157.4 on the scale, 4 miles running on the path, and 150/100.
So I met John today for coffee. I had to postpone on him last week, which I hated to do, but it was necessary due to the Adult Swim stuff going on.
He got there just slightly before me, and the first thing I noticed was the bling he had on. If I recall correctly, there was a large class-like ring on his finger, and a gold chain around his neck. Looked a little different than I see him on the path.
Anyway, it turns out John ran a P.R. firm headquartered here and with an office in New York, Padilla Speer Beardsley, for some 20+ years. He's now retired, and using his retirement to do a great deal of research into Social Network Analysis. Not like myspace or facebook. Science.
So, he ran me through the basic concepts and talked about some ideas he had bouncing around in his head, all of which was pretty interesting. He's certainly passionate about it, and it showed.
We also talked a lot about a bunch of other things, including his iPhone, my road trips, our website and his critiques (minor, really), Montana, and more.
It was a fun chat, and I knew early on when he threw out the f-bomb a couple times that I was with my kind.
Anyway, my lunch date cancelled on me (again! *poke* but she had good reason), and I pretty much took it easy the rest of the day. Took care of a couple errands over the lunch hour, including ordering my new glasses, and then plopped myself at a coffee shop to take care of some mods to our capabilities presentation.
After work, I ran, then grilled some burgers, and we're about to have campfire, which will wrap up the evening.
A good day, I must say.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Not Too Old To Pull An All Nighter
157.2 on the scale, no exercise. No exercise yesterday either.
That's right folks, I pulled an all-nighter with the Five Minutes to Kill Yourself 2 team. I was at work from 9:30 Wednesday morning to about 11:45 Thursday morning.
I was there, again, to support the troops. Wasn't doing a lot of hands-on work (although I took care of some things I had to do), but I made sure we had dinner, made a snack run later, helped make any calls if calls needed making, but they had it pretty well under control.
I had to step out a couple of times to get some air, and of course when I came back, the jokes flew about how Bret walked across the street to Deja Vu. NOT TRUE, for the record.
Anyway, thanks ALL of you who went through that for the project. By the end of the night, we had a pretty solid game, not without issue, but compared to where we were a week ago, a very solid game, and one worthy of putting in front of the client for review.
When I finally got home, I crashed for about 4 hours or so, then showered and got ready for a happy hour with Brain Traffic. I know, probably not the smartest thing to do after an all-nighter, but it was fun, and I got to play shuffleboard! w00t!
That's right folks, I pulled an all-nighter with the Five Minutes to Kill Yourself 2 team. I was at work from 9:30 Wednesday morning to about 11:45 Thursday morning.
I was there, again, to support the troops. Wasn't doing a lot of hands-on work (although I took care of some things I had to do), but I made sure we had dinner, made a snack run later, helped make any calls if calls needed making, but they had it pretty well under control.
I had to step out a couple of times to get some air, and of course when I came back, the jokes flew about how Bret walked across the street to Deja Vu. NOT TRUE, for the record.
Anyway, thanks ALL of you who went through that for the project. By the end of the night, we had a pretty solid game, not without issue, but compared to where we were a week ago, a very solid game, and one worthy of putting in front of the client for review.
When I finally got home, I crashed for about 4 hours or so, then showered and got ready for a happy hour with Brain Traffic. I know, probably not the smartest thing to do after an all-nighter, but it was fun, and I got to play shuffleboard! w00t!
Song of the Day
Figurines - Continuous
Thought this one was appropriate, again, for the troops. The chorus: "I worked a lot."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Go Somewhere Else!
157.6 on the scale, 5.0 miles on the path, 4.25 of them ran, and 150/100.
This morning saw some more sleeping in, then Jo and I left the kids at home and headed to Ridgedale again for my appointment, and she was gonna do some comforter shopping.
While we were sitting there waiting, we had the pleasure of witnessing a real bitch of a customer giving the optometrist assistants (or whatever they're called) a hard time. Some people. She'd apparently been a customer for some time, and been a cranky bitch the whole time, and she wasn't shy about expressing her dissatisfaction with the place in front of everybody.
Ya know what?
If you don't like the place, fucking go somewhere else.
I think some people just like to feel mistreated (whether they are or not) and then bitch about it. Otherwise their life has no meaning.
Anyway, my perscription changed a bit, but other than that, I got the all clear health-wise and left the place a dilated-pupiled freak in those cheap excuses of sunglasses they give you.
We did a quick walk-around to see what Jo saw in terms of comforters she liked, which wasn't much, then we left.
I was hell-bent on getting the boat out despite the fact that it was cooler than I wanted it to be, so when we got back we had Cory's friend Holden come over, we made some sandwiches, and me and the crew of boys went out to cruise around the lake.
Unfortunately, the very first thing that happened was the motor died while trying to back away from the dock, and we drifted right into the ramp, where my brand new rebuilt prop got nicked up. Murphy's law.
But after that, we got the cobwebs out and opened it up on the lake such that the wind shook our jowels.
Good clean fun.
We stayed out as long as we could handle the coldness, but when their fingers started numbing, we headed back in.
After that, it was pretty low key. I went running, then when I got back, we grilled some hotdogs for the boys and I went out to do the finishing touches in the Pete cleaning. Got it all vacuumed out, and even went so far as to clean some areas of the carpets with Jo's Little Green Machine. The floor mats are absolutely shot, so I ordered some new ones online.
After showering, I loaded Holden up and drove him home, then took the car through the car wash as the finishing touch. YAY!
After that, the rest of the night was pretty low key, seeing me doing the usual Sunday night (but Monday this time) work and such.
So, while the weekend was maybe more productive than relaxing, it was just what the doctor ordered.
This morning saw some more sleeping in, then Jo and I left the kids at home and headed to Ridgedale again for my appointment, and she was gonna do some comforter shopping.
While we were sitting there waiting, we had the pleasure of witnessing a real bitch of a customer giving the optometrist assistants (or whatever they're called) a hard time. Some people. She'd apparently been a customer for some time, and been a cranky bitch the whole time, and she wasn't shy about expressing her dissatisfaction with the place in front of everybody.
Ya know what?
If you don't like the place, fucking go somewhere else.
I think some people just like to feel mistreated (whether they are or not) and then bitch about it. Otherwise their life has no meaning.
Anyway, my perscription changed a bit, but other than that, I got the all clear health-wise and left the place a dilated-pupiled freak in those cheap excuses of sunglasses they give you.
We did a quick walk-around to see what Jo saw in terms of comforters she liked, which wasn't much, then we left.
