Day-to-day non-events

New year, new agenda...

2009-01-21T21:30:00.002-06:00

In the spirit of the new administration and recent changes in my life, Casey and I have decided to embark on a new year of fiscal responsibility. We're making 2009 our year of reducing our debt and increasing our net worth. We've got a new President that is calling for all levels of administration to be more transparent and shoulder responsibility of the financial difficulties of the nation. That makes it the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
We both now see the vital importance of reducing our debt while we have the best ability to do so.
At the same time, we're starting to grow as a couple. We've moved up the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. For the first three years of our relationship, we were existing somewhere between the second and third levels. We were working on our securities of family, employment, health, and property while also trying to achieve love, belonging, family, friends, and sexual intimacy with one another. While fulfilling goals in and of themselves, we were still just existing. However, now that we feel like we have that established and solid, we are ready to move onto the next two levels. We are individually working on our self-esteem and confidence, but together we are pursuing creativity, lack of judgement, and an overall self-actualization. We are on the path to seeing beyond ourselves and looking to the needs of others. We are looking into avenues to channel our energies into improving the lives of others and making a small difference in our community in order to make a big difference in the world.
We feel like the time is right for this step of maturation. We've seen that just the act of merely existing is not fulfilling, so we are ready to pursue more. Therefore, in order to gain more of our "self", we need to give more of ourselves.
I'm excited.
This is what living is about.

Just to put all of this into perspective...

2008-12-04T08:46:00.000-06:00

We really don't have it hard...at all.
This woman really lived it and has the picture to prove it.

I didn't vote for Obama today

2008-11-05T05:37:00.002-06:00

Neither did this guy.

OK, let's make history...

2008-11-04T10:52:00.000-06:00

Time to sit back and watch the world burn.

Enjoy.

Okay, it's time for a rant...

2008-10-29T21:31:00.000-05:00

Allow me to paint a scenario for you...

Let's say you know some people that you have a loose affiliation with. You know them through a common organization (church, for example). They've rarely said much to you at all beyond the normal greeting and asking of how the wife and kids are. Let's say these individuals happen to have your email address. For the sake of example, let's say this individual is a stay-at-home parent that, I believe most can agree, has filtered viewpoint of the world outside their comfortable suburban home. So, this individual has time to organize and distribute political views to the email inboxes of those of us that are preoccupied with work, parenting, and social life so they we can be informed voters. Right?

So I receive an email from said individual that goes something like this:

Subject: Fw: You have to watch this!!!! (It's a FW, so this is not original content, but hey, it's got 4 exclamation points, so this must be critical!!!!)

Message: If you have considered voting for Obama you need to watch this video on youtube. (Really? Well, by all means, show me the link!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

OK, so I watched a grand total of 30 seconds of this video. I discover that the informed right-winged Conservative red-state zealous citizens of this nation are still basing the apex of the idea of democracy - their right to vote - upon a rehashed YouTube video produced by a group called "Illuminati" that is an abhorrent extrapolation of fact.

Oh, and I was supposed to be thoroughly convinced that this was the single point of fact that was going to completely change my vote next week. Really?

No, let's not analyze the issues, the platform, the prior experience, the video documented behaviours, the statements, the debate points, nor the character of each of the Presidential candidates from as reliable sources as are possible in the media.

Your right, Mrs. Smith (name changed to protect the innocent), let's instead base our sheltered, non-interactive, undiscussed vote upon an unverified YouTube propaganda video.

Why am I seeing red over this? Sorry, no pun intended on that.

I think it basically comes down to the old tune, "Don't throw your trash in my backyard."

If you want to reach me as a person and discuss politics with me, then meet me where I am. Casey and I make it a point that we don't feel comfortable talking religion and politics with someone until we've spilt a drink or two with them. We deal with life. We get face-to-face with nearly every demographic available. We're willing to share ideas and hash out topics that we may not agree with but we want to hear it.

I want to hear it.

I want to know what's effecting you.

I want to know where you come from and why.

I want to know how you make your decisions.

I want to get your dirt under my nails and your sweat on my palm when we grasp hands and shake.

Are we like-minded and believing the same way afterwards?

Most likely, no, but I can know that we have had a chance to understand one another.

Don't soapbox your values to me over the ethical equivalent of Viagara spam.

Have a drink with me. Have a laugh with me. Tell me who you're voting for and why.

Someone stop me now, I'm going to need an intervention.

2008-10-28T21:40:00.001-05:00

So the Internet has birthed a lot of things in the past decade - some cool, some decent, and a lot of crap in between. However, when MTV announced that they are starting up the site MTV Music, with the claim that every music video they have aired will be viewable on this site, I had to investigate for myself.

