All Hallow's Eve

Last night's Drunk O' Lantern was a success. B12 and I carved out two pumpkins a piece and they look awesome! BoBo's pumpkin also looks amazing and will be the first pumpkin people see. BoBo's second pumpkin did not turn out so well. The pumpkin was hard as rock. It took a combination of the three of us to pry a top off. We had an assortment of kitchen knifes and saws to try to hack into this thing. A good Michael Myers stab would barely scratch the top. After a while we decided that this pumpkin would have to be left alone with a just a face drawn.

The One and I are going table shopping today. We were unsuccessful in finding the table we were looking for yesterday evening. We did find a really nice solid oak table that was comfortable, the right color, with extra chairs for the bar, and it was the right size. It would have been exactly what we were looking for...if it did not carry that unfortunate solid oak price. We want a quality table with available chairs to match the bar; we just want some well under a two grand.

My costume is currently being worked on to be lengthened. It really needs it, otherwise I might not be able to have children after tonight. I went to five costume shops yesterday and not a one carried my costume in the plus size. Sometimes it is hard to be tall.

The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 2-0! I am very excited for them. After a blow out in the opening they held fast for a close one. I look forward to seeing them progress over the year, I might even go catch a game. I think they will progress even further. Durant has not even looked that great so far and that will change. Green and Westbrook are amazing players. Harden has shown why he was drafted. And the team has played good defense so far.

Halloween is finally here! It is my brother's birthday and I would like to wish him a happy one. Happy birthday! He is now the ripe age of 23.

Enjoy your Halloween everyone. Have a blast but be safe.

~Skate

Fast Friday

I am excited about the next two days. I am off work today, about to head out for a dermatology appointment. Tonight I will have dinner with The One and then we are going to look for a table. After that adventure, it is Drunk O' Lantern with B12 and BoBo. And that is just today!

Yesterday was a nice complete day. Work is really starting to wind down now which is nice. My co-worker found out she received the transfer she was looking for. And a young man received a contract extension. Next week will be a mix of busyness and nothingness. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

I had TeeHee and BoBo over for dinner last night before we did some plotting and practicing. Our little scheme is quite the work of thoughtfulness. It will be fun to see it out. The practice went well, though we may have scared the neighbors a bit. I am sure they are not used to seeing what they saw last night. The One did not participate this time, but she swears she will when the time comes.

Speaking of practice. I am acquiring my songs for my audition tape so that I may sing them to and from my appointment which is an hour and a half away. Lots of time to belt out and learn the songs. I still haven't decided on one of the three, but hopefully I will today.

~Skate

A Child's Imagination

A child's imagination is a wonderful thing, and nearly the name of this blog. I had held that title in on another page for a long time after I though of it. It came to me as I was walking home from work a few years back. There were three kids, two boys and a girl, playing on the playground. The playground was small and have very little to offer. That did not stop the kiddos from having a good time. They were playing a game I am sure most of us played when we were little where the ground is made of lava and you cannot touch it as you try to cross the playground. They were having so much fun.

A child's imagination does not just make the most of a small situation, it also believes. As children we often think of becoming such glorious or even outlandish things. I disclosed yesterday to the entire Clinic where I work that when I was five I wanted to grow-up to be a butterfly. Foolish thought for sure, but back then it was possible. You really believed you could grow-up to be anything you wanted. Most kids want to be adventurers, astronauts, doctors, veterinarians, zoo keepers and the list goes on to jobs that most adults would not even consider. I might have been the only child whose dreams of grandeur involved transformation into a butterfly, but I aimed big and that is what I thought would be amazing.

Quick aside: I do not think it is too crazy to want to be a butterfly, well outside the fact that it is crazy to think a human could transform into one. Butterflies look so peaceful and fun as the flutter around. They are free to go where ever they please, and gladly dance around do show as much.

I have often accused myself of having Peter Pan's Syndrome, where I never want to grow old. I do not want to grow old and jaded. I want to always make things better than what they really are. I want to keep believing in myself and know that I really could do and be whatever it is I want. I know I will age, and the gray hairs will follow. I will have children of my own...someday and not too soon. I have to be an adult now, but I will keep my childish imagination.