I was hell-bent on getting the boat out despite the fact that it was cooler than I wanted it to be, so when we got back we had Cory's friend Holden come over, we made some sandwiches, and me and the crew of boys went out to cruise around the lake.
Unfortunately, the very first thing that happened was the motor died while trying to back away from the dock, and we drifted right into the ramp, where my brand new rebuilt prop got nicked up. Murphy's law.
But after that, we got the cobwebs out and opened it up on the lake such that the wind shook our jowels.
Good clean fun.
We stayed out as long as we could handle the coldness, but when their fingers started numbing, we headed back in.
After that, it was pretty low key. I went running, then when I got back, we grilled some hotdogs for the boys and I went out to do the finishing touches in the Pete cleaning. Got it all vacuumed out, and even went so far as to clean some areas of the carpets with Jo's Little Green Machine. The floor mats are absolutely shot, so I ordered some new ones online.
After showering, I loaded Holden up and drove him home, then took the car through the car wash as the finishing touch. YAY!
After that, the rest of the night was pretty low key, seeing me doing the usual Sunday night (but Monday this time) work and such.
So, while the weekend was maybe more productive than relaxing, it was just what the doctor ordered.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Happy Birthday Mom!!
157.2 on the scale, 14 miles biking on the path, and 150/100.
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I'd sing in the post, but that would suck for everyone but you.
The day started with a little bit of sleeping in, but then upon news of the impending storms, I set to getting as many of the outdoor chores as I could out of the way before the heavens opened up.
I went out and mowed the football field in some horrendously humid weather, and then got some biking in too before we cleared the yard of the tents and junk from the past couple days. We even went so far as to clean out the garage to put the cars in there, because we heard there was gonna be some NASTY hail coming.
Well, ultimately, we got no storms in our neck of the woods, but I'm sure y'all heard of the nastiness that happened up north, which really sucked. While I was looking forward to a good thunderstorm, I guess I should count me and mine lucky that we didn't get the kinda wrath that happened up there.
Anyway, after we hunkered down, we all packed in the car and I got dropped off at Ridgedale to do some glasses shopping, and Jo and the boys went to the library. They came and met me after they were done, and by then I was in the courtyard sitting and enjoying some people-watching and a cuppa joe. We also made an optometrist appointment for me tomorrow.
One of my goals this weekend was to tear apart the inside of Pete (the PT Cruiser) and detail the shit out of him. So, when we got back, I started that and got pretty far before Lisa and David, who had just returned from their honeymoon on the Mayan Riviera, stopped by to pick up some packages that had been delivered while they were away. We had a couple beers and they told us all about the trips and such, and then I went back out to catch the remaining rays of light to finish wiping everything down.
I didn't get to vacuum, but I'll do that tomorrow. Otherwise, he's fresh as a daisy.
I'll finish the job tomorrow and hit a car wash with him too.
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I'd sing in the post, but that would suck for everyone but you.
The day started with a little bit of sleeping in, but then upon news of the impending storms, I set to getting as many of the outdoor chores as I could out of the way before the heavens opened up.
I went out and mowed the football field in some horrendously humid weather, and then got some biking in too before we cleared the yard of the tents and junk from the past couple days. We even went so far as to clean out the garage to put the cars in there, because we heard there was gonna be some NASTY hail coming.
Well, ultimately, we got no storms in our neck of the woods, but I'm sure y'all heard of the nastiness that happened up north, which really sucked. While I was looking forward to a good thunderstorm, I guess I should count me and mine lucky that we didn't get the kinda wrath that happened up there.
Anyway, after we hunkered down, we all packed in the car and I got dropped off at Ridgedale to do some glasses shopping, and Jo and the boys went to the library. They came and met me after they were done, and by then I was in the courtyard sitting and enjoying some people-watching and a cuppa joe. We also made an optometrist appointment for me tomorrow.
One of my goals this weekend was to tear apart the inside of Pete (the PT Cruiser) and detail the shit out of him. So, when we got back, I started that and got pretty far before Lisa and David, who had just returned from their honeymoon on the Mayan Riviera, stopped by to pick up some packages that had been delivered while they were away. We had a couple beers and they told us all about the trips and such, and then I went back out to catch the remaining rays of light to finish wiping everything down.
I didn't get to vacuum, but I'll do that tomorrow. Otherwise, he's fresh as a daisy.
I'll finish the job tomorrow and hit a car wash with him too.
Song of the Day
The Streets - Don't Mug Yourself
Yeah, this one's got some language, so not suited for the wee ones. But then again, i guess neither is this fucking blog. ba da boom!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Productivity & Elbow Grease
156.4 on the scale, 5 miles on the path, about 4 of them ran, and 150/100.
So, today has been quite productive all 'round, and the weekend just started!
Friday night, Cory was at a friend's place then wend with them to see Iron Man at the Excelsior Dock theaters, which left Cole alone with Ma and Pa for the night.
We stoked up a campfire, grilled some burgers, and then Cole and I decided to pitch our tent and watch Muppets from Space in the tent on Daddy's laptop with a big-ass bowl of buttery popcorn. I had not seen it, and frankly, did not realize until they threw some special effects at us that the movie was made in 1999! Anyway, after the movie was done, Cole retired to his own little one-kid tent (he wanted his own private tent in case Cory decided to join us when get got home, because Cory is a sleep-farter), and we hit the hay.
Saturday morning, after both enjoying and suffering through the birdsongs that started at 5 a.m., I set to readifying the boat for this year's maiden voyage.
The first step was to retrieve the prop, which had been rebuilt over the winter, and bring it back to put back on the boat. Upon picking it up, when they asked if I had the wrenches and everything, I said "Hmmm, best I bring the boat HERE and let you put it on." Which I did.
I also bought a can of upholstery cleaner, and after towing it back, I started scrubbing down the white upholstery, first with a brush and soapy water (and elbow grease), then with the cleaner. Lemme just say, that shit is amazing. I wish I would have taken before and after pictures, because the difference is astounding.
That, and the charging of the battery, pretty much took all day. By the end of the upholstery cleaning, I was sore as hell, but managed to get out and run before supper.
While I was running, the boys and Jo set up the soak n slide thingy, and had some fun.
We were all invited last-minute to go next door to Alex & Nina's to join them and their family/friends for a potluck, so Jo ran quick-like-a-flash to Cub and got some stuff to contribute, and we headed over there and pretty much ate ourselves silly.
Their friends/family were a lot of fun, so we all had a good time. Also, their little girls idolize Cory and Cole despite the some 6+ years in age difference, and that's always fun to watch too.
