I am thinking of switching this blog from blogger to Word Press. It is something I have thought about for some time but my former host did not have the capability to do so (I had MS SQL database and not the MySQL that Word Press uses) but with my new host that has been changed. I like the features that Word Press offers as well as all the Plug-Ins that are available as compared to blogger which offers none.
Another reason I had not switched previously was that I am not or was not as familiar with PHP, the language WP is written in, as I would like to be so making my own templates was not going to be as simple as it would be with Blogger and I was also not sure that I would be able to import all the posts from this current blog into the new one. If this was only a few weeks or months worth of posting then I would not be so hesitant but right now I am approaching the 900 posts mark and that is far too many to just "leave behind". However Word Press has a tool that allows you to import posts from other blogging tools so it makes it that much more tempting. The one thing that makes me think twice however is that I would lose all my comments from previous posts.
What makes Word Press so tempting is that the database backend really makes searches much more accurate as well as being able to create and then categorize each post which in turn makes finding information much easier then previously. My current blog, while searchable, is not all that accurate. I myself have had trouble finding what I am looking for and I am the one who wrote it.
So if sometime today or tomorrow this blog is down please check back as that means I found a template that I like and am uploading and working on getting Word Press installed. I suspect that it should take me no more then an hour to install and get it arranged the way I would like and then perhaps another hour to import those files to the new set up.
We will see what happens!
1/14/2006
1/11/2006
Five weird things about me...
I have been tagged by Bridget to post 5 weird things about me. Perhaps it would be easier to blog about 5 normal things about me???
Where to begin...
1- All my towels have to be folded properly (I have a special way I like them) and then sorted on the shelves by size and color order. It might not sound that strange until you see that we have about 30-35 bath towels and only 6 of them match.
2- When I am eating none of my food can touch any other food on the plate and I only eat one thing at a time. ie- I will not eat my chicken until I finish all the carrots.
3- My frozen food is arranged in the freezers (2 refridgerator freezers and 1 box) by the type of food and no freezer has the same thing as another in them. One is for vegetables another has only red meat and the last has chicken and so forth.
4- All my shoes and sneakers are laced so that they laces are left over right the whole way from the bottom of the tongue up to where the tie off.
5- When I make a cup of hot tea, coffee or cocoa the spoon cannot touch the sides or the bottom of the cup while I am stirring.
For those paying attention, yes, I have a mild form of OCD and my wife and children find it entertaining. While I don't have to flip light switches 23 times before moving on I do have a thing where they all have to be in the same position, especially in our upper hallway where we have 4 switchplates with 2 switches each. It is set up so when I go up I just have to hit the first two and then each set as I pass them. This makes it so all the lights I need are on only while I am in that section of the hallway and when I pass the last one they are all off. Yes, I know it sounds stupid but it has to be done!
Lets see....I will have to tag Mare, Saija, A Military Mom & Stacy.
Where to begin...
1- All my towels have to be folded properly (I have a special way I like them) and then sorted on the shelves by size and color order. It might not sound that strange until you see that we have about 30-35 bath towels and only 6 of them match.
2- When I am eating none of my food can touch any other food on the plate and I only eat one thing at a time. ie- I will not eat my chicken until I finish all the carrots.
3- My frozen food is arranged in the freezers (2 refridgerator freezers and 1 box) by the type of food and no freezer has the same thing as another in them. One is for vegetables another has only red meat and the last has chicken and so forth.
4- All my shoes and sneakers are laced so that they laces are left over right the whole way from the bottom of the tongue up to where the tie off.
5- When I make a cup of hot tea, coffee or cocoa the spoon cannot touch the sides or the bottom of the cup while I am stirring.
For those paying attention, yes, I have a mild form of OCD and my wife and children find it entertaining. While I don't have to flip light switches 23 times before moving on I do have a thing where they all have to be in the same position, especially in our upper hallway where we have 4 switchplates with 2 switches each. It is set up so when I go up I just have to hit the first two and then each set as I pass them. This makes it so all the lights I need are on only while I am in that section of the hallway and when I pass the last one they are all off. Yes, I know it sounds stupid but it has to be done!
Lets see....I will have to tag Mare, Saija, A Military Mom & Stacy.
1/10/2006
New season begins tonight...
I had another flare up on Sunday that was pretty painful. I am still feeling it across my lower back but it is not as bad as early Monday when I had to sit in the car for an hour while heading to the doctor. I had an appointment to finish the paperwork and start the second round of the study I am enrolled in. The ride was uncomfortable to say the least and I was too happy to get out of the car and try to stand.
I spent most of yesterday lying in bed with my head and feet elevated to a position where most of the stress on my lower back was relieved so those muscles could have a break and try to relax. I thought about doing the heat/cold treatment but someone has been playing with my ice packs (read: my oldest soon destroyed them) and I did not feel like spending another $30 on one.
I have been having some problems walking, the flare up does not help, and have been having a gradual decline in the distance I can walk without having to rest. It used to be a trip through the grocery store was not too bad as long as I brought my cane or had the cart to hold on to but the last few trips grocery shopping have been killer. We are barley a few aisles into the store when I can feel the burning and by 1/2 way through I can feel the spasms coming on. While my doctor told me to gradually increase my time and distance and we should see positive results it seriously seems like we are going in reverse. Where I used to be able to go several blocks or a lap around the inside of the mall with little or no pain that is no longer the case.
Tonight we are anxiously awaiting the start time of The Shield as the new season begins this evening. Of course they are airing it at exactly the same time as our other favorite show, Law & Order S.V.U.. Thanks to my lovely wife and her birthday present to me last year, a TiVo, we can watch one while we record the other. It will also let me record the shows for those nights where my wife has to work late. Last year she ended up missing a lot of the season due to work hours and for "The Shield" if you miss one episode you fall behind as they are sequential. I know some people think the show is junk and not a "real version" of what really happens in most police departments but that is not why we watch. It really has a great story line and just like most of the stuff on the idiot box as long as you remember it is not real you can enjoy the show. That and it gives me something to look forward to for the middle of the week when nothing else is happening.
I spent most of yesterday lying in bed with my head and feet elevated to a position where most of the stress on my lower back was relieved so those muscles could have a break and try to relax. I thought about doing the heat/cold treatment but someone has been playing with my ice packs (read: my oldest soon destroyed them) and I did not feel like spending another $30 on one.
I have been having some problems walking, the flare up does not help, and have been having a gradual decline in the distance I can walk without having to rest. It used to be a trip through the grocery store was not too bad as long as I brought my cane or had the cart to hold on to but the last few trips grocery shopping have been killer. We are barley a few aisles into the store when I can feel the burning and by 1/2 way through I can feel the spasms coming on. While my doctor told me to gradually increase my time and distance and we should see positive results it seriously seems like we are going in reverse. Where I used to be able to go several blocks or a lap around the inside of the mall with little or no pain that is no longer the case.
