting, so she didn't get to hear me learn the strum pattern for "Bad Moon Rising" (which some might say is a good thing).
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Day 309 - 12/26/2007
I decided to take advantage of the day off and relaxed. Well, that and did some work in the back basement. I've put off doing things for the past few weeks as a result of lost motivation and other activities on the calendar.
I don't want this time off to be a wasted week, although even doing nothing is good for the soul sometimes. I recall the trip we made to California in 2006. I was burned out from work and just not happy with how things were going and, after doing nothing work-related for 10 days, I came back refreshed and ready to tackle anything. While I don't feel the same way about work now (I actually feel good about going into the office and have come to realize that I've got a pretty good gig), having the time off is still good for the soul.
That being said, the activities over the past week have caught up with me. I'm pretty beat and can't even make it through the Purdue game (playing against Central Michigan in the all-important Motor City Bowl). Why do I care, you ask? Well, D's cousin's son is a defensive tackle for Purdue and, although he doesn't start, gets some healthy playing time. We've become Purdue fans because of it and hope they improve in the coming years.
I ended up calling it quits around 10p and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
I don't want this time off to be a wasted week, although even doing nothing is good for the soul sometimes. I recall the trip we made to California in 2006. I was burned out from work and just not happy with how things were going and, after doing nothing work-related for 10 days, I came back refreshed and ready to tackle anything. While I don't feel the same way about work now (I actually feel good about going into the office and have come to realize that I've got a pretty good gig), having the time off is still good for the soul.
That being said, the activities over the past week have caught up with me. I'm pretty beat and can't even make it through the Purdue game (playing against Central Michigan in the all-important Motor City Bowl). Why do I care, you ask? Well, D's cousin's son is a defensive tackle for Purdue and, although he doesn't start, gets some healthy playing time. We've become Purdue fans because of it and hope they improve in the coming years.
I ended up calling it quits around 10p and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Day 304 - 12/21/2007
I'm really looking forward to an early night in. After being out late the past three nights and having more than my share to drink, I'm reaching the end of my candle.
That being said, I left work early to go to "happy afternoon" with a few colleagues from work (because an hour is just not enough). (Of course, I also went in late and hit the gym during lunch, so it wasn't that productive of a day.) We made plans a while ago to get together someplace other than The Bungalow and just enjoy each other's company one last time before we all went our separate ways before Christmas. About 10 of us made it and 3 hours later I finally left.
I surprised the kids with the cartoon version of Robin Hood and nearly fell asleep to it. The kids seemed to enjoy it a little more than the live version, although N kept hiding under the blanket during what he termed were the "scary" parts. (There were no scary parts, but I'm guessing he thought they were scary from what he remembered from the live version.)
That being said, I left work early to go to "happy afternoon" with a few colleagues from work (because an hour is just not enough). (Of course, I also went in late and hit the gym during lunch, so it wasn't that productive of a day.) We made plans a while ago to get together someplace other than The Bungalow and just enjoy each other's company one last time before we all went our separate ways before Christmas. About 10 of us made it and 3 hours later I finally left.
I surprised the kids with the cartoon version of Robin Hood and nearly fell asleep to it. The kids seemed to enjoy it a little more than the live version, although N kept hiding under the blanket during what he termed were the "scary" parts. (There were no scary parts, but I'm guessing he thought they were scary from what he remembered from the live version.)
Friday, December 14, 2007
Day 296 - 12/13/2007
D subbed today. Once the kids found out, they wanted to ride with her, but were barely ready in time for them to get a ride. They weren't about to have me drive them, though, so they scurried to get ready and were out the door a little before 8a. (D wanted to leave by 745a in order to get in the classroom in time to settle in and get ready for the day.)
During lunch I went out shopping for Christmas, but wasn't too successful. I got a few things, but not everything I needed to get. I'm still waiting for Vince's list, so I couldn't get anything for him.
