Life undoubtedly has changed. A global pandemic will do that. I haven't worked in a little over a month. My employer did what was right and paid everyone for the first two weeks of this whole shutdown, and I've used some vacation time I had saved up. Just this week I filed for unemployment for the first time ever. That felt weird. There are some changes that have hit harder than others and some aspects which have had little to no personal impact.
The big impact that most people are dealing with is just being home all the time. Even when I left my previous job, I didn't take any time off. I just went to a new place of work the next day. This is the first time since 2005 that I haven't been working. I know that this is only temporary and eventually I will be back at it, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy not working every once in a while. Don't get me wrong, there are days where I just aimlessly wander around the house looking for something to do. It helps to get up and walk around for a bit just to get the blood flowing.
We all knew that our screen times were going to skyrocket and I have tried (with some success) to keep my time down. On a typical work day, I'd average around two and a half to three hours on my phone. On a good day now it's up to around four hours but most days hovering around five hours. I mean, you can only watch so much HGTV and Netflix right? We don't have sports to waste the day away right now (christ I miss baseball). To combat the screen time villain, I've been spending time putting puzzles together for an hour here and an hour there. Just for something different to look at. Last week I dug out my records and just sat and listened to Led Zeppelin I. I've started re-reading The Walking Dead. All of these things little things can add up to staying away from the phone. I highly recommend it.
At the moment, my wife is also off of work. She worked for about a week longer than I did, but she had the opportunity to work from home. We have taken on some small projects around the house. We've painted our main floor bathroom and replaced some fixtures. I cleaned up and reorganized the basement. The garage has been swept. A permanent rod has been installed in the laundry room. We blocked off some space in the backyard for growing wildflowers. All these things would have eventually gotten done, yes, but now we're needing things to do to pass the time.
The largest impact on our lives has been not going out when we feel like it. Over the past month we have left the house once maybe twice a week. I'd say in a normal month we'd go out to eat five or six times. That doesn't seem like much, but when that option is off the table it makes you miss it that much more. And yes, if we really wanted to we could order for take out we just haven't done that. We should to support all the local restaurants, but we're also watching what we spend.
Luckily, we are child free. We do not have to schedule time to do home schooling. Good on all you parents out there that are having to put that on your plates. This seems to be one of the largest hurdles the general public has had to overcome. Not only are we all staying home, but most are having to juggle work and life all day every day. Good on all you parents out there rolling with the punches and drinking heavily to get through your kids' school day.
Just remember to take care of yourselves. And if I hear 'now more than ever' even ONCE after this has passed, I will lose my shit.
Showing posts with label daily life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daily life. Show all posts
24 April 2020
02 August 2019
A Choice, A Change
If you stop and think about it, life is just a choose your own adventure book. The only difference is you cannot look ahead to each choice and then take the better option. Everyone that ever picked up a choose your own adventure book did this. You cannot lie about it, you know you did that. I'm not talking about making choices like steak or chicken for dinner, I'm talking big choices. Choices that can change your life. Sometimes these choices aren't yours. For example, I have thought about how different my life would have been if my parents decided to stay in the Detroit area instead of my dad taking a job in the U.P. This decision was not mine to make as I was seven at the time, but if they didn't make that choice, I would not have met my wife. That's just bananas to think about, isn't it? That's also super scary to think about. How different are all of our lives based on decisions that aren't yours to make? When I sit down and think about those kinds of situations, my mind always comes back to two different choices that were made that impacted our (mine and my wife's) lives.
The first choice wasn't even really ours to make. After college my wife got a job with Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. When we were graduating college we agreed that we would move to the first place where one of us found a job and that is just how we ended up down there. But this isn't the choice I'm talking about. Moving to Wichita seemed like a pretty easy decision. It was either move and be gainfully employed or stay unemployed and continue to look for a job. So we moved and worked down there. Found a great group of friends. Adjusted to life with no winters, no trees, and being far from family. We even started to look at buying a house. It was shortly after we started looking at houses that the economic recession hit and my wife got laid off because of it. This was about four or five years of living in Kansas, so we were fairly well established in the area. It's safe to say we dodged a giant bullet in not buying a house. We would have been in a great financial mess. Shortly after getting laid off, my wife started looking for jobs. We thought staying in Wichita was an option, but there wasn't much happening in her field of work. So she looked into Kansas City. Bigger area, we figured there's a better chance there. No luck. We got to the point where it was 'find a job anywhere and we can move'. With my working retail, and at the time with Target, it gave us some flexibility to move. Transferring wouldn't have been a problem. Here's where the choice comes into play. My wife had a couple of interviews with a company in Charlotte, North Carolina. One was a phone interview and the second was an in person interview. They flew her in, she stayed for a couple of days. We both thought it went well. The company even had someone drive her around the area to see some neighborhoods. After that, I started looking at stores to transfer to, even talked with my human resources manager about the move. Then the company chose to go with another candidate. Heartbreak.
We were on the verge of discovering another city and another state. We were in our late twenties, the time to strike out on your own and make those kinds of moves. To discover new and exciting places, even if it's farther away than maybe you had ever imagined living from your family. You never know what would have or could have happened had we ended up there, and that is kind of the fun part of thinking about situations like this. Would I still work for Target? (short answer is hell no). Would it have been a place we would have hated? Maybe. Or could it have been a city we would have fallen in love with? The answers are always going to be up in the air. Looking back on it, I'm glad the company made the choice to go with that other candidate because it has led us to the second major choice in our lives which has worked out great for both of us.
After about a year of no luck on the job front in Kansas or elsewhere, it was decided it was time to get out of the state. Outside of a great group of friends (our Kansas family) we had no ties to the state. It was tough seeing our actual family two, maybe three, times a year. We wanted to be closer. We wanted winters again. We wanted to see trees and water and not melt when you step outside in early July. We were able to pick and choose where we wanted to go. There were a few qualifiers we were looking at. It had to be closer to home. It needed to be big enough of an area for job opportunities for both of us. The economy in Michigan really hadn't turned around quite yet, so that was out of the question. We thought about Chicago for a split second then realized....ewww, Chicago. The idea of living in Milwaukee or Madison was also on the table. There are a few companies that my wife could have worked at. There were some factors that went into our decision to not move there. Another place was the Twin Cities in Minnesota. We have family and friends that live in Minnesota and they never really had anything terrible to say about it. After looking and talking about all these options, we landed on Minnesota. It was as close to being in Michigan without living there. The economy was rebounding nicely so the job markets were starting to pick back up. This was the second big choice in life.
