One thing that we had always wanted to do is go camping. I had gone several times as a kid with my parents, but never by myself.
So Jill and I decided to go with Ben and Katherine Hutchens a couple of years ago. Not being that experienced, we went to a KOA campsite so that we weren't going to be totally roughing it. I talked to a friend a few years back who was talking to me about going camping and they were talking about bringing their own toilet paper and she made it sound like taking a dip in the lake was the equivalent of showering. I definitely wasn't going to have a Blair Witch Project type scenario, so the KOA was perfect.
So, we got there and pulled out everything and set up our tent and everything else. Before I go into the weekend, let me start off by saying that we were camping on a weekend where the humidity was at least 70%. It was awful. The first day, we inflated our air mattress and put our sheets and sleeping bag on top. When we went to bed, there was so much dew on our sheets and sleeping bags that I thought someone had drooled all over my bedding. It was so gross. There is nothing like being out in the wilderness and the sheets are literally sticking to your body like you're having a wet t-shirt contest. I swear you could have created a perfect mold of my body from the sheet. When we woke up in the morning, we packed our sheets and sleeping bags into the car, and didn't pull them out until right before we went to bed and that seemed to solve that problem.
There's something interesting about waking up on a campsite. You have to be conscious that there are several other people within a very short distance of you. For example, one morning I got up and noticed that there was a water jug outside of the tent next to us. I thought that was weird. I mean, if they wanted water in case they got thirsty before bed, why not bring the water in with them? Why leave it outside the tent? Well, the answer to my question was soon answered when I noticed that they brought the jug into the tent and then after a few moments, brought it back out and there was a yellowish liquid that had not previously been occupying the jug. What's worse was that I'm pretty sure this was shared by a male and female. How on earth did they execute that first thing in the morning? I mean, if they were awake enough to prevent spillage, they could have just as easily done the walk of shame to the bathroom, which wasn't very far away. But I digress.
There was a small lake behind our campsite, which was at least 3 quarters algae. There were so many lily pads that I could barely tell there was water. What little water I could see was so black, it was impossible to see more than a few inches into the water.
The lake was pretty modest. It couldn't have been wider than about 50 yards or so. I had this small mini football and Ben and I decided to try and see if I could throw the football and reach the other side. I was pretty confident because the ball fit into my hand well and like I said, the lake wasn't very wide. So I wound up and threw it. The ball launched into the air. I practically launched myself into the disgusting lake. Whew! That was close! Then this look of horror came over my face as I realized that the ball had no chance of making it to the other side. I see the ball plop down and determine that I can get a stick and bring the ball back to land. Ben and I walk around. Once we reach the other side, we see that the ball is about 20 feet away from land. I have my bathing suit on, so I figure that I will just walk in and get the ball. It's disgusting, but how deep could it be. Well, on my second step in, I'm sinking like I've just stepped into quicksand and as it is, the water is up to my waist. I've determined at this point there is considerable risk to any attempt at walking in to get the ball. As I mentioned before, there are tons of lilly pads for as far as the eye can see. I decide that this 4.95 football is valuable enough that I should risk my life by swimming into this black goop. I dive in and to my surprise, the lily pads are connected to the ground via a series of root type vines. I suppose I should have been paying closer attention in science class because I did not realize the root system existed, although it makes perfect sense now. So, I'm swinging my arms to create a path through the lily pads and the roots are coiling around my arms and legs. At this point, I don't know what is creating more panic, the root coilage, or the effort to keep my head as high as possible as to avoid the black sludge going anywhere near my face/mouth/nose, etc.
So, I get to the football and decide, rather than stop I'm going to make a U-Turn and head back. I get back and literally look like Swamp Thing. There is black and green sludge all over my body. Here's the worst part. We just realize that church is in like 30 minutes and I look at smell like a landfill. I go and simulate a shower and I'm pretty sure I clogged up the drain with mud, slime, and algae. In church, I'm quite sure everyone was looking at me to determine the source of "that smell".
What my friend Ben remarked about the experience is that it was "the roughest doggie paddle" he'd ever seen. But at least I still have my "prized" football.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
8 Days of Celebration! Volume 1 - The Dairy Queen Chronicles
To celebrate the season of Hanakkuh, I am telling 8 of the funniest Jeff stories that I can think of. Here's the first.
The Dairy Queen Chronicles
So, back when I lived in NY I used to date a girl named Jocelyn. She was great for me because she helped me get out of shell. I definitely needed it. But, by the same token, she was a little impulsive for me. There were many times where I didn't know what was coming next. It usually takes 2 to Tango, so I'm going to leave the rest of that alone. While dating, we frequently visited this Dairy Queen near Angola, NY. Somewhere out there, there is someone reading this that will remember this incident. It was back in 1996. There are 2 that I'm going to bridge into 1.
Jocelyn liked to egg me on at various points and her sister Alison and I would return the favor by acting like #4 from the movie, Multiplicity. For some reason, we enjoyed doing this in public at the top of our lungs.
One day, we are in a tremendously long line, waiting to order our Blizzards. She kept doing something annoying. I don't have a clue what she was doing, but it was something along the lines of giving me a wet willie or flicking my ear. I told her to stop. She did it again. I told her to stop again. She did it again. After some time, you've got to realize that if you don't stop something, it will continue to happen. I told her that if she did that again, then there would be consequences. Always one to push the envelope, she chuckled and did it again. I picked her up and threw her, butt first, into a nearby bush. The best part was completely unintentional on my part. She fell rather far into the bush, and therefore couldn't get out. Imagine sitting in a chair and putting your feet into the air so that are feet are about 2 feet apart with your toes pointed to the ceiling (your feet should be above your head). Now take your arms and reach out as if trying to touch your toes. This is what Jocelyn looked like. Now, the 2nd best part was everyone in line that was standing around us. They began to laugh and cackle wildly. I think at one point someone helped her out. It certainly wasn't me. I was laughing too hard.
So, we get our blizzards and go sit in my car to eat them. Jocelyn sticks her finger in her blizzard and wipes it on my nose. Ugh! Disgusting. Nothing like melted ice cream near your nose on a hot summer evening. I told her to stop. She did it again. At this point, the germ-a-phob in me is starting to get anxious. I told her that if she did it again there would be consequences. Let me add in at this time that Jocelyn had long blond hair that was probably one of her favorite features. She wiped along slug's worth on my nose. At that point, I dug my hand into my Blizzard, whipped it out like I was rip starting a lawn mower, and ran my ice cream filled hand down the back of her head. She slapped the back of my scalp with a hand ful of her Blizzard. Before long, we were wrestling in the front seat of my car with ice cream flying everywhere. I sold my car in 1999 and there was still ice cream on the ceiling of that car the day I parted with it. So, we finished, and drove back to her parents house where my belongings were that I had to retreive to go home. In order to get my things I had to go through the living room where Jocelyn's mom was watching tv. We walked in and Jocelyn and I are both standing there in the hallway with crap eating grins on our faces. We're waving "Hi" as if nothing is wrong. Full disclosure; at this point, we're both covered with ice cream from head to toe. There are literally chunks of Blizzard mix in Jocelyn's hair. I had more Blizzard paraphenelia on my face than a Native America's application of war paint. Her mom looked us up and down like a meat head would undress the most popular girl in school. "You two are disgusting, " she snarled our way. We both let out a huge cackle and ran upstairs. My car smelled so bad for weeks. I remember several times getting in thinking that I had the B.O. car from Seinfeld.
The Dairy Queen Chronicles
So, back when I lived in NY I used to date a girl named Jocelyn. She was great for me because she helped me get out of shell. I definitely needed it. But, by the same token, she was a little impulsive for me. There were many times where I didn't know what was coming next. It usually takes 2 to Tango, so I'm going to leave the rest of that alone. While dating, we frequently visited this Dairy Queen near Angola, NY. Somewhere out there, there is someone reading this that will remember this incident. It was back in 1996. There are 2 that I'm going to bridge into 1.
Jocelyn liked to egg me on at various points and her sister Alison and I would return the favor by acting like #4 from the movie, Multiplicity. For some reason, we enjoyed doing this in public at the top of our lungs.
One day, we are in a tremendously long line, waiting to order our Blizzards. She kept doing something annoying. I don't have a clue what she was doing, but it was something along the lines of giving me a wet willie or flicking my ear. I told her to stop. She did it again. I told her to stop again. She did it again. After some time, you've got to realize that if you don't stop something, it will continue to happen. I told her that if she did that again, then there would be consequences. Always one to push the envelope, she chuckled and did it again. I picked her up and threw her, butt first, into a nearby bush. The best part was completely unintentional on my part. She fell rather far into the bush, and therefore couldn't get out. Imagine sitting in a chair and putting your feet into the air so that are feet are about 2 feet apart with your toes pointed to the ceiling (your feet should be above your head). Now take your arms and reach out as if trying to touch your toes. This is what Jocelyn looked like. Now, the 2nd best part was everyone in line that was standing around us. They began to laugh and cackle wildly. I think at one point someone helped her out. It certainly wasn't me. I was laughing too hard.
So, we get our blizzards and go sit in my car to eat them. Jocelyn sticks her finger in her blizzard and wipes it on my nose. Ugh! Disgusting. Nothing like melted ice cream near your nose on a hot summer evening. I told her to stop. She did it again. At this point, the germ-a-phob in me is starting to get anxious. I told her that if she did it again there would be consequences. Let me add in at this time that Jocelyn had long blond hair that was probably one of her favorite features. She wiped along slug's worth on my nose. At that point, I dug my hand into my Blizzard, whipped it out like I was rip starting a lawn mower, and ran my ice cream filled hand down the back of her head. She slapped the back of my scalp with a hand ful of her Blizzard. Before long, we were wrestling in the front seat of my car with ice cream flying everywhere. I sold my car in 1999 and there was still ice cream on the ceiling of that car the day I parted with it. So, we finished, and drove back to her parents house where my belongings were that I had to retreive to go home. In order to get my things I had to go through the living room where Jocelyn's mom was watching tv. We walked in and Jocelyn and I are both standing there in the hallway with crap eating grins on our faces. We're waving "Hi" as if nothing is wrong. Full disclosure; at this point, we're both covered with ice cream from head to toe. There are literally chunks of Blizzard mix in Jocelyn's hair. I had more Blizzard paraphenelia on my face than a Native America's application of war paint. Her mom looked us up and down like a meat head would undress the most popular girl in school. "You two are disgusting, " she snarled our way. We both let out a huge cackle and ran upstairs. My car smelled so bad for weeks. I remember several times getting in thinking that I had the B.O. car from Seinfeld.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
The weather here has been horrible lately. Allow me to recap my past few days.
Last weekend, Jill and I flew to Miami to see the Dolphins beat the Patriots. It was so awesome, mainly because we could relax and the weather was wonderful. We were down there until Monday. The thrill of the entire weekend for me was that Joe Perry played the pregame show outside of the stadium.
Side note here - I hate the Dolphins and the Patriots, but this was a present for my wife, so I'm glad to go and see here have fun. One thing that the Dolphins do better than anyone is create a party atmosphere outside and inside their stadium. There is music, 2 dollar beers, games, and inexpensive food. Both times that we've gone we've had such a great time. I've been to 3 Jets games and the atmosphere sucks, there is nothing outside of the stadium to get excited about and everyone is cynical.
The concert was really good. I actually think that I want his new CD. I think his new band is The Joe Perry Experience. The music was great. One thing that puzzled me was that Joe Perry was wearing a scarf and a leather jacket that was buttoned up. It had to be at least 80 degrees, and I was sweating like crazy. The person in front of me had sweat visably dripping from their calf. How on earth was he performing with this jacket and scarf on like it was 20 degrees out. I was getting ready to pass out just looking at him. I cannot tell you how hot I was just listening to the music and the only thing I was doing was moving around like a white guy.
The game was a good one. The Patriots got out to a 2 TD lead early and it was at that time that I noticed that the tickets I got Jill were in Patriotville. There were tons of Pats fans around us, gloating, and carrying on. By the end of the game, when Miami took the lead and then held on, it looked like a morgue around us. Everyone in our row was sitting with their heads down, dejected. Jill tried to take a picture, but they ran for the exits too quickly.
So, Tuesday, I flew to Dallas to see "Dana from Dallas".