~Skate

Wild Thing

For some reason I like to push my gas tank to the brink. I have driven 80 miles with the gas light on. I do not getting any sort of rush out of of living on the edge, but it certainly amuses me. I should have just enough to pull into a gas station this morning. It would be a good bet to say that I would be smiling the entire drive over.

I failed to mention last week a wonderful organization, Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. You can go out to www.gorilladoctors.org to read up on them. I just wanted to give the plug to something that I feel is very important. I am very fond of gorillas. In a recent trip to a zoo I was a bit despondent when the gorillas were not out when we went to see them. I looked as if I were a little boy who was stripped of his favorite toy. Then, when we continued on to the other side of their habitat and found them, I lit up just as the small children were.

I worked with B12 and BoBo last night on a project of mine. I am getting an audition tape together for a touring group. We narrowed it down to a few choices that should show off a bevy of my talents. Two of the choices have been settled upon, That's Amore and Arlington. The former is a decent crowd pleaser that I look to use the audience with. The latter is a Country ballad that is a perfect song for my bara-base voice. We were looking at three songs in the Musical Theater genre that are much faster paced.

The first is Buddy's Blues from Folly's; it is a great song that I can have a lot of fun with and show my high energy. Next is Betrayed from The Producers; there is a good amount of humor and dialog that I can play around with and use. Last, but not least, there is Everybody Says Don't from Anyone Can Whistle; this one struck me as amusing and something I could do some simple but effective movements with. I will be mulling this one over today to see which one I should do in conjunction with the others.

If you have a dog, please silence it. Last night The One and I relocated to the living room in hopes that we would get far enough from our neighbor's dogs who had been barking for the better part of an hour. There was no trying to sleep through it in the bedroom as the noise was constant and annoying. The One wanted me to go yell at the dogs, but I figured that would incite them even more. If I were cruel I would have a device that would keep them quiet. Dog does bark a bit, mostly in th morning. I am still working on ways that we can train her not to. It is easy enough when she is inside; but when she is outside, Dog thinks we are just letting her in or does not understand why we are yelling at her. She will learn.

And then it ends,

Skate

Delirium

I am incredibly exhausted right now. Yesterday I worked from 630 in the morning to 930 at night. The office continues to right the wrongs of several people past. At this point I might as well set up a cot there. Again, I am holding to the hope of it quieting down sometime. There have been a lot of suspenses that were on the backs of each other and next week should lead to some normalcy.

I think all that work has excited my brain. Twice this morning I awoke to protect my house from intrusion, only to realize that it was all apart of a dream. The first time was fueled by Dog staring out the porch door.

Aside: I chose to go with a classic John Wayne reference and just call my dog: dog. I have always wanted to do that; though, admittedly, it feels odd giving that name to a 9 pound schnoodle...

I do believe the first time I might have even yelled out into the house "Come out you bastard!" All the while intimidatingly swing around a hiking stick. The second time I remained quiet, though I leaped over Dog's gate to get into the living room. This time Dog only gave me a look as if I were crazy. I double checked the house both times just to be certain.

Unfortunately I will be returning to work here in just a short while, and again it will be a long day. Hopefully tomorrow morning will be less exciting and filled with more sleep.

I received my costume yesterday. I do not know what I was thinking. I do not think there is anything in this world that is labeled "One Size Fits All" that fits me. To say this one was snug would be an understatement. As it stands now, if I were to go out into the town they would ticket me for indecent exposure. Something must, and will, be done before I don the costume this Saturday. For now, I have learned my lesson: make my own costume.

And then it ends,

Skate

Manic Monday

I have to get into work early this morning and the first few days promise to be busy enough to keep me there late. That will ruin my streak of two days leaving at a decent time. I wake up a half hour earlier when I decide to go in early, with good reason too. I have been up for 37 minutes and have not even tried to get ready. I have a process in the morning that I rather enjoy. It helps me wake up and prepare for the day. If I were not to go through the motions it would throw my whole day off track. The mornings are a perfectly serene time to collect thoughts.