Tonight we are anxiously awaiting the start time of The Shield as the new season begins this evening. Of course they are airing it at exactly the same time as our other favorite show, Law & Order S.V.U.. Thanks to my lovely wife and her birthday present to me last year, a TiVo, we can watch one while we record the other. It will also let me record the shows for those nights where my wife has to work late. Last year she ended up missing a lot of the season due to work hours and for "The Shield" if you miss one episode you fall behind as they are sequential. I know some people think the show is junk and not a "real version" of what really happens in most police departments but that is not why we watch. It really has a great story line and just like most of the stuff on the idiot box as long as you remember it is not real you can enjoy the show. That and it gives me something to look forward to for the middle of the week when nothing else is happening.
1/07/2006
A relaxing Saturday...
I have not been sleeping very well the past few nights due to the pain. I am not sure why the meds have not been working as well as they should but come Monday that should all be taken care of.
It's hard to describe the pain but if you can imagine sleeping on a hard floor or something like that for a few days straight you should be close to understanding. That feeling you get from the hard floor constantly grinding directly on a bone is about as close as I can think of to explain it, that's it right over my hips and around through the small of my back.
I spent most of the day relaxing in my recliner trying to find a way to get comfortable and watching the idiot box with my son. Not much on today but it was nice to just sit and talk with my son. We just chatted about in general topics, how his vacation went and what's on his mind.
For a 12 year old he is very articulate as well we like to let him know that he can talk to us about anything, anytime. While you can tell them that until you are blue in the face the only real way to show them you mean it is to let them talk. While conversations tend to be more general happenings then anything else right now when the time comes for him to really need us he will know that we are there for him.
Monday is my wife's day off so I thought we would all play some of the games that were received as Christmas presents. My youngest got Candyland® which we still need to play with him, our oldest got Scene It, the Disney/Pixar version, and then we also got (from one of my readers no less!) Spy Alley which we have all been wanting to sit down and play.
Having everyone home again is nice and since Monday will be our first day in about a month where we will all be around I am looking forward to sitting down and doing something as a family. I think the boys especially will enjoy it, so I thought we would stop by the grocery store and buy some ice cream and then the sundae toppings and let the boys make their own. I know we always got a kick out of that, ok I still do. LOL!
Here is to a night of sleep that is pain free!
It's hard to describe the pain but if you can imagine sleeping on a hard floor or something like that for a few days straight you should be close to understanding. That feeling you get from the hard floor constantly grinding directly on a bone is about as close as I can think of to explain it, that's it right over my hips and around through the small of my back.
I spent most of the day relaxing in my recliner trying to find a way to get comfortable and watching the idiot box with my son. Not much on today but it was nice to just sit and talk with my son. We just chatted about in general topics, how his vacation went and what's on his mind.
For a 12 year old he is very articulate as well we like to let him know that he can talk to us about anything, anytime. While you can tell them that until you are blue in the face the only real way to show them you mean it is to let them talk. While conversations tend to be more general happenings then anything else right now when the time comes for him to really need us he will know that we are there for him.
Monday is my wife's day off so I thought we would all play some of the games that were received as Christmas presents. My youngest got Candyland® which we still need to play with him, our oldest got Scene It, the Disney/Pixar version, and then we also got (from one of my readers no less!) Spy Alley which we have all been wanting to sit down and play.
Having everyone home again is nice and since Monday will be our first day in about a month where we will all be around I am looking forward to sitting down and doing something as a family. I think the boys especially will enjoy it, so I thought we would stop by the grocery store and buy some ice cream and then the sundae toppings and let the boys make their own. I know we always got a kick out of that, ok I still do. LOL!
Here is to a night of sleep that is pain free!
1/06/2006
I have been having some problems with my right leg and foot which has really been bothering me. For the longest time the only real pain and numbness was down the left so to have new pain is scary in the way that it means the scar tissue is most likely (there could be another cause) still growing and causing problems.
The pain has been somewhat intense, burning more then anything else and the pain meds hardly touch it at all. The good news is that the pain, while intense, is not constant which means if it is from nerve damage then the nerve is not completely ruined. It comes mostly when I have been lying down for more then about an hour which means bedtime is loads of fun.
The good news is that I am almost complete with the first part of the study and when I see the doc on Monday I should be starting the second part which is the year long section. That means no more having to carry that annoying thing that beeps at me every 15 minutes which I am SO looking forward to. It is a Palm Pilot that instead of keeping a diary you answer questions about the meds and your pain on the Palm and at night it plugs into the base which is also a modem. From there they just download directly to the study computers where ever they are located.
Enough about the back and study for now...
My oldest is home from his Christmas vacation and just as it began with my ex-wife ad problems, it ended the same way. After her lying about having his outbound ticket as an unaccompanied minor and not having a return ticket for him (she did break down and buy one) she got to the airport late and he missed his flight. So instead of being home by 10am his flight did not leave until almost 1pm cutting it very close to my wife not being able to pick him up and then being able to make it to work. Of course this was the final straw in my ever allowing her again to make travel arrangements. From now on it will all be done by car and she will just have to suck it up.
I am just glad to have a host again so that I can continue to blather on. The nice thing about this host is that I have the added functionality of PHP and Perl as well as ASP, although I did lose the .NET framework. That means I am going to need to spend some more money on books now that I have to learn a new scripting language to play with. I also have MySQL for the database instead of SQL Server but as long as I have a DB I am happy.
Until tomorrow!
The pain has been somewhat intense, burning more then anything else and the pain meds hardly touch it at all. The good news is that the pain, while intense, is not constant which means if it is from nerve damage then the nerve is not completely ruined. It comes mostly when I have been lying down for more then about an hour which means bedtime is loads of fun.
The good news is that I am almost complete with the first part of the study and when I see the doc on Monday I should be starting the second part which is the year long section. That means no more having to carry that annoying thing that beeps at me every 15 minutes which I am SO looking forward to. It is a Palm Pilot that instead of keeping a diary you answer questions about the meds and your pain on the Palm and at night it plugs into the base which is also a modem. From there they just download directly to the study computers where ever they are located.
Enough about the back and study for now...
My oldest is home from his Christmas vacation and just as it began with my ex-wife ad problems, it ended the same way. After her lying about having his outbound ticket as an unaccompanied minor and not having a return ticket for him (she did break down and buy one) she got to the airport late and he missed his flight. So instead of being home by 10am his flight did not leave until almost 1pm cutting it very close to my wife not being able to pick him up and then being able to make it to work. Of course this was the final straw in my ever allowing her again to make travel arrangements. From now on it will all be done by car and she will just have to suck it up.
I am just glad to have a host again so that I can continue to blather on. The nice thing about this host is that I have the added functionality of PHP and Perl as well as ASP, although I did lose the .NET framework. That means I am going to need to spend some more money on books now that I have to learn a new scripting language to play with. I also have MySQL for the database instead of SQL Server but as long as I have a DB I am happy.