The back story is that when Dana came to Charlotte a few years ago, he became the bartender and every time someone walked in he was like "Hi! I'm Dana from Dallas, here's a drink..." So, now everyone that was at that party refers to him as Dana from Dallas.
During my visit, we went and visited some sights, the most significant being the Dallas Cowboys new stadium. Now Dana doesn't care a lick about sports, but he loved looking at the structure of the stadium. We also toured the area around the stadium. Six Flags is right there, along with The Ballpark at Arlington.
On Saturday I came back to Charlotte and, believe it or not, from the time I left Miami I have not experienced temperatures above the 40s. I suppose next year I'm going to have to go to the Equator or something.
Last weekend, Jill and I flew to Miami to see the Dolphins beat the Patriots. It was so awesome, mainly because we could relax and the weather was wonderful. We were down there until Monday. The thrill of the entire weekend for me was that Joe Perry played the pregame show outside of the stadium.
Side note here - I hate the Dolphins and the Patriots, but this was a present for my wife, so I'm glad to go and see here have fun. One thing that the Dolphins do better than anyone is create a party atmosphere outside and inside their stadium. There is music, 2 dollar beers, games, and inexpensive food. Both times that we've gone we've had such a great time. I've been to 3 Jets games and the atmosphere sucks, there is nothing outside of the stadium to get excited about and everyone is cynical.
The concert was really good. I actually think that I want his new CD. I think his new band is The Joe Perry Experience. The music was great. One thing that puzzled me was that Joe Perry was wearing a scarf and a leather jacket that was buttoned up. It had to be at least 80 degrees, and I was sweating like crazy. The person in front of me had sweat visably dripping from their calf. How on earth was he performing with this jacket and scarf on like it was 20 degrees out. I was getting ready to pass out just looking at him. I cannot tell you how hot I was just listening to the music and the only thing I was doing was moving around like a white guy.
The game was a good one. The Patriots got out to a 2 TD lead early and it was at that time that I noticed that the tickets I got Jill were in Patriotville. There were tons of Pats fans around us, gloating, and carrying on. By the end of the game, when Miami took the lead and then held on, it looked like a morgue around us. Everyone in our row was sitting with their heads down, dejected. Jill tried to take a picture, but they ran for the exits too quickly.
So, Tuesday, I flew to Dallas to see "Dana from Dallas".
The back story is that when Dana came to Charlotte a few years ago, he became the bartender and every time someone walked in he was like "Hi! I'm Dana from Dallas, here's a drink..." So, now everyone that was at that party refers to him as Dana from Dallas.
During my visit, we went and visited some sights, the most significant being the Dallas Cowboys new stadium. Now Dana doesn't care a lick about sports, but he loved looking at the structure of the stadium. We also toured the area around the stadium. Six Flags is right there, along with The Ballpark at Arlington.
On Saturday I came back to Charlotte and, believe it or not, from the time I left Miami I have not experienced temperatures above the 40s. I suppose next year I'm going to have to go to the Equator or something.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Welcome to the Book Store
I think that homeless people really are missing the boat. I see them all the time on the side of the road asking for money. They are unshaven, unkept and dirty. There is a lot of job hazard there. There are cars honking at you, it could be raining, snowing, or you could get heat exhaustion. That's a lot to deal with. Plus, you're on your feet all day. Talk to any cashier and they will tell you that this is a lot to deal with for 8 hours, let alone an entire day.
I would propose that they go and hang out at their local bookstore. There is everything they could imagine there, such as, comfortable chairs and couches, coffee, snacks, a restroom, and to top it all off, there is more reading material than they could ever possibly imagine. Why would I ever want to go live under an overpass when I could just spend all of my days in a bookstore. Plus, if you are able to come across a computer, you could get free wireless ALL DAY LONG! What a life! You could simulate a shower in the bathroom, while shaving. If you needed a job, you could work the midnight shift somewhere while the bookstore is closed. It would be a win-win.
Come to think of it, I wonder how a homeless person gets a job. Every job I've had makes you write down your address on your initial application. If you're homeless, how does that work? Do you put the address of the bookstore that you're staying? Also, if you had this midnight shift job, how would the sleep situation work. I'm pretty sure that if they fell asleep in a bookstore they would be asked to leave. This presents a problem. Although, when I worked at Garden Ridge, I would find a shelf of pillows and fall asleep in the back, so I suppose they could do this. Wasn't there a movie about that with Natalie Portman? I think so. I'm pretty sure she lived at Walmart and ended up having a baby there. The only thing that wasn't realistic about that was the Walmart closing. I don't think I've ever seen a Walmart close. Do they even close on Christmas? I'm pretty sure that they're money hungry. Somewhere in Arkansas, there is a guy with a Walmart embroidered tie that is talking about how they can corner the market by being open Christmas day because no one else is. Walmart really sucks. They are sucking this country dry.
I would propose that they go and hang out at their local bookstore. There is everything they could imagine there, such as, comfortable chairs and couches, coffee, snacks, a restroom, and to top it all off, there is more reading material than they could ever possibly imagine. Why would I ever want to go live under an overpass when I could just spend all of my days in a bookstore. Plus, if you are able to come across a computer, you could get free wireless ALL DAY LONG! What a life! You could simulate a shower in the bathroom, while shaving. If you needed a job, you could work the midnight shift somewhere while the bookstore is closed. It would be a win-win.
Come to think of it, I wonder how a homeless person gets a job. Every job I've had makes you write down your address on your initial application. If you're homeless, how does that work? Do you put the address of the bookstore that you're staying? Also, if you had this midnight shift job, how would the sleep situation work. I'm pretty sure that if they fell asleep in a bookstore they would be asked to leave. This presents a problem. Although, when I worked at Garden Ridge, I would find a shelf of pillows and fall asleep in the back, so I suppose they could do this. Wasn't there a movie about that with Natalie Portman? I think so. I'm pretty sure she lived at Walmart and ended up having a baby there. The only thing that wasn't realistic about that was the Walmart closing. I don't think I've ever seen a Walmart close. Do they even close on Christmas? I'm pretty sure that they're money hungry. Somewhere in Arkansas, there is a guy with a Walmart embroidered tie that is talking about how they can corner the market by being open Christmas day because no one else is. Walmart really sucks. They are sucking this country dry.
Dallas
When you go on vacation to a southern city, you really don't plan on packing sweatshirts, heavy coats and the like, but that is exactly what I had to do when coming to Dallas for this week. The temperature this morning was 26 here. I believe that it's supposed to get up to 45, but man is that cold. I think that I read somewhere that when I return to Charlotte there's going to be snow flurries. Man, I can't get away from that stuff.
Many people I talk to say that they love snow and can't wait to see some flakes. I'm completely the opposite. Being from up north, I've had quite enough of the white stuff. I remember days where the snow was so high it was over my head, but we still had to go to school. In Charlotte, they get a couple of inches and everyone drives like they've lost their minds. Most of the roads are icy messes, but still people drive with reckless abandon.
So, yesterday, I went out to eat and did some sightseeing, which was fun. There is a lot to see down here. It's similar to Charlotte in that everything is new and there is construction in many places. Right now, I'm sitting in a Barnes and Noble that, most likely, didn't exist 2 years ago.
So, speaking of the B and N. I'm here to work on my book. Yes, I know. The book that was supposed to be finished by summer. I've gotten to the point where it stinks so much that I don't know what to do with it. It's so long that it's hard for me to go back to revise because it's like a never ending process. It's almost better for me to keep forging ahead and then when I'm finished revise the entire thing at that time. That is a daunting task, but it seems more practical to me than if I go back and rework what I've done and then continue writing. ERRRRRR, what to do, what to do....
Many people I talk to say that they love snow and can't wait to see some flakes. I'm completely the opposite. Being from up north, I've had quite enough of the white stuff. I remember days where the snow was so high it was over my head, but we still had to go to school. In Charlotte, they get a couple of inches and everyone drives like they've lost their minds. Most of the roads are icy messes, but still people drive with reckless abandon.
So, yesterday, I went out to eat and did some sightseeing, which was fun. There is a lot to see down here. It's similar to Charlotte in that everything is new and there is construction in many places. Right now, I'm sitting in a Barnes and Noble that, most likely, didn't exist 2 years ago.
So, speaking of the B and N. I'm here to work on my book. Yes, I know. The book that was supposed to be finished by summer. I've gotten to the point where it stinks so much that I don't know what to do with it. It's so long that it's hard for me to go back to revise because it's like a never ending process. It's almost better for me to keep forging ahead and then when I'm finished revise the entire thing at that time. That is a daunting task, but it seems more practical to me than if I go back and rework what I've done and then continue writing. ERRRRRR, what to do, what to do....
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Miami
Jill and I went to Miami this weekend for the Dolphins-Patriots game. It was such a great time! The weather was wonderful and the game was a lot of fun too! Jill was happy because the Dolphins won. I didn't care about the outcome. Both teams are enemies of the Jets, so I was just hoping that it was going to be a good game.
Our hotel was really nice. I highly recommend if you are ever staying on Hollywood Blvd. in Florida to stay at the Quality Inn that lies between 50th and 48th. The hotel was recently renovated, very clean, and the continental breakfast was very good! The thing that we love about Choice Hotels, of which the Quality Inn is one, is that the rates are moderate and you get the same type of room no matter what city you stay in.
I bought a new Air Hockey Table on the day after Thanksgiving and it was delivered right before we left for Miami, so I'm really excited to put it together. I've been wanting one for years and now it's finally here!
Our hotel was really nice. I highly recommend if you are ever staying on Hollywood Blvd. in Florida to stay at the Quality Inn that lies between 50th and 48th. The hotel was recently renovated, very clean, and the continental breakfast was very good! The thing that we love about Choice Hotels, of which the Quality Inn is one, is that the rates are moderate and you get the same type of room no matter what city you stay in.
I bought a new Air Hockey Table on the day after Thanksgiving and it was delivered right before we left for Miami, so I'm really excited to put it together. I've been wanting one for years and now it's finally here!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
You don't have to agree on everything...it's not like launching a missle where you both have to turn your keys at the same time
So, Thanksgiving leftovers are going well. Up to this time, Jill has been making me suffer through with the white meat, while there is a perfectly good pile of dark meat in the ziplock container. I dipped into that this evening as part of my leftover fiesta!!!
Full disclosure, I just read on someone's facebook page that this dude is single in case Tiger's wife wants to even the score. Bahahahahahahaha!
Ever remember those episodes of Scooby Doo when you were little when they would point into a pitch dark room in a creepy house and tell Scooby to go check it out. Being the smart dog that he was, he politely declined. But hold the phone, as Scooby Snacks are in the house. An adamant denial is all of a sudden in doubt. Scooby is like, "Well.....if you put it that way...." All of a sudden, he's doing all kinds of depth defying feats. I never understood how a Scooby snack could change things that dramatically until we got Sammie. She could be in the middle of anything short of dinner and if I mention the "Cookie" word, then she stops everything and is into slobber mode. The best is when she has a toy in her mouth. As soon as we say the word cookie, Sammie's like the heck with That, I heard the "Cookie" word and that only means one thing and it ain't too shabby!!!
Full disclosure, I just read on someone's facebook page that this dude is single in case Tiger's wife wants to even the score. Bahahahahahahaha!
Ever remember those episodes of Scooby Doo when you were little when they would point into a pitch dark room in a creepy house and tell Scooby to go check it out. Being the smart dog that he was, he politely declined. But hold the phone, as Scooby Snacks are in the house. An adamant denial is all of a sudden in doubt. Scooby is like, "Well.....if you put it that way...." All of a sudden, he's doing all kinds of depth defying feats. I never understood how a Scooby snack could change things that dramatically until we got Sammie. She could be in the middle of anything short of dinner and if I mention the "Cookie" word, then she stops everything and is into slobber mode. The best is when she has a toy in her mouth. As soon as we say the word cookie, Sammie's like the heck with That, I heard the "Cookie" word and that only means one thing and it ain't too shabby!!!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December 1
Today is the first day of December and the beginning of the last month of the year. So much has changed. I had surgery in January to help open my airways. What a difference that made. I've changed offices from Crystal to Small Electrics and Luggage. My first boss moved to Minnesota, then my next boss moved to Atlanta. All totaled, I'm working on my 4th boss since this time last year. The Yankees won the World Series. We got a new puppy, named Sammie (Samantha Mumba Leardini). We made tons of new friends, had a great vacation with Linn, Eric, Kevin, and Babette, and organized a fun picnic in April.