My dog, who continues to be nameless, has peculiar habits as well. One of her oddest behaviors is that she gathers food in her mouth and runs it across the house where she drops it on the floor to eat. She repeats this process several time. I think she does this so that she may be closer to The One and/or I. Odd behavior nonetheless.

I am looking forward to this weekend. I hope that this week will fly by in an effort to get it here sooner.

And then it ends,

Skate

Superb Saturday

Yesterday was an excellent day indeed. It started off with The One making a wonderful breakfast. We invited BoBo over to join us for some biscuits and gravy and some wonderful sausage. It was a great meal to start the day. The gravy was perfectly thickened, the biscuits were fresh and flaky, and the sausage was thick and hearty.

After breakfast the three of headed to Hobby Lobby to find some items for BoBo's costume. We were able to find what we need. We really think that we will be able to pull our costume scheme off. It will take a lot from us to really sell the product as a whole.

We had evening plans set with BoBo, B12, TeeHee, BP, and Schroeder. First we went for some fine dining at a local restaurant. We started at 530, which turned out to be a perfect time. The meal and conversation was delightful. We almost did not make it to the performance at 8. I cannot express in words the joy my circle of friends brings to me. It is just outstanding.

After the show, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and sat outside a local pub. BP could not stay with us as she had plans to go to the cast party. The rest of us continued the conversation and laughter from before. We even had bouts of singing intermittently thrown in. All night we were the focus of everyone around us.

We also discovered that BoBo's laugh has an uncanny resemblance to Muttley from Wacky Races. Quite funny actually.

And then it ends,

Skate

Smashing Pumpkins

I never thought I was going to see 0630 this Saturday morning, yet here I am. I have paused several times to ask myself "Why am I up?" This is often followed by the answer of a bark or two in the distance.

I love that little rascal, so do not get me wrong here, but there are some mornings where I just want to strangle the tiny thing. I am not sure what sent her into a whining fit this morning, but she would not stop. Ignoring her did not work. Going out to yell at her did nothing; she pranced around after each scolding. I decided to put her outside. Silly dog.

Yesterday I had set some goals for myself in physical fitness. I let myself down after intentionally only doing 33 and not finishing out two more. It was a calculated decision on my point to stop there as I was not going to gain anything from the extra two push-ups. I was wrong, I would have met my goal that I set and that would have been satisfying. I had more than enough time to accomplish them; about 10-15 seconds were still left on the timer. I had felt as if I let myself down.

I almost did the same thing with crunches. I made it to 42 with plenty of time to spare. I went as far to even just sit up and tell the person holding my ankles that I was going to stop there. I do not know what really went on in my mind, but I can tell you that I knew that I should have gone for those extra push-ups and I should not let myself down on sit-ups. I finished out the 45 with time to spare; having met my goal, I was content to call it there.

Yesterday I set the goal of 10:30 for a mile and a half. Now generally that is not all that difficult for me to obtain. I set the obtainable goal because I was worried that I had lost a step much in the same way I had lost some physical strength over the last year. At one time a 10:30 mile and a half was jogging pace; I was worried the benchmark was more of a race pace. After disappointing myself in push-ups (And abdominal circumference but that is another story.) I decided to push myself to the very end on the run and not relax. It worked. I smashed the goal I set by a full minute. Boy was I tired afterward, but man did it make me feel good.

Unfortunately that high was short lived as I returned home to pick up a mess that I had only just seen on my way to the fitness center. That mess was the two wonderfully carved and decorative jack-o'-lanterns. It seems if some delinquent took it upon themselves to lay waste to our pumpkins that we had set out. This infuriated me and upset The One. We not only spent the money to purchase the pumpkins and carving kit, but we spent quality time together carving them out into something we were both proud of.

It would have been very unlikely that this was the work of anything other than a person. The pumpkins were found in the middle of the street, a good 50 feet or so from where the were resting. The were definitely smashed and not torn a part like an animal would have done. No pieces were missing as if an animal had run away with its stolen prize. The only "likely" story, other than a malicious pillaging, was that the Oklahoman winds were strong enough to force the pumpkins from the ground against the house and set them rolling on down the lawn and driveway. There they would lay fully intact underneath the pale street light until a unsuspecting car would trample over their softened husks. Unlikely I say.

