Saturday, July 24, 2010
Getting away from it all.....
For the first time in over two years, we are one family unit! Wife took the weekend off, I bought a ridiculously huge family tent, and we're off to Enchanted Rock for a little "Grizwald" camping adventure. Initially the only available site(s) were of the primitive variety, which would have meant hauling a five year old, and enough gear for a less than rugged wife, and suburban family of three.... not so much. K finally got wise and checked the "car camping" and sure enough some spots have freed up. Nice... nothing like roughing it 8' away from the vehicle. It'll make set up and break down a breeze. Looking forward to some family time as a family for a change. Wish us luck!.....
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Out with the old, in with the new.....
.... well it took a ton of nudging, but K finally won. I sold my beloved A6 Avant. Yes, it had problems (3 transmissions in 3 years @ 10k each), it had been hit twice, and the paint and interior had seen better days, but I loved driving that car. Alas, the extended warranty was over in about 400 miles and a major service was due, so out with the old.... in with the new.... Welcome 2010 Honda Fit Sport. No frills, no leather, no sun roof, no gps, no home link, not even an auto trans... but it's new, and it was cheap, and it gets 30 something miles per gallon, so I suppose it's wrong to complain. It's a tiny little car, but has loads of room inside.... I have to admit I'm a little nervous driving the thing in the land of F450's. It simply doesn't have the confidence that the Audi had. The pay back will be in not having to use premium fuel, and I won't have to shell out 1k every time the dealer looks at the thing. So welcome little Fit, you have some big shoes to fill.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Clever.....
.... not so much.
So I was going to take a photo of my empty Jamba Juice cup and have now words.... I believe the art would speak to those interested.... you know who you are. But, alas, FAIL... drank the stupid thing and tossed the cup. I just keep getting more and more lame.
On an interesting note, found my 4th grade teacher on FB and friended her (is that creepie?). Mrs. O, thank you for your eternal patience, I'm a better person for having you as a teacher. I promise today, as I did when I was a child, I'll keep my journal up to date ;^)
So I was going to take a photo of my empty Jamba Juice cup and have now words.... I believe the art would speak to those interested.... you know who you are. But, alas, FAIL... drank the stupid thing and tossed the cup. I just keep getting more and more lame.
On an interesting note, found my 4th grade teacher on FB and friended her (is that creepie?). Mrs. O, thank you for your eternal patience, I'm a better person for having you as a teacher. I promise today, as I did when I was a child, I'll keep my journal up to date ;^)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
No time....
.... new job started. A week in Houston (yuck) for training. Got a home early last Friday, K & E were busy doing whatever they do on girls nights, so I broke out and got my ride on. A rather quick lap around the Madrone trail, felt good after looking at IH10 for 3 hours. Tuesday I brought the bike to work and joined the regulars for the Tuesday night ride. There were two groups, I went with the slow group. Doug led the ride and we didn't hit the same single track twice. Doug's a great ride leader, very patient. The group was slow, even by my standards, but it was nice to see some folks I haven't in a while. Nices social pace follow up by burgers and brauts.... I didn't have any as the diet is in full force. I'm almost too embarrassed to admit that I'm happy to be where I am, but I suppose you have to hit bottom before you're ready for recovery. My all time high was measured by my Dr. @ 201. I'm down to 186 by simply reducing my calories and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Trying to get some cycling in at least a couple of times a week, and will top it all off with an intensive 90 day detox program!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Tuesday Nighter & Madrone
One of the local mojo's called a Tuesday night ride @ Mac. This is going to be an on going Tuesday night ride, and the weather on Tuesday night was absolutely perfect. Mac is a relatively flat trail, strewn with rocks and roots, but mostly flowing buff single track. Not much climbing in the park, the few climbs are fun and will make you grunt if you're not in good shape (I'm in the worst physical shape of my life). I'm excited about this being a "regular" Tuesday night ride, as I haven't been terribly social over the last 19 months (how long I've been jobless)and this ride is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with some folks I haven't seen or ridden with in quite some time. The other bonus is that my new office is about 5 minutes away so I can bring the bike and gear to the office and get out there early for a little warm up. So back to our Tuesday ride... I was the first to show up, and as I pulled in to the over crowded parking lot, I was excited to find an empty spot. I started to pull into the space but had to stop short as the vehicle to my left had it's passenger front door open into the empty space. I rolled down my window after waiting for a few moments and politely requested that the driver might want to close the door. I was greeted by a 300+/- # "Native" woman who was all of 4'09" and quite the looker. After arguing with me about her "rights" the fatty finally closed her door and I parked. This was the highlight of the night, regrettably. I had a huge slice of humble pie on the trail, and realized that while I've maintained most of my technical skills, my fitness is that of a 98 year old. I have no idea what the mileage was for the night, and frankly I don't care. I was just stoked to be out and riding. Sadly no pictures were taken on the Tuesday nighter.
