Some assembly required

This weekend Jenn and I are enjoying a rare treat. We have house guests. We so rarely get to visit home, that when someone from Colorado or California visits it is like a postcard from childhood.

Our friends are my best friend’s sister and her family. They are missionaries from Slovakia, so they are endlessly fascinating. Being a dried up prune, I enjoy watching other people that live their passion.

The dog is sleeping at my feet as I write this. I knew when we adopted the dog that I would like it. But I had no idea how much I would love having a dog.

It dawned on me that we have less than a month until the next surgery. As we approach any hospital stay, heaviness coats the house. Ethan told Jenn that he hated that his body does not work right. When she told me, I almost cried. It is just not fair. However, we do have incremental progress. This surgery will make him a little more independent. So step by step his life gets closer to normal.

Gonzo Week

Last week was one crazy week. Hmmm…where to start. So starting on Sunday, I had to fly to Orlando for a conference. I drove myself to the airport and left my car in long term parking, fully expecting to drive it home when I returned. More on that later

I checked in and went through Security. I rode the tram to the main concourse and realized I had left my Blackberry back at security. D’oh! Luckily after I rode the tram back, a TSA agent was holding it. Back on the tram and into the skies. I had an uneventful flight and subsequent ride to “the happiest place on earth.” I did not get a room in the conference hotel, but I did get one in the nearby Disney Yacht Club. It sounds impressive, but really it is a glorified Holiday Inn. I had the afternoon and evening to explore the boardwalk. Everything Disney is larger than life. The staff is uber friendly…almost sickeningly sweet.

I got a good nights sleep and then started the conference. There were over 3000 participants. I have never attended something on that scale. During my second seminar, my phone rang. It was Jenn, the van had broken down. She managed to get it to the shop. They did a patch job and sent her on her way. Two days later…it croaked again.

The rest of the conference was uneventful. Some of the seminars were good…others??? Well public speaking is not everyone’s talent. On the last day, I split a cab with my coworkers to the airport. There flight was two hours earlier than mine, so it gave me time to shop. Unfortunately the plane broke down (I sense a theme). Yada yada yada…8 hours…home…no car…wife had to take it because of broken van. I took a cab home.

Next day at work was…work. We picked up the van and they “thought” it was fixed. 20 minutes later, the transmission gave out. They wanted 3k to fix it. I laughed. I was 3 payments from being car payment free…but it was not to be. I traded in the van for $750 and I was glad to get it. We got another Altima. No more vans for me.

Other than that, it was an uneventful week.

Narcissistic me??!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjamin67/sets/72157618933620631/

Cutting Up

As is usually the case with the medical profession, Ethan’s July 7^th surgery dated got bumped. It took us 3 weeks to get another date. The new day is August 7^th. Waiting waiting, always waiting.

Our vacation plans were goofed up, but I am sure we will salvage some time. Now I just need to quietly slip back into denial.

Ta ta for now.

On Graduation

Tis the season of Graduation. It is Sunday morning before church and I am hanging out in the living room with Senior Smoothy Buns, a.k.a. Friday. I am reflecting on a wild and crazy 5 months this year has been. I had a lot on my plate. Work was insane. In addition to the two projects I already lead testing on, I was thrown a third brand new system to manage. Piles accumulated at work. I broke my cardinal rule about work from home. In short it was nuts. On top of all that, I was studying for my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Well the first release of my new project went out the end of April. I took my PMP exam last week (I passed). For the first time since college, I feel like I have graduated. It is satisfying to meet a goal(s). It is even more gratifying to have a breather to reflect on all the madness.

Senior Smoothy Buns

We got a dog.  Jenn finally broke and let me get one.  It took 14 years, but I prevailed.  But don’t let her kid you, she loves him too.

His name is Friday, even though we got him on Saturday.  It was Ethan’s idea and we liked it much more than his other suggestion which was Senior Smoothy Buns.  Given those choices, I think we choose well.

Friday is a year old.  He comes from a breeder, but he is not “show quality.”  Psttthhh.  Phooey on that. 

The nice thing is that because he is older he is house broken (well 90% of the time) and we did not have whimpering all night his first night.  Friday is a bit timid, to put it mildly.  I think he may have been neglected by the breeder.  He was shaking and cowering the first half of the week we got him.  Since then he has really warmed up to us.  He put on weight and started acting more like a dog.  He and I go for walks several times a day and he is a good heeler. 

Today he is mad at me cause I took him to the vet.  They put unspeakable things in unspeakable places.  Oh well, it is all part of being in a family.

The next trip the vet he will hate me even more.  He will likely bark in a soprano voice.  Awe nuts!

SB is out the door

So the project that has been all consuming in my life has gone into preproduction. That gives me a bit of a breather for awhile.

I hate that when others cannot be bothered to plan and meet deadline, I am left to clean up the mess. I basically end up throwing all of my resources into resolving the “problems” and let the rest of my life go horribly out of balance. Marriage, family, friendship, self they all go on the back burner so that work can take priority. It is stupid really. I end up propping up the people who are incompetent and causing the people around me to suffer.

Such is the mess of modern life.

Lawrdy Lawrd

Oh my, it has been a while hasn’t it. I have been buried in work and training. It is still not over, but it is getting better.

So what is up with me? Glad you asked.

Last Tuesday, Ethan had his latest Dr visit. They were concerned about the growing discrepancy in his leg length. There are a couple of mid-evil procedures that they could do, but we are not “there” yet. So I will push it out of my mind.

Work has been going extremely well. So at least I have a job. Sadly, it has take its toll on the people in my life. I get home and I just want to veg. But vegging is not exactly healthy for me or the others around me. I am going to have my meds checked.

On the happier side, I think I made a new friend. I have precious few of them, so I am always glad when a new one happens along.

I am going to start going to Mass on Saturdays not because I am thinking of converting, but because I hate my Sunday church. I hate contemporary worship…OK, so sue me. So I thought a little popish high church might do me good.

That is all for now…hopefully I will get back in the swing of writing.

TTFN

Another Weird Dream

Last night I had another one of “those” dreams. I would love to hear what Freud would say about this one:

So I am taking a shower and there is an audience. I am shaving my legs, but it is not hair (as if that makes it better). Long gooey strands of green moss are growing from my calves. Shaving the moss off is proving to be difficult because my cheap razor keeps getting clogged.

Did I mention the audience was naked? Yes, I am that sick.

Analyze that!

Kids at play

Today has been a mellow day, which is good.

Church, Lunch, dog documentary, trip to target and watching the kids play

Now…laundry

Mellow, but good

Peace

Rest