The rest of the day went fairly smooth. A quick morning and a busy afternoon led to me forgetting that it was Friday. I was really happy with the busy afternoon, a rare sight for when I am in purgatory. I actually learned a little something about what was suppose to happen in that office. I felt really good after helping so many of the people out. To top this all off, I even managed to get out on time! The second time in as many days that I arrived home at a decent hour.

I am looking forward to the events of the day. More on those, tomorrow.

And then it ends,

Skate

Toes Go In First

I finally made it home at a decent time yesterday. I was able to squeeze into the house just shortly before five. It was a pretty good day, somewhat slow. Unfortunately I think it have more to do with my entire office being burned out and less so that we had little work to do. Today should be fairly busy, until I head up to my purgatory office.

I will be testing my will this morning. I am going to run a mile and a half and do as many push-ups and sit-ups in a minute as possible. My goal is to finish the run in under 10:30, which is slow for me. I have been horribly out of shape and that will show up in the push-ups and sit-ups. I have very modest goals there of 35 and 45, respectfully. Again, a major downgrade from where I was a year ago.

I have started to get back into the swing of working out. It does take a lot for me as I do not really enjoy it. I enjoy participating in sports, but that doesn't appear to be cutting it. I will be trying to do an actual regimen that will improve my overall speed and agility. I want something that will help me when playing sports. My goal is to become quicker for football and jump higher for basketball. I was close to dunking the ball earlier this year, but even those efforts have faded.

I still plan on enjoying this weekend to the fullest. There will not be a need for a large bottle of alcohol to help, but a little probably would not hurt. Now that I think about it, there is a bottle of Spumante in the fridge chilling for The One and I. She likes to put peaches in the glass for a little flavor.

And then it ends,

Skate

Friday-lite

Thursdays are generally good days. In my last job they often were one of the most productive days of the week but were pleasantly relaxing. In my current position I do not notice much of a difference. Still I really enjoy Thursdays.

The One is not feeling all that well. She was not feeling too hot yesterday either when a series of unfortunate events occurred. She was coming out of the guest bathroom when she stubbed her toe. Then as I went to comfort her, I attempted to shut the door to my Man Cave behind me. Little did I know that her hand was positioned in the crack of the door. On the lighter side, I think her toe felt much better after that. Thankfully it just stings and nothing is broken.

I was originally going to go on a rant on character today, but I have calmed down a bit. Last night my flag football team was taking quite the drubbing when one of our players decided to give up entirely and go home. There was still time on the clock and we were just about to get the ball back. We barely fielded the seven needed to play when he was in. With him stepping out our team had six to our opponents seven with very little time to prevent the skunk.

Yes the game was out of hand as we were down 41-0, but there was still time to play. He had been pouting the entire game and had often threatened to leave. I just do not understand it. Oh well. He will not be getting any playing time unless we are in desperate need.

I finally have my costume on order. Halloween is a great holiday.

And then it ends,

Skate

Early Bird Thanks Smurf

In an effort to make it to work earlier than normal, I took away thirty minutes of valuable sleep. In hindsight, I should have gone to bed earlier but I finally had my internet connection back so I could not resist. I was not derelict in my duties to this blog because of my own undoing. Instead my internet service provider can take full blame for providing a less than stellar service that was out for most of the day.

I ended up winning my game thanks to the punt return of Darren Sproles. (Darren Sproles stands about 5'6" and was wearing powder blue. So I told people I was thankful for the Smurf that helped me.) That was enough to finally boost me ahead of my opponent. I have watched that run a few times now and savoring will never end. I went absolutely nuts in my house when I saw it. Even The One, who understood what was going on, thought I had lost all my marbles as I ran around the house screaming. I did laps around the couch and jumped up, down and around everything for a few minutes. At first I considered myself lucky for pulling this one out, but this is one of the reasons why I took their Defense and Special Teams. (I know I am still lucky to have them return one in this game.)