That said, Cory got in one of his obnoxious pre-teen moods where he belches as often and as loud as he can (fueled of course by giggly laughter from all the other kids), and after enough warnings, he got sent home. Shortly after that, Cole and I followed to get them ready for bed, and Jo stayed over longer and shut the place down.
So, all in all, a pleasant mix of productivity and fun, and I think a pretty successful first day of the long weekend!
So, today has been quite productive all 'round, and the weekend just started!
Friday night, Cory was at a friend's place then wend with them to see Iron Man at the Excelsior Dock theaters, which left Cole alone with Ma and Pa for the night.
We stoked up a campfire, grilled some burgers, and then Cole and I decided to pitch our tent and watch Muppets from Space in the tent on Daddy's laptop with a big-ass bowl of buttery popcorn. I had not seen it, and frankly, did not realize until they threw some special effects at us that the movie was made in 1999! Anyway, after the movie was done, Cole retired to his own little one-kid tent (he wanted his own private tent in case Cory decided to join us when get got home, because Cory is a sleep-farter), and we hit the hay.
Saturday morning, after both enjoying and suffering through the birdsongs that started at 5 a.m., I set to readifying the boat for this year's maiden voyage.
The first step was to retrieve the prop, which had been rebuilt over the winter, and bring it back to put back on the boat. Upon picking it up, when they asked if I had the wrenches and everything, I said "Hmmm, best I bring the boat HERE and let you put it on." Which I did.
I also bought a can of upholstery cleaner, and after towing it back, I started scrubbing down the white upholstery, first with a brush and soapy water (and elbow grease), then with the cleaner. Lemme just say, that shit is amazing. I wish I would have taken before and after pictures, because the difference is astounding.
That, and the charging of the battery, pretty much took all day. By the end of the upholstery cleaning, I was sore as hell, but managed to get out and run before supper.
While I was running, the boys and Jo set up the soak n slide thingy, and had some fun.
We were all invited last-minute to go next door to Alex & Nina's to join them and their family/friends for a potluck, so Jo ran quick-like-a-flash to Cub and got some stuff to contribute, and we headed over there and pretty much ate ourselves silly.
Their friends/family were a lot of fun, so we all had a good time. Also, their little girls idolize Cory and Cole despite the some 6+ years in age difference, and that's always fun to watch too.
That said, Cory got in one of his obnoxious pre-teen moods where he belches as often and as loud as he can (fueled of course by giggly laughter from all the other kids), and after enough warnings, he got sent home. Shortly after that, Cole and I followed to get them ready for bed, and Jo stayed over longer and shut the place down.
So, all in all, a pleasant mix of productivity and fun, and I think a pretty successful first day of the long weekend!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Hum Drum, My Ass
156.8 on the scale, no exercise.
Well, I was totally wrong about yesterday. At about noon, I got a request to call Brad, our Sr. Developer, who wanted to talk me through where we were on FMTKY2.
In short, we were in a pickle.
Without boring you with the technical details, we'd hit a development wall with the memory usage issue that we did not know we could overcome. The sheer amount of assets for all the animations in the game, once loaded, were eating up WAY more memory than is practical, so the game would bog down the computer and when it ran out of memory, it would start replacing the animations with big red boxes.
Yeah, not good.
The wall that we hit had to do with some inherant issues in Flash with actively removing things from memory (garbage collection). SO, anyway, a come-to-Jesus meeting was necessary, particularly because we had a client status call in a couple hours.
We postponed the client call until this morning, spent the meeting exploring our options, and arrived at two viable directions that needed some further exploration before we went down a path, both of which though meant a late night for a lot of people, and the need to ask for more time to deliver the next version.
Well, one of the two was proven to work by Pete, and the team went to work to start making it happen. ...and was still working to make it happen when I left the office around 1:30 a.m. or so.
Thanks to those that had to spend so much time, and a hearty "job well done." We, thankfully, had answers for the client this morning, and the call went well.
So, we're not out of the weeds yet, but we've swathed a path out and are feverishly walking it.
GO HAM!
Well, I was totally wrong about yesterday. At about noon, I got a request to call Brad, our Sr. Developer, who wanted to talk me through where we were on FMTKY2.
In short, we were in a pickle.
Without boring you with the technical details, we'd hit a development wall with the memory usage issue that we did not know we could overcome. The sheer amount of assets for all the animations in the game, once loaded, were eating up WAY more memory than is practical, so the game would bog down the computer and when it ran out of memory, it would start replacing the animations with big red boxes.
Yeah, not good.
The wall that we hit had to do with some inherant issues in Flash with actively removing things from memory (garbage collection). SO, anyway, a come-to-Jesus meeting was necessary, particularly because we had a client status call in a couple hours.
We postponed the client call until this morning, spent the meeting exploring our options, and arrived at two viable directions that needed some further exploration before we went down a path, both of which though meant a late night for a lot of people, and the need to ask for more time to deliver the next version.
Well, one of the two was proven to work by Pete, and the team went to work to start making it happen. ...and was still working to make it happen when I left the office around 1:30 a.m. or so.
Thanks to those that had to spend so much time, and a hearty "job well done." We, thankfully, had answers for the client this morning, and the call went well.
So, we're not out of the weeds yet, but we've swathed a path out and are feverishly walking it.
GO HAM!
Song of the Day
Belle & Sebastian - We Are the Sleepyheads
In honor of those who had to spend a late night at HAM, and those who can't get themselves out of bed when they intend to. :)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Hum Drum Day
155.0 on the scale, 4 miles ran on the path, and 150/100.
So not much to report yet today. I think it'll be a slow day, and that's a good thing.
Had my lunch pal postpone on me due to the joys and tribulations of interactive, so the day even got quieter.
So, aside from a regular resource allocation meeting, I'll probably have my nose in the Excel spreadsheet again to get that closer to usable for the producer team.
Our development team has their nose to the grindstone to finish up Five Minutes To Kill Yourself II for Adult Swim. It is due to be delivered next week, which is exciting, but the sheer complexity of the game has thrown some filesize and memory allocation issues at them, which they're working through.
Gonna need a big happy hour when it is launched!
So not much to report yet today. I think it'll be a slow day, and that's a good thing.
Had my lunch pal postpone on me due to the joys and tribulations of interactive, so the day even got quieter.
So, aside from a regular resource allocation meeting, I'll probably have my nose in the Excel spreadsheet again to get that closer to usable for the producer team.