The new year will be awesome! We're going to spend our anniversary in California with the Andersons. I just bought a new Air Hockey table for our basement! My work just reinstated 401K match and raises will start again in March, so that's great news!
I have to say, on another note, this time of year sucks because of all the cheesy christmas movies on tv. I literally heard some people talking about this movie at work the other day regarding this dog named Christmas. First of all, who names anything after a holiday? I mean, I'm not naming Sammie "Day of the Dead" or anything. After all, it is a feel good holiday, but it's just not appropriate for naming purposes. On the second note, who is watching a movie about a dog. What? Was Lassie not available? Old Yeller being saved for another time of year? White Fang already been checked out? I mean, come on...you can not tell me in this day and age of 200+ TV stations there was not a crime drama/sporting event/hollywood minute/headline news/etc show to watch (In that vein, you should seriously check out A&E, they have the best shows that almost nobody knows about - Parking Wars, Hoarders, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Sell This House, Intervention ----> they're all the best, let me tell you)
The bottom line is that while I am a pet lover, these movies are the worst. Almost as bad are the annoying Christmas carols that you hear. I seriously had someone quote "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". Youtube this. You won't thank me. This is the worst song I've ever heard. I think that a 5 year old with the trots could do better. Diarrhea, Cha-Cha-Cha......
The new year will be awesome! We're going to spend our anniversary in California with the Andersons. I just bought a new Air Hockey table for our basement! My work just reinstated 401K match and raises will start again in March, so that's great news!
I have to say, on another note, this time of year sucks because of all the cheesy christmas movies on tv. I literally heard some people talking about this movie at work the other day regarding this dog named Christmas. First of all, who names anything after a holiday? I mean, I'm not naming Sammie "Day of the Dead" or anything. After all, it is a feel good holiday, but it's just not appropriate for naming purposes. On the second note, who is watching a movie about a dog. What? Was Lassie not available? Old Yeller being saved for another time of year? White Fang already been checked out? I mean, come on...you can not tell me in this day and age of 200+ TV stations there was not a crime drama/sporting event/hollywood minute/headline news/etc show to watch (In that vein, you should seriously check out A&E, they have the best shows that almost nobody knows about - Parking Wars, Hoarders, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Sell This House, Intervention ----> they're all the best, let me tell you)
The bottom line is that while I am a pet lover, these movies are the worst. Almost as bad are the annoying Christmas carols that you hear. I seriously had someone quote "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". Youtube this. You won't thank me. This is the worst song I've ever heard. I think that a 5 year old with the trots could do better. Diarrhea, Cha-Cha-Cha......
Thursday, November 19, 2009
What Do You Want Me To Do, Grab 2 Cans And A Long Piece of String?
I'm pretty much full of the one liners tonight.
In response to my poor cell phone signal:
"What would you like me to do, go outside and climb the bleepin' cell phone tower?"
In response to being pressured to have kids:
"Don't get me wrong, kids are great, but having one is like preparing for a nuclear blast, you have to brace yourself and prepare for impact."
So, the grocery store trip was a wild success. We spent $120 and saved $95. We got our huge turkey. Seriously, it was ridiculous. We got a turkey that was over 22 lbs. and we paid $8 for it.
So, the conversation goes like this.
Person A
"I need you to do 'X' for me"
Person B
"Ok, that's great, it says here that I need to input the data provided from person A. What would you like me to use?"
Person A
"I don't know. I haven't decided on the data yet but I need 'X' done immediately."
Am I missing something here?
In response to my poor cell phone signal:
"What would you like me to do, go outside and climb the bleepin' cell phone tower?"
In response to being pressured to have kids:
"Don't get me wrong, kids are great, but having one is like preparing for a nuclear blast, you have to brace yourself and prepare for impact."
So, the grocery store trip was a wild success. We spent $120 and saved $95. We got our huge turkey. Seriously, it was ridiculous. We got a turkey that was over 22 lbs. and we paid $8 for it.
So, the conversation goes like this.
Person A
"I need you to do 'X' for me"
Person B
"Ok, that's great, it says here that I need to input the data provided from person A. What would you like me to use?"
Person A
"I don't know. I haven't decided on the data yet but I need 'X' done immediately."
Am I missing something here?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Grocery Time....Cha Ching
Ok, so we love going to Bi-Lo. I know that it's pretty much the Rich Man's Food Lion, but I'm ok with that until I start noticing Food Lion tags on things and then I'm outtie. This week though, The B-Lo has turkeys for 39 cents a pound. My wife is practically frothing at the mouth about this. She nearly knocked me to the ground to get to the Ad.
I couldn't tell you what else is in that Ad, because my wife was so excited about the friggin' turkey. It is so inexpensive, I told her that we should buy a big huge one and freeze whatever we don't eat that day. (The cooked, but uneaten portion) I don't think that we could get a better deal than 20 pounds of turkey for 7 bucks or whatever.
I'm all about trying to save a few bucks, so we'll see how this goes. If I blog in a few weeks from the hospital, the dots shouldn't be too hard to connect.
So, onto other matters. Next week, there will be some remodeling done in my basement. My dad and I are going to frame out a wall and build some shelves so that I don't have to put everything on the floor in our store room.
Well, I'm sure that you all are excited here on the eve of the Venezuelan Feast of the Virgen de Chiquinquirá, because frankly, who isn't? While I know that this observance gets lost in the shuffle of Shogi day, it still is a prominent celebration in the Leardini household. It's been a tough celebration to maintain, however, because we don't want it to infringe upon our gala celebration of International Toilet Day, which will be celebrated this year on Thursday. And who could think of a celebration that isn't more worthy? I believe that we'll be able to squeeze them all in this week. It's always a party to go in the Leardini Household. HOLLA!
I couldn't tell you what else is in that Ad, because my wife was so excited about the friggin' turkey. It is so inexpensive, I told her that we should buy a big huge one and freeze whatever we don't eat that day. (The cooked, but uneaten portion) I don't think that we could get a better deal than 20 pounds of turkey for 7 bucks or whatever.
I'm all about trying to save a few bucks, so we'll see how this goes. If I blog in a few weeks from the hospital, the dots shouldn't be too hard to connect.
So, onto other matters. Next week, there will be some remodeling done in my basement. My dad and I are going to frame out a wall and build some shelves so that I don't have to put everything on the floor in our store room.
Well, I'm sure that you all are excited here on the eve of the Venezuelan Feast of the Virgen de Chiquinquirá, because frankly, who isn't? While I know that this observance gets lost in the shuffle of Shogi day, it still is a prominent celebration in the Leardini household. It's been a tough celebration to maintain, however, because we don't want it to infringe upon our gala celebration of International Toilet Day, which will be celebrated this year on Thursday. And who could think of a celebration that isn't more worthy? I believe that we'll be able to squeeze them all in this week. It's always a party to go in the Leardini Household. HOLLA!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Can you tell me how to get?
In honor of this being the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, I thought I'd share a favorite passage from "Bigfoot's Memoirs". This is hilarious! The gramatical errors are intentional, by the way.
Excerpt from Me Write Book, by Graham Roumieu...
When first start out audition for a lot of roles. Agent at time think I suited for children program because I furry and talk simple. Go in try out for role on new show for public television but get beat out by giant yellow bird. Also try out for role of him friend but beat out by freaky elephant. Get angry and throw chair across set, hit this talentless green guy who also no get lead role. Turn out I break him back with chair and make him paralyze. He try sue network. He get miserable from not walk and start live in garbage can. Network offer him role as settlement for lawsuit. I try to get role as garbage man who carry him around but he just scream in terror and hid in can when I around. So unprofessional.
So, one of the biggest drains on our finances seems to be eating. Whether it's going out to eat, picking up things at the grocery store, or the like, more than half of our money goes to these places. Have you ever gone grocery shopping and then gone back within a period of time to "pick up a couple of things"? Pretty much, any time that we do that, we walk out spending at least 20-25 dollars. I read a book that has helped me with a philosophy on this. We try to go to the grocery store once a month. During this one trip, we get everything that we'll need for an entire month. If there are extra things that we need, like milk, we buy extra and freeze it. For fruits and vegetables, we determine what the shelf life is of each item and then eat accordingly. For example, bananas usually last about a week, grapes about 2-3 weeks, oranges about 3 weeks, and apples about 3-4 weeks. So, when we're eating, we go for the bananas first, and then make our way through the fruit, saving the apples for last. The main thing is that we stay within our set amount by making only one trip. When we first started doing this, we brought cash, a calculator, a note pad, and the ad. If we went over the cash that we had, then we had to put something back. It was a good way for us to prioritize what we wanted to buy.
Going out to eat is another story. I think that this is how we overextend ourselves more often. Especially with the popularity of using a credit card, it becomes easy to go out to eat because you don't have to be accountable until the end of the month. It's really easy for everything to add up. One thing we're going to try is to have cash for when we go out to eat. That way, we're having to phsically take out the money. This helps us in another aspect that we're concerned with. The whole idea of someone taking our credit card away from us to swipe it makes us a little leary. It's become common place to trust the server that is taking your card from you, but how do you know that this person isn't a druggie, or in need of finding ways to pay their bills. It wouldn't take much for them to write down the personal information of your card, google your address, and then charge everything under the sun online. Paying with cash takes all of these variables out of the equation.
Just last night, for example, I went to get some dessert at Applebees. The girl, I'll call her Stephanie, was busy when we were seated, so the manager came and took our order. Like, I said, we just ordered dessert, so there wasn't a whole lot to remember. Stephanie came by and apologized for the taking of our order taking so long. After a reasonable amount of time we got our dessert. It was really good. After some time, I began to look around for Stephanie for our check. Another server came over and mentioned that I appeared to be looking for someone. I explained that I needed my check. This server approached Stephanie and asked for our check. In clear earshot, Stephanie defiantly exclaimed, "I didn't even take their order." Well, 'preciate it, Stephanie. When we finally received the check, it had her name on it. Acknowledging the fact that Stephanie did nothing for us, I left her a 0.00 tip on my credit card. I couldn't help but think afterwards though that if she got pissed at us, then she had my credit card information to alter the bill in her favor. This is what prompted me to think more carefully about not paying with my credit card in the future at restaurants.
This blog was brought to you by the letter E.
Excerpt from Me Write Book, by Graham Roumieu...
When first start out audition for a lot of roles. Agent at time think I suited for children program because I furry and talk simple. Go in try out for role on new show for public television but get beat out by giant yellow bird. Also try out for role of him friend but beat out by freaky elephant. Get angry and throw chair across set, hit this talentless green guy who also no get lead role. Turn out I break him back with chair and make him paralyze. He try sue network. He get miserable from not walk and start live in garbage can. Network offer him role as settlement for lawsuit. I try to get role as garbage man who carry him around but he just scream in terror and hid in can when I around. So unprofessional.
So, one of the biggest drains on our finances seems to be eating. Whether it's going out to eat, picking up things at the grocery store, or the like, more than half of our money goes to these places. Have you ever gone grocery shopping and then gone back within a period of time to "pick up a couple of things"? Pretty much, any time that we do that, we walk out spending at least 20-25 dollars. I read a book that has helped me with a philosophy on this. We try to go to the grocery store once a month. During this one trip, we get everything that we'll need for an entire month. If there are extra things that we need, like milk, we buy extra and freeze it. For fruits and vegetables, we determine what the shelf life is of each item and then eat accordingly. For example, bananas usually last about a week, grapes about 2-3 weeks, oranges about 3 weeks, and apples about 3-4 weeks. So, when we're eating, we go for the bananas first, and then make our way through the fruit, saving the apples for last. The main thing is that we stay within our set amount by making only one trip. When we first started doing this, we brought cash, a calculator, a note pad, and the ad. If we went over the cash that we had, then we had to put something back. It was a good way for us to prioritize what we wanted to buy.
Going out to eat is another story. I think that this is how we overextend ourselves more often. Especially with the popularity of using a credit card, it becomes easy to go out to eat because you don't have to be accountable until the end of the month. It's really easy for everything to add up. One thing we're going to try is to have cash for when we go out to eat. That way, we're having to phsically take out the money. This helps us in another aspect that we're concerned with. The whole idea of someone taking our credit card away from us to swipe it makes us a little leary. It's become common place to trust the server that is taking your card from you, but how do you know that this person isn't a druggie, or in need of finding ways to pay their bills. It wouldn't take much for them to write down the personal information of your card, google your address, and then charge everything under the sun online. Paying with cash takes all of these variables out of the equation.
