HOME:
That's easy. A divorced father has no home life. Love me my Grand Marquis. Love me my Smirnoff. Love me my TV. Sorted.
WORK:
Getting ready to roll-out Provider Profile. Also still working on a few other projects. Not really gonna go into more detail, cause I don't wanna be dooced.
GIRLS:
Apparently E threw up all over X's Saturn. Now we're even. I swear to God that's one of the reasons I traded mine. V has a sore throat. Sounds like another ear infection on the way. Oh, E is getting her adnoids removed later this month. That should really help her breathing and talking. I had it done and it was great -- not painful at all as I recall. V is so pretty, and turning into quite the young lady. Now that she's 10, it won't be long until I become very lame and annoying. I'm cherishing this time. E is a doll. I love cuddling and wrestling with her. She idolizes big sis (3 years seperate them).
RECENT STUFF:
Took a sicky yesterday. That last drink really did me in. Slept til 2 and ate Cousins. Watched:"The Bourne Supremacy" Alright."Dodgeball" Funny, but mostly goofy."Man On Fire" Very good!SCTV first season. Funny and nostalgic.
1) Christmas with Mom, Sis, Ben, Dillon, Naomi, and baby Abby at the Landmark in Door County. Wow! Drove from Marshfield to Green Bay and helped pack from Sis's place in below zero weather. Brrrrr! Picked Mom up in my new chariot (see below). Some snow, but just pretty. Arrived at the Landmark on Christmas Eve and checked in to a 3 bedroom condo (Sis, Ben, Dillon, Naomi, and Abby), and a 2 bedroom (Mom and me). Older, but nice resort. Sis arranged it all. Eve was great, used the hottub and steam room, joined by Naomi, Dillon and Abby. Mom bedded early as always. The rest of us stayed up and played a truly anal game, forgot the name, but just like Balderdash. OMG! It was wild. Great fun. WTF. Abby (15 mo. old) was allowed to stay up til 1pm. Just not right.
2) The Moravian Christmas mass where we surprised Aunt Linda, et al.In Sturgeon Bay where Dad's memorial was held. Nice service, got to see Aunt Linda, cousin Lisa, Ellen, Troy, et al. What a surprise for them! Candle light singing was inspirational. Saved the candle and program. Short by Catholic standards, but very nice.Christmas day got up at 9 and goofed off until noonish, went alone to hottub. Mmmmmm. After noon Mom and I went over to the big room and all of us started preparing the meal. Turkey, potatos, stuffing (two types), and all sorts of great other stuff. I peeled, cut, and helped with the potatos, Dillon mashed. The meal was special and delicious! Present opening happened during preparation and everyone got great gifts. I got a $150 gift card for the Packers Pro Shop from Mom (authentic away Favre Jersey) and other great things.
3) New (used) car.Okay, I'll admit it: total impulse decision. My tan 2002 Saturn SL2 had 49K miles on it, and frankly I'd always found it too small. Friends and I at work talked about their nice big Mercs and Lincolns. That afternoon I test drove a Merc Grand Marquis LX with 55K miles on it and fell in love. Next day, traded even-up for my Saturn (always X's car, never really mine). What a pleasure. Bought it December 23rd, just before journey to Green Bay (see above).Enough for now. New Years and ice storm tomorrow perhaps.As for today, crappy going back to work. Damn, the pay's good, the job can be okay, but I think it's time to move on. Emergency release of MonthAttendRec.exe due to unforseen year turn-over crap.
Packers won, we play the Vikings next Sunday in Lambeau in a play-off. The holidays have been fantastic.
New Year's resolution: write every day. Even went on TV to say it (channel 26 in Green Bay).Played the piano for my girls. 94 was amazed. She said it sounded like something from the movies. PC keyboard really unpredictable tonight. Hard to type. Good night.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Halloween
The weekend with the girls was fun. We carved pumpkins, went to Firefox Gardens, cat-sat for Lisa, went to Church, and random other things.
Got my NHA credentials in the mail and promptly framed them and hung them in my office at work. Now I have the freedom to look more actively. Heh heh...Finances looking pretty shaky... gotta find a better job soon, else I'll have to take a second job. Night shift at BP? Mickey D's? Telemarketer? Shudder.
90 minutes until the Packers play the Titans on MNF. Both teams 1-3 and hungry for a win. I'll either turn it off at the half or watch all the way. We really need to win this one tonight.Maybe post later -- hopefully after watching the WHOLE game!
