I'm back!

     Like anything in life, sometimes things inadvertently get pushed to the side to make room in your life for other things.  My blog has been one of these.  I have been itching to do some writing, and because I have been so busy, I must rely on my blog to minutely satisfy my craving for creating the written word.
     I have said it before, and I will say it a million more times; I LOVE the holidays, most of the time.  Before my this gets back to my friends and family who like to call me a Grinch, let me explain myself.  I love spending time with my family, especially my 3 terrific sons!  I have a, let us say "strange", order with my ex wife, so holidays are always bittersweet.  One year I miss the heck out of my sons during Thanksgiving, but I get to spend a great deal of time with them in December, including Christmas.  Other years, we have a splendid Thanksgiving, but I have to miss them for Christmas.
     This year the boys were with me for Thanksgiving, and boy did we make every minute count.  Thursday was a celebration at my sister's home with as much family as we could pack in, (and tolerate) :)  Jacob, my oldest son, and I went to do some black Friday shopping that night.
     Friday we celebrated Jayce's 12th birthday, which was actually on Thanksgiving.  We had a party at Spot on yogurt.  I think he felt he was a little old for this particular venue, but that was dismissed once it was discovered that they offered eggnog flavored yogurt.  It was a great little time!
     Saturday it was our turn to host.  Dawn's family arrived for a family dinner, and we packed the house!  20 people, and what a fun time!  At one point I was brave enough to venture downstairs to find a group of children singing karaoke in the living room, another group of children playing Xbox in the family room, and the remaining kids playing pool in the rec room!  I have never ran back upstairs so quickly!  The grown ups were allowed to visit upstairs in the living room, and then we all ate until we could not feel feelings anymore!
     So far, this holiday season has been great.  Today, however, came the realization that I would probably not see my sons until the day after Christmas.  
     On another note, my novel is moving right along.  I should make my March deadline.  I can't wait to be done!

Feeling good!!

     A few months ago, I decided to start working out and eating...better.  I would like to say "eating right", but let's face it..there are certain foods that I do not like, and most vegetables make that list.
     To this point, I have been up and down with my level of participation.  Recently, however, I have started a new routine, and I am determined to keep this momentum until I reach my goals.
     Today was a great day, I wore a pair of jeans that I didn't think I would be able to fit into at this point.  32" waist.  I kept my jeans from 2 years ago, just to be motivation to never quit!  I will not disclose the waist of these particular jeans, but I am amazed that there was a point that I fit into them.
   
   
     The beginning of a new lift routine usually means feeling sore the next day..this plan must be a good one, because I was sore about an hour after workout!

     Crazy busy day at work today! Sometimes those tasks that you think will take very little time end up consuming a good little chunk of the day.  After completion, I saw that there were 2 pallets of chemicals that were waiting for me to unpack and put away to end my day.  More lifting?!  UGH!  Funny how those days that I work so hard physically, make me feel so energized and accomplished!  As I did not get any of my "regular" duties done today, I fear the craziness of today sets the tone for the remainder of the week, especially with tomorrow's schedule full of meetings!  Bring it on!!

   

What was I thinking?!

     This week I took on a bit of extra stress.  Not a lot, but a bit.  I took over a few more staff members, and have already shaken things up some.
     With the departure of a housekeeper, I have been interviewing candidates all week for a replacement, and I cannot believe what I am seeing!  I can remember back to the days in high school when I was taught how to create a resume, and how to interview for a job.  It is apparent that this particular session is no longer being taught.  I had three resumes that I had no idea of their origin, it simply stated "your name here" where they should have put the name.  Phone numbers were present, but no name!  I particularly enjoyed the fact that at least one person in this world thinks that they should list the fact that they ranked in the top 100 on a Call of Duty Xbox game under job skills!!  What job did they think they were applying for?  I did hire a new housekeeper, but they cannot start for a couple weeks.
     Being down one person, today I decided to roll up my sleeves, put on some scrubs, and clean me some rooms.  What a mistake!  That is hard work!  First of all, it has been so many years since I have worn scrubs.  I forgot how comfortable they are.  I felt like I was in my pajamas all day!  Second, I still had some building audits to perform, so I had to get 8 hours of cleaning done in 4 hours.
     After a long, humbling day, I was ready to head home.  That is when I learned that there was a state surveyor in the building, which means that managers have to stay.  UGH!  At least I was still home by 5:30.

     On another note, I received a huge compliment at work today!  There was some shuffling at the corporate office, and the corporate building director could not make it to Arizona to train some new managers,  an email was sent out to only a few administrators asking to send their directors to Arizona in his place.  My boss was one of those recipients.  I can't go to Arizona next week, I am too swamped here in Clarkston, but my boss told me that the email only went to a few buildings, so I took it as a huge compliment!  Also, sounds like there will be more opportunities for travel, and train.  I'm looking forward to that!


   

   

What a week! And it's only Tuesday?!

     I started my week a bit early by working Sunday, moving furniture and assisting an outside contractor with getting all the carpet at my facility professionally cleaned!  Happy to report that the carpets turned out great, and so far it has stayed that way.  Not much you can do with carpet that gets hundreds, if not thousands of steps each day!  Yesterday and today have been pretty demanding as well, but WOW!  what a sense of accomplishment I have had upon returning from work so far this week.  I love my job!!!
     We are having a bit of a party to end this week.  We have some state politicians scheduled to visit the facility Friday, and I want the facility to look it's best.  Do not misunderstand, I always try to ensure that the building looks great, but this week, we are trying to finish all those little projects that always seem to get pushed to the bottom of the list.
     I plan to come into work tomorrow night to finish some of those things that can't really be done during the day.  That should be fun.  I assume I will be there until the next morning.  This makes me happy that I will be leaving early on Friday!  I was told by a co-worker today that staying all night and working the next day is not normal.  This made me laugh, because I have been making some small adjustments to my life in an effort to be more "normal"  and it is proving more difficult than I anticipated.
     I have certain....let us say "quirks".  Like any habit, it is hard to change these things, so I am starting small.  First thing I gave up; I don't number my socks anymore.  Now in the morning when I grab a "pair" of socks it is up to chance.  Perhaps the left sock has been worn more times than the right sock, or perhaps it is not the left sock at all!  It is all up to chance.  But I'm okay with that.  For the past 2 weeks I have been wearing whatever shirt looks comfortable at any given morning.  This hasn't been too bad, and I have found some shirts that I have not worn for quite sometime that I really like!
     My next venture is to come to the realization that I am not the grammar police!  I do not need to correct every grammatical mistake that anyone makes ever!  I have attempted to remain quiet a couple times this week with no success.  Baby steps right?  Perhaps I will keep this quirk.

     I am looking forward to this weekend, I am going to Lake City to watch my oldest son's final football game on Friday, and my youngest son's final game on Saturday.  I am planning to take my oldest son to Scarywood on Saturday as well.  There is a theme park called Silverwood, but for 2 months they convert it to a huge Halloween festival with many scary characters walking about, and several "haunted" attractions.  Everyone else, including my wife, chickened out, so just me and Jacob.  :)

Just one of those days! (one of those GREAT days!)

     Ever have one of those days that start on a good note, and just stays great all day?  I woke up to a great surprise!  Every morning for over 2 weeks, I have delicately twisted myself out of bed, due to the fact that my shoulder was in so much pain.  This morning, however, I was surprised to feel no pain at all!  All day, in fact, it felt great!  What a way to start the day.
 