Until tomorrow!
Web hosts that suck!
Well it has been a long week and I am glad it is finally over.
It started off with my former web hosting company screwing me over. After a year and the some of being a customer of theirs as well as steering several companies and friends to them for business they showed their appreciation by trying to double bill me for services.
Now normally this would be something you could easily fix, you know show them a bank draft or a credit card slip showing the charge. This company though refused to listen to anything I told them and then when I tried to call the person who I had been emailing about the problem I was told that they only handled email and I would have to speak to someone else. It took me about 3 days to get someone who knew what I was talking about and could help me of course that was when I found out that the domain names I had asked them to cancel and had done the proper process and paperwork to do so, had not been cancelled and they were trying to bill me for them. All in all they tried to bilk me out of about $200 between the services and domains.
When I told them I was not going to pay for something that I already had or something I had properly cancelled they shut down my server, which is why I had to move and get a new domain.
Now the good thing is that the domains that I had renewed or were not up for renewal are rightfully mine and I should be able to push them to my new host but I suspect that my old company is going to give me some problems doing that or will try to charge me and arm and a leg to do so.
The funny thing is that I went with this host even after reading on several web hosting forums about the problems they had given others. Interestingly enough I went back to read those comments and with only a few exceptions they were all very similar issues. I was more interested in the amount of services the company provided for the money they were charging. This is a prominent company and they advertise in a lot of computer and web oriented magazines so you if you read those types of mags, you will know who I am talking about and if you are not using them I will say that what appears to be a good deal is in the end not.
In the end I am not bitter as it is their loss. I would have been perfectly happy to remain their customer but now I will be happy to give another company my money.
It started off with my former web hosting company screwing me over. After a year and the some of being a customer of theirs as well as steering several companies and friends to them for business they showed their appreciation by trying to double bill me for services.
Now normally this would be something you could easily fix, you know show them a bank draft or a credit card slip showing the charge. This company though refused to listen to anything I told them and then when I tried to call the person who I had been emailing about the problem I was told that they only handled email and I would have to speak to someone else. It took me about 3 days to get someone who knew what I was talking about and could help me of course that was when I found out that the domain names I had asked them to cancel and had done the proper process and paperwork to do so, had not been cancelled and they were trying to bill me for them. All in all they tried to bilk me out of about $200 between the services and domains.
When I told them I was not going to pay for something that I already had or something I had properly cancelled they shut down my server, which is why I had to move and get a new domain.
Now the good thing is that the domains that I had renewed or were not up for renewal are rightfully mine and I should be able to push them to my new host but I suspect that my old company is going to give me some problems doing that or will try to charge me and arm and a leg to do so.
The funny thing is that I went with this host even after reading on several web hosting forums about the problems they had given others. Interestingly enough I went back to read those comments and with only a few exceptions they were all very similar issues. I was more interested in the amount of services the company provided for the money they were charging. This is a prominent company and they advertise in a lot of computer and web oriented magazines so you if you read those types of mags, you will know who I am talking about and if you are not using them I will say that what appears to be a good deal is in the end not.
In the end I am not bitter as it is their loss. I would have been perfectly happy to remain their customer but now I will be happy to give another company my money.
1/05/2006
Back Online
Sorry for the downtime! This is the new URL and while I am happy to be back up and running, I am not at all happy about losing the .info domain as I had a great Google page rank for it. Hopefully my former hosting company will pull their heads out of their 4th point of contact and I will get it back. I can then set it up as a mirror and keep both URL's.
I also want to thank those of you who called me to check on me. Sorry for not contacting you sooner to let you all know what was going on. When the domains went down so did the mail servers and all my mail with it. Thankfully though I had a backup on my laptop and was able to pull the emails out and recover all your email addresses.
If you notice any missing or inoperable URL's please let me know. I tried to fix most of them but I may have missed a few.
Anyway, I am glad to be back online and I have a TON of catching up to do.
I also want to thank those of you who called me to check on me. Sorry for not contacting you sooner to let you all know what was going on. When the domains went down so did the mail servers and all my mail with it. Thankfully though I had a backup on my laptop and was able to pull the emails out and recover all your email addresses.
If you notice any missing or inoperable URL's please let me know. I tried to fix most of them but I may have missed a few.
Anyway, I am glad to be back online and I have a TON of catching up to do.
1/01/2006
Violating the rules!
One of the things I got for Christmas that I have been really enjoying is some teas from my sister and brother in law. While we had all agreed to not exchange gifts among ourselves and too just buy for the kids, I am glad my sister decided to buy them anyway and I have to say that I am glad she did.
Not because I am greedy and want people to buy things for me, in fact if she spent more then $10-15 on mine I would be surprised. She bought me 2 tins of tea, both of them from The Republic of Tea and surprisingly very good.
What took me by surprise was that while they are tea, they are not the traditional tea that I would drink. I am not into the tea's with herbs and spices, or so I thought and I certainly would not have bought one on my own. I prefer tea like my Oolong or Scottish Breakfast and an occasional Earl Grey which is as close as I had ever come to tea infused with herbs and spices.
The first one my sister bought me is their Red Chai which knocked me off my feet. I have never had a tea like this before and it quickly became my favorite tea. The combination of spices (they are listed under "Tasting Notes" on the Republic of Tea website) are phenomenal and the balance is amazing. You can pick out hints of each one without it overwhelming the flavor profile.
The other one is their Desert Sage which is quite mellow but a bit more fragrant then you would expect. Having been stationed at Fort Irwin for 6 years the profile, both flavor and aroma, brings back a million memories but thankfully the makers have left out the creosote bushes that abound the high deserts of the U.S.
Both the teas also have a really relaxing effect which after doing some reading is from the Rooibois that they contain.
I would never have ventured off and bought these on my own so I am glad that my sister bought them for me. Apparently what happened is my mom told my sister about all the tea I have been drinking after having to cut WAY back on the coffee and I am glad she did. I have had the teas for about a week and I am already half through the 50 bags that came in the Chai container. Of course now when we go the mall I am going to have to switch from my normal cup of tea to their Chai to see if it is even close. If you have the chance I would really suggest the Red Chai from Republic of Tea.
Not because I am greedy and want people to buy things for me, in fact if she spent more then $10-15 on mine I would be surprised. She bought me 2 tins of tea, both of them from The Republic of Tea and surprisingly very good.
What took me by surprise was that while they are tea, they are not the traditional tea that I would drink. I am not into the tea's with herbs and spices, or so I thought and I certainly would not have bought one on my own. I prefer tea like my Oolong or Scottish Breakfast and an occasional Earl Grey which is as close as I had ever come to tea infused with herbs and spices.
