melog-20101230.log

I'm feeling a bit better. I think I'll make my way to work tomorrow.

It's just so strange not having an appetite.

My wife has seen all of the Doc Martin episodes. Now, she's hooked on Hotel Babylon.

I catch an episode here and there. I can watch an episode and then skip two seasons and catch up what happened in one episode. But, it's a catchy show. Rarely is the show laugh-out-loud funny, but it's generally amusing each time I see it.

We'll, I hear my nephew talking on the phone again. I just not realize that while he's really no bother, I didn't miss the extra chatter either.

I figured he had left a bit too soon after my wife told me about his transportation situation.

Anyhow, I need a shower. I've been laying around wallowing in my own belly ache. Maybe if I clean myself up, I'll feel a bit better.

melog-20101228.log

Today, I've felt very sick to my stomach. I didn't go to work today. I think I'll go to work tomorrow, though. Salty chips and Sierra Mist have been my diet today.

A few days ago, I got a letter from the county Circuity Clerk that for all practical purposes says:

You's a juror, bitch!

Well, I've gotta call that number first to see if I was actually selected. But if I don't show-- fines and possible imprisonment may ensue.

My nephew is back. He paid off his fines, but the car he has (the one that got him in all this trouble) has a lien against it. So basically, his dad bought him a someone else's "repo" car that has a tag from another car who's status is "stolen".

So, when my poor nephew tries to get the title of the car in his name, he discovers his dad bought him a car that belongs to someone else-- an angry bank.

So, that car can never be his. He's worked out getting another one and thinks he'll have it legally his and running by the end of the week.

I asked him who sold his dad that car-- he said that it was a friend of the family.

My response to that was, "Well, that guy isn't a friend of the family any longer! Find out who that dude was that sold your dad that car and make sure you never personally do business with him! You see him coming, you go the other way!"

Amazing how you can get Christmas presents for the kids and they are so, so happy.

Then, on the 26th-- they're bored silly! What's the point!?

Oh well, glad the gift giving stuff is over. I can do without all of that for now.

I like the lights, I like the songs, I like the well wishes-- but the gift exchange business-- I can really do without that. I never get a gift that I truly like without telling people what I want.

My wife gets me gifts out of our own money, with my knowledge-- so where's the surprise?

I'd rather just have a quiet evening with my family. And that's just what I got this year. It was nice.

Well, I'm signing off for now. My stomach is queasy.

melog-12252010.log

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

I'm sitting her listening to the wood in the fireplace crackle and pop.

I've been eating off of a piece of Belgium Chocolate hazelnut cheese cake all evening. That is one fine piece of confection, I must say. I mean . . . really fine.

Well, everyone has fallen asleep. My wife was supposed to wrap the presents, but she's knocked out. I suck at it, so . . . I really don't know what to do about it.

I'm highly content at this moment. I think sometimes this is really all I shoot for in life-- to have moments where I can sit back and watch my family be comfortable and safe.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

melog-20101223.log

well . . . i got a two in one special tonight (or today, depending on your perspective).

got the web server back up. but, i wasn't too worried about that.

the really goody was finding out that the web site i was using to help me set up ipv6 had OLD information in it. once i found that out, i found better sources and fixed the problem quite easily.

the little ".ip6.int" does *not* go at the end of your zone entry in the /etc/named.conf file. rather, you have ".ip6.arpa" at the end of the file. after that, everything made sense.

i'm really glad i spent some time a few months back reading a book called "code" by charles petzold. if it wasn't for spending some time with that book a while back, i think ipv6 would have really stomped the hell out of my brain!

i'm glad i started reading that book. nope, not finished with it, but what i have read has been invaluable towards my understanding the field in which i currently work.

well, gotta get some sleep. since i worked late, i can probably sleep in a bit. but, then again, i can get a little over time if i can prey myself from the bed.

i think i like sleep at bit more than money sometimes.

melog-20101222.log

today, i had the pleasure of wrapping my brain around ipv6. ip addresses will eventually start including hexadecimal conversions along with base 10 conversions of binary addresses.

so, we'll not only have addresses like this:

192.168.6.148

(i just pulled that example above out of my ass-- not an address of any one that I know)

but, also like this:

34FF:2704:39Af:4::128

(likewise, i just pulled this exampled out of my . . . ah, never mind . . . )

looks fun, doesn't it?

i'm trying to get my dns server at work to resolve this stuff. i've got the forward working. but, i'm missing something on the reverse.

but, i really need to be checking out an alert on a web server. it went down and i brought it back up. but now, a co-worker of mine wants to put the server in some sort of maintenance mode for a bit and bring it back up. i'm not sure what he's doing to it at the moment.

i'll have to call him in a bit, i guess.

good to know that the christmas gifts arrived. my wife has hid them from the kids.

i also got two children books written in german and english. i'll start working more on my foreign language. i played around with some chinese the other day, too. that's some hard stuff to read and say.

except pizza. pizza is easy to say. "bi - sa".

and "nee hao".

i get lost after that.

better stick with german for now.

melog-20101221.log

the idea of lounging at barns & nobel after work while blogging and eating a triple chocolate chunk cookie seemed delightful at first.

but, the crowd is massive and the line is utterly long, and all of a sudden, I'm no longer interested.

so, i come home. my wife and kids aren't here, yet. so, i come home to a quiet house.

i like that much better than the scene at the book store.

one wouldn't think it, but today could be the end of the internet as we know it. at least, that's what many advocates for net neutrality are saying today. the fcc voted on the specifics of net neutrality today. and, it appears the devil is found in the details. the fcc is being accused by various groups of only feigning support for true net neutrality, while all the while, taking sides with big businesses like comcast, at&t, and verizon.

i hope the clarion call from the internet doomsday proponents is a false alarm.

but if it isn't-- you can kiss your netflix and skype goodbye.

and, pucker up your lips for more kissing-- because now we'll be heading downhill. kiss your liberty one last time before we make our descent.

melog-20101219.log.0

ok. now the rest of my body is becoming sore like my hands.

actually, my hands feel much better, but are still sore. my upper back and legs are getting stiff. my "bowling" arm is getting sore from my wrist up to my elbow.

but, it's not too bad. stiffness more that soreness.

sort of reminds me of working out after falling off the wagon for a while.

so, the feeling is a reminder that i need to work out again.