Just last night, for example, I went to get some dessert at Applebees. The girl, I'll call her Stephanie, was busy when we were seated, so the manager came and took our order. Like, I said, we just ordered dessert, so there wasn't a whole lot to remember. Stephanie came by and apologized for the taking of our order taking so long. After a reasonable amount of time we got our dessert. It was really good. After some time, I began to look around for Stephanie for our check. Another server came over and mentioned that I appeared to be looking for someone. I explained that I needed my check. This server approached Stephanie and asked for our check. In clear earshot, Stephanie defiantly exclaimed, "I didn't even take their order." Well, 'preciate it, Stephanie. When we finally received the check, it had her name on it. Acknowledging the fact that Stephanie did nothing for us, I left her a 0.00 tip on my credit card. I couldn't help but think afterwards though that if she got pissed at us, then she had my credit card information to alter the bill in her favor. This is what prompted me to think more carefully about not paying with my credit card in the future at restaurants.
This blog was brought to you by the letter E.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Bedroom Thrashing Post Mort.
Day One of the new bedroom setup is much better than the carnage of yesterday. Sammie has returned to the friendly confines of her crate. The blankets and comforters in her crate look like no one has even slept in them. How crazy is that?
Well, at the very least, we don't have to worry about coming home to a Winter Wonderland of cotton and stuffing all over the place.
So, I told Jill that I want Upside Down Flint Rubble Bubble Cake for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure she's sorry that she asked what I wanted for dessert. She's like that cake doesn't even exist. I'm pretty sure in this day and age, some moron has created a recipe for this cake.
This weekend will be a lot of fun. Jill and S.Diddy are going to see Star Trek in concert at Bobcats arena. They are so excited. Nichole and I could care less about this.
On another note, time to break out the bubbly! The Yankees won their 27th championship last night, winning 7-3 over the Phillies. By the end, Jill was cracking jokes, so that should tell you how bad of a game it was. I wasn't too thrilled by the end of the game. I'm really glad that they won, but the game wasn't very compelling. Not like the Jets who take every game down to the wire, mostly in the losing effort. Too bad we can't get a happy medium.
Happy Friday for Tomorrow!
News flash, Charlotte is taking credential raises away from their teachers and putting them on a pay for performance raise system. We'll see how this goes. This should weed out some of the teachers that mail it in and have been teaching the same lesson plans for the past 20 years. Personally, I don't think that this is a good idea. If you pay all of this money to go and get a Master's, then you should receive credit for that, unless it is determined that you don't deserve it otherwise. Just a thought. What do I know, though?
Well, at the very least, we don't have to worry about coming home to a Winter Wonderland of cotton and stuffing all over the place.
So, I told Jill that I want Upside Down Flint Rubble Bubble Cake for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure she's sorry that she asked what I wanted for dessert. She's like that cake doesn't even exist. I'm pretty sure in this day and age, some moron has created a recipe for this cake.
This weekend will be a lot of fun. Jill and S.Diddy are going to see Star Trek in concert at Bobcats arena. They are so excited. Nichole and I could care less about this.
On another note, time to break out the bubbly! The Yankees won their 27th championship last night, winning 7-3 over the Phillies. By the end, Jill was cracking jokes, so that should tell you how bad of a game it was. I wasn't too thrilled by the end of the game. I'm really glad that they won, but the game wasn't very compelling. Not like the Jets who take every game down to the wire, mostly in the losing effort. Too bad we can't get a happy medium.
Happy Friday for Tomorrow!
News flash, Charlotte is taking credential raises away from their teachers and putting them on a pay for performance raise system. We'll see how this goes. This should weed out some of the teachers that mail it in and have been teaching the same lesson plans for the past 20 years. Personally, I don't think that this is a good idea. If you pay all of this money to go and get a Master's, then you should receive credit for that, unless it is determined that you don't deserve it otherwise. Just a thought. What do I know, though?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Destruction
Ok, pictures to come...
The untimely death of our beloved pillow was not an isolated hate crime. Instead, today, our once placid bedroom is now a path of destruction and carnage. Our bedspread, forever warm and comforting, is now best served as a window, or basis for how paper mache is made. Jill's Phillies hat, similar to that of many Phillie fans after this evening is now defaced and worthy of nothing short of the garbage. You know how IRA companies send out their perspectus every so often? Well, I would near to be Inspector Clouseau in order to read the latest version. In all seriousness I would have better luck finding Waldo in our bedroom rather than being able to piece that little envelope chock full of sunshine together.
When you see the pictures, some clarity will be brought to the situation. More to come.
15 minutes later....
Here are the pics.. bear in mind, that this was formerly an immaculate tranquil scene. Image your reaction to this shit.
The untimely death of our beloved pillow was not an isolated hate crime. Instead, today, our once placid bedroom is now a path of destruction and carnage. Our bedspread, forever warm and comforting, is now best served as a window, or basis for how paper mache is made. Jill's Phillies hat, similar to that of many Phillie fans after this evening is now defaced and worthy of nothing short of the garbage. You know how IRA companies send out their perspectus every so often? Well, I would near to be Inspector Clouseau in order to read the latest version. In all seriousness I would have better luck finding Waldo in our bedroom rather than being able to piece that little envelope chock full of sunshine together.
When you see the pictures, some clarity will be brought to the situation. More to come.
15 minutes later....
Here are the pics.. bear in mind, that this was formerly an immaculate tranquil scene. Image your reaction to this shit.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Ode on a hardwood floor
Hi everyone!
My name is blue striped pillow. I lived at Target for a few months before this really sweet yellow-haired person came by and bought me. Not sure about the bald guy she was with, but he came to my new home too, so I'm pretty sure he's nice. I lived on this wonderful new bed in this really clean house now instead of on these dusty old shelves. The pretty yellow-haired lady even bought 2 of my brothers to sit on the bed next to me.
One day, the crazy bald headed man ripped the tag off of my butt. That hurt like a mutha, but the tag was itchy and annoying. Unfortunately, there was a small hole left where the tag used to exist. I suppose it was real refreshing to have all of this fresh air inside of me now like never before. So there I sat on the bed everyday for about 4 years, happy as I could be.
The bald guy and pretty lady brought up a black furry animal one day that was really cute. Well the furry animal started laying on me after awhile. I was happy to provide comfort to the animal, although I thought it was a little unusual because every now and again I would end up getting tossed aside. Then last week, the bald guy and pretty lady left the house for several hours and left the furry animal to lay on me. The first few times were a lot of fun. Yesterday, the furry animal poked it's nose inside of my hole. It tickled at first, but I quickly forgot about it. Today, the furry animal was playing a little on the rough side with me. It's nose was poked inside my hole again and it tickled until it's teeth started ripping my cloth covering off. Before long I was shredded into about 17 pieces and all of my cottonie insides were thrown all over the bedroom. I am now laying on the beautiful hard wood floor. The pretty yellow-haired lady was very nice. She pushed all of my insides up into a pile. I feel like my whole pillow body has been ravaged by a wildebeast. Right now, there isn't much left of me. I feel like I'm about to go to that big bed up in the sky.....
I sure did love that pretty yellow-haired lady! The bald guy was ok too....
My name is blue striped pillow. I lived at Target for a few months before this really sweet yellow-haired person came by and bought me. Not sure about the bald guy she was with, but he came to my new home too, so I'm pretty sure he's nice. I lived on this wonderful new bed in this really clean house now instead of on these dusty old shelves. The pretty yellow-haired lady even bought 2 of my brothers to sit on the bed next to me.
One day, the crazy bald headed man ripped the tag off of my butt. That hurt like a mutha, but the tag was itchy and annoying. Unfortunately, there was a small hole left where the tag used to exist. I suppose it was real refreshing to have all of this fresh air inside of me now like never before. So there I sat on the bed everyday for about 4 years, happy as I could be.
The bald guy and pretty lady brought up a black furry animal one day that was really cute. Well the furry animal started laying on me after awhile. I was happy to provide comfort to the animal, although I thought it was a little unusual because every now and again I would end up getting tossed aside. Then last week, the bald guy and pretty lady left the house for several hours and left the furry animal to lay on me. The first few times were a lot of fun. Yesterday, the furry animal poked it's nose inside of my hole. It tickled at first, but I quickly forgot about it. Today, the furry animal was playing a little on the rough side with me. It's nose was poked inside my hole again and it tickled until it's teeth started ripping my cloth covering off. Before long I was shredded into about 17 pieces and all of my cottonie insides were thrown all over the bedroom. I am now laying on the beautiful hard wood floor. The pretty yellow-haired lady was very nice. She pushed all of my insides up into a pile. I feel like my whole pillow body has been ravaged by a wildebeast. Right now, there isn't much left of me. I feel like I'm about to go to that big bed up in the sky.....
I sure did love that pretty yellow-haired lady! The bald guy was ok too....
Monday, November 2, 2009
Fall
I'm not sure that I like Fall as a season, although there are certain things that I enjoy about it.
1. Many of the best holidays occur in the Fall. I think, other than Christmas, many people think that Halloween is one of the best holidays. Most people enjoy Thanksgiving also. Christmas just misses by a couple of days. If you'd like to refer to a previous blog, the Mexican anniversary of The Day of the Dead is also during this time. Not sure how this ranks in popularity with other Mexican holidays but it's at least popular enough to be listed on my calendar at work, and I noticed that someone called it out on facebook today.
2. The weather is much more moderate. I hate it when the temperature is either sweltering or freezing. I really wish it could be in the high 60s to high 70s all the time.
3. All of the main sports are watchable at this point. The World Series is usually pretty exciting, the NFL is pretty good, hockey and basketball are just getting started...
4. Other than raking leaves, the yard work factor goes down dramatically and is a lot less exhausting due largely to #2.
Spring is probably the best time because everyone has cabin fever and is ready to get out and have fun in the outdoors. I wonder if homeless people get cabin fever. I'm sure that they like spring because it's not freezing while they sleep. Do you think that Homeless people go south for the winter? I'm sure it's a long drive and all that, but maybe they save up the change that they beg for and buy a bus ticket south. Once they end up in Florida, then they're good to go. Ok, so now my mind is racing. Do you think that homeless people in Florida have to worry about Aligators or Crocodiles sneaking up on them while they are sleeping? I mean, if they were warding off vampires, then they could wear garlic, but, what do you do to ward off reptiles while sleeping? I may have to go to the mountain for this one.
Halloween post mortum....
So we went to Shawn and Nichole's for their Halloween gathering. It was great on 2 fronts. #1 is that I love a party. #2 is that I didn't have to sit around and wait for the 7 trick or treaters that we were bound to get. I severely doubt that we would have even gotten that many. It was pouring rain, which would have seriously limited the "crowd".
So, I got into my Michelin Man Costume, and it was pretty ridicuolus looking. On a scale 1-10 it was a 1 and a half. I first wrapped myself in bubble wrap, which was cool. Then I wrapped the bubble wrap in paper towels. Those paper towels were ripping and falling off almost from the get go. In retrospect, I should have taken white plastic bags and wrapped the bubble wrap with that and I would have looked much more credible. I came in, got the requiste laughs and stripped out of the costume almost immediately.
The rest of the night was a blast. We went bobbing for apples. My wife went under water better than Aqua Man. She had the apple in less than 10 seconds. It was uncanny. I was a little bit longer, but again not too bad. My technique was to pin the apple against the bottom of bin and then bite for all that I was worth. At least I didn't have to worry about messing up my hair.
We finished the night by watching the Yankees crush the spirit of the Phillies by coming from behind to best them in game 3 of the World Series. If all goes well, then we'll be 27 time World Champions after tonight. If not, then we'll just have to wait and win it in front of our home fans on Wednesday.
1. Many of the best holidays occur in the Fall. I think, other than Christmas, many people think that Halloween is one of the best holidays. Most people enjoy Thanksgiving also. Christmas just misses by a couple of days. If you'd like to refer to a previous blog, the Mexican anniversary of The Day of the Dead is also during this time. Not sure how this ranks in popularity with other Mexican holidays but it's at least popular enough to be listed on my calendar at work, and I noticed that someone called it out on facebook today.
