I learned today that it's not a good idea to write a blog post while on hold to pay a bill!
I try to follow a few rules whenever I post anything:
1) Be positive
2) Treat whatever I write as if anyone anywhere could read it
3) Be positive
and
4) Don't post anything I don't mind being repeated
If you say something, the audience is limited. It can be repeated, but most adults realize messages can take on hugely different meanings as they pass through the grapevine.
If you write something, more people can read it if you put it out there (accidentally or on purpose). It can also be ripped up and destroyed so it won't go any further. At worst, it could find it's way to a copy machine, but you have time to intercept it.
If you post something online, it is forever. The moment you click 'save' it's stored on a server that's backed up and referenced by other servers that are backed up and can be on any computer anywhere with any one reading it. Your post will not go away even if someone tried to blow up the internet. It would still be lurking somewhere and released back into the wild once a server somewhere on the planet put it back out there.
Exaggerated? Yes.
Enough truth to hopefully make anyone pause before hitting post? I hope so.
Eventually, when Shane's older I'll have to stop posting as much about him. He won't have memories of being a baby and annoying baby stories are a fact of life, so he can just deal with that. When he's old enough to go to school and think for himself, I'm not going to post as much about him without at least stopping and thinking about it first. He could be a sensitive kid (which is 100% different from the supremely confident, thinks-he's-in-charge-of-everything baby he is now). Once it's up, it's up.
Also, there's the "you never know who reads something" thing to think about. I purposely leave off last names, change first names up a little bit, and try to avoid making direct references to people as much as I can. A sufficiently determined person can discover a ton about you with only a little information, but I'm banking on the fact I'm no one famous enough anyone would care to go to that length (and if I do become famous one day, it'll be far enough removed so as not to hurt any feelings). This ties into the "be positive."
I feel like the internet is built out of a weird combination of great ideas and knee-jerk reactions. The great ideas take time to be built and put up for others to see, and then the knee-jerk reactions tend to be a hoard of negative remarks that many people wouldn't have the gall to say to a person face to face. I subscribe to Gabriel's Theory of Internet Anonymity, and pray that more people will follow the Wheaton Rule. I try to be positive, because I want the internet to be more positive and it's too easy to throw a pity party.
Complaints are like farts; you don't mind the smell of your own (most of the time).
"Nobody likes a whiner," as Nana frequently told me (even when I thought I had a valid point, didn't feel like I was complaining, and I suspect she just didn't want to hear it, ha ha).
Anyway, that's the thought of the night. I still have a ton of blog posts to catch up on before I forget everything. One of these days.
G'night internet.
PS -
Friday, August 31, 2012
Bills, Bills, Bills
Oh, bills.
I got off work a little early and Pa is watching Shane, so I came home and got productive. I jury-rigged a fence repair so Brogan can't escape, unloaded the dishwasher and I've been paying off assorted bill since.
Have I mentioned I hate medical bills?
I hate how you pay a copay up front and then you have to sit and wait for your doctor and insurance company to cook up a bill that you may or may not see for the next couple of months. It's like gambling with bills. I wonder what today's visit will cost me (eventually)!
We had one bill in particular that decided to haunt us for almost two years: Shane's delivery. I'm not making this up. Somehow, our insurance provider changed their internal system less than a month after Shane was born. We were issued new cards and numbers which confused my insurance company and the hospital. A year after Shane was born, we received a bill in the mail for over $400. My wife spent hours on the phone with both ends and it ended with our insurance telling us not to pay it.
Then, they called again. More hours were spent on the phone.
Months passed and a year and a half after the delivery, the bill showed up in our mailbox again. We called insurance again and after more hours on the phone, they told us they were going to have to pay it this time.
Huh? We complained, and they then had someone go back and listen to all of the recorded conversations to see if they accidentally promised to pay anything. A manager eventually came on the phone to sympathize and say "Sorry!"
I'm not going to go into a full rant mode, but we paid the bill and I'm still sour on the whole insurance process. Supposedly, we had to pay something extra because Carrie's room in the maternity ward was labeled as 'private'....not that there were any multiple occupancy rooms, but what do I know? What further boggled my mind were the prices. The bill was $18k, the 'allowed amount' for insurance to pay was $6k. Boy, I'd hate to be uninsured with a baby on the way and go to a hospital. Somehow the insurance company gets a $12k write off, and if you're not with them you're written off. Ouch!
I'm not going to pretend I have a solution for the whole process, but things need to get simplified somewhere along the way. I'm sure many doctors wouldn't mind either since they get stiffed on the bills sometimes, too.
Anyway, this was a good way to kill some time on hold about the trash bill. I hate when there's not an online bill pay system. I figured I'd save the stamps this time, but I think the stamps are cheaper than my time the next time around.
I got off work a little early and Pa is watching Shane, so I came home and got productive. I jury-rigged a fence repair so Brogan can't escape, unloaded the dishwasher and I've been paying off assorted bill since.
Have I mentioned I hate medical bills?
I hate how you pay a copay up front and then you have to sit and wait for your doctor and insurance company to cook up a bill that you may or may not see for the next couple of months. It's like gambling with bills. I wonder what today's visit will cost me (eventually)!
We had one bill in particular that decided to haunt us for almost two years: Shane's delivery. I'm not making this up. Somehow, our insurance provider changed their internal system less than a month after Shane was born. We were issued new cards and numbers which confused my insurance company and the hospital. A year after Shane was born, we received a bill in the mail for over $400. My wife spent hours on the phone with both ends and it ended with our insurance telling us not to pay it.
Then, they called again. More hours were spent on the phone.
Months passed and a year and a half after the delivery, the bill showed up in our mailbox again. We called insurance again and after more hours on the phone, they told us they were going to have to pay it this time.
Huh? We complained, and they then had someone go back and listen to all of the recorded conversations to see if they accidentally promised to pay anything. A manager eventually came on the phone to sympathize and say "Sorry!"
I'm not going to go into a full rant mode, but we paid the bill and I'm still sour on the whole insurance process. Supposedly, we had to pay something extra because Carrie's room in the maternity ward was labeled as 'private'....not that there were any multiple occupancy rooms, but what do I know? What further boggled my mind were the prices. The bill was $18k, the 'allowed amount' for insurance to pay was $6k. Boy, I'd hate to be uninsured with a baby on the way and go to a hospital. Somehow the insurance company gets a $12k write off, and if you're not with them you're written off. Ouch!
I'm not going to pretend I have a solution for the whole process, but things need to get simplified somewhere along the way. I'm sure many doctors wouldn't mind either since they get stiffed on the bills sometimes, too.
Anyway, this was a good way to kill some time on hold about the trash bill. I hate when there's not an online bill pay system. I figured I'd save the stamps this time, but I think the stamps are cheaper than my time the next time around.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wacky Day for Child Care
Carrie's out of town for the weekend, so I had to get a little fancy with child care.
I could have asked my parents to take Shane today. I did not want to. They already agreed to take Shane for 3 days this week (the normal Monday & Wednesday plus a bonus Friday). If I asked for four days of child care, I would've felt like I was pushing it too far. Nana and Pa have been very generous with their time, but I don't want to overload them or burn them out on my boy.
Thus, creative.
The first half of the day was covered by my tutor family. Have I mentioned I love them? The mother quit her job and is in the process of looking for another one. That may come quick, it may not, but it meant that she was at home during the day and she would probably be interested in saving money. I asked her if she would like to trade tutoring for child care.
She was thrilled. I heard her excitedly telling her oldest daughter "Guess who's coming by tomorrow!?" She's a kid person and Shane's a cute kid. There was no crib at my tutor family's house, so I only asked them to cover from 9-12.
When I dropped by to pick Shane up, there must have been six neighborhood kids all sitting in the entrance hall with Shane, the mother, and two of her kids. I was greeted with cell phone pictures of Shane riding their dog like a horse, staring into the camera, and a very happy (but tired) boy. Apparently, whenever the daughter babysits, she likes to bring her wards to her house. There's already a playground next door, and when kids show up, more neighborhood kids show up and "they start to all entertain each other!" I had to smile. It reminded me of how my own home could be a fun-house as more and more kids gravitated to it.
Shane was snookered and fell asleep minutes after we pulled away.
Now, my original plan was to take off the second half of the work day. Did you read the post about my family emails? Megan sent me a text in the morning saying "Hey! I'm off work at 11:30. Do you need babysitting?"
Yes, yes I did. Talk about good timing, Megan!
Megan arrived a little after 12:30, we talked, and then I got to go back to work for my Department meeting. I would've gone home soon thereafter, but there was another meeting with the grade level collaborative teams right afterwards and then there was a big group picture after that! It's funny how much errata gets packed in to the first week of school that's not room preparation or planning. If Megan hadn't texted, I would've had to use up hours of leave I would rather save for when I'm tired or in a pinch. Thanks, Meg!
It was nice coming home and catching up with my sister, too. Since Carrie's gone, the conversation is appreciated. Dan got home and it was a regular party for a while. I seem to always have more energy when people are around nowadays (witnesses!) and that energy translates into more giggles from Shane.
After Megan left, I got a call from Kathleen. She wanted to know if I wanted any child care on Saturday!
Yes, yes I do. I guess I will make Muay Thai this week. Plus, I want to catch up with Ka and show her my house.
It's funny how I was crossing my fingers and praying for things to work out yesterday, and now I'm up to my neck in childcare. I texted Carrie "Thanks for all your birthday presents! I cashed in on the child care, ha ha!"
I'll have to return the favors later. The twins' birthday is right around the corner!
I could have asked my parents to take Shane today. I did not want to. They already agreed to take Shane for 3 days this week (the normal Monday & Wednesday plus a bonus Friday). If I asked for four days of child care, I would've felt like I was pushing it too far. Nana and Pa have been very generous with their time, but I don't want to overload them or burn them out on my boy.
Thus, creative.