my mother called me yesterday. she told me that one of my uncles passed away. i didn't know him, but every time, i'm reminded of my dad's passing. i'm also reminded that my life is ticking away, just like his finally did. so it is with my mother, and everyone else that i love.

i don't become sad, exactly, when i think of these things. well, maybe a little, but not tremendously so.

rather, i wonder what could i be doing to improve me life (whatever that means).

i need to live better. seek the wealth of life. not just money-- but all the things that make life more enjoyable. health, time to enjoy one's self, and that feeling you get when you do something meaningful and helpful to change your world around you.

so, time to buy some protein powder, start lifting weights, start doing some cardio, and start pursuing those things i've been putting off for a while now.

sometimes it seems fruitless, because it's hard to start this up, and even harder to keep it up, and even more difficult to start again once you've failed after a year of great progress.

but, we've got to be like that spider in that childhood song, and climb back up that spout again even after the rain has washed us out over and over again.

melog-20101219.log

you know, bowling was really fun, but my fingers are really, really starting to hurt now.

can you say, "carpal tunnel"?

i thought my back would be the casualty of my activities saturday evening, but no . . . it's my hand!

ouch!!

some of the schmoyoho brother's videos have really been crackin' my side!

one about the grocery bagger wasn't very funny, but was interesting. the quote in the video really caught my ears: amateurs practice to get it right, but the pros practice to never get it wrong.

then i reflected upon the creatively behind many of the good videos that they have and their singing talent is actually quite good.

it all made me wish that i was extremely good at something that made me stand out. it made me wish that i could have a masterpiece of some sort in any area of creativity-- music, writing, video, comedy, research-- anything.

maybe one day . . .

i can tell you one thing, though. you can bet your ass that for me, it *won't* be bowling!

melog-20101218.log

i hung out earlier today with a few friends i made at a local meet-up. we went bowling today. it was fun. it was my very first time ever going.

i suck.

but, still, i had fun.

i scored better than my age, but that's about all i can say.

i did make two spare shots in one game. if i hadn't had a gutter ball the first time, i would have made my first strike.

well, bottom line-- i had fun. it was nice to catch up with a group of people that wanted to just hang out and have simple fun. it was cool.

i then treated myself to a nice juicy steak after we parted ways. i had been wanting some steak for a few days now.

my wife was about to cook some salmon, but it has been in the freeze for a good while. i guess it's not edible any longer. Maybe i'll go to the store and pick up a fresh one. we'll see . . .

Yesterday was rough. I ended up working late and chasing down constant problems from this mail upgrade. work has piled up on me a bit. i may need to do some work sunday to catch up.

my wife has become determined to get back on trying to lose weight and eat healthy again. she's right-- we both need to. so, starting tomorrow, i'll try to make some healthier choices. betting back on my weight loss program would be a good idea for me. maybe that will encourage her, too. i sure need to lose weight, too.

melog-20101216.log

well, work has gotten better. ironed out more problems and got a handle on some things.

hard work sometimes pays off.

not so for my wife. my wife told me that she heard a rumor that her boss was about to be reprimanded by her superior again.

i warned my wife that if that happens, she should be on the look out for a tongue lashing after her boss gets chewed. why? because that's how people deal with stress. the boss chews you out, then you go home and kick the dog.

my wife is the "dog" in this scenario.

and that's exactly what happened. today. man, that book "ape in the corner office" is quite a powerful book.

my wife was pretty upset this afternoon, but she was already expecting it. and, she didn't let herself get drawn into a nasty argument that could have gotten her in deep trouble.

well, indian food is her comfort food. i went out and picked some up for her. hope she feels better soon.

well . . . my nephew has moved out! he says he's ready. his brother picked him up this evening. his brother can't give him a ride regularly because he plays college football way across the state. he just got home from school for christmas break. so, my other nephew came by and swooped him up after he packed his things-- which wasn't much. a small bag of clothes and an air mattress.

our nephew left me with a great parting gift: funny ass youtube videos!!!

i've laughed so hard that my throat is getting sore! it's the best thing my nephew could have given me in exchange for staying here. that, and just staying out of trouble and making good decisions from here on out.

here's the videos:

"expert" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yghFBt-fXmw&feature=channel

"double rainbow song" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX0D4oZwCsA&feature=fvw

" back it up song" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIoG4PlEPtY&feature=channel

"bedroom intruder" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMtZfW2z9dw&feature=channel

"mommy & daddy song" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOVeDwFLd1Q

that last song . . . boy . . . i can relate to that one . . .

and to my embarrassment, my son can too.

melog-20101215.log.0

well, today turned into total suckage.

my mail sever upgrade apparently didn't go as smoove as i thought.

overall, mail works. but, a lot of nit-picky problems are happening. everything overall is buggy.

that's why i hate patching and upgrading.

if it ain't broke . . .

i've been working all the way from 08:00 until now. time to go home and start over tomorrow. hopefully we can slay this beast once and for all.

you know . . . sometimes a downgrade *is* an upgrade.

melog-20101215.log

i don't know how i got up so early today. i went to bed relatively late-- about the same time i always do, even though i wanted to go to bed earlier than usual so that i might actually get up earlier.

my wife worked late last night. she usually gets the kids up for school. i did it before our daughter started school with our son for the past two years. i guess my wife is giving me a break because i am not a morning person.

i guess i got up early because i know she's tired and she's also picked up this dreadful cough.

i thought she was getting better, but i guess not. starting with that night where she went out, she's came home with a soar throat. she seemed better until this morning. now, i'm worried she needs a doctor visit.

she's fallen asleep for now and the cough has stopped. she finally took some medicine she had left over from her last sinus infection.

it got really, really hot to me last night. i turned down the heat and turned on a fan. i wonder if that made things worse for my wife. i dunno. it was like an oven before i went to bed. i couldn't sleep.

well, i need to start getting ready for work. my job is close to my home, but that's deceptive. traffic is so bad for such a small town. it's like everyone tries to move to this town because the capital city has gone to shit.

oh well, better get to the daily grind.

melog-20101214.log

just finished watching the movie cashback. i really enjoyed it-- and not for the reasons one might think. the move has a lot of nudity in it, but that's not really what made it good. i enjoyed the ending. i think it was the first love story i really enjoyed. it left me feeling good about life and wanting to take more care and pay attention to each moment that passes with those i love.

