Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Close of 2009

Barring some sort of drastic event happening, this year will close as a great year. This year I fell in love with The One, grew closer to the friends I have, and was introduced to some really great people. As I look back, I find it hard to find one bad thing in regards to my life. And if I were to come across something that might have been less than stellar, it did not take away from a great year. This year will close the same way it opened, with a party at my home. I will be surrounded by people I love and adore.

My goals for 2009:

1. Stay alive.

Safe to say that I have made it this far.

2. Live a little, but keep within my means.

I certainly had a blast and kept, mostly, within my means.

3. Make the bills reasonable.

I did not quite reduce it to what I wanted it to be, thanks mostly to a minor car bump, but I did reduce it to a level in which I can handle.

4. Make the most of what is given to me.

I am pleased with myself regarding this one. I took things as they were and found myself happy.

5. Don't be the exaggeration.

I found out that I never really was. I am who I am, and I am happy with that.


My goals for 2010:

1. Stay alive. It might seem like a silly goal to have, until you are dead and then you should have thought of it. I will tie-in the live well goal for this one as well. I intend on doing both.

2. No matter what happens regarding the tour, keep moving forward. There are a lot of opportunities out there for me and still have a lot to offer. It is time I stop wavering and just start walking.

3. Smile through everything. There is no telling what will happen with anything this year, regardless of what it brings I will chose to be happy.

4. Work on myself personally. While I like to joke that I am perfect, I still hold some (very few) character flaws. I need to work on those.

5. Propose to The One. I know, you know, she knows I love her. It will happen in 2010.


Very modest goals this year. Ones I will attain. If 2010 is anything like 2009, I am in for one fun ride. Enjoy the close of 2009, and have many adventures in 2010!

~Skate




Tuesday, December 29, 2009

The Return

I abruptly left Wednesday night to avoid a blizzard destined to hit the area. It was a good thing too, as I hear they had shut down interstates because of the snow and high winds. Apparently the combination of the two can be problematic for cars and safety. The trip up was gruesome after a full day of work and driving alone. A steady diet of Scooby Snacks and chocolate-covered marshmallows kept me artificially awake for quite some time. Eventually I succumbed to sleep about an hour and a half out. It pains me to get so close and not make it, but I desperately needed two hours of sleep.

While I was there I enjoyed my time and rested. We played a lot of card games and relaxed. Family time was well spent and fun. We did manage to go out and watch Sherlock Holmes as a family as well. My overall view of the movie was it was mere okay. If they removed the ties from the great detective it might have been better in my eyes. After all of this I found out that I am really bad at bowling, even worse than I was before. I lost three out of four beer frames. The one I was was pushed into an extra frame after I was saved when my last remaining opponent failed to pick up the spare. In the extra frame I came up clutch with a strike and saved myself six dollars.

The return trip was not nearly as bad. BoBo drove over from Illinois and we made our own caravan to travel in. We stopped off at the world's largest truck stop and gave ourselves trucker names. BoBo was Tubbs and I was Buckin Burgundy Boy Bill or B4 over the radio. That was an early stop in the trip, and all conversations the rest of the trip involved our trucker persona. The convoy was actually fun; we made the same stops for gas and breaks. For dinner we stopped at a Cracker Barrel, my first, and enjoyed a meal and conversation. It was really nice to have someone along for the trip even though it was not in the same car.

The one thing I have avoided in this blog, as it will be saved for its own blog, is that BoBo will be leaving our small town and taking up roots in another. We still have three weeks of fun together before the split, and I intend to enjoy that time.

And then it ends,
Skate

Friday, December 25, 2009

The Christmas Blog

To begin with, merry Christmas. Despite appearances, and my proclamation that I hate Christmas, I am not entirely all that much of a Scrooge or Grinch. It is true that it is my least favorite of the holidays. I do my best to avoid he hoopla for the day. I have a unique perception of what the masses see this holiday as and that drives my feelings for Christmas.

Looking back, I have to say my favorite Christmas was the first one my family celebrated in Japan. We had just moved and did not have a lot of money. There was not even enough money to buy a tree that year for Christmas. Santa would not have anything to put presents under until my family took what we had and made Christmas. We spent quality time together and built our own Christmas tree out of construction paper. I really wish I had a picture of that tree. If people were to look at it face value, the tree might have been more than a few steps below a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I thought it was magnificent.

There are few charming qualities that Christmas beholds. People seem to have an extra bit of generosity, and are more warmhearted. People actually try greeting other people instead of rushing by, and they might even manage a response. Quality time with loved ones is something that we strive for during this holiday season and I always want that. The fact that most of my loved ones smile more around this time of the year, is one that I really do enjoy. I enjoy a lot of the Christmas movies as well. I do not think I could pick a favorite, but there are a few I like more than others. The Muppet's Christmas Carol, Scrooged, and It's a Wonderful Life would have to be at the top. Sadly I never much enjoyed A Christmas Story the way others have. I suppose it is an alright movie, just not my favorite.

The one truly lamentable thing about this holiday is something I really open about. I loathe gifts. In this season people sometimes forget about the holiday cheer when going shopping and become more monster than merry. The human nature behind gifts is something I even succumb to. The idea behind buying a singular person a gift is not lamentable, it is charitable. It is when you purchase in bulk that it can become ludicrous. Trying to match prices and comparing what each one received is more anti-Christmas spirit than it is in the spirit, but that is what happens. It should not matter what one person gave to another, but we make it. People feel left out, people become jealous of a better gift, people make it less about the spirit and more about the gifts. The best of us do not let these natural feelings overcome us and we move on to better feelings.

I am a blessed man, I have received many quality gifts this year already and am appreciated of every one of those. Mom tacked on a few more last night to appreciate. I now have a picture board to add to my home, a puzzle that I will place at work for people to figure out, and a very cute apron featuring a gorilla that says "G'rilla at Work". I am very appreciated for what I have in my life. The true gifts in my life are The One, my family and my framily, my health, my home, Dog, my job and a lot more than I could ever count. Those are the gifts I accept with great admiration day in and day out. That is the holiday cheer I keep close to my heart.

~Skate

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

As It Should Be

Work was amazing yesterday. I was incredibly productive while having a completely relaxed day. There were few interruptions, and the few I had were not that bad. Nothing in the Clinic was rushed, people were calm and taking things as they are. It makes me wonder why it cannot be that way all the time. There really is not a need for the normal hysteria that we bring upon ourselves. Sometimes we might have packed our workload a bit more than we should. If my office can figure out a way to balance the workload and start having more days like yesterday, I would extremely pleased.

Some impending weather might cut short my last work week of the year. I hope for it. Though there are a lot of people out there worried for my safety as I drive north tomorrow. I have received every possible safety briefing anyone should ever have to go through. I will be fine. If the weather is bad, I will be taking it slow and driving as I should on poor road conditions. It is not like I will be zooming by at 90 mph on icy roads. If the trip takes me longer it takes me longer. I am sure Mom would prefer me up there safely later than having me in danger.

And then it ends,
Skate

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Down Year

I think calling this football season a down year would be an understatement. My Redskins got blown-out at home yesterday to bring them to 4-10. The defense looked nonexistent; the offense was what it has been for most of the year, stagnant until the defense lets up because the game is out of reach. You would think with jobs on the line would have made them perform better for our new GM. Sadly I see a few more years of continual rebuilding in the future. A lot of holes that need to be filled and not a lot of money to do so. I am thankful Vinny is no longer calling the shots.

I have long been out of the playoff talk for my fantasy team. A quick rundown of my team's statistics and you will see it was all my fault. I was a poor coach this season, having the worst efficiency rate in the league at 79.1%. That means that 1/5 of the time I chose the wrong person. When you pick 9 positions to play a game, that is not good. That is close to two people a game that I whiffed on. Those close-to-two people cost me five games. Those five games would have put me in playoff position.

As a GM I did not exactly put my coach in a great position. I whiffed pretty bad on personnel too. My total possible points only beats out two other teams. After being the most dominant team in my league last year, this year was a huge disappointment. It is a keeper league and there is always next year. Who knows, maybe I will come back and dominate.

And then it ends,
Skate

Monday, December 21, 2009

Special Holiday

Today is the last working Monday of the year for me! Today should go by fairly fast, as this is the last day most people in both offices will be there so a lot of work will be crammed in to what time we have. The rest of the week should go by reasonably well with plenty of actual work to do. Though thankfully I will be doing so at my own pace and just knocking them out one by one.

I finished over my review packet for the tour. I am excited. There is a lot of information there. I still lack a song or two to perform; when the music director calls I think I will ask him what guidelines I have for my performance. It might look bad to not have something ready when he calls, but I think I can make up for it. There is much to be accomplished prior to leaving for the audition, plenty for me to take care of this week.