The first one my sister bought me is their Red Chai which knocked me off my feet. I have never had a tea like this before and it quickly became my favorite tea. The combination of spices (they are listed under "Tasting Notes" on the Republic of Tea website) are phenomenal and the balance is amazing. You can pick out hints of each one without it overwhelming the flavor profile.
The other one is their Desert Sage which is quite mellow but a bit more fragrant then you would expect. Having been stationed at Fort Irwin for 6 years the profile, both flavor and aroma, brings back a million memories but thankfully the makers have left out the creosote bushes that abound the high deserts of the U.S.
Both the teas also have a really relaxing effect which after doing some reading is from the Rooibois that they contain.
I would never have ventured off and bought these on my own so I am glad that my sister bought them for me. Apparently what happened is my mom told my sister about all the tea I have been drinking after having to cut WAY back on the coffee and I am glad she did. I have had the teas for about a week and I am already half through the 50 bags that came in the Chai container. Of course now when we go the mall I am going to have to switch from my normal cup of tea to their Chai to see if it is even close. If you have the chance I would really suggest the Red Chai from Republic of Tea.
The start of the New Year...
A carefree evening last night. I spent it sitting in my recliner with Colm climbing all over me, he is feeling better apparently as am I. Since my wife had to work we just curled up in the chair and watched some movies.
I have been taking part in a new drug study, or perhaps I should say a study of a new way to deliver an old medication. Since I am not too sure about disclosure during the trial I won't say what the medication is other then it is for my pain and it is strong. The medication works like a charm so far and I have no complaints (rare!) other then I have to carry a Palm Pilot thing with me to record when I take the meds, the dose and how it affects my pain levels. Carrying the thing is not so bad really it is that it BEEPS at you at certain intervals once you have taken the medication and then you have to answer those questions. It does this every 15 minutes or so for 2 hours and of course if you have 2-3 episodes a day then you will be spending 4-6 hours, possibly 8, listening to this hunk of junk beeping at you. It's not even a "pleasant" beep, if there is such a thing, it is like the worst alarm clock you can imagine and then some. However, it is a small price to pay to find a drug study that I can participate in as well a study where you are taking proven medications and not some experimental one. I can't imagine how some of those people participate in study after study of experimental medications. Ewww....
The back has been ok for the past few days, perhaps all those endorphins from having such a wonderful Christmas are still at work. While the numbness from my waist down now seems to be a permanent fixture we are to the point where it has been like that for long enough that I really do not even notice it anymore. The feet, especially the left foot, are the worst though. While they are part of the numbness they also tingle like they are asleep all the time. When I walk it causes some "shooting pain" to go through my leg and lower back. Walking with the cane helps alleviate some of the problem as I can put most of my weight on the cane rather then my leg/foot.
The "reflex" reactions have also returned in the past few weeks. Not sure exactly what to call them but it is mostly confined to my legs and while just sitting/lying there they will suddenly jerk like someone tapped me with the reflex mallet. More annoying then painful, although there are times when the sudden movement will cause some discomfort.
I look forward to the day where they find some way to control the pain or cure it. I would have to say the worst thing about being in pain all the time is not the pain itself but not being able to do the things you used to do. There is also the being "cooped up" part and having to depend on others to get around town. Right now that it is perhaps the worst for me and it does get to you, not having another adult around to have a conversation. It can be quite frustrating to go for an entire week and only spend a few hours having someone else to talk to or even help out around the house.
Anyway, Americas Funniest Video is on and I need some laughs right now.
I have been taking part in a new drug study, or perhaps I should say a study of a new way to deliver an old medication. Since I am not too sure about disclosure during the trial I won't say what the medication is other then it is for my pain and it is strong. The medication works like a charm so far and I have no complaints (rare!) other then I have to carry a Palm Pilot thing with me to record when I take the meds, the dose and how it affects my pain levels. Carrying the thing is not so bad really it is that it BEEPS at you at certain intervals once you have taken the medication and then you have to answer those questions. It does this every 15 minutes or so for 2 hours and of course if you have 2-3 episodes a day then you will be spending 4-6 hours, possibly 8, listening to this hunk of junk beeping at you. It's not even a "pleasant" beep, if there is such a thing, it is like the worst alarm clock you can imagine and then some. However, it is a small price to pay to find a drug study that I can participate in as well a study where you are taking proven medications and not some experimental one. I can't imagine how some of those people participate in study after study of experimental medications. Ewww....
The back has been ok for the past few days, perhaps all those endorphins from having such a wonderful Christmas are still at work. While the numbness from my waist down now seems to be a permanent fixture we are to the point where it has been like that for long enough that I really do not even notice it anymore. The feet, especially the left foot, are the worst though. While they are part of the numbness they also tingle like they are asleep all the time. When I walk it causes some "shooting pain" to go through my leg and lower back. Walking with the cane helps alleviate some of the problem as I can put most of my weight on the cane rather then my leg/foot.
The "reflex" reactions have also returned in the past few weeks. Not sure exactly what to call them but it is mostly confined to my legs and while just sitting/lying there they will suddenly jerk like someone tapped me with the reflex mallet. More annoying then painful, although there are times when the sudden movement will cause some discomfort.
I look forward to the day where they find some way to control the pain or cure it. I would have to say the worst thing about being in pain all the time is not the pain itself but not being able to do the things you used to do. There is also the being "cooped up" part and having to depend on others to get around town. Right now that it is perhaps the worst for me and it does get to you, not having another adult around to have a conversation. It can be quite frustrating to go for an entire week and only spend a few hours having someone else to talk to or even help out around the house.
Anyway, Americas Funniest Video is on and I need some laughs right now.
12/31/2005
Six Years
Today is my wife's and my anniversary.
Hard to believe it has been 6 years already as it only seems like 5 minutes, under water....
Hard to believe it has been 6 years already as it only seems like 5 minutes, under water....
12/29/2005
Sick!
Well last night Colm starting vomiting out of the blue and has very bad diarrhea so he spent today trying to get him to eat toast and drink pedialyte. He seems to be doing better but he fell asleep for the evening at 6pm so it is going to be an early morning.
Now I am feeling whatever he had and am myself running 102 right now. Thankfully he was only running a slight fever last night and was mostly normal today in that respect. I hate it when my poor guy is sick. It is so rare, this is only the 2nd time I can think of where it came out of the blue and of course he did not vomit until after he drank the fruit punch. Red puke on light blue carpet is always fun. Thankfully we have a steam cleaner.
I am going to hit the hay as I have taken my sleeping pill but not before text messaging Deb to bring me home something to eat. Sadly the kitchen at work is closed because I was looking forward to some pasta with meatballs or perhaps their Gorgonzola sauce I had the other day. Yum!
I will be back in the morning.