then, i started watching michael moore's capitalism: a love story. now, that's been a downer so far compared to cashback. but, i think it's something every citizen of the united states needs to watch. it everything that comes out of moore's mouth the gospel truth? nah, not necessarily. but, he often makes important points that deserve serious evaluation.

this really makes me more interested in the fixcongress movement. our government is being bought right from underneath us. if we don't do something now and shake the apathy, we'll be slaves before we know it.

our government was designed to be self correcting, but the people are the engine of that self correcting engine. several prominent founding fathers of our nation knew even 200 years ago that the people needed to keep a watchful eye on our government's actions and remain in control. once we drop the ball collectively, we're in trouble.

and a study of psychology has demonstrated that collections of people can very easily begin to loaf, become apathetic, and drop the ball.

well-- i'm not finishing that documentary tonight. like cashback, i'll have to watch it in spurts. i don't seem to ever get enough uninterrupted time to sit in one place for very long.

my dear, dear friend in germany sent me some links to some children books that are in english and german. i think i'll buy them for myself as a christmas present. i'll try to put more effort in german and hopefully other languages in the future.

then, i can hopefully get outta the country if the new revolution against the rising cooperateocracy fails.

well, my wife is home. besides, i really wanna gets some sleep. i want to try and turn over a new leaf and try to start getting up in the morning. maybe if i get more sleep, i'll have a bit more pep.

i realized today after doing some cashflow analysis and budgeting that wealth is more than just having money.

now, i'm not wealthy. but, if i ever will be, i've gotta make some changes.

i eat out so much; and i'd have more money if i didn't. but, i'd also be healthier, too. less money on healthcare (most likely), too.

that's is also a part of wealth. not just money, but just the sheer enjoyment of one's life.

so, i think i'll try to get more sleep, eat and live healthier, and hopefully save more money over time.

well, time to go. i'm rambling. but, i wanted to take note of this before i went to sleep.

melog-20101213.log

today, a customer said that i had really earned my pay today and that she appreciated my attention to detail.


what a way to end a difficult day!


forget the crown, i had to break out the carolin's tonight and get in touch with my irish heritage.

my wife is absorbed by the british comedy "doc martin". i like it. i noticed a few players from the IT crowd show up in it.

speaking of IT crowd-- the fourth season comes out on dvd tomorrow. but netflix says there will be a short wait. bummer. i hope it goes instant view like the other seasons did. if so, then i can probably still start on it.

i've been salivating for more IT crowd!

melog-20101212.log

i took my mom to church today. i didn't go-- i just dropped her off and then picked her back up. i hang out at her house with the kids until she wants me to pick her up.

then, i go grocery shopping for her because she's elderly and doesn't get around very well. she also doesn't drive any longer. so, i try to take care of all those things she needs. my brother used to do all of this until he ended up in prison.

but, it's my mom. it's the least i can do.

my mom bought us some chinese food for dinner. we at really good for just $22.00. i got food for myself, my mom, the kids and my wife.

my nephew vanished for a few days. he's back at the house now. i guess he didn't have to work and stayed at home with his mom at the so called, "original crib". i think this is his last week, but who knows for sure.

on the way home, my wife told me that the garage door wouldn't open. my nephew noticed that a screw fell down somewhere when he opened it to go outside.

i was a bit upset at first (not at any person-- just at the situation).

but, i calmed down and looked things over. i found the screw and saw where it went. i found that actually two screws came loose. I bolted them back and pushed the button to raise the door.

nothing happened.

i looked at the motor hanging from the celling. i unplugged it, and plugged it back up again.

nothing.

i examined the whole thing and tried to understand how it works. eventually, though a process of elimination, i realized that something had to be wrong with how i bolted everything.

then, i realized that all of that was fine-- except that there is a red string that hangs from the lever that i bolted back. that string is a safety mechanism and i finally show that it was set to the manual position. so, that disengaged the motor.

so, i pulled the string to set it back into the auto position and Voilà, it works!

i felt like a real big cheese.

melog-20101211.log.0

nothin' like listening to the black eyed peas' "let's get it started" while finishing up with the last touches of a successful mail server upgrade.

melog-20101211.log

my family is sick.

soar throats, sneezing, coughing . . .

except me. i doubt that will last long, but so far i'm not suffering from any cold symptoms.

my wife asks me for soup.

my daughter sneezes from five feet away and can still spray you.
she keeps asking me for something to eat.

my son does, too.

everybody seems a wee bit needy today.

i didn't get to bed until about 03:00 this morning. i stayed up watching clips from the community channel. i hadn't watched in a while and wanted to catch up.

i get a really good shake around 09:30. my wife wants soup.

my daughter wants food, too.

and my son, too.

i go to walmart. come home, make food.

i had to work today, too. i had to change out a cpu fan in a server. i also had a server hard drive crash on me. but, it was being decommissioned anyhow.

serendipity to the rescue.

well, i'm making soup for my wife as i'm typing this. so, i had better take care of that before i scorch it.

i can say, though, when i'm sick, my wife takes really good care of me. but, i'll be honest-- i don't want my turn to be sick to come my way any time soon.

melog-20101210.log.0

well, my wife made it home alright. she had a nice time. she thanked me for not giving her a hard time for going out. she said that she probably won't go out again for a while. she just notices that the environment really isn't her scene. nothing is really going on that makes her fell totally comfortable.

well, i'm working late, but about to go. actually, i sort of phase shifted my hours. so, i'm not working extra exactly. but, i do need to do some maintenance saturday. the joys of system administration!

i found myself extremely tired today. not so much from staying up late. but, i was drained. i think it's from being out of shape.

so, today, i avoided eating left over little caesar's and took some canned salmon and made a sandwich out of it. not great, but not bad either. i plan to take some time to get myself into better shape.

ok, i did find some popcorn in the break-room. but, i also ate the apple that someone left on the "free-for-all" table. so, i think i'm still on track.

i also drank water and green tea, today.

i've been listening though all the albums i own by björk. i'm listening to her medúlla album. when i first heard it, i tossed it aside and only listened to maybe one tract. but, the more i listen to her, the more i enjoy just listening to her singing voice. and so, her songs that i didn't like much sound better over time. and, albums that i wouldn't listen to so much, catch my ear more often.

she's a true musician to me. she seems to love sound itself. i know-- everything she does isn't great to everybody. i understand that. but her music falls on my ears and i like what i hear.