I played one heck of a flag football game Monday. I always seemed to be at the right place at the right time. I even made the game saving tackle. In yesterday's game I was a little more pedestrian. I continued to put on pressure but failed to take a single flag. I do really enjoy football. I have another game tonight.

Well this is about all I have time for. I really do have to show up early to take care of some things. What sucks is I will most likely be staying late as well. Worst of all, I will be spending time in my purgatory office for a couple hours; I will be hard pressed to stay awake. I have made the claim that the harder I work, the harder I will play. Though I would gladly curl up in bed right now.

And then it ends,

Skate

You Got to Have Faith

Though sometimes it is unbelievably hard to do after a weekend of football such as this one that just past. OU losing to Texas was bad enough, now they are unranked in the BCS. Washington losing to Kansas City, at home, made it the fourth time this year we supplied a team with its first win. Going 2-4 after the easy part of the schedule is preparing me for the long season ahead.

And then there is my fantasy team, Would Be Champs. After my opponent put up all the points he could muster in the early games, he left me with quite the surmountable goal. I had to cover three points with three skill players to go. Even in our league where points are not just given away, that should have been a cakewalk. Instead I watched two receivers, both of which had great games last week, score a total of one point. I wasn't nervous going into the Sunday night game as I had my number one pick going and figured two points would be a breeze. Then he fumbled. And then he fumbled again. I watched in disbelief as I managed to not earn a single point with three normally solid players.

My ottoman remains unthrown, though there were a few close calls. I did take out some frustration on the top. I cannot make any promises tonight as I watch Monday Night Football. I will be routing for San Diego's special teams. Every kickoff and punt return I will will on my knees hoping for missed tackles and blown assignments that will spring the little guys loose. I have to have faith.

Outside of football it was a very solid weekend. I enjoyed carving pumpkins and the several social events I had. Now it is time for a week of work. I only hope it a a shorter week than was last week.

And then it ends,

Skate

Oh What a Night

4 of 12's birthday party/ game night was an absolute blast. We had vibrating chairs, hammock cocoons, gold flakes, and BoBo talking about sex romps. It was a great time for all.

No time for recovery either. The One and I are hosting football today and it is about time to prepare for that. It will not be anything fancy. We have a homemade cheese dip, some little weenies, chips and dip and beer available. I am not even sure which games are being shown right now. Something to check on.

My Redskins are playing the Chiefs so there is a good chance that game will be played. I am hoping my ottoman will be safe today. The Redskins struggles as of late have really made a lot of fans lose faith. Not I. Does the team need a change? Yes. Do the fans need to be cutthroat about it? No. Unfortunately a lot of them are. They want a whirlwind of a change but have no idea what that would mean.

Jim Zorn needs some help down there. Hopefully that coaching hire was more than just a possible interim replacement. Jason Campbell is a solid QB who needs better pass blocking. The team should very well be 4-1 with the schedule and not 2-3 at this point. If you listened to the fans you would think we were 0-5.

I will cut this football heavy post short before I really start to get on a rant...

And then it ends,

Skate

Weekend Fanatic

Weekends are a wonderful thing when you work Monday through Friday. I stayed late once again last night at work. Not too late, which was nice. However, our office is already planning for late nights on Monday and Tuesday. Thankfully The One has some late night classes so it will not interfere with our time. I am glad we decided that we did not have to come in this weekend.

This weekend is going to be quite eventful. Big game this morning. BOOMER!!! Birthday party tonight. Happy birthday 4 of 12! And then The One and I are hosting Football Sunday at our house. I love football and social gatherings!

I do have to say I enjoy the NFL more than College Football. I have invested a lot more of my mind and emotion into the NFL over the course of my life than I have for my beloved Sooners. Now this is not to say that I do not enjoy College Football, I do. I just do not have the similar amount of knowledge that I do for the NFL. I cannot recite stats, players numbers, coaches, current records, team averages, or historic results for the majority of the NCAA teams.

I am not a fair weather fan either. The Sooners might have a tough game today, but I believe they will win. If they manage to lose, and fall to 2-4, I do not count them out. They will run the table in my mind and somehow pull the season out of brink and into the best bowl game we can manage. If they lose for the rest of the season, or the next, it does not matter I will still watch and follow them, I will call them my team.