The One and I enjoyed our time together and built a lovely gingerbread house. It took some time, and created quite the mess, but the end product is something she and I are proud of. Not to mention some quality time together. We spend a lot of time together, but this was something different that we did together.

And then it ends,
Skate

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Modern Warfare

If you were wondering why my post is late, it is because I was feeding an addiction. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is an exciting game. I have finished off the gripping campaign on veteran, the hardest level available. Besides the campaign I have also spent a good deal of time playing online. Most of my online time has been with my family, which is why I have the TV in the first place. It has been a lot of fun. I will be picking up the controller after finishing this.

I will be putting down the controller to spend time with The One when she returns from her family time. We will be building a gingerbread house while watching a movie. And then going out to see some Christmas lights. It will be a fun date.

The movie will be on Blu Ray. That is thanks to TOD and TOM. Because I would not be joining them for Christmas, they decided to spoil me early. Some of the wonderful gifts included a really nice Thunder jacket, a high quality OU scarf and knit hat, the OU history book, and of course the Blu Ray player. Thank you TOD and TOM for the wonderful gifts.

And then it ends,
Skate

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Serious Business

I am going through my nine page preparation package that is jam-packed with information. I came across this nugget just now:

PANEL I

This panel will judge the actual category performance of the contestant presented before a live audience. Contestants will be judged on TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE, SHOWMANSHIP, and TREATMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF MATERIAL. Each panel member can award a maximum of 75 points.

PANEL II

This panel will judge each contestant following a closed session individual audition. Contestants will be auditioned to determine their PROFICIENCY in their main entertainment specialty, their VERSATILITY of music styles and other talents and their musical KNOWLEDGE and INTERPRETATION. Each panel member can award a maximum of 75 points.

PANEL III

This panel will judge the contestant following a closed session personal interview. Contestants will be judged on their ATTITUDE, DESIRE to become a member of The Tour, APPEARANCE and ability to serve as an AMBASSADOR for the Company. Each panel member can award a maximum of 75 points.


Yeah, those are my interviews. I can rock one and three, I might not rock two. This is only the interview process. I still have more auditioning and events to do. It is going to be a serious ten day mental and physical workout. I need to have my song(s) selected by Monday, know what key I want it in and a much, much more.

And then it ends,
Skate

Friday, December 18, 2009

Exciting News

Last night I found out that the touring group I put in my audition for called me back to see me live! My screams of joy were so loud and piercing, The One might have some temporary hearing loss. I do have to temper my excitement just a tad as it does not mean I will become a part of the tour; it is a second audition with personal interviews. That being said, it is still an exciting honor to be one of the few that have been asked to go. The group will be paying my way to San Antonio, and my entire stay there for a week.

I am not going to lie, with each passing day that I did not get a call I was justifying reasons that I would not be asked back and preparing for the let down. Now that my excitement has been rejuvenated, my hopes are higher than ever. As several close friends have mentioned, some of my best characteristics are very pronounced in person. I fully intend on wowing them when I get down there.

I want to thank everyone who has supported me in this endeavor. From The One for knowing how important this is to me, to all those involved in the taping, to those who pushed and pushed for me to get this done, I thank you. I know I have thanked everyone several times between here and in person, I do not mean to water down my thankfulness. I truly am incredibly lucky to have such an outstanding cast of people in my life. I could not ask for more.

This is not the end,
Skate

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Winding Down

This time of the year is always special at work. Work still gets done, but generally at a slower pace. Then things hit a wall, usually sometime next week. People kind of piddle around and put things off until the new year. The purgatory office is setting itself up to do just that. And my actual office is getting there. It is funny to me that we will ramp up to finish everything all year and then try coasting the last two weeks. Not that I am complaining. I intend on relaxing the next couple of weeks. Well not so much relaxing, as instead of the usual paperwork I plan on moving around the office.

The office layout has bugged me since the day I moved in. They have my back to the door, which is very discomforting. I will be moving thing so that I can see who is walking in. I will still have my co-worker behind me, but I can deal with that. The problem is that the office is narrow and packed with furniture right now. I will have to decide whether or not to completely plan out the move or just move. I do have the dimensions to every single piece of furniture and the room itself.

Yesterday's event went well. I did not get a lot of time with the children so there was not one that melted my heart. There were plenty of cute children, and they were well behaved. The behavior was a bit of a shock as normally some of the older children can be unruly. I take great enjoyment knowing that I made several kids smile, and that I will be in a lot of family photo albums. While there was not a child who melted my heart, there was a child proclaiming my authenticity and that was pretty cool. I have one more of these tomorrow, and hopefully that goes well.

And then it ends,
Skate

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Catching Up

It feels like a Wednesday. I am not sure what today will bring but at least I am in the right mindset.

Yesterday, The One, BoBo and I ventured out to a diner that specializes in pop. Unknown to The One and I, TeeHee was there to greet us. It was a pleasant surprise. This diner has over 500 different kinds of pop (also known as soda, soda-pop or coke). While I am not a fan in general of pop, I do enjoy a root beer once in a while. I had quite the selection to choose from. After ordering food we did a round of root beers and had some fun giving in depth analysis. It was a very fun evening.

Tonight I have a special event to attend to. I will be bring Christmas joy to some little people. It should be a lot of fun. I have done this before elsewhere around the world, but now I finally own my own costume. This is the first of two events this week. The next is on Friday for another daycare. There is inevitably a child who will be rotten, but I look forward to meeting the other inevitable. Every time I have done this, there has been at least one kid who can just warm your heart. That child is the one I await and do this for.

And then it ends,
Skate

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Wait...It is ONLY Tuesday?!?!

My brain has not been functioning daywise for a while it seems. I am again confused on what day it is. Last night I had honestly thought that it was Tuesday; that I would wake up and it would be Wednesday and I would only have a few more days for before a break. Now granted, mistakes like that happen after an unexpected twelve hour work day. But I have made that mistake a lot in the past few months. I think the timer in my brain is off or malfunctioning.

Last night, while lying in bed, Dog began to make some very odd noises. I honestly thought she was choking on something. I jump up and turn on the lights and see her gaging. Before I could even reach for her, she coughed out something unbelievably disgusting. It must have been her entire stomach contents; as long as it was it could have been her entire intestine or esophagus. What was peculiar was that it was solid; well mostly solid, it was more of a paste than anything. It must have been the hair that I saw that made her gag it back up, but what ever this pasty thing was, it was disgusting.

And then it ends,
Skate

Monday, December 14, 2009

Well Wishes

The One takes an exam that will let her progress in her classes to become a teacher. I, and several others, wish her well. I am sure she will do great. She has worked so hard to become a full blown teacher, and is a wonderful teacher to her Pre-K children. I hate seeing her get discouraged when something like this comes up. She swears if she does not pass it, this will be the last time. I think the world would be missing out on an excellent teacher if that were the case.

Caroling went well last night. It started off a bit rocky with no one coming outside to greet our small band. Eventually we started ringing door bells and that pulled most of the people out; we still had a few who refused to do anything but peek through the curtains. After a few duds and a couple of decent houses we came upon a house full of merry people. There was an entire family there spanning at least three generations. The grandma was extremely excited and one of the family members was taking video. It was the exact reaction we were hoping for and it lifted our spirits. After that, we had a good mix of people who reacted in a variety of ways. At the tail end we had two little girls dancing to Rudolph and that seemed to be a great end to a fun night of caroling.

And then it ends,
Skate

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Forever Sunday

I wish it would be possible to extend Sunday and put off the work week. I could use a few days off after last week, my whole office could use the week off after the work we did. Unfortunately we have another busy week ahead, but then we get a nice break for the holidays.

The framily will be caroling tonight! I am really excited. Door-to-door caroling is not as abundant as it should be. Our group will be happy to bring it back. BoBo has printed off some music for us to carol. I will be happy to have the lyrics as I do know any Christmas song in its entirety. B12 mentioned Frito pies as a warming snack. I love Frito pies! All in all I think it will be an amazing time, if not for the caroling for the time spent with framily.

The work party came and went last night. A few hiccups on the technical side that enraged me. We had someone helping with the media system for the club we were in. I had brought in a CD that had a couple of presentations and a movie. You can ask The One, I played the movie off that CD three times before calling it good. The computer the system ran from was only able to play a small portion of the video before bugging out. The tech guy insisted it was the CD. It was not. He insisted that I had burned the video too fast. I did not. This man was an idiot. The computer simply did not have the capability to play the CD, but there was nothing wrong with the CD. I walked out of the tech room when he started talking about how CDs are written and you can scratch the hell out of the bottom side of the CD because the top is what holds the information.

The One was beautiful as always last night. I had told her as much as she was getting ready, and a few times at the party. I will admit it was not as much as I did last last year. She still remains the most beautiful woman in my eyes now matter how often I praise her.