Our development team has their nose to the grindstone to finish up Five Minutes To Kill Yourself II for Adult Swim. It is due to be delivered next week, which is exciting, but the sheer complexity of the game has thrown some filesize and memory allocation issues at them, which they're working through.
Gonna need a big happy hour when it is launched!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Cole + Math = Genius!
156.6 on the scale, no exercise. Had to give my various body parts a rest. ;)
So, tonight we went to an awards thingy for the Minnetonka School district, in which Cole was awarded a ribbon for his performance in a math contest. The kid tied for second place in the DISTRICT in his grade. Eh? Eh?
Yeah, we breed 'em smart at the Hummel farm.
Anyway, after the ceremony, Jo's parents took us to Perkins to treat Cole to some dessert. We had a pretty fun waiter named Sam, who upon learning why we were there, high-fived Cole and said that his slice o' pie a la mode (that's French for "with icecream on it", tee hee) was on him!
Cory was quite impressed with how much that guy enjoyed his job, as was I. So that, in addition to trying to figure out the square root of 15 in our heads (thanks Shad), was the topic of convo for the night.
So, tonight we went to an awards thingy for the Minnetonka School district, in which Cole was awarded a ribbon for his performance in a math contest. The kid tied for second place in the DISTRICT in his grade. Eh? Eh?
Yeah, we breed 'em smart at the Hummel farm.
Anyway, after the ceremony, Jo's parents took us to Perkins to treat Cole to some dessert. We had a pretty fun waiter named Sam, who upon learning why we were there, high-fived Cole and said that his slice o' pie a la mode (that's French for "with icecream on it", tee hee) was on him!
Cory was quite impressed with how much that guy enjoyed his job, as was I. So that, in addition to trying to figure out the square root of 15 in our heads (thanks Shad), was the topic of convo for the night.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Unfortunate Truncation
155.2 on the scale, 13 miles biking on the path, and the usual 150/50.
Okay, the following news story appeared in my browser a bit ago:
Of COURSE I laughed.
And then promptly felt like a heel when I read more and found out it was a brain tumor and he's suffering seizures.
I suck.
Okay, the following news story appeared in my browser a bit ago:
Of COURSE I laughed.
And then promptly felt like a heel when I read more and found out it was a brain tumor and he's suffering seizures.
I suck.
Song of the Day
Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am
Ok, I know this is old news and Ingrid Michaelson is everywhere, but I still really like this song.
Oh, and I SOO wish I played upright bass.
Oh, and I SOO wish I played upright bass.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday Is For Ketchup
155.8 on the scale, 12.0 miles biking on the path, and the usual 100/150.
I've been biking because I've been developing a big-ass blister on my right foot, and made the mistake of doing a bit more (sorry in advance) skin removal than I should have.
EWWW! Did he just say that out loud??
Anyway, other than my regular Monday deadline for some Target stuff, today has been catch up day. Got caught up on the iTunes rewards for having timesheets up to date, got caught up with voicemail, got some paperwork requests out of the way, blah, blah blah...
Other than that, not much to talk about. See yas tomorrow.
I've been biking because I've been developing a big-ass blister on my right foot, and made the mistake of doing a bit more (sorry in advance) skin removal than I should have.
EWWW! Did he just say that out loud??
Anyway, other than my regular Monday deadline for some Target stuff, today has been catch up day. Got caught up on the iTunes rewards for having timesheets up to date, got caught up with voicemail, got some paperwork requests out of the way, blah, blah blah...
Other than that, not much to talk about. See yas tomorrow.
Song of the Day
Xavier Cugat - El Manisero
This came on while biking today, and I thought the change of pace would do us all good. El Manisero = The Peanut Vendor.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Its All In The Technique
From yesterday's trip to DQ.
I think it is physically impossible for him to look at the cone while savoring its creamy goodness. How freakin' cute is this? And he's been doing it since he was able to hold an icecream cone.
He did not even know I was taking this video, so shhhhhh, don't tell him.
I think it is physically impossible for him to look at the cone while savoring its creamy goodness. How freakin' cute is this? And he's been doing it since he was able to hold an icecream cone.
He did not even know I was taking this video, so shhhhhh, don't tell him.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Muppets Never Die
Dunno what I weighed this morning, but 5.0 miles on the path, 4.0 of them ran, and 0/0.
After the run this morning, I went promptly into mowing the lawn for the first time this year. It was actually a bit overdue, and the mower didn't wanna pick up some of the patches that had grown pretty thick from all the moisture and the sunny weather we've been having.
I'd forgotten how big the yard feels when you gotta mow it. Yikes.
I also though, forgot how nice everything looks when the lawn is freshly mowed.
Jo spent a good part of the day planting some annuals in the front and starting to put down fresh mulch. Starting to look good!
Cole had a birthday party at his friend Vincent's house today, and Cory had his friend Holden over to make sure their project (a solar car) with Grandpa Bruce was a success. They played for awhile after, then when Holden's dad came to pick him up, they asked if Cory could go with them to a movie and stay overnight.
So, poof! One child gone.
As for the rest of us chilluns, I grilled some burgers (and veggie burgers) tonight, and afterwards Cole and I went to Dairy Queen for a treat, then Blockbuster to rent a movie for him since Cory was out having his fun.
I steered him a little away from the usual Spongebob fare, and into some of the classics, like Ghostbusters, The Goonies, and The Muppets. He ultimately chose The Muppet Movie, which we watched.
I dig the muppets, and so did he. Animal especially. I couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance to Brandon in some of the characters. Fozzie in particular. Can't put my finger on it, but it was funny. Not five minutes after I thought it, Jo said the same thing -- "Kinda reminds you of Brandon, doesn't it?".
Indeed.
After the run this morning, I went promptly into mowing the lawn for the first time this year. It was actually a bit overdue, and the mower didn't wanna pick up some of the patches that had grown pretty thick from all the moisture and the sunny weather we've been having.
I'd forgotten how big the yard feels when you gotta mow it. Yikes.
I also though, forgot how nice everything looks when the lawn is freshly mowed.
Jo spent a good part of the day planting some annuals in the front and starting to put down fresh mulch. Starting to look good!
Cole had a birthday party at his friend Vincent's house today, and Cory had his friend Holden over to make sure their project (a solar car) with Grandpa Bruce was a success. They played for awhile after, then when Holden's dad came to pick him up, they asked if Cory could go with them to a movie and stay overnight.
So, poof! One child gone.
As for the rest of us chilluns, I grilled some burgers (and veggie burgers) tonight, and afterwards Cole and I went to Dairy Queen for a treat, then Blockbuster to rent a movie for him since Cory was out having his fun.