The first half of the day was covered by my tutor family. Have I mentioned I love them? The mother quit her job and is in the process of looking for another one. That may come quick, it may not, but it meant that she was at home during the day and she would probably be interested in saving money. I asked her if she would like to trade tutoring for child care.
She was thrilled. I heard her excitedly telling her oldest daughter "Guess who's coming by tomorrow!?" She's a kid person and Shane's a cute kid. There was no crib at my tutor family's house, so I only asked them to cover from 9-12.
When I dropped by to pick Shane up, there must have been six neighborhood kids all sitting in the entrance hall with Shane, the mother, and two of her kids. I was greeted with cell phone pictures of Shane riding their dog like a horse, staring into the camera, and a very happy (but tired) boy. Apparently, whenever the daughter babysits, she likes to bring her wards to her house. There's already a playground next door, and when kids show up, more neighborhood kids show up and "they start to all entertain each other!" I had to smile. It reminded me of how my own home could be a fun-house as more and more kids gravitated to it.
Shane was snookered and fell asleep minutes after we pulled away.
Now, my original plan was to take off the second half of the work day. Did you read the post about my family emails? Megan sent me a text in the morning saying "Hey! I'm off work at 11:30. Do you need babysitting?"
Yes, yes I did. Talk about good timing, Megan!
Megan arrived a little after 12:30, we talked, and then I got to go back to work for my Department meeting. I would've gone home soon thereafter, but there was another meeting with the grade level collaborative teams right afterwards and then there was a big group picture after that! It's funny how much errata gets packed in to the first week of school that's not room preparation or planning. If Megan hadn't texted, I would've had to use up hours of leave I would rather save for when I'm tired or in a pinch. Thanks, Meg!
It was nice coming home and catching up with my sister, too. Since Carrie's gone, the conversation is appreciated. Dan got home and it was a regular party for a while. I seem to always have more energy when people are around nowadays (witnesses!) and that energy translates into more giggles from Shane.
After Megan left, I got a call from Kathleen. She wanted to know if I wanted any child care on Saturday!
Yes, yes I do. I guess I will make Muay Thai this week. Plus, I want to catch up with Ka and show her my house.
It's funny how I was crossing my fingers and praying for things to work out yesterday, and now I'm up to my neck in childcare. I texted Carrie "Thanks for all your birthday presents! I cashed in on the child care, ha ha!"
I'll have to return the favors later. The twins' birthday is right around the corner!
My Stupid Dog Isn't So Stupid
Brogan got in trouble today for eating Shane's crayons (again). I scolded him and put his sorry butt out back. I quickly returned to the living room where Megan and Shane were reading a book. Moments later, there was a noise in the garage. I was holding Shane, so Megan popped up and opened the door.
Brogan scrambled in as she leaned her head out.
The dumb dog found a way out of the back yard! I can't literally call him dumb, but I feel like I'm morally still in the right. I can't leave him in the backyard to run any errands now, because he can get out and may run off looking for me. He's going to have to be crated since I can't trust him not to pee in the house.
Oh, Brogan. Maybe he's just training me for when Shane starts trying to crawl out of a window when he's a teenager, heh.
Brogan scrambled in as she leaned her head out.
The dumb dog found a way out of the back yard! I can't literally call him dumb, but I feel like I'm morally still in the right. I can't leave him in the backyard to run any errands now, because he can get out and may run off looking for me. He's going to have to be crated since I can't trust him not to pee in the house.
Oh, Brogan. Maybe he's just training me for when Shane starts trying to crawl out of a window when he's a teenager, heh.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Knock, Knock, It's SHANE!!!
There I was in the bathroom again. My pants were around my ankles and I was enjoying a moment of peace and quiet.
The life of a parent is far from glamorous and even mundane matters like a trip to the bathroom can be less than private and/or awkward. Carrie and Genevieve were both at the house, so I thought I was safe.
Shane, in his usual manner, charged the door and started knocking. My boy cannot stand a closed door. I sat confident my business would be uninterrupted.
Then the door opened.
Shane smiled and stepped through.
Was Carrie pulling a mean trick on me? I didn't hear any laughter!
Shane turned around and shut himself in with me. "Closed!" Shane said.
I tried to open the door to usher Shane out from my perch. Instead, Brogan charged in and Shane shut the door again. "Closed!" Shane said.
Now, I had a dog licking my knees and my son running around all closed in with me while I did my number 2. Carrie came from the kitchen to help, but then she started laughing and left me on my own.
I don't know if I should be proud or scared.
My son can open doors!
(Sometimes).
The life of a parent is far from glamorous and even mundane matters like a trip to the bathroom can be less than private and/or awkward. Carrie and Genevieve were both at the house, so I thought I was safe.
Shane, in his usual manner, charged the door and started knocking. My boy cannot stand a closed door. I sat confident my business would be uninterrupted.
Then the door opened.
Shane smiled and stepped through.
Was Carrie pulling a mean trick on me? I didn't hear any laughter!
Shane turned around and shut himself in with me. "Closed!" Shane said.
I tried to open the door to usher Shane out from my perch. Instead, Brogan charged in and Shane shut the door again. "Closed!" Shane said.
Now, I had a dog licking my knees and my son running around all closed in with me while I did my number 2. Carrie came from the kitchen to help, but then she started laughing and left me on my own.
I don't know if I should be proud or scared.
My son can open doors!
(Sometimes).
My Family's Sense of Humor
My family is hilarious.
This time it started off sweet.
Megan wrote:
"I hope you both have had a great day :) Are there any plans for a birthday lunch/dinner in the mix? Weekend plans are starting to come up, and I'm not sure what time to save. Also, here is my birthday gift to Carrie...
"
My other sister, Kathleen, chipped in next with well wishes and another babysitting offer! My family is very generous when it comes to helping out with children.
The email trained continued until my brother, Matt, wrote:
"
Hey Happy birthday again Jama and Carrie!
Sorry, no free babysitting coupons from me, although..
"
I laughed out loud. Carrie wasn't as amused, but that made me laugh even louder. I ended up posting it right here!!
The sense of humor may be genetic.
This time it started off sweet.
Megan wrote:
"I hope you both have had a great day :) Are there any plans for a birthday lunch/dinner in the mix? Weekend plans are starting to come up, and I'm not sure what time to save. Also, here is my birthday gift to Carrie...
------------------------------
I ONE DAY I
I OF I
I BABYSITTING! I
I JUST CHOOSE I
I YOUR DAY! I
------------------------------
Love you all!
"
My other sister, Kathleen, chipped in next with well wishes and another babysitting offer! My family is very generous when it comes to helping out with children.
The email trained continued until my brother, Matt, wrote:
"
Hey Happy birthday again Jama and Carrie!
Sorry, no free babysitting coupons from me, although..
------------------------------
I ONE FREE I
I CHILD I
I PUNTING I
I ANY DIRECTION YOU WANT I
I I
------------------------------
Let me know if you want to take me up on it.
"
I laughed out loud. Carrie wasn't as amused, but that made me laugh even louder. I ended up posting it right here!!
The sense of humor may be genetic.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
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Monday, August 27, 2012
Wonderful Husband/Father Fixes AC
Subtitle: With the help of his friend, Dan, who fixes stuff for a living and the Wonderful Husband/Father mostly watched. Bedtime was just after 1 AM.
Cool air is blowing again, so that's nice. It won't stop, but it ain't winter yet! Definitely a step in the right direction. I'll caffeine up with my good friend tea to face the day!
Cool air is blowing again, so that's nice. It won't stop, but it ain't winter yet! Definitely a step in the right direction. I'll caffeine up with my good friend tea to face the day!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Mourning the End of Summer
Today is the last night before work begins anew. I intended to mourn/celebrate, but the day had other plans.
First, Shane woke up at 6 AM. It's not horrible, but it's not the sleeping in until 7 AM I dream about every night.
Next, Shane woke up after an hour nap...wailing. He would've been inconsolable if not for the garage door (Thank God for automatic openers).
Fearing a third ear infection, Carrie and I took Shane to the Urgent Care. There's not a lot of other places open on a Sunday afternoon. We signed in at 1:22 PM and a receptionist appeared 3-4 minutes later to tell us it was a two-hour wait. There was a woman there with an infant who told us she'd been there since noon (eventually, she would be called back at 2:30ish).
My intrepid and unsatisfied wife discovered the Minute Clinic at CVS around 2:30 PM. We were in and out before they called our name at the Urgent Care. I don't think I'd go there for anything serious, but it was convenient to get an ear check and walk from one counter to the next to file our son's prescription.
The verdict? Ear infection number three was starting in the left ear (or was it the right?). We're going to need to see an ENT. Shane hasn't napped longer than an hour in three days and he wakes up in pain every time. If the ENT suggests tubes, those suckers are going in.
When we finally got home, our dog looked like someone had dipped his lower half in mud. I wish I took a picture! Brogan was coated. Our long absence must have sent him digging and wallowing in mud under the deck for comfort. I filled up our doggy pool and it turned to 'chocolate milk' when I threw him in. Come to think of it, I hope it was only mud!
Finally, our AC pooped out. I was on a walk with Shane and Brogan when Carrie tracked me down in the Prius. She was running to Home Depot to replace our thermostat from 1977 in the hopes that would solve the problem. Thankfully, Dan knows AC units. He just needs to get home from NYC so I can get his opinion on if it's an easy fix or I should call in professionals.
What I need/want to do is finish my write up for Matt and Renee's wedding. It was an great wedding and great time to see family and friends. That makes for a lot to write about which makes it harder to write up. Brevity is not always my strong suit.
On the plus side: there was time to be silly with Carrie and talk to our neighbors when Carrie borrowed electrical tape. Shane squealed happily when we picked him up from Sunday school, my parents dropped off roses for my wive's birthday and a grill from Jama's house, and Brogan got a bath....all of these things are harder to write about in a way that's entertaining for someone who's not me to read. I just wanted to highlight that there are always two sides to every coin, so don't think that the day was so bad I'm ready to call it quits. This blog post is helping keep me up while I wait for Dan. I threatened Carrie that I'd run to 7-11 and buy some energy drinks and come back to bounce on the bed, but writing seems less likely to get me in trouble or break anything.