Now I am feeling whatever he had and am myself running 102 right now. Thankfully he was only running a slight fever last night and was mostly normal today in that respect. I hate it when my poor guy is sick. It is so rare, this is only the 2nd time I can think of where it came out of the blue and of course he did not vomit until after he drank the fruit punch. Red puke on light blue carpet is always fun. Thankfully we have a steam cleaner.
I am going to hit the hay as I have taken my sleeping pill but not before text messaging Deb to bring me home something to eat. Sadly the kitchen at work is closed because I was looking forward to some pasta with meatballs or perhaps their Gorgonzola sauce I had the other day. Yum!
I will be back in the morning.
How can one person cause so much misery?
My ex-wife is at it again! She made all the arrangements for my sons travel for the holiday season. She told me (thankfully I save all my emails!) that our half of his travel would be $140 and that she would be sending him home on the 2nd.
Well this morning I get an email from her asking me if I sent the $140 with my son, which I honestly did forget to put in his bag. Not a big deal as they just got back home and my plan was to mail the money order to her. However in her email she goes on to say that she still needs to buy his return ticket home. WHAT THE HELL? He is supposed to be home in less then 1 week and I was told she already bought the ticket, that was one of the requirements for me to let him fly. Now she is saying that if I want, keep the $140 and buy his return ticket home.
I am so pissed off right now that I don't even want to talk to her. I forwarded her copies of the emails she sent me on Dec 6th & 7th telling me my half for his tickets would be the $140 and that it included the fees for him traveling by himself on the way home. Of course we all know how she is with the fees for a minor traveling by themselves.
What the frick is wrong with this woman? Why does she feel the constant need to lie to me like this? I hope she realizes that she has seriously jeopardized all future visits with her son. I will be double and triple checking any arrangements she makes and still questioning them as we go along.
Now I need to figure out how to get my son home as there is no way we can afford the plane ticket.
Well this morning I get an email from her asking me if I sent the $140 with my son, which I honestly did forget to put in his bag. Not a big deal as they just got back home and my plan was to mail the money order to her. However in her email she goes on to say that she still needs to buy his return ticket home. WHAT THE HELL? He is supposed to be home in less then 1 week and I was told she already bought the ticket, that was one of the requirements for me to let him fly. Now she is saying that if I want, keep the $140 and buy his return ticket home.
I am so pissed off right now that I don't even want to talk to her. I forwarded her copies of the emails she sent me on Dec 6th & 7th telling me my half for his tickets would be the $140 and that it included the fees for him traveling by himself on the way home. Of course we all know how she is with the fees for a minor traveling by themselves.
What the frick is wrong with this woman? Why does she feel the constant need to lie to me like this? I hope she realizes that she has seriously jeopardized all future visits with her son. I will be double and triple checking any arrangements she makes and still questioning them as we go along.
Now I need to figure out how to get my son home as there is no way we can afford the plane ticket.
12/28/2005
Some Christmas pictures
Here are some pictures from Christmas day.
The first one is my youngest and the look on his face was just to classic.
The next one is my wife holding my youngest nephew, my brothers little boy, while we were at my folks house. She was holding him every chance she got until I reminded her that 1-we agreed that we were not having any more and 2- even if we wanted another one my condition prevents that from happening.
This one is my wife, still holding my nephew, sitting by my dad and opening her present from our sons. This was the Arbonne package that she had been wanting.
And just one more for this iteration, my youngest son, my brother and his little girl. My brother and his daughter (who is VERY much daddy's little girl) were lying down watching "Polar Express" when my youngest decided to join them. Pretty soon they were all dozing off in the middle of the floor.
The first one is my youngest and the look on his face was just to classic.
The next one is my wife holding my youngest nephew, my brothers little boy, while we were at my folks house. She was holding him every chance she got until I reminded her that 1-we agreed that we were not having any more and 2- even if we wanted another one my condition prevents that from happening.
This one is my wife, still holding my nephew, sitting by my dad and opening her present from our sons. This was the Arbonne package that she had been wanting.
And just one more for this iteration, my youngest son, my brother and his little girl. My brother and his daughter (who is VERY much daddy's little girl) were lying down watching "Polar Express" when my youngest decided to join them. Pretty soon they were all dozing off in the middle of the floor.
12/27/2005
Christmas Day
So Christmas was a great day. I spent the morning with my family at home watching Colm unwrap his gifts from Santa. We were worried at first that he would not quite understand the concept of unwrapping but after the first one he was all over it. In fact we had to stop him as after he finished with his presents as he went on to try and unwrap the gifts we had for my niece and nephews.
Santa was kind to him, bringing Candyland®, Memory® for kids, crayons, markers, slippers, PJ's and some Play-Do® sets, which he just loves to play with his big brother. At my parents house is where he got some of the best toys a 3 year old can hope for. There Santa left him Tinker Toys® which I have been playing with for the last few days, a handmade wooden dump truck which is really cool, some more PJ's and a huge dinosaur set where you set up the village and then the dinosaur comes rumbling through destroying it. I thought it was funny that he got that as we bought my niece the second piece to the set without knowing what they would be getting at my folks house.
As for me, my plan for my wife's present went well, but I ended up being the one surprised. What I had bought her was some pieces from Arbonne. My sister is an Arbonne director and they had a kit with all the essential pieces on sale for $165. Now I knew that was more then my wife would spend on me, so I told her that I had only spent about $30, "the lie", and figured I would deal with the consequences later on. I knew she really wanted these things and would not buy them on her own, so we did.
The deal was that I would pay my sister a $20 week until I paid here her off but apparently before I was able to start paying her, my mother found out what was going on and paid my sister the whole amount as part of my Christmas present. So I guess the surprise was on me.
I got a kick ass pair of pajamas from my folks but the center piece was a giant butcher block for my kitchen. This thing is a good 3'X3' and 3" thick easily and came on a rolling platform with some shelves and a pull out basket. This is the butcher block that makes other butcher blocks jealous.
Anyway, it was a great day. It was really nice to spend a relaxing day with my family and not have to feel like we were all in competition with each other over who got/gave the biggest present.
Santa was kind to him, bringing Candyland®, Memory® for kids, crayons, markers, slippers, PJ's and some Play-Do® sets, which he just loves to play with his big brother. At my parents house is where he got some of the best toys a 3 year old can hope for. There Santa left him Tinker Toys® which I have been playing with for the last few days, a handmade wooden dump truck which is really cool, some more PJ's and a huge dinosaur set where you set up the village and then the dinosaur comes rumbling through destroying it. I thought it was funny that he got that as we bought my niece the second piece to the set without knowing what they would be getting at my folks house.
As for me, my plan for my wife's present went well, but I ended up being the one surprised. What I had bought her was some pieces from Arbonne. My sister is an Arbonne director and they had a kit with all the essential pieces on sale for $165. Now I knew that was more then my wife would spend on me, so I told her that I had only spent about $30, "the lie", and figured I would deal with the consequences later on. I knew she really wanted these things and would not buy them on her own, so we did.