And then it ends,
Skate

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Well Rested

I think I might have finally caught up on all the sleep I have been missing. I slept in until eleven this morning and just woke up from an hour nap. I was intending on writing the Christmas blog, but TOD came over to finish hanging the TV. Now that it is is up, I could not be any happier with it. Thank you, again, JDad and my older brother for the TV. Thank you TOD for all the hard work you put into having the TV mounted. It really is more than I could ever ask for.

I am truly blessed to have so many special people in my life. Last year I made a few speeches about what my family and framily mean to me that brought tears to my eyes. This year will I do intend to make a speech at my New Year's Eve party and as strong as I want to be, I know tears will come again. Just thinking about the wonderful people I have met throughout my life and in the short time I have been here makes me well up just a bit. I will at least try to get this one to be intelligible and not break down into sobbing three words into the speech.

I have my work holiday party in a hour or so. It should be a fun time. I was put in charge of a few things entertainment wise that I will be putting the final touches here soon. Due to the a family emergency one of our bosses will not be attending. I do hope all is well with his family. In his stead, I will take on the character that he was to play in the skit. I do not want to spoil anything here, but I will say one thing. He stands around 5'4" and I am around 6'3"; I will be wearing the same costume he was to be wearing. That will surely be a sight to see.

And then it ends,
~Skate

Friday, December 11, 2009

Wonderful Woman

The One truly spoiled me with gifts this year. We open ours last night as our own little Christmas. We are celebrating early because I will not be home for Christmas, I will be visiting Mom to celebrate Christmas and her birthday.

The highlights of the presents were a display for alcohol that dispenses shots, and a Thunder package. Not only did she go and get the two of us tickets, she got a hotel so we can stay there. The truly over the top wonderful thing she did: She asked my boss if I can have the day after off. What a beautiful woman I have. I am truly lucky.

For the record, my boss did say yes. We will be enjoying a game and evening together come early January! I love The One.

~Skate

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Victory

I made it through to Thursday! My this week has felt incredibly long. Today is my last day as the beck and call boy for the instructors that are in town. It has not been too bad. There have been a few moments where I had to rush to change things when the schedule changed. Then there was the moment they left boxes outside of the building and people were about to call the bomb squad. Yeah, that was fun. Today they have one scenario that they will run and then Jeopardy! That should be fun to set-up and watch.

I am really looking forward to this weekend. I intend to sleep most of it. The more I get excited about sleeping in Saturday morning, the more I think that The One will want to rush to open presents first thing in the morning. Good thing I can take naps.

I had to resubmit my video for audition. I was not surprised to hear that I had to. I uploaded it as a project and not a video. Hopefully they get to it this morning and do not knock me a few points for having it in the wrong format. I am just happy they called and asked me to resubmit and not just discard my application. I feel lucky for that. The quick turnaround on the application makes me think that I will hear back in a week or so about whether or not I made the tour.

And then it ends,
Skate

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Tease

I picked up The One's second Christmas gift last night. I knew she would try to figure out what I bought her, I did not know how crazy she would be. If I would have known this is how she would react, I would have picked her up a box within a box a while ago just to see this. Instead she will have to just stare at her box that I had wrapped by someone. She has already picked it up and shaken it. She has made several guesses and asked for many clues. I refuse to give any clue, nor will I let her know if she has guessed right. It is such a fun little game for me to see her get out of control.

This still does not change how I feel about this holiday. When/if I find time this week to write that rant I will. My brain is having a hard time grasping the idea that it is only Wednesday. It certainly feels as if it should be much later in the week. I look forward to a weekend of relaxation. A much needed time of rest.

And then it ends,
Skate

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Winter Debut

It has been cold here for a little while, even dipping down to 13 degrees Friday morning when I went to work. But for the first time this chilly late fall, ice finally came down. Enough that I am delayed into work. I was hoping for an entire day, but I cannot be too greedy.

I have always enjoyed snow days. As a kid it was great to go out in play for an entire day. As an adult, any unexpected break in a welcomed one. When it snows I still have the urge to run out and play. Sledding has to be one of my all time favorite activities. Snow angels, snow forts and the always inevitable snowball fight are just too much fun to resist. Unfortunately, not too many retain that desire to play like that in the snow. They move on to ski slopes, or just remain indoors. While I enjoy skiing/snowboarding, and staying warm by a fire, I thoroughly enjoy playing in the snow.

This area does not get a lot of snow. It will get frigid cold and have freezing rain, but very little snow. Ice can be fun, but it does not excite the child inside me. Mostly, I just see it as an increased risk. Whether it be walking into work, or behind the wheel, the chances of something bad happening are greater. Especially with some of the bozos around here.

And then it ends,
Skate

Monday, December 7, 2009

Marathon Week

I am already behind schedule as I type this, so this will be short. I have to start today off earlier than normal, as one of my projects I was undertaking is was a training session and I have to cater to the instructors. On top of that, I might be called up to the purgatory office for the entire week. That would not be so bad if it were not for the fact I had other projects that I had to take care of. And the only reason it would not be so bad is because one of the problems in that office is being transitioned out. Things should start to get a bit better in there.

TOD (The One's Dad) came over yesterday and laid the groundwork for the mount for the new TV. It is going to look really nice. TOD said he will be over Wednesday or Saturday to finish it out. I am very thankful for the work he has done and will do. I did set up the new TV and we have it sitting on the ground now. I could not wait any longer. The picture is beautiful on all the HD channels. It is not so beautiful on regular channels. It turns out that is apparently because of all the defects that are in regular channels that are masked by lower quality TVs. Not entirely certain on the validity of that.

I even managed to play a game. The One hopped on while I made dinner and did a fine job starting out. After she turned the controller over to me, I arrogantly put the difficulty to the hardest setting. I had never played this game before and probably should have started off a bit easier, but I like a challenge. And I am stubborn enough not to change it now. Soon I will be playing online with my family, which is what I really set it up for.

And then it ends,
Skate

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Day of Rest

It has already been a productive day of sleeping. I slept in till eight, which was not really sleeping in as I did not fall asleep until it was past two. After a couple hours of being awake, The One stirred in the bedroom. Dog and I joined her for a wonderful nap which has now ended. Much needed rest after a busy week, after a whirlwind trip, heading into a busy week.

I am currently awaiting The One's father to come over. He is going to assemble the piece that will hold the new TV. I really am excited to get this thing going! I will be making sure my 360 is in order, so that after all is set-up and done I can play online! I might even watch the evening football game in HD, just because I can.

For those that are eagerly awaiting my blog about Christmas, it will come soon enough. Most likely it will be a special post outside of the daily post. I think that it would take too long for me to accurately rant otherwise. I know my pizza rant ran a little into my daily routine the morning I wrote it. I cannot afford to be late tomorrow, and as I have mentioned the rest of the week appears to be quite busy as well. So it will be an evening rant later this week, or a Saturday morning rant.

And then it ends,
Skate

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Happy

As much as the world may bear down on a person, it is important to smile through the hard times and try to be happy. This is not to say that a person cannot be overcome by sadness or anger, just that in the end it is their choice to be happy. I think I have a delightful disposition. There is not a day that goes by without a happy moment. Some days are harder to find that moment that makes you smile. Thankfully, I have a great group of friends that Stand By Me.

~Skate

Friday, December 4, 2009

Waiting Game

I have officially turned in my application for the tour group. I am happy to have it in. It is certainly a big load off my back. A big thank you needs to go out to all those involved in the process. Thank you The One for standing by me and listening to me rehearse songs. Thank you BoBo and B12 for helping me find songs that suited me. Thank you TeeHee for finding a recording for one of those songs; even if we did not use it, just from the effort you really helped out. Thank you Blu for taping. Thank you Schroeder for being my accompaniment. Thank you Thing 2 for helping out the night of the video. Another big thank you to BoBo for working through every step in this project. I hope that I get in, not only because I want to, but because you all worked very hard to make this happen.

I am not sure on the timeline of when I find out. When I do, it will be from one one of my bosses. I am hoping to find out sooner than later. Not just because my nerves are rattling right now, but because I still need to work on both songs to perfect them for my next series of auditions. I will be sure to keep everybody posted on the outcome, good or bad. At the very least, I get a t-shirt out of this.

And then it ends,
Skate

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Three Little Words

I remember the first time I told The One I loved her. I had felt it earlier that day. It overwhelmed me in the car as I was driving home. For the first time in my short life, I loved. I had decided, for reasons that only make sense to me, to not tell her when I arrived home. I left for a rehearsal and while there it came to me again. I love her. Still when I returned home I did not say anything. It was not until we were laying in bed facing each other and talking that I finally came out and told her how I felt. The lights were off, so I could only imagine the look on her face. I told her again that I loved her. Those words, that feeling was entirely powering. I have never felt something so strong in my life.