First, Shane woke up at 6 AM. It's not horrible, but it's not the sleeping in until 7 AM I dream about every night.
Next, Shane woke up after an hour nap...wailing. He would've been inconsolable if not for the garage door (Thank God for automatic openers).
Fearing a third ear infection, Carrie and I took Shane to the Urgent Care. There's not a lot of other places open on a Sunday afternoon. We signed in at 1:22 PM and a receptionist appeared 3-4 minutes later to tell us it was a two-hour wait. There was a woman there with an infant who told us she'd been there since noon (eventually, she would be called back at 2:30ish).
My intrepid and unsatisfied wife discovered the Minute Clinic at CVS around 2:30 PM. We were in and out before they called our name at the Urgent Care. I don't think I'd go there for anything serious, but it was convenient to get an ear check and walk from one counter to the next to file our son's prescription.
The verdict? Ear infection number three was starting in the left ear (or was it the right?). We're going to need to see an ENT. Shane hasn't napped longer than an hour in three days and he wakes up in pain every time. If the ENT suggests tubes, those suckers are going in.
When we finally got home, our dog looked like someone had dipped his lower half in mud. I wish I took a picture! Brogan was coated. Our long absence must have sent him digging and wallowing in mud under the deck for comfort. I filled up our doggy pool and it turned to 'chocolate milk' when I threw him in. Come to think of it, I hope it was only mud!
Finally, our AC pooped out. I was on a walk with Shane and Brogan when Carrie tracked me down in the Prius. She was running to Home Depot to replace our thermostat from 1977 in the hopes that would solve the problem. Thankfully, Dan knows AC units. He just needs to get home from NYC so I can get his opinion on if it's an easy fix or I should call in professionals.
What I need/want to do is finish my write up for Matt and Renee's wedding. It was an great wedding and great time to see family and friends. That makes for a lot to write about which makes it harder to write up. Brevity is not always my strong suit.
On the plus side: there was time to be silly with Carrie and talk to our neighbors when Carrie borrowed electrical tape. Shane squealed happily when we picked him up from Sunday school, my parents dropped off roses for my wive's birthday and a grill from Jama's house, and Brogan got a bath....all of these things are harder to write about in a way that's entertaining for someone who's not me to read. I just wanted to highlight that there are always two sides to every coin, so don't think that the day was so bad I'm ready to call it quits. This blog post is helping keep me up while I wait for Dan. I threatened Carrie that I'd run to 7-11 and buy some energy drinks and come back to bounce on the bed, but writing seems less likely to get me in trouble or break anything.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Muay Thai Class
My new church has Muay Thai classes.
Let that sink in a bit....deeper....deeper...
The motto of my new church seems to be all about getting people active and interacting with each other especially through sports. It's a pretty novel way to build small groups. To accomplish this the church is actually a sports complex. Sunday worship is free, but the complex is open to anybody for a very small fee. It's their way of outreach and forging connections within their congregation. The have drop-in classes for lots of sports, too. Even Muay Thai (wasn't that what I was originally writing about?).
Back to Muay Thai.
Carrie wanted to try it. She's tired of me having an unfair advantage and wants to know how to beat me up. She even told the coach. He laughed. I laughed too when she came back from her first night of class and laid down on the floor unable to move. Some smart ass in class said "We don't do enough cardio!" Coach, being a coach, made sure the smart ass did not go home unsatisfied and the rest of the class got dragged down with him.
Carrie was hooked. Mainly, she's done non-cardio, super-technical sports. Riding and the ROTC marksmen squad come to mind. A combat martial art and wrestling are very different animals. My wife had never seen an hour workout like that before and was thrilled she survived it.
Today, it was my turn.
Carrie's gone to class twice and already ordered her gear online. Throughout, she has been encouraging me to try the class. I resisted, because I didn't think it would be feasible with our family schedule for me to attend. My wife was relentless and insisted "We'll make it work!" Any married man knows what that means.
At high noon, I found myself in some old gym shorts, a t-shirt, and my old rash-guard in a Muay Thai class. I've missed these kind of workouts.
The class was two hours long and it was no where near as cardio intensive as wrestling or BJJ. That doesn't mean it was easy, but it's the nature of the beast. The advantage of a non-striking martial art is you can spar more or less full speed. Muay Thai is the definition of a striking martial art. Sparring at full speed equals injuries. One of the coach's mantras was "Relax!" He said it prevented injuries like tendinitis from holding mitts and because it allows you to strike faster (and therefore harder). Of course, he'd also be yelling and encouraging you to "Be intense!," "let's see some aggression!." and "MOVE!" Don't let the word "Relax" lull you into thinking this wasn't a workout. I get the feeling that the coach was also going easier on the class due to the average skill level. I'm sure he could turn things up multiple notches if he desired (and would if he saw my intro to this paragraph. Keep in mind I'm only making comparisons from one class, so I have much to learn).
There were many elements that were similar to all workouts. We warmed up. We drilled. The coach gave a lesson. We drilled in a cardio-intensive manner. Instead of sparring, the coach set up a little competition with the kicking bags. The losers got to assume plank position while he gave them a rousing speech. Thankfully, I was on the winning team (this time).
There was a ton for me to learn. I know some of the theory and ideas behind Muay Thai, but the details came fast and furious. I had to learn the "Thai March." My wrestling stance is the opposite of a kickboxing stance. My hands were supposed to be further out and make small inward circles rhythmically with my march. Hips squared. Shoulders were to be rolled forward. Chin tucked. Stand taller. The list goes on, and I'm only referring to how I should be standing. Later, I had to be drilled on how to wrap my hands properly.
Going from wrestling to BJJ was a transition, but a lot of the skill set was partially transferable. Striking is going to be a different ballgame. I enjoyed myself and plan to go again. I learned a lot even if part of it was learning I knew even less than I thought I did. I'm old enough to realize the dream of walking into a place and 'being a complete natural' is pretty much bullshit. There's always a ton to learn and the little fundamentals are rarely natural and have to be trained. If you're a 'natural' you'll spend less time acquiring the desired skills, but you'll spend your time at the bottom just like everybody else.
I don't know how often I'm going to get to go. Carrie is out of town next Saturday for another wedding and I have a class for work I'm going to another Saturday in September. This is something I'd like to continue with and hopefully get in better shape in the process.
Let that sink in a bit....deeper....deeper...
The motto of my new church seems to be all about getting people active and interacting with each other especially through sports. It's a pretty novel way to build small groups. To accomplish this the church is actually a sports complex. Sunday worship is free, but the complex is open to anybody for a very small fee. It's their way of outreach and forging connections within their congregation. The have drop-in classes for lots of sports, too. Even Muay Thai (wasn't that what I was originally writing about?).
Back to Muay Thai.
Carrie wanted to try it. She's tired of me having an unfair advantage and wants to know how to beat me up. She even told the coach. He laughed. I laughed too when she came back from her first night of class and laid down on the floor unable to move. Some smart ass in class said "We don't do enough cardio!" Coach, being a coach, made sure the smart ass did not go home unsatisfied and the rest of the class got dragged down with him.
Carrie was hooked. Mainly, she's done non-cardio, super-technical sports. Riding and the ROTC marksmen squad come to mind. A combat martial art and wrestling are very different animals. My wife had never seen an hour workout like that before and was thrilled she survived it.
Today, it was my turn.
Carrie's gone to class twice and already ordered her gear online. Throughout, she has been encouraging me to try the class. I resisted, because I didn't think it would be feasible with our family schedule for me to attend. My wife was relentless and insisted "We'll make it work!" Any married man knows what that means.
At high noon, I found myself in some old gym shorts, a t-shirt, and my old rash-guard in a Muay Thai class. I've missed these kind of workouts.
The class was two hours long and it was no where near as cardio intensive as wrestling or BJJ. That doesn't mean it was easy, but it's the nature of the beast. The advantage of a non-striking martial art is you can spar more or less full speed. Muay Thai is the definition of a striking martial art. Sparring at full speed equals injuries. One of the coach's mantras was "Relax!" He said it prevented injuries like tendinitis from holding mitts and because it allows you to strike faster (and therefore harder). Of course, he'd also be yelling and encouraging you to "Be intense!," "let's see some aggression!." and "MOVE!" Don't let the word "Relax" lull you into thinking this wasn't a workout. I get the feeling that the coach was also going easier on the class due to the average skill level. I'm sure he could turn things up multiple notches if he desired (and would if he saw my intro to this paragraph. Keep in mind I'm only making comparisons from one class, so I have much to learn).
There were many elements that were similar to all workouts. We warmed up. We drilled. The coach gave a lesson. We drilled in a cardio-intensive manner. Instead of sparring, the coach set up a little competition with the kicking bags. The losers got to assume plank position while he gave them a rousing speech. Thankfully, I was on the winning team (this time).
There was a ton for me to learn. I know some of the theory and ideas behind Muay Thai, but the details came fast and furious. I had to learn the "Thai March." My wrestling stance is the opposite of a kickboxing stance. My hands were supposed to be further out and make small inward circles rhythmically with my march. Hips squared. Shoulders were to be rolled forward. Chin tucked. Stand taller. The list goes on, and I'm only referring to how I should be standing. Later, I had to be drilled on how to wrap my hands properly.
Going from wrestling to BJJ was a transition, but a lot of the skill set was partially transferable. Striking is going to be a different ballgame. I enjoyed myself and plan to go again. I learned a lot even if part of it was learning I knew even less than I thought I did. I'm old enough to realize the dream of walking into a place and 'being a complete natural' is pretty much bullshit. There's always a ton to learn and the little fundamentals are rarely natural and have to be trained. If you're a 'natural' you'll spend less time acquiring the desired skills, but you'll spend your time at the bottom just like everybody else.