I look at our move to Minnesota as that second major choice for a few reasons. The big reason is work. My wife found a job that was decent after we moved here and just recently found one that is a little bit closer to home and a much better working environment. I was able to transfer stores while working with Target and that made the move easier. We see our family more than a few times a year as we are now just a nine to ten hour car ride away. As opposed to a flight or a two day drive while we lived in Kansas. The past few years, I have been able to take some time off in the fall and go hunting back home. It is great because I love being in the woods at that time of year. Plus, I'm able to provide plenty of food for everyone in the years that I am lucky enough to harvest a deer. Above all that, I have found a job that I love. By the time my eighth year of working for Target was coming around, I realized that I wasn't going anywhere with the company. It was not fun to work there anymore. That was almost six years ago which is crazy to think about. My move to World Market probably would not have happened if we hadn't moved to Minnesota. World Market has been great for many reasons, but the biggest one is the relaxed atmosphere. It is not nearly as stressful and therefore better for me.
It was probably inevitable that I moved on from Target, but if we had lived in another state maybe I would be working for a different company. Maybe I would have found some random office job if we moved to North Carolina or a warehouse job in Wisconsin, we will never know. Making big decisions like this can be scary, but that is what life is all about. Taking big risks like moving to a new state or leaving a job can impact your life in so many positive ways, but those risks have to be calculated. Impulsively moving without having a plan isn't the way to go. I like to think that in all the other multiverses out there, we made the move to Charlotte and to Madison and to Milwaukee and that those versions of us are just as happy as we are here in Minnesota.
The first choice wasn't even really ours to make. After college my wife got a job with Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. When we were graduating college we agreed that we would move to the first place where one of us found a job and that is just how we ended up down there. But this isn't the choice I'm talking about. Moving to Wichita seemed like a pretty easy decision. It was either move and be gainfully employed or stay unemployed and continue to look for a job. So we moved and worked down there. Found a great group of friends. Adjusted to life with no winters, no trees, and being far from family. We even started to look at buying a house. It was shortly after we started looking at houses that the economic recession hit and my wife got laid off because of it. This was about four or five years of living in Kansas, so we were fairly well established in the area. It's safe to say we dodged a giant bullet in not buying a house. We would have been in a great financial mess. Shortly after getting laid off, my wife started looking for jobs. We thought staying in Wichita was an option, but there wasn't much happening in her field of work. So she looked into Kansas City. Bigger area, we figured there's a better chance there. No luck. We got to the point where it was 'find a job anywhere and we can move'. With my working retail, and at the time with Target, it gave us some flexibility to move. Transferring wouldn't have been a problem. Here's where the choice comes into play. My wife had a couple of interviews with a company in Charlotte, North Carolina. One was a phone interview and the second was an in person interview. They flew her in, she stayed for a couple of days. We both thought it went well. The company even had someone drive her around the area to see some neighborhoods. After that, I started looking at stores to transfer to, even talked with my human resources manager about the move. Then the company chose to go with another candidate. Heartbreak.
We were on the verge of discovering another city and another state. We were in our late twenties, the time to strike out on your own and make those kinds of moves. To discover new and exciting places, even if it's farther away than maybe you had ever imagined living from your family. You never know what would have or could have happened had we ended up there, and that is kind of the fun part of thinking about situations like this. Would I still work for Target? (short answer is hell no). Would it have been a place we would have hated? Maybe. Or could it have been a city we would have fallen in love with? The answers are always going to be up in the air. Looking back on it, I'm glad the company made the choice to go with that other candidate because it has led us to the second major choice in our lives which has worked out great for both of us.
After about a year of no luck on the job front in Kansas or elsewhere, it was decided it was time to get out of the state. Outside of a great group of friends (our Kansas family) we had no ties to the state. It was tough seeing our actual family two, maybe three, times a year. We wanted to be closer. We wanted winters again. We wanted to see trees and water and not melt when you step outside in early July. We were able to pick and choose where we wanted to go. There were a few qualifiers we were looking at. It had to be closer to home. It needed to be big enough of an area for job opportunities for both of us. The economy in Michigan really hadn't turned around quite yet, so that was out of the question. We thought about Chicago for a split second then realized....ewww, Chicago. The idea of living in Milwaukee or Madison was also on the table. There are a few companies that my wife could have worked at. There were some factors that went into our decision to not move there. Another place was the Twin Cities in Minnesota. We have family and friends that live in Minnesota and they never really had anything terrible to say about it. After looking and talking about all these options, we landed on Minnesota. It was as close to being in Michigan without living there. The economy was rebounding nicely so the job markets were starting to pick back up. This was the second big choice in life.
I look at our move to Minnesota as that second major choice for a few reasons. The big reason is work. My wife found a job that was decent after we moved here and just recently found one that is a little bit closer to home and a much better working environment. I was able to transfer stores while working with Target and that made the move easier. We see our family more than a few times a year as we are now just a nine to ten hour car ride away. As opposed to a flight or a two day drive while we lived in Kansas. The past few years, I have been able to take some time off in the fall and go hunting back home. It is great because I love being in the woods at that time of year. Plus, I'm able to provide plenty of food for everyone in the years that I am lucky enough to harvest a deer. Above all that, I have found a job that I love. By the time my eighth year of working for Target was coming around, I realized that I wasn't going anywhere with the company. It was not fun to work there anymore. That was almost six years ago which is crazy to think about. My move to World Market probably would not have happened if we hadn't moved to Minnesota. World Market has been great for many reasons, but the biggest one is the relaxed atmosphere. It is not nearly as stressful and therefore better for me.
It was probably inevitable that I moved on from Target, but if we had lived in another state maybe I would be working for a different company. Maybe I would have found some random office job if we moved to North Carolina or a warehouse job in Wisconsin, we will never know. Making big decisions like this can be scary, but that is what life is all about. Taking big risks like moving to a new state or leaving a job can impact your life in so many positive ways, but those risks have to be calculated. Impulsively moving without having a plan isn't the way to go. I like to think that in all the other multiverses out there, we made the move to Charlotte and to Madison and to Milwaukee and that those versions of us are just as happy as we are here in Minnesota.
07 June 2019
Lawn Care Etiquette
It's that time of year again when home owners have to drag themselves out of the air conditioning and cut the grass and weed the flower gardens. It's both terrible and satisfying at the same time. You look at the lawn when you finish and it looks so nice. You just have to deal with being out in the heat and humidity when you do it. Or you could pay someone to do it. That's always an option I suppose. Our lawn is small enough that with a push mower I can get it done in less than an hour. I remember cutting the grass growing up and my brother and I would split the work between the two side yards and the front and back yards. It seemed to take forever when we did it, but that could just be because we were so young. Living in a neighborhood where the houses are so close together, I have been thinking about law cutting courtesies. At what time is it appropriate to get out and cut the grass? When is it too early or too late in the day? You don't want to be that house on the block that everyone hates because you cut the grass at the wrong time. If you don't know which house is that house on your block, you might be that house. Don't be.