   Busy day at work today, with a couple of networking issues that came up in the afternoon, but they were quick fixes, so nothing to stress me out.  Just an all around GREAT DAY!
     On another note, Lake City High School added a game to the end of their season, so I will be traveling to Lake City on Friday to watch!  I am excited to see my son play one more game!

NEVER GET OLD!

   


     Until this year, for some reason, I have never actually considered myself to be "old".  Sure, I have had a receding hairline, and the ability to grow a full beard since I was 16, I have 3 sons, the oldest who is is high school, and I have already done more in my life than I thought I would by this point, but this year my body is telling me that this is not a joke anymore!  Up until now I was able to take a fairly passive stance as far as my health went.  I could drink, lose sleep, and push the limits without much consequence.  Now, however, I am suffering as a result of some of my decisions.
     So I have decided to take a more aggressive approach to my health which includes a major overhaul to my eating/drinking habits..(mostly my drinking habits), a healthy workout routine at the gym, and perhaps most importantly, mental exercises every evening.  One must always work to stay sharp!  A friend of mine has recommended cross-fit, he has lost so much weight so far, and says he is having a lot of fun.  I have often thought about this as being way beyond my physical level, but he had back surgery a few years ago and is able to do it, so I should be fine if this is an avenue I decide to stroll down.  I just cannot believe the reaction my body has to certain things anymore.
     For instance, Last month I strained a muscle in my shoulder by trying to be a macho man and not ask for help when it came time to unload a 200 lb box.  Prior to my current age, I could put some ice on it or spend an evening in the hot tub, and by the next day..right as rain!  I suffered through it for over a week, gritting my teeth and trying not to let on just how much pain I was really in.  Finally, this last Sunday, I woke up to NO PAIN!  I was so thrilled!  I approached my Monday at work with so much enthusiasm, and great spirits.  Midday, however, another 250 lb box, (for which I did seek my assistant's help)  and now I am back to hurting.  GOOD GRIEF!
     On another note, I have now entered the annoying stage of growing a long beard.  If I can make it through the next few weeks, I will be alright.  I look like I should be stranded on a mountain somewhere, but it's something I do every year.  I usually shave after we return from our annual trip to McCall, ID in January.
     In a couple weeks I will be taking over some additional responsibilities at work, for which I am moderately excited.  A lot of changes to be made in certain operations, and I know people do not like change, so it promises to be, at the very least, interesting.
     Speaking of OLD, now that Jeopardy is over, I think I will go to bed!

Road Rage

     People who know me well, know that I am not someone who has a short temper.  However, those unfortunate few that have ever been in a car that I am operating have seen a different side of me!  I do not get "road rage" like you see on television or hear about on the news, I'm the guy who slows down when you are riding my bumper, or wave and smile while you pass me while screaming and flipping me off.

     Today was an exception...As I was at an intersection, a small child began to cross at the crosswalk.  The guy behind me did not see her, so when he approached my vehicle to see that there was no oncoming traffic, he began to honk and rev his engine.  He then proceeded to approach my dodge until he was less than a foot away from hitting my bumper.  In fact, the only reason he saw the little girl was because he began to speed around me and missed hitting her by mere feet.  Once the child had passed and we passed through the intersection he sped around me and turned right into the taco time parking lot.  This was just the wrong day!  Therefore, I also pulled into the lot.  As soon as I was out of the car, he knew we were about to have words..Imagine my surprise when the freakin' giant exited his vehicle!  So, I used the power of carefully planned, intimidating words to get my apology and was on my way.   It was definitely an experience that does not happen often. I am glad for that.
     Tonight I performed some maintenance on the furnace, inspected it, and fired it up for the season.  Now our home is toasty warm.  Its been cold for a bit now, but I have this rule about heating before October.
     Tonight, an early bedtime so I can have a good workout in the morning.  I am stepping up my cardio, as I have been having an incredibly difficult time losing the final 2 pounds of my first goal.  Ugh!!

An interesting evening

     I have been looking forward to this day for a while.  My oldest son is now playing high school football, and he had a game this evening that I have been planning to attend.  For those who do not know, my sons live in Couer D Alene with their mother which is a good 2 hours away from me.  So, I got off work early, quickly finished the pre-trip checklist, and Dawn and I set out.
     We decided that we had some extra time to grab a bite in Moscow, this is the hometown of University of Idaho.  Neighboring Pullman, which houses Washington State University.  There is not as much rivalry as one would assume between these 2 schools, but the rivalry still exists.  So, as I usually do during football season, I was proudly sporting my WSU gear, and around Moscow, this is particularly entertaining as everyone is wearing their U of I gear.
     I had the afternoon planned.  When we arrived we would visit my mother's house for a bit, and then pick up the 2 younger boys, and head to the high school for the game.  However, when we were just a few minutes out of town I received a phone call from the kid's mother stating that Jayce's middle school was currently in "lock-down"  He would not be able to leave at 3.  The school offered that there was an incident that involved someone with a knife, but no other details were given.  This was particularly stressful to me, so we drove directly to his school where there were parents everywhere!  Turns out, the incident occurred a half mile away, and they just wanted to be safe, so no harm done...except for screwing up my carefully planned schedule.  We scrambled to make up the time and pick up Justin from his school and barreled to the high school on time to find out that the game started a few minutes early.  So, we found a seat and settled down for what turned out to be a great game, and a great win for Lake City.
     After the game, and visiting with Jacob for a bit, we headed home.  A pretty decent drive, for me anyway..Dawn is a real trooper, because whenever I drive more than 20 miles, I sing...the whole way...loudly!  It does not matter the song, I will sing it...it helps pass the time.  I did notice a curious glance as I performed my versions of songs by Niki Minaj and Katy Perry, but hey..that's what was playing!
   

     We rolled back into town at 10:00 ( 10 hours later) and I must say, this bed has never looked so inviting!  Missing more than half the day at work today has it's consequences, so I am planning on a good long day tomorrow.  Better get to sleep!

Well...I'm up anyway

     When I return from work, I have to unwind, it is no different if I am there 9 hours, or 2.  So, here I am lying awake..might as well jot down some self proclaimed wisdom.

     Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my job?!  I really do.  I enjoy the different challenges that I face every day, and sometimes...sometimes, I get to be the hero.  I take pride in the work that I do.  That being said....I HATE when I receive a phone call in the middle of the night for anything that does not at least resemble an emergency!  Most staff have realized that I am not much of a "NO" guy.  I have no problem politely declining a mid night work invitation in certain situations, but the majority of the time I will just take care of it.  At least I find enjoyment in the faces of the night shift whenever I am in the building at that time..Rumors of fire drills start to spread, people frantically grab their coffee cups from the handrails, and move their carts out of the hallway..It can be fun.
     What a wicked crazy week at work so far... I am gearing up to take over an additional department, and I am fascinated by the responses I am receiving.  Some of my very near future staff members are excited, some have mixed emotions about the change, and at least 2 are downright upset about it!  Some people are resistant to change, and there will be a lot next month.  Should be an interesting month.
     This weekend, a Saturday golf tournament and some much needed time with my boys!
     On a different note, I have been working out only lightly this week due to the problems I had last week, I am supposed to "take it easy"  I know I am not able to do that at work, so I toned down the workouts.  I weigh in on Thursdays, but I cheated today and weighed a day early.  I am so close to meeting my first stage goal, and I am so excited!  Went for a couple drinks with one of my account managers yesterday, and he started cross-fit a month ago and had so many great things to say about it, so I am seriously thinking I might have to give it a try..which, unfortunately means changing gyms, but we'll see.
     I spoke with an old friend recently who got me a job interview with a pretty big corporation.  Great pay, a lot of travel, but a possible relocation to Arizona...Today, I turned it down.  This is one of those roads in life that I feel I made the right turn, but there's always going to be that...let's say, curiosity about it.  It was nice to be considered, and the big mistake was turning it down today, and not waiting until after a free trip to play golf in Scottsdale.  Too late. :)  There really is a delicate balance between the importance of salary and satisfaction.