I don't know how often I'm going to get to go. Carrie is out of town next Saturday for another wedding and I have a class for work I'm going to another Saturday in September. This is something I'd like to continue with and hopefully get in better shape in the process.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Fever Update *Updated*
Shane woke up this morning cranky, but some Advil in his bottle made for a quiet start to the day. Other than the fever, I would've assumed nothing was wrong.
Nap time came early. Shane was falling asleep in his high chair as I tried to feed him. It was almost an hour early, but there's no fighting a baby that sleepy. I laid Shane down and went to take a break. Thirty-five minutes later Shane woke up crying his little heart out.
I tried all the usual winners. I brought a bottle, held him quietly, sang, and eventually brought him outside when I realized nap time was done. Shane cried more. I called the doctor and set up an appointment while holding a vocally distraught Shane.
Thank God for garage door openers!
We sat in the garage for the next fifteen minutes watching the door go up and down. I worked up a sweat just standing there, but a happy baby is a happy father. Once Shane forgot he was supposed to be crying, I let him run around outside for a while. He was still cranky and not feeling well, but it was a huge improvement from nonstop crying.
Eventually, I tricked him inside and tried to dose him with an Advil bottle. Phineas and Ferb were across the 2nd Dimension and Shane zoned in and sucked up part of the laced milk. He was calm by the time his appointment came around. Carrie and I had the discussion "If this is his ears again, we're going to an ENT straight away."
Shortest appointment ever.
The doctor walked in. She talked. She looked in his ears. She poked around.
Nada.
No infection, no localized pain, no nothing. Her advice? Keep the Advil flowing.
Thank God for garage door openers and Advil!
It's no fun with a sick baby, but its nice to have done this song and dance before. I planned to skip the doctor when Shane was happy in the morning. If Carrie had a screaming baby for that long way back when, she would've been weaving through traffic on her way to the hospital. Now, she's a syringe master and can pump Shane full of meds whether he likes it or not.
UPDATE:
Shane woke up from his 2nd nap of the day wailing again. I started down my repertoire of tricks again, but nothing worked.
In a perfect world, Shane would've taken a bottle (with the meds hidden inside) or Carrie would've been home for help with the syringe.
In the word I live in, it was just me. Carrie was out teaching a riding lesson. Since Shane needed meds and he refused bottles, I had to use the syringe.
Nothing makes Shane less happy than coming in the house from out or sighting a medicine syringe. The boy was thrashing something fierce. With the medicine in his system, he feels fine. Without, he feels horrible. Regardless, he would rather die than cope with a few seconds of a syrupy bad taste (hopefully that gets better by the time he's married). I got 1/2 to 2/3 through the syringe before he swallowed wrong while screaming.
BLARRAHFLAHFHLFKSADHFHGHFHFHAFH!!!!
Pause.
BLARGHAFOUROFJFHFHFHALFHALFHAFFHFh *cough cough* BLARGHALFOAUFLAFLFLAF!
Blarf.
Bath time!
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE:
My master plan of having Shane barf up all of his stomach so that he'd be willing to take a bottle with medicine was a resounding success. Shane barfed. We bathed. The garage door worked it's magic (Thank God for garage doors) and then Shane willingly drank a bottle with meds and then a bigger bottle with straight up milk.
Phew!
The next step was to change my shirt. I'd collected some baby barf on it (which looks like cottage cheese btw). I opened the gate, so that Shane and I could crawl up. We raced up around the bend, Shane in the lead, Dada in caboose.
Halfway up the last set, Shane must have gotten some hair on one of his hands. Shane's solution? Hand to the mouth!
Bleh! That didn't work! It's funny how you can see a toddler's thought process play out on their face. I reacted and stopped him from shoving his first hand down his throat. I missed the second one.
BLARFHGF.
It was a quick and sudden urp-up. Shane's milk and meds dripped in a puddle on the stair before us. Rats.
Bath time!
UPDATE x3:
Carrie got home from horse lessons and we shot a couple ml of Advil in (team effort). The ER said we could give 7 ml, while the bottle says 5 ml. We try to always give 5 ml (since it works), but there was no telling how much medicine Shane actually had in his system. We figured overdosing a baby on Advil was no advisable.
UPDATE^4:
Shane woke up and there's no fever! Hopefully he's on the mend. Praise God, and thank you whoever invented automatic garage door openers.
Btw, these updates are all written after the fact. There was no way I had time to write these during the event, but I figure they make for funnier reading this way. Even when something crappy is happening, I try to detach myself a little and think "This will make for a hilarious story." It just goes with one of my philosophies "The best of times and the worst of times make the best stories. Even when you're going through crap, it can make for a great retelling later if you remember the details."
Nap time came early. Shane was falling asleep in his high chair as I tried to feed him. It was almost an hour early, but there's no fighting a baby that sleepy. I laid Shane down and went to take a break. Thirty-five minutes later Shane woke up crying his little heart out.
I tried all the usual winners. I brought a bottle, held him quietly, sang, and eventually brought him outside when I realized nap time was done. Shane cried more. I called the doctor and set up an appointment while holding a vocally distraught Shane.
Thank God for garage door openers!
We sat in the garage for the next fifteen minutes watching the door go up and down. I worked up a sweat just standing there, but a happy baby is a happy father. Once Shane forgot he was supposed to be crying, I let him run around outside for a while. He was still cranky and not feeling well, but it was a huge improvement from nonstop crying.
Eventually, I tricked him inside and tried to dose him with an Advil bottle. Phineas and Ferb were across the 2nd Dimension and Shane zoned in and sucked up part of the laced milk. He was calm by the time his appointment came around. Carrie and I had the discussion "If this is his ears again, we're going to an ENT straight away."
Shortest appointment ever.
The doctor walked in. She talked. She looked in his ears. She poked around.
Nada.
No infection, no localized pain, no nothing. Her advice? Keep the Advil flowing.
Thank God for garage door openers and Advil!
It's no fun with a sick baby, but its nice to have done this song and dance before. I planned to skip the doctor when Shane was happy in the morning. If Carrie had a screaming baby for that long way back when, she would've been weaving through traffic on her way to the hospital. Now, she's a syringe master and can pump Shane full of meds whether he likes it or not.
UPDATE:
Shane woke up from his 2nd nap of the day wailing again. I started down my repertoire of tricks again, but nothing worked.
In a perfect world, Shane would've taken a bottle (with the meds hidden inside) or Carrie would've been home for help with the syringe.
In the word I live in, it was just me. Carrie was out teaching a riding lesson. Since Shane needed meds and he refused bottles, I had to use the syringe.
Nothing makes Shane less happy than coming in the house from out or sighting a medicine syringe. The boy was thrashing something fierce. With the medicine in his system, he feels fine. Without, he feels horrible. Regardless, he would rather die than cope with a few seconds of a syrupy bad taste (hopefully that gets better by the time he's married). I got 1/2 to 2/3 through the syringe before he swallowed wrong while screaming.
BLARRAHFLAHFHLFKSADHFHGHFHFHAFH!!!!
Pause.
BLARGHAFOUROFJFHFHFHALFHALFHAFFHFh *cough cough* BLARGHALFOAUFLAFLFLAF!
Blarf.
Bath time!
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE:
My master plan of having Shane barf up all of his stomach so that he'd be willing to take a bottle with medicine was a resounding success. Shane barfed. We bathed. The garage door worked it's magic (Thank God for garage doors) and then Shane willingly drank a bottle with meds and then a bigger bottle with straight up milk.
Phew!
The next step was to change my shirt. I'd collected some baby barf on it (which looks like cottage cheese btw). I opened the gate, so that Shane and I could crawl up. We raced up around the bend, Shane in the lead, Dada in caboose.
Halfway up the last set, Shane must have gotten some hair on one of his hands. Shane's solution? Hand to the mouth!
Bleh! That didn't work! It's funny how you can see a toddler's thought process play out on their face. I reacted and stopped him from shoving his first hand down his throat. I missed the second one.
BLARFHGF.
It was a quick and sudden urp-up. Shane's milk and meds dripped in a puddle on the stair before us. Rats.
Bath time!
UPDATE x3:
Carrie got home from horse lessons and we shot a couple ml of Advil in (team effort). The ER said we could give 7 ml, while the bottle says 5 ml. We try to always give 5 ml (since it works), but there was no telling how much medicine Shane actually had in his system. We figured overdosing a baby on Advil was no advisable.
UPDATE^4:
Shane woke up and there's no fever! Hopefully he's on the mend. Praise God, and thank you whoever invented automatic garage door openers.
Btw, these updates are all written after the fact. There was no way I had time to write these during the event, but I figure they make for funnier reading this way. Even when something crappy is happening, I try to detach myself a little and think "This will make for a hilarious story." It just goes with one of my philosophies "The best of times and the worst of times make the best stories. Even when you're going through crap, it can make for a great retelling later if you remember the details."
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Fever Boy
Shane felt hot as I put him to bed. I told Carrie that Shane had a fever when I came back down (to her dismay). Forty minutes later, he woke up crying. Thanks to Carrie's syringe skills we were able to get some Advil in his system and I coaxed him back to sleep after it started to take effect.
We may have to cancel our meeting tomorrow. Janice said that she sometimes has immune compromised kids she deals with and she can't have a sick toddler at a meeting. Hopefully, we can divide and conquer. I'll take Shane to the doctors and Carrie can attend the meeting to get services lined up. We won't know until the morning, because (shock) I doubt anyone will check their email or answer their phone tonight.
In the meantime, we're praying that Shane sleeps and that his body is strengthening with every sickness he gets. Babies are pretty remarkable in that way. You spend so much time worrying about them when they're young and as they get older your start to be more and more amazed at how resilient and well built the little suckers can be.
Father, may Shane sleep soundly even though he's sick, so that we may as well. Amen.
We may have to cancel our meeting tomorrow. Janice said that she sometimes has immune compromised kids she deals with and she can't have a sick toddler at a meeting. Hopefully, we can divide and conquer. I'll take Shane to the doctors and Carrie can attend the meeting to get services lined up. We won't know until the morning, because (shock) I doubt anyone will check their email or answer their phone tonight.