It is amazing to think that I once thought that those words were used entirely too often, and they still may be. Nowadays I do not think I could say them enough. I do not want the words themselves to loose any of the powerful emotion that backs them. I love her. We use it when we see each other, when we leave each other, when we are on the phone, when we are being silly, when we are making-up, when we are happy, when we are sad, when we feel how much we love each other we tell the other. Despite heavy use, the emotion behind the words is never removed. I hope that those words never become just words. That they forever mean something between The One and I.

I love The One. There should not be any doubt in the world on that. I am always told that it shines through and through. It did not come easy. I was always quick to dismiss relationships. With her I was patient, wherein other relationships I was not. But as much as I was patient with her and our relationship she had to be patient with me. She had realized that she was in love long before I ever did. She had been expressing her feelings that way for months without me returning the words. She was patient with me then, she is patient with me now.

I thank her for that; I tell her I love her as often as I can. I love The One; I will marry her, in that I have no doubt.

~Skate

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Walk It Off

Yesterday was beastly. The day slow rolled me, it started off somewhat even paced and then just exploded with work around every turn. It did not help that I somehow developed a headache during all the work. I can tell you that meetings and telephone conferences do not help headaches. I am thinking that today will be a better day. I will still be hitting the gates running, but I think it will go smoother than yesterday. It has to.

The One and I have requested the assistance of her dad. We have decided that instead of tearing anything down we will instead build onto the entertainment center and then mount the TV. It will look amazing. We will have to wait until Sunday, but I can be patient. One of the reasons I received this wonderful gift was so that I can play games with my family. I ensured my old profile still existed and it does. I still have to set up the internet to it, but that should not take long.

After I came home, and ate a wonderful dinner prepared by The One, I crashed. When I finally got moving I started to work on my songs. I have today and tomorrow. Thanks to the help of friends I will be able to pull this off.

And then it ends,
Skate

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Conundrum

I spent the better part of last night trying to find a place for the new TV. It proved to be just two and a half inches longer than our existing built-in cabinets would allow. There are a few options we have, some of which involve some form of destruction to what we have. For now it remains in the box in all its glory. I did pick up all the necessities for when I do finally find a spot for it. And make no mistake we will find a spot for it.

Yesterday was not nearly as bad as I was thinking it was going to be. That gives me hope that today will not be all that horrible either. I do have more than a few things to accomplish today that are time sensitive which will put my afternoon into a crunch. I am not looking forward to that. My morning is spent in purgatory. It will not be long before a lot of change is made to that office.

My audition tape is becoming quite the framily (friends family) affair. BoBo and I worked on one song last night. Blu has offered to video tape. Schroeder is willing to accompany on a song. TeeHee came by last night to give me music for another. This is the crunch time as the video and application need to be in by Friday. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

And then it ends,
Skate

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Grind

It is back to work after a whirlwind trip north. I had a good time while I was up there. I was unable to post the last couple of days without steady internet. My older brother came in late Friday/early Saturday and we stayed up playing ping-pong and darts with JDad. Saturday he mentioned he wanted to do something with the rest of the family. He kept talking about wanting to hit up a Walmart or Best Buy. I was left to do the driving which was crafty by them. I was just going with the flow, and did not understand why we were leaving to go shopping on our day together. Well it turns out that my older brother and JDad had schemed to purchase a TV for me that day. It was quite the surprise when we arrived to Walmart and he told me that. Thank you both for the gift. I will get you back.

The rest of the evening was even more fun, with a wonderful meal put on by JDad's girlfriend. I thank her for setting the gathering up and really making a nice weekend available to all who wanted to enjoy it. I certainly did. I went undefeated in both ping-pong, beer pong, and uncle matches. I enjoyed killing all sorts of zombies on a couple games I imagine I might purchase now that I have a fancy TV.

I am not really looking forward to this week. I am the only one in the office save Wednesday and Friday. Unfortunately most of the work will have to be done prior to Wednesday; Thursday is shaping up to be a bit busy too. Oddly enough the two days that appear to be quiet at this point are the two days they will be there. I will be looking for some time off soon so that I can relax before the holiday season starts.

And then it ends,
Skate

Friday, November 27, 2009

Post-Giving

I was going to explain my disdain of the upcoming holiday season, but I do not have the energy. I am still digesting a solid helping of yesterday's feast along side ten beers and a good portions of three bottles of different wine. It turns out that really just saps your desire to go off on a tangent. Just know this, I do not like the upcoming holiday season. (Okay, I will go on at a later day even though Black Friday epitomizes the ugliness in which I hate.)

Today, after waking up, I will go play cards with Gma. She lives in a home where apparently they do not like to play games at all. Gma was given a computer to play her games to counteract the silliness of the others. After that I will be heading north to go spend time with JDad. I might lay off the drinking tonight, just a tad.

And then it ends,
Skate

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Giving Thanks

First I am thankful for The One. She did not make the trip North with me, and will be spending Thanksgiving with her parents. She means so much to me. Without her my house would not be a home. Her presence in my life brings much happiness.

After that I have a whole lot to be thankful for. I have my health and safety after a long drive from Oklahoma to Iowa. The roads were expectantly packed for Thanksgiving. The crowd finally tapered off late into the night and early morning. My biggest worry was getting around Kansas City, and that proved to be no problem. I have improved my long distance driving skill over the years. I did need one power nap, which should have been expected after working nearly a full day.

I am thankful for my family/friends. Last year I gave a choked up speech about how close I was to my friends, then repeated the speech later in complete tears. I consider them as close as my family and I love my family. I am seeing a good portion of my family over this weekend. It should be a wonderful time.

I am thankful for a steady secure job that pays me enough to have a roof over my head and food on the table. I am also thankful for the roof and the food. I am thankful for a bank account with money in it. I am thankful that I reduced the interest on my debt. I am thankful for the internet, I will miss it when the zombie apocalypse comes. I am thankful my sports teams that even through anguishing seasons bring me joy. I am thankful for Dog.

I could continue on and on as I have a wonderful life and am blessed with many joys.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Skate

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Packing Paradigm

I am hoping that I only have to work a few hours today before our boss cuts us loose. As soon as I can leave, I will be road bound. I am heading North to spend Thanksgiving with Mom, then going further North to celebrate JDad's 50th birthday. It should be good times all around. As per my usual, I have not packed. When I return from work I will be throwing some clothes in a bag and heading out. It should not take more than 10 minutes.

I do not recall the first time I deliberately waited to pack to go somewhere, but I do know it has been sometime before I was well prepared. Well prepared for me is packing the day or two before, not a week or two before like a few of my friends. It is almost like a little game to me now. Just pushing the envelope as far as I can. It drives The One crazy. I always am waiting to pack and she has everything set aside. When I do finally pack it does not take very long at all, and she still will have more packing to do. I think her extended packing is waiting to see how much room I left in my suitcase more so than she did not finish packing.

On a long weekend trip, such as the one I am taking, I will pack exactly one outfit per day and some bumming clothes to sleep in. The One would pack a mini closet. She has to have options for any situation that may arise. If I have to go over my standard set of clothes, it usually is not by much. The outfits I select are multi-functional; I do not pick out clothes that I would only feel comfortable wearing to only a certain place. That just seems like poor practice.

Not that I am perfect in my packing. We had a trip to Dallas that I ended up purchasing clothes during just to feel comfortable. I had misjudged what my companions would be wearing, and did not feel that my t-shirt was appropriate. Those moments are few and far between. I cannot imagine a clothes hog having too much of a problem with my solution either. Seriously, if you love clothes and have to pack them all, would you not like the excuse to get more clothes to fit the occasion?

And then it ends,
Skate

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Skate: Origins

I believe that a person can learn a lot about someone just by finding out where they are from, what they have gone through, how they handle situations, and where they want to be. I have talked a great deal about some future options I was looking at. What I have not provided was some form of background. This will not be an in depth look at the man behind the blog, but it will be a start.

I was born in central Oklahoma. My family would live there for another nine years and grow twice more in that span. By the time we moved I was finding trouble for my older brother and I, usually involving pushing my younger brother into things that would get us in trouble, and getting blamed for all the trouble my little sister caused. We were a military family and moved abroad. I lived in Northern Japan, Western Germany and traveled through and to a few places. My JDad would retire and we would move to Iowa where Mom had family that we were hoping to get support from as we transitioned into a new life.

It was not an easy transition. After a month in a hotel, we were taken in by one of my Uncles until we were able to secure an apartment. My JDad had found a job that was thirty minutes North of where we were. We eventually found a house and moved as my junior year in high school ended. It was in that house that a seemingly normal family would change. One morning my brothers and sister were told that our parents would be separating. I dare not explain motives of either parent; their relationship is between them and I will keep it that way.