After getting back from shopping, I hit a gold mine in the kitchen when a slew of pizzas were delivered from a meeting. I'm not sure whether too many are ordered on purpose so that the rest of the group can benefit or they're just really bad at guestimating the number of pies to order. No matter, I did what I could to help finish them off (and paid for it by feeling like crap). I really need to learn how to say no when faced with what seems like an endless amount of food.
With that in mind, I skipped dinner.
During lunch I went out shopping for Christmas, but wasn't too successful. I got a few things, but not everything I needed to get. I'm still waiting for Vince's list, so I couldn't get anything for him.
After getting back from shopping, I hit a gold mine in the kitchen when a slew of pizzas were delivered from a meeting. I'm not sure whether too many are ordered on purpose so that the rest of the group can benefit or they're just really bad at guestimating the number of pies to order. No matter, I did what I could to help finish them off (and paid for it by feeling like crap). I really need to learn how to say no when faced with what seems like an endless amount of food.
With that in mind, I skipped dinner.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Day 286 - 12/03/2007
Back to the grind that is work. After a few days out of the office, I certainly wasn't rarin' to get back. With that in mind, I eased into it slowly. (Well, not really as I had to be in early for a meeting.)
After work, I hit the gym for a workout. Although M had swimming tonight, I didn't want to do the bike there as well, so I got in both weights and cardio before heading home.
There was a school boundary meeting at Westfield so there was lots of spillover into the Cub Run parking lot. Fortunately, we found a spot and M made it to class on time. I spent most of the time reading the latest issue of PC Magazine, raising my head every now and again to watch M in the pool. She looked like she was enjoying herself and having fun. I'm glad she's come around to swimming. It's a great sport, both from a health perspective as well as from a team spirit perspective. While I wasn't the best swimmer as a kid by any means, I had a great time on the swim team. I hope M has just as much fun as I did.
After work, I hit the gym for a workout. Although M had swimming tonight, I didn't want to do the bike there as well, so I got in both weights and cardio before heading home.
There was a school boundary meeting at Westfield so there was lots of spillover into the Cub Run parking lot. Fortunately, we found a spot and M made it to class on time. I spent most of the time reading the latest issue of PC Magazine, raising my head every now and again to watch M in the pool. She looked like she was enjoying herself and having fun. I'm glad she's come around to swimming. It's a great sport, both from a health perspective as well as from a team spirit perspective. While I wasn't the best swimmer as a kid by any means, I had a great time on the swim team. I hope M has just as much fun as I did.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Day 267 - 11/14/2007
Doug, Nancy and Michael came up today to celebrate Nancy's birthday. D made a pot roast and a chocolate cake for dessert. All of it was delicious. I even had a second piece of chocolate cake (which is surprising as I'm not a big fan of chocolate cake).
M played her clarinet for them and, after a while, it began to sound good. She's got a concert in a few weeks and hopefully they'll all get a lot of practice in and improve their sound. It's okay, but not what I would say concert-worthy. Of course, I'm not concert-worthy on guitar either, but that didn't stop me from giving one to Michael before he left. He really enjoyed it and could've listened all day. Had I known more songs, I would've continued playing, but after playing each song twice, I figured enough was enough and called it quits.
I forgot my badge again today. That's the second time in as many weeks. I guess I left it in my gym bag yesterday and forgot to take it out this morning when I went to work. I've got to start checking before I leave for work as I'm sure the receptionist has a report she issues on who's forgotten their badge on a regular basis. It would be just like my company to have such a thing.
M played her clarinet for them and, after a while, it began to sound good. She's got a concert in a few weeks and hopefully they'll all get a lot of practice in and improve their sound. It's okay, but not what I would say concert-worthy. Of course, I'm not concert-worthy on guitar either, but that didn't stop me from giving one to Michael before he left. He really enjoyed it and could've listened all day. Had I known more songs, I would've continued playing, but after playing each song twice, I figured enough was enough and called it quits.