In the meantime, we're praying that Shane sleeps and that his body is strengthening with every sickness he gets. Babies are pretty remarkable in that way. You spend so much time worrying about them when they're young and as they get older your start to be more and more amazed at how resilient and well built the little suckers can be.
Father, may Shane sleep soundly even though he's sick, so that we may as well. Amen.
Tech Job Status
I applied to 18 schools, went to 3 interviews, had one school interested, but no new job materialized. I was hoping get a chance to interview at my own school when our tech person moved up to interim assistant principal, but the county supplied an interim tech person without opening the position (I guess it’s all conditional and if the AP position doesn't work out our techie can slide back down to her old position). If any openings occur during the school year, I’ll apply, but I’m going to have to focus on making myself more desirable in the meantime. Maybe I can join a tech committee or make friends with the new tech person. I’ve always been so focused on doing my job that I haven’t had time to do some of those things. I already chair my own committee, but I guess Human Relations doesn't look as savvy as Vanguard or Testing.
Thankfully, I like my current position and school. I like the idea of having five years at a single school on my resume, so maybe next year will be the one I change positions.
Thankfully, I like my current position and school. I like the idea of having five years at a single school on my resume, so maybe next year will be the one I change positions.
Check the dykes! It’s a Flooooooood!!!!!
Shane’s been waking up in a warm puddle lately. Carrie was quick to order overnight diapers, but they’re 0 for 3 so far. At first, I thought Shane was hooking his fingers into the top of his diaper and pulling down (thus unleashing the hose). Today, I peeled a sopping wet diaper off Shane and I think he may have mutated and grown an abnormally large bladder.
Praise God it is not poop.
Maybe Shane should drink less before going to bed. His weight has held steady for the past several months, so I wasn’t looking to make any dietary changes. In the meantime, there’s laundry to do!
Praise God it is not poop.
Maybe Shane should drink less before going to bed. His weight has held steady for the past several months, so I wasn’t looking to make any dietary changes. In the meantime, there’s laundry to do!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Shane's Assessment
Yesterday was Shane’s assessment.
The building was close to where we live. It was tucked away in a large office park, along an access road. At first, we didn’t think we had the right building. There was a big sign advertising the county’s “Mental Health Services” in Suite 200. That doesn’t sound ominous does it? Carrie wasn’t too happy when she saw it. When we entered the building, we saw a small sign that said “Infant and Toddler Connection Services Suite 260.”
We were in the right place.
Boy and Pup at Play
People ask "Does Shane enjoy playing with Brogan" all the time.
For once, I was able to catch a good moment on video.
Did you notice how Shane charged me at the end? That's when he officially noticed the iPad. That's normally what happens whenever I try to take a video or pictures these days. I was thrilled it took him that long to notice me. This was also the first time I've ever seen Shane kiss the dog. My heart leaped when I realized I caught a first moment on camera.
May the boy and his dog grow up as best buddies.
For once, I was able to catch a good moment on video.
May the boy and his dog grow up as best buddies.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Oops
Brogan's dog training class was tonight. He missed the past two weeks when he got snipped and when he had explosive diarrhea (AKA he wasn't on holiday).
Carrie took him to the first three classes and encouraged me to go to the fourth. I went, but I left the dog treats at home.
It's very hard to train a dog without treats. Especially when all of the other dogs in class are getting fed for rewards. Thankfully, the trainer spotted me a couple of handfuls of her treats. Brogan never knew the difference (or if he did, he liked her treats just fine).
Today, I was determined not to forget the treats. It was a long day, but I started to take care of business before class. I let Brogan out to hit the yard, I found his leash, and I quickly grabbed a bag of treats from his drawer before loading him up in the car.
I pulled up in front of the dog store with one minute to spare. The day drained me, but I felt good I got this part right. I grabbed my rawhide chews....
Wait....rawhide chews. Those are not treats.
D'oh!
I seriously thought about turning around and driving home for the treats (and maybe skipping class). Running solves nothing, so I said a prayer for strength and went in after a minute to psych myself up. Thankfully, I had a little cash on me from Matt's groomsmen gifts. I walked in, bought some turkey treats, and Brogan had a good class.
Just a quick update. I need to do an epic update for an epic wedding weekend, but those take a lot of time and energy to write (I do have a draft).
Until next time!
Carrie took him to the first three classes and encouraged me to go to the fourth. I went, but I left the dog treats at home.
It's very hard to train a dog without treats. Especially when all of the other dogs in class are getting fed for rewards. Thankfully, the trainer spotted me a couple of handfuls of her treats. Brogan never knew the difference (or if he did, he liked her treats just fine).
Today, I was determined not to forget the treats. It was a long day, but I started to take care of business before class. I let Brogan out to hit the yard, I found his leash, and I quickly grabbed a bag of treats from his drawer before loading him up in the car.
I pulled up in front of the dog store with one minute to spare. The day drained me, but I felt good I got this part right. I grabbed my rawhide chews....
Wait....rawhide chews. Those are not treats.
D'oh!
I seriously thought about turning around and driving home for the treats (and maybe skipping class). Running solves nothing, so I said a prayer for strength and went in after a minute to psych myself up. Thankfully, I had a little cash on me from Matt's groomsmen gifts. I walked in, bought some turkey treats, and Brogan had a good class.
Just a quick update. I need to do an epic update for an epic wedding weekend, but those take a lot of time and energy to write (I do have a draft).
Until next time!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Earfull
I took Shane to the doctor's today to get his ears looked at again. It's been 8 days on the antibiotics and he's still pulling at his ears and acting like they bother him. After 45 minutes of waiting in the lobby and the room, the doctor came in to take a look at Shane.
Obviously, Shane's first priority was to hurt himself.
While the doctor asked me questions, I was doing my best to entertain an overtired and probably hungry boy. I looked up and made eye contact with the doctor and Shane immediately ran into a metal object.
Cranky baby + bloody fat lip = Really crying child
The doctor then had to look into Shane's ears. Most of the time, this seems to take a few seconds. This time, Shane was thrashing wildly and the doctor seemed to be trying to read a tiny novel in my son's ear canal.
Really crying child + (doctor poking in sore ears * 2) = Cry-maggedon.
And I thought my son was really irked before!
Poor kid. I was able to sing and calm him down some while the doctor gave me a rundown of his findings. There was no sign of infection, but there was still fluid in the ears which could be causing Shane discomfort. He recommended we get Shane's ears looked at in 2-3 weeks. If there was still fluid in Shane's ears, we may need to get a hearing test and go to an ENT.
Thankfully, Shane should get a full hearing screening at his county services assessment next week. That's one thing already scheduled! I had to have tubes in my ears as a kid too, so if we do go to an ENT Shane may end up getting his ears reworked.
Kids. They keep you busy. Even when I don't like my health insurance, I'm thrilled I have health insurance.
The ears were related to the assessment, so I figured I'd mix the good news and the bad tonight.
Good: we're going to get help for Shane's speech.
Bad: the kid's ears are bugging him.
I'll try to post something more anecdotal tomorrow. It's time to put up the dog and head to bed for now.
Obviously, Shane's first priority was to hurt himself.
While the doctor asked me questions, I was doing my best to entertain an overtired and probably hungry boy. I looked up and made eye contact with the doctor and Shane immediately ran into a metal object.
Cranky baby + bloody fat lip = Really crying child
The doctor then had to look into Shane's ears. Most of the time, this seems to take a few seconds. This time, Shane was thrashing wildly and the doctor seemed to be trying to read a tiny novel in my son's ear canal.
Really crying child + (doctor poking in sore ears * 2) = Cry-maggedon.
And I thought my son was really irked before!
Poor kid. I was able to sing and calm him down some while the doctor gave me a rundown of his findings. There was no sign of infection, but there was still fluid in the ears which could be causing Shane discomfort. He recommended we get Shane's ears looked at in 2-3 weeks. If there was still fluid in Shane's ears, we may need to get a hearing test and go to an ENT.
Thankfully, Shane should get a full hearing screening at his county services assessment next week. That's one thing already scheduled! I had to have tubes in my ears as a kid too, so if we do go to an ENT Shane may end up getting his ears reworked.
Kids. They keep you busy. Even when I don't like my health insurance, I'm thrilled I have health insurance.
The ears were related to the assessment, so I figured I'd mix the good news and the bad tonight.
Good: we're going to get help for Shane's speech.
Bad: the kid's ears are bugging him.
I'll try to post something more anecdotal tomorrow. It's time to put up the dog and head to bed for now.
Shane's Speech Appointment
The person from the county did an informal assessment of Shane a couple of weeks back. She was very friendly, and gave us a large binder full of Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) paperwork. A lot of it was similar to the IEPs I do for a living, but made much more reader friendly. It's almost as if the county doesn't want to scare away anyone looking for an early intervention, but by the time they hit elementary school it changes to look more legal, scary, and a combination of "we-know-what-we're-doing," "this-is-too-complicated-for-you-to-learn-it-all," and "Please-don't-sue!"
I digress.
The woman was very kind and knowledgeable. She gave us a lot of information to digest before starting the informal assessment. Basically, she asked lots of questions while watching Shane run around. Sometimes, she'd ask for us to have Shane demonstrate something. I got the feeling she was assessing us as much as she was assessing Shane, but she did a good job of doing it on the sly. It's very easy to be self-conscious when someone's evaluating your child and your parenting and you already know she's assessing a problem and not some new-fangled super parenting trick you've cooked up.
Thankfully, she also gave some really good advice. She suggested we wait longer and provide more silence after asking Shane to do a task. The first time we did it, he stood around for a pregnant pause, and then did what we asked! Of course, it hasn't worked all of the time since, but a success on the first try guarantees that we took the county evaluator's suggestions very seriously.