I steered him a little away from the usual Spongebob fare, and into some of the classics, like Ghostbusters, The Goonies, and The Muppets. He ultimately chose The Muppet Movie, which we watched.
I dig the muppets, and so did he. Animal especially. I couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance to Brandon in some of the characters. Fozzie in particular. Can't put my finger on it, but it was funny. Not five minutes after I thought it, Jo said the same thing -- "Kinda reminds you of Brandon, doesn't it?".
Indeed.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Minnebritish
155.8 on the scale, 12.0 miles biking on the path, and 150/100.
So, I fail to understand why such solidly Minnesotan institutions choose voiceover talent that is British. For example, I'm sure you've all noticed accent in the tram at the airport when she politely says, "Please step away from the doors." WTF?
Well, I ran into another instance today which is what prompted the post. TCF's ATMs in the skyway too? I mean, come on! TWIN CITIES Federal, don'tchaknow?
In other news, we hired another developer today. With our production intern who is currently with us, our design intern that starts May 27th, and the new developer, that makes us 20.
Holy crappers.
So, I fail to understand why such solidly Minnesotan institutions choose voiceover talent that is British. For example, I'm sure you've all noticed accent in the tram at the airport when she politely says, "Please step away from the doors." WTF?
Well, I ran into another instance today which is what prompted the post. TCF's ATMs in the skyway too? I mean, come on! TWIN CITIES Federal, don'tchaknow?
In other news, we hired another developer today. With our production intern who is currently with us, our design intern that starts May 27th, and the new developer, that makes us 20.
Holy crappers.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Resolutions In View!
No exercise yet. Hoping to do it tonight, unless the heavens open up as it is forecasted. What the hell do they know though, right?
So, first thing, I forgot to mention yesterday that while I was out on the path, I finally ran into John again and was able to give him my business card so he could email or call me and set something up for coffee.
Well, I heard from him today. Turns out he's a PR Consultant, and in his email to set up a time, he let me know that he's checked out our site, and has a critique for me when we grab coffee next Friday.
Howzabout that?
My day did not turn out to be as I'd expected it. I'd had a full afternoon booked up with two meetings, but they both got cancelled, so ended up being able to just jump headfirst into the Excel stuff again. Excel is really pretty cool.
I'm such a geek that I just said that.
We also learned today that we've got a smaller movie studio in L.A. interested in talking with us, the result of Len's sales efforts.
GO LEN! That New Year's resolution might come true after all.
Come to think of it, I'd also neglected to mention I can check off the caffeinated coffee one from the resolutions list. Although I had a slip-up only once, I consider it a success, and made it to May 1 without the shakes.
The slip-up was the day I flew from Boston back to Minneapolis on a butt-early morning flight, the day of HamJam. I'd been up since 3:00 am our time, and though I ordered a decaf americano at the MPLS airport when I landed, they gave me a full throttle and I didn't notice it.
Seal broken, right?
Since it was already broken and I knew I was gonna be up until 3:00 am again with the party, around 3:30 that afternoon I went all out and had one of Dunn Bros frosty cooler drinks... with an extra shot. :)
Despite the transgression, I consider it a success, and continue to order decaf, thankyouverymuch.
So, first thing, I forgot to mention yesterday that while I was out on the path, I finally ran into John again and was able to give him my business card so he could email or call me and set something up for coffee.
Well, I heard from him today. Turns out he's a PR Consultant, and in his email to set up a time, he let me know that he's checked out our site, and has a critique for me when we grab coffee next Friday.
Howzabout that?
My day did not turn out to be as I'd expected it. I'd had a full afternoon booked up with two meetings, but they both got cancelled, so ended up being able to just jump headfirst into the Excel stuff again. Excel is really pretty cool.
I'm such a geek that I just said that.
We also learned today that we've got a smaller movie studio in L.A. interested in talking with us, the result of Len's sales efforts.
GO LEN! That New Year's resolution might come true after all.
Come to think of it, I'd also neglected to mention I can check off the caffeinated coffee one from the resolutions list. Although I had a slip-up only once, I consider it a success, and made it to May 1 without the shakes.
The slip-up was the day I flew from Boston back to Minneapolis on a butt-early morning flight, the day of HamJam. I'd been up since 3:00 am our time, and though I ordered a decaf americano at the MPLS airport when I landed, they gave me a full throttle and I didn't notice it.
Seal broken, right?
Since it was already broken and I knew I was gonna be up until 3:00 am again with the party, around 3:30 that afternoon I went all out and had one of Dunn Bros frosty cooler drinks... with an extra shot. :)
Despite the transgression, I consider it a success, and continue to order decaf, thankyouverymuch.
Song of the Day
Alpha Blondy & The Wailers - Travailler C'est Trop Dur
Reggaelicious. This one is actually on my "Pacers" playlist. The exact rhythm with which I run.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Humpday Ramblings
154.8 on the scale (YEAH SCALE!! IN YOUR FACE!!!), um, and like 13 miles biking on the path, and 150/100.
Today was humpday. We had an informational interview with a talented designer this morning, a design team lunch, a meet and greet with another firm about some partnership opportunities, and I interviewed with a creative director candidate at the tail end of the day.
Throw in some very important communication and miscellaneous employee interactions, and that was my day.
Lunch, for me at least, was OUTSTANDING. We went to The Loop, and I had a little something something called the Turkey Gobbler #2. Warm turkey, herbed cream cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, all on some tasty, light, crusty bread goodness. Maybe it just hit the spot just then, but I dig The Loop.
I got home later (like 7) to discover Jo had rearranged the bedroom furniture. I kinda dig it actually. But, she took all my junk (which, admittedly, had been accumulating on the top of my dresser and night stand for some time) and dumped it all in a clothes basket.
While going through it, I discovered many a thing that could further divert my attention from the task at hand, like a few CDs that I got off lala.com that I hadn't yet ripped to MP3, a code that I needed to enter to finish my registration on healthpartners.com, and a Napster gift card good for 15 tracks that I never redeemed and more.
She also found two legal-sized file folders, each full of the stuff from the closings on the last two houses. So, we got to pull stuff out and look at the photos of this house when we first bought it. Man, I'd forgotten how much freakin' ugly wallpaper they had everywhere. Eww.
Anyway, yeah, so humpday. Not a bad day.
Today was humpday. We had an informational interview with a talented designer this morning, a design team lunch, a meet and greet with another firm about some partnership opportunities, and I interviewed with a creative director candidate at the tail end of the day.
Throw in some very important communication and miscellaneous employee interactions, and that was my day.