I forgot my badge again today. That's the second time in as many weeks. I guess I left it in my gym bag yesterday and forgot to take it out this morning when I went to work. I've got to start checking before I leave for work as I'm sure the receptionist has a report she issues on who's forgotten their badge on a regular basis. It would be just like my company to have such a thing.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Day 247 - 10/25/2007
N was supposed to have his field trip today, but it was rained out (he was supposed to go to Cox Farm). Hopefully they'll be able to reschedule (for his sake), but since I'm covering D in the chaperone department, I wouldn't mind it if it wasn't able to be rescheduled.
So, instead of spending a day at Cox Farm, it was spent watching the rain come down. Rain is something we're in short supply of in these parts. We've had drought conditions the better part of the year (I think we're about 10" below normal as of this month) and we desperately need the rain. Some of us in the neighborhood have been keeping our lawns healthy by watering them, but even that's not enough (I've been watering the yard every few days because I'm too cheap and/or lazy to water it every night.)
After work I hit the gym and then headed over to Bungalow's for happy hour. There was nothing to celebrate, other than it being a Thursday. When I got there I immediately joined the pool queue and ended up going 4-0 before we decided to call it quits.
One thing I like about happy hour at Bungalow's is the large Guinness. Sure, they're $8 each, but they go down smooth and easy.
An old colleague was there and it appears he may be coming back. His new job isn't all it's cracked up to be (I guess he didn't believe the old adage about grass and the other side of the fence). Unfortunately he won't be coming back to our group, but to another one. At least he'll be able to put his product knowledge to work out in the line organizations.
So, instead of spending a day at Cox Farm, it was spent watching the rain come down. Rain is something we're in short supply of in these parts. We've had drought conditions the better part of the year (I think we're about 10" below normal as of this month) and we desperately need the rain. Some of us in the neighborhood have been keeping our lawns healthy by watering them, but even that's not enough (I've been watering the yard every few days because I'm too cheap and/or lazy to water it every night.)
After work I hit the gym and then headed over to Bungalow's for happy hour. There was nothing to celebrate, other than it being a Thursday. When I got there I immediately joined the pool queue and ended up going 4-0 before we decided to call it quits.
One thing I like about happy hour at Bungalow's is the large Guinness. Sure, they're $8 each, but they go down smooth and easy.
An old colleague was there and it appears he may be coming back. His new job isn't all it's cracked up to be (I guess he didn't believe the old adage about grass and the other side of the fence). Unfortunately he won't be coming back to our group, but to another one. At least he'll be able to put his product knowledge to work out in the line organizations.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Day 241 - 10/19/2007
I went out in the community today: I volunteered to help plant trees at Ellanor C. Lawrence park through our Service Days initiative at work. We met at the visitor's center and hiked back to the clearing where we'd be planting the trees. All in all, there were about 25 of us (with about 5 from my immediate office park) and we were able to plant about 100 trees (at least). It rained off and on throughout the morning, which felt pretty good since it cooled us off a bit.
Afterwards, I met Frank over at Willard's for lunch (after stopping by the house to change). I hadn't been there in a while and enjoyed every bit of it. We caught up on stuff and went our separate ways: he back to the office and I headed back home.
After a few hours working from home, I drove D to the doctor's office for a follow up for her knee. It's been a week since she had her fall and every day it seems to be a little better than before. I know it's going to take a while for it to return to normal, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. I'd hate for her to be still nursing it once the weather turns and winter arrives.
Afterwards, I met Frank over at Willard's for lunch (after stopping by the house to change). I hadn't been there in a while and enjoyed every bit of it. We caught up on stuff and went our separate ways: he back to the office and I headed back home.
After a few hours working from home, I drove D to the doctor's office for a follow up for her knee. It's been a week since she had her fall and every day it seems to be a little better than before. I know it's going to take a while for it to return to normal, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. I'd hate for her to be still nursing it once the weather turns and winter arrives.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Day 233 - 10/11/2007
Yay. I'm finally back to feeling like myself. I got a good night's rest last night and am ready to face the day. Of course, this feeling was short lived as I then went to Happy Hour for a going away party for a colleague.