Friday was Kathy's last day off of work (she took a week off work to recover from her surgery). The plan was that we were going to have a "family" day, see a movie, and then go over to a friends house for dinner and games. The family movie turned into a movie with E and her friends and Kathy and her friend. I don't care for her friend, so I made the executive decision to go for a ride. I won't be able to ride at all next week as I'll be in Houston for work, but will resume the following week with the above Tuesday nighter. I managed to get a full lap in @ Madrone with a little playing around on a blowdown tree.
Before:
After:
The up and over still needs a little work, trees down here aren't as big around and therefore make build up on either side necessary.
Oh, and one last week before the "Fat Family Challenge" begins!
Friday was Kathy's last day off of work (she took a week off work to recover from her surgery). The plan was that we were going to have a "family" day, see a movie, and then go over to a friends house for dinner and games. The family movie turned into a movie with E and her friends and Kathy and her friend. I don't care for her friend, so I made the executive decision to go for a ride. I won't be able to ride at all next week as I'll be in Houston for work, but will resume the following week with the above Tuesday nighter. I managed to get a full lap in @ Madrone with a little playing around on a blowdown tree.
Before:
After:
The up and over still needs a little work, trees down here aren't as big around and therefore make build up on either side necessary.
Oh, and one last week before the "Fat Family Challenge" begins!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Madrone Ride
Ugh, yet again I've fallen off of the blogging hot streak. Nothing at all in the month of February, and only this lousy post so far...
Dr. tells my I'm fat, nothing new there, but I've gotta drop some serious #'s (like 40 of them). Genetic defects spotted also, more important than ever to get back into shape and not become a statistic... hell, I beat the big "C", dropping a few dozen lbs should be a cake walk.
I'll be doing a lot more of the below, plus an exercise program... don't laugh, K and I bought P90x to kick start a more healthy lifestyle....
Dr. tells my I'm fat, nothing new there, but I've gotta drop some serious #'s (like 40 of them). Genetic defects spotted also, more important than ever to get back into shape and not become a statistic... hell, I beat the big "C", dropping a few dozen lbs should be a cake walk.
I'll be doing a lot more of the below, plus an exercise program... don't laugh, K and I bought P90x to kick start a more healthy lifestyle....
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Another treadmill day....
... rain and family in town kept me from riding on Friday, the weekend was shot with more family obligations and kid duty, Monday was wasted again with out of town family and a kid out of school. So today, it was back to the treadmill... didn't have as good of a pace as I would have liked and was back to a 10 min/mile pace... oh well, will improve it next time.
In other news, the A6 had to go in for service today, the wife is really on my arse to get rid of it, can't say I blame her, but man I sure do love driving that car. Looks like it will mini-van time soon... ugh, might as well take what's left of my manhood. I'd almost rather ride my bike places than drive that thing, but the price is right $0.00 and worth ever penny of that.
Did I mention that I'm driving a loaner '10 A4 Avant? So nice!