i remember the first time i heard music by björk. i didn't listen to her when she first came out. i didn't think anything over her until around year 2000. my brother had a collection of cd's and i wondered what björk sounded like.

i put in the debut cd and was greeted by "human behavior". man, those beats were tasty. i was hooked just off the first song! i just kept listening to more and more.

i even found myself listening to the sugar cubes. i even found an icelandic jazz cd that she did before her first solo album.

anyway, medúlla is a bit tough to listen to sometimes. the album is mostly a capella. maybe only a few songs have instrumentation that strongly accompanies the vocals on this album. the album is like strange chamber music. some songs are quite beautiful. others are haunting and quite alien. i think that's why it is hard to listen to. you hear all these beautiful sounds with a raw, untamed edge. not each song is like that, but many are.

a few of the greatest musicians were booed and hissed on their debut. but generations later, their works changed music forever.

i don't know if medúlla is one of those albums or not. but, i think björk has truly proven herself as a great musician and artist. i often wonder what her next musical project is.

well, gotta head to the pharmacy. my wife says she thinks she's coming down with a sore throat.

gotta watch that night air-- it'll get you.

melog-20101210.log

well, my wife is still out. i was trying to wait up for her. for a weeknight, she's been gone a good while.

she expressed some guilt before leaving. she said she felt like she probably needed to stay home with the family and not hang out. she felt like maybe she was going to a scene where she didn't fit it-- a married woman hanging out with a single woman, looking for a catch.

i told her not to feel bad about going out tonight. everybody needs some time to enjoy themselves. but, i also told her that if she ever feels in the future that she's going out in that sort of environment, then maybe she shouldn't go.

she seemed to take that to heart.

well, i'm a bit concerned. i know we're both going to be really tired when it's time to get up and work through the day.

i gotta admit, she was looking really hot when she left-out. i told her she better not pay any attention to any people trying to get in with her.

and nowadays with people being more open about ambivalent sexuality, i have to watch out that i don't lose my wife to another man or woman!

i hope she's alright. it's late for a weeknight.

melog-20101209.log

well . . . today was rather vanilla. but when it comes to life, vanilla is one of my favorite flavors. predictable, safe, and you can add other flavors to it (like chocolate) whenever you decide.

i've been rather drained lately, though. i've got a server at work that keeps freezing up, but the logs don't say anything. it's like having a friend or spouse who won't talk to you, but there's a problem somewhere in your relationship.

and issues like this tend to cause you to lose sleep. they stay on your mind and keep you digging for answers when none seem to be there. yep, that's what this particualr server is doing to me.

i'm sitting in the server room, about to go home and call it a day. noisy place, a server room can be. luckily, we have a small office adjacent to the server room. i can sit here and work, and listen to jimi for a little bit between phone calls.

really makes the time zip by!

my tenant finally got the heat turned on! makes me feel good knowing that all the effort finally make the house habitable.

but, the tenant said that he's short on the rent and asked if i'd wait until monday to collect.

i don't mind, but i hope he doesn't keep putting that off until new years or something.

all i know is, bitch betta have my money.

i paid too much to get the plumbing and heat fixed for someone to live in that house for free!


my wife might go to a party tonight with a new girlfriend of hers. so yeah, it's a girl thing. i need to find myself a party to go to one night. maybe i'll call up my old friend that i bumped into at the chinese restaurant last week. catching up with him and talking about old times would be real good fun, i bet.

but as things are, she keeps going out while i sit at home and watch the kids.

ok, she doesn't go out all the time, but more than i do.

time to add just a little flavor to my vanilla ice cream life.

melog-20101208.log.0

ate lunch at backyard burger. tasty.

my wife had the day off today, so i didn't have to get the kids after school.

it's nice not having to run around town so much.


i like our local backyard burger. they play 80's hits all day long via satellite radio.

i like the sense of nostalgia that i get when i sit in their restaurant. not that the best songs come from the 80's exactly-- just that those songs bring back a lot of childhood memories because songs of that error were always in the backdrop.

i heard songs like toto's "rossana", "i wear my sunglasses at night", and "say,say,say" by paul mccartney and michael jackson.

why, i even heard a christmas song by jon bon jovi.

i also tried backyard burger's pecan cobbler. i only found one real problem with their pecan cobbler--

it didn't come with a glass of milk.

melog-20101208.log

wow. snow flurries.

no snowmen, though, i'm afraid. not this time.

snow is unusual around here. but, it does happen now and then.

melog-20101207.log.2

well . . . my wife just dumped me for a mini-series on netflix.

i guess i'll go surf the web . . .

melog-20101207.log.1

got the kids in bathed and in bed. my mom fixed us a meal over at her house. she usually cooks something for us on the day that my wife often works late. but, sometime she doesn't make very much. and sometimes, well . . . beggars can't be choosers.

i cleaned up in the kitchen a good bit. but, never mind that so much-- it won't last long and no matter how much i do, it never looks all that improved.

it's tough when both the husband and wife have a full schedule. neither of us wants to clean up after a demanding day of running around everywhere trying to please employer, spouse, kids, school, and teachers-- while dodging life's pitfalls as well.

i say this for my wife as well. it's not just me. i know she's in the same shoes as myself. i can't complain if she doesn't clean up. i wouldn't want to (and don't want to) either.

i need to do something to decompress. this journal is a really good start. i think i need to add in some exercise soon to deal with my stress. and, i think i need to cut back on how much running around i do. not quite sure how to accomplish that yet.

i watched a little bit of "win it in a minute" with my mom. that was fun. two sisters from tennessee trying to pay off their mother's mortgage.

i wonder if they won. the internet can tell me later.

i've also heard that elizabeth edwards passed away. she is the wife of senator john edwards. i wonder how their relationship ended up after it came out that he cheated on her a short while back. i hope they made amends before she died.

my wife is home now. i'd better pay more attention to her now.

melog-20101207.log.0

blah.

i'm tired and grinding down to a halt.

i just can't get going lately.

i noticed that i drive a lot. take the kids to school. go to work. take lunch and pick up my nephew to drop him off at his job. turn back around, pick up the kids, take them to grandma's (my mom) and drive back to work in a hour's time.

now, i've gotta get the kids from grandma's, drive home. may end up driving back out to pick up my nephew.

i just wanna go to sleep.

glad work is over for today.

melog-20101207.log

i know, i know . . . i should be asleep, right?

but, two things i've just read have really astounded me!