After getting the kids processed and put to bed, I wasn't ready for that myself so I headed to the basement for a little guitar. The latest song I'm trying to learn "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (another CCR tune). I spent all of five minutes on it before I gave up and started focusing on "Proud Mary". I'm still struggling on the transition between the G and the F in the intro, but it's getting better. I also need to work on the A to Bm transition during the chorus, as well as the solo. Both should come with time with enough practice.
Which reminds me of the old joke about the tourist lost in New York, trying to find Carnegie Hall.
"Uh, excuse me sir," he says to a man on the street, "how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
"Practice, practice, practice," the man replied.
Even that couldn't keep me going and after a while, I gave up and went upstairs to see if D wanted to watch "The Office" on Tivo. I was too late: She was done and we both hit the land of Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod.
After getting the kids processed and put to bed, I wasn't ready for that myself so I headed to the basement for a little guitar. The latest song I'm trying to learn "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (another CCR tune). I spent all of five minutes on it before I gave up and started focusing on "Proud Mary". I'm still struggling on the transition between the G and the F in the intro, but it's getting better. I also need to work on the A to Bm transition during the chorus, as well as the solo. Both should come with time with enough practice.
Which reminds me of the old joke about the tourist lost in New York, trying to find Carnegie Hall.
"Uh, excuse me sir," he says to a man on the street, "how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
"Practice, practice, practice," the man replied.
Even that couldn't keep me going and after a while, I gave up and went upstairs to see if D wanted to watch "The Office" on Tivo. I was too late: She was done and we both hit the land of Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Day 226 - 10/04/2007
Over the past several months, I toyed around with a variety of challenges, but never could figure out something that would be fair for all involved. On my run last night it hit me: a scavenger hunt where you have to take pictures of a variety of birds.
Most of the day was spent putting the list together, as well as working on informational packets for the weekend.
I left the office and hit the gym before picking up Caroline from the airport. I haven't been to the gym in a few days (well, not at last week) due to my back, so I wanted to get a workout in before the weekend (since I know I won't be getting any weights in until next week). I told Caroline to call me when she got in and (of course) I was in the shower when she did. Not to worry, however, as she still had to make her way to baggage claim and then wait for that to be offloaded.
As I was pulling up to the terminal, a couple of Metro police officers were in the street and one of them waved me to the curb.
"What for?" I asked her, curious as to why I was getting pulled over.
"Because I told you to," she responded.
"Alright, but why are you telling me?" I asked her as (in my mind) there was nothing I had done wrong.
"Just pull over to the curb," she ordered, this time her voice a little more terse.
I sat there while she and her partner were calling in my license plate and seeing whether I was on a terrorist watch list of some sort. After about five minutes of waiting for her to approach the car and ask me for my license and registration, it hit me: my tags appeared to be expired as I had yet to receive the stickers from DMV (I had renewed online).
I reached for the temporary registration and held it out the window. This prompted her to come forward and take the registration, telling me "I see you figured it out."
Uh, yeah, I figured it out, but would it have killed you to tell me sooner?
I called Caroline and told her to come down to door 5 (she was at door 6) and meet me there. She hesitated as she had a couple of bags, until I explained to her that the two police officers questioning me trumped her two bags. A couple minutes later, there she was, but she couldn't get in the car until I was cleared by the police.
The officer finally determined that my tags were legal and let us go.
The funniest thing about this is that Nina got pulled over by the same officers for not having any stickers on her tags at all an hour or so later! I wonder if the officers saw our last names and wondered whether there was any connection.
Most of the day was spent putting the list together, as well as working on informational packets for the weekend.
I left the office and hit the gym before picking up Caroline from the airport. I haven't been to the gym in a few days (well, not at last week) due to my back, so I wanted to get a workout in before the weekend (since I know I won't be getting any weights in until next week). I told Caroline to call me when she got in and (of course) I was in the shower when she did. Not to worry, however, as she still had to make her way to baggage claim and then wait for that to be offloaded.
As I was pulling up to the terminal, a couple of Metro police officers were in the street and one of them waved me to the curb.
"What for?" I asked her, curious as to why I was getting pulled over.
"Because I told you to," she responded.
"Alright, but why are you telling me?" I asked her as (in my mind) there was nothing I had done wrong.