In other news, the A6 had to go in for service today, the wife is really on my arse to get rid of it, can't say I blame her, but man I sure do love driving that car. Looks like it will mini-van time soon... ugh, might as well take what's left of my manhood. I'd almost rather ride my bike places than drive that thing, but the price is right $0.00 and worth ever penny of that.
Did I mention that I'm driving a loaner '10 A4 Avant? So nice!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The dreaded treadmill.....
... nothing exciting to report today. Yesterday was a misty, wet, PNW sort of day which ultimately meant no riding for me. Ended up on the Fat Bob '10 weight loss program on the treadmill... just over 2 miles but time improved significantly over last time with 9:03/mile. With more rain in the forecast it doesn't look good for a ride until at least the weekend. More treadmill on Friday and I'll have to increase the mileage while trying to find a good pace.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Gift of a day
If only we had more of them. Living in central TX has its ups and downs... for me, mostly downs (too damn hot). Of course, being the middle of winter and having a day with predicted temps in the low 70's can be a nice break. While I enjoyed my frosty cold ride the other day, it is nice to have the contrast of sunny and warm just a few days later.
As part of my Fat Bob challenge '10, I was scheduled to run on Monday and so I did. 2 miles on the treadmill with an average of 10:45/mile... pretty pathetic (I was almost 3:00/mile faster just 3-4 years ago). Treadmills are the ultimate hell, thank God for Steve Jobs and his nifty little listening gadgets, if it weren't for my ipod there's no way I could do the treadmill.
So Monday is done, and I find myself with an open Tuesday morning. The weather guessers were calling for a nice day, and they didn't disappoint. 49* when I dropped E off @ school, got home surfed a little, emptied my SD card onto a hard drive, loaded up bike and gear and headed off to the Madrone. As I pulled into the parking lot temps were in the mid 50's, looked through the gear bag and realized I didn't have a short sleeve or sleeveless jersey.... except for the Swobo. Wool didn't let me down, kept me comfortable the whole ride albeit a little warm.
Fast forward to dinner plans, Kathy had "Alice Springs Chicken" on the family menu for tonight.... while this meal doesn't exactly lend itself to healthy living, it sure does taste good. I prepare our meal, and E, my sous chef helps with the sauce... I know I'm a gushing dad, but every stage with her just keeps getting better. Anywho, I also picked up one of the wifey's favorite libations (Kahlua & cream). So while the little chef and I slave away in the kitchen, the wife can relax and play on the Internet and just have some "chill" time. After dinner, we rush outside to enjoy what's left of our glorious day and start a fire to roast Marshmallows. Perfect ending to a most excellent day.
Oh... did I mention why I'm up @ 3:15? Well, seems that while the wife was obsessed with some GD stupid kids song she had heard earlier in the day and was surfing for a sample of it, she turned the speakers on the computer upstairs to max... flash to 3:00 am when I have said computer to run a full system scan and reboot, and voila you get a nice Microsoft wake up call.... DEEEM DUUUM DUUUM DUUUM.....Grrrr. Wednesday isn't starting off quite as well as Tuesday did ;^)
As part of my Fat Bob challenge '10, I was scheduled to run on Monday and so I did. 2 miles on the treadmill with an average of 10:45/mile... pretty pathetic (I was almost 3:00/mile faster just 3-4 years ago). Treadmills are the ultimate hell, thank God for Steve Jobs and his nifty little listening gadgets, if it weren't for my ipod there's no way I could do the treadmill.
So Monday is done, and I find myself with an open Tuesday morning. The weather guessers were calling for a nice day, and they didn't disappoint. 49* when I dropped E off @ school, got home surfed a little, emptied my SD card onto a hard drive, loaded up bike and gear and headed off to the Madrone. As I pulled into the parking lot temps were in the mid 50's, looked through the gear bag and realized I didn't have a short sleeve or sleeveless jersey.... except for the Swobo. Wool didn't let me down, kept me comfortable the whole ride albeit a little warm.