I first started to think about this because I left for work one day a few weeks back and the owner of the house on the corner was almost done cutting his lawn. It was 7:00 in the morning. My only thought was 'wow, what a dick'. I understand a lot of people, myself included, would prefer to get the grass cut early in the day before it gets too hot outside. I cut the grass this morning around 10:30 and it was already above seventy degrees. It was not pleasant. It is Friday and I figured it was a reasonable time. Most people are at work if they have a standard Monday through Friday type job. If there was anyone around that maybe works different hours like overnight or second shift type jobs, 10:30 shouldn't bother them, right? The last thing that I would want is to be trying to sleep and a neighbor being out with a loud mower or weed whip.
I'm not a huge fan of lawn work in the evening. I always look at the evening as a time to relax and unwind from the day. The last thing that I want to do after work is do more work. Plus, it seems that bugs are more active in the evening. Who wants to swat at mosquitoes and gnats and try to cut grass at the same time? I know I don't. However it could be the only time to do it. It's not that I flat out refuse to do evening grass cutting, I just prefer to do so in the morning.
How early is too early? I suppose it depends on the day. If it is during the weekend, and I want to be outside doing this, I might start a little bit later. Most everyone catches up on sleep during the weekends. During the week, I'll maybe start a little bit earlier than on the weekend. An easy way to know is to just wait for someone else to start. Let someone else be the asshole that wakes the neighborhood up. Personally, I think 9:00 during the week and 10:00 on the weekend are perfectly acceptable times to start lawn work.
I first started to think about this because I left for work one day a few weeks back and the owner of the house on the corner was almost done cutting his lawn. It was 7:00 in the morning. My only thought was 'wow, what a dick'. I understand a lot of people, myself included, would prefer to get the grass cut early in the day before it gets too hot outside. I cut the grass this morning around 10:30 and it was already above seventy degrees. It was not pleasant. It is Friday and I figured it was a reasonable time. Most people are at work if they have a standard Monday through Friday type job. If there was anyone around that maybe works different hours like overnight or second shift type jobs, 10:30 shouldn't bother them, right? The last thing that I would want is to be trying to sleep and a neighbor being out with a loud mower or weed whip.
I'm not a huge fan of lawn work in the evening. I always look at the evening as a time to relax and unwind from the day. The last thing that I want to do after work is do more work. Plus, it seems that bugs are more active in the evening. Who wants to swat at mosquitoes and gnats and try to cut grass at the same time? I know I don't. However it could be the only time to do it. It's not that I flat out refuse to do evening grass cutting, I just prefer to do so in the morning.
How early is too early? I suppose it depends on the day. If it is during the weekend, and I want to be outside doing this, I might start a little bit later. Most everyone catches up on sleep during the weekends. During the week, I'll maybe start a little bit earlier than on the weekend. An easy way to know is to just wait for someone else to start. Let someone else be the asshole that wakes the neighborhood up. Personally, I think 9:00 during the week and 10:00 on the weekend are perfectly acceptable times to start lawn work.
21 February 2019
Well Spent
This past weekend I celebrated my 37th birthday. And by 'celebrated' I mean chilled and kept it low key. I'm not all about big celebration or grand gestures. I wanted to just enjoy the day. I took three days off of work which is what I normally like to do for my birthday just because. I don't want to be at work on my birthday. It's a day for me.
The first day of my three day weekend was spent watching the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. I have been doing this for several years now. I grew up loving these movies and I still do. Yes it's nerdy. Yes I could do something else with the six and a half hours. No I don't want to do anything else with that time during my birthday. We see those social media posts that are like 'take care of yourself' and 'self care is important'. Self care has many facets and I think that some include losing yourself in a favorite movie or book or tv show.
Saturday and Sunday were spent just chilling at home and doing a little running around. My wife and I checked out a brewery in Hastings and ate dinner at a restaurant we liked. I say we checked out a brewery, but let's be honest, I checked it out. My wife doesn't drink so she tolerates me enjoying a beer or two while we sit and talk. It's what we're all about.
Everyone spends their birthdays in different ways. Some go all out with parties while some lay low. It's all about what you want to do isn't it? Embrace being selfish on your birthday. If you want to sit around in your pjs all day and drink coffee while reading a book, DO IT! If you want to go shopping and buy some new clothes just because, DO IT! If you want to invite a bunch of people over for an all night rager, DO IT! Spend the day feeling great about yourself, but also think about doing that more than just once a year. Celebrate a half year birthday, or just celebrate you every couple of months.
The first day of my three day weekend was spent watching the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. I have been doing this for several years now. I grew up loving these movies and I still do. Yes it's nerdy. Yes I could do something else with the six and a half hours. No I don't want to do anything else with that time during my birthday. We see those social media posts that are like 'take care of yourself' and 'self care is important'. Self care has many facets and I think that some include losing yourself in a favorite movie or book or tv show.
Saturday and Sunday were spent just chilling at home and doing a little running around. My wife and I checked out a brewery in Hastings and ate dinner at a restaurant we liked. I say we checked out a brewery, but let's be honest, I checked it out. My wife doesn't drink so she tolerates me enjoying a beer or two while we sit and talk. It's what we're all about.
Everyone spends their birthdays in different ways. Some go all out with parties while some lay low. It's all about what you want to do isn't it? Embrace being selfish on your birthday. If you want to sit around in your pjs all day and drink coffee while reading a book, DO IT! If you want to go shopping and buy some new clothes just because, DO IT! If you want to invite a bunch of people over for an all night rager, DO IT! Spend the day feeling great about yourself, but also think about doing that more than just once a year. Celebrate a half year birthday, or just celebrate you every couple of months.
07 May 2017
Cart of Life
It's not that I have a coffee addiction, it's just that I enjoy it on a daily basis. An entire pot of it. I didn't start drinking coffee until I was in my mid 20s, and it was then that I found it to be wonderfully delicious and an even better decision. Since then, I have had coffee almost every morning. It is just part of the routine now. Wake up, drink a cup, pour the rest in my thermos for work, and enjoy throughout the day. It's all natural too, so it's much better than drinking things like pop or energy drinks, right?