Great ending to an otherwise crummy week

     Friday I began feeling like Josh again!  I went to work, for most of the day, My face is starting to look normal, and I am healing quite nicely from the removal of my wisdom tooth.
     Friday I learned that I am taking over another department at work, with this comes the responsibility of about 14 additional staff members, but I am excited for the challenge.  It will begin next month.  Funny thing, I got a text message right after the morning meeting stating that the announcement was made in the meeting, (I was at the doctors office, absent from the meeting), that I would be taking over these additional departments.  I was caught a bit off guard because I was unsure on whether or not it would actually happen. When I arrived at work, my boss and I worked out the details, and he sheepishly apologized for announcing it to everyone else prior to notifying me. HA.
     Saturday was a fairly lazy day, a bit of shopping, and a bit of college football.  That evening we joined some friends at their house for the UFC fight, which was amazing!  Dawn is chomping to host an event at our house, but I at least want to finish the living room remodel, which is partially postponed again, as I spent almost a grand at the oral surgeon's office!  Guess I should not have opted for the inexpensive dental insurance.
     Today was a great win for the Seahawks, and a huge win for me in fantasy football, so I am having a great evening.
     Dawn is diligently finishing the "Josh's Fat Quilt", named for the fact that it is made from all the old tee shirts I used to wear before I became....plump.  She says she will be done before bedtime tonight, and it promises to be the coolest,  softest, warmest quilt I have ever used!  There is something about a homemade quilt!  I remember making quilts for my sons when they were little, and so many years later, they still love those quilts!  Yes, I make quilts, I decorate cakes, and I cook.  This is in no way emasculating for me, I learned from a young age that it would behoove me to learn skills that set me apart from other guys, and it has worked out well for me.
     I did not work out last week at all, for obvious reasons, so I am VERY much looking forward to restarting my early morning workout routine again tomorrow morning!  I have been missing that immensely!
     On another note, today marks the first day of the Fall season...usually, the beginning of the "bearded Josh".  However, due to factors that I could not control..I have a one week head start.  I should look like a different man by the McCall trip in January..IF Dawn allows it to go that far.

Finally!!!!!

     This has been a fun and exciting week in the Keene home!  I awoke monday morning with what I thought was a baseball in my mouth.  I was curiously nervous, as I had absolutely no pain.  I immediately visited my favorite Dr. (Webmd)  and I decided that I had an abscessed tooth.  The only thing I was confused about was the fact that I had no pain.  Everything else made sense.  I had a tooth that chipped badly about 2 weeks ago, and I ignored it.  I went to work around noon, and that's when it hit me.  The worst pain I have ever experienced!  The dentist could not get me in that day, so I decided to bear it until the next day until I could see him.
     Later that evening it was getting so bad that I could barely move my neck.  Dawn finally convinced me to visit the hospital to at least get on some antibiotics.  The Dr. at the ER was concerned that the infection was moving so quickly and spreading down my neck that he ordered IV antibiotics as well as oral antibiotics.  I spent the remainder of the week going to the hospital every 12 hours for IV treatment and keeping my pain at bay with some highly effective pain meds.  My dentist referred me to an oral surgeon who could get me in today, so he pulled the broken tooth and this evening I am feeling SO much better!  I still have a bit of pain, and some localized swelling, but Goodness, what a relief!
     This is the first time I have ever had to deal with something like this, and I hope that it will be the last!
     Dawn has been such a good sport dealing with me and taking care of me.  Usually if I am not feeling well, I am a tough guy, but with this situation I have been a big 'ol baby!  Not to mention I have been all narc'd up on pain killers this week, which I am sure has been entertaining to her..How often does a wife get to walk into her husband singing Nicki Minaj or telling knock knock jokes when there is no one else in the room?
     Tomorrow, trying to catch up on 4 days worth of work in 1 day, and then this weekend..relaxation!

Frustrating football saturday

     This weekend, we headed up to Coeur d' Alene to watch my youngest son play football game in his first season of junior tackle.  He was so, very excited that I was there to watch him.  His game was not until 3:00, so we spent the early afternoon warming up with drills, and talking about different defensive situations.  We had a great time.

     I introduced myself to the coach shortly before the game, but as the game progressed I became increasingly frustrated with his coaching style.

     Junior tackle football is the first introduction for these young kids to "real" football.  It is designed for kids to learn the game, and progress as players so they will be ready for the time that they play more serious ball.  I noticed right off the bat that the coach was friends with most of the parents from the team, and I noticed that there were several players that played both offense and defense the entire game.  All the time, my son was on the sideline..so I bit my tongue and waited until the middle of the 2nd quarter.  Justin plays the safety position, like his father, so ever since his decision to play football I have taught him a lot about this position.

     So, we are in the middle of the 2nd quarter, and I notice that the coach is becoming frustrated with his safety position not paying attention, lining up wrong, etc.. So I simply said "you got a good safety right next to you coach.."  So, Justin went in.  He did great!  didn't fall for play fakes, did not fall for reversals, and played his zone extremely well.  Even saved a touchdown from the other team.  Did he receive any recognition from his coach?  NO!  Instead, he spent another quarter watching the game from the side while the teams running back, who also happens to be the coaches son, was playing safety on defense!  

     I did refrain from further words with the coach, as I was upset..I do NOT want to be one of those dads, but I am confused on 2 levels..how is a young kid supposed to progress as a player without playing, and why would you not keep a kid in when he is doing a great job?

     On the positive side, Justin was the happiest kid I have ever seen, and he is loving the game of football!  He was just thrilled I was there to see him get some great tackles.  

     I have asked his mother to keep me posted on the games that I cannot be there for, and...for now, I will not email or communicate with the coach.  I will keep working with Justin on drills, and conditioning and we will see where it goes.

     On another note, the Seahawks host the 49ers this evening, and I am very much looking forward to the party and game this evening!  GO SEAHAWKS!

Fun Thursday

     Every so often, something strange happens, a great day!  Do not misunderstand, I have plenty of good days, and loads of really good days.  When I say it was a GREAT day, I do not use the word lightly.

     Yesterday was one of those days..nothing, and I mean nothing could spoil my mood.  There were attempts, but I was feeling great!  In fact, the only negative thing I can think of yesterday was the fact that my shoulders ached from parts of my new workout routine, but even that was easily dealt with.

     Some...interesting news at work was presented to me, while I cannot disclose the information in this venue, I am interested to see how it plays out.  