The ongoing separation between the two of them left an obvious stain on the rest of the family. But that was only the beginning of change. Mom came home one mid-December evening from a social outing. I had friends over and one was planning to stay the night. While one friend took another friend home and the house was left empty to Mom and me, she told me I had another dad. At first I did not understand. She went on to tell me about the first time her and JDad were separated. How those times were hard and she found comfort in another man, and that man was my father.

I did not have much time to process this, as my friend was going to return. I shed a few tears and put this information aside until I could better grasp the idea. Unfortunately that time would come and it would not be any easier to understand. Mom had made an offhand remark regarding my situation at our New Year's Eve party that year. The room was awfully quiet with puzzled faces looking to Mom and me for answers. I ran from the room as Mom explained it to the crowd. I was young, my parents were separated and I had no idea how to handle this.

At first, my reaction was simply that my life had been a lie. I went through all my memories to see if I could figure out where I would have guessed that this was the truth along. I remembered a biology class that we were learning about blood types and how likely it was for you to have a certain one. I remember asking JDad what blood type he was; I was told that he was a certain blood type that would allow my blood type to make sense. JDad knew from the beginning that I was not his. Worse yet, BDad knew I was his. BDad went my whole life not being apart of it; not because he did not want to be, but he understood that was the way it should be.

Once I was able to grasp the situation, I embraced the newfound family. Not only was I adding BDad, I was adding another sister. I wanted to meet them and get to know them. I invited them out to my graduation and much to my delight they came. I have been able to visit them once since then. While it may be confusing to have family added so late in life and in such a manner, I did not see the point in not including them in my life. They are as much a part of me as the family I grew up with. I consider all my siblings full blood despite what science says. I consider both my fathers to be my dads. Their names here are their first initial of their first name and Dad, that is what they are to me.

This is only a portion of this story, not nearly going in depth as much as I could; it is just enough for you to understand a little more about me. Unfortunately you miss out on my version where I use my hand as the story basis with each child represented as a finger. It is rather quite a delight to tell when I do. Most times I really do not see it as a necessity. I simply have a mom, two dads, two brothers and sisters. I would not want it any other way. I love my family, each and every one of them, no less than the other.

~Skate

Monday, November 23, 2009

Two Kicks

The Redskins were so close to a win yesterday. If only Suisham made those two field goals we would be sitting closer to .500. His misses left us with a gut-wrenching loss, one that has quite literally made me sick to my stomach. Since the end of that game I have felt nauseated. It might have nothing to do with the game, but it certainly would not surprise me that my body reacts to a loss as badly as the rest of me does. It was not just a loss either, it was to our hated rival Dallas. We wanted Dallas, we had Dallas, we did not finish in Dallas. I would not want to be Suisham today.

In other football news, my Fantasy Season has been done in by Blu. Despite a reasonable posting by the Would Be Champs, I fell to 4-7. With two games left, I will not be able to catch-up. It has been a up and down year. I will be trying to put my team in position for next year. I already started by offering a trade that is awaiting league approval. For now, I will just have to fork over the rest of my fees and look to spoil a season or two myself.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Sweet Saturday

Yesterday was an amazing day. While I did not get some peaceful resting time that Blu enjoyed, I had a blast. The One and I met up with BoBo for a nice lunch at a local Chinese buffet. There he accused the two of us of leaving money attached to his door. We assure him it was not us. After lunch we headed to a fair that had a few interesting sales stands. The One picked up a zebra print scarf and we scored 1200 thread-count sheets.

After that jaunt through the fair, it was time to run from zombies. BoBo instantly was into the game as our day's first navigator. He wanted to investigate the whereabouts of his other suspect in the money caper, TeeHee, so the course was plotted for TeeHee's house. To our amazement, TeeHee was at home. He had told BoBo that he was out of town when the money would have been placed, and had returned only a few hours before we met up with him. I was working with Zombie, Run! to find more interesting variations. Without thinking I selected a destination just down the block from where we were. Suddenly we were surrounded by zombies. There was no hesitation as we all raced into the vehicle and drove off for safety.

We played a few more rounds; one of our destinations brought us to B12, much to his surprise. He certainly was not expecting the four of us to drive up to his house and then rush out of the car and into his neighbor's yard as he came out to greet us. B12 was nice enough to entertain our intrusion, and the four of us thanked him. Unfortunately, he had much to take care of and was unable to join us in our quest for survival. That would be his demise as the very next round he himself turned into a zombie.

After a few more thrilling rounds, we decided that we should go and play some games for the evening. BoBo brought up poker, and everyone agreed it would be fun. Four hours later, I was on top of the money pile grinning. Granted I was quite the river rat, hitting trip jacks and a king high flush on the river for large sums of money. The last of which was about a third of the entire chip count. Out of $40 possible dollars in chips, I had $23 by the game's end. I was very proud of The One, who held her own throughout the night. She was even chip leader and bullying the pots for a good portion of the four hours.

After poker we decided to relax with Cranium. Quite a fun game indeed. We played three rounds, swapping partners each time. The absurdity of people's actions, drawings, sculpting and humming was quite a delightful way to end the night. We were all victorious as the night grew to a close; our victories built on laughter and good company. We are blessed to have each other in our lives.

The lone loss was only minor, I had wanted someone to use the spare bedroom that has long gone empty on these crazy nights. The room stayed empty as BoBo and TeeHee both had to be somewhere this morning. A sleepover will happen. Games and conversations in the dark are not far off I imagine. We might be too old for this to be considered normal, but I never have a problem bringing out the little kid in me.

~Skate

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Responsibility

There is a saying in the group I roam with, 'It sucks to be a grown-up, sometimes.' I might have erroneously added the sometimes. Either way, it reminds me that it might be nice being an adult living on my own and receiving a quality paycheck, but I have things that I have to take care of. The One and I live comfortably on our paychecks; the bills get paid; we can find food in our refrigerator/cabinet...most days; we have money for extra frivolities. That last one is generally where we get ourselves into trouble. The One and I like to go out and eat. We like to share time with our friends outside the confines of our house. And there is nothing wrong with that. We know where our limits are. The One and I have been good at keeping to the standards we hold ourselves. That is what makes it all the more difficult when we see something we want.

I hope, for my financial sake, that I never decide to forgo an important need just for the enjoyment of a want. I never want to put Future Skate in a position where we might lose something important because we decided a want was more important that a need. I know Future Skate has plans and things he wants to do. Future Skate and The One will be married and have their needs. Future Skate and The One will have children and their needs. All of this weighs on my mind when I see a want. Sure, I could rob Peter to pay Paul. I can put things on a credit card and let Future Skate take care of it. But I know that is not the right answer.

I have great plans and ideas that I have for myself. Some of those plans includes paying off what debt I have. More importantly, my plans include The One and I getting engaged. While I will not be waiting until all debt is paid off and we are in perfect financial stability, I would like to start on the right footing. She may not get the exact engagement ring, or any one of the many she has cataloged for me, but I would like to get her something special.

I had mentioned in a previous blog that I was going to aggressively manage my debt. I still plan on taking an aggressive stand, I might just tone it down a bit. While I might be used to living like a bachelor and refrain from extra heat, food, and other desirable quality of life items, The One is not. Nor should she be. I make enough to balance pleasure and responsibility. I might have to cut some pleasure out. I might have to make a grocery run instead of a fast food run. I might have to decide that my wants are not as important as my needs or her wants. So yes, it might suck to be a grown-up sometimes and curb pleasure for responsibility; but, Future Skate will appreciate my efforts when he does not have to clean up a mess I left him.

~Skate

Friday, November 20, 2009

Digging a Hole

I do not have NFL Network, and while I would love to have it, I am glad I did not have it yesterday. I play Blu in our Fantasy Football League this week and he has Ricky Williams. Ricky decided that he was going to have an all-world day and ran with purpose. I know it is just the start to the NFL week, but I would have preferred not starting 22 points down. I certainly was not expecting that when I woke up this morning, Blu averages 36 points. A loss would probably end my season. To top it off, I picked Carolina to win the game. I am glad I did not start trash talking this week; as of now, it looks like I will be eating crow.

Yesterday felt like Friday the whole day. It took me nearly the whole day to think of why it felt like a Friday. I was originally going to be off today. I cannot decide whether or not today will go by fast because it will be busy, or if it will go by slow because I thought I was going to be off and I have a conference call, a meeting and the purgatory office. None of the three are enjoyable experiences. I will just have to hope that someone is not there when I get to purgatory.

And then it ends,
Skate

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Holding Down the Fort

I, again, was the only one in the office yesterday. Being the only one has its perks. There are also times where it is not all that much fun. I like having the other two around to bounce questions off of or to balance the workload. I am still learning the job and do not know all the ends and outs, I will get there. I am hoping today goes well. Yesterday I had an angry customer, I doubt his temperament has cooled off much since then.