Once we moved into our house, I set up a nice little cart for my coffee and all things attached with said coffee. Coffee beans, grinder, maker, filters, a place for my cups and thermos. I do love my coffee. Some might say I have a problem, but they're wrong.
Once we moved into our house, I set up a nice little cart for my coffee and all things attached with said coffee. Coffee beans, grinder, maker, filters, a place for my cups and thermos. I do love my coffee. Some might say I have a problem, but they're wrong.
24 April 2014
Falling Behind
I may have painted myself into a corner here. I set a high goal of writing one hundred and twenty posts this year. This post is number thirty. We are coming up on the end of April. I should be close to forty posts. So I'm a month behind on posts. Where's Smarch and it's lousy weather (point for The Simpsons reference!) when you need it?
So...what's going on in life? Not much. How sad is that? We planned out our summer vacation for August. Which seems sooooooo far away right now. After leaving my previous job, I have had to rebuild my vacation time. It takes a long time when you are starting over. I can't wait for our vacation though. It's chock full of stuff and things to do with family. We are also trying to figure out if we want to do anything for a random weekend in June or July. Not anything with family, but something for ourselves. Something out of the Twin Cities. Going somewhere we have never been, but we don't want to spend a ton of money. It's in the works right now.
We started looking at buying a house. That's kind of a big deal, right? As we've stated to people, we are passively looking right now. We are in a lease with our apartment until the end of August. It seems far away, but holy shit that time can fly like no one's business. I know my parents were super excited about it. And we are too. We've been living in apartments for too long. One issue was my wife losing her job and set us back to square one in the housing front.
So that's about it. We have just been plugging away at work and daily life. Saving up money for our next steps in life. We are kind of boring. We work, come home, go to bed, and repeat.
30/120
So...what's going on in life? Not much. How sad is that? We planned out our summer vacation for August. Which seems sooooooo far away right now. After leaving my previous job, I have had to rebuild my vacation time. It takes a long time when you are starting over. I can't wait for our vacation though. It's chock full of stuff and things to do with family. We are also trying to figure out if we want to do anything for a random weekend in June or July. Not anything with family, but something for ourselves. Something out of the Twin Cities. Going somewhere we have never been, but we don't want to spend a ton of money. It's in the works right now.
We started looking at buying a house. That's kind of a big deal, right? As we've stated to people, we are passively looking right now. We are in a lease with our apartment until the end of August. It seems far away, but holy shit that time can fly like no one's business. I know my parents were super excited about it. And we are too. We've been living in apartments for too long. One issue was my wife losing her job and set us back to square one in the housing front.
So that's about it. We have just been plugging away at work and daily life. Saving up money for our next steps in life. We are kind of boring. We work, come home, go to bed, and repeat.
30/120
24 July 2013
That's Cat-tastic!
Back in April, we had to put our cat Libby to sleep. It was a very very sad and very very difficult decision. She wasn't the typical run around, meow at everything, be out and about cat. She just kinda hung out. Like a badass that didn't care if you thought she was around. Very 'yeah, I'm here, what?' Even though she wasn't always out and about, it was strange for a couple of months not having her around. I would wake up in the morning for work and walk out and expect to see her out on the couch and she wasn't there. We went three months without a cat. It was a good time frame for mourning the loss of Libby.
While home, my wife adopted a kitten. We named her Olive. I missed out on Libby's kitten phase because I was still working in Michigan while my wife was down in Wichita. So it's fun for me to play with Olive. She is in her bite everything phase which we should break soon because we don't want a cat that bites as she grows up. She'll play for quite a bit and then just fall asleep. Every once in a while she'll randomly fall of the couch quite humorously. She bounces right back like nothing happened. The best part about having a kitten? I can hold her in one hand. That's how small she is right now.
While home, my wife adopted a kitten. We named her Olive. I missed out on Libby's kitten phase because I was still working in Michigan while my wife was down in Wichita. So it's fun for me to play with Olive. She is in her bite everything phase which we should break soon because we don't want a cat that bites as she grows up. She'll play for quite a bit and then just fall asleep. Every once in a while she'll randomly fall of the couch quite humorously. She bounces right back like nothing happened. The best part about having a kitten? I can hold her in one hand. That's how small she is right now.
06 April 2013
Lazy Morning
This morning I woke up around 7:30. My first thought was 'holy shit it's early'. Then, while I was laying in bed contemplating whether or not I wanted to try to go back to sleep, I realized I had slept for about seven hours. More than my fair share. Six to six and a half hours is normally what I have been getting so anything more than that is awesome. When I sleep for eight hours it is mainly because I had only gotten four or five over the previous three days. So, up and at 'em before 8:00 this morning.
Up to do what exactly? We still are apartment dwellers so I don't have lawn chores to deal with. It's the morning of a closing shift at work so I don't really want to do anything. I did the only thing I could do while trying not to make too much noise. A whole lotta nothing. And let me tell you, it is everything slackers have made it out to be. It's almost like I'm on vacation, but I still know that I have work to do later today. Being productive during the morning when I have to go to work in the afternoon just never sits right with me. I don't know why.
So here I sit on the couch with the television off staring at the computer screen. As long as I'm doing something it does not feel like a wasted morning. I made a pot of coffee. I finished watching a movie. I've listened to some podcasts and some music. I've read through some articles online. I adjusted my fantasy baseball lineups (yes, I do that). And I'm writing this post. This is the extent of my productivity for the morning. Plus, it's a weekend. Everyone is suppose to be a little bit lazy on the weekends. Am I right?
Up to do what exactly? We still are apartment dwellers so I don't have lawn chores to deal with. It's the morning of a closing shift at work so I don't really want to do anything. I did the only thing I could do while trying not to make too much noise. A whole lotta nothing. And let me tell you, it is everything slackers have made it out to be. It's almost like I'm on vacation, but I still know that I have work to do later today. Being productive during the morning when I have to go to work in the afternoon just never sits right with me. I don't know why.
So here I sit on the couch with the television off staring at the computer screen. As long as I'm doing something it does not feel like a wasted morning. I made a pot of coffee. I finished watching a movie. I've listened to some podcasts and some music. I've read through some articles online. I adjusted my fantasy baseball lineups (yes, I do that). And I'm writing this post. This is the extent of my productivity for the morning. Plus, it's a weekend. Everyone is suppose to be a little bit lazy on the weekends. Am I right?
21 October 2012
Time Apart
This time last week, I was spending the days with my in-laws. They came for a quick visit here in the Twin Cities before flying out to Colorado Springs to see my brother in-law. My wife went with them. Family time is always great. I had to work, so I am still in Minnesota. I have never objected to her wanting to spend time with her family, that's just not how a marriage should work. Besides, it gives me time to watch a ton of sports, drink a bunch of beer, and walk around in my boxers (you may think I kid, but I do not).