     Also, I have been involved in an extremely dramatic "facebook debate" since Wednesday night.  This is a local debate on some business controversy, and I just could not help throwing in my 2 cents.  I have had threats, one guy wants to meet me somewhere..I have been called names, and all day yesterday my phone was blowing up with harassing facebook messages.  To make matters worse, when someone attempts an insult, I reply only with kind words, with one exception.  I received a lengthy message describing how uneducated and ignorant I was, and how foolish I sound.  Either this message was written by proxy by someone's 6 year old child, or this person slept through every grammar class they had ever attended.  So I replied:  "Thank you for the advice, and I will seriously consider furthering my education so that I may appear more knowledgeable on Facebook.  I took the liberty of creating some minor grammar suggestions for you.  Please see attached."  I had attached a proof-read, graded version of his original statement.  He did not receive a passing grade, and I am yet to hear back from him.  Hmmm.

     Dawn just shakes her head and laughs, she knows I love a good argument, and I do not give up.  When people take things personally, it amuses me.  My other template response is a direct quote from Mr. Spock.." I see you are becoming defensive to my remark, which indicates that you feel I am right."  I did quit last night, as I do NOT want anyone to become so passionate about their opposition with me that they feel they have to find me.  However, I did have a lot of fun with it.  

     So, I decided that perhaps, if I am ever bored out of my skull, I will create a mock Facebook account, and gather several friends.  I will, every so often, post remarks such as..."I think every child should be punished with cattle prods and baseball bats."  I will then sit back and watch the fireworks.  HA

     Now it is time for me to get ready for work, and I have a feeling today will go quite well also.  This weekend:  out of town for my son's football game. :)

Wake me up when September ends!

     There has never, ever been a piece of music that I have related to more than this single by Green Day.  September has been a rough month for me for quite sometime!  Several years ago, today, I lost a mentor, an role model, a best friend..My older brother.  I think about him all the time, but especially today.  I try with all my will not to remember that awful day so many years ago, and instead, focus on the great memories that we built during our childhood!
     About 6 years ago, I lost another great friend on September 20th.  So every year, I think the same thing..."wake me up when September ends."
     Today, as I tried to focus on work while my mind was racing in 132,378 different directions, I was able to take a little time out of my day to talk with a friend and that helped my day tremendously!  Very thankful for that!!
     On the way to the grocery store, Dawn changed the Sirius radio to Laugh USA, and I instantly began to think about how my older brother, Ben, and I used to listen to old comedy records in our shared bedroom for hours upon hours.  We used to love listening to Bill Cosby, Ray Stevens, George Carlin, and Eddie Murphy.  We would then repeat EVERYTHING they would say all week long around the neighborhood.  Shortly after this thought entered my mind...there was one of our favorite Bill Cosby bits  right there in the car.  As I listened, It was as if I was transported back in time...It was EXACTLY what I needed!  I was a big boy, and did not lose it right there in the parking lot, but I was filled to the brim with absolute joy!!
     The one thing that bothers me so greatly this day, every year, is that so many people see today as an opportunity to discuss conspiracy theories, and bash the government of our own country as well as others.  Look, there are a lot of people who are in grief today, lets just take a day off from your opinions.
     Tonight, I will watch science fiction, in the form of Star Trek, and eat some ice cream,  as I do every September 11th in the memory brother.  These are 2 things that my brother and I always enjoyed together!

Ready, set, go!

     I am truly hoping that Monday does not truly set the tone for the rest of the week!  It was an off day from the start!  I woke up in a foul mood, so I decided to be unsociable and skip the gym (because there is so much interaction at the gym at 415 am!)  instead I decided to allow my heavy bag to absorb some frustration!  I have yet to find a pair of training gloves that I like, so I just wrapped my hands.  This works until my workout playlist hits a Rob Zombie song, and I start to absolutely destroy the bag!  Certainly not the best idea for someone to start the day with hurting hands, that works primarily with their hands.  Lesson learned!
     The workday was an odd day.  No matter how I tried, I could not seem to get ahead, and then this afternoon, a co-worker, and fellow manager was let go.  Somewhere along the line, someone decided that I was  the heartless monster that would take on the job of escorting people to their office, staying with them while they gathered their things, and escorting them off the premises.  Which for the most part is okay by me, just a guy doing his job right?  Well, people tend to get emotional, and it was NOT programmed into my DNA how to deal with emotion.  I just do not know how to do it!  So, that was a real downer.
     It just seems like a lot of people close to me are going through so much negativity.  Someone very close to me is going through, what is going to turn out to be a pretty devastating divorce, another person close to me is having some more  health problems, and has to undergo surgery next week, and a few others are going through tough times as well.
     The morning workouts, if nothing else, are allowing me to have some time set aside everyday to think...not about work, or other peoples problems.  I do not think of the endless amount of work that remains needed with this house.  I only think of me.  It's MY time.  I guess I am selfish during that hour or so!  I am certain that tomorrows thoughts, with everything that's going on, will revolve around all the good things that are a part of my life.  All the obstacles I have endured over the last five years, and the growth that I have achieved. (mostly growth around the waist. :)
     This weekend is going to be a great weekend to get out of town, and leave some of my issues behind, a nice break!  I am so looking forward to it.

FOOTBALL!

   

     There are only a small handful of things that I really take seriously..football is one of them.  Dawn is such a good sport about this, and she has decided that, rather than become a football widow, she would embrace it and join me in my love for the game.
     It was great this weekend to see a WSU cougars win, as well as a Seahawks win!  Dawn even got the honor of raising the house 12th man flag Sunday morning for the season opener.  I'm not sure she realized what a treat that was, but she had a lot of fun with it!
     I am excited to travel to Couer d' Alene this weekend for my youngest son's football game.  It's always a good time to visit with my mom as well.
     On a different note, my workouts are getting more productive, and although yesterday was football Sunday, I still made good eating decisions, so I am looking forward to my weigh in day this Thursday!

Turned out to be a great Saturday!

     I started today with a sight that I never like to see on a Saturday morning....a time clock!  I had a pretty great day at work yesterday, but I had several audits and inspections that came due this week, and just about everyone at work needed something from me, and they needed it NOW!  Needless to say, I did not get even half of my inspections done.  I could have stayed late, but wanted to go to the "debriefing" meeting (which means beer with friends).  I almost cancelled and stayed at work, but at the last minute was talked into it.  Boy, did my arm need to be twisted!
     So this morning, I woke early with the intent to finish work by 10, and get some golf in.  I should have done one of two things.  1. I should have weaseled into my office without anyone seeing me, or 2. I should invest in a disguise.  When people know I am at work on a Saturday, they come up with a plethora of tasks for me that need to be dealt with immediately!  Noon rolled around, and I decided that golf would wait until tomorrow.
     I decided, after returning home, that it was high time Dawn learned to golf.  So, I surprised her with her own set of clubs, complete with a cute, pink golf bag.  She was thrilled.  No turning back now, so she will get her first lesson Sunday.

     I also decided to skip the gym this morning.  After all, if I lift weights 7 days a week, I will need to apply for a concealed weapons permit just to wear long sleeves.  Dawn rolled her eyes when I provided her this excuse.
     I was not able to be there, but My oldest son had his first high school football game in Kennewick Friday, and they won 22 to 7.  He was thrilled.  I spoke with him while he was on the bus home, he played safety, and was able to knock down a pass might have been a touchdown against them.