Next, she told us that we should try to play more turn-based games with Shane. The idea was to emphasize "My turn" and "Your turn." She told us that turn taking was a necessary component for imitating speech. First one person makes the noise. Then the other person imitates it. Since Shane was having trouble with his speech, she said it would help us to reinforce turn taking in games so that it would help him with learning words later.
We were very happy with the visit.
The next step is the full-assessment. Next Tuesday, Shane will undergo a battery of tests to isolate where and how he qualifies for services and what services the county will provide. There is a copay with everything through insurance, but even if there wasn't I would pay what I could to make sure Shane gets what he needs.
I don't really remember much of my own speech impediment, but there are plenty of stories. I want Shane to end up in the same boat. One day, I hope he'll remember he had an impediment and have empathy for those with similar problems, but be free and clear himself. If he's not, then at least he'll have the best chance to be adapted for it by having the help he needs as early as possible.
I'll post more after the full assessment.
I digress.
The woman was very kind and knowledgeable. She gave us a lot of information to digest before starting the informal assessment. Basically, she asked lots of questions while watching Shane run around. Sometimes, she'd ask for us to have Shane demonstrate something. I got the feeling she was assessing us as much as she was assessing Shane, but she did a good job of doing it on the sly. It's very easy to be self-conscious when someone's evaluating your child and your parenting and you already know she's assessing a problem and not some new-fangled super parenting trick you've cooked up.
Thankfully, she also gave some really good advice. She suggested we wait longer and provide more silence after asking Shane to do a task. The first time we did it, he stood around for a pregnant pause, and then did what we asked! Of course, it hasn't worked all of the time since, but a success on the first try guarantees that we took the county evaluator's suggestions very seriously.
Next, she told us that we should try to play more turn-based games with Shane. The idea was to emphasize "My turn" and "Your turn." She told us that turn taking was a necessary component for imitating speech. First one person makes the noise. Then the other person imitates it. Since Shane was having trouble with his speech, she said it would help us to reinforce turn taking in games so that it would help him with learning words later.
We were very happy with the visit.
The next step is the full-assessment. Next Tuesday, Shane will undergo a battery of tests to isolate where and how he qualifies for services and what services the county will provide. There is a copay with everything through insurance, but even if there wasn't I would pay what I could to make sure Shane gets what he needs.
I don't really remember much of my own speech impediment, but there are plenty of stories. I want Shane to end up in the same boat. One day, I hope he'll remember he had an impediment and have empathy for those with similar problems, but be free and clear himself. If he's not, then at least he'll have the best chance to be adapted for it by having the help he needs as early as possible.
I'll post more after the full assessment.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Itching and Wondering
"Mike, you are always scratching!" Jama said.
It's true.
We've been combating chiggers and poison ivy in our yard.
I've got the rash on my arms and the itchy bites in my arm pits and unmentionables to prove it.
I almost wrote a blog post one day wondering about the daring mosquito who must have flown up my boxers. I planned to title it "the one drawback of boxers." Now, I know the truth. Mosquitoes bite exposed skins. Chiggers look for areas that are normally covered.
Shane still doesn't understand why I don't let him run free. I'll be scratching bug bites with one hand and holding him back from grabbing a fist full of poison ivy with the other. The boy wants trouble! I can read his mind saying "I am INVINCIBLE!!!!!"
The chiggers have been a problem since day one. I thought I'd developed some weird rash or had mosquitoes flying up my clothes at first. Carrie laid down some poison, and it seemed to work for a little while.
They're baaaaaaaack! Blasted things. I will kill them all. They've actually surpassed crickets on my bugs to kill list. It's a shame they're so small that I can't actually see them to kill them. One of these days Carrie and I will both be home and I'll break out a different kind of poison. She pulled 116 hours in her last 2 week pay period!
The poison ivy has been lurking, but it's gotten worse with my battling the bamboo. The bamboo roots writhed and elevated the landscape all around the porch. The area is so rugged, I can't push the mower over it for fear of the blades hitting dirt. Plus, ripping up the bamboo ripped up some of the grass and other weeds. Now, ivy is somehow flourishing in the accidentally tilled dirt. Carrie found us a decent tiller online and I had planned to destroy what's left of the bamboo with it(the #1 plant on my "Plants to Kill That are Almost Unkillable" list). Now, I'm going to need to suit up and cover all of my skin to take care of the ivy too.
Owning a yard is hard work!
It'll be nice once the yard is fully set up for Shane. I want a swingset and poison free yard for him to race around. The boy is such an outdoorsy little fellow (as I've mentioned before). Brogan prohibits us from using the church playground for fear of doggy poop, so we need our own.
I'll try to start tilling once all the laundry is done tomorrow.
It's true.
We've been combating chiggers and poison ivy in our yard.
I've got the rash on my arms and the itchy bites in my arm pits and unmentionables to prove it.
I almost wrote a blog post one day wondering about the daring mosquito who must have flown up my boxers. I planned to title it "the one drawback of boxers." Now, I know the truth. Mosquitoes bite exposed skins. Chiggers look for areas that are normally covered.
Shane still doesn't understand why I don't let him run free. I'll be scratching bug bites with one hand and holding him back from grabbing a fist full of poison ivy with the other. The boy wants trouble! I can read his mind saying "I am INVINCIBLE!!!!!"
The chiggers have been a problem since day one. I thought I'd developed some weird rash or had mosquitoes flying up my clothes at first. Carrie laid down some poison, and it seemed to work for a little while.
They're baaaaaaaack! Blasted things. I will kill them all. They've actually surpassed crickets on my bugs to kill list. It's a shame they're so small that I can't actually see them to kill them. One of these days Carrie and I will both be home and I'll break out a different kind of poison. She pulled 116 hours in her last 2 week pay period!
The poison ivy has been lurking, but it's gotten worse with my battling the bamboo. The bamboo roots writhed and elevated the landscape all around the porch. The area is so rugged, I can't push the mower over it for fear of the blades hitting dirt. Plus, ripping up the bamboo ripped up some of the grass and other weeds. Now, ivy is somehow flourishing in the accidentally tilled dirt. Carrie found us a decent tiller online and I had planned to destroy what's left of the bamboo with it(the #1 plant on my "Plants to Kill That are Almost Unkillable" list). Now, I'm going to need to suit up and cover all of my skin to take care of the ivy too.
Owning a yard is hard work!
It'll be nice once the yard is fully set up for Shane. I want a swingset and poison free yard for him to race around. The boy is such an outdoorsy little fellow (as I've mentioned before). Brogan prohibits us from using the church playground for fear of doggy poop, so we need our own.
I'll try to start tilling once all the laundry is done tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Poor Brogan
Brogan woke me up at 3 AM today.
He had a rough car ride home earlier, so I wanted to check on him. When we got home from Nana's, I found a puke pile in the back of the car. Brogan bolted out and ran into the yard to squirt out a poop while I took care of Shane. The dumb dog managed to unearth an old mat in my parents' back yard for a chew toy. Maybe that offended his system.
So it's 3 AM, I'm in my boxers and letting the dog out in the front yard. Brogan RUNS out the front door and immediately lunges into a squat.
FRRRRRPP! I've never heard a dog have loud explosive gas before.
I started to laugh. It was 3 in the morning, and my dog strained and trumpeted. The whole situation seemed pretty ridiculous in my groggy mental state. The poor dog then ran around the yard and tried to poop in different places before boot scooting back to the front porch. I felt really bad for him when he changed his mind and ran back out in the yard to vomit up his dinner.
I've known dogs to have horrible farts. I've never known a dog whose farts sounded like a balloon deflating. The whole situation would've been an unfortunate, comic mishap if not for the puke and Brogan didn't feel any better later. At 6:22 AM I let him out again for a repeat performance. While he was in the kitchen with Carrie around 8 AM, he shot out a liquid buckshot that blasted the sliding glass door. My wife gagged at the smell and Brogan got thrown outside. He spent the rest of the afternoon boot scooting and squirting all around the back yard and crying to be let back in.
The vet gave us some good advice, and Brogan seems to be doing a lot better now. He's going to get to sleep in his crate in the garage tonight and if his anus is under control he'll be back in the house tomorrow. Go figure I got a dog with a sensitive stomach to match my own. I can sympathize, but at least I can get in the toilet. I'm allowing him to sleep at my feet in the kitchen as I type so that he gets people time before crating up in the garage.
Sorry, Bro. The outdoors won't kill you, and the weather calls for a beautiful night. Most dogs like it outside! Keep a clean bed and you'll be back in before you know it.
PS - Dan felt bad for Brogan at one point and let him in through the basement window to hang out with him. Ha ha! They had some male bonding time and there was no accident so I'm thrilled.
He had a rough car ride home earlier, so I wanted to check on him. When we got home from Nana's, I found a puke pile in the back of the car. Brogan bolted out and ran into the yard to squirt out a poop while I took care of Shane. The dumb dog managed to unearth an old mat in my parents' back yard for a chew toy. Maybe that offended his system.
So it's 3 AM, I'm in my boxers and letting the dog out in the front yard. Brogan RUNS out the front door and immediately lunges into a squat.
FRRRRRPP! I've never heard a dog have loud explosive gas before.
I started to laugh. It was 3 in the morning, and my dog strained and trumpeted. The whole situation seemed pretty ridiculous in my groggy mental state. The poor dog then ran around the yard and tried to poop in different places before boot scooting back to the front porch. I felt really bad for him when he changed his mind and ran back out in the yard to vomit up his dinner.
I've known dogs to have horrible farts. I've never known a dog whose farts sounded like a balloon deflating. The whole situation would've been an unfortunate, comic mishap if not for the puke and Brogan didn't feel any better later. At 6:22 AM I let him out again for a repeat performance. While he was in the kitchen with Carrie around 8 AM, he shot out a liquid buckshot that blasted the sliding glass door. My wife gagged at the smell and Brogan got thrown outside. He spent the rest of the afternoon boot scooting and squirting all around the back yard and crying to be let back in.