Thankfully this week has gone by rather quickly. I do not have any solid plans this weekend, but a a break is always welcome. The One and I are very serious about playing Zombie, Run! this weekend even though it seems we did not have any takers to join us. Other than that, I plan on sleeping. For the last few days waking up has been more of a chore than it normally is. It might be because I have gone to bed earlier than I normally do. I also have not been taking naps, which is certainly odd for me.

I have a morning process that I attend to. My alarm goes off at 530, I dismiss it and climb out of bed. I let Dog out for her morning break. After that I come sit at the computer and pull up sites for reading; my main choices involve Facebook, sports, web comics, and Magic. Dog, lately, has been all business when it comes to her morning break. I will let her in after only ten minutes or so. I feed her, feed myself and sit back down to finish the reading. I generally do not start to type this until after 6. I start to actually get ready around 630. Depending on how long it takes me to shave and shower depends on how much free time I have afterwards to relax before setting off to work. It might all seem strange for most people, to wake up so early when I do not have to be at work until two hours later. I like it. The whole process helps me wake up and relax before starting the day. It provides some quiet solitude in a day that otherwise might not have some.

I started this habit when I was younger. I would have to wake up early to deliver papers. (Yes, I was a paperboy.) I would sometimes get up at 4 in the morning. I had the house all to myself in the mornings, a certain rarity in a family of 6. I could get on the computer, watch what I wanted to watch on TV, play games all by myself, finish up some last minute school work in quiet or do whatever it is I wanted in a peaceful house. I also served as an alarm clock to the rest of my family.

An aside: I laughed when I originally put down homework. Even schoolwork is a bit of a joke. I rarely accomplished any such thing during my school days. I much preferred doing well on tests to homework. Though there were some science projects, and a 7 page term paper that I threw together in those early hours. The science project did not go over well, it was hard to tap-dance my way through plastics when I decided to go molecular instead of just a broad overview. It was pretty obvious I had thrown it together. The term paper on the other hand was a thing of beauty. After not having done a lick of the preliminary work, I had to accomplish everything in only a few hours what most took an entire semester working on. It was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but pulling out an 85 on a very last minute paper was a nice prize for a procrastinator. It helped that it was still one of the better grades in the class.

And then it ends,
Skate

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

All Alone in the Office

Yesterday proved to be an interesting day. My co-worker is out until Friday and my boss went down sick, leaving me the only one there. I am not sure if I was productive enough or not. I felt that I could have gotten more work done, instead I did training that took forever. More work to do today.

The Thunder won yet another game last night. I am very proud of where they are now. If they can figure out how to take out completely over-matched teams teams they will be phenomenal. They could be 8-3 if they would have take care of the Kings and Clippers the second time around. The Thunder will be sure to continue giving the elite teams a hard time all year long. Improvement would mean a trip to the playoffs; the way they are winning against playoff caliber teams it might mean a good run, or at least a game 7. Right now, I just hope they beat the Magic again. I like razzing this kid in the office who is from the Orlando area.

BeerSnob called out Da Broads in fantasy football. It was nice to see some competitive posts. I have been devoid of posting smack as my team has been mostly smacked around. Next year, when my team fares better, I will be sure to lay it on thick to the other teams. I will let them know now that I use math and facts in my beat-downs, but only in an amusing torturous way.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Zombie, Run!

The One and I had some fun last night on our way to and from dinner. There is an application for our phones called Zombie, Run! The app is quite simple; it uses the GPS on your phone to determine your location, you then pick a destination, how many zombies and how fast the zombies are, then your off to the races as the map of your area begins to be populated with zombies that are out to get you. It was quite fun, and The One and I might spend an afternoon in the car one weekend just roaming around avoiding zombies. It is an app Blu would appreciate and have fun with.

The One did get a bit hysterical during the first run. Zombies would be four blocks away on the map and she would be screaming for me to turn. I will not go in depth on the amount of screaming that she did, I will just tell you she throat hurt afterwards. As far as the afternoon goes, we would be willing to take on extra survivors in our quest across town. I would love to involve more people in this wildly amusing activity.

Speaking of zombies, I was ready to use my double tap weapon on someone yesterday. Apparently I have not been showing on-time for the purgatory office. Since I have been in this job, now three months, I have been showing up at one in the afternoon. Nothing has been said at all, not even when I have called to inform them I would would be later than one. Yesterday, most likely because of the presence of a higher-up who is taking the lead in righting the ship, the current man in-charge told my counterpart that I was to be there at twelve and to get me there immediately. When I walked in to our one o'clock meeting, that I took a twelve lunch for, she informed me of this change. When I asked the man (A bit hesitant in calling him that.) when the change was made, he simply told me it has been that way for a while.

I pride myself on being a good worker. And one of the traits a good worker has is showing up at appointed times. It does not settle well with me that I have been late for three months without my knowledge. Thankfully though, all that inner wrenching did not last long. While I am more than willing to take accountability for my actions. I am not in the wrong here. The purgatory office has been poorly run by this man and this is just another example. Even in the way he handled the situation was just poor. During the meeting, with every load of bologna that driveled from this man's mouth as a response to why things were broken and how can we fix them, I became even more frustrated with him. Thankfully I am not the only one, and things should be heading in the right direction for the purgatory office.

This reminds me that I have not recapped The One's situation with her work. To sum it up, the good gals won and the evil witch is gone. The other worker woman is still there, but I foresee a change in attitude or location for her as well. In the end it came down to The One or this horrible excuse of a director. A very easy choice indeed.

And then it ends,
Skate

Monday, November 16, 2009

Right Mindset

I have to mentally prepare for what will be a long week. One, I will not be taking Friday off as originally planned. Two, my co-worker will be out this week as planned. Three, I will not be able to get a fresh start at tackling the work today as I will be an escort for an important visitor most of the day. Four, I still have to make it to the purgatory office for my assigned times; I did manage to switch my time today for time tomorrow because of the VIP, but that really will put me further back. I can see light at the end of the tunnel, but that may only be because I have solid 20/20 vision.

I just re-watched the Redskins highlights. I am ecstatic. It really does not take much these days to excite a 'Skins fan. Now I know it was only one win, but you could see promise in the young players. To top off an early win, there was more celebrating to be had on a later win. The Packers upset Dallas; I would have liked to have seen a shutout, but a late touchdown spoiled that happy ending.

That was the extent of my happy Sunday as far as football goes. The Would Be Champs failed me again. As Da Broads boomed in the early games, my 'studs' laid down bare points. Thankfully Wayne stepped-in and doubled my points, saving me from a historically bad outing. I cannot completely blame my team. I hesitated on line-up changes and went with the statistical analysis instead of my gut, though neither have been very good readings over this season. My bench outscored my starters. Even with the changes I was thinking about making, I would have lost. Da Broads put up an outstanding score, congrats to them.

And then it ends,
Skate

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Sleepy Sunday

Dog continues to wake me up well before I would like to be up. She is certainly a morning animal. I see a nap in my future whenever she decides to calm down.

TeeHee threw an outstanding dinner/games/Up party last night. All those in attendance were their usual fun selves. BoBo vehemently defended his selections in Scategories which was quite the sight to see indeed. Up, was a very touching movie. Pixar always amazes me with their ability to really bring the characters to life. To me the most notable was how the female retained that childlike enthusiastic glow as she grew older. Amazing.

Today might be the day I actually reach .500 in Fantasy Football. It will not be easy as the three ladies in my way field some potent players who could provide a large boost in point total. It will be a thrilling match, one I hope to be the victor of. A win would put me at third in the division and in position to make the playoffs. A loss will continue the uphill battle I have been fighting since week one.

And then it ends,
Skate

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Picture Day

The One and I are up early to travel and get our pictures taken. I am hoping the weather holds up. Currently it is foggy and overcast. Who knows, by midday when we are where we need our pictures taken it might be clear and sunny.

We have three outfits lined up that should look good on camera. The One is going to look amazing as she always does. She really is wonderful. I think I should tell her that more often. She seems not to believe me when I do and wonders if I do when I have not said it in a while. I love her. I assure you I did not give her the name The One without truly thinking about the name.

It was TeeHee's birthday yesterday. He is much like me in the fact he would prefer that fact to go unnoticed. We did more than acknowledge it, we celebrated the birth. We had a little get together to enjoy a few drinks and top notch dinner. Tonight we will continue having fun with a movie and some games. It is always a fun time.

And then it ends,
Skate

Friday, November 13, 2009

Second Friday

Yesterday certainly had the feeling of a Monday. Thankfully Friday is here.