You know, that whole "too good to be true" reflex went off like a swift rear kick from a startled horse.

So I looked.

Damn.

Just a quick search for the group "Pearl Jam"...

...55 different videos! Interviews, published music videos, unplugged shows.

"Video Killed the Radio Star", "Sledgehammer", "Hungry Like a Wolf". The list goes on and on.

I could easily dive deep into 80's music video nostalgia and not return for hours.

However, I've seen enough of the broken promises of the Internet's offers to carefully listen for the other shoe to drop. Yeah, the site's got immense amounts of content to offer, but how does it sustain itself? Viacom isn't going to easily throw away millions on bandwidth and not expect anything in return. They show no ads on the site. There's no retailing link to buy the music or the video from the site.

I'm sure the catch will come later, but for now I'm going to soak it all in.

Confessions of a "traitor"

2008-10-23T21:24:00.000-05:00

I posted this on my Facebook earlier.

"Family and friends think I have fallen off the deep end by my selection of Presidential Candidate. It's good to see that I am not the only one that feels the way I do about this election. Every word of this interview rang true with me."

I think that this speaks enough for itself today.

No, thanks, I'll be me.

2008-10-17T23:28:00.000-05:00

I'm coming to a realization that I don't want to be a hero.

Yeah, a "hero".

As in a stainless steel visage, an impenetrable creed, a flawless template.

Something in our human nature desires a symbol to have hope in and model one's self after.

Maybe that's why it's so easy to believe in heroes when you are small and wide-eyed. Maybe that's why you can look up to a superhero.

It's not until you are older that you see behind the curtain. You find out about those dark, low moments.

You find out that your dad slept around on your mom.

You find out that Teddy Roosevelt, a man's man, was unapologetically racist. Go read Wikipedia.

You find out a mentor is hiding a lifestyle that he is afraid to be open and honest about.

You find out that Superman is dead.

You find out that men you consider strong and loyal are never to be heard from again.

You find out that Achilles was killed by a single arrow to the heel.

You find out that your grandfather was physically brutal and emotionally negligent to his kids - your parents, aunts and uncles.

Your kids find out you were a selfish son-of-a-bitch.

Heroes aren't born nor made anymore. They are only now what they always were.

An illusion.

In previous times, heroes were numerous because information was scarce. Things could be hushed and hidden.

Now, we have 5-minute heroes.

An image is constructed by media of all the best qualities of someone. This image is marketed and broadcasted.

The source is blogged, tagged, dugg and posted on YouTube.

The smoke clears and the mirrors are dirty.

You're left feeling betrayed and a little piece of hope falls off your branch and flutters to the ground.

I don't ever want my kids to get the impression that I am - in any way - a hero. I don't want their ideals peeled from them and disposed. I believed in myself, for all that I am worth. That is all I can offer to them.

I was immature and still continue to be at times now. I can be selfish. I have my dark moments. I make my mistakes.

They will as well. I want them to know that a valley of disappointment is not waiting for them after being stripped of adoration.

I am not a hero. I don't want to be someone's hero. I am Chris Scott. This is what I do. At times, I fall down on my job.

Thanks for listening.

It's all about making progress.

2008-10-03T22:56:00.001-05:00

That's called a nervous grin.
Shortly after that photo, I got my first taste of a real 5K race. To be exact, it was 25 minutes, 40 seconds later.
So, on the topic of progress, that what I hope to make progress on tomorrow - my 5K time. The 39th Annual Tulsa ZooRun is tomorrow morning and my darling woman and head cheerleader will be there with me, even though she hates early mornings. My goal is to cut a minute off that time and be able to finish under 24 minutes when the annual Tulsa Run arrives in 21 days.
For me, five kilometers is a perfect distance for what I need.
I need to feel challenged.
I need to know that I can ignore the discomfort of my physical being for a greater purpose.
I need to set and achieve goals.
I need to learn to discipline myself.
I need to know I am not the age on my driver's license.

After all, doesn't everyone have those needs?

Ahhhh...