1) NASA published a study claiming to have discovered microbes whose DNA uses arsenic as opposed to phosphorous. so then, life has possibly been found that uses a totally different DNA sequence from all other known life on this planet.

2) scientists reversed the age of some mice in a lab. they first accelerated their age by breeding mice that were missing a certain enzyme called telomerase. then, when the mice started to develop diseases and physical conditions associated with aging, they injected the mice with doses of telomerase. the mice reversed in age-- meaning cell regeneration actually made them younger as their physical aging conditions reversed.

hot damn!

that may not work for humans. but who knows?

now, that's a really good reason to start exercising and losing weight. extend our lives so that we can one day drink from the fountain of youth!

melog-20101206.log.1

by way of a blog called uzza's notes, i've learned of a website that claims the rapture will happen on may 21, 2011.

i'll put that date on my calendar.

melog-20101206.log.0

my daughter is putting on what she calls "eye shades". she has a hello kitty make-up kit. she's smearing make-up all over her eyelids. she's got purple eye shadow on one eye and pink on the other. she's got the stuff all across the bridge of her nose and in her eye brows.

now, she's going for the lip gloss.

my son is folding his clothes that he washed. he's even folding some towels. he's slowly becoming more and more responsible. i'm glad to see that.

my wife is in class. i hope she's doing well on her test. it think it's the final for this particular class. i wish her luck.

in a few, i'm putting the kids to bed. they should have been asleep by now, but they were at my mom's house and i had some problems at work keep me there. we ate at chick-fil-a and came home to finish up homework-- but it was already passed their bed times.

so, time to get them to wind down.

dang. i forgot to buy some soap!

maybe my wife can pick some up on the way home from class.

melog-20101206.log

a lot of people are changing their profile pics to cartoon characters from their favorite childhood tv shows in support of child abuse awareness.

and several things happened after that . . .

1. a meme started up suggesting that this action on facebook is somehow helping abusers and pedophiles.

2. people searching for the person who started this whole thing

3. people have started arguing that changing the profile pics is a useless endeavor and helps no one. and, further more, lulls people into thinking they've done something good when they ain't done shit.

i will admit, i changed my profile pic to a cartoon character in an attempt to support child abuse awareness.

i will also admit that doing so don't do shit for anybody. well, not exactly, anyhow.

but, it is good that this whole conversation has started. it appears that awareness has come about after all. people are debating. and the debate will spur someone to meaningful, helpful action-- someone who was doing little more than simply sitting on his or her rump before today concerning this issue. and this is a debate that perhaps wouldn't have happened if no one thought of the profile pic meme in the first place.

so, the act of changing the profile in and of itself is perhaps useless. but, the collective act, and all the feedback of some many people is helpful indeed. it has started getting people to think and express their passions and challenges for action.

that's a good thing, i think.

now, what am i gonna do to really, truly help.

hmmmmmmm . . . .

melog-20101205.log

i ended up asking my wife to take the kids to the book fair yesterday.

after that, we ate at a mexican restaurant. our nephew came along. since his birthday is soon, we paid for his meal and told him that was his birthday and christmas present from us.

ok, maybe we'll still get him something for christmas, if the plumber didn't take all my money with him and his crew.

i did an excellent job of distracting my wife while she tried to study last night. we started off listening to lots of old school hip-hop like run dmc, rob base, young mc, and stuff like that. then, we started listening to the old school r&B ballads from the likes of guy, bell biv, devo, boys 2 men and such. then, we started listening to old school blues like muddy waters. and well . . . that lead from one thing to another.

as a result, i felt obligated to help her study today. so, that's what i've been doing-- helping her with finding in her text book a ton of famous historical figures, their works, and the influences of their work society past and present.

the book, the "end of education", suggested that anyone who would consider oneself to be an educator should have at least read "democracy in america" by alexis de tocqueville. i do not plan on teaching, but i've been told i should be one. but, teaching frightens me, and i feel unworthy attempting this important craft. nevertheless . . . i think i shall read that book next. i so happen to have an abridged copy sitting on my dvd shelf above my tv. i swiped it off my brother's book shelf after he ended up in prison.

hey . . . it's no use to him at the moment.

well, i've got to scan some notes for my wife as she is studying. she wanted to e-mail some of her notes to a classmate that had a death in the family.

my daughter is complaining of a tooth ache. my wife worries it's serious. she says she knows someone who had a five year old daughter just like ours who complained of a tooth ache. the child happened to have cancer and did, according to my wife.

so now, my wife is a bit worried.

i don't want to be totally dismissive. over and over again things like this have come up and they have come to mean nothing. but i never ignore them. i just try to find out the facts and then move on if nothing was ever wrong. i'll do the same here.

but, i couldn't help seeing in my imagination my daughter's lifeless body on a hospital bed flash though my mind. then i thought about my son. then, i thought about them watching me die.

then, i decided i'd get up, clear my head and scan these notes.

and then, before i knew it, i was logging on to blogger.

see how therapeutic writing can be? this is why i must write about me.

i think my nephew came back with a bottle of coke. a few days ago, he brought home several shot sized bottles of crown royal. his office manager gave them to him after work.

great minds think alike.

melog-20101204.log

woke up about 07:15 and zipped out to the rental house. the plumbers met me there and finished the last bit of work. the plumber didn't give me a price this time. he just asked me to give him whatever i wanted.

since he had three guys there with him and the work took about 2 hours, i gave him $120.

later, i will get ready to lick my financial wounds and wonder if there will be any presents under the christmas tree.

i had a server alert from work while the plumbers were working on my house. luckily, the alert occurred not long before they were finished with the plumbing. so, i'm at work, but about to leave the server room. now, i'm getting ready to visit my mom for a short moment and then head home.

my son eagerly wants to go to a book fair. but, i keep finding myself either at work or dealing with that plumbing stuff. today is the last day (i think). so, i had better take him.

never shun a child's excitement for books.

melog-20101203.log.1

not out of the woods yet with the plumbing. replaced a lot (not all) of the galvanized pipes under the house. mainly, he replaced the ones that were touching the ground. but, the newer pvc pipe raised the water pressure that flows though the plumbing. as a result, the specific pipe that connects the tub started to leak profusely.

we turned off the water (since the tenant is still out of town) and will try to fix that pipe in the morning. but, that's going to mean going through the wall.