Lunch, for me at least, was OUTSTANDING. We went to The Loop, and I had a little something something called the Turkey Gobbler #2. Warm turkey, herbed cream cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, all on some tasty, light, crusty bread goodness. Maybe it just hit the spot just then, but I dig The Loop.
I got home later (like 7) to discover Jo had rearranged the bedroom furniture. I kinda dig it actually. But, she took all my junk (which, admittedly, had been accumulating on the top of my dresser and night stand for some time) and dumped it all in a clothes basket.
While going through it, I discovered many a thing that could further divert my attention from the task at hand, like a few CDs that I got off lala.com that I hadn't yet ripped to MP3, a code that I needed to enter to finish my registration on healthpartners.com, and a Napster gift card good for 15 tracks that I never redeemed and more.
She also found two legal-sized file folders, each full of the stuff from the closings on the last two houses. So, we got to pull stuff out and look at the photos of this house when we first bought it. Man, I'd forgotten how much freakin' ugly wallpaper they had everywhere. Eww.
Anyway, yeah, so humpday. Not a bad day.
Song of the Day
The Sea and Cake - The Argument
Boy, wouldn't it be nice if all arguments and misunderstandings were this casual and upbeat?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Cracks Suck
155.6 on the scale, about 4 miles ran on the path, and 150/100.
I'm still not up to the full 5 miles like I ended the season with last year, and I gotta stop for a brief rest at the turn around point, but... I'm working on it!!
So, yeah, I didn't post yesterday. I meant to, but it was a bit of a challenging day in which I felt like I was getting it from all angles and everyone wanted something, so no time during the day, and when I got home I heated up some leftovers for everyone, then layed down and fell asleep on the couch for awhile. Not much more to tell about Monday other than to say I did get out to bike in the morning before coming into work, so I got my exercise in and I was something like 157.8 on the scale. Oh, and that we called Brady on his birthday and sang to him and group-convo'ed (totally not a word, I know!) on speaker phone.
Anyway, today was better. I got to get out running, I was lighter on the scale, the day went smoother, and all. I'll be knee-deep in Excel reworking our estimation tool for the next few days, after we had a meeting about it this afternoon. It is funny how much everyone really has to stay on top of managing process at the size we're at. Just little changes you make in one area cascade throughout everything, and I think the friendly little estimation spreadsheet we call the feebuilder fell through the cracks through multiple rounds of changes.
Actually, a lot of things seem to be falling through cracks all over the place.
It seems like there's a lot I should do catch-up posting about, like I didn't talk about the trip to Savannah and the visit to the school. I didn't post about how Cole got the top math score at his school, and like second in the district, in these math tests he took a week or so ago. I haven't talked about the fact that we made an offer to a developer, or about all the interviews we've been doing lately. I haven't talked about how I've become mildly addicted to Scrabulous on Facebook. I haven't talked about how I missed Cory's recital, and his legs and arms and body are growing beyond his capacity to control them. I haven't talked about how I haven't seen John on the path since I asked if he'd like to have coffee sometime.
Although, I gotta say, that last paragraph was a crafty way to check all of them off my list in one fell swoop.
(tee hee)
I'm still not up to the full 5 miles like I ended the season with last year, and I gotta stop for a brief rest at the turn around point, but... I'm working on it!!
So, yeah, I didn't post yesterday. I meant to, but it was a bit of a challenging day in which I felt like I was getting it from all angles and everyone wanted something, so no time during the day, and when I got home I heated up some leftovers for everyone, then layed down and fell asleep on the couch for awhile. Not much more to tell about Monday other than to say I did get out to bike in the morning before coming into work, so I got my exercise in and I was something like 157.8 on the scale. Oh, and that we called Brady on his birthday and sang to him and group-convo'ed (totally not a word, I know!) on speaker phone.
Anyway, today was better. I got to get out running, I was lighter on the scale, the day went smoother, and all. I'll be knee-deep in Excel reworking our estimation tool for the next few days, after we had a meeting about it this afternoon. It is funny how much everyone really has to stay on top of managing process at the size we're at. Just little changes you make in one area cascade throughout everything, and I think the friendly little estimation spreadsheet we call the feebuilder fell through the cracks through multiple rounds of changes.
Actually, a lot of things seem to be falling through cracks all over the place.
It seems like there's a lot I should do catch-up posting about, like I didn't talk about the trip to Savannah and the visit to the school. I didn't post about how Cole got the top math score at his school, and like second in the district, in these math tests he took a week or so ago. I haven't talked about the fact that we made an offer to a developer, or about all the interviews we've been doing lately. I haven't talked about how I've become mildly addicted to Scrabulous on Facebook. I haven't talked about how I missed Cory's recital, and his legs and arms and body are growing beyond his capacity to control them. I haven't talked about how I haven't seen John on the path since I asked if he'd like to have coffee sometime.
Although, I gotta say, that last paragraph was a crafty way to check all of them off my list in one fell swoop.
(tee hee)
Song of the Day
Talking Heads - Pulled Up
Ok, not to get on a soap box or anything, but I really like the Talking Heads. You know why? Because they don't take themselves too seriously, and you can just hear it. It is about tossing themselves and their crazy fucking lyrics out there and if you don't like it, deal. Frankly, this song is how the world should work -- don't take yourself too seriously, and appreciate the people that pull you up.
I'm getting tired of people taking themselves and what they do too goddamn seriously. Get over yourself, and pull everyone around you up. Everyone wins.
Okay, I guess I did just get on a soapbox. Deal.
I'm getting tired of people taking themselves and what they do too goddamn seriously. Get over yourself, and pull everyone around you up. Everyone wins.
Okay, I guess I did just get on a soapbox. Deal.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Song of the Day
Stone Roses - Wanna Be Adored
Bear with the first 30 seconds of the song, the rest is worth it.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day!
157.6 on the scale, gonna run soon.
Well, we got up early this morning with the intent to make Momma a nice Mother's Day breakfast. I had to make a run to the grocery store because we were out of eggs and I needed a couple other things to make the meal more special, but when I got back, I whipped up waffles topped with strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries, bananas, whipped cream and walnuts, and some scrambled eggs and bacon on the side.
We all ate, Cory more than the rest of us, of course, and now since I'm not used to eating a whole lot in the morning, I'm not feeling so hot.
I think I'm gonna go for a run and expel the demons, or whatever's going on. I didn't run or anything the whole time I was in Savannah, so I'm about due.
Anyway, today we'll run a few errands, and then Jo's got an orchestra concert that we'll all attend later today.
Should be a mostly-quiet day.