For those who have a problem with fans who take ownership of teams: go sit on a rock. If the person is a true fanatic and their emotions, time, and devotion are truly tied to the team then ownership of the team acceptable. Eventually I will make them my Alma Mater and it will be more acceptable. For now I will gladly put on my Crimson and Cream and cheer loudly as they take down the #3 team in the nation!

Put your horns down! BOOMER!!!

And then it ends,

Skate

Gender Issues, Long Hours and Hair

Oops! First blog and I am already needing to correct myself. Well, I was actually corrected by Blu who informed me that beau isn't the gender neutral term I have been using it as rather it is quite gender specific... I would like to clarify that Blu does not have a beau, rather he has a lady friend. I had to think back to how many times I have used the word beau and how many of them might have incorrectly used. I always thought it was gender neutral, but sure enough a trip to the dictionary proves otherwise.

I must let it be known that I did do my best to find a loophole. Unfortunately all the words connected to beau were just as gender specific. Though I might start using dandy instead of beau because it sounds more playful. I will have to think of something for our female acquaintances that is equally as fun.

***

I'll be heading out for work as soon as this gets posted. Lately my job has required some long hours. Friday mornings are a consistent early start, but staying to seven on a Thursday night that I promised my girlfriend, The One, that I would take her to Chili's is not. Thankfully we still made it to Chili's, more on this later. The late hours do not bother me all that much as I do have a purpose to stay, it can just get a bit exhausting when I only get a few hours break from work.

I am new to this position and there is a lot to learn. I am hoping that one of my learning experiences is not that I will always be staying late, rather I learn that this is just a busy time for work. There are a lot of separate projects going on right now so I do think that it is just a 'for the moment' type deal. All in all it a part of my job and I will have to be flexible enough to deal with it.

***

Chili's is not my favorite place to eat but it is passable for a meal out. I much prefer it to Applebee's, which I have not been fond of for a while. While essentially they are the same, Chili's provides you with a more substantial load of food for the price than Applebee's does. I paid $13 for the triple appetizer and only by plate presentation did it match up in size. Even the meals are small for what you pay, at least in comparison.

Last night's trip was a treat for The One and I. We enjoy the thrift 2 for $20 meals they offer. Well this particular meal came with a little extra stand of hair on The One's dish. We pointed it out to the waiter, who took it to the manager. The One was given the option to pick out another course and 2 for $20 became 2 for $10. While it was unfortunate for her to have a hair in her first meal it was nice to get a big discount. I had ordered one of their many expensive fancy drinks that cost around $10; I don't remember the name, just that it was the color green. We ended up clocking in at under $20 for the meal and drink. That is something I can live with. Especially seeing as we took home the extra meal as our stomachs were already please, and now lunch is provided for today.

And then it ends,

Skate

The Beginning

I have decided to take the plunge and start my very own blog. I have mulled it over for a little while and figured I would give it a shot.

Now I have an internal conflict on how this is going to handled. The structured side of me wants this blog to have a purpose, a mission statement or at the very least accomplish something within each post that is consistent. The creative side of me wants this to be more relaxed, to reveal inner truths with poetic writing.

I have decided that it is best to just start off plain and simple. I will be taking from a highly regarded show, one that I was never very fond of, and take this as the blog about nothing. It makes sense just to keep things open minded as I press forward.

Aside: I was surprised to see that "The Lost and Found Section" was available. I was expecting to have to come up with something else or extended it out. "The Lost and Found Section" is a perfect title for a blog about nothing.

Something else I will borrow is that I will not be using any actual names. Rather, like my friend Blu in his blog, will have nicknames. I will not be using the same names, instead I will think of my own. There might be some crossover, but for the most part I will try to think of my own. Besides, how awkward would it be for me to use The Date when referring to his beau?

Each morning I wake up to give myself some time to get acquainted with the day, it will be during this time that I post the blog. Normally during this time the only distraction is my dog, (Who I think deserves a nickname as well, just not now.) who has managed to disturb my writing more than a few times. And is currently chewing on my shoe...

And then it ends,

Skate