2. The weather is much more moderate. I hate it when the temperature is either sweltering or freezing. I really wish it could be in the high 60s to high 70s all the time.
3. All of the main sports are watchable at this point. The World Series is usually pretty exciting, the NFL is pretty good, hockey and basketball are just getting started...
4. Other than raking leaves, the yard work factor goes down dramatically and is a lot less exhausting due largely to #2.
Spring is probably the best time because everyone has cabin fever and is ready to get out and have fun in the outdoors. I wonder if homeless people get cabin fever. I'm sure that they like spring because it's not freezing while they sleep. Do you think that Homeless people go south for the winter? I'm sure it's a long drive and all that, but maybe they save up the change that they beg for and buy a bus ticket south. Once they end up in Florida, then they're good to go. Ok, so now my mind is racing. Do you think that homeless people in Florida have to worry about Aligators or Crocodiles sneaking up on them while they are sleeping? I mean, if they were warding off vampires, then they could wear garlic, but, what do you do to ward off reptiles while sleeping? I may have to go to the mountain for this one.
Halloween post mortum....
So we went to Shawn and Nichole's for their Halloween gathering. It was great on 2 fronts. #1 is that I love a party. #2 is that I didn't have to sit around and wait for the 7 trick or treaters that we were bound to get. I severely doubt that we would have even gotten that many. It was pouring rain, which would have seriously limited the "crowd".
So, I got into my Michelin Man Costume, and it was pretty ridicuolus looking. On a scale 1-10 it was a 1 and a half. I first wrapped myself in bubble wrap, which was cool. Then I wrapped the bubble wrap in paper towels. Those paper towels were ripping and falling off almost from the get go. In retrospect, I should have taken white plastic bags and wrapped the bubble wrap with that and I would have looked much more credible. I came in, got the requiste laughs and stripped out of the costume almost immediately.
The rest of the night was a blast. We went bobbing for apples. My wife went under water better than Aqua Man. She had the apple in less than 10 seconds. It was uncanny. I was a little bit longer, but again not too bad. My technique was to pin the apple against the bottom of bin and then bite for all that I was worth. At least I didn't have to worry about messing up my hair.
We finished the night by watching the Yankees crush the spirit of the Phillies by coming from behind to best them in game 3 of the World Series. If all goes well, then we'll be 27 time World Champions after tonight. If not, then we'll just have to wait and win it in front of our home fans on Wednesday.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Dissing me Hard
Ok, so I've gotten dissed not once but twice. We're going to a party on Saturday and there is a friend of ours who will be there. Well she is leaving this party at 10 to go to another party. What are we chopped liver, not cool enough, or what? This is on the heels of being dissed for our pumpkin gathering a few weeks ago. That was legit though as it was work related. I hope that she reconsiders. We'll find out Saturday.
Tomorrow night, I have absolutely nothing to do. Jill and I will probably end up staying home watching tv or something. I love all of the Halloween movies. We probably need to take down our Halloween decorations. You never know what the trick or treaters will do to your decorations that are on the front step. Our neighborhood is pretty docile, so there aren't any shenanigans. I remember this one time when I was in high school our neighbor used to work the lunch line at our school. There was a main line and a dessert line where you could buy ice cream products. Well, the ice cream line always got closed early. We would literally be standing in line and it would close. We'd look at the clock and there would still be several minutes left in the lunch period. One night we decided to exact our revenge. We walked down the street after dark and stopped across the street from our neighbor's house. "One, Two, Three, NOW," my friend yelled. We took the eggs that were in our hands and launched them as far as we could and then took off on a dead sprint in the opposite direction of the house, never turning around to see what happened. The sound of the eggs crushing against the vinyl siding pierced the night. Revenge was ours. The next morning we walked to school past our neighbor's house and saw the hose out and the house was dripping with water from being freshly sprayed. A quiet chuckle went around our group as we continued on to the bus stop.
Now, that's some sweet action. At least we thought. Most people are probably like, "Those Punks!" I think you have to react swiftly when met with such an injustice as the ice cream line being closed early. That'll learn them! MOOHOO HA-HA!
Tomorrow night, I have absolutely nothing to do. Jill and I will probably end up staying home watching tv or something. I love all of the Halloween movies. We probably need to take down our Halloween decorations. You never know what the trick or treaters will do to your decorations that are on the front step. Our neighborhood is pretty docile, so there aren't any shenanigans. I remember this one time when I was in high school our neighbor used to work the lunch line at our school. There was a main line and a dessert line where you could buy ice cream products. Well, the ice cream line always got closed early. We would literally be standing in line and it would close. We'd look at the clock and there would still be several minutes left in the lunch period. One night we decided to exact our revenge. We walked down the street after dark and stopped across the street from our neighbor's house. "One, Two, Three, NOW," my friend yelled. We took the eggs that were in our hands and launched them as far as we could and then took off on a dead sprint in the opposite direction of the house, never turning around to see what happened. The sound of the eggs crushing against the vinyl siding pierced the night. Revenge was ours. The next morning we walked to school past our neighbor's house and saw the hose out and the house was dripping with water from being freshly sprayed. A quiet chuckle went around our group as we continued on to the bus stop.
Now, that's some sweet action. At least we thought. Most people are probably like, "Those Punks!" I think you have to react swiftly when met with such an injustice as the ice cream line being closed early. That'll learn them! MOOHOO HA-HA!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday = Hump Day
Why does everyone call Wednesday "Hump Day"? I know that it's because you're getting over the hump of the work week, but in my opinion it makes the beginning of the week so much worse. Think about it. If you go into every week thinking that Monday and Tuesday are going to be up hill battles, then you're going to be in for it. I've noticed that when your Monday and Tuesdays suck, then your Sunday does as well. I spend a portion of my day on Sunday thinking that I don't want it to be tomorrow. On Sundays, we barely ever go out and when we do, it's never to do something fun. It's like we're trying to save up our energy for the suckiness of Monday and Tuesday.
Well, here's the deal. Today is Wednesday and I don't feel like I've gotten over the worst of the week. Thursday sucks just as bad as Tuesday.
Perhaps I will try a new tact and make more of my Sundays. That will make my weekend seem longer. Right now, my weekend is basically one day. Friday night is an untapped gold mine that I need to take advantage of in addition to Sunday.
November seems to be hump month. I think Thanksgiving is an okay holiday. Basically it's just a day to sit around and overeat. Yes, there is that rare treat of the family member who pulls their shirt up and sits on the couch with their pants unbuttoned. Don't get me wrong, the benefits of said person being morbidly overindulged with food go far beyond this. After all, there are belches and farts to come. Then there is the after dinner nap. If you're lucky, this person will start sawing wood so loudly that you won't be able to hear the tv. The day after Thanksgiving used to be a fun holiday. I think that they should come up with a better name than the day after Thanksgiving. Don't give me the Black Friday crap. That name sucks also. There is no originality to that. Shopapalooza sounds much better. I mean, we don't refer to Christmas as 7 days before the end of the year. Halloween isn't referred to as the last day in October. Heck, even the day after Christmas is Boxing Day, not the day after Christmas.
Well, I'm about to lose my chatting buddy, so I have to cut this short for now. Something tells me that I could go on and on about this though.
Well, here's the deal. Today is Wednesday and I don't feel like I've gotten over the worst of the week. Thursday sucks just as bad as Tuesday.
Perhaps I will try a new tact and make more of my Sundays. That will make my weekend seem longer. Right now, my weekend is basically one day. Friday night is an untapped gold mine that I need to take advantage of in addition to Sunday.
November seems to be hump month. I think Thanksgiving is an okay holiday. Basically it's just a day to sit around and overeat. Yes, there is that rare treat of the family member who pulls their shirt up and sits on the couch with their pants unbuttoned. Don't get me wrong, the benefits of said person being morbidly overindulged with food go far beyond this. After all, there are belches and farts to come. Then there is the after dinner nap. If you're lucky, this person will start sawing wood so loudly that you won't be able to hear the tv. The day after Thanksgiving used to be a fun holiday. I think that they should come up with a better name than the day after Thanksgiving. Don't give me the Black Friday crap. That name sucks also. There is no originality to that. Shopapalooza sounds much better. I mean, we don't refer to Christmas as 7 days before the end of the year. Halloween isn't referred to as the last day in October. Heck, even the day after Christmas is Boxing Day, not the day after Christmas.
Well, I'm about to lose my chatting buddy, so I have to cut this short for now. Something tells me that I could go on and on about this though.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Game On!
Have you ever struggled with what to do with your money? On one hand I'd love to get a part time job, or find some way to make money on the side. On the other hand, I'm wanting to buy a new car, find new things for our house, etc. What a dilemma! I have a perfectly good car, which is completely paid off. So, why would I want to start with a car payment? Well, if I buy a Pontiac or certain other models, there is 0% financing for 72 or 60 months. That's a pretty good reason to start with.
Right now Sammie is wanting to play with her ball.
Ok, fast forward. I've been playing with Sammie/watching the ALCS (Right now it's Yanks 5, Angels 1). I've also been trying to locate a Pontiac Torrent. There is supposed to be one in Virginia somewhere. Somehow I feel like that's a bit far to travel for a new car. There is a front wheeled drive version here in Charlotte with all of the amenities that I need, but it's a little expensive, so they'll really have to knock my socks off in order for me to buy. I could get 0% financing for 72 months, but then I lose the cash back that GM is giving me, which is 2500.
We'll have to see what happens. I'm definitely not making a decision overnight or anything. I'm sure that there will be a better deal in a month or so when the dealerships are trying to get rid of their inventory. We'll have to see.
Yanks are still winning 5-1 at the end of the 6th inning. Go NYY!!!
Right now Sammie is wanting to play with her ball.
Ok, fast forward. I've been playing with Sammie/watching the ALCS (Right now it's Yanks 5, Angels 1). I've also been trying to locate a Pontiac Torrent. There is supposed to be one in Virginia somewhere. Somehow I feel like that's a bit far to travel for a new car. There is a front wheeled drive version here in Charlotte with all of the amenities that I need, but it's a little expensive, so they'll really have to knock my socks off in order for me to buy. I could get 0% financing for 72 months, but then I lose the cash back that GM is giving me, which is 2500.
We'll have to see what happens. I'm definitely not making a decision overnight or anything. I'm sure that there will be a better deal in a month or so when the dealerships are trying to get rid of their inventory. We'll have to see.
Yanks are still winning 5-1 at the end of the 6th inning. Go NYY!!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Some Lesser known Holidays
So I was noticing on my company provided calendar that there are some new holidays that I'd like to begin observing. If for nothing else, I'm sure that there are a few days off that I can take advantage of. So, let's consider some options.
Each year on March 21, I shall consider celebrating the anniversary of Benito Juarez's birthday. Along the same lines, I believe that September 16, or as it shall be known in the future for me, dia de independencia. I think that these are both worth of consideration. Just think, we get the 4th of July off for being the US Independence day, and we're all about diversity in our country, so this seems legit, doesn't it? Let's not forget November 27th of this year. Most people will be passing the turkey and thinking about football. Ah, but not I. All I will have on my mind is Eid al-Adha. What a better way as a precursor to Black Friday. I can't think of a better way to spend my visit with my parents than to have a celebration. Of course we'll have to familiarize ourselves with the Takbir. Although, I'm not sure how Sammie will feel about the tradition of sacrificing your best domestic animal. Hmm...We may have to miss this one unless we can convince someone that the turkey we get from Bi-Lo is our best domestic animal. After all, Sammie doesn't really have a lot of meat on her bones, so I'm not sure this would be an appropriate sacrifice.
December 12 holds a special place in my heart. As I celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe day, I can't help but embrace the holiday season. It sends my heart asunder.
My ancestors in Myanmar definitely put a large emphasis on the end of October as joy fills the room with the end of Buddist Lent.
Today is a joyous day in the Leardini household as our waiter at Maggiano's reminded me last night that we are in the holiday season, I simply say Happy Alaska day to everyone!