Well, we got up early this morning with the intent to make Momma a nice Mother's Day breakfast. I had to make a run to the grocery store because we were out of eggs and I needed a couple other things to make the meal more special, but when I got back, I whipped up waffles topped with strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries, bananas, whipped cream and walnuts, and some scrambled eggs and bacon on the side.
We all ate, Cory more than the rest of us, of course, and now since I'm not used to eating a whole lot in the morning, I'm not feeling so hot.
I think I'm gonna go for a run and expel the demons, or whatever's going on. I didn't run or anything the whole time I was in Savannah, so I'm about due.
Anyway, today we'll run a few errands, and then Jo's got an orchestra concert that we'll all attend later today.
Should be a mostly-quiet day.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
"I Don't Date Outside My Race."
Ya know how I've gotten into some pretty interesting conversations on my trips in the past? (Recall the "I have a burning love for Jesus" encounter.)
Well, I had a mildly entertaining one earlier today in Savannah.
I was in a souvenir shop at the register, being helped by a rather large but pretty african-american woman. The conversation started because when Hootie and the Blowfish came on the radio behind her, she groaned and rolled her eyes, and I knew instantly we had something in common.
We talked about my iPod and its 16,000 songs, then about how she didn't have one, but thought having one and how wearing earphones all the time was good because it prevented you from having to talk to people who randomly strike up conversations you want no part of, then about a friend of hers who takes her iPod and earbuds with her everywhere so guys won't hit on her, then about how guys never know what to say when they're hitting on a girl because girls make it hard for them, then ultimately to the climax of the conversation: a personal story of one particular time that she was hit on.
She had just told me about a guy she'd known for like three years that finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, when she stopped and said, "Now honey, I don't date outside my race, see?". So she told me how she told this poor bumbling guy, "I don't do vanilla." He apparently was quick enough on his feet to suggest she sample the vanilla before she just outright say "no", but she was not persuaded, and shut him down with an abrupt, "I like mine DARK chocolate, honey.". With that, she let out a really loud cackling laugh, and said "Have a nice day, sweetie."
Why do people tell me such things?
Oh, and then when I went to turn in the rental car, the girl that checked it in said as she handed me the receipt, "Okay baby, you're all set."
Baby?
Well, I had a mildly entertaining one earlier today in Savannah.
I was in a souvenir shop at the register, being helped by a rather large but pretty african-american woman. The conversation started because when Hootie and the Blowfish came on the radio behind her, she groaned and rolled her eyes, and I knew instantly we had something in common.
We talked about my iPod and its 16,000 songs, then about how she didn't have one, but thought having one and how wearing earphones all the time was good because it prevented you from having to talk to people who randomly strike up conversations you want no part of, then about a friend of hers who takes her iPod and earbuds with her everywhere so guys won't hit on her, then about how guys never know what to say when they're hitting on a girl because girls make it hard for them, then ultimately to the climax of the conversation: a personal story of one particular time that she was hit on.
She had just told me about a guy she'd known for like three years that finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, when she stopped and said, "Now honey, I don't date outside my race, see?". So she told me how she told this poor bumbling guy, "I don't do vanilla." He apparently was quick enough on his feet to suggest she sample the vanilla before she just outright say "no", but she was not persuaded, and shut him down with an abrupt, "I like mine DARK chocolate, honey.". With that, she let out a really loud cackling laugh, and said "Have a nice day, sweetie."
Why do people tell me such things?
Oh, and then when I went to turn in the rental car, the girl that checked it in said as she handed me the receipt, "Okay baby, you're all set."
Baby?
Song of the Day
The Kings of Convenience - Homesick
This is one that came up randomly on the iPod once last fall while I was walking around the path. A retrospective interlude, coming atcha.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Song of the Day
The Beatles - Honey Don't
Every now and then, a song comes on the iPod that I really like, and have to see who it is. This was one of them. When I saw it was The Beatles, I was kinda surprised! I'd never heard anything like this from them. Dig it.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Song of the Day
Lambchop - Up With People
I think Dave Ewald's music collection introduced me to Lambchop. Good stuff.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Off to Savannah
157 on the scale, 12 miles biking on the path, 0/0 (for lack of time).
So, I'm headed out in about a half hour to go hop on the lightrail and head to the aeropuerto for a 4:50 flight. I've got two full days of activities scheduled at SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design), including some presentations, some portfolio reviews, some tours, some participation in mock interviews, some lunches, and some dinners with faculty and chairs and lead students.
Should be a great visit.
That, and I've never been to Savannah before and I love to explore new places. I don't have a whole lot of time for real exploration, but, just being there is exploring too. :)
So you've probably noticed I'm posting a Song of the Day now every day. I've been wanting to do that for a long long time, but was having troublems finding a good way to do it. I have some 16,000 songs on my iPod, almost always on shuffle, and I make note of the best ones by dropping them into a "selects" playlist. It is that playlist (which is 198 songs long right now) that I'm sharing with you, piece by piece.
I think it would be supercool if peeps comment on what they like and don't like, AND furthermore, suggest stuff that you think I'd like for me to check out.
I dig music. Life would be death without it.
So, I'm headed out in about a half hour to go hop on the lightrail and head to the aeropuerto for a 4:50 flight. I've got two full days of activities scheduled at SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design), including some presentations, some portfolio reviews, some tours, some participation in mock interviews, some lunches, and some dinners with faculty and chairs and lead students.
Should be a great visit.
That, and I've never been to Savannah before and I love to explore new places. I don't have a whole lot of time for real exploration, but, just being there is exploring too. :)
So you've probably noticed I'm posting a Song of the Day now every day. I've been wanting to do that for a long long time, but was having troublems finding a good way to do it. I have some 16,000 songs on my iPod, almost always on shuffle, and I make note of the best ones by dropping them into a "selects" playlist. It is that playlist (which is 198 songs long right now) that I'm sharing with you, piece by piece.
I think it would be supercool if peeps comment on what they like and don't like, AND furthermore, suggest stuff that you think I'd like for me to check out.
I dig music. Life would be death without it.
Song of the Day
Fleetwood Mac - Ledge
So first, an admission. Yes, I'm a Fleetwood Mac fan. Now that that is out of the way, here's one of two absolute gems from their old days that I discovered, and freakin' love. I'll share the other one some other time.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Hello John! Howzabout a Cuppa Joe!
156.0 on the scale, ran about 4.0 miles on the path, and the usual 150/100.