2008-09-27T23:42:00.001-05:00

You know what that sound is?
For those unfamiliar, that's a sigh of relief.
Yeah, the doors are open, the ribbons are cut, photos are taken, pleasantries exchanged, and the doors - thank God - are open.That's right. Everybody get in there. Watch the shows. Root for your favorite stars. Buy stuff. Tons of stuff. Tell your friends that this place is the best venue in a 400 mile radius to see an act.
Why do I care?
Because my fiancee - Casey - is a cowgirl. A cattle rustler that brings in the cattle to the BOK Corral to get them branded, inoculated, and happily back to pasture. Casey brings in the stray steers. She works long, hard hours on horseback with no one else in the pasture to applaud her, to encourage her, to pick her up when she's down. But like most cowgirls, once she climbs off the horse, shakes off the trail dust, and drags herself into the house beaten up and sore, I am there with dinner on the table, Brooklyn bathed, and a smile on my face with a glass of wine ready for her. That's who I am and what I have been doing for the past 4 months. That's why I am ready for the cattle to finally be herded into the corral. Now, finally, life can return to normal, Brooklyn can have her mom back and I can have my woman back.
Now that she's back, we can start sorting out life. Sorting out our career directions, our relationship goals, our family strengthened. This is where we are headed now, and we are all the better for it.

Ah...the Motherland.

2007-10-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the folks here, I humbly submit a Texas Culture 101.

ADVICE FOR ANYONE MOVING TO TEXAS
1. Save all manner of bacon grease. You will be instructed later how to use it.
2. Just because you can drive on snow and ice does not mean we can. Just stay home the two days of the year it snows.
3. If you do run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in the cab of a four wheel drive with a 12-pack of beer and a tow chain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them. Just stay out of their way.
This is what they live for.
4. Don't be surprised to find movie rentals & bait in the same store.
5. Remember: "Y'all" is singular. "All y'all" is plural. "All y'all's" is plural possessive.
6. Get used to hearing, "You ain't from around here, are you?"
7. If you are yelling at the person driving 15 mph in a 55 mph zone, directly in the middle of the road, remember, many folks learned to drive on a model of vehicle known as John Deere, and this is the proper speed and lane position for that vehicle.
8. If you hear a redneck exclaim, "Hey, y'all, watch this!" Stay out of his way. These are likely the last words he will ever say.
9. Get used to the phrase "It's not the heat, it's the humidity". And the collateral phrase "You call this hot? Wait'll August."
10. There are no delis. Don't ask.
11. In conversation, never put your hand on a man's shoulder when making a point, especially in a bar.
12. Chili does NOT have beans in it.
13. Brisket is not 'cooked' in an oven
14. Don't tell us how you did it up there. Nobody cares.
15. If you think it's too hot, don't worry. It'll cool down-in December.
16. We do TOO have 4 Seasons: December, January, February, and Summer!
17. A Mercedes-Benz is not a status symbol. A Ford F-150 is.
18. If someone tells you "Don't worry, those peppers aren't hot" you can be certain they are.
19. If you fail to heed my warning in #18 above, be sure to have a bowl of guacamole handy. Water won't do it.
20. Rocky Mountain oysters are NOT oysters. Don't ask.
21. If someone says they're "fixin" to do something, that doesn't mean anything's broken.
22. Don't even think of ordering a strawberry daiquiri. What you really mean to say is Margarita.'
23. If you don't understand our passion for college and high school football just keep your mouth shut.
24. The value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but the availability of shade.
25. If you see a slower moving vehicle on a two lane road pull onto the shoulder that is called "courtesy".
26. BBQ is a food group. It does NOT mean grilling burgers and hot dogs outdoors.
27. No matter what you've seen on TV, line dancing is not a popular weekend pastime.
28. "Tea" = Iced Tea. There is no other kind.
29. Everything goes better with Ranch dressing.

Hi! Come right in, let us show you the place.

2007-10-04T22:06:00.001-05:00

So, we bought a house and moved in July 5th after never having stepped inside the actual house. We bought it "sight unseen" just from having seen the pictures on the website and the verbal evaluation from the realtor. We were immensely pleased and relieved that the actual house was better than the pictures.
We got everything moved in, and after a couple of months and weekends that started with a lengthy to-do list, we are pleased to show off the results.
Walking in the front door, here is the entryway.

Looking to the left as you enter the door, here is our office space as we have it set up now. This will change in the near future.

Looking to the right after you have entered the door, you immediately face the dining room. Officially, this is a breakfast nook, but since Casey and I are not formal dining room people, this is where we often eat meals. It's a great space.

Continuing further down, you get to see the living room that opens up into the kitchen and the previously mentioned breakfast nook.

The kitchen, in my opinion, is the best part of the house. All of us are able to move around and get stuff done in the space, but not have to ‘butt-bump’ our way through.

The bedrooms are split off from one another, so we’ll show the smaller two first. The first two are of the guest bedroom, the last is Brooklyn’s Little Haven of Joy.

Between the two is the guest bath – small but useable.