The deal was that I would pay my sister a $20 week until I paid here her off but apparently before I was able to start paying her, my mother found out what was going on and paid my sister the whole amount as part of my Christmas present. So I guess the surprise was on me.
I got a kick ass pair of pajamas from my folks but the center piece was a giant butcher block for my kitchen. This thing is a good 3'X3' and 3" thick easily and came on a rolling platform with some shelves and a pull out basket. This is the butcher block that makes other butcher blocks jealous.
Anyway, it was a great day. It was really nice to spend a relaxing day with my family and not have to feel like we were all in competition with each other over who got/gave the biggest present.
12/24/2005
Christmas
When I was a kid tonight was as I imagine it was and is for all kids, a tough night to get to sleep. The curiousity of what Santa might bring was far to much to allow you to just fall right into slumber. In 35 years nothing has really changed. I know that Santa does not bring me presents anymore, my wife told me last year, but the ancticipation of my whole family being together for the day, no one having to rush off to give the kids a nap, or run out to work the night shift and so on. A day for everyone to relax at my parents house and just catch up on the year.
My wife, who I truly believe is my angel, worked some long hard hours the last few days to have some extra money to do the Christmas shopping for the boys. I know she must be quite tired from those long days and while I did not have much to give her I did the best that I could. Tonight I made sure that our youngest was asleep by the time she got home. I know she missed the time with him but she wants to wrap his presents tonight as well she needs to still eat her dinner and relax from the last few days. I thought it would be nice to have him in bed and let her just have free run of the house, no kids tearing through the place, free run of the remote for the TV and some quiet time to herself to unwind from a busy week at work.
I am not sure what she had the boys get for me but I kind of had to lie to her about what the boys bought for her. I can't go into much detail here because she might read this after I am asleep but it took some doing and planning between my mother, myself and my sister to pull it off. So that things would not look suspicious I had to have them pick it up for me and pay for it up front and they will have it for her tomorrow when we get to my parents house. Needless to say this is something she VERY MUCH has been wanting and something she really deserves. For everything she has done for us through the years it was one of the few things that I could think of that might express how grateful we are to her. Tomorrow I will explain what it is and why I had to lie, just know that it was not a "bad" lie.
I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas as well let us not forget that tomorrow also begins Chanukah, so a Happy Chanukah as well.
My wife, who I truly believe is my angel, worked some long hard hours the last few days to have some extra money to do the Christmas shopping for the boys. I know she must be quite tired from those long days and while I did not have much to give her I did the best that I could. Tonight I made sure that our youngest was asleep by the time she got home. I know she missed the time with him but she wants to wrap his presents tonight as well she needs to still eat her dinner and relax from the last few days. I thought it would be nice to have him in bed and let her just have free run of the house, no kids tearing through the place, free run of the remote for the TV and some quiet time to herself to unwind from a busy week at work.
I am not sure what she had the boys get for me but I kind of had to lie to her about what the boys bought for her. I can't go into much detail here because she might read this after I am asleep but it took some doing and planning between my mother, myself and my sister to pull it off. So that things would not look suspicious I had to have them pick it up for me and pay for it up front and they will have it for her tomorrow when we get to my parents house. Needless to say this is something she VERY MUCH has been wanting and something she really deserves. For everything she has done for us through the years it was one of the few things that I could think of that might express how grateful we are to her. Tomorrow I will explain what it is and why I had to lie, just know that it was not a "bad" lie.
I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas as well let us not forget that tomorrow also begins Chanukah, so a Happy Chanukah as well.
12/21/2005
The ex-wife, part XLCVIII
So we discussed this at length (my wife and I) and we agreed that our son could fly to see his mother for Christmas provided what ever flight he would be on was straight through, no layovers, no stopping or anything like that and that the ticket was for an unaccompanied minor. Paying that extra fee would allow the aircrew to help him as need be and someone would be keeping an eye on him through the flight and then when they landed they would escort him to meet who was picking him up. My ex-wife handled making all the reservations and then I would just send my 1/2 of the cost with our son. When I last spoke with her about it she said she understood and agreed and would take care of it all.
One thing that would be happening is that over Christmas she and her family would be flying from their home to California to spend Christmas with her mother. What she thought would be better is if our son flew straight out to his grandparents house and had a few days with them before she showed up, which I have no problem with at all. In fact I have been trying to get her mother (her dad passed away before we met) to have more time with Edward and have told her several times that she is more then welcome to ask if he can come out and visit during some of his school breaks. I figure my parents get plenty of time with him, she should have the same opportunities.
So far so good right? Not quite.
My ex-wife sends me an email letting me know that she has purchased the ticket for him to fly out to California which is great. She was able to get a good price on the ticket and even better she told me that the airline does not charge a fee for unaccompanied minors, which is even better as that is usually $50 or so and it has to be paid by me when I drop him off. You cannot include it in the ticket price but I have no problem whatsoever paying it as it for my child's safety.
You would think something should have sent a warning off in my head when she told me there was no fee, but I have been trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. So yesterday when my wife took our son to the airport to fly I figured all was well and then I got the call from my wife. Apparently the reason there is no fee is because this airline does not consider kids 12 and older as unaccompanied minors. That's right, my ex-wife knew this and instead of telling me the truth or finding an airline that would allow us to pay the fee she lied to me. She understood quite well that if I knew the truth, that they would not watch him, I would have told her find a different flight. So, forsaking out sons safety she just flat out lied to us about it and that PISSED ME OFF.
What's the big deal you ask? Well on the plane itself there really is not one, after all his flight would not be stopping or changing planes. However, he would be flying into one of the busiest airports in the country. One where the terminals are not in the same building as baggage. Not having someone helping him would mean after leaving the plane he would have to find out where to catch a tram to the baggage terminal, then fight through the crowd of people to link up with his luggage and his grandmother. I have no idea what the hell my ex-wife was thinking, or perhaps she wasn't. No big surprise there though.
Now my wife and I sat down with my son and developed a plan long before he took off on what he was to do should he become separated (at that time we thought he would have someone from the airline helping him) or lost. In fact we sent him on the trip with my cell phone so he would be able to call us no matter what and especially if he needed some help. Before he took off my wife told him that once he landed to go to the ticket counter at the gate and request some help and should they not be able to then he was to call me right away.
Meanwhile while he was flying I called the airline and tried to find out what we could do to get him some help on the other end. Of course the people I spoke to all told me the same thing, "This airline does not provide that service and you should have thought about that before you bought your ticket." Of course not one of them seemed sympathetic to the fact that I did not buy the ticket or that he was far to young to be wandering that airport alone but then I spoke with one person who gave me some information that would help. If my former mother in law took the reservation confirmation number and her ID she would be allowed to get a security document that would allow her to get through security and meet our son at the gate. Naturally I called her to let her know, gave her the information and then felt the weight of the world fall off my shoulders.