ugh!

i'm not doing anything else any time soon to that house after this pipe gets fixed.

at least i'm passed the problem with the gas inspection.

my brother tried to call me. he's bugging me about sending this money to a total stranger again. i didn't talk to him, but never has he called me three days in a row. i hope someone isn't extorting him or threatening him. he sounds very nonchalant when he calls, but his actions seem to show desperation. i'm worried about him.

well, i've got to get up early in the morning to meet the plumber again.

i hate getting up early on saturdays. that was the only thing i hated about my kids being in soccer-- getting up early on saturdays.

i've got several things i need to do that i don't want to do. but, i have to. none of it will be comfortable.

i feel a bit defeated right now. but, i know it will get better soon.

melog-20101203.log.0

slow day today.

that's just how I like it.

maybe i can talk my wife into grabbing some mexican food tonight. after that, we'll try not to eat out any more for a while.

but first, i gotta check on the this last job that the plumber performed on the rental property. after that, i'll pick up the kids and head home.

and then hopefully, out to the mexican restaurant.

melog-20101203.log

waking up today was extremely difficult to do. but, i tried really hard today. i was very sleepy and wanted to go back to sleep, but i pushed against the bed with all my will and pried myself away from it.

i got the kids ready for the bus. i determined today that i would reach towards being the man i wish i was.

that would have to begin with waking up early, and being in control of my day rather than having my day tell me what i should do.

i stood at the end of my driveway, watching my two children wait for the bus. i stood their with great pride in my kids-- and in myself for not oversleeping and getting them ready.

my wife, out of the blue, came to the garage entrance and said, "you know, you've got a beautiful stance. i've always liked your stance."

maybe for the first time in my life, i felt like a real man.

signing off now. gotta get ready for work. no excuses today.

melog-20101202.log.0

I've had a helluva day. It went something like this:

Dec 2 07:30 uruk kernel: helluvaday daemon: woke up late. overslept.
Dec 2 07:50 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: rushing to my garage so i can speed off to work. noticed flat tire on car.
Dec 2 07:51 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: informed employer i would be late. discussed transportation alternatives with my wife.
Dec 2 07:55 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: doorbell rings. huh? who the hell is ringing my doorbell before 08:00 on a week day?
Dec 2 07:55 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i'm greeted at the door by a crew of workers who are ready to do scheduled foundation work on my house. i knew they'd come this month, but no one told me they would be here TODAY. but, they're here in full force. they offered to reschedule, but i had to request them back in October for them to show up here today. so, do you think i'm gonna reschedule?
Dec 2 08:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: I log on remotely to my office computer and try to get some work done. Ha, ha, ha! stupid fool . . .
Dec 2 08:30 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: the first plumber that messed me over from the last batch job on my rental propety leaves me a message telling me that the city inspector could show up at my house any time today between 09:00 and 13:00.
Dec 2 08:35 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: my *new* plumber calls me and confirms this because he's trying to schedule a new inspection. he finds out an inspector is already scheduled. the plumber is already waiting at my rental property in case the inspector shows up. but i need to be there to unlock the door.
Dec 2 08:38 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: like a mad man, i try to jack my car up and change my flat tire. glad i bought that spare yesterday, or i'd really be up the shit creek without a paddle.
Dec 2 08:50 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i'm asking my nephew when he needs to be at work. he doesn't have to be at work until 15:00. cool. he can babysit the house. i tell the foundation workers that i'll step out, but luckily, my nephew will be here. i expect to be back by 14:00-- about the time they think they'll be finished with their work.
Dec 2 09:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i'm flying down the highway at 90mph to get to my rental property, hoping the inspector hasn't already showed up.
Dec 2 09:05 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: while speeding down the highway, i call my boss and inform him that even though i fixed my flat, i'll be out of pocket unexpectedly. i apologized for the short notice. i'll have to burn another vacation day. at least he's understanding about everything. i'm indebted to him many times over.
Dec 2 09:15 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i arrive at the rental property. my "plumbing crew" that i hired is there. actually, i just hired one guy, but he had two buddies and a brother helping him out.
Dec 2 09:20 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: my plumber whips out a tall "cold one" from his cooler and starts to roast me a little in front of his crew. it's all in fun though. he's just bullshitn'. that's probably NOT the first beer that he's had today. we just sit around and shoot the shit, waiting for the inspector.
Dec 2 10:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: no inspector yet. still shootin' shit.
Dec 2 11:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: no inspector yet. one leaves to get something to eat. when he comes back, the other three leave. he offers me some of his cookies and bologna (no bread, just bologna-- odd). i eat a cookie and explain to him about how this whole plumbing debacle started in the first place. i sent for something to eat by way of the other guys. they bring me back some popeye's chicken cause popeye's is the shiznits.
Dec 2 11:30 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: no inspector. one of the guys leaves. he was really just hanging out, anyway.
Dec 2 12:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: no inspector, yet. another guy leaves. same thing . . . he was really just hanging out.
Dec 2 12:30 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: no inspector, yet. but, an old neigbor pulls up and asks me how i've been. then, proceeds to tell me that my tenant has become a blight in the neighborhood. several nights out of the week, he allegedly has parties so large that you'd think my rental house was a juke joint or club. i have a really big backyard on that property. about 14 cars could be parked back there. the neighbor was saying that my tenant filled up the whole back yard, the driveway, have cars parked all down the street, and visitors often block neighbors out of their own driveways. holy fuck! i had no fuckin' idea! why am i going though all this trouble if i may have to evict this guy in another month?! my neighbor says that he creates so much traffic that you'd think he was running a business or something in a residential zone. not cool at all. she also thinks a lot of illegal activity is going on like gambling (on a large scale, not just a few buddies playing poker)-- and who knows what else.
Dec 2 12:40 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i ask my wife if she can go back to our house, and check on the foundation people. my nephew will need to go to work soon and someone will need to present payment to the foundation workers. she agrees. thank you so much, sweetie!
Dec 2 13:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: no inspector. we call the city because the inspector is overdue. the city tells us to call back if no one shows by 14:00.
Dec 2 13:15 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: now, it's just me and the plumber. the third extra guy left. all of a sudden, this guy starts to remind me so much of my dad. he looks very similar to him. has many of the same mannerisms. the way he drags off his cigarettes, the constant sipping of his beer, the slur in his speech. he even wears a quilted, plaid jacket just like my dad used to wear. he's been telling me off and on all day, "i wanna be like you when i grow up". i kept thinking he was taking digs at me or something. i finally ask him why he keeps saying that. i told him i'd rather be like him, because he reminds me of what i think a man should be (minus the smoking and drinking-- more so the wisdom and know how to seemingly fix anything). i told him about how i admired the way that my dad could do plumbing, auto mechanics, and all sorts of other things. i resented that my dad didn't pass that information down to me. i told him how my dad always said to me, "son, you don't have enough patience for that".
Dec 2 13:20 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: the plumber replied . . . "you know why your daddy told you that? your daddy didn't want you to do that kind of work. he wanted you to aim higher than what he had ever accomplished. that was just his way of telling you that." he seemed so sure that was way-- as if there was some encrypted code that my dad was using, and this elder man before me had the cipher key. almost as if he gives his children the same excuse for the exact same reasons my father gave me excuses. i almost cried, but . . . i held back my tears. maybe my dad meant well for me all this time and i didn't know it. for that moment, i felt like my dad's essence had embodied this man before me, and i had one last, fleeting moment to talk with my father face to face.
Dec 2 13:30 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: the plumber takes time to explain to me that the inspector may not come. he says that he's dealt with a lot of inspectors before. they usually only have a few properties to go to each day. they drive around and spend five minutes at each place. they probably spend most of their time goofing off and not even doing their work. he said that the inspector may just neglect coming out because he's hanging out somewhere that he shouldn't be. great. just great.
Dec 2 13:45 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: no inspector, yet. the plumber gives the city a call. the plumber's brother comes back over to the property where we've been waiting for four hours and 45 minutes, now.
Dec 2 14:20 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: still no inspector, but the plumber comes up to me and says that the inspection passed. what. the. fuck.
Dec 2 14:22 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: he tells me not to argue about it, but to call the city for myself and check. i do-- i call the city. i dial the number myself with my phone and they confirm the address of the rental property. then, they tell me that the inspector came by this morning and passed it.