Now, onto the master suite. Easily, the most time was spent decorating this area. The bed was built from scratch (thanks to Home Depot for the raw materials and Glen for the expertise) and the style is a Leigha Sparks exclusive.

The master bath is grossly spacious. This is the biggest difference from years of apartment living.

Ending out the tour is the relaxing backyard, our own land to do with as we wish. In ours, we have planted patio furniture and a Labrador to grow.

Last note: no tour is complete without seeing how well we have used the walk-in closet.

Ok, I know...

2007-09-21T21:43:00.000-05:00

I mean, it's been almost a year since I have posted here. And yes, a lot has gone on: big moves, big changes, big opportunities, big news.
In the coming weeks, I will get caught everyone caught up with what all has gone on and throw in some personal thoughts and reflections along the way.
As the saying goes, stay tuned...

Ooo, I want one!

2006-05-15T19:47:00.000-05:00

Seems like the new buzzword that every marketing department is threatening to wear out from overuse is "hybrid", but Samsung has come out with a hard drive innovation that even has me frothing out the mouth. I love the possibilities out of this product. Even if Microsoft doesn't release support for this technology for Windows XP, given that support will be native with Vista, I can see the boot time from Hibernation being next to nothing and requiring far less battery than a hard-drive based Hibernation boot-up. I liked the prospect as well of a 256MB secondary cache to the hard drive storage for fast storage of document changes, page file storage, and such that would keep the hard drive hits down just as exciting. I can definitely see a significant battery performance improvement in situations like taking notes in a meeting or in class and having the HDD in sleep state for a majority of the time. Of course, much like the NHC optimization that came out after the Centrino platform was released, the big improvements won't arrive immediately until someone with machine code access will develop a seriously hardcore tweak that allows high flexibility in the tweaking of abilities of the hybrid drives. Here I sit, anxiously awaiting price list releases for this incredible product.

Photos as promised

2006-05-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

These photos highlight how heavily packed the Verizon Theatre was packed. Again, the concert was fantastic.

Houston: World Capitol of Inflatable Gorillas

2006-05-09T12:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, so Casey and I had our practice run for our honeymoon.
We let Brooklyn stay with someone while we drove down to Houston for the weekend. Overall, it had its highs and lows.
High:

James Blunt concert. That was a nice experience. Opening act was Toby Lightman. I had heard of her, and that she was a great indie performance, but I had not had the chance to listen to any of her music until she opened the concert. It makes me wish I had come in at the beginning to hear all of her, because she was very soulful with an energetic performance. If she has not already, I wouldn't be surprised to hear of her as a booked act on the Lilith Fair. Once James came on stage, however, it became blatantly apparent that the vast majority of those attending were women in the 20-30 age range. With Casey's agreement, I estimate out of the 3,000 plus crowd (pics of which are to follow) that the girl-to-guy ratio was easily 3-to-1. Yes, it was every single guys fantasy. And yes, Casey will confirm - I behaved myself despite the environment. James was spot-on fantastic. Not only did he take us through his more-favored repetoire, but he also threw in a Pixies and Slade cover and did them justice. Even though he was in the middle of a rigorous, multinational tour, you could still feel him singing with his soul throughout most of his lyrics, and not just knocking out the playlist and collecting a check. I couldn't have asked for a better concert and performance from him. This time next year, however, he will have to find a bigger venue if he plays Houston again. Verizon Theatre was packed (as the pictures will illustrate), and he just recently hit it big.
Migalone Restaurant. Casey and I stopped there for dinner before the show. The place was pandemonium, and I thought surely we wouldn't get a table, but the hostess (my estimates, an owner/co-owner, by her obvious Italian breeding) was gracious in finding us a place for us to enjoy some authentic calamari.
The shower before the concert. Little insider between Casey and I.

Lows:

Casey's allergic reaction to beer. It cut the concert short, but we did get to stay through the majority. She's such a soldier.
Our waiter at Migalone's. Whoever you are, please remember that your job is service-oriented. You're lucky I'm a nice guy, because I wouldn't have given you the 15% had I been anyone else.
Our hotel. God, where do I start? It was located at the epicenter of ghetto downtown Houston. The room was nice, although I did make the comment to Casey when we walked in that it could have passed as a Japanese hotel room. Cozy is a nice way of putting it. It was very well decorated, but I wam so glad that they opted for a flat-panel TV when they redecorated, otherwise it would've been a serious challenge trying to navigate around the room. Capping off our stay, the valets lost our truck key "in the elevator shaft", and they spent the next hour fishing it out. Being stuck there, Casey and I ate breakfast there at the hotel instead of IHOP like we were looking forward to. After grabbing some scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage - which was passable, or as my dad would say, "it will make a turd" - we were presented with a bill for $24. I kid you not. After they dug out our key, I told the front desk with the breakfast bill in hand that we were stuck there beyond our control and had no idea the breakfast was not complimentary. I would assume it would have been. I then simply stated that we could either handle this quickly and quietly - amongst a lobby full of guests - or we could go about this another way. The front desk clerk wisely chose the first option.