One thing I have always thought that makes a great marriage or relationship work is the ability of those involved to be able to spend time apart. Everyone should want to see their partner whenever they want, but there also has to be individualism in the relationship. Everyone needs their space from time to time, and their partners need to understand that. I haven't gone anywhere this past week, but have enjoyed the time to myself. I've had two responsibilities: go to work, feed and water the cat. That's it. Whenever I am left to my own devices, I have some great routines set up (sad, I know).
There are three big meals that I cook early on in the time by myself: spaghetti, goulash, or chili (depending on the season). The recipes I have are all from my mom, so they were written to feed a small army, or one grown man four or five times in a week. Once that domestic chore is done, guess what, I don't have to cook anymore if I don't want to. If the grill is set up, I usually partake in some Man Grilling Time (or MGT). The other food oriented thing I do is treat myself to one night out. Tomorrow night, the Detroit Lions are playing the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. That's why I waited until the last night to go out. I find a sports bar and drink some beers, eat some not so healthy but oh so delicious bar food, and watch some sports. I feel that doing this in a sports bar is acceptable. If I were to go to a place like the Olive Garden, it would be weird. Everyone stares at the person eating in a restaurant all by themselves. In a sports bar, it's okay.
The other thing I do, and this may seem small and insignificant, is watch movies. There are only a few television shows that I watch, but I love movies. I've taken these times apart to watch an entire series (from 'Alien' to 'LOTR' to 'Star Wars') or new movies. This week, I watched 'A Serious Man' and 'Cabin in the Woods'. Both I would recommend. There are also the records that I listen to. There is just something about listening to an LP that makes me happy. Yes they are big and bulky and you have to flip them over, but there is a soul in each record. The music is different on a record as opposed to a CD or the digital version.
If I am going to be home by myself for a week or so, I always take advantage of the freedom to watch what I want, cook what I want, listen to what I want. And I think everyone should take this approach. Your partner may be on their vacation, but you also get a vacation. Even if you still are home.
One thing I have always thought that makes a great marriage or relationship work is the ability of those involved to be able to spend time apart. Everyone should want to see their partner whenever they want, but there also has to be individualism in the relationship. Everyone needs their space from time to time, and their partners need to understand that. I haven't gone anywhere this past week, but have enjoyed the time to myself. I've had two responsibilities: go to work, feed and water the cat. That's it. Whenever I am left to my own devices, I have some great routines set up (sad, I know).
There are three big meals that I cook early on in the time by myself: spaghetti, goulash, or chili (depending on the season). The recipes I have are all from my mom, so they were written to feed a small army, or one grown man four or five times in a week. Once that domestic chore is done, guess what, I don't have to cook anymore if I don't want to. If the grill is set up, I usually partake in some Man Grilling Time (or MGT). The other food oriented thing I do is treat myself to one night out. Tomorrow night, the Detroit Lions are playing the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. That's why I waited until the last night to go out. I find a sports bar and drink some beers, eat some not so healthy but oh so delicious bar food, and watch some sports. I feel that doing this in a sports bar is acceptable. If I were to go to a place like the Olive Garden, it would be weird. Everyone stares at the person eating in a restaurant all by themselves. In a sports bar, it's okay.
The other thing I do, and this may seem small and insignificant, is watch movies. There are only a few television shows that I watch, but I love movies. I've taken these times apart to watch an entire series (from 'Alien' to 'LOTR' to 'Star Wars') or new movies. This week, I watched 'A Serious Man' and 'Cabin in the Woods'. Both I would recommend. There are also the records that I listen to. There is just something about listening to an LP that makes me happy. Yes they are big and bulky and you have to flip them over, but there is a soul in each record. The music is different on a record as opposed to a CD or the digital version.
If I am going to be home by myself for a week or so, I always take advantage of the freedom to watch what I want, cook what I want, listen to what I want. And I think everyone should take this approach. Your partner may be on their vacation, but you also get a vacation. Even if you still are home.
15 August 2012
A year later
We have been in Minnesota for a year today. We packed up our stuff and made the move from Kansas in the hopes that the job market would be better. There are other factors that were taken into consideration when we moved, but that was the big one. As my wife is finding out, even though there are more jobs around here, it pays to know someone on the inside.
While the job search continues we have found that living in such a larger city there is just so much more to do. I'm not just talking about going to malls, games, or museums. There are places to just go and walk around. There are lots of streets in St. Paul and Minneapolis that are developed to be a place to just go around and walk and see. Sure there are stores and restaurants, but sometimes it is fun to just walk around the area and people watch. On top of the run of the mill stuff you will find in any larger city, there are tons of parks. Free parks, which is great. A place to get out and walk around and because it's not always one hundred degrees in the middle of summer, you can enjoy them while the weather is nice.
One of the greatest things about living up here is how close we are to home. Since moving here last fall, we have made it home four times. Living down in Wichita, we would make it home about two times a year. So we have doubled the times we have been home. It's just been so nice to get home, but we have put on quite the amount of mileage on the cars in the process. On the other hand, we don't fly any more, so that is a great bonus. Speaking of home, living in Minnesota is almost home. We missed having trees and water and even green grass.
In the end, I don't really regret moving from Wichita to the Twin Cities. The toughest part was leaving all of our friends and a place we were comfortable. Part of the adventure of life is the unknown, and we are living that right now.
While the job search continues we have found that living in such a larger city there is just so much more to do. I'm not just talking about going to malls, games, or museums. There are places to just go and walk around. There are lots of streets in St. Paul and Minneapolis that are developed to be a place to just go around and walk and see. Sure there are stores and restaurants, but sometimes it is fun to just walk around the area and people watch. On top of the run of the mill stuff you will find in any larger city, there are tons of parks. Free parks, which is great. A place to get out and walk around and because it's not always one hundred degrees in the middle of summer, you can enjoy them while the weather is nice.
One of the greatest things about living up here is how close we are to home. Since moving here last fall, we have made it home four times. Living down in Wichita, we would make it home about two times a year. So we have doubled the times we have been home. It's just been so nice to get home, but we have put on quite the amount of mileage on the cars in the process. On the other hand, we don't fly any more, so that is a great bonus. Speaking of home, living in Minnesota is almost home. We missed having trees and water and even green grass.
In the end, I don't really regret moving from Wichita to the Twin Cities. The toughest part was leaving all of our friends and a place we were comfortable. Part of the adventure of life is the unknown, and we are living that right now.