So, this morning, I did what I had told myself I was gonna do for awhile now, which was to ask Walking Path John if he'd like to grab a cup of coffee sometime. He seemed a bit taken aback by the suggestion, and literally said "For what purpose?", but we're gonna set up a time next time I see him out there. Which means I have to remember what my schedule is without the assistance of my phone.
That should prove to be a challenge.
Anyway, for those that don't remember, John is the older dude that I would see walking just about every day on the path, with his cross country ski poles. Seems like a funny guy from our tiny little exchanges, so I thought, why the hell shouldn't I get to know him a little bit? Eh?
In other news, I did NOT sleep well last night. In fact, I've been having trouble sleeping on and off the past week or so, but last night was particularly bad. Which made running this morning a challenge, and has resulted in a "fuzzy and mildly agitated Bret" all day.
LOVE that.
Speaking of running, I finally got to Sprongs and bought my Z-coil shoes with gift certificate that my employees gave me for x-mas. They seem to help my knees, but I need to get one of them further adjusted because it is giving me blisters from hell in my right arch. (TMI?)
They're really pretty cool though. They took a little getting used to, but they're kinda fun to run in.
I think that's all for now. I'm headed to Savannah, GA tomorrow to visit Savannah College of Art & Design, which I'm looking forward to. Never been to Savannah, and it is fun to present our work!
So, this morning, I did what I had told myself I was gonna do for awhile now, which was to ask Walking Path John if he'd like to grab a cup of coffee sometime. He seemed a bit taken aback by the suggestion, and literally said "For what purpose?", but we're gonna set up a time next time I see him out there. Which means I have to remember what my schedule is without the assistance of my phone.
That should prove to be a challenge.
Anyway, for those that don't remember, John is the older dude that I would see walking just about every day on the path, with his cross country ski poles. Seems like a funny guy from our tiny little exchanges, so I thought, why the hell shouldn't I get to know him a little bit? Eh?
In other news, I did NOT sleep well last night. In fact, I've been having trouble sleeping on and off the past week or so, but last night was particularly bad. Which made running this morning a challenge, and has resulted in a "fuzzy and mildly agitated Bret" all day.
LOVE that.
Speaking of running, I finally got to Sprongs and bought my Z-coil shoes with gift certificate that my employees gave me for x-mas. They seem to help my knees, but I need to get one of them further adjusted because it is giving me blisters from hell in my right arch. (TMI?)
They're really pretty cool though. They took a little getting used to, but they're kinda fun to run in.
I think that's all for now. I'm headed to Savannah, GA tomorrow to visit Savannah College of Art & Design, which I'm looking forward to. Never been to Savannah, and it is fun to present our work!
Song of the Day
Figurines - Remember
I don't exactly remember how I discovered the Figurines, but the album that this song is from has a SLEW of great songs on it. This one is one of my favorites.
Monday, May 5, 2008
A Long Hard Winter
Hi there. Remember me?
It has been a year since the intended deadline to hit my weight goal – the venture that started my blogventures – and I thought that might be as good a reason as any to start up again! And now that Spring has sprung, it is a time for new beginnings. So here I am.
Now all I have to do is get my faithful handful of readers back and the world is set right again. (I know at least Mom will be back, because every time I see her she drops the ever-so-subtle “I really miss your blog, son” on me.)
So, I stepped on the scale this morning, as I have done every morning, and it registered a nice 156.0 even. That’s success, folks! I took it off, I kept it off, and I’ve improved my health significantly (and maybe even got better looking? tee hee) in the process.
I dare say, I’m proud of my own self!
And so now that I’ve started again, I intend to keep at it.
So yeah, it has been a long hard winter, for many a reason. The obvious is the crapload of snow and poopy weather turns we’ve dealt with. I’m surprised more people didn’t slit their throats. I swear, they said it was gonna snow just this past Saturday and I thought that if it did, I just might be tempted.
We had an unexpected death in the family, my Grandma Hummel, a handful of weeks ago as well. As Grandpa’s primary caregiver (alzheimers), her passing has forced a lot of hard changes on Grandpa and my parents and aunts and uncles. The hardest change to hear about is how lonely Grandpa is in his new home, and particularly hard because he’ll tell you, and mere minutes later forget he said anything and tell you all over again. I’ve never seen Grandpa as vulnerable and human and just plain real as I have in the past few weeks.
There are a lot more reasons this winter was difficult, spanning such things as loss, friction, tough realizations, admittance, meanderings, health matters and more that I really can’t get into in this forum, but suffice it to say, it has taken its toll on me and many around me. I’m not really one to let on much, but people see it. I’ve been called on my lack of spark a few times now, but the good news is that it is Spring, and things are looking up.
More later.
It has been a year since the intended deadline to hit my weight goal – the venture that started my blogventures – and I thought that might be as good a reason as any to start up again! And now that Spring has sprung, it is a time for new beginnings. So here I am.
Now all I have to do is get my faithful handful of readers back and the world is set right again. (I know at least Mom will be back, because every time I see her she drops the ever-so-subtle “I really miss your blog, son” on me.)
So, I stepped on the scale this morning, as I have done every morning, and it registered a nice 156.0 even. That’s success, folks! I took it off, I kept it off, and I’ve improved my health significantly (and maybe even got better looking? tee hee) in the process.
I dare say, I’m proud of my own self!
And so now that I’ve started again, I intend to keep at it.
So yeah, it has been a long hard winter, for many a reason. The obvious is the crapload of snow and poopy weather turns we’ve dealt with. I’m surprised more people didn’t slit their throats. I swear, they said it was gonna snow just this past Saturday and I thought that if it did, I just might be tempted.
We had an unexpected death in the family, my Grandma Hummel, a handful of weeks ago as well. As Grandpa’s primary caregiver (alzheimers), her passing has forced a lot of hard changes on Grandpa and my parents and aunts and uncles. The hardest change to hear about is how lonely Grandpa is in his new home, and particularly hard because he’ll tell you, and mere minutes later forget he said anything and tell you all over again. I’ve never seen Grandpa as vulnerable and human and just plain real as I have in the past few weeks.
There are a lot more reasons this winter was difficult, spanning such things as loss, friction, tough realizations, admittance, meanderings, health matters and more that I really can’t get into in this forum, but suffice it to say, it has taken its toll on me and many around me. I’m not really one to let on much, but people see it. I’ve been called on my lack of spark a few times now, but the good news is that it is Spring, and things are looking up.
More later.
Song of the Day
Belle & Sebastian - Judy and the Dream of Horses
This is just one of those catchy songs that you get stuck in your head and find yourself humming over and over again throughout the day. Good luck with that. :)
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