Capping off the weekend was our trip to IKEA, or more accurately put, our expedition. That place is...(spinning the Wheel of Adjectives)...phenomenal! I don't want to give away too much because it's best experienced personally, but I know Casey was giddy like a prom queen at the thoughts of shopping there. When you go, definitely hit their cafeteria. You don't get gouged - quite the opposite - and the food was good. Coffee was great, too. Casey and I were both amazed that we ended up at the cash register far richer than we estimated we would. I'm looking for a return expedition, even though it takes easily 4-5 hours.
Houston, you were great, but I don't think a long-term relationship will work. I can only handle an occassional fling. Oh, and the inflatable gorillas? From the time we hit the city limit until we arrived at the hotel, I counted a total of eight along I-10. San Antonio, by comparison, from what I have seen, has a grand total of zero. Odd culture there, indeed.

The end of an era.

2006-04-10T19:45:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like this post will have to be an obituary. Something that has been with me for the past two years - for a better part of my divorced life - has been laid to rest. No more "nic fits", no more mad scrambles to the c store, no more scurrying about to find enough money for the cheapest can of dip available. Yes, Virginia, I kicked my dipping habit. Of course, there is still that urge to have something in between cheek and gum. I have switched to the Herbal Snuff, which has no tobacco whatsoever, and still gives you that dip sensation without the nicotine. Today, being the first full day I have gone without tobacco completely, has left me with a strange, indescribable sensation. The closest I could come to describing it is similar to "medicine head" when you take some stout drugs to fight a cold.
Anyways, I'm done with that. I'd be lying if I said I won't miss it, but I'm looking forward to not spending around $40 a month.

Oh, and one more thing...

2006-03-27T19:48:00.000-06:00

In the interest of selling out, I figured if I'm going to do this, I might as well do it right. Below, I have located and listed a list of the Highest Paying Search Terms, courtesy of this guy.

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Looks kind of like I exorcised a Great Spam Demon, doesn't it?

Thanks for playing.

Selling out? Like the Black-Eyed Peas, baby!

2006-03-27T19:42:00.000-06:00

Notice the change in appearance?
It's subtle, but if you look closely, you'll see that I have sold my blog soul to Google Adsense. "Why?", you may ask, "why have you sold out to the Original Privacy Invaders known as marketing departments? Why have you given in to corporate greed?"
Well, considering the possibility of residual income, what's it going to hurt?
Anyways, moving on...
Casey is always wanting to know why I don't write about her. My standard response: well, if you want a blog about you, start your own.
So, it looks like I have managed to squeeze in two shameless plugs into one post. Now that is skill.
Soon to come - as the date draws near, I will fill in the details on the possibility of winning a contest that might make one particular young lady very happy.

Sometimes you just gotta vent...