14 May 2012
What's missing here?
One of the best things about the summer time is grilling. Several years ago, I came up with Man Grilling Time (or MGT). It is nothing new, nothing exciting. Just a guy thing. Like going to a spa or getting a manicure/pedicure. Something that just gets done by one gender or the other. Just because. Over the subsequent years, I have grilled out and drank beer or scotch at least once a summer. This year, it could come to an end. *insert sad music here. Something by John Williams perhaps, heavy on the strings*
After we moved into our apartment, we found out that Woodbury has perhaps the dumbest laws: no grills on apartment porches unless you are on the first floor. I thought at first it was just this apartment complex, and dug a little deeper. I found this. Worst ordinance ever! There is an option, though. We do have our grill in our storage garage. I could buy a steak and grill out in the garage. The only issue is that it's a little further away than I would like and I have a little fear that if the grill got put away just after being used, bad things could happen. Bad things involving uncontrollable flames. So if I really felt it necessary to partake in MGT this year, I will drag a little cooler over to the garage, pull open the door, grill and sit. Boarder line white trash, but so is grilling without pants.
And if this ordinance isn't a reason to start looking for a house, I don't know what is.
After we moved into our apartment, we found out that Woodbury has perhaps the dumbest laws: no grills on apartment porches unless you are on the first floor. I thought at first it was just this apartment complex, and dug a little deeper. I found this. Worst ordinance ever! There is an option, though. We do have our grill in our storage garage. I could buy a steak and grill out in the garage. The only issue is that it's a little further away than I would like and I have a little fear that if the grill got put away just after being used, bad things could happen. Bad things involving uncontrollable flames. So if I really felt it necessary to partake in MGT this year, I will drag a little cooler over to the garage, pull open the door, grill and sit. Boarder line white trash, but so is grilling without pants.
And if this ordinance isn't a reason to start looking for a house, I don't know what is.
12 May 2012
Taking Advantage
One of the better things about living in a larger city is all the stuff that is around to do. Concerts, sporting events, museums, shopping, etc. The best thing about living in a larger city is all the free stuff that there is to do. City parks, zoos and museums that only charge by donation, neighborhoods you can walk around and check out the cool way too expensive houses you'll never be able to afford. You know, fun time killer things.
One place we have found is the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They do have a gallery you pay to see, but the main gallery is all by donation. The first time we went, we figured we could get away with not giving a donation. We have been there a couple of times since and thrown five dollars into their donation bin and it makes us feel good about ourselves. I'm not the biggest fan of art. After a while it all starts to look the same. There is more than art in the sense of paintings, which is nice. There are several rooms set up like, well, rooms. From different time periods with all kinds of artifacts that would have been around at the time. There's pottery, textiles, a few weapons here and there. Enough to keep you occupied for an afternoon. And right across the street is a nice park if you are so inclined to have a seat and soak up the late afternoon sun rays.
There is also Como Zoo and Conservatory. Another place that takes donations only. So, throw in five bucks and you don't feel bad walking around for a couple of hours. Zoos are always weird to me. I feel bad for the animals because they are inside their containment areas, but it's not like they are being mistreated. I think that nature shows give us a skewed idea of what wild animals do all day. If you watch a nature show and they focus on lions, they aren't going to show you a pride lying around all day. No, they show the hunt, the kill, and the feast. When you go to a zoo, you see lions taking naps in the sun. Do they always do that? If they are like any other cats, most likely. But you can't help but feel bad because they are in such a small, fenced in, pen. Well, small compared to being out in the wild. At the same time it's great because you get to see animals that you wouldn't see if zoos didn't exist. So there is the trade off. Como is geared towards family, so if you have kids or visitors in town and want to do something on the cheap, this place was nice. Open, clean, and they have seals. What reason isn't there?
Along with those places, there are tons of parks around the Twin Cities. One thing we noticed when we moved up here was all the green space for such a large metro area. I haven't lived in a ton of metropolitan cities, but I would think that amongst the urban sprawl there are plenty of parks to make the citizens feel better about themselves. The closer to the cities you get, the more cool things are in the parks. Statues, plaques and the like. Out in the suburbs, it's a little different. The few we have been to consist of a walking path and maybe a small playground for the kids. I don't expect much from the parks so knowing what to expect keeps you grounded. Now is the time of year to take advantage of the parks. It's sunny on plenty of the days and still cool enough where you won't be dying from dehydration when walking around for the afternoon. As summer approaches and the humidity of July and August kick in, I may be changing my tune, but for now it's great.
One place we have found is the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They do have a gallery you pay to see, but the main gallery is all by donation. The first time we went, we figured we could get away with not giving a donation. We have been there a couple of times since and thrown five dollars into their donation bin and it makes us feel good about ourselves. I'm not the biggest fan of art. After a while it all starts to look the same. There is more than art in the sense of paintings, which is nice. There are several rooms set up like, well, rooms. From different time periods with all kinds of artifacts that would have been around at the time. There's pottery, textiles, a few weapons here and there. Enough to keep you occupied for an afternoon. And right across the street is a nice park if you are so inclined to have a seat and soak up the late afternoon sun rays.
There is also Como Zoo and Conservatory. Another place that takes donations only. So, throw in five bucks and you don't feel bad walking around for a couple of hours. Zoos are always weird to me. I feel bad for the animals because they are inside their containment areas, but it's not like they are being mistreated. I think that nature shows give us a skewed idea of what wild animals do all day. If you watch a nature show and they focus on lions, they aren't going to show you a pride lying around all day. No, they show the hunt, the kill, and the feast. When you go to a zoo, you see lions taking naps in the sun. Do they always do that? If they are like any other cats, most likely. But you can't help but feel bad because they are in such a small, fenced in, pen. Well, small compared to being out in the wild. At the same time it's great because you get to see animals that you wouldn't see if zoos didn't exist. So there is the trade off. Como is geared towards family, so if you have kids or visitors in town and want to do something on the cheap, this place was nice. Open, clean, and they have seals. What reason isn't there?
Along with those places, there are tons of parks around the Twin Cities. One thing we noticed when we moved up here was all the green space for such a large metro area. I haven't lived in a ton of metropolitan cities, but I would think that amongst the urban sprawl there are plenty of parks to make the citizens feel better about themselves. The closer to the cities you get, the more cool things are in the parks. Statues, plaques and the like. Out in the suburbs, it's a little different. The few we have been to consist of a walking path and maybe a small playground for the kids. I don't expect much from the parks so knowing what to expect keeps you grounded. Now is the time of year to take advantage of the parks. It's sunny on plenty of the days and still cool enough where you won't be dying from dehydration when walking around for the afternoon. As summer approaches and the humidity of July and August kick in, I may be changing my tune, but for now it's great.