 
  My youngest son had his first 5th grade football game Saturday in Couer d Alene.  They won 28 to 0.  He also plays safety.  This is what I played in high school, so I am so proud!  

I admit, it's getting better

     I had to throw in a Beatles reference in the title.  Last night, I mixed a new playlist for weightlifting, and it is full of Beatles songs that I love!  This one really spoke to me this morning.  It really is, getting better!  I am finding that the morning workouts are getting longer, easier, and more intense.  This morning was no exception!  I literally dragged my lazy but out of bed this morning, as 4:30 am came too quickly after celebrating the NFL season kickoff last night, but I am committed dag nabbit!  When I got to the gym, I noticed "the screamer"  was not there.  This is going to be a good workout without having to listen to a 50 year old man scream at the top of his lungs as he lifts 100 pounds!  I decided on a "quick" cardio since I was so tired.   Perhaps just 45 minutes on the treadmill.  Once I began, however, I started to feel so great that I forgot how tired I was, and boosted my jog.  What a GREAT way to start out the day!

     Yesterday was such a great day at work...almost all the way to the end.  I had a chamber ambassador meeting ( a GREAT excuse to leave work for an hour and a half!)  Shortly after I returned, I received word that a state complaint surveyor was in the building.  This is nerve racking for every manager there.  I spoke with my boss to see if there was a need for me to stick around, and I was told.."no, you skate again you lucky bastard!"

     Last night was the season opener for the NFL season, and it was great!  Dawn and I went out for a light dinner, and the manager ended up comping our drinks.  Not because there were any problems, it just pays to know so many people in the community.  I had 3 different bets for the Denver Broncos, and if you did not watch, they won, so I am $75 closer to my next automotive restoration!  YAY!

     We ended up at a different pub for the second half of the game.  Dawn wanted a glass of wine, so she asks the bartender (as if we were at a fancy restaurant), "what do you have in a Cabernet Sauvignon?"  the look on this twenty something, face pierced, tattoo covered bartender was PRICELESS!  She had to tell him she was talking about wine.  His response, "you're at the wrong bar, lady!"  To what she replied, "just give me a glass of your finest boxed Merlot."  We sat for quite sometime waiting for her "wine" to come to room temperature as they keep it in the cooler.  I headed back to the table humorously debating whether or not she would be invited to any more football games.  When she returned, she had a glass of my kryptonite...Angry Orchards apple ale, with a shot of cinnamon whisky dumped into it.  I was sure there were 100,000 calories in this one glass alone, but it was SOOO good!

     This weekend will be a busy one, but I am very much looking forward to it!

friendly competition

    Last night was another dart night.  Ah, the opportunity to show my true competitive spirit!  When I am competing in ANYTHING I tend to become a real ass!  This probably explains why virtually all of my marital spats have stemmed from the "slug bug" game (which my wife does cheat at).  This match was no different.  I had a terrible headache, which I will use as an excuse.  I could not seem to throw any good darts, and my mood turned sour.  I feel bad when this happens and I have tried do hard to just take it all in fun.  I think I am getting better, as I don't even get mad when my kids beat me at pool anymore.
     Tonight I had my monthly visit with my dad and little brother at Hogans.  My brother and I always get there a good half an hour before dad, so we get to "geek out" we talk about star trek, star wars, everything from Sherlock Holmes, to Ninja Turtles.  Then, dad shows up and we talk about life, football, and catch each other up on our lives.
     Tonight was a particularly disappointing night at Hogans Pub.  After trying a couple new microbrews, I asked for my usual...Bottingtons, which is a golden honey ale imported from London.  "we don't sell that anymore." the bar maiden said.  Her next statement tickled my sense of humor.  "You didn't come in and buy it often enough, we have not even seen you in a month."  she stated with a smirk.  So, now I am committed to a once a week visit in which I request my favorite brew until they start ordering it again.  (sorry honey, if you are reading this).
     After a bit, a couple more friends joined the group and we shared a plethora of laughs.  It was then that I realized that it was Wednesday, and I had to work in the morning, so a couple last minute pieces of fantasy football draft advice, and I was out the door.
     Now, after inputting the microbrews into my fitness pal app, I realize that I just erased a lot of the hard work I have put in this week in my quest to lose some weight.  Ugh!  I assume I will have to begin consuming these...I can hardly say it...LIGHT beers.  I might as well not drink beer at all, and anyone who knows me well enough knows that is NOT going to happen.  Rock and a hard place.

Its a jungle out there!

     When Dawn and I bought this house we new we had a lot of work to do.  We mutually decided that the inside of the house would take priority.  This labor day weekend, we decided to put some major labor, and major money into the landscaping, just as soon as the upstairs living room is complete.  (Josh's conversion of the guest kitchen to a full service bar, complete with tapped counter, will have to wait).

This is not my yard, but pretty close. HA

     Saturday I went out to mow the weeds.  To be completely honest, there is a little bit of grass, just mostly weeds.  This took all of a half hour.  I then decided to spend a little bit of time on the slope that goes behind the shop and leading to the shop basement.  This was an adventure!  3 hours, 6 spider bites, and one unfriendly snake encounter later, I was done.  One of the spiders bit me on the neck, so the next morning I excitedly attempting climbing walls and shooting web out of my wrists.  Not this time!
     Today, Dawn and I could not stand the quiet house (the boys are back at their moms house, and wont be back for a couple weeks) so we went Halloween shopping, started at least.  You see, we both LOVE Halloween!  We decided on our couples costume for this year, and even picked out some new decor for this year.  What an exciting and fun thing to do today!

   

WEEKEND!! (FINALLY)

     One work week for me is usually five days, or 40 hours, you can call it 2400 minutes, or 144,000 seconds.  However you say it, it is still less than 25% of my life.  How is it, then, that it feels like some work weeks consume 100% of my daily life?  This has definitely been one of those weeks.
     Not a particularly stressful or eventful week, just consuming.  In fact, there were aspects of work that were, for lack of a better word, enjoyable!  Just busy.  I would almost prefer 3 or 4 major projects in a week than 30 minor ones.  The only variable that I can blame is the fact that I have been going to work around 5:30 or 6:00 am.  Well, the weekend is finally here, and I am going to enjoy it!!
     I left work today to travel and pick up my oldest son from his moms house.  (he finally got a 2 day break from football practice).  There is NO better way to end a work day than changing the Sirius radio to Symphony Hall and realizing that you are driving during the 2 hours that they play all the best string concertos.  I cranked the volume, and basked in the fact that I could listen to classical music as loud as I wanted, and there was no one to complain about it!
     After I picked him up, it was just he and I.  You can imagine the fear in his eyes when he saw that I was alone.  He was trapped in the car with his lame old dad for the entire trip, with 2 choices:  Classical music, or talking.  He chose the latter, and it turned out to be one of the greatest conversations we have ever had!  We talked about almost everything, it was fantastic!
     On another note, I am down 7 pounds in the last 2 weeks!  I have told almost no one about my latest venture to be get fit, lose weight, and start riding mountain bikes again.  I miss the days that I was able to ride 10-15 miles through the woods.  Days that my will power is at it's best, I have a protein shake for breakfast and lunch.  My weaker days I have the shake for breakfast and enjoy a light lunch.  Next week, since the boys will be back at their mothers, I will be going to the gym in the mornings before work.  (after work is ME time).  I am really hoping to reach my ideal weight.  For now I will not disclose that number.
      I WILL be going to McCall next year and I WILL keep up with the group.
     For those of you who are not familiar, McCall is a small resort community in Idaho.  A beautiful place 12 months out of the year.  Every Winter, Dawn and I attend the annual Winterfest celebration in McCall, but I want her to experience what Summer can offer.  There are cross country trails galore!  For a treat, they also open the ski lifts on the ski mountain so that you and your bike can lazily ride to the top, and tear down the mountain at alarming speeds.  I am really looking forward to it.