Fast forward to dinner plans, Kathy had "Alice Springs Chicken" on the family menu for tonight.... while this meal doesn't exactly lend itself to healthy living, it sure does taste good. I prepare our meal, and E, my sous chef helps with the sauce... I know I'm a gushing dad, but every stage with her just keeps getting better. Anywho, I also picked up one of the wifey's favorite libations (Kahlua & cream). So while the little chef and I slave away in the kitchen, the wife can relax and play on the Internet and just have some "chill" time. After dinner, we rush outside to enjoy what's left of our glorious day and start a fire to roast Marshmallows. Perfect ending to a most excellent day.
Oh... did I mention why I'm up @ 3:15? Well, seems that while the wife was obsessed with some GD stupid kids song she had heard earlier in the day and was surfing for a sample of it, she turned the speakers on the computer upstairs to max... flash to 3:00 am when I have said computer to run a full system scan and reboot, and voila you get a nice Microsoft wake up call.... DEEEM DUUUM DUUUM DUUUM.....Grrrr. Wednesday isn't starting off quite as well as Tuesday did ;^)
Friday, January 08, 2010
Day 8 of '10.... 3rd ride
... cold morning, the dash doesn't take windchill into account... felt more like 17* Ground was frozen solid, ice on the streets, feels like winter. Tomorrow's forecast low of 15* which we don't get often here in central TX.
Yeah, I know I'm getting soft. Not only fat, but soft. My feet froze, didn't have proper footwear, will wear wool socks next go around. Good shot of my nickname. So far two rides on the EM, and I must say it's a great bike. I see the beginning of many great adventures together.
As my parting shot yesterday, you may remember this picture.
So what's the big deal you ask? Well, there's something missing from this picture... this:
I've ranted about trail sanitation in the past, especially @ this trail... please if you ride out here, don't take it upon yourself to make things easier for the rest
of us.... some of us enjoy the challenge. Instead, please call the Corps of Engineers and ask how you can volunteer for trail work.... we're going to need it this spring for sure.
In other trail news... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!
As far as I know hunting & guns are illegal on Corps land, with the exception of the special needs kids hunt.
Yeah, I know I'm getting soft. Not only fat, but soft. My feet froze, didn't have proper footwear, will wear wool socks next go around. Good shot of my nickname. So far two rides on the EM, and I must say it's a great bike. I see the beginning of many great adventures together. 
As my parting shot yesterday, you may remember this picture.
So what's the big deal you ask? Well, there's something missing from this picture... this:
I've ranted about trail sanitation in the past, especially @ this trail... please if you ride out here, don't take it upon yourself to make things easier for the rest
of us.... some of us enjoy the challenge. Instead, please call the Corps of Engineers and ask how you can volunteer for trail work.... we're going to need it this spring for sure.
In other trail news... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!
As far as I know hunting & guns are illegal on Corps land, with the exception of the special needs kids hunt.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
"SALSA"....
... for you Erin
No, it's not that kind of "Salsa", although it's just as spicy and hot....
So it came via Brown Santa on Tuesday evening, I immediately went about modifying some of the stock parts. Ditched the 9spd drive train (although I will keep the rear wheel with cassette and my XO bits for geared rides). Ditched the FSA cranks for my Race Face, Added my King SS wheelset, ditched the stock grips for Ouri's, ditched the stock brake levers for Ultimate's, ditched the stem and post for my Thomson's, and finally added my WTB Silverado saddle.
I was concerned about my shake down ride on Wed @ the Madrone trail. It was cold and misty, much like I imagine the PNW in the winter (Bliss!) the moisture and rocks could spell disaster on a steel painted bike.... oh well, throw caution to the wind and ride! The bike did great, was very lively and felt a ton better than the high dollar Ti Lynskey it replaced... I am a steel guy. There were a few times where I could have easily lost it due to piolt error, but the stiff King wheels, and responsive EM made up for my lackluster skills. I can't wait to try out different configurations on this bike. I have an On-One carbon fork for "race" day rides, a RS Reba for when I go up to Austin, a set of woodchipper bars for Thursday night social rides and gears for when I lose my mind.