Last night I played the man in charge of the velvet rope for an open house function. It wasn't too bad, though I ended up having to initially turn away a friend. She was not on the list, but was supposed to be there. We had to work some things out before she was eventually able to come in.

While at work, my company sent out a message informing us of a Physician Assistant program that it is offering. I am looking into it as far as qualifications go. They would send me to school to learn the trade all the while paying me the same as I do now and pay for the schooling. I would come out as a PA back into the company making more money than I do now. It really is not all that bad of a deal at all. From what I have read so far I am a prime candidate.

Now there is a small issue of my conscience on motive to get past. I have turned down programs they have offered before because the only real reason I had to go into them was that I would make more money. I always see the dollar bills flashing when it comes to these programs. But to me that should not be the only reason to jump on them. I do have some interest in this career field, but I had some interest in the others, my interests are very broad and sometimes fleeting. I know I would be a capable PA. I certainly think I am smart enough to make it through the program.

I am still planning to continue on my tour package and try to get picked up for that. If I do not make the tour, I might have a package for this program ready. Sort of an option 'B'. I am not saying I will, but I am thinking about it. There is a small issue of how often the program comes out. I have seen this one before, and thought it was yearly. It turns out this program comes around every so often, but not necessarily on a regular basis. Again, we will see.

And then it ends,
Skate

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Monday/Thursday?

Okay so having a day off in the middle of the week has caused a fair amount of confusion in my tiny little brain. Today is Thursday, but it has the feel of a Monday. It was easier to except Tuesday being more like a Friday than it is have another Monday. Oh well, in the end I will have only worked four days this week. Next week I have taken Friday off to extend that weekend as well. Then Thanksgiving weekend for a four day weekend. These holiday months go by so quickly.

It is beginning to be crunch time on my audition tape. I should be able to get at least one song in. I still need someone to play Arlington, preferably on an acoustic guitar. I have a musical track for my other song, though would still prefer live music. It should all come together really quickly. As long as I get it in, I feel as if I will be invited for the talent contest in January. There is where I can truly wow them.

I have quite the busy work day ahead, though I do not recall half the things I have to accomplish. Should be interesting.

And then it ends,
Skate

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Afternoon Post

It has been a nice relaxing day off so far. I was able to sleep in, which was more because of the fact that I slept most of the night on the couch after I fell asleep watching the Thunder game. From there I was about to start my post when my attention was diverted to Football Outsiders, one of my favorite sport sites, and Jason Campbell. FO has defended Campbell over the last year in a half while he has struggled and apparently that has led them to receive some bashing from readers. Unfortunately the bashing only really appears to tear apart Campbell.

That distraction led me into lunch at Applebee's with a host of friends. It was a good meal. We started off conversation by discussing how steaks should be cooked. I, for one, am a medium-rare guy. I like it brown on both sides, and a warm pink in the middle. It has to be warm though, cold and bloody is not appetizing. I did concede that a well done well-done steak would be acceptable, though not preferred. BeerSnob started me on my Papa John's rant and discussed some of his experiences with the pizza place that were less than stellar but had happy endings.

From there we directed conversation onto the zombie apocalypse. We discussed the finer points of the double tap, our roles in the migration north, and how to deal with loved ones that have become infected. I will be wielding a mallet for double tapping. I intend to provide close range support for the vehicle. A role where I sleep most of the time and then when others are sleeping I protect them. And we all (well BeerSnob, Blu, and I) agreed that if a loved one is infected that the must be dealt with accordingly. We decided it would be best to verify that they are indeed going to be a zombie and then put them down Old Yeller style.

I have a few things left to do for today. Mostly I will continue to enjoy my time off. Before I part, I would like to thank all those who are serving, have served and those who are ready to join in our Military. Whether our service members are home or abroad, they truly provide security to our grand United States. Please show your support to these fine women and men.

~Skate

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

First Friday

Today is my first Friday of the week thanks to a day off tomorrow. Tomorrow is not just a day off though, it is Veteran's Day. With the tragedy that has taken its toll in Fort Hood, this day will stand even more important. We must not forget those Americans who are fighting abroad and keep them in our prayers.

On a lighter note, the scheme played out as planned! BoBo, TeeHee, The One and I were able to sneak in our gift to the newlyweds, Blu and his one. (I too am having a hard time finding a name for her.) We assembled the Ball O' Fire while charging my car battery. (I found my battery dead right after leaving yesterday's post.) After it was assembled, I was on decoy duty as BoBo and TeeHee took to the shadows and placed it in the back of the house on their porch. They even started a fire for the newlyweds. I waited inside for the signal and when I finally received it, a simple text 'Go', I took the newlyweds outside. The Ball O' Fire, was a lovely surprise.

Thank you BoBo and TeeHee for helping out with my car. I am not a car person. I do not understand them aside from driving. It was nice of you two to help get my car running again, while we put together the gift. Thank you.

And then it ends,
Skate

Monday, November 9, 2009

Backwards Monday

I write this in haste as I am due into work here shortly. Normally I write these before getting ready while in whatever I slept in. Today I write this fully clothed, showered, shaved and ready for work. I actually shaved and showered last night. I normally do not like to shower at night but I made the exception today because of an early wake-up and needing to get to work in a hurry.

It should be a short week. I love Federal Holidays.

I am hoping The One has a good week. Last week was particularly hard for her because of the job deal. It is funny to think that her best option is actually that she gets fired, wrongfully that is. Then she could get paid while focusing on just her school work. While I hope for the best, I actually want the other people to removed from their jobs and for her to continue working. She really is happy with those kids.

I am hoping for an aerial assault from the Steelers this evening. One that never fails to get into the end zone as my opponent has their kicker. I fear I may be down too many points to squeak this one by, but I hold out hope.

And then it ends,
Skate

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Life is Grand

Yesterday was just one of those days that will put a smile on your face and keep it there. After a nice lunch with The One, BoBo, TeeHee and B12, The One and I returned home for a nice little nap. BoBo and TeeHee came over to the house briefly before we piled into a van to head North. BoBo had to call a 8-man football game and we all wanted to join him. It was about an hour North of here with two teams the majority of us did not know. The company, though, we did know and was excellent. We really had a fun time throughout. The drives had great conversations and jokes, the football game kept our fancy, the dinner afterwards was nice and had more entertaining dialog. I would argue that the only sad moment of the entire event was the party parting in the end. It was just one of those days you look back and smile fondly on.

It is our responsibilities, not ourselves, that we should take seriously. - Peter Ustinov


Today will be a relaxing day. I will spend most of it watching football in hopes that the Redskins will win and the Would Be Champs can pull to 4-5. The One will be spending her day working on homework and the like. She really does work hard. I am happy that she was able to unwind yesterday.

And then it ends,
Skate

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Slept In

I managed to fight off Dog, noisy neighbors, barking dogs and a train long enough to get a decent amount of sleep. I do not sleep in all that often; I normally wake up around seven and take a nap later. Today though I wanted to sleep in longer.

Blu and his one were joined in union last night. It was a really nice ceremony. The after wedding was grand as well. I will just refer you to my guest blog that I did for that.

I am heading out for lunch to do some scheming so this will be a very short blog today.

And then it ends,
Skate

Friday, November 6, 2009

Quiting Time

I helped The One write her two weeks notice last night, and just now printed it out. Her job has gone completely bonkers. Her retelling of their staff meeting yesterday reminded me of the Papa John's incident. Concerns were being brought to the director and apologies were being demanded. And all that could be said on the other end, "I'm sorry you feel that way." Not an apology and not an answer to the problem.

Worse yet, was not all the staff was there. One of the culprits that is rotting the inside out of that daycare did not show up. Much like she does not show up half the time she is scheduled. It might be harsh, I do not think highly of either this person or the director, but that is what happens when you are scheduled to come in at a certain time and do not show up at all for work that day. Then in that same day you come into the office to pick up your paycheck which already has that days hours calculated into it. The integrity in both these people is not lacking, it is non-existent.

The One is not alone in this. Besides her friends, family and me, her co-workers are also planning to submit theirs. I am about to print out two more. I do have to say the idea is solid, and I will admit I am excited to have it play out. I am not excited for The One to lose her job, she loves working with those kids. I am excited to see a staged protest against a totalitarian leader who should have been taken down a long time ago.

After printing those other resignation letters, it appears The One was going to be the John Hancock of this liberation. Her letter font was much larger than the other two. I liked it, The One vetoed it. I will be printing out more with appropriate sized font.

I found a quote that I think sums up how my purgatory office has been working.

When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of putting it into practice.

The idea of that office is sound. It gives our customers a centralized location for them to work things out. Unfortunately it has not received any backing whatsoever, well aside from my office, that it needs to be successful. This week has been going fairly smooth. But I have a feeling that it is giving false hope to all us. On Monday we have an inspection that we have been set up to fail for. The purgatory office is a sinking ship; and while its workers are busy bailing out with our bare hands, there are people who are just standing there telling us to spread our fingers out to get more water. Worse yet, I feel as if some people have found buckets but are using them to pour water into the ship and not take water out.