Each year on March 21, I shall consider celebrating the anniversary of Benito Juarez's birthday. Along the same lines, I believe that September 16, or as it shall be known in the future for me, dia de independencia. I think that these are both worth of consideration. Just think, we get the 4th of July off for being the US Independence day, and we're all about diversity in our country, so this seems legit, doesn't it? Let's not forget November 27th of this year. Most people will be passing the turkey and thinking about football. Ah, but not I. All I will have on my mind is Eid al-Adha. What a better way as a precursor to Black Friday. I can't think of a better way to spend my visit with my parents than to have a celebration. Of course we'll have to familiarize ourselves with the Takbir. Although, I'm not sure how Sammie will feel about the tradition of sacrificing your best domestic animal. Hmm...We may have to miss this one unless we can convince someone that the turkey we get from Bi-Lo is our best domestic animal. After all, Sammie doesn't really have a lot of meat on her bones, so I'm not sure this would be an appropriate sacrifice.
December 12 holds a special place in my heart. As I celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe day, I can't help but embrace the holiday season. It sends my heart asunder.
My ancestors in Myanmar definitely put a large emphasis on the end of October as joy fills the room with the end of Buddist Lent.
Today is a joyous day in the Leardini household as our waiter at Maggiano's reminded me last night that we are in the holiday season, I simply say Happy Alaska day to everyone!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sammie's new bed
Based mainly on the fact that I didn't want to continue to drag Sammie's bed up and down the stairs every night, I bought her a new bed. Once in the store looking at all of the dog beds, I realized that I have one healthy sized puppy. There was only one bed that I was confident would fit her. I say bed, but it's really just an oversized pillow. Last night, she tried it out and I believe that we have a success story on our hands. Although there were a few times when she was tossing and turning that I was like, "What was that noise?" Her old bed was pure cotton. This one is covered with a fabric that makes a swooshing noise of some sort. It's not windbreaker material, it's more like a fancy pillow. Sammie stretches out on there and LOOOOVES it!!
Topic #2 -
Why I hate VERSUS and most cable companies for that matter. They are only in it for the almighty $$. They are in the middle of a fight with Directv and because of that, Directv has taken Versus off of their lineup. OK, let me answer 2 questions that you might have...
1. Why do I care so much all of a sudden?
2. Why don't I put as much blame on Directv as I do on Versus?
Well, that's simple.
1. The Sabres were playing on Versus tonight and because Directv dropped them, I missed the game even though I pay an arm and a leg for the Hockey package on Directv. Versus is doing one thing after another to bury hockey and ensure that no one will be able to watch it. First of all, they sign rights to broadcast the sport. Terrific! Well, many cable providers don't even carry Versus. Forget about Directv now because Versus sadly overvalued it's worth and told Directv that they had to up the ante for the rights. This leads me to....
2. Directv generally spares no expense to bring the best sports to their consumers. They have exclusive rights to the NFL package. They have exclusive rights to the MLB package. Plus, they usually make sure that you have access to almost any station that you'd like to watch, sports or otherwise. The fact that they're drawing the line with Versus tells me that this is something out of the ordinary because to just drop the station without moving it to the sports package tells me that the situation is out of control.
I say, GROW UP VERSUS! Your shrinking hockey fan base is being lost as quickly as water and the like going down a toilet bowl. This is probably a closer to home analogy that Versus may want to believe.
Topic #2 -
Why I hate VERSUS and most cable companies for that matter. They are only in it for the almighty $$. They are in the middle of a fight with Directv and because of that, Directv has taken Versus off of their lineup. OK, let me answer 2 questions that you might have...
1. Why do I care so much all of a sudden?
2. Why don't I put as much blame on Directv as I do on Versus?
Well, that's simple.
1. The Sabres were playing on Versus tonight and because Directv dropped them, I missed the game even though I pay an arm and a leg for the Hockey package on Directv. Versus is doing one thing after another to bury hockey and ensure that no one will be able to watch it. First of all, they sign rights to broadcast the sport. Terrific! Well, many cable providers don't even carry Versus. Forget about Directv now because Versus sadly overvalued it's worth and told Directv that they had to up the ante for the rights. This leads me to....
2. Directv generally spares no expense to bring the best sports to their consumers. They have exclusive rights to the NFL package. They have exclusive rights to the MLB package. Plus, they usually make sure that you have access to almost any station that you'd like to watch, sports or otherwise. The fact that they're drawing the line with Versus tells me that this is something out of the ordinary because to just drop the station without moving it to the sports package tells me that the situation is out of control.
I say, GROW UP VERSUS! Your shrinking hockey fan base is being lost as quickly as water and the like going down a toilet bowl. This is probably a closer to home analogy that Versus may want to believe.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Peti Paws...have you ever had this stuff....
Have you ever seen this video? It reminds me of the Peti Paw, a.k.a., the Pedi Paw knock off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c-kWm83jZQ
Both are Snafu's - Sounds normal, Actually is fudged up....
The Peti Paw is the knockoff of the Pedi Paw....
You've seen this device, it's basically a sander for your dog's nails. It's a charming little device that makes a buzzing noise that probably sounds to your pet like a bee is getting ready to sting their brain.
Oh, don't worry owners, this little toy is a treat for you as well. Your pet is so overjoyed by the sound of this little peach that it takes 2 people to restrain them so that you can use the device on their nails. Never mind the fact that during the process your pet is squirming, slapping you in the face and emitting odors that smell surprisingly similar to your shorts after that one time you fell face first down a flight of stairs.
Yes, let me tell you, the look on your face will be surprisingly similar to George Costanza from the video. Do yourself a favor and go buy this little treat for a 4 legged loved one. The hours of enjoyment will leave a lasting impression on you. Either that, or you'll be in traction for weeks after your pet mangles you to death, but hey, it can't always be win-win, can it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c-kWm83jZQ
Both are Snafu's - Sounds normal, Actually is fudged up....
The Peti Paw is the knockoff of the Pedi Paw....
You've seen this device, it's basically a sander for your dog's nails. It's a charming little device that makes a buzzing noise that probably sounds to your pet like a bee is getting ready to sting their brain.
Oh, don't worry owners, this little toy is a treat for you as well. Your pet is so overjoyed by the sound of this little peach that it takes 2 people to restrain them so that you can use the device on their nails. Never mind the fact that during the process your pet is squirming, slapping you in the face and emitting odors that smell surprisingly similar to your shorts after that one time you fell face first down a flight of stairs.
Yes, let me tell you, the look on your face will be surprisingly similar to George Costanza from the video. Do yourself a favor and go buy this little treat for a 4 legged loved one. The hours of enjoyment will leave a lasting impression on you. Either that, or you'll be in traction for weeks after your pet mangles you to death, but hey, it can't always be win-win, can it?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Diego
So, why do I want to move to the Diego? I want to live in a place where I don't have to worry about oppressive humidity, freezing cold and the like. I know that it's more expensive there and the cost of living can range from above average to insane, but isn't that what you have to pay for a better way of living?
Sometimes you always hear that the grass isn't greener on the other side of the pasture. That's something to consider. But, I've lived my whole life on the east coast. There is way more to the world than what I've seen. This isn't like my parents who grew up and lived in the same area for pretty much their entire life. I mean, every member of my family talks about the places in the town I grew up in that they used to live. There's nothing wrong with that, but there are so many places in the rest of the country that I haven't seen and experienced but want to.
So, the devil's advocate says, take a vacation there. That's not what I'm looking for. I want to spend more than a long weekend in some of these places. The Diego is one of those places. I ant to know what it's like to live on Pacific time. I want to know what it's like to be able to watch football from 10 in the morning, until 8 at night and still be able to go to sleep at a decent hour. I want to know what it's like to not own an air conditioner and yet not have sweat pouring off of my head or posters curling on the wall.
We've been saving a lot of money to go out there. Once we get enough saved, then we'll go. This is not without considerable sacrifice though. We've basically cut back on everything to make sure that we can do this. When I moved to Charlotte, I basically had no money. I borrowed $3000 from my parents and basically charged everything for the first couple of years until I could get my sea legs under me. We're in such a better position now. By the time we move, we'll have 12 months worth of expenses saved up, so even if I don't have a great job lined up, we'll be fine. I'd rather think about things and go somewhere great, rather than somewhere in a rush just because it's the first thing I'm finding. There are quite a few apartments that aren't too unreasonable and they're close to the water. Once we get out there, we can look for a house in the area we want instead of taking a stab in the dark. Sammie would love it and so would we!!!!
Sometimes you always hear that the grass isn't greener on the other side of the pasture. That's something to consider. But, I've lived my whole life on the east coast. There is way more to the world than what I've seen. This isn't like my parents who grew up and lived in the same area for pretty much their entire life. I mean, every member of my family talks about the places in the town I grew up in that they used to live. There's nothing wrong with that, but there are so many places in the rest of the country that I haven't seen and experienced but want to.
So, the devil's advocate says, take a vacation there. That's not what I'm looking for. I want to spend more than a long weekend in some of these places. The Diego is one of those places. I ant to know what it's like to live on Pacific time. I want to know what it's like to be able to watch football from 10 in the morning, until 8 at night and still be able to go to sleep at a decent hour. I want to know what it's like to not own an air conditioner and yet not have sweat pouring off of my head or posters curling on the wall.
We've been saving a lot of money to go out there. Once we get enough saved, then we'll go. This is not without considerable sacrifice though. We've basically cut back on everything to make sure that we can do this. When I moved to Charlotte, I basically had no money. I borrowed $3000 from my parents and basically charged everything for the first couple of years until I could get my sea legs under me. We're in such a better position now. By the time we move, we'll have 12 months worth of expenses saved up, so even if I don't have a great job lined up, we'll be fine. I'd rather think about things and go somewhere great, rather than somewhere in a rush just because it's the first thing I'm finding. There are quite a few apartments that aren't too unreasonable and they're close to the water. Once we get out there, we can look for a house in the area we want instead of taking a stab in the dark. Sammie would love it and so would we!!!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Cow pies
So we had tickets to go see Blink 182 with All American Rejects and Fall Out Boy. The concert was at the Verizon Wireless Amp. on October 1, last Thursday. We bought the tickets to go with Fish and Margaret for 80 bucks each. That's a lot to pay, but for 3 great bands, it was worth it in my opinion, plus the seats were really close to the stage.
Well, about 3 weeks before the concert I get an email that the date of the concert is being changed due to the death of DJ AM. So then we find out a week before the concert that Fall Out Boy and All American Rejects have pulled out of the concert due to the change in dates. In their place is Asher Roth. I'm sure he's great, but REALLY????? Am I really going to pay 80 bucks to see a concert with a marginal band who hasn't put out anything new in the past 5 years and a rapper who I've never even heard of? I don't think so. Of course no one bothered to let us know that the bands that we really wanted to see weren't playing anymore, so here we are in the lurch. I wonder if this is how Asher Roth has gained his following. If it wasn't for the fact that I was reading Creative Loafing on Thursday, I would have never known. Luckily I called and they refunded my money, so it was no harm, no foul, but man that would have been a serious buzzkill.
The best part of this was that the Charlotte Observer posted this review of the concert saying that it was "Worth the Wait". I was like, how could you say that knowing that the 2 best acts weren't there. It's totally biased. They should tell it like it is instead of trying to sugar coat things. Talk about stepping in your own poo. I can't view anything they say as credible anymore.
Well, about 3 weeks before the concert I get an email that the date of the concert is being changed due to the death of DJ AM. So then we find out a week before the concert that Fall Out Boy and All American Rejects have pulled out of the concert due to the change in dates. In their place is Asher Roth. I'm sure he's great, but REALLY????? Am I really going to pay 80 bucks to see a concert with a marginal band who hasn't put out anything new in the past 5 years and a rapper who I've never even heard of? I don't think so. Of course no one bothered to let us know that the bands that we really wanted to see weren't playing anymore, so here we are in the lurch. I wonder if this is how Asher Roth has gained his following. If it wasn't for the fact that I was reading Creative Loafing on Thursday, I would have never known. Luckily I called and they refunded my money, so it was no harm, no foul, but man that would have been a serious buzzkill.
The best part of this was that the Charlotte Observer posted this review of the concert saying that it was "Worth the Wait". I was like, how could you say that knowing that the 2 best acts weren't there. It's totally biased. They should tell it like it is instead of trying to sugar coat things. Talk about stepping in your own poo. I can't view anything they say as credible anymore.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Grandma's chocolate cake
When I was little, my Grandma Leardini made this Chocolate Cherry Cake and I'm telling you it was the best cake I've ever had. It was so moist. Well, since then, my mom has passed the recipe on to me and I love making it. So, tonight I made it in the "Ghostie" pan that I bought at a garage sale several months ago.