Got my NHA credentials in the mail and promptly framed them and hung them in my office at work. Now I have the freedom to look more actively. Heh heh...Finances looking pretty shaky... gotta find a better job soon, else I'll have to take a second job. Night shift at BP? Mickey D's? Telemarketer? Shudder.
90 minutes until the Packers play the Titans on MNF. Both teams 1-3 and hungry for a win. I'll either turn it off at the half or watch all the way. We really need to win this one tonight.Maybe post later -- hopefully after watching the WHOLE game!
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Autumn
It was 30 some degrees when I headed for work today, so, I wore "The Jacket". It is a leather Packer jacket and it's awesome. I've worn leather before, but this like butter. I love it.
In my last post I failed to mention the birthday party for my cousin Ellen that sis and I went to at Irvie's old house in North Bay over July 4th. Amazing. I really feel more connected to my family since going. Got to stomp around the old property, now owned by a widower who is very gracious about "guests". Anyway, it was really special, and I hope for more such opportunities.
Work today was good, and I am truly excited about some of the projects in which I'm involved. That's what makes it hard to look. Provider reengineering, Launcher toolbar (I created the prototype in VB), Weston site setup and testing -- all very fascinating. But I can't pay the bills when two thirds of my net is going to the X and kids (not that I'd do it any different), it's simply a practical matter. Debt up past $6,000 -- gotta do something.Also regarding work, I'm feeling more at home in my new development group. I feel better acceptance from the group, and continue to find my place with new projects, etc.. If the pay matched my contributions, I'd stay.
Grrrr....Why do I have two cats? They are such a pain in the ass. I should give them back. They're much more work and trouble than I thought. Fish would be nice. Or a robot cat. Or a naked mole rat. Or a lizard. The cats stink, scratch everything, get their hair all over the place, and the boy attacks V and E, and whines continuously. But the kids would be crushed if I got rid of them. Don't get me wrong -- I love cats and dogs, but have no time for them. Wow, Mount
Saint Helens about to blow again!
Okay, my politics. I'm an independent conservative. Neither Bush nor Kerry fit my definition of a great candidate. Comparatively, Bush beats Kerry, and I'll vote for Bush, but with a sense of "if only...". Bush is nothing more than a democrat from 30 years ago with a spritz of political correctness. I am not inspired. I was inspired with Reagan. I was mildly intrigued with Bush Sr.. I was alternately disgusted and amused with Clinton. Bush Jr.'s first term? So so. Response to 9/11/01 -- great. War on terror -- good. Stance on social issue -- okay. Control of government spending -- not so much. GO PACK.
In my last post I failed to mention the birthday party for my cousin Ellen that sis and I went to at Irvie's old house in North Bay over July 4th. Amazing. I really feel more connected to my family since going. Got to stomp around the old property, now owned by a widower who is very gracious about "guests". Anyway, it was really special, and I hope for more such opportunities.
Work today was good, and I am truly excited about some of the projects in which I'm involved. That's what makes it hard to look. Provider reengineering, Launcher toolbar (I created the prototype in VB), Weston site setup and testing -- all very fascinating. But I can't pay the bills when two thirds of my net is going to the X and kids (not that I'd do it any different), it's simply a practical matter. Debt up past $6,000 -- gotta do something.Also regarding work, I'm feeling more at home in my new development group. I feel better acceptance from the group, and continue to find my place with new projects, etc.. If the pay matched my contributions, I'd stay.
Grrrr....Why do I have two cats? They are such a pain in the ass. I should give them back. They're much more work and trouble than I thought. Fish would be nice. Or a robot cat. Or a naked mole rat. Or a lizard. The cats stink, scratch everything, get their hair all over the place, and the boy attacks V and E, and whines continuously. But the kids would be crushed if I got rid of them. Don't get me wrong -- I love cats and dogs, but have no time for them. Wow, Mount
Saint Helens about to blow again!
Okay, my politics. I'm an independent conservative. Neither Bush nor Kerry fit my definition of a great candidate. Comparatively, Bush beats Kerry, and I'll vote for Bush, but with a sense of "if only...". Bush is nothing more than a democrat from 30 years ago with a spritz of political correctness. I am not inspired. I was inspired with Reagan. I was mildly intrigued with Bush Sr.. I was alternately disgusted and amused with Clinton. Bush Jr.'s first term? So so. Response to 9/11/01 -- great. War on terror -- good. Stance on social issue -- okay. Control of government spending -- not so much. GO PACK.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Catch Up
Today I had quality 94/Dad time. Went to the mall and got 94's picture taken for stickers. Really cute patriotic theme. God, she is so precious. Then we came back to the X place and I watched the second half of the Packers/Giants game. How shameful! 94 and I played airplane games, she did her hair several times, and I watched Junior win at Darlington.