29 August 2011
One more move
Wednesday is going to feel like deja vu. We have to pack up a U-Haul trailer and move the next day. Feel like you've read this before? I know it feels like I have typed this before. We have been staying with my uncle until the first of September when we can finally move into our apartment.
The two weeks we have been spending here have flown by and just when we get use to everything it's time to move. The nice thing is that it is going to be a bit more permanent than the first move. We signed our lease last week and got to do a walk through of a similar size apartment in comparison to the one we will be living in. Going from a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with a washer and a dryer to a one bed/one bath no washer or dryer is going to definitely be a change. Not only are there less things like that, it is also about three hundred square feet smaller, but there are some benefits. Like having a storage garage for all the tubs ofshit holiday decorations we have. There is also a nice big walk in pantry to make up for the lack of cupboards in the kitchen. The biggest benefit though? The amount of money we will save on rent. The endgame is a house (whether it is renting or buying) in the near future.
While apartments are nice because they require little upkeep, a house is a house. It's the adult thing to do. Once you get to a certain age, I think that it sounds a little funny to say that you live in an apartment. As you start to get older and get more established the next step in life has always seemed to be house ownership. And you can go from there and expand your family if you want via a pet or via the human pet (also known as a kid).
I wrote about wanting a house earlier this year and I still want to live in one. In the two weeks we have staying with my uncle, it has been nice to live somewhere that has stairs in it not going up to it. It breaks everything up and separates everything. Which is kind of why people who live in houses acquire more shit. It all gets spread out and it looks like you have less than what you have. Oh well.
Wednesday. The last part of our escape from the flat state of Kansas.
The two weeks we have been spending here have flown by and just when we get use to everything it's time to move. The nice thing is that it is going to be a bit more permanent than the first move. We signed our lease last week and got to do a walk through of a similar size apartment in comparison to the one we will be living in. Going from a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with a washer and a dryer to a one bed/one bath no washer or dryer is going to definitely be a change. Not only are there less things like that, it is also about three hundred square feet smaller, but there are some benefits. Like having a storage garage for all the tubs of
While apartments are nice because they require little upkeep, a house is a house. It's the adult thing to do. Once you get to a certain age, I think that it sounds a little funny to say that you live in an apartment. As you start to get older and get more established the next step in life has always seemed to be house ownership. And you can go from there and expand your family if you want via a pet or via the human pet (also known as a kid).
I wrote about wanting a house earlier this year and I still want to live in one. In the two weeks we have staying with my uncle, it has been nice to live somewhere that has stairs in it not going up to it. It breaks everything up and separates everything. Which is kind of why people who live in houses acquire more shit. It all gets spread out and it looks like you have less than what you have. Oh well.
Wednesday. The last part of our escape from the flat state of Kansas.
03 April 2011
All alone
While it is nice to live with someone, especially someone you love, a break is welcomed when it comes. Are there benefits to it or is time alone all that I need? Who knows. All I know is that I enjoy having the place to myself, but also am aware the downside to it as well. It all depends on how long the time alone is. I got back down to Wichita on the night of the twenty eighth and A is coming back here on the twelfth. Essentially, it's two weeks. One of the longer stretches of her staying up there to help her parents take care of some interior house projects and just all around hanging out. Normally it's in the seven to ten day area for her staying there, so what's a few more days? Here's some pros and cons to being here alone.
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
- I don't have to wear pants if I don't want to. Won't even lie about, I've already not worn pants quite a bit since getting back down here.
- The t.v. switches from just a couple of channels. Mainly ESPN, ESPN2, history channel, Fox Sports Kansas City, weather channel.
- One dinner lasts about a week. I made goulash Tuesday night and just ate the last of it for dinner tonight.
- Dinner is whenever and whatever. We don't have a specific dinner time, but generally it's around six thirty or so. Right now? It could be at five. Or nine. Last night I ate at ten o'clock because that's when I got hungry.
- Playing records. While A was employed, I would get home a couple of hours before she would and every once in a while would throw a record on the player just to listen to the clicks and cracks of the old LPs. I got to do that again this week and it's been nice.
- Contemplation time. Not having someone to talk to on hand sucks a little bit, it allows for time to just think. I'll be growing my full beard back for my friend's wedding this summer because I'm in it and don't want to be 'that guy' in the wedding pictures when he looks back at them twenty or thirty years from now. So, after the wedding, I've determined to grow my beard out a little bit. Not as much as a couple of years ago, but a little bit fuller. I love having facial hair.
Cons:
- Less dishes means more actual dish cleaning. It takes quite a while to pile up enough dishes to run the dishwasher and not feel bad about running a half empty one.
- Feeding the cat.
- Lack of human contact. Work doesn't really count no matter how many people you work with or talk to.
- Days off are boring. I didn't work this weekend and the days drug on a little bit.
- Grocery shopping. Ugh. I tried my best to avoid the frozen section because I don't want to be that guy that relies on frozen foods while my wife is away. How lame and stereotypical is that? Although I did buy one frozen pizza. It was BBQ chicken and it was delicious.
- My liver. I've been drinking a little more than usual the past couple of days. Mayhaps not so good.
20 February 2011
I want a house.
We're stuck in a little bit of a rut in our lives right now. After Andrea got laid off from her job, we had to put a hold on our lives. We started to think about giving up the life in apartments and moving into a house and a few months later she lost her job (thanks economy and George W. Bush). Thankfully, we didn't look too hard because we would be SCREWED if we had to deal with mortgage payments and more bills than we have now. To be able to paint the walls is something that you wouldn't think would be a big deal, but you can only look at white walls for so long before you get sick of them. Painting the walls adds character to a room. White walls are just sterile. The biggest drawback to apartments is not being able to change anything. With a house, you can do that.
Getting back on our feet financially is the goal to moving on with our lives. The job market is turning around so it is only a matter of time before we can catch a break. Get a job, get a house. The ultimate goal in life? I think so.
Getting back on our feet financially is the goal to moving on with our lives. The job market is turning around so it is only a matter of time before we can catch a break. Get a job, get a house. The ultimate goal in life? I think so.
18 August 2010
Anniversary date
Earlier this year, A and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary! We didn't do much because we both were feeling a little under the weather. Plus, we agreed not to go crazy with the presents. However, I wanted to spoil her with a surprise gift and we finally got around to using it. They were concert tickets to Norah Jones. I'm glad that I bought them when I did because the concert sold out.