Summer!

     So, last night was the first night of dart league, and we killed!  We started late, so we got home late.  After finally falling asleep around 2am, the 4:30 am alarm was not the best noise to hear.  As far as I was concerned, this morning was ruined!!  I checked facebook, nothing to see but post after post of children going back to school.  Yes, it seems that Summer is coming to an end.
     When I got in the car to drive to work, that's when my morning turned around!  I mean a complete 360.  This is a true testament to the power of music.  As I started the car, the radio was, of course, already set to NPR, and one of my favorite pieces had just started playing.  It is a piece simply called "Summer"  it is part of the 4 seasons string concertos brought to us from Antonio Vivaldi from the 1700s.  A really great piece!
It is amazing how that one piece of music shifted my train of thought.  I started to think about how much I love late summer, as we begin to transition into autumn, my absolute favorite!
     The power of music is something that is not new to me.  As a teenager, for reasons I will not discuss, I took a class in stress management.  This taught me a lot about how certain types of music actually decreases heart rate, anxiety and dilates blood vessels, which increases blood flow to the brain, thus meaning more oxygen to the brain, thus higher brain activity.  I have three sons, and each of them were introduced to Mozart before they were even born.

     Tonight I plan to enjoy some downtime.  There is nothing pressing to be taken care, so I will try and find a show I missed on Monday, and try to watch it online.  That's about all the excitement happening in this house tonight.  Nothing like a lazy Wednesday evening!

never enough hugs!

     We, as humans, tend to get comfortable.  And when we reach an optimal level of comfort, we sometimes develop a false sense of security.  Maslow's hierarchy of needs stressing importance of having basic security, but this is not what I mean.  I mean the false security that causes us to take for granted the things we love most in this world.  It does not make us bad people, it's an easy habit to fall into, and we have all done it.
     Today I learned of a friend that lost a son over the weekend.  She lost a son in a most tragic way, and my heart broke for her.  I, at a young age, lost a brother.  and as a teenager, I lost another brother.  It shook my whole world.  I never could, and still do not understand how my parents could possibly cope with such a loss.  I have 3 sons of my own, and I am not confident that I could ever function as a human being if I was to lose any of them.
     Needless to say, when I returned home from work, I hugged each of my children that are here until the point they started to question it.  I called my oldest son to tell him how much he means to me, and that I love him.  I felt him rolling his eyes through the phone.
     I am so proud of all 3 of my sons, and how bright they are.  Just yesterday, Jayce asked me if I knew why plant cells had a cell wall.  I told him that I did not, so I could see the glow in his eye as he took the next 25 minutes explaining it to me.  If I have anything to say, these boys will master science and grammar.  The school system will have to handle the rest.
     As we approach the end of summer, our conversations have shifted to the anticipation of starting a new school year.  He is especially nervous, as this will be his first year in middle school.  He asks me what he should do if he encounters a bully, how he should react if he meets a girl he likes, and so on.  Most of my answers spark a laugh, or at the very least, a smile.
     This morning when I woke up, on my dresser was Dawn's old (expensive) chromatic harmonica.  I can only assume that this was left here for me, so I grabbed it, and went downstairs to play a few songs for a quick morning practice.  Spoiler alert: I am getting good.  Next year's camping trips are going to be musical.  I could feel  all three boys sighing in embarrassed disbelief as I typed that sentence.
     I did a bit of research online last night as I was waiting for the thunderstorm to pass, and I think next summer will be the summer that Jacob and I take the plunge, right out of the side of an airplane.  I was excited when he took an interest in skydiving last time we were talking about it, and I cannot wait to share this with him!  Provided I can talk his mother into giving him permission.  Until next year, I will keep chipping away at Dawn, but I do not think that she will ever agree to joining us.     
   

Coming to an end

   All good things come to an end.  This proven theory really hit home this weekend.  My sons have been here since early July, spending the remainder of their summer vacation with my me and my wife.  I realized this afternoon, as we were battling the department store for school supplies, that this summer was coming to an abrupt halt.
     While I am excited for the educational growth they are experiencing, the selfish part of me wishes that this would never end.  Jacob is starting high school, Jayce is beginning his middle school career, and Justin is excited to see his friends he has not seen since June.

   

   One thing is for sure, they are most certainly growing up, no matter what I try to do to stop it.  Shopping for new backpacks, I was looking at the superman, batman, and all other super hero backpacks.  I was quickly informed that my youngest son is "too old" for those kid backpacks, and he needed something a bit more "sophisticated".
     I also came to the realization that my boys are growing up to be just like their father.  Oh boy!  We sat back at the department stores gazing upon the mothers who had an entire caravan of screaming kindergartners, first graders, and even preschoolers.  We were all engaged in the entertainment value of watching these poor souls try with all their might to not lose total control in front of a large public crowd.           Jayce and I reminisced about the day that he remembers quite well.  A day that I matched his behavior in the middle of an extremely crowded Northtown Mall in Spokane so many years ago.  He was 3, and we were Christmas shopping out of town.  After an hour in the store that had a Thomas the Train playset in the window, we were ready to move on.  He disagreed.  He displayed his defiance by lying on the floor and screaming, an act that I had not seen from him before.  As the crowd started to gather, I did not know what to do, so I joined him, screaming and kicking expressing my desire to head to the food court for a pretzel.         The reaction I received from him was priceless.  Immediately he returned to his feet and started pleading with me to do the same.  The crowd's reaction was mixed.  Laughter, unbelief, and a few "well, I nevers".         This was the last time he attempted this particular method of manipulation.  The story, however, had lasting effects.  My youngest son was told this tale, and he never attempted, for fear he would also be the target of public embarrassment.  Watching the crusade of school shopping this afternoon, I wondered how funny it would be if all parents reacted this way.  In fact, I still do it.  All three of my children understand that if they begin misbehaving in any public setting, I take this as a cry that they lack the attention they desire, and I WILL start hugging them, kissing their foreheads, and cradle them in my arms right in front of everybody until they feel well enough that they can behave the way they are supposed to.  So far, a pretty effective threat.
   
     On another note, I am beginning to learn to play the harmonica.  This is to keep me busy until I purchase a piano, and finally realize my life-long dream of learning to play the piano.  I have always been part of a musical family.  If we were not singing, we were learning to play an instrument.  All of my brothers and sisters were in band in one way or another, and my kid sister has decided to make music her life and is finishing her degree in college.  Other than Guitar Hero, on the Xbox, or singing karaoke, I have not been a very musical person for quite sometime.  Sure, when we are camping, we all like to sing, but I always wanted an instrument that I can play in just such a situation.  I mastered the jazz trombone, but I do not want to play that around the campfire.  The other day, Dawn found some new music for her harmonica, which she plays quite well!  Eureka, this is the instrument I have been trying to think of, so I have been in the basement guest room practicing quite a bit this weekend.  It is a lot of fun!