2006-03-26T19:54:00.000-06:00

Not much in my immediate circle bothers me, but one group of the working population seems to have this ingrained mindset that I will not be sad to see go. I say that because Labor Unions are an endangered species: their perspective of their jobs and how it interacts with the rest of the business world as a whole is nothing short of myopic.
For example, in a recent article in the local paper about the recent announcement of GM management's offer to GM and Delphi union members of early retirement, one statement by an affected union member was offered. To paraphrase, this individual complained that since they had been doing the same job, daily, for several decades, that they had no idea what they were going to do after retirement because they "don't take too well to change."
That is where the problem lies. In every business or management class in college that I have taken, or article about a successful manager, executive or entrepreneur, a resounding mantra that is reiterated is that their success lies in their ability to adapt to change. Change is the ebb and flow of business. Adaptation to change is what has spawned such entities as the Internet, which has become an increasing critical part of dynamic organizations today. Change, whether risky or not, is the preface to a vast majority of success stories that are heralded. However, since most labor unions have this implicit resistance to change, that very culture is one that is destined for failure.
The problem I have personally is directly related to the statement that was previously mentioned. Where else in the work force or the business domain are participating individuals permitted to be resistant to change? In my career field, what if I didn't like the hours changing like they have at times? What if I didn't like the fact that the benefits package was changing because the cost of insurance coverage overall had increased? What if I didn't want to learn new skills because a new operating system version or software package came out? Do I get the luxury of directing my angst to my union arbitrator, someone whose sole job is keeping things civil between unions and the corporations that hire them? Do I get the option of saying, "No, I don't have to?" Not quite; my option is to either adapt to change, learn, grow, or undoubtedly lose my job.
Unions, in my opinion, are a cancer to business everywhere. There was a time where unions served a purpose and had a reason for existence. That time was well over a century ago, when employees were informed they were to work over twelve hours a day, in harsh conditions, with no paid time off, health coverage, or injury protection. Those conditions no longer exist, so why do unions still exist? Unions, as an organized entity, seem to do more harm than good. At the place where I work, for instance, I contract out my services. This company - which shall remain nameless - also utilizes a large labor union. Because the union is resistant to change at this company, they get to keep their health insurance where they pay no premium, no deductible, and very little copay. However, because they have this set of benefits, non-union employees have to deal with health insurance that requires that they pay a substantial premium, an exorbitant deductible (well over $2,000), and a $30 copay at the least. Somehow, I can't see the justification of one sector of employees being forced to pay for the benefits package of another group of employees.
That is just one example of how a completely different set of standards exists for the union members than the rest of the company's employees, whereby the union members have the better end of the stick by far.
So for the poor UAW member that has to chose whether to take a retirement where he keeps his pension, health benefits, and a $30,000 payoff, or reduced pension, health benefits and a $140,000 payoff, I have absolutely no sympathy that he "doesn't take to well to change." To him, I say, "Enjoy while you can now, because you're the last of a dying breed, and you made out like a bandit."

Why does it taste so good?

2006-03-03T21:02:00.000-06:00

Could it be the satisfaction of completing something you started? Could it be that you never have to hear from someone again? You never have to receive a bill from them again? Could it be the absence of the draining sensation of interest being charged on you on a daily basis, like a wound that never heals and continually bleeds?
Yeah, within two weeks time, I will have two credit cards completely paid off. That's over $1800 that I no longer owe. $1800 that no longer is accruing interest at an average of 5.2% annual percentage rate.
I find this to be an extremely exciting prospect. It's like being freed from prison. I'm about to have a cast removed from a limb that has been on there for over 9 years.
You know, the only hard part is: the next time I get this kind of satisfaction will be when the car is paid off. Unfortunately, that loving feeling won't be for another 2-3 years at the least.
Mmmm, debt-free. Tastes great, and less filling.

Valentine's Day - the new "Christmas"

2006-02-16T05:01:00.000-06:00

Looking back on it now, I realize that I might have made a mistake. Inadvertently, Casey and I have turned Valentine's Day into a big event in our relationship. While all I wanted to do was show her that I truely do have a romantic side, I see now that next year will be a challenge as we approach 2/14/2007. Why? Because after what I did this year, there will be that inevitable question, "Do you remember what you did last year?", and that means I will have to top what I did.
Okay, enough screwing around. Let me describe what I did this year so it can be clearly understood the corner I have painted myself into.
Casey had been begging and - dare I say - nagging for a circle pendant necklace, similar to this.
So I started to get one similar to that, but then she also wanted a picture on black-and-white print of this photo.

So that's what I did. But before I knew it, I got caught up in the romantic spirit of the holidays, and I ended up getting rose petals in a box, a book entitled, "50 Boyfriends Worse than Yours" (for those times when she needs a reminder that I'm not so bad after all), some lingerie that went with the rose petals that I got her, and a CD that she had been wanting for a long time of 80's rock ballads. Yeah, I know. It was indeed the music I remember awkwardly slow-dancing to at junior high school dances with sweaty palms and girls that had bloomed early. Anyways...
Being the early morning person that I am, I woke up around 4 on Valentine's Day and made the preparations. By the time I left for work, everything was set.
When Casey woke around 7ish, there was a trail of rose petals from our bedroom door to the dining room table where the gift bag was waiting along with a card. On the envelope of the card were instructions stating that she needed to thoroughly look through the entire gift bag. She did. Around 7:30, I got the call. I had done very well for our first V-day together.
However, what I had not planned on was Casey's competitiveness to rear it's ugly head. While I was at work making preparations for our dinner together that evening, Casey was slaving away on her answer to my gift.
At dinner that night in a sushi bar - her choice - she gave me her gift to me. She had trumped me. She had painstakingly taking a ton of sappy quotes from back when our relationship consisted entirely of emails to one another, and pasted them onto cards that she had collected together in a box with the title, "Remember When We Said" on the front. It was the best gift I could have gotten. She perfectly captured the spirit of the holiday by showing that it's not the money you spend on the gift, but the thought and preparation behind it.
Casey, I love you. Will you still be my Valentine?
Circle one:
Yes No

One hell of a night...