There is no feeling in the world like being completely helpless, sending your child off on a journey like this that for him while exciting could turn quite scary in a heartbeat. I mean a busy airport and a lone pre-teen looking very out of place. That is the making of a missing child story and I cannot for one second comprehend the fact that my ex-wife would put him in that position all over a few freaking dollars. Of course I also learned that from now on there will be either no flying or I will personally verify any tickets she buys before he flies.
My son however picked up on all this and while he was sitting at the airport with my wife he actually asked, "So mom lied again?" The boy is smart, he picks up on this stuff without us having to say a word to him. Of course he still remembers the time he was visiting his mother and against my distinct wishes she flew him from her house to her mothers (unaccompanied)then LIED to me about it. She then told him to lie as well or I would get mad at him. That's right, I would get mad at him. I had asked her to not let him fly alone because he was far too young to go by himself. Instead she told me that they had driven out to see her mother and he had not flown. She got busted when she used the suitcase we had sent him with as a checked bag and then never removed the name tape they affix to the handle. When we saw it we asked him about it, not suspecting anything wrong or perhaps someone else had used it. It took all of 2 seconds for him to breakdown in tears and explain what had happened. That's right, his mother had gone ahead and done whatever she pleased (even though I have custody) and then lied to me and instructed her own son to do the same. ARRRRGH!
Anyway, enough babble on this subject. We were able to jump through some hoops get him squared away. Of course the next time my ex-wife asks if he can fly to save time and I say no she will wonder why....
One thing that would be happening is that over Christmas she and her family would be flying from their home to California to spend Christmas with her mother. What she thought would be better is if our son flew straight out to his grandparents house and had a few days with them before she showed up, which I have no problem with at all. In fact I have been trying to get her mother (her dad passed away before we met) to have more time with Edward and have told her several times that she is more then welcome to ask if he can come out and visit during some of his school breaks. I figure my parents get plenty of time with him, she should have the same opportunities.
So far so good right? Not quite.
My ex-wife sends me an email letting me know that she has purchased the ticket for him to fly out to California which is great. She was able to get a good price on the ticket and even better she told me that the airline does not charge a fee for unaccompanied minors, which is even better as that is usually $50 or so and it has to be paid by me when I drop him off. You cannot include it in the ticket price but I have no problem whatsoever paying it as it for my child's safety.
You would think something should have sent a warning off in my head when she told me there was no fee, but I have been trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. So yesterday when my wife took our son to the airport to fly I figured all was well and then I got the call from my wife. Apparently the reason there is no fee is because this airline does not consider kids 12 and older as unaccompanied minors. That's right, my ex-wife knew this and instead of telling me the truth or finding an airline that would allow us to pay the fee she lied to me. She understood quite well that if I knew the truth, that they would not watch him, I would have told her find a different flight. So, forsaking out sons safety she just flat out lied to us about it and that PISSED ME OFF.
What's the big deal you ask? Well on the plane itself there really is not one, after all his flight would not be stopping or changing planes. However, he would be flying into one of the busiest airports in the country. One where the terminals are not in the same building as baggage. Not having someone helping him would mean after leaving the plane he would have to find out where to catch a tram to the baggage terminal, then fight through the crowd of people to link up with his luggage and his grandmother. I have no idea what the hell my ex-wife was thinking, or perhaps she wasn't. No big surprise there though.
Now my wife and I sat down with my son and developed a plan long before he took off on what he was to do should he become separated (at that time we thought he would have someone from the airline helping him) or lost. In fact we sent him on the trip with my cell phone so he would be able to call us no matter what and especially if he needed some help. Before he took off my wife told him that once he landed to go to the ticket counter at the gate and request some help and should they not be able to then he was to call me right away.
Meanwhile while he was flying I called the airline and tried to find out what we could do to get him some help on the other end. Of course the people I spoke to all told me the same thing, "This airline does not provide that service and you should have thought about that before you bought your ticket." Of course not one of them seemed sympathetic to the fact that I did not buy the ticket or that he was far to young to be wandering that airport alone but then I spoke with one person who gave me some information that would help. If my former mother in law took the reservation confirmation number and her ID she would be allowed to get a security document that would allow her to get through security and meet our son at the gate. Naturally I called her to let her know, gave her the information and then felt the weight of the world fall off my shoulders.
There is no feeling in the world like being completely helpless, sending your child off on a journey like this that for him while exciting could turn quite scary in a heartbeat. I mean a busy airport and a lone pre-teen looking very out of place. That is the making of a missing child story and I cannot for one second comprehend the fact that my ex-wife would put him in that position all over a few freaking dollars. Of course I also learned that from now on there will be either no flying or I will personally verify any tickets she buys before he flies.
My son however picked up on all this and while he was sitting at the airport with my wife he actually asked, "So mom lied again?" The boy is smart, he picks up on this stuff without us having to say a word to him. Of course he still remembers the time he was visiting his mother and against my distinct wishes she flew him from her house to her mothers (unaccompanied)then LIED to me about it. She then told him to lie as well or I would get mad at him. That's right, I would get mad at him. I had asked her to not let him fly alone because he was far too young to go by himself. Instead she told me that they had driven out to see her mother and he had not flown. She got busted when she used the suitcase we had sent him with as a checked bag and then never removed the name tape they affix to the handle. When we saw it we asked him about it, not suspecting anything wrong or perhaps someone else had used it. It took all of 2 seconds for him to breakdown in tears and explain what had happened. That's right, his mother had gone ahead and done whatever she pleased (even though I have custody) and then lied to me and instructed her own son to do the same. ARRRRGH!
Anyway, enough babble on this subject. We were able to jump through some hoops get him squared away. Of course the next time my ex-wife asks if he can fly to save time and I say no she will wonder why....
The birthday boy!
My little guy is 3 years old today! Hard to believe that 3 years ago you came into our family, brightened our day even more then we thought was possible.
Being able to have spent almost every moment so far with you, playing the stay at home dad, has been more rewarding then I could possibly have imagined. The way you smile at me when you are up to something to the way you ask me, "Daddy, did you hear me tell you I love you?", it is enough to warm my heart and make the darkest day bright.
I love you buddy and always will.
Being able to have spent almost every moment so far with you, playing the stay at home dad, has been more rewarding then I could possibly have imagined. The way you smile at me when you are up to something to the way you ask me, "Daddy, did you hear me tell you I love you?", it is enough to warm my heart and make the darkest day bright.
I love you buddy and always will.
FINALLY!
So after countless months of waiting and at least 2 false starts I finally have completed the paperwork to enroll in the pain management drug trials through my pain management doctor. Not sure what took them so long but when I went to my regular appointment this morning I saw the nurse in charge of the patients for the program and asked what was going on.