I also need to post a review on my x-mas present to myself... a Swobo SS wool jersey, but that's another post
A parting shot
No, it's not that kind of "Salsa", although it's just as spicy and hot....
So it came via Brown Santa on Tuesday evening, I immediately went about modifying some of the stock parts. Ditched the 9spd drive train (although I will keep the rear wheel with cassette and my XO bits for geared rides). Ditched the FSA cranks for my Race Face, Added my King SS wheelset, ditched the stock grips for Ouri's, ditched the stock brake levers for Ultimate's, ditched the stem and post for my Thomson's, and finally added my WTB Silverado saddle.
I was concerned about my shake down ride on Wed @ the Madrone trail. It was cold and misty, much like I imagine the PNW in the winter (Bliss!) the moisture and rocks could spell disaster on a steel painted bike.... oh well, throw caution to the wind and ride! The bike did great, was very lively and felt a ton better than the high dollar Ti Lynskey it replaced... I am a steel guy. There were a few times where I could have easily lost it due to piolt error, but the stiff King wheels, and responsive EM made up for my lackluster skills. I can't wait to try out different configurations on this bike. I have an On-One carbon fork for "race" day rides, a RS Reba for when I go up to Austin, a set of woodchipper bars for Thursday night social rides and gears for when I lose my mind.
I also need to post a review on my x-mas present to myself... a Swobo SS wool jersey, but that's another post
A parting shot
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Happy 2010
So the last 6 months or so have been very lacking in the riding department. I need to change this.... and yes, I say this ever year, but as my odometer rolled over 40 I need to pay more attention to my physical condition. Rather than wait for the new year, I started a little early. On Wednesday I did a 2 mile run (on the treadmill), then yesterday Friday I did 9ish mile off road ride (our annual Madrone New Years ride). I'm going to take the weekend off to rest (legs are killing me) and will start up again Monday. The plan is to try to get out as much as possible, and if I can't get out, I'll hit the treadmill, or spin bike... oh yeah, forgot to mention the local "Y" was selling off their fleet of spin bikes for $50 each, couldn't pass up that deal... $1k spin bike for $50... yes please.
In bike news, in order to motivate myself a little more, I decided to unload the Ti Lynskey that I didn't care for all that much and pick up a steel bike. I found a great deal on a complete Salsa El Mariachi @ Universal Cycles, and had enough from the sale of the Pro29 to pick up a complete Mariachi, a set of Woodchipper bars, Bar end shifters, and Cane Creek linear pull road levers... now I have a bike I can run geared or SS, with a suspension fork or rigid, as a monster cross, or mountain bike. I'm also planning on trying to get out at least once every other month for a little bikepacking. I'm currently on the hunt for a down bag (my 10+year old synthetic still works but is way too bulky), and hammock. I'm not worried about a stove or other gear at the moment (ok, maybe a couple of compression bags) as these will be quick out and back trips locally to get the feel for bikepacking to see if I like it.
Sorry, no New Years ride pix, I was having a tough enough time keeping up with the pack as I was fixed and rigid... not to mention fat and out of shape.
In bike news, in order to motivate myself a little more, I decided to unload the Ti Lynskey that I didn't care for all that much and pick up a steel bike. I found a great deal on a complete Salsa El Mariachi @ Universal Cycles, and had enough from the sale of the Pro29 to pick up a complete Mariachi, a set of Woodchipper bars, Bar end shifters, and Cane Creek linear pull road levers... now I have a bike I can run geared or SS, with a suspension fork or rigid, as a monster cross, or mountain bike. I'm also planning on trying to get out at least once every other month for a little bikepacking. I'm currently on the hunt for a down bag (my 10+year old synthetic still works but is way too bulky), and hammock. I'm not worried about a stove or other gear at the moment (ok, maybe a couple of compression bags) as these will be quick out and back trips locally to get the feel for bikepacking to see if I like it.