So we went out to dinner and spoiled ourselves with appetizers, a full meal, and dessert at Bella Luna cafe. For those who live in or around Wichita, if you haven't been there, go there for a dinner or lunch, it is fantastic! Right after dinner, we headed down for the concert. It was laid back, not too loud (I feel to old writing that), and it was two and a half hours long. Granted, the first half hour was an opening act and a twenty five minute (or so) intermission was thrown in there too, so the main act was an hour and a half long.
I knew a little of Jones' music, other than her popular songs from seven or eight years ago. Her new music was wonderful, it was heavy and jazz oriented. If you were in a night club, this is the kind of music you would have been hearing, but the building would have been filled with smoke. Different kinds of smoke. Oh, you know what kind of smoke I'm talking about.
Anyway, it was an enjoyable night that was laid back and everything that people should look for in an anniversary celebration.
So we went out to dinner and spoiled ourselves with appetizers, a full meal, and dessert at Bella Luna cafe. For those who live in or around Wichita, if you haven't been there, go there for a dinner or lunch, it is fantastic! Right after dinner, we headed down for the concert. It was laid back, not too loud (I feel to old writing that), and it was two and a half hours long. Granted, the first half hour was an opening act and a twenty five minute (or so) intermission was thrown in there too, so the main act was an hour and a half long.
I knew a little of Jones' music, other than her popular songs from seven or eight years ago. Her new music was wonderful, it was heavy and jazz oriented. If you were in a night club, this is the kind of music you would have been hearing, but the building would have been filled with smoke. Different kinds of smoke. Oh, you know what kind of smoke I'm talking about.
Anyway, it was an enjoyable night that was laid back and everything that people should look for in an anniversary celebration.
17 July 2010
Single life
With Andrea gone home for a couple of weeks for a vacation, I have reached the conclusion that I could not make it as a single person. It's not because I'm lonely, or I need someone to talk to, it's because I'm lazy. She flew out on Wednesday and I sat down and made a list of things that I would like to get done around the house while she is away. What have I done? Nothing. Granted I haven't had a day off, but there is still the time after I get done with work for me to accomplish something, anything. It just hasn't come to fruition.
I wrote up a list of what I want to bring with me camping next weekend, but still have not started to gather anything for it. Normally I like to start putting things off to the side in anticipation of a trip or vacation.
Maybe after the weekend of work is over I'll get things together and start crossing things off the list. Either that or wait until the last minute, which suits me just fine too.
I wrote up a list of what I want to bring with me camping next weekend, but still have not started to gather anything for it. Normally I like to start putting things off to the side in anticipation of a trip or vacation.
Maybe after the weekend of work is over I'll get things together and start crossing things off the list. Either that or wait until the last minute, which suits me just fine too.
13 February 2010
day in, day out
I am taking a little bit of time out of this relaxing morning to play a little catch up with all of you out there. From my family and friends who frequently read, to my facebook friends who read this as it is imported to that site, to those who find this randomly.
We are prepping for our vacation home. We'll be gone for eleven days. One of our longer trips, but it'll be worth it. It will be a great break from Kansas. We have had snow on and off since December, but I want to see real snow. I know that it has been a little warmer back home and some of the snow has been melting, but I cannot wait. Last year, we spent Valentine's Day on a plane and in a car. Not the most romantic situation. This year we are spending my birthday on a plane and in a car. Not the best way to spend your birthday, a day meant for celebrating and eating cake. mmmmm.....cake.
I have taken over the grocery department at work. It is a lateral move within the store and gives me an opportunity to work in a larger department, so it'll be interesting to say the least. It has been two weeks of training which has flown by. I am looking forward to the challenges that this department brings with it. I will be dealing with vendors on a daily basis, which equates to dealing with spoiled children. They all want everything to go their way, and it is my job to keep them in line.
Who knew that at the age of twenty seven I would have my first baby sitting job.
We are prepping for our vacation home. We'll be gone for eleven days. One of our longer trips, but it'll be worth it. It will be a great break from Kansas. We have had snow on and off since December, but I want to see real snow. I know that it has been a little warmer back home and some of the snow has been melting, but I cannot wait. Last year, we spent Valentine's Day on a plane and in a car. Not the most romantic situation. This year we are spending my birthday on a plane and in a car. Not the best way to spend your birthday, a day meant for celebrating and eating cake. mmmmm.....cake.
I have taken over the grocery department at work. It is a lateral move within the store and gives me an opportunity to work in a larger department, so it'll be interesting to say the least. It has been two weeks of training which has flown by. I am looking forward to the challenges that this department brings with it. I will be dealing with vendors on a daily basis, which equates to dealing with spoiled children. They all want everything to go their way, and it is my job to keep them in line.
Who knew that at the age of twenty seven I would have my first baby sitting job.
29 November 2009
32 days
It's funny how when you are a kid, the year goes by so slowly. Three hundred and sixty five (or six) days drag on and on. Maybe because the number just seems so daunting. As you get older, the time starts to pick up. Throughout high school and college, the only time that goes by too quick is during summer or winter breaks. After school, work consumes your life and there are no three month breaks (unless you teach, but even then there is work to be done). Vacations consist of a week or maybe two if you have been working for half your life.
I suppose at the beginning of the year, you can look at a calendar and think of how long twelve months truly is. But then you forget about it as if it were a New Year's resolution. Then lo and behold, it is past the summer and into the fall. Retail stores are getting ready for Christmas all over again and your mind wanders back to the beginning of the year and thinks......
Where the hell did those ten months go?
I suppose at the beginning of the year, you can look at a calendar and think of how long twelve months truly is. But then you forget about it as if it were a New Year's resolution. Then lo and behold, it is past the summer and into the fall. Retail stores are getting ready for Christmas all over again and your mind wanders back to the beginning of the year and thinks......
Where the hell did those ten months go?
15 April 2009
healthy day
The Tigers are on TV right now so no music....I love baseball season.
So we went for a walk today. Nothing extreme, just about thirty minutes around the neighborhood behind the apartment. It is one of the cookie cutter neighborhoods where all the houses look the same. The urban sprawl that takes away fields and trees around this area.
Afterwards, I had a nice and green lunch. Salad with some 'not salad'. The term 'not salad' was brought into our language by Kim and Marc. 'Not salad' consists of stuff like cheese, bacon bits, croutons, salad dressing, etc. The good stuff. The stuff that makes salad tolerable. The way I see it, as long as the salad outweighs the 'not salad', it is still good for me.
All in all, a healthy day. Now I am sitting down and enjoying the Tigers winning their game right now (2-0, bottom of the 6th).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)