"Just pull over to the curb," she ordered, this time her voice a little more terse.
I sat there while she and her partner were calling in my license plate and seeing whether I was on a terrorist watch list of some sort. After about five minutes of waiting for her to approach the car and ask me for my license and registration, it hit me: my tags appeared to be expired as I had yet to receive the stickers from DMV (I had renewed online).
I reached for the temporary registration and held it out the window. This prompted her to come forward and take the registration, telling me "I see you figured it out."
Uh, yeah, I figured it out, but would it have killed you to tell me sooner?
I called Caroline and told her to come down to door 5 (she was at door 6) and meet me there. She hesitated as she had a couple of bags, until I explained to her that the two police officers questioning me trumped her two bags. A couple minutes later, there she was, but she couldn't get in the car until I was cleared by the police.
The officer finally determined that my tags were legal and let us go.
The funniest thing about this is that Nina got pulled over by the same officers for not having any stickers on her tags at all an hour or so later! I wonder if the officers saw our last names and wondered whether there was any connection.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Day 220 - 09/28/2007
D left for the weekend. She and a bunch of her friends headed to the Eastern Shore to spend the weekend in Chestertown. So, with that in mind, I went in early to bank some hours. That didn't happen, of course, as I left at 2p to get the van inspected (which also didn't happen because the lines were long, it being the end of the month and all). I then picked the kids up at school and we went home, where they pulled the wool over my eyes saying that D always lets them watch TV when they get home on Friday.
Not wanting to start the weekend off on a sour note, I went along. That gave me the chance to dial into work from home.
After a dinner of leftovers (for M and I) and a Lean Pocket (for N), we headed out to the football game. N has been on me lately about going to a football game and I have no desire to take him to a 'Skins game just yet. Maybe when he's older and can actually watch (and enjoy) the game I'll pull the trigger, but right now, it's not a wise use of dollars.
There were no home games in the immediate vicinity, so we headed up the parkway to Herndon to see Chantilly play. They (Chantilly) have fielded a pretty decent team over the past few years so I was looking forward to a good game. Fifteen dollars later (and $3 for drinks) and we were in our seats for kickoff. The Hornets were no match for the Chargers and at halftime the score was 21-0 (Chantilly). I didn't plan on staying for the whole game, but the kids wanted to see the halftime show with the band and all that, so we stayed. Shortly after the 3rd quarter started, we left for home. As we were walking toward the car, we heard that Chantilly scored another touchdown. I'll have to check to see what the final score was. It could easily have been 35-0 the way the Hornets were (or were not) playing.
We got home and the kids hit the hay. I stayed up and watched Tivo. I finally called it quits around midnight. (It would've been later, but we have a full schedule on Saturday.)
Looking back on it, everything above falls under the "mundane" category. I guess I could've summed up the day by saying that nothing out of the ordinary happened, other than D leaving for Chestertown and the kids and I taking in a high school football game.
Not wanting to start the weekend off on a sour note, I went along. That gave me the chance to dial into work from home.
After a dinner of leftovers (for M and I) and a Lean Pocket (for N), we headed out to the football game. N has been on me lately about going to a football game and I have no desire to take him to a 'Skins game just yet. Maybe when he's older and can actually watch (and enjoy) the game I'll pull the trigger, but right now, it's not a wise use of dollars.
There were no home games in the immediate vicinity, so we headed up the parkway to Herndon to see Chantilly play. They (Chantilly) have fielded a pretty decent team over the past few years so I was looking forward to a good game. Fifteen dollars later (and $3 for drinks) and we were in our seats for kickoff. The Hornets were no match for the Chargers and at halftime the score was 21-0 (Chantilly). I didn't plan on staying for the whole game, but the kids wanted to see the halftime show with the band and all that, so we stayed. Shortly after the 3rd quarter started, we left for home. As we were walking toward the car, we heard that Chantilly scored another touchdown. I'll have to check to see what the final score was. It could easily have been 35-0 the way the Hornets were (or were not) playing.