but no goddamned inspector ever came to my mother fuckin' house.

but, i didn't complain. i'm just happy this damn thing is finally behind me. it's been a long time comin'. it's only 14:20, and it's already been one hellava day!

Dec 2 14:25 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: the plumber takes the pressure gage off of the house and makes the furnace ready for the local gas company. my job is done. i already paid for the work, so i didn't owe anything else. i've got one more plumbing project to do for that house, but that's not worth mentioning in light of all else that has happened.
Dec 2 14:35 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i'm at the bank, trying to get my down payment for the next job i want the plumber to complete at the same property (i only have one rental property. it's not like i'm doing this for a living. i just wanted to move and couldn't sell my house). the ATM is not working at the bank, so i have to go inside or go in the drive through. i go inside. two tellers. one teller is tied up with dealing with the ups man. the other teller is caught up in personal conversation with the customer. really? really?!
Dec 2 15:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i make my way home. my wife stayed at the house and got the kids from school.
Dec 2 15:30 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i tell my wife about our day. she almost cries when i tell her about what the plumber said about my dad blowing me off about learning certain trades. she almost cries, too.
Dec 2 18:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i take the family to pizza inn. i can't even remember what happened between 15:30 and 17:59.
Dec 2 18:44 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: my brother calls from prison. he asks me if i sent that unbelievably large money order to this unknown person yet. WTF. he really wants me to do this. it's the only reason why he called. i feel obligated, but . . . man, that just seems like a really dumb move.
Dec 2 19:00 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i go to the barbershop where my nephew works. he gives me a haircut and manicures my beard and mustache. since i'm a first time customer at that shop, i get a free hot towel treatment, tea tree oil treatment on my scalp, that comes with a hair wash and massage. very refreshing and relaxing-- but a bit awkward. my nephew was massaging my head and face. felt good. just kinda wish it was my wife doing that rather than a guy . . . i dunno . . . just didn't feel quite right somehow. but, i enjoyed it enough to where that wouldn't keep me from getting another one. i think i'll need that at least once a month, if my finances will permit.
Dec 2 20:15 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: head home with the family. they came with me to the barbershop. not quite sure why, but they did. we headed home.
Dec 2 20:45 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i started recording this melog.
Dec 2 22:07 uruk kernel: hellavaday daemon: i'm planning on drinking some crown royal, and reflecting on what a hellava day this has been.

melog-20101202.log

i took some time to get out of the house earlier for some "me" time.

i went to a restaurant and had some boneless buffalo chicken and a draft beer.

i caught up on some reading while waiting on my order. i picked up where i left off in reading neil postman's the end of education.

i'm really starting to dig that book. i've finally made it to part two.

yes, i finally made it past chapter two. :-D

i came home and asked my daughter-- if a (friendly, of course) space alien landed in our back yard, how do you think you would communicate with him or her?

she said she would start speaking "alien language".

"but, how does that go?", I asked. if you don't know the "alien language", then how will you speak it?

she was quiet for a moment. then she asked me how would i do it. i told her that i would discuss my ideas with her later. i encouraged her to think in the meanwhile what she might do in that hypothetical situation.

then, i asked her a second question-- what if you had a new classmate from another country that didn't speak english very well. how would you communicate?

she said that she'd share her things and be really nice to the new classmate.

i thought that was an interesting answer.

i want to get her thinking about how this world is bigger than our house, her school, her neighborhood, and her state and nation. and our planet is like one big spaceship flying through space. and we're not likely to jump ship any time soon. so, we had better be careful what we do while we're on board.


i'm thinking of some other (hopefully) thought provoking questions for both my son and daughter. i hope i can teach them how to learn and how to gain their own education for the purpose of being good citizens of this planet and of this nation. to accomplish this, one must be willing to peruse practical knowledge via the road of trial by error and critical thinking.

i spent time talking with my nephew about money. i told him some of the budgeting and investing ideas i've learned about. i also told him about my mistakes and pitfalls.

he seemed to listen and was very appreciative. he also contributed to the conversation quite a bit.

he seems to really be passionate about being a barber. this isn't just a job for him, i see. he takes this very seriously. he's providing a service that effects the self esteem of many people. grooming in many other apes signifies acceptance, because apes tend to groom their friends for long periods of the day. an ape that isn't well groomed is probably being shunned from the troop.