A garage sale is always a mixed bag. On this occasion, I went to a neighborhood garage sale, parked and walked from house to house. By the time I was finished, I looked funny as heck. I was carrying a halloween decoration, several nik naks and a framed poster. Here's what the Halloween decoration looks like: Sammie is checking it out like, what the heck.... 
Anyway, one of the things that I bought was the "Ghostie" pan for like a dollar. That has to be the deal of the day. On a side note, you know you're getting old when you're bragging about how much you paid for a cake pan. But to put a bow on this story, that was the pan that I used to bake Grandma's cake tonight. it looks pretty cool, but you'd never guess that the cake is in the shape of a ghost. It just looks like a weird wave or something.
Work seems to be going ok. My goal over the next several weeks is to be more positive. I think that I'm falling into a rut of looking at the down side of things. There is plenty to be excited about, so I need to keep my spirits high. Nichole and I talked about that today. She is good at motivating me to look at things on a positive note but lately she hasn't been feeling too good. Honestly, I was like death warmed over on Monday. Shawn had the day off since he was traveling for a meeting on Sunday. He invited me to lunch and I'm sure that he was like, what the heck happened to you when he saw what I looked like.
Saturday will be a SBU alumni event at Charlotte Catholic High School. Nichole and Shawn are coming with us, which should be pretty cool. This will be my first alumni event so we'll see how it goes. Shawn and Nichole will be coming with us, so I hope that it's a lot of fun. After that we're going to make dinner and watch a movie and play games. It should be a pretty effective.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Sunday
Sammie had a doozy of a day today. Good thing for her that this wasn't the day that we decided whether or not we were going to adopt her. This morning, she greeted me by puking half an inch from my face in bed. Fortunately, I'm a total germ-a-phob, so I'm sure the fact that it soaked through to the mattress won't bother me too much. So, I'm over that and then I go outside to check on my cantalope that by some freak of nature, I've been able to grow despite my best efforts to kill it. I don't see it, so I'm thinking that I can't believe that some animal has taken this cantalope, because I've just been out there to water it a few hours earlier. As I walk back towards the house, despondent, I notice that Sammie is playing with one of her tennis balls. Approaching closer, I now notice that it isn't a tennis ball she's playing with, rather my cantalope which is not in the stomach of some savage animal, it's in the process of being devoured by my pet puppy. This did not exactly conjure up images of Lassie, let me tell you. Good thing for her that she's built up a lot of good will and that she's really cute and loveable.
I spent the weekend helping Shawn and Nichole with some tasks in their home. It made me feel really useful. I wish that I was this useful around my house. I feel like there are so many things to do but because of time, money, or lack of skill, they never get done. Anyway, I had a lot of fun and felt really good that I did some good things for some great friends. Jill and I went out to eat with Nichole and Cassie. Shawn was out of town for work. We went to "pizzarina" Uno Chicago Grill in uptown, then we went over to see Ashley at "Stone Cold" Creamery. We had a great time.
I have to start thinking about what to dress up as for Halloween. I have no idea and I don't want to spend a ton of money on a costume. I love Halloween, but choosing a costume is one thing that I could do without. I guess that I'm just not creative enough. I'm hoping for something that is easy and not too cumbersome. One time I decided to dress up as a mummy, so I wrapped t.p. around my whole body. It was the perfect costume, until I stood up and the toilet paper all fell around my ankles. That costume lasted all of about 5 minutes and then I decided to go costume-less for the rest of the night.
I spent the weekend helping Shawn and Nichole with some tasks in their home. It made me feel really useful. I wish that I was this useful around my house. I feel like there are so many things to do but because of time, money, or lack of skill, they never get done. Anyway, I had a lot of fun and felt really good that I did some good things for some great friends. Jill and I went out to eat with Nichole and Cassie. Shawn was out of town for work. We went to "pizzarina" Uno Chicago Grill in uptown, then we went over to see Ashley at "Stone Cold" Creamery. We had a great time.
I have to start thinking about what to dress up as for Halloween. I have no idea and I don't want to spend a ton of money on a costume. I love Halloween, but choosing a costume is one thing that I could do without. I guess that I'm just not creative enough. I'm hoping for something that is easy and not too cumbersome. One time I decided to dress up as a mummy, so I wrapped t.p. around my whole body. It was the perfect costume, until I stood up and the toilet paper all fell around my ankles. That costume lasted all of about 5 minutes and then I decided to go costume-less for the rest of the night.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Last Day of September...The first day of the rest of my life
I cannot believe that today is the last day of September. It seems like just yesterday it was the beginning of spring. I've now been in my current office for 8 months. I actually think it will be 8 months as of Friday.
So we've got this system at work where we can take all of the item that we sell and we can put them into a page that will be displayed for customers that want to buy them on the internet. There is certain criteria that I need to meet in order to get the products ready for this. Well, no matter what I do, there is always something wrong with what I turn in. Today, I turned in 16 of these items and was told that 12 of them weren't correct because the person who gave them to me typed them in all capital letters. I find this very discouraging because I try really hard to make sure that they meet all of the criteria, but then to be told that something as insignificant as whether or not something is typed in caps makes something wrong is very frustrating. I wish I could be as perfect as the Teflon Queen. Nothing sticks to her.
Today we received a new set of dining room furniture from Aunt Pat and Uncle Gus. This was in their home in Florida. It's clearly the nicest thing in our home now. Isn't it funny when someone gives you something that's way nicer than your piecemeal furniture? It's like you walk into that room and you feel as if you've moved into a new house. You're like, whoa, in this room I see posters taped to the walls, and then in this room there's a beautiful dining room set. Our first time using it will be when my parents come over for Thanksgiving dinner!
Today is Shawn and Nichole's 3rd anniversary. I'll bet that he didn't have to get her anything that was crystal or cotton or whatever that anniversary is commemorated by. Those "traditions" make it more difficult to find something creative for Jill. Our next anniversary will be our 5th. It's hard to believe that we've been married for 5 years. It feels like time is flying by. Life is kinda weird that way. When I lived by myself and it was difficult to make friends, it seemed like days went by like molasses in January. Now, everyday slips by like grains of sand in an hour glass. You only get one shot at life. That's what makes this even more precious.
So we've got this system at work where we can take all of the item that we sell and we can put them into a page that will be displayed for customers that want to buy them on the internet. There is certain criteria that I need to meet in order to get the products ready for this. Well, no matter what I do, there is always something wrong with what I turn in. Today, I turned in 16 of these items and was told that 12 of them weren't correct because the person who gave them to me typed them in all capital letters. I find this very discouraging because I try really hard to make sure that they meet all of the criteria, but then to be told that something as insignificant as whether or not something is typed in caps makes something wrong is very frustrating. I wish I could be as perfect as the Teflon Queen. Nothing sticks to her.
Today we received a new set of dining room furniture from Aunt Pat and Uncle Gus. This was in their home in Florida. It's clearly the nicest thing in our home now. Isn't it funny when someone gives you something that's way nicer than your piecemeal furniture? It's like you walk into that room and you feel as if you've moved into a new house. You're like, whoa, in this room I see posters taped to the walls, and then in this room there's a beautiful dining room set. Our first time using it will be when my parents come over for Thanksgiving dinner!
Today is Shawn and Nichole's 3rd anniversary. I'll bet that he didn't have to get her anything that was crystal or cotton or whatever that anniversary is commemorated by. Those "traditions" make it more difficult to find something creative for Jill. Our next anniversary will be our 5th. It's hard to believe that we've been married for 5 years. It feels like time is flying by. Life is kinda weird that way. When I lived by myself and it was difficult to make friends, it seemed like days went by like molasses in January. Now, everyday slips by like grains of sand in an hour glass. You only get one shot at life. That's what makes this even more precious.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Let's Do it!
Today was a pretty good day. At work, we had our seasonal strategy meeting. I find these pretty interesting because you get to see what we'll be carrying in our store this season. I didn't realize this but in the world of retail, they only acknowledge 2 seasons, spring and fall. Pretty interesting when you think about it because these are seasons of transition and it seems that stores are usually doing their best when they are transitioning.
So, we have our meeting and then go back to the office. The rest of the afternoon seemed to go by pretty quickly. I started typing about how my back is hurting, but decided that discretion is the better part of valor and stopped myself before I complained too much about it.
So, I get home and Jill has a great dinner for me.
Then I relaxed for the rest of the night before handing out the awards in my fantasy league. I'm the commisioner, and I think that the trophy awards are one of the things that make the league fun. Then I personally went to everyone's page and cut down their team. ha Ha!
Tomorrow we'll get our refrigerator fixed. I'm pretty sure that it will be covered by warranty. We're pretty fortunate in that regard.
We have a lot of big plans over the next several weeks. We have tickets to go see Blink 182 next week (although we're trying to sell them), then Jill and Shawn are going to see Star Wars in concert. I'm sure that they're excited about that, but I couldn't be less enthused. In a couple of weeks, Nichole, Shawn, Ashley, and Cassie are coming over to carve pumpkins with us. Then we're going over to Shawn and Nichole's for a Halloween party sometime towards the end of the month.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, although the trick or treat scenario is like chirping crickets in our neighborhood....not a lot of action!
Yanks clinched home field throughout the playoffs on Sunday and right now they're playing out the string. They're losing 3-2 to the Royals in the 8th. Nice outing by AJ Burnett, but it looks like it's going to be spoiled unless the offense can get it going.
So, we have our meeting and then go back to the office. The rest of the afternoon seemed to go by pretty quickly. I started typing about how my back is hurting, but decided that discretion is the better part of valor and stopped myself before I complained too much about it.
So, I get home and Jill has a great dinner for me.
Then I relaxed for the rest of the night before handing out the awards in my fantasy league. I'm the commisioner, and I think that the trophy awards are one of the things that make the league fun. Then I personally went to everyone's page and cut down their team. ha Ha!
Tomorrow we'll get our refrigerator fixed. I'm pretty sure that it will be covered by warranty. We're pretty fortunate in that regard.
We have a lot of big plans over the next several weeks. We have tickets to go see Blink 182 next week (although we're trying to sell them), then Jill and Shawn are going to see Star Wars in concert. I'm sure that they're excited about that, but I couldn't be less enthused. In a couple of weeks, Nichole, Shawn, Ashley, and Cassie are coming over to carve pumpkins with us. Then we're going over to Shawn and Nichole's for a Halloween party sometime towards the end of the month.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, although the trick or treat scenario is like chirping crickets in our neighborhood....not a lot of action!
Yanks clinched home field throughout the playoffs on Sunday and right now they're playing out the string. They're losing 3-2 to the Royals in the 8th. Nice outing by AJ Burnett, but it looks like it's going to be spoiled unless the offense can get it going.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A funny thing happened on the way to....
So work....
Let me tell you about it....
A funny thing happened while working in the office. I made a real life honest to goodness friend. I know that sounds like I don't ever make friends or something, but not usually from work. Not one of those fake friends. Someone who is just like me!!!! I know it's hard to imagine 2 people being that perfect, but trust me on this one. So, this all started on February 20 when Jill and I got invited over to a friend's house for a party. This is my friend Nichole from work.
Now, let me say that when I go to a party where I don't really know a lot of people, I'm normally very uneasy because I always worry that I'm going to be the only one sitting there not having anyone to talk to. This party was so much fun though. There was homemade pizza, fun with the Wii and it was overall just a good time. I'm trying to remember what the occasion of the party was, but it's a miracle that I could even remember the date. Basically, I wouldn't have even remembered that if it wasn't for my wife. It was there that I became friends with Nichole and Shawn.
We have had so much fun with them ever since. We went and played frisbee golf, and had birthday parties, and went bowling and out to eat. Who can forget the boating trip on September 12, where I officially am indebted to Nichole for saving my life from drowning. Not even kidding there. She was seeing not much more than the whites of my eyes. Basically they're great friends and they have no expectations of us other than to be great friends in return!!!! We love them! I don't think that we can tell them that enough.
Ok, so if you've read this blog at all you're probably wondering what happened to my book. Yea, well, not too much. It still sits on page 40 something waiting to be finished. Maybe during the next several days/weeks/months I can get moving on it.