Sorry, no New Years ride pix, I was having a tough enough time keeping up with the pack as I was fixed and rigid... not to mention fat and out of shape.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Rain...
We finally got some rain! I've never been so excited to see the wet stuff falling from the sky. We all went outside and did a little dance. E actually put on her fancy boots and ran around nude... yep these will be the photo's we bring out in those dark teen years to knock her down a peg or two.
The rain barrel filled up quickly and began overflowing. The temperature fell. It was a beautiful thing. We had several days of rain that followed, and I was glad for it. The little riding I get to do has been on very dry dusty trails, the rain will bed things down nicely. All of this time in the sun really has made us appreciate seasons and weather so much more. It's not that we don't appreciate nice sunny warm or hot days, just that variety is the spice of life, and it's been too long that we haven't had any variety. Thank you rain gods!
The rain barrel filled up quickly and began overflowing. The temperature fell. It was a beautiful thing. We had several days of rain that followed, and I was glad for it. The little riding I get to do has been on very dry dusty trails, the rain will bed things down nicely. All of this time in the sun really has made us appreciate seasons and weather so much more. It's not that we don't appreciate nice sunny warm or hot days, just that variety is the spice of life, and it's been too long that we haven't had any variety. Thank you rain gods!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
English Composition, Anatomy, Physiology, and Chemistry...
.... so I've been stupid busy over the last week and a half or so. Started classes full time, no time to read other blogs let alone post to my own lame blog. For those that are following along:
English Composition. Can I take a moment to rant? This class exists solely to justify to those that wasted their time in this major, why English Composition is important. I've held some mid level positions in some very large corporations, and I can tell you that nothing I ever put my hands on adhered to the MLA standards. Also, has anyone noticed that the fields that once were so prominent and probably used this garbage regularly are going away? It's called evolution folks, colloquial language is the majority, MLA is a minority and shrinking ever day.
On a positive note, I love Chemistry so far, and although there is a ton to absorb, Anatomy and Physiology are excellent as well.
On the bike front, the most riding I've gotten in since school started is pulling Ella in the trailer to the pool. I'm going to have to take advantage of my small window on Tuesdays to ride off road. I'm also thinking I need to utilize some night rides around town.... sigh, such is the life of a broke, student.
English Composition. Can I take a moment to rant? This class exists solely to justify to those that wasted their time in this major, why English Composition is important. I've held some mid level positions in some very large corporations, and I can tell you that nothing I ever put my hands on adhered to the MLA standards. Also, has anyone noticed that the fields that once were so prominent and probably used this garbage regularly are going away? It's called evolution folks, colloquial language is the majority, MLA is a minority and shrinking ever day.
On a positive note, I love Chemistry so far, and although there is a ton to absorb, Anatomy and Physiology are excellent as well.
On the bike front, the most riding I've gotten in since school started is pulling Ella in the trailer to the pool. I'm going to have to take advantage of my small window on Tuesdays to ride off road. I'm also thinking I need to utilize some night rides around town.... sigh, such is the life of a broke, student.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Busy week....
So this week was Kathy's birthday. Her folks came to town from MS on Sunday, which means I spent last Sat & Sun cleaning and getting ready for them. I don't know why we go to such lengths to clean and de-clutter, when her folks arrive the house gets trashed in 0.0005 seconds. Keeping up appearances I suppose.
Monday was K's official B-day. I got her two dozen roses, and some aqua globes... yep those cheap ass infomercial things... that's what she wanted. Instead of running around and trying to make her happy all day, she & her mom went to San Antonio to do some sushi for lunch and did a little shopping. That opened up the afternoon for me to ride, and I wasn't about to let an opportunity like that slip away. I had a nice quick lap around the lake... life was good. When I returned, we all got cleaned up and headed back to San Antonio to some seafood place for dinner, thank you father-in-law for picking up the tab!
Tuesday was meet the teacher @ E's school. Her PK4 teacher is really nice, and I think E will really thrive in a scholastic environment... I swear I don't think she's my child!