No two weeks notice from me though, contract and all. I will continue to do my best there and try not to undermine anything that might be a success. It really is a good idea in concept. It was rushed to put together and not taken seriously for the first six months of existence. We are where we are because of how we have been, but we can change where we are going.

~Skate

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Must Have Been Tired

It is amazing what ten hours of sleep can and cannot do. I still was tired after my second round of five this morning. My first round of five was accidental. After work The One and I wanted to take an uninterrupted nap. And boy did we. We did not wake up until 1030; a bit problematic when you consider we still need to eat and go to bed. We worried BoBo in the process. I was supposed to work with him last evening on my audition songs and when I did not answer my phone, which was on silent, he began to worry. He tried to contact The One, her phone was on silent. Apparently he checked to see if any CR-Vs had gotten into a wreck. Sorry BoBo, I did not mean to worry you.

After calming BoBo down, The One and I got out of bed. The TV had been left on from earlier and was showing Batman Begins, one of my favorite Batman movies. We plopped on the couch well rested, hungry and thirsty. At 1040, our options were slim to none. I cooked up some popcorn for the movie and called it square. The One ended up back in bed as I finished out the movie.

With each passing moment I spend in front of my TV I begin to wonder if I should upgrade. The idea was planted in my head when I convinced a young man that he could easily afford a TV that was on sale just earlier this week. I apparently I convinced myself I could as well. Now I find myself trying to convince myself that it is largely a want and not a need. That there are many needs that should be fixed before I even think of this want. But then I look at my 27" CRT bubble screen TV that I have had for six years and my want returns to mind.

I know that I will end up passing on the TV. I have more important things to worry about after I take care of the mortgage and bills. As much as I have tried to be financially responsible I still slip up and need a swift kick in the butt. I decided that will be hyper-aggressive in paying off my credit card. It has been jacked-up due to having to fix my car and I have been very lackadaisical in paying it off. That is a need. My bank has increased the APR to nearly 25%, just plain ridiculous. It will not be pretty over the next few paychecks but it will be nice to receive my income tax next year and be able to keep it or use it for wants instead of paying off credit debt.

And then it ends,
Skate

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Great Ape

A friend reminded me of a psychology story I once heard of involving apes (I have heard a variety of the apes used in the story.) and a banana. For those of those not familiar with it, the story is about traditions and conditioning. It can be related to many aspects of many of our lives. I can relate it to my corporation. We often do things just because that is what we were taught, or that is because it is the way it has always been done. I often see it in families. I even brought up an example yesterday. Though I would argue that yesterday's example was a positive conditioning and not negative.

I do tend to think of that story and relate it to the negative conditioning that I have seen; most likely due to the fact that the apes repeatedly beat each other up. I have always thought that ignorance breeds ignorance. Children learn from their parents and the society around them. When looking for an example I often find that deeply rooted racism is taught this way. The children were raised to hate people of a different race and do not know any different.

A person is smart, people are dumb. As a whole it is easy to be sucked into that mob mentality. People can be herded just as easily as other animals. Most of the time, the people being herded are weak of will and their own desires. They file mindlessly in line just because there is one.

I am not exempt, I have blindly followed a few people before. I have done things that were horribly difficult just because that was the way it was done before me. It did not matter that I knew of an easier way; I was taught it one way and I will do it that one way. I can say that I try to think thing through. I try to keep an open mind. I can often be found with my hand raised when I think a process is outdated at work. I ask questions about why we are doing the things.

I do not know what makes a person choose to follow or go against the grain. I cannot explain why it is when people gather that as a whole they get dumber. Perhaps it is programmed into us that we behave a certain way when filed into a group. Reprogram.

And then it ends,
Skate

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

It is Okay to Call Me Sir

The following mini-rant is stemming from a thought that I had yesterday based off of the old adage: "Do not call me sir, I work for a living." I had passed a couple of gentlemen in which one had uttered something similar. I was raised to call anyone that was my superior sir/ma'am. Whether it be because of age or position that is how I was taught. That is what I will teach my children. I never much understood the positioning of the other side of the argument. I understand the origins of the saying, but why would it still exist today?

As I grew older, and became a professional, the title sir/ma'am was given to not only my superiors, but my subordinates and most importantly customers as well. Sir/ma'am is a respectful way to address someone, not an insult. It is not saying that you hold a certain position that gives you favor over others regardless of what you actually accomplish. If I call you sir, it is BECAUSE you work for a living and deserve some basic form of respect.

This morning is going to be interesting. My two offices are going to be locked in a power struggle and I am their pawn. My purgatory office had called my co-worker and I over to work there for the week. Well once there the expected the two of us to do the work of all the others who had left for the day. This did not sit well with my actual office. Instead of showing up to my purgatory office like they expect this morning I will return to my actual office. It is a bit humorous to witness the struggle, but when you are the low man on the totem poll you fear where the feces may roll when all is said and done. For now I will continue to just do the biddings of my superiors that actually have a say in my future and let them deal with the repercussions.

I managed to win my Fantasy Football game last night. I needed at least 50 yards. I did not have to wait long, Pierre Thomas rumbled for 38 yards and a touchdown on the Saints first drive. That put me well over what I needed to win and gave me cushion for when he fumbled later on in the game. I am still very alive in this league. I can ill afford another loss, but if I can pull even I have a shot. I am smack dab in the middle of my division, but there are two games between me and the next team. In the other division I would be doing much better as only one team is substantially above .500.

And then it ends,
Skate

Monday, November 2, 2009

Oh Monday

The One and I shared our very first dinner together at our very own dining room table. She prepared a wonderful baked potato soup and set the table. I said grace before the meal, which prompted The One to cry because she was so happy. It really is a nice table. We are still looking for a bakers rack or the like to match the table. We also will be working on changing the stain on our bar to match as well. It took about four/five hours to put it all together. Thank you 4 of 12 for offering to help.

On a more aggravating note, Papa John's might have lost valuable customers. The One and I were famished and wanting lunch. We did not have anything prepared and figured pizza would be nice as I build and she works on her school project. We called a little after noon, and was informed that it would be an hour to an hour and fifteen. An hour and a half later we call to see where our pizza is. We were given a very short answer that it is being delivered, no apology for the time. Another half hour pasts, making it two hours, before our pizza arrives. The gentleman who delivered was actually quite nice, but still no apology on the delay in delivery. After turning the delivery man away I realize our pizza is barely warm. Not too much of a surprise after two hours of waiting. What was a surprise was that our extra cup of garlic sauce that we ordered was not in the box. I was able to catch the man before he left; he apologized, gave me fifty cents and told me that I could call in for a credit of some sort. A call was certainly in order.

As aggravating as it was to wait two hours and be given an incomplete and cold order, it was nothing compared to my phone call. When I called up and explained the situation to the person on the other end, the response I received was that the pizza was made and then delivered. That he did not understand why it would be cold because it was not sitting around the store. No apology. Further infuriated at this point, something that was easily distinguishable in my voice as I was very firm but not rude, I again repeated my frustrations with this person and said that it was unacceptable. I was given not only the same response but an added tone as if this was not the persons fault or problem. I then asked for the manager, the person replied that he was in fact the manager. This just plain shocked me. I even explained to the man on the phone that I was surprised to hear he was the manager and even more surprised that was the answer I received. He told me that he did not know what I wanted him to do. I told him that he did not even apologize for anything. His only attempt at an apology went something like this "I am sorry, but we are busy. I made your pizza and it went out for delivery right away. We are still behind on orders right now." Wow. I could not have been more upset.

The supposed manager again said he did not know what I wanted but asked if I wanted compensation. When I said something would be nice, he told me that my next order would be credited. I asked how I would prove that I should be compensated and he simply told me just to call in and tell them I talked to the manager and that I was suppose to be compensated. At this point I may have become snappy. I did not believe that I was in any way going to be compensated. I asked if he was going to write something down as proof and he told me all I would have to do is call. After another exchange he told me to ask for a manager and explain the situation and I, and I want to be very clear on this, SHOULD be compensated. Unbelievable.

I had enough up to that point. I told the manager that I apologize that he was busy, but that his answer was still unacceptable. I even apologized that I may have added to his rough day and wished him well. I wanted to slam the phone down on him; I settled for simply angrily pushing the end call button. After all of this, and microwaving our pizza to make it warm, The One and I decided that we should put in a complaint someone even higher. We put the complaint in at Papa John's website and received a prompt reply apologizing for the situation and that our complaint is being forwarded to the owner of the establishment. We'll see what happens after this.

And then it ends,
Skate