Stress-free Saturday

     Five days almost every week, I push myself to wake up, slither out of bed, inject myself with coffee, get ready and reluctantly get myself to a place, most often, I would rather not be.  Saturday morning, however, is a completely different tale.
     Even my young children awake differently on Saturday mornings.  They are more willing to get up, and ridiculously eager to see what this magical day will bring.
     My kitchen, usually a factory of a quick smoothie, protein shake, or bowl of cereal, transforms into what my family likes to call "Josh's Famous Pancake House."  We come up with new recipes and try them out.  The boys are always tickled to help, especially when it comes to trying a new recipe.  We sit, eat and talk...during breakfast!  We plan out the course of the day as we fight over the last pina colada pancake.
     The fondest memories I retain from my childhood are directly linked to Saturdays.  I can only hope that I am working to build solid, positive memories that my children will grasp onto and never release!
     Today was no exception.  Waking up late is always a grand idea on a Saturday.  Then, lazily moving around the kitchen to get the coffee going, the whole family starts to gather.  Today we were faced with the challenge of making the choice of which activity we would indulge.  There was a sprint boat race taking off soon from the river just down from the house.  Also, this weekend is the community Hot August Nights festival.  Last night I had a brilliant plan to get up early and take an overnight camping trip in the blue mountains.  After careful thought and much debate,  we all agreed to head downtown and join the Hot August Nights celebration.
     This turned out to be a remarkable choice!  At the show and shine, there were probably over 60 classic cars, and one 1991 Ford F250?!  We still have not figured that one out.  The boys had so much fun looking at all the cars.  There were a lot of newer cars as well.  They picked their favorite, which was a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro.  Jayce was trying to act like such a man, asking questions like "whatcha got under the hood?", and "how many miles to the gallon you get?".  Later into the afternoon, we stumbled upon a 1967 Volkswagen Bug that had been painted the colors of the Seattle Seahawks!  This was quite a treat to us!

   On another note, my oldest son is thriving at his two-a-day football practices.  He states that he is enjoying it much more than he thought he would, and is confident that he will make the freshman team.  I am so proud!  

School's out

     This evening, I received the most unusual request you could probably get from a 10 year old boy.  "Dad", he says.  "If we name at least 5 parts of an animal cell, can we not learn science tonight?"  I was tickled, and at the same time, I was heartbroken.  Am I doing them a disservice?  I hope I am not turning them away from a love for learning,

     Yesterday, my 11 year old son asked me if we, in fact, start as one cell.  An hour later they both knew everything they never wanted to know about cell division and cell function.

  Needless to say, we skipped the biology lesson tonight and talked about other things, like who makes the best pizza, and the best video games.

     On another note, My work shirts are past their prime, and ready for retirement.  I am, however, very particular on how a shirt has to feel and breath.  I could care less what it looks like, just needs to be comfortable.  Well, today I found a shirt that I liked, so I took a deep breath and now I have new shirts for every work day of the week.  I have to decide which shirts are for which days, label them and then I will be set.

     

Science 101

     I must get a bit nerdy with today's blog.  Do no turn away immediately, however, I will try and keep it brief.
     A conversation in this morning's manager sparked an old debate, so here it goes.  There is no debate on the fact that the moon, and it's lunar phases affect the waters of our planet.  This is due to the fact that the gravitational fields of the moon and earth attract each other, almost like a couple of massive magnets.  The earth is able to "hold on" to everything except water.  This is what causes the tides.  Basically, the moon is "pulling" on the oceans.
     There is also no debate on the scientific fact that 60% of the human body is water.  Why then, is there such a debate about whether or not the moon, especially when full, can make people behave strangely?
     We have all heard it.  Especially those of us that are lucky enough to work in the medical field.  "It must be a full moon!"  This is used as an explanation, an excuse, and a superstition.  I believe that the phases of the moon, by laws of science, must affect human behavior.  Enough said!

     This scientific phenomenon pretty much sums up my week, thus far! At work anyway.  I have been having a wonderful time spending time with my boys, and I am very much looking forward to taking them downtown this weekend to look at all of the cars at Hot August Nights.  This is a huge weekend festival in our community!  

     My eldest son is enjoying football practice so far, and I am so proud of his level of commitment.  I am very proud to have 3 outstanding sons!  

     On another note, I am starting to get a bit more used to this early morning thing.  I probably sound like a baby, whining about waking up at 5am.  I know some people that awake earlier than that, by choice!  When the boys return to their mothers home, and I adjust my schedule back to 8 am, I think it would be great to keep the habit of waking early, and hitting the gym in the morning before work.  We will see.

 

The early bird feels like a worm!

 

     You've heard people describe sunrise as a heavenly experience, waking up with nature, drinking coffee on the deck while listening to the silence that only the early morning can give..what a bunch of malarkey as far as I am concerned!
     For the remainder of this month, I chose to work a different schedule so that I can leave work early and spend more time with the kids.  This decision was made without thoughtful consideration of the living dead being that I turn into if I'm awake before 6 am.
     This morning was day one.  After slithering out of bed, I headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.  The Keurig maker should have a warning label: "Joshua should not operate this equipment before 0600 hours."
After what I think was a shower, I threw on the first clothes I pulled out of the closet.  Later to learn that I had put on my Wednesday shirt.  This threw off my entire morning, but I was far too tired to remedy the situation.
     When I arrived at work, I was pleased to see the faces of the night shift!  The only time they see me is when they call me for an emergency repair, or if I am there to perform one of Josh's famous 3:00 am fire drills.  I did tell a couple of them to be ready for a fire drill, just to try and make someone else feel as miserable as I. I am a stinker!
     The next 2 hours were amazing!  I had an abundance of time to get stuff done.  I am not speaking of regular time, I mean uninterrupted, nobody knows your there time.  No phone calls, no emails, and no work orders.  I do not believe I have ever had a more productive couple hours.
     The other joy of my day was at noon, when every other manager was going to lunch, and my day was almost over.  I came home and had some great afternoon time with the boys.  Totally worth it!
   

     On another note, I am starting to "Seahawkify" my office.  A bit early, I know, but I just cannot wait any longer for football season.  Today, I enlisted the services of my Seahawks garden gnome to protect my desk, I got out my referee yellow penalty flag.  This is a fun item to "use" at work!  I lined the back of my chair with a Seahawks jersey, and moved my signed football to a more presentable location.  This year my eldest son got me an autographed picture of Golden Tate, so I need to frame it and add that to the wall, and I am considering whether or not there is room on the wall for a huge 12th man flag.  My name is Josh, and I am a footballaholic!

Dog days of Summer

Do you know why they say "dog days" of Summer?  This dates back to the Romans who used to say "dies caniculares"  They named these days after the star Sirius, or "the dog star" The brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, which resembles...you guessed it, A DOG!.  Never say you didn't learn something new by reading my blog!

Today was a dog day.  We discovered that our puppy has a mild ear infection.  This is yet another chapter in the book of new things for Josh to learn.  Before Dawn and I were married I had never had a dog, never wanted a dog, and had already decided that I would never get a dog!  Now, we have 2 dogs.  She's very convincing.  So, we had to make an appointment for the vet.  Although the dogs drive me CRAZY most of the time, the enjoyment and companionship is totally worth it.