97 went to a horse back riding birthday party for her friend Brianna. She had a great time. X actually went to the Packer game at Lambeau and got back around 6'ish. Right around the time that 97 got home from her party.
They're little things, but, X did two things this evening that brought home some of the reasons I left her:
1) I had told 94 to come and eat her supper. X then stormed in and told her to put her CD player away. I told X that I had just told her to come and eat. X's response to me, glaringly, was "don't contradict me, Mark." Matt and I both chimed in, saying actually she had contradicted me. Typical pre-divorce behavior.
2) X asked me what I was thinking, applying for NH admin jobs again because, in her words, "you can't do it". Nice. Her lack of faith in me has always been so demoralizing. It's oddly reassuring to get these kind of reminders from time to time.
As far as catch-up, I suppose I could go on for pages, but for now I'll just mention a few things.The girls and I went to Packers Family Night this year, and it was a blast. Also Packer releated, my sister and I went to a preseason game together. We went to Curly's first. I had a bloody mary, two yard long beers. We ordered a sampler appitizer along with our entrees. No kidding, the sampler platter was a yard wide. HUGE! Needless to say we had leftovers we never intended to eat.
Scary: Mom went through a scary bout with her pancreas, but is actually above 100 pounds now, so all looks better. I went to Sturgeon Bay with sis twice this summer to watch my cousin in law Troy race in the stock class. Ate at Culver's first both times. Lots of fun.
Very scary: 97 had some sort of stomach flu this summer and landed in the hospital over night. Frightful the thoughts that cross your mind when that happens. Luckily I saw she got the right care at the right time, and she is way fine now. Emphasis on how scary that was.
Had a spate of fitness this spring that lasted 3 months. Alas, again unable/unwilling to persist. Grrrrr...
The girls and I discovered the joy of feeding the ducks at Wildwood park. We brought birdseed (wild) in ziplock baggies and got mobbed by winged enthusiasts. How fun!
This summer Colby Cheese Days was awesome, Dairyfest was okay, and we got to see Jurustic Park for the first time last weekend.
97 went to a horse back riding birthday party for her friend Brianna. She had a great time. X actually went to the Packer game at Lambeau and got back around 6'ish. Right around the time that 97 got home from her party.
They're little things, but, X did two things this evening that brought home some of the reasons I left her:
1) I had told 94 to come and eat her supper. X then stormed in and told her to put her CD player away. I told X that I had just told her to come and eat. X's response to me, glaringly, was "don't contradict me, Mark." Matt and I both chimed in, saying actually she had contradicted me. Typical pre-divorce behavior.
2) X asked me what I was thinking, applying for NH admin jobs again because, in her words, "you can't do it". Nice. Her lack of faith in me has always been so demoralizing. It's oddly reassuring to get these kind of reminders from time to time.
As far as catch-up, I suppose I could go on for pages, but for now I'll just mention a few things.The girls and I went to Packers Family Night this year, and it was a blast. Also Packer releated, my sister and I went to a preseason game together. We went to Curly's first. I had a bloody mary, two yard long beers. We ordered a sampler appitizer along with our entrees. No kidding, the sampler platter was a yard wide. HUGE! Needless to say we had leftovers we never intended to eat.
Scary: Mom went through a scary bout with her pancreas, but is actually above 100 pounds now, so all looks better. I went to Sturgeon Bay with sis twice this summer to watch my cousin in law Troy race in the stock class. Ate at Culver's first both times. Lots of fun.
Very scary: 97 had some sort of stomach flu this summer and landed in the hospital over night. Frightful the thoughts that cross your mind when that happens. Luckily I saw she got the right care at the right time, and she is way fine now. Emphasis on how scary that was.
Had a spate of fitness this spring that lasted 3 months. Alas, again unable/unwilling to persist. Grrrrr...
The girls and I discovered the joy of feeding the ducks at Wildwood park. We brought birdseed (wild) in ziplock baggies and got mobbed by winged enthusiasts. How fun!
This summer Colby Cheese Days was awesome, Dairyfest was okay, and we got to see Jurustic Park for the first time last weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)