the naked ape seems to have held on to much of that evolutionary pattern, despite having very little visible hair on the body (when compared to other apes).

well, i should be asleep. and now i shall do just that. i probably have a busy day tomorrow.

let hope it's fruitful.

melog-20101201.log.2

well, things haven't fallen in place like i had thought.

the tenant is out of town, but he has a lady friend who checks on the house while he's gone. she's not staying there, but checks in daily. she reported to him that the hot water isn't working.

hopefully it's minor, but i dunno.

but, it's on the plumber to correct that, per our agreement.

but still, using up the time to deal with this is a pain.

my wife will help me out with this. she'll try to meet the plumber for the inspection and the water heater issue.

i also have a complication with the inspection. the paper work is still under the original plumber. so, the new plumber can't take action on my property until the first plumber's paper work is revoked.

and this shit just keeps going on and on and on . . .

well, the good news is that our company was generous enough to give each of us a christmas bonus this year. now i have some extra money to take care of the plumber. if i'm lucky, i'll have a little left over to buy nice a present or two.

melog-20101201.log.1

been rippin and runnin' . . .

met the plumber at my house. he had four guys with him. the specked out what i needed and carried me to the hardware store. they picked out the parts and i paid for them.

the cost was around $19.00 for the parts.

they worked as a team and brought my house up to the city code. now, we wait to find out when the inspector will return and check the house.

i paid $400 for labor. that sounds like a lot, but i would have to pay the last plumber another $350 for a new gas test, and then labor at $95.00 /per hour.

that's why i never called those other plumbers back. rather than plumbing my house, they were plumbing my arse for my wallet.


two of the guys that worked on my house today reminded me of my idealized version of my dad. my dad was . . . well, i dunno. he could make you so angry. at his worst, he was a deceptive deadbeat that would swindle his own children. at his best, he shined like a heroic knight saving the day. usually that came when he fixed things for you or stood up for you against someone bullying you.

these guys reminded me of that good side i remember about my dad. they seemed to know what they were talking about and had a professionalism about them. yet, they were relaxed and would shoot the shit with you while they did they're work. they seemed wise and seasoned. they seemed to have a honorable trade and skill, and the appeared to be passing it down to their children. they seemed in control of their lives and they acquired something that seems to have always alluded me in my opinion of myself. they acquired manhood.

i see manhood as that trait that commands respect from others because you've deal with everyone in a fair way. but that's not all--

i also see manhood as the ability for a man to take charge of fixing a problem by relying on wisdom and experience. by having access to a team of other wise men, who will work together to fix any problem.

i think highly of any person who can fix a car, washing machine, plumbing problem, or heating problem. i wish i had that skill. i wish i had already known what to do about the plumbing issue.

my dad could have fixed that problem for me, were he living. he could have taught me how to do these things for myself, had he spent more time with me growing up.

and so, now, the thing i admired most about my dad is at rest with him in his grave. he carried it away with him, and left me no inheritance at all. had he at least left that with me, i think i'd be at least half the man that a truly good man can be.

i know people who know me well would say that i'm being hard on myself. but, i wish i could pass something down to my children besides just morality. i wish i had something to give them that would equip them with wisdom and know-how for the journey ahead.


/////////////

after taking care of the plumber, i went to an old, familiar chinese eatery that i hadn't been to in a long, long time. they still remembered me, because i went there quite often. they remember what i liked to drink. they knew what i wanted to order before i sat down. they still cared. i told them that i'd moved, and i happened to on this side of town. so, i paid them a visit for old time's sake.

and just before sitting down, i had the pleasure of bumping into an even older friend. one of the last people i ever expected to see again, but someone i think about a good bit. we talked for a bit and caught up on what was going on in each other's lives. he told me about his family, his parents, and mutual friends.

we laughed and exchanged phone numbers. i hope that's not the last i see of him. i'll try to keep up with him this time around. a good, old friend is very hard to replace.

well, my kids are home from school. i still have errands to run. i need to get my spare tire fixed before i regret it. i also need to take care of some budgeting.

maybe i'll squeeze in a hair cut, too, if it's not too late. i squeezed in the grocery shopping that my mom needed me to do and dropped it at her house.

my kids are whining beyond belief. i'll have to continue my journaling later.

melog-20101201.log.0

man, that school bus comes early. geez, it's still dark outside when we have to wake up.

i saw a bright object in the sky as the sun was coming up. i hear that venus is usually the bright "star" one sees in the morning. it hang away from a bright crescent moon that was still visible as the morning light encroached upon the sky.

it's a beautiful site.

ugh . . . my stomach had started hurting. i guess i had too much cocoa covered ice cream last night. note to self: take it easy on the ice cream and cocoa.

i was going to lay back down and nap a bit before heading out to meet the plumber since i was up so damn early. but, i think i've lost that opportunity. i was writing an e-mail to remind my supervisor that i was taking off today. i saw something work related that caught my eye-- and there i was working anyway!

well, when you have some zombie computer in (insert foreign country) trying to break into your one of your servers, you have to deal with it, or else, you'll have spam spewing from your server while you're sitting at home watching tv or going to bed for the night.

i hate spammers.

melog-20101201.log

i should be in bed, but i'm not.

my wife made it home. we talked a bit. she's falling asleep.

she's depressed this evening. her hairdo high has come down and now she's starting to crash. oh well, at least she had two days of happiness.

we found ourselves discussing all the problems in our family. one niece has dropped out of her first year of community college because she got pregnant just before the semester started. now she wants to use a old beat up car of mine that probably doesn't run anyhow. she doesn't have her license yet.

aw . . . never mind. it starts to get too depressing.

well, i didn't get around to watching star trek. i decided to read some other blogs instead. i find a lot of enjoyment keeping up with my favorite blogs.

and, i just polished off another bowl of cocoa covered vanilla ice cream. mmmmmm, fattening.

time to get back on my exercise plan. so hard to get that going again. but, i had better. i'm starting to feel run down again.

so odd how that feeling goes away when you exercise on a regular basis. but, exercise if often the last thing a sedentary person wants to do.

hopefully i can get back into it and stick to it. all this ice cream is going to force me to by new pants if i keep this up.

maybe it will inspire my wife, too.

well, gotta get some sleep soon. got an appointment with the plumber tomorrow.

good thing the tenant is out of town. otherwise, he's be at the house freezing his ass off right now!

i hope i can get this fixed before he gets back.