We got home and the kids hit the hay. I stayed up and watched Tivo. I finally called it quits around midnight. (It would've been later, but we have a full schedule on Saturday.)
Looking back on it, everything above falls under the "mundane" category. I guess I could've summed up the day by saying that nothing out of the ordinary happened, other than D leaving for Chestertown and the kids and I taking in a high school football game.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Day 219 - 09/27/2007
My back seized up again. This time I had just finished working out (no weights -- just 45 minutes on the bike since I didn't think weights would be good for my back) and was getting undressed, about to get in the shower.
I lifted my right foot and pulled off my sock. I was able to lift my left foot and that's when it hit. I let out a wince of pain and fell into the wall so as not to fall down. Fortunately, I was able to right myself pretty quickly and continue getting ready to head back to work.
Don't read that as being pain free, however, as the pain never went away, it just lessened. Lucky for me we had a software release party this afternoon, so the Guinness helped ease the pain.
Before heading out to the party, I found the ultimate time-waster online. There is absolutely NO interaction required. All you do is open your browser to http://play.blogger.com and sit back and enjoy the ride. (If you must know, this is a display of all the pictures currently being uploaded to blogger.com from around the globe.) It's pretty interesting looking at all the pictures that are out there. I kid you not that you could easily sit there for hours on end watching these pictures. It makes you think of who these people are, what they're doing, why are they wearing lime green bandannas, etc.
I wonder what people think of the pictures (albeit few and far between) that I've uploaded?
I lifted my right foot and pulled off my sock. I was able to lift my left foot and that's when it hit. I let out a wince of pain and fell into the wall so as not to fall down. Fortunately, I was able to right myself pretty quickly and continue getting ready to head back to work.
Don't read that as being pain free, however, as the pain never went away, it just lessened. Lucky for me we had a software release party this afternoon, so the Guinness helped ease the pain.
Before heading out to the party, I found the ultimate time-waster online. There is absolutely NO interaction required. All you do is open your browser to http://play.blogger.com and sit back and enjoy the ride. (If you must know, this is a display of all the pictures currently being uploaded to blogger.com from around the globe.) It's pretty interesting looking at all the pictures that are out there. I kid you not that you could easily sit there for hours on end watching these pictures. It makes you think of who these people are, what they're doing, why are they wearing lime green bandannas, etc.
I wonder what people think of the pictures (albeit few and far between) that I've uploaded?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Day 216 - 09/24/2007
My soup bowl went missing at work, so I had to head home for lunch. This (and my stomach ache) caused me to skip my afternoon workout at the gym. I'm not sure what happened to the bowl, it was on my desk when I left on Friday and I don't recall seeing it when I stopped by the office yesterday. I'm thinking the cleaning person broke it when she was washing it -- there were a couple of hairline cracks -- and simply threw it away. I just wish she hadn't tossed the spoon as well.
When I got home I finished seeding the yard before taking M (and N) to swimming. When we got home, D was still out (she was at a neighbor's house watching Designed to Sell on HGTV -- our neighbor and a couple of our friends were on this episode), so I read to the kids before putting them to bed.
After D got back, I headed out for a run and ended up going 3.2 miles in just under 27 minutes. While I normally wouldn't be proud of that pace, since I pretty much haven't been running much for the past two years, I'll take it. I felt pretty good the entire way (save for a stretch or two where my knees weren't feeling the love), so I'm pretty sure the bird festival race will be a piece of cake (especially considering it'll be somewhat flat).
When I got home I finished seeding the yard before taking M (and N) to swimming. When we got home, D was still out (she was at a neighbor's house watching Designed to Sell on HGTV -- our neighbor and a couple of our friends were on this episode), so I read to the kids before putting them to bed.
After D got back, I headed out for a run and ended up going 3.2 miles in just under 27 minutes. While I normally wouldn't be proud of that pace, since I pretty much haven't been running much for the past two years, I'll take it. I felt pretty good the entire way (save for a stretch or two where my knees weren't feeling the love), so I'm pretty sure the bird festival race will be a piece of cake (especially considering it'll be somewhat flat).
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