2006-01-26T20:45:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I went to a concert last night. It wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the fact that a band called Aerosmith was involved. Some may have heard of them.
The seats were close enough that I could tell the guys in the band are really getting old. Despite this, there were a couple of girls that leaped on stage and groped all over Steven Tyler. The whole time, I was thinking, "Man, you're kissing your grandfather and grabbing his ass." Jeez. Overall, it was a memorable concert. I happened to get a couple of chintzy shots off with my camera phone. Also included are a couple of trade shots that Casey got.

Ok, the first photo, if you look closely, you'll see two mic stands just to the right of the guy in the middle. Those are Steven Tyler's mic stands. How could I tell? It was the signature scarves festooning the stand.

The second photo is of the stage before the show got started. Notice all the gear?

The third photo is from our seats close to the stage, facing out towards the rest of the arena. By the time Aerosmith hit the stage, 90% of those seats were filled.

The fourth photo is the arena, just after the main show started. Notice the difference from the photo before?

The fifth photo is of the legend themselves, Aerosmith - live, loud, and well-preserved.

These next two photos are the trade shots that Casey got. Pretty awesome.

Yeah, that's Casey back there, getting the "ass-grind" from Steven Tyler himself. It's a good thing I'm not the jealous type.

My car is back!

2005-12-25T19:54:00.000-06:00

Well, as a bit of background, I got in a nasty fender-bender on December 12th on the way home from work on a Monday night. I stopped in time on the freeway when the car in front of me stopped, but the flake behind me was not paying attention. I heard the tires coming, looked into the mirror, and saw the headlights coming. I knew I had to push myself into the seat away from the steering wheel so I don't end up with whiplash. Half a second later, she collided with my tail end going about 40mph. After the wreck was over, I knew I was fine, but I got out after I made sure the engine was off and made sure the other driver was ok. She was an older lady - between 60 and 70 - and suffering from shock, but no sustained injuries. I signaled to the driver behind us to call the police while I made sure the lady calmed down after the event.
An hour later, I limped home in the car and took these photos.

This pretty clearly shows the effects on the rear end. Overall, after I got the car back, the bill that went to the insurance company was over $5,100. I'm immensely relieved that I wasn't the one that had to to pay for the repairs.
Anyways, that was the big excitement of the holidays.
Things are starting to settle down now that Christmas - for the most part - is over.
Now we can all focus on things that are more important than what we have to buy for whom.
On that note...
Happy Holidays.

Knock the dust off of that!

2005-10-26T06:21:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it's time to resurrect this online verbal self-promotion called a "blog". Why, you may ask?
Hell, if my mom can keep up with hers, I figured it was high time I got a little more consistent with mine. Plus, I have a lot more interesting stuff to post. ;)
Wow, there's a hell of a lot to talk about to bring to current status. Meh, baby steps, Chris, baby steps.
Most importantly, I found the woman of my dreams. Yeah, no kidding. The reason I can say this with confidence is that long before I met her, I mentally took down a list of all the qualities and criteria that I want in the woman that I would want to have a long-term relationship with. Those include, but are not limited to:

Luscious brown hair. Sorry, no blondes; there's just WAY too many shallow blondes out there to risk it. Plus, brunettes are generally sexier on the hair color alone. Yeah, that might be a fetish.
Ambitious, and not just, "I want to marry a rich guy." I'm talking ambition that she can hold her own and wants to rule the world.
God-fearing, but not that flaky charismatic spirituality.
She must have children of her own. There are several reasons for this, but mainly, if someone has children of their own, there is a greater level of maturity and responsibility that comes with it, most of the time. This tends to make someone more realistic about life.
Great in bed. Duh.
A self-confident sense of humor. The type where you can josh with them about something and they don't take it personally.
She must get along well with her parents. Hey, it's widely believed (and I've witnessed this myself) that if she has a great relationship with her parents, you will have a much better chance of having a stable relationship with her.

Well, there's the short list. The good news is, the woman that I have met has not only met these standards, but exceeded them all. She is truly the best thing that has happened to me.
I could go on and on, but I will discuss more in future posts.

Comments?