Yesterday I think I was under some sort of hypnosis, because I left work about 15 minutes early and went straight to the mirror and shaved my whole face.  I mean my WHOLE face.  by the time I came to my senses, it was too late.  This is also about the point that I realized that I was due at a Chamber of Commerce event in about 15 minutes.  It was a fun evening explaining to people what I had done.  I am not sure yet if I am going to stay smooth, or grow it right back, but here is a picture below of what I look like without a beard...

Work was great today!  My company has created an Android app that, pretty much, contains my entire job!  It is so great!  All of my inspections are on there, so I can document point of service, I can create and complete work orders from my tablet and assign them to different staff members.  I also have access to every service manual, wiring diagram, parts lists etc  for my entire building at the touch of a finger.  I have been using this since Wednesday, and it is so nice.  I am spending less time at my desk, and much more time out in the field.  Totally great of them to get that going.

The boys left yesterday, and I am already feeling the effects of not having them around.  Yesterday evening Dawn and I went to Brews n Blues at a local bar to debrief and relax.  We got a table poolside, and I found myself extremely tempted to start disciplining other people's children.  After all, I hadn't lectured a child in almost 12 hours!  I miss them terribly, but I get to spend Labor day weekend with all three of my sons.  I am looking forward to that!

Bittersweet wednesday

As before mentioned in the title of this post, today was bittersweet.  On time to work, and productive right off the gate.

I completely caught up on some paperwork, then started on some of my inspections.  Things in my building are most certainly looking up.  When I took over this building last October, I knew I had a lot of catching up to do, and it helps that half of the new building is brand new.  It is a chore, however, to keep it looking and operating that way!  Since there were no major issues to tend to, I was able to complete several of my inspections and get a head start on some new projects.

Today was a day filled with humor.  My back is now feeling GREAT after some TLC, and the fact that I happened to marry a great masseuse.  So, feeling better, I was in a very "Josh" mood.

The one low point of the day was when I decided to perform my roof inspection just after high noon.  102 degrees!  As I descended from the shingled, pitched hell, I had a couple staff members give me a puzzled look, as though I had just finished synchronized swimming practice in my clothes.  Thank God I always keep a spare shirt in my office.   After changing my shirt, only interrupted once,(some of these women in the same hall as I am need to start knocking if they don't want to see the gun show!) I decided it would be a great time to inspect the walk in refrigerator.  That turned out to be a great choice!

All in all, today went by so fast. I left early (4:28 instead of 4:30) and rushed home to prepare for what turned out to be...let's just say an interesting boat trip.

From the hours of 8:00 am until 5:15 pm there was literally no wind in our little valley.  To say the least, I was thrilled.  This is to be the boys final evening here with Dawn and I, and it was destined to be EPIC!  We traveled to the store, grabbed some dinner, and got the 2 youngest boys into their life jackets (Look up the word frustration and you will see a picture of me trying to convince 2 young boys to allow me to snug the jackets for a proper fit)  I placed the key in the ignition and it hit, so much wind I could not tell what direction it was coming from.  As I carefully navigated out of the marina, I encountered another boat coming in.  They must not have seen me 20 feet in front of them.  I was as starboard as I could get but they kept coming closer.  Narrowly escaping collision, and biting my tongue so hard I won;t be able to taste anything  for a week, We were out in the open water.  The gods must have been satisfied with the torment, because it calmed down immediately.  We headed up river a bit and Jacob wanted to try his hand at knee boarding.  He did well!  after only 2 attempts he was able to climb up onto his knees, but then his jerk of a father thought it would be a good time to punch the throttle and turn to throw him off.  He had a lot of fun!

So, as the day is at it's end, I am thinking a lot about my family, the things I have done right raising my sons, some of the mistakes I have made, and how they have grown into exceptional young men.

Tomorrow morning I drop the boys off with their mother.  This would be the bitter part of my bittersweet day.  My 2 youngest will return on Sunday for a couple more weeks, but Jacob has to begin football practice so he will be staying with his mom.

On another note, as we were heading back down river to the marina, I lost my work hat.  My favorite work hat.  but I take it as an omen.  I need to win the lottery.  HA!

Growing up WAY too fast!!!!

I swear they grew up overnight!

I am cherishing EVERY second of these boy's childhood, before it is gone.

Unproductive Tuesday

Today was about as unproductive a day as you can get.  I arrived at work 2 minutes late to find that the only thing I needed to repair before the morning meeting was a commercial blender that was not broken at all.  Easy fix right?

As my back was still giving me quite a bit of grief, I decided to do some do a physical inspection of the grounds outside.  This lasted about 20 minutes before I was in so much pain, I could barely walk.  After yet another fun and exciting manager's meeting, I had already decided I was going to leave work for the day.  This decision was further confirmed as I walked to my office resembling someone desperately looking for a bathroom after having one too many Jamie Lee Curtis yogurts.

I arrived home and I think the boys thought I was turning into a smaller, less muscular, less green version of the Incredible Hulk.  They are good boys, so they left me alone as I went to bed.  3 hours, 3 Tylenol, and several episodes of Breaking Bad later, I felt like a new man.  Thank God nobody was there to see the physical positions I came up with to stretch my back.  Honestly, I surprised myself.

Tomorrow is the last day that I will see my eldest son for a couple weeks, so we are hoping to hang out on the river after work.  No tubing, skiing, or wake boarding, just spending some time together, sharing some laughs and an occasional leap off of the side of the boat.  Here's hoping that the weather cooperates.

On another note, I am seriously considering shaving my beard clean off.  My hesitation stems from the fact that it has been so long, and I am a bit concerned about what might be under there. For those of you who have not seen me for a bit, do not misunderstand.  I do not look as though I should be manufacturing duck calls on the history channel, or singing "cheap sunglasses".  I keep it trimmed, just long enough to drive my wife insane!  I just think it might be time for a different look.

 

Updated goals

I have decided to finally finish my novel that I started writing YEARS ago.  I set a goal for December 1st to have my manuscript complete and edited.  The month of December will be dedicated to writing and editing my synopsis, or "pitch".

January of next year I will be entering the Amazon.com breakthrough novel contest.  I entered an extremely rough draft a few years ago, and ended up in the top 3,000.  That does not sound like a super accomplishment, but out of 10,000 entries, I felt okay about it.  Especially since I created the last 3 chapters in 48 hours so that I could meet the deadline.  I was not expecting to do well, I was using the experience as a way to receive feedback and criticism.  Since then, I have made some changes, and done some editing.  There is much work to be done, but I would really like to make the contest next year.

On another note, I am enjoying the little remaining time that my children are here.  Jacob leaves Thursday, so that he can attend 2 a day football practice, and Jayce and Justin are only here for a couple more weeks.  After that, it's back to the every other weekend schedule.  They have been here for almost a month and a half, and I will sure miss being able to see them every day.

The boys have spent the day today creating different variations to the game of ping pong, and I have been told that there is a family tournament scheduled for later tonight.  I don't have the heart to turn them down, although my back is causing me quite a severe amount of pain.

So, my goal for tonight is to play a bit of ping pong, and perhaps an early bedtime.