On Wednesday I had an in person interview for a job that would have been perfect. Sadly I was cold, and haven't really had work on the brain, and have had too much Noggin on the brain, so I failed horribly. I suppose this is just further reinforcement that I need to just get my damn RN and be done with corporate America.
Thursday we loaded up the van and headed to Concan, TX to the Frio river. Kathy had seen an ad in some magazine that showcased this park on the Frio, and it looked wonderful. It was a hellishly long drive, and I honestly don't know if I could tolerate driving that horrible van full time... but I digress. After over 2 hours in the car the river was quite a relief. The water was a little low, but this was a good thing as Ella thinks she's an Olympic swimmer and can't stay out of the water. We had a great time and played and swam in the river for a little over three hours. Then another 2+ hours in the van home, only to shower, change and go back to E's school for a Parents orientation class... that's an hour of my life I won't get back.
Friday morning Kathy had to go back to work, and her parents headed home. My plan was to have a nice quiet day @ home, but a friend we made recently wanted to go to playnastics, so we met them there, then went looking for a new car seat for our friends new foster child, then headed to Chick-fil-a so E and 'bella could play. Got home checked email and got the reject letter from the gig on Wednesday... I knew it didn't go well.
Pretty good week with the family, gotta get focused and get this RN program done so I don't have to deal with lame interviews for job's I'm over qualified for.
Hitting Madrone early with Michael, camera phone pix until I pick up the Audi this weekend.
Monday was K's official B-day. I got her two dozen roses, and some aqua globes... yep those cheap ass infomercial things... that's what she wanted. Instead of running around and trying to make her happy all day, she & her mom went to San Antonio to do some sushi for lunch and did a little shopping. That opened up the afternoon for me to ride, and I wasn't about to let an opportunity like that slip away. I had a nice quick lap around the lake... life was good. When I returned, we all got cleaned up and headed back to San Antonio to some seafood place for dinner, thank you father-in-law for picking up the tab!
Tuesday was meet the teacher @ E's school. Her PK4 teacher is really nice, and I think E will really thrive in a scholastic environment... I swear I don't think she's my child!
On Wednesday I had an in person interview for a job that would have been perfect. Sadly I was cold, and haven't really had work on the brain, and have had too much Noggin on the brain, so I failed horribly. I suppose this is just further reinforcement that I need to just get my damn RN and be done with corporate America.
Thursday we loaded up the van and headed to Concan, TX to the Frio river. Kathy had seen an ad in some magazine that showcased this park on the Frio, and it looked wonderful. It was a hellishly long drive, and I honestly don't know if I could tolerate driving that horrible van full time... but I digress. After over 2 hours in the car the river was quite a relief. The water was a little low, but this was a good thing as Ella thinks she's an Olympic swimmer and can't stay out of the water. We had a great time and played and swam in the river for a little over three hours. Then another 2+ hours in the van home, only to shower, change and go back to E's school for a Parents orientation class... that's an hour of my life I won't get back.
Friday morning Kathy had to go back to work, and her parents headed home. My plan was to have a nice quiet day @ home, but a friend we made recently wanted to go to playnastics, so we met them there, then went looking for a new car seat for our friends new foster child, then headed to Chick-fil-a so E and 'bella could play. Got home checked email and got the reject letter from the gig on Wednesday... I knew it didn't go well.
Pretty good week with the family, gotta get focused and get this RN program done so I don't have to deal with lame interviews for job's I'm over qualified for.
Hitting Madrone early with Michael, camera phone pix until I pick up the Audi this weekend.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
yeah, yeah keep yer pants on!
Ok, so I'm lame and haven't kept up lately. Not much really to report. Wife is working way too much, I'm going cray @ home with the rug rat, virtual school is much more challenging that I originally thought, can't wait for actual Nursing classes (still have a full semester before I can start).