How about my Jets? 3-0 and they've beaten 3 tough teams - the Texans, the Patsies, and the Titans. If they can beat the Saints this week, then we're talking.
This is my baby, Sammie! She and I have our game faces on ready to cheer for the Jets! She's loves wearing her jersey! It's the most hilarious thing ever!
Let me tell you about it....
A funny thing happened while working in the office. I made a real life honest to goodness friend. I know that sounds like I don't ever make friends or something, but not usually from work. Not one of those fake friends. Someone who is just like me!!!! I know it's hard to imagine 2 people being that perfect, but trust me on this one. So, this all started on February 20 when Jill and I got invited over to a friend's house for a party. This is my friend Nichole from work.
Now, let me say that when I go to a party where I don't really know a lot of people, I'm normally very uneasy because I always worry that I'm going to be the only one sitting there not having anyone to talk to. This party was so much fun though. There was homemade pizza, fun with the Wii and it was overall just a good time. I'm trying to remember what the occasion of the party was, but it's a miracle that I could even remember the date. Basically, I wouldn't have even remembered that if it wasn't for my wife. It was there that I became friends with Nichole and Shawn.
We have had so much fun with them ever since. We went and played frisbee golf, and had birthday parties, and went bowling and out to eat. Who can forget the boating trip on September 12, where I officially am indebted to Nichole for saving my life from drowning. Not even kidding there. She was seeing not much more than the whites of my eyes. Basically they're great friends and they have no expectations of us other than to be great friends in return!!!! We love them! I don't think that we can tell them that enough.
Ok, so if you've read this blog at all you're probably wondering what happened to my book. Yea, well, not too much. It still sits on page 40 something waiting to be finished. Maybe during the next several days/weeks/months I can get moving on it.
How about my Jets? 3-0 and they've beaten 3 tough teams - the Texans, the Patsies, and the Titans. If they can beat the Saints this week, then we're talking.
This is my baby, Sammie! She and I have our game faces on ready to cheer for the Jets! She's loves wearing her jersey! It's the most hilarious thing ever!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Book Progress
I'm about 17 pages and 5100 words into my book. As you may have guessed, I'm slacking with my time commitments, but I'm still doing much better than I thought I would be doing. I hope to eclipse the 20 page mark by the end of tonight. If I can do that, I should be over 6000 words. I don't know how long the typical book is, but 6000 words seems pretty long, although not when I think of it in the context of 20 pages. A 20 page book really isn't worth too much. We'll see how this goes though. Hopefully I can get to 100 pages. I feel like I have a lot to write about, but 100 pages is pretty sick.
Today I got to stay home from work. We had a snow day. There was about 2-3 inches, although if this was New York, they wouldn't have sniffed twice before heading on to work and school. Tomorrow, Jill already knows that she has a 2 hour delay. I hope that when I wake up in the morning they'll say that we have a 2 hour delay as well, but I seriously doubt that they'll do that. The only way that they will is if there are icy conditions.
President Obama got sworn in today. It was a huge event. I don't remember how many people attended Bush's ceremonies, but this seemed like there were about a million people in the mall, and countless others on television. We'll see how his presidency goes! Hopefully he can fix the economy!
Alrighty then...I'm off to write!
Today I got to stay home from work. We had a snow day. There was about 2-3 inches, although if this was New York, they wouldn't have sniffed twice before heading on to work and school. Tomorrow, Jill already knows that she has a 2 hour delay. I hope that when I wake up in the morning they'll say that we have a 2 hour delay as well, but I seriously doubt that they'll do that. The only way that they will is if there are icy conditions.
President Obama got sworn in today. It was a huge event. I don't remember how many people attended Bush's ceremonies, but this seemed like there were about a million people in the mall, and countless others on television. We'll see how his presidency goes! Hopefully he can fix the economy!
Alrighty then...I'm off to write!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Here's how crap works
Ok, first an update on my book writing. I worked on it for about 6 hours yesterday. It was great to be able to lay around and just type without anything else to worry about. My goal is to work on it for about an hour on weekdays and then a to be determined goal on the weekend. Ok, that sounded totally lame. I need to commit to something.
3 hours on the weekend. That's reasonable. I mean, how the heck is this book going to get written if I don't spend time doing it.
So far, I'm up to 10 pages and about 2500 words. That's not too bad.
I went back to work today. I had a week off after my turbinate surgery. I feel so weird saying that because a couple of months ago, I didn't even know what a friggin' turbinate was. Anyway, I walk in and Obnoxious coworker (Obco for short) decides to discuss the daily work plan with me before I can even get my computer fired up. Apparently, I'm no longer capable of setting a plan for myself. I need an Obco to do it for me. How considerate. Well, there is a whole mound of work that Laco (Lazy coworker) didn't get finished. This crap was due today, but we've known about it for months. Thanks for saving it up for me! That was the best ever!
Back to the title of the blog -
Here's how crap works -
How I didn't see this coming is like Charlie Brown diving in the air as Lucy pulls the football away. Apparently at my work, the way CRAP works is that once you work as hard as you can to get your work done quickly, you get a pat on the back congratulating you on being such a good worker.....
Yea....not so much....
That's the way it should work, but the way it really works is that once you finish your mound of work, Obco and Laco see this as a great opportunity to dump their work off on you. What a treat! I was so honored. Makes me want to finish twice as quick next time so that all the Obcos and Lacos at work can dump their crap off on me. What a friggin' waste....how people get away with this hot garbage is beyond me.....
3 hours on the weekend. That's reasonable. I mean, how the heck is this book going to get written if I don't spend time doing it.
So far, I'm up to 10 pages and about 2500 words. That's not too bad.
I went back to work today. I had a week off after my turbinate surgery. I feel so weird saying that because a couple of months ago, I didn't even know what a friggin' turbinate was. Anyway, I walk in and Obnoxious coworker (Obco for short) decides to discuss the daily work plan with me before I can even get my computer fired up. Apparently, I'm no longer capable of setting a plan for myself. I need an Obco to do it for me. How considerate. Well, there is a whole mound of work that Laco (Lazy coworker) didn't get finished. This crap was due today, but we've known about it for months. Thanks for saving it up for me! That was the best ever!
Back to the title of the blog -
Here's how crap works -
How I didn't see this coming is like Charlie Brown diving in the air as Lucy pulls the football away. Apparently at my work, the way CRAP works is that once you work as hard as you can to get your work done quickly, you get a pat on the back congratulating you on being such a good worker.....
Yea....not so much....
That's the way it should work, but the way it really works is that once you finish your mound of work, Obco and Laco see this as a great opportunity to dump their work off on you. What a treat! I was so honored. Makes me want to finish twice as quick next time so that all the Obcos and Lacos at work can dump their crap off on me. What a friggin' waste....how people get away with this hot garbage is beyond me.....
Monday, January 12, 2009
A work in progress for Leardini
So, I've decided to write a book. I've been toying with the idea for awhile, but I finally think that I have a workable outline. I'll keep my progress here. I notice that a lot of people use their blogs to chart progress on whatever they're doing, so maybe that will be a good way for me to keep track of how long it takes me to complete this.
Does anyone know how to get a book published? I'm not sure I know how to go about this once I get it written and edited. I'd appreciate it if anyone out there could comment with some suggestions.
On another note, surgery 2009 went well. Dr. Clyne did such an awesome job on me! I can breathe and basically have no pain! If I would have known that most people were breathing like I am now, I would have demanded surgery a long time ago. To illustrate, I feel like I'm breathing through a tunnel now compared to breathing through a straw before.
Anyone see Wake take care of Carolina last night? 92-89 - It was even that close though. Carolina is a good team, but when Hansbrough has an off night, it looks like they are all out of sorts. Not sure how good the Demon Deacons are, but I'll bet not too many people had them at 14-0 before the season began. Heck, not too many people had them 14-0 before this game.
St. Bonaventure's basketball team is back on the map. Does anyone care? Probably not. They're 10-5 (1-1), which is much better than at anytime in the past 6 or 7 years. They get St. Joseph's tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. If they win that game, then maybe they're a contender for the NIT.
Does anyone know how to get a book published? I'm not sure I know how to go about this once I get it written and edited. I'd appreciate it if anyone out there could comment with some suggestions.
On another note, surgery 2009 went well. Dr. Clyne did such an awesome job on me! I can breathe and basically have no pain! If I would have known that most people were breathing like I am now, I would have demanded surgery a long time ago. To illustrate, I feel like I'm breathing through a tunnel now compared to breathing through a straw before.
Anyone see Wake take care of Carolina last night? 92-89 - It was even that close though. Carolina is a good team, but when Hansbrough has an off night, it looks like they are all out of sorts. Not sure how good the Demon Deacons are, but I'll bet not too many people had them at 14-0 before the season began. Heck, not too many people had them 14-0 before this game.
St. Bonaventure's basketball team is back on the map. Does anyone care? Probably not. They're 10-5 (1-1), which is much better than at anytime in the past 6 or 7 years. They get St. Joseph's tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. If they win that game, then maybe they're a contender for the NIT.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Jets Coaching Situation and more
The Jets are looking for a new coach now. Mangini was fired on Monday and that was a move that needed to be made. There are a lot of people blaming this move on Favre, and certainly he is not without blame, but come on. Mangini made so many questionable decisions that it was blatently obvious that he had to go. We won at least 2 games in spite of him. The first Buffalo game, we stopped the Bills as they were driving. Fourth down, right? Not so fast! There is a holding penalty on the play and Mangini accepts the penalty. Buffalo goes on to get a first down and would have scored if it wasn't for their own ineptitude. Perhaps they were trying to outdue Mangini.
On that note, we should have lost the second Buffalo game if it wasn't for Jauron having a brain cramp and deciding to throw a rollout pass when they could have easily run out the clock.
The second example is against the hated Patriots. We were all over them and Mangini decides to go into the prevent for the entire second half. I can't tell you how many times he rushes 3 men and everyone sits back passively. What a joke. Whoever thinks that Matt Cassel is a good quarterback based on that little league defense needs to have their head examined. His throws were late, and behind wide open receivers. Against anything greater than our Pee Wee Defense he would have been average. Heck, Little Sisters of the Poor could have thrown for at least 300 yards against that scheme, if you want to call it that.
So now, all the whiney Jets fans who hated Mangini down the stretch and began calling for his job last year, feel that he should keep his job because Brett Favre is the problem. Brett was a problem, but he wasn't the one making Matt Cassel, Shaun Hill, Jamarcus Russell, Tyler Thigpen, and Ryan Fitzpatrick look like the second coming of Unitas. Our defense couldn't stop anyone and they couldn't make the adjustments once they got torched. That's neither here nor there though. The Jets fans are already posturing by saying that they don't want Cowher or that we shouldn't have fired Mangini. They're insufferable. No matter what decision the Jets make, it's wrong in their eyes. Now, the owner is dysfunctional, according to this knowledgable fan base. They'll probably blame their pathetic lives on him, also.
On that note, we should have lost the second Buffalo game if it wasn't for Jauron having a brain cramp and deciding to throw a rollout pass when they could have easily run out the clock.
The second example is against the hated Patriots. We were all over them and Mangini decides to go into the prevent for the entire second half. I can't tell you how many times he rushes 3 men and everyone sits back passively. What a joke. Whoever thinks that Matt Cassel is a good quarterback based on that little league defense needs to have their head examined. His throws were late, and behind wide open receivers. Against anything greater than our Pee Wee Defense he would have been average. Heck, Little Sisters of the Poor could have thrown for at least 300 yards against that scheme, if you want to call it that.
So now, all the whiney Jets fans who hated Mangini down the stretch and began calling for his job last year, feel that he should keep his job because Brett Favre is the problem. Brett was a problem, but he wasn't the one making Matt Cassel, Shaun Hill, Jamarcus Russell, Tyler Thigpen, and Ryan Fitzpatrick look like the second coming of Unitas. Our defense couldn't stop anyone and they couldn't make the adjustments once they got torched. That's neither here nor there though. The Jets fans are already posturing by saying that they don't want Cowher or that we shouldn't have fired Mangini. They're insufferable. No matter what decision the Jets make, it's wrong in their eyes. Now, the owner is dysfunctional, according to this knowledgable fan base. They'll probably blame their pathetic lives on him, also.
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