The vet gave us some good advice, and Brogan seems to be doing a lot better now. He's going to get to sleep in his crate in the garage tonight and if his anus is under control he'll be back in the house tomorrow. Go figure I got a dog with a sensitive stomach to match my own. I can sympathize, but at least I can get in the toilet. I'm allowing him to sleep at my feet in the kitchen as I type so that he gets people time before crating up in the garage.
Sorry, Bro. The outdoors won't kill you, and the weather calls for a beautiful night. Most dogs like it outside! Keep a clean bed and you'll be back in before you know it.
PS - Dan felt bad for Brogan at one point and let him in through the basement window to hang out with him. Ha ha! They had some male bonding time and there was no accident so I'm thrilled.
Conundrum
I have a conundrum on my hands.
My brother's wedding is Sunday (a once in a lifetime event).
MomMom is visiting on Sunday. She says it will be a last time in her lifetime event.
There are two mutually exclusive events that I have to try and make happen. This could be one of those situations where attempting to make two things happen at once fails. I don't want to try to do one and neglect another though, so I'll have to pray and figure out a way to make it work.
I don't want to have the "I didn't try to make it work" regret to deal with.
Have I mentioned one of my life philosophies? There are three yous: the past, present, and the future. You can't live for the past you, because the past is come and gone. You can live for the other two. Don't do anything in the present that the future you is going to look back and say "Why on earth..."
It's not a 100% effective policy, because we all make mistakes and who knows what the future brings, but it has saved me from giving up or taking a shortcut I would've regretted before.
My brother's wedding is Sunday (a once in a lifetime event).
MomMom is visiting on Sunday. She says it will be a last time in her lifetime event.
There are two mutually exclusive events that I have to try and make happen. This could be one of those situations where attempting to make two things happen at once fails. I don't want to try to do one and neglect another though, so I'll have to pray and figure out a way to make it work.
I don't want to have the "I didn't try to make it work" regret to deal with.
Have I mentioned one of my life philosophies? There are three yous: the past, present, and the future. You can't live for the past you, because the past is come and gone. You can live for the other two. Don't do anything in the present that the future you is going to look back and say "Why on earth..."
It's not a 100% effective policy, because we all make mistakes and who knows what the future brings, but it has saved me from giving up or taking a shortcut I would've regretted before.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Dan's Here
Dan moved in on Sunday.
I called him around 10 AM to say "What are your plans anyway?" He replied with, "I was just about to call you! We have a truck for the day..."
The rest is history. It was the quickest move I've ever seen. They were done in two loads with a normal pickup truck. That's extravagant in some parts of the world, but in the US it's borderline nomadic (Does that say something about Americans? I know that we have a lot of stuff).
So far, it looks like it will work out well. Dan wakes up at 5 AM most days and Shane hasn't seemed to notice. He works between 40-80 hours a week and is pretty erratic with when he comes home (or not). He came home from work at 3 PM today and 12:45 AM Monday (it was an on-call day). Shane sleeps like a rock and Dan seems to prefer to not shower in the morning, so there's no conflict there so far. I think it's going to work out well.
Plus, I like having another adult around. I've known Dan since before he was a year old. One of the things about parenthood is I felt disconnected from all my old friends. Carrie and I were the first to move away and pop out our spawn. We started on Shane O'Clock which is way out of synch with the time tables of a bunch of young working adults. I have one friend that's never forgiven me for getting married and having a kid! Dan's presence is a connection to the old group and it makes the family group here a little larger.
Secondly, I loved being a part of a large family. It made life more interesting. Until Shane can say a sentence my family feels a little small at times. Carrie was gone until 8 PM today and Brogan was acting a little under the weather so I didn't want to drag him out to visit my parents with Shane. Dan came home and I got my adult conversation out of my system before he retreated to his "man cave in progress." I'm more of a pack animal than I realize some times.
Anyway, we're all playing this by ear. I hope for it to be a win-win situation. Dan gets a much cheaper and nicer place than he normally could have in this area. We get a little help with the mortgage and I have an old friend who 'visits' on a regular basis.
I called him around 10 AM to say "What are your plans anyway?" He replied with, "I was just about to call you! We have a truck for the day..."
The rest is history. It was the quickest move I've ever seen. They were done in two loads with a normal pickup truck. That's extravagant in some parts of the world, but in the US it's borderline nomadic (Does that say something about Americans? I know that we have a lot of stuff).
So far, it looks like it will work out well. Dan wakes up at 5 AM most days and Shane hasn't seemed to notice. He works between 40-80 hours a week and is pretty erratic with when he comes home (or not). He came home from work at 3 PM today and 12:45 AM Monday (it was an on-call day). Shane sleeps like a rock and Dan seems to prefer to not shower in the morning, so there's no conflict there so far. I think it's going to work out well.
Plus, I like having another adult around. I've known Dan since before he was a year old. One of the things about parenthood is I felt disconnected from all my old friends. Carrie and I were the first to move away and pop out our spawn. We started on Shane O'Clock which is way out of synch with the time tables of a bunch of young working adults. I have one friend that's never forgiven me for getting married and having a kid! Dan's presence is a connection to the old group and it makes the family group here a little larger.
Secondly, I loved being a part of a large family. It made life more interesting. Until Shane can say a sentence my family feels a little small at times. Carrie was gone until 8 PM today and Brogan was acting a little under the weather so I didn't want to drag him out to visit my parents with Shane. Dan came home and I got my adult conversation out of my system before he retreated to his "man cave in progress." I'm more of a pack animal than I realize some times.
Anyway, we're all playing this by ear. I hope for it to be a win-win situation. Dan gets a much cheaper and nicer place than he normally could have in this area. We get a little help with the mortgage and I have an old friend who 'visits' on a regular basis.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Car go kaput
Today was going to be the day my last cavities were fixed.
The plan has changed.
I hopped in the Prius to go to my appointment and things went south from there. Well, that's not entirely accurate. I tried to unlock the Prius and the automatic locks weren't working. The manual key let me in and then the car started blinking angry lights at me. It doesn't start, and I had to reschedule my dental appointment.
Right now, we're waiting on the tow truck. Carrie was doing research while I handled other chores. When there's a task or something stressing me out that I can't resolve right away, I like to start dealing with other tasks and chores in its steed. I'm happy to report I made a dent in the laundry, dishes, and trash before I sat down to write this.
I'm praying for a quick/cheap fix, but since my car is a hybrid I'm not counting on it. I miss when I had basic/cheap cars I could diagnose and fix the problem on myself. All of the electronics and computers in the nicer cars acts as a barrier for people like me.
Whoops! Tow truck is here. Game on.
UPDATE: It turned out the auxiliary battery kicked the bucket and not the multi-thousand dollar hybrid battery. It was still a chunk of cash to get the 'special' Prius battery, replace some blown amps, and whatnot. I know where Dan's first month of rent is going.
The plan has changed.
I hopped in the Prius to go to my appointment and things went south from there. Well, that's not entirely accurate. I tried to unlock the Prius and the automatic locks weren't working. The manual key let me in and then the car started blinking angry lights at me. It doesn't start, and I had to reschedule my dental appointment.
Right now, we're waiting on the tow truck. Carrie was doing research while I handled other chores. When there's a task or something stressing me out that I can't resolve right away, I like to start dealing with other tasks and chores in its steed. I'm happy to report I made a dent in the laundry, dishes, and trash before I sat down to write this.
I'm praying for a quick/cheap fix, but since my car is a hybrid I'm not counting on it. I miss when I had basic/cheap cars I could diagnose and fix the problem on myself. All of the electronics and computers in the nicer cars acts as a barrier for people like me.
Whoops! Tow truck is here. Game on.
UPDATE: It turned out the auxiliary battery kicked the bucket and not the multi-thousand dollar hybrid battery. It was still a chunk of cash to get the 'special' Prius battery, replace some blown amps, and whatnot. I know where Dan's first month of rent is going.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Backlogged
As you can tell from my wonderful wife's post it's been a busy week/weekend. I feel like I could write 7 or 8 journals from the material. I will write some of it up, but I fell behind in my online courses. By the time I catch up and write a journal or two new things will be happening.
For my future reference, I figured I'd make a quick bullet list of some of the highlights.
Thursday
Dentist appointment for my cavities (I started to write this one up, but didn't finish).
Shane had a speech evaluation to see if he qualifies for extra help from the county (he qualified on the quick check).
We took Shane to Home Depot and Harris Teeter and forgot about Brogan's shot appointment.
Friday
Shane got his next round of shots (only two months late due to illness and ear infections!).
Our neighborhood's power went kerplunk for an hour.
Our neighbor's had a pipe burst in their front yard. They're now using our hose/house when they need water.
Brogan got his shots and his "tutoring" scheduled (it's an ooooold Far Side comic reference. Kudos if you got it without clicking).
Shane got dropped off with Nana, Brogan got dropped off at the veterinary hospital, and Carrie wished me fair traveling on the late run to Matt's bachelor's party.
Saturday
Matt's bachelor party. I plan to do a write up about the rock climbing once I get pictures, but some other stories will have to remain untold (I never knew my brother was an artist, for example).
The long drive home. It passed much quicker than the way down since my brother, Patrick, was with me.
Carrie called to let me know Shane was sick and having trouble falling asleep while I drove.
I was also in the dog house for being away for so long.
Sunday
A return to normalcy...not!
Shane was heavily congested and mouth-breathing. This made for an ornery baby.
Carrie disappeared on errands for a while and Shane and I picked up the dog and his cone of shame. Poor Brogan.
While all of this happened, Dan moved in! I called in the morning to see what his plan was and he replied "Today!"
Monday
The real return to normalcy. I'm blogging again, aren't I?
This list will help me remember things before my old man memory dumps it all. I'm going to do some online coursework and then I'll finish up the blog I started on the dentist visit, and maybe a quick one on Dan moving in.
So long for now.
EDIT: Finished my readings and journal for one class. Now I have to do the discussion. You know you're a parent when you get up to wash bottles and dishes to break up 'the work.'
For my future reference, I figured I'd make a quick bullet list of some of the highlights.