2004-10-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

I just now noticed that there is room at the bottom for comments from someone that would happen to stumble across this blog and provide some half-witted cynical remark. This implies that I would actually care about someone's opinion of my personal thoughts and reflections. Not seeing how someone would even care in the first place, I have created this as my own personal diary that I can access anywhere and vent on. In all the therapy sessions that I sat through, voluntary or involuntary, there was always a directive to journal your thoughts. At first, when I was not in touch with myself and afraid to be self-reflective and transparent, I rejected this notion. However, with changes come reassessments of personal opinions. One of those opinions was of journaling. This type of journaling is what I find most comfortable. Being back in therapy, I will kindly refer my therapist to this blog, so that he can browse at his leisure. And to whomever else wanders across this: enjoy it if you want, bite it if you don't.
Japanese anime can be very good. Seldom have I come across scripts and character with so much depth. Our highly-celebrated Hollywood has much to learn in the way of a solid script and storyline from these guys. Anime creators have an amazing ability to heap volumes of ideas into subtle nuances and statements. From this minimalist perspective, they give more with less. And all this come from cartoons. Not that all anime is good, but the good stuff is really good. It is especially enriching once you've seen enough of it to understand Japanese cultural icons and idioms. Color symbolism also plays a strong role, something that is often overdone in Western movies, where the good guy wears white and the antagonist is dressed in black. Anime is not so blatant; it's something that you have to train your eye for.
I sometimes look at myself in the mirror and wonder what I will look like when I'm older, as in the senior years of my life. It's not exactly a happy thought, but more of a sobering one. It gives you a view of life that you should take better care of yourself when you are young so that it will carry forward later on. I have already seen this in meeting up with former high school classmates that have already either lead rough lives since graduation, or have given little concern for their health. It shows, and in some cases a major way. I'd like to think of it as active investment on a daily basis. This is not something that I am able to do financially in a significant way, but once my dreams and goals come to fruitition, I'll have a body that will still be able to keep up with my mind and my desired lifestyle. My best years won't be behind me. They are waiting ahead - just ahead - and ready to bring me in with open arms. They are waiting with my full grown children that I will be able to spend significant time with. They are waiting with a woman that is my compliment that will have her foot at the threshold of her best years also. They are waiting with rewards that I have longed for but have put off for other things that were more temporal, less enduring. Damn, I better stop. I just might start that crying crap.

Back to School

2004-10-08T23:51:00.000-05:00

Getting back into college after a 2 year hiatus, I forgot how much reading is involved. Reading seems to be like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger and faster it gets. My read speed has improved, and that is a very welcome adaptation. Hopefully, by the time I start grad school, it will be a finely-tuned skill, because I can see more reading later on. A lot more.

Kids

2004-10-06T18:50:00.000-05:00

Man, it's frustrating when you're in a difficult relationship with your own kid. The recent divorce is still a problem for her, and she is having the hardest time of all four of us involved reconciling it all emotionally. Mainly though, it's got a lot to do with me. I still come across as brutish to her, and I have to remind myself to be more sensitive and gentle with her. She is an emotionally vulnerable little girl, and I have to keep that in mind with her. It's just frustrating to try to work through her brickwall and still be patient about things. So many factors, and I feel pressed for time because I don't want her growing up with this long-term grudge held against me. She is a smart kid and is doing really well in school, so I don't want to give her obstacles with that by our own internal issues.
It's odd how a prolonged change in weather (such as the diluvian-type rains we've had recently) seem to affect people. There's more dragging of the feet, less enthusiasm in the morning, less energy throughout the day. And then everyone always gets sick during weather like this. Oh, how I miss the summer already. Goodbye, beautiful tan, I'll see you again in the late spring.
Browsing through other blogs, I start to wonder, "Wow, a critique of the presidential race/debate/candidates. How witty. How fabulously original." I've made my decision long ago, and I see no need in making the signal-to-noise ratio worse by soapboxing my ideas. I would rather hear an analysis of a Super Bowl commercial than to listen to yet another person's interpretation of the latest CNN news or Fox News editorial. Save it for the voting booth, if you bothered to register at all.

Day Zero

2004-10-05T19:07:00.000-05:00

Just sitting in class, enjoying the random conversations and behaviors that float about. Comparing the different physical attributes of the girls in this class. One of them looks like a she-male: large manly hands, large feet, lacking in the bustline. She is slim, nonetheless, and a great figure, like she/he has been taking estrogen regularly for some time. Not looking forward to the various chores that await me afterwards.
I feel like chicken tonight. Chicken is so damn easy to cook. Throw it in the oven. Wait 20 minutes, voila! Everything goes with chicken, too. I'll probably crave something afterwards. Nope, that won't be possible though, I will being eating while I do the grocery shopping tonight. Something delicious like heat-lamp prepared chicken tenders, spicy. Yum.