I haven't been on the bike nearly enough, and I really can't take it much longer. On the weekends when K works late, I can't even sneak out for an early ride because if E wakes up early and K has to watch her, I'm a jerk. I try to go later in the day, but I'm a jerk for not spending time, so no matter how you slice it... I'm a jerk for wanting to ride. Thing is, riding makes me much more mellow, and a better person to be around. It is a healthy thing to do and it could be worse. I could be one of those NFL network guys that stays glued to the TV Saturday-Monday night. I could have a bunch of rowdy drinking buddies over to "watch the game". Or I could be like a lot of my friends who have a "fantasy league"... Then there are the friends I have that do this, and gamble... the way I see it, I'm much easier to deal with.... no?
Have the in-laws in town until Thurs, and am driving mom's "shag'n wagon"... I left my little point-n-shoot in the Audi, so no pix (well maybe camera phone) until next week.
I haven't been on the bike nearly enough, and I really can't take it much longer. On the weekends when K works late, I can't even sneak out for an early ride because if E wakes up early and K has to watch her, I'm a jerk. I try to go later in the day, but I'm a jerk for not spending time, so no matter how you slice it... I'm a jerk for wanting to ride. Thing is, riding makes me much more mellow, and a better person to be around. It is a healthy thing to do and it could be worse. I could be one of those NFL network guys that stays glued to the TV Saturday-Monday night. I could have a bunch of rowdy drinking buddies over to "watch the game". Or I could be like a lot of my friends who have a "fantasy league"... Then there are the friends I have that do this, and gamble... the way I see it, I'm much easier to deal with.... no?
Have the in-laws in town until Thurs, and am driving mom's "shag'n wagon"... I left my little point-n-shoot in the Audi, so no pix (well maybe camera phone) until next week.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Inflatable Wonerland...
Got a call the other day from our neighbors, they were going to take their son to the Inflatable Wonerland, and wanted us to join them. We did, and boy did E have a blast. She had been to the pool earlier that day, so this was a full on Funday!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Irresponsible parenting....
... so I'm not the best parent. I never claimed to be. I do the best I can with what I have and try to be as good an example as possible. Today, I felt like the best parent in the world. Took E to the pool in the morning, and we were about to wrap it up (after 11 the sun/heat become too much)when a mom, granny and their 3 kids come in. I waited around for a few minutes to see if there would be any chemistry between E and their little girl, who looked younger.... none. The mom, seemed pretty scatter brained, granny didn't have a clue.... typical Texans, nice as can be but not much going on between the ears. So, mom let's the middle boy hit the pool with his floatie ring thing... he's 2ish years old.... typical boy, just wants to be there yesterday. So, he hops on his floatie, but it's an around the waist style, and he's mounted it like a chair.... begins to float away. Granny is too busy looking off into space, while mom is dealing with the youngest..... ~1 year, when it happens... Jr flips forward launching the floatie and leaving him face down in the water... I look over and granny is oblivious and mom has her hands full, but not a word is said, I'm in the water, shirt, flip flops, glasses, hat. get Jr up and out, give him a couple of back pats until he cries, and walk him out to mom.... again, not a word. I'm kinda freaking out a bit inside because if I hadn't jumped it could have gone really bad... I look over @ E and thank the stars above that I'm not that clueless... at least not all of the time ;^)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Redneck Riviera
... so over the holidays I gave my friend Erin a hard time about erecting a trampoline in her back yard. While I think they're fun, they're an eye sore for the lucky neighbors all around.
Well, not to be outdone, I present to you.... "the Redneck Riviera".
What's that? Why don't we just go to the neighborhood pool? Well, you see it's been in the low 100's all week, average temp 103*.... and the "hood" pool doesn't have any shade.
Top that you little Mormon hottie!
Life is good friends
Well, not to be outdone, I present to you.... "the Redneck Riviera".
What's that? Why don't we just go to the neighborhood pool? Well, you see it's been in the low 100's all week, average temp 103*.... and the "hood" pool doesn't have any shade.
Top that you little Mormon hottie!
Life is good friends
Saturday, June 13, 2009
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