Now the last time I spoke with her about this she promised my I would be the first person they contacted, and then she took my information to do so. However when I spoke with her this morning I made it in by the skin of my teeth. Apparently they had 1 opening left and I am it. Of course I did mention that she and the doctor had both promised to contact me MUCH sooner!
The intake was fairly painless, including the drawing of blood. I have no problem with needles but you never know how the person using them might be and I have had a few who forget the vein they are drawing from is only so big. They end up going in, out and then into flesh which is quite painful. I also had to give a urine sample, which is the first time in my life, which includes 9 years in the military, I have had to do so and be on drugs to pass it. It was a strange feeling.
If all is going well with the blood and urine workup then they will call me and we will go from there. The study lasts a year and will provide me with the meds for breakthrough pain as well as some cash for each visit.
The one thing that I did get a bit bent about is that for those who have been enrolled in the program for a bit were allowed to receive some of their money in advance to help defray Christmas shopping. Had I been called on time I could have been paid as well and as you all know we could really have used that money for Christmas. Arrrrghhh....
I also get a PDA to bring home to help me keep track of the meds, doses, break through pain and all the other pieces of the study that I need to keep track of for the doctors. The big thing for me is the free pain meds, while it is not all my meds it is one that costs me the maximum co-pay.
I will let everyone know how the study goes!
Now the last time I spoke with her about this she promised my I would be the first person they contacted, and then she took my information to do so. However when I spoke with her this morning I made it in by the skin of my teeth. Apparently they had 1 opening left and I am it. Of course I did mention that she and the doctor had both promised to contact me MUCH sooner!
The intake was fairly painless, including the drawing of blood. I have no problem with needles but you never know how the person using them might be and I have had a few who forget the vein they are drawing from is only so big. They end up going in, out and then into flesh which is quite painful. I also had to give a urine sample, which is the first time in my life, which includes 9 years in the military, I have had to do so and be on drugs to pass it. It was a strange feeling.
If all is going well with the blood and urine workup then they will call me and we will go from there. The study lasts a year and will provide me with the meds for breakthrough pain as well as some cash for each visit.
The one thing that I did get a bit bent about is that for those who have been enrolled in the program for a bit were allowed to receive some of their money in advance to help defray Christmas shopping. Had I been called on time I could have been paid as well and as you all know we could really have used that money for Christmas. Arrrrghhh....
I also get a PDA to bring home to help me keep track of the meds, doses, break through pain and all the other pieces of the study that I need to keep track of for the doctors. The big thing for me is the free pain meds, while it is not all my meds it is one that costs me the maximum co-pay.
I will let everyone know how the study goes!
12/18/2005
More snow?
I have been dealing with the freaking cold for the past few days so I have not been keen on being online. It would mean having to get out from under the blankets to type and that's not happening as long as we stay this cold!
We add to the top of the cold the snow. Last week we got 1/2 our annual snowfall in one day. This weekend we repeated that feat but thankfully most of the snow from the previous week had melted. It has been hellish on the roads though and my wife has forbidden me from leaving the house lest I slip as everything is pure ice.
Then we have to deal with the windshield. We were waiting until the weather cleared to get it replaced because it had a small crack. Of course with the freezing cold that small crack is now the entire lower half of the windshield and what would have been an easy task now means involving the insurance company. Thankfully we only have a $100 deductible on the new policy because the estimate has the repair at about $500 or so.
Now that Christmas is at my parents house my wife and I are planning on just sleeping late. Since the oldest is going to be with his mother there is no need to be up early to open gifts. The other 'nice' thing is that our youngest who will be 3 on Wednesday is not all that into gifts, yet. Not to sound cheap but with only a little bit of money for Christmas for everyone we have to plan everything. I have 2 nephews and a niece we have to buy for as well as my sons.
My parents though did call the other day and tell me I would be in a huge pile if I bought them anything. They know money is tight but how am I supposed to feel about that? Here I am at 35 feeling like I am 10 again, no money and still need to buy mom and dad something nice. Top that off with Christmas day is my fathers birthday.
Being that is the way things are right now I have come up with something else. It will let me give them something nice and not have to spend a ton of money, right now anyway. We are making a calendar for my parents, each month will have a picture of my family and then I will make sure all the important dates are noted. We will also include a day each month where we will do something for my parents, whether that be come down and make them breakfast/lunch/dinner, or take them out etc... I can make the calendar online and print it to the local Kinko's for about $20. Of course they then have a "family day" each month that we will plan. I will add some stuff like going to the zoo, maybe a family movie day or amusement park or something. I still need to figure out something for dad's birthday though.
edit: I love Bloggers dictionary. It generally has some funny assed suggestions for words it does not already have in it's memory, which by the way includes the words Blog and Blogger. You would think that a company called Blogger would include itself in the online dictionary. It also thinks my sons name is Colon and Kinko's should be Kinkajou.
We add to the top of the cold the snow. Last week we got 1/2 our annual snowfall in one day. This weekend we repeated that feat but thankfully most of the snow from the previous week had melted. It has been hellish on the roads though and my wife has forbidden me from leaving the house lest I slip as everything is pure ice.
Then we have to deal with the windshield. We were waiting until the weather cleared to get it replaced because it had a small crack. Of course with the freezing cold that small crack is now the entire lower half of the windshield and what would have been an easy task now means involving the insurance company. Thankfully we only have a $100 deductible on the new policy because the estimate has the repair at about $500 or so.
Now that Christmas is at my parents house my wife and I are planning on just sleeping late. Since the oldest is going to be with his mother there is no need to be up early to open gifts. The other 'nice' thing is that our youngest who will be 3 on Wednesday is not all that into gifts, yet. Not to sound cheap but with only a little bit of money for Christmas for everyone we have to plan everything. I have 2 nephews and a niece we have to buy for as well as my sons.
My parents though did call the other day and tell me I would be in a huge pile if I bought them anything. They know money is tight but how am I supposed to feel about that? Here I am at 35 feeling like I am 10 again, no money and still need to buy mom and dad something nice. Top that off with Christmas day is my fathers birthday.
Being that is the way things are right now I have come up with something else. It will let me give them something nice and not have to spend a ton of money, right now anyway. We are making a calendar for my parents, each month will have a picture of my family and then I will make sure all the important dates are noted. We will also include a day each month where we will do something for my parents, whether that be come down and make them breakfast/lunch/dinner, or take them out etc... I can make the calendar online and print it to the local Kinko's for about $20. Of course they then have a "family day" each month that we will plan. I will add some stuff like going to the zoo, maybe a family movie day or amusement park or something. I still need to figure out something for dad's birthday though.
edit: I love Bloggers dictionary. It generally has some funny assed suggestions for words it does not already have in it's memory, which by the way includes the words Blog and Blogger. You would think that a company called Blogger would include itself in the online dictionary. It also thinks my sons name is Colon and Kinko's should be Kinkajou.
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