Thursday
Dentist appointment for my cavities (I started to write this one up, but didn't finish).
Shane had a speech evaluation to see if he qualifies for extra help from the county (he qualified on the quick check).
We took Shane to Home Depot and Harris Teeter and forgot about Brogan's shot appointment.
Friday
Shane got his next round of shots (only two months late due to illness and ear infections!).
Our neighborhood's power went kerplunk for an hour.
Our neighbor's had a pipe burst in their front yard. They're now using our hose/house when they need water.
Brogan got his shots and his "tutoring" scheduled (it's an ooooold Far Side comic reference. Kudos if you got it without clicking).
Shane got dropped off with Nana, Brogan got dropped off at the veterinary hospital, and Carrie wished me fair traveling on the late run to Matt's bachelor's party.
Saturday
Matt's bachelor party. I plan to do a write up about the rock climbing once I get pictures, but some other stories will have to remain untold (I never knew my brother was an artist, for example).
The long drive home. It passed much quicker than the way down since my brother, Patrick, was with me.
Carrie called to let me know Shane was sick and having trouble falling asleep while I drove.
I was also in the dog house for being away for so long.
Sunday
A return to normalcy...not!
Shane was heavily congested and mouth-breathing. This made for an ornery baby.
Carrie disappeared on errands for a while and Shane and I picked up the dog and his cone of shame. Poor Brogan.
While all of this happened, Dan moved in! I called in the morning to see what his plan was and he replied "Today!"
Monday
The real return to normalcy. I'm blogging again, aren't I?
This list will help me remember things before my old man memory dumps it all. I'm going to do some online coursework and then I'll finish up the blog I started on the dentist visit, and maybe a quick one on Dan moving in.
So long for now.
EDIT: Finished my readings and journal for one class. Now I have to do the discussion. You know you're a parent when you get up to wash bottles and dishes to break up 'the work.'
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Substitution...
Good Morning,
Today, the role of Mike will be played by his wife, Carrie. And now, back to our regularly scheduled program.........
Good Morning Vietnam!!!! No, wait, sorry. That intro is already taken. How about this... Morning, yah'll! This is Carrie and I'm reporting to you live from a very empty house. My husband and both of his brothers are with a group down in Harrisonburg that's celebrating Matt's soon to be nuptials. That's right, a bachelor party! Now don't get any ideas, all they're doing is rock climbing so the only thing I have to worry about is my husband coming home in one piece.
...
Sorry was just listening to the lack of noise...strange. See, this house, is never quiet. Even when we're sleeping, NEVER quiet. Let's go down the list of family members, shall we? You have Mike, Myself, Shane, Brogan, Max and Min. Regardless of the situation, something is always going on this house. But last night and this morning, it's been the emptiest it's ever been.
Yesterday before Mike left for the gathering, Nanna agreed to watch Shane for the night and then today until I bring him home from work. In a twist of both fortunate and unfortunate (for him) fate, Brogan is undergoing the knife and will be neutered as of some time this morning/early afternoon. So, as of 8PM yesterday, that left me and the two kitties. Now, unless you really don't know much about cats, they are very self sufficient and can disappear for hours at a time. Well... except for when I was trying (note the keyword there..."trying") to sleep, they were no where to be found.
So where did that leave me? On the couch. By myself. Watching the Olympics. I thought in some way it would have been nice having the house all to myself, but it just felt so empty, which in turn made me feel just as empty. I missed my family. So what did I do? What any normal woman would! I had some ice cream and waited for word from my hubby that he arrived safely. 10PM rolls around and I get a text saying he made it. I give him a call and wish him a good night and a fun day tomorrow. Phone hangs up. Empty feeling again....
Need more ice cream!
Thankfully my forms of ice cream are Healthy Choice ice cream bars, so they taste like a blend of chocolate and saddle soap and don't have a great amount of calories, but still.... they do the trick.
10:30, 11:00, 11:30....can't sleep. But I need to try with work in the morning. So I turn off the TV, go upstairs and try my best to lay down and get some shuteye. It took a while but I was finally feeling like I was drifting. Thank you, sleep... You are so kind and... ::SCRATCH!!!!!!!::
"Son of a.... Min...." Our cat Min has picked up a BAD habit. When we go to bed, she decides to express herself by ripping up our carpet. She's already succeeded with a corner near the door to our room..
"Min!!! Quit!" Silence.... try to go back to..... ::SCRATCH!!!!!::
"Grrrr......" I get up out of my very pleasent and cozy coccoon that I made from our blankets and open the bedroom door. Min bolts in, ever so happy that her human didn't forget about her and then jumps on the bed. I wrap myself up and try to go back to sleep, giving her a little rub on the head before passing out.
1AM..... ::SCRATCH!!!::
"You have got to be kidding me..." Groggily I wake up to the sound of a ticked off cat trying to release some of her angst. And the cycle repeats... find the cat, give her a pat, bring her to the bed.
2AM..... ::SCRATCH!!!::
4AM..... ::SCRATCH!!!::
5AM..... ::SCRATCH!!!::
I'm seriously doubting if I was even supposed to sleep at all tonight.
7AM... I'm laying across our bed... pillows and sheets everywhere... death glazed over me. The constant thought of "I just want to sleep..." playing through my mind. But alas... work beckons. And all you good little boys and girls know that Work = Being able to pay the bills!
So with that said, that is the end of my story. Mike is supposed to be returning home tonight at some time, and i'll be picking up Shane later this afternoon. It'll be wonderful to have my family back. You never truly know how much something or someone means to you until they're gone. And boy howdy, do I miss my family!
End scene!
Today, the role of Mike will be played by his wife, Carrie. And now, back to our regularly scheduled program.........
Good Morning Vietnam!!!! No, wait, sorry. That intro is already taken. How about this... Morning, yah'll! This is Carrie and I'm reporting to you live from a very empty house. My husband and both of his brothers are with a group down in Harrisonburg that's celebrating Matt's soon to be nuptials. That's right, a bachelor party! Now don't get any ideas, all they're doing is rock climbing so the only thing I have to worry about is my husband coming home in one piece.
...
Sorry was just listening to the lack of noise...strange. See, this house, is never quiet. Even when we're sleeping, NEVER quiet. Let's go down the list of family members, shall we? You have Mike, Myself, Shane, Brogan, Max and Min. Regardless of the situation, something is always going on this house. But last night and this morning, it's been the emptiest it's ever been.
Yesterday before Mike left for the gathering, Nanna agreed to watch Shane for the night and then today until I bring him home from work. In a twist of both fortunate and unfortunate (for him) fate, Brogan is undergoing the knife and will be neutered as of some time this morning/early afternoon. So, as of 8PM yesterday, that left me and the two kitties. Now, unless you really don't know much about cats, they are very self sufficient and can disappear for hours at a time. Well... except for when I was trying (note the keyword there..."trying") to sleep, they were no where to be found.
So where did that leave me? On the couch. By myself. Watching the Olympics. I thought in some way it would have been nice having the house all to myself, but it just felt so empty, which in turn made me feel just as empty. I missed my family. So what did I do? What any normal woman would! I had some ice cream and waited for word from my hubby that he arrived safely. 10PM rolls around and I get a text saying he made it. I give him a call and wish him a good night and a fun day tomorrow. Phone hangs up. Empty feeling again....
Need more ice cream!
Thankfully my forms of ice cream are Healthy Choice ice cream bars, so they taste like a blend of chocolate and saddle soap and don't have a great amount of calories, but still.... they do the trick.
10:30, 11:00, 11:30....can't sleep. But I need to try with work in the morning. So I turn off the TV, go upstairs and try my best to lay down and get some shuteye. It took a while but I was finally feeling like I was drifting. Thank you, sleep... You are so kind and... ::SCRATCH!!!!!!!::
"Son of a.... Min...." Our cat Min has picked up a BAD habit. When we go to bed, she decides to express herself by ripping up our carpet. She's already succeeded with a corner near the door to our room..
"Min!!! Quit!" Silence.... try to go back to..... ::SCRATCH!!!!!::
"Grrrr......" I get up out of my very pleasent and cozy coccoon that I made from our blankets and open the bedroom door. Min bolts in, ever so happy that her human didn't forget about her and then jumps on the bed. I wrap myself up and try to go back to sleep, giving her a little rub on the head before passing out.
1AM..... ::SCRATCH!!!::
"You have got to be kidding me..." Groggily I wake up to the sound of a ticked off cat trying to release some of her angst. And the cycle repeats... find the cat, give her a pat, bring her to the bed.
2AM..... ::SCRATCH!!!::
4AM..... ::SCRATCH!!!::
5AM..... ::SCRATCH!!!::
I'm seriously doubting if I was even supposed to sleep at all tonight.
7AM... I'm laying across our bed... pillows and sheets everywhere... death glazed over me. The constant thought of "I just want to sleep..." playing through my mind. But alas... work beckons. And all you good little boys and girls know that Work = Being able to pay the bills!
So with that said, that is the end of my story. Mike is supposed to be returning home tonight at some time, and i'll be picking up Shane later this afternoon. It'll be wonderful to have my family back. You never truly know how much something or someone means to you until they're gone. And boy howdy, do I miss my family!
End scene!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Am I missing something?
What is so exciting about my bathroom pit stops? I had two cats keeping me company and a dog guarding outside the door.
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Max popped up on the window sill,
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Min took over the sink,
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This is my throne room. This was the best picture I could get with the iPad.
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Max popped up on the window sill,
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Min took over the sink,
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and Brogan knew the cats had things under control, so he guarded the exit.
I feel like Dr. Doolittle. It's a tiny bathroom when it gets that crowded. Shane was sleeping or he'd have sent all the animals running.
I'll write a real entry tomorrow. I wanted to fiddle with picture alignment tonight while Carrie and I are watching the Olympics.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Nostalgia
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I don't always drink coffee, but when I do I use my old varsity mug.
No, the weight is not current. I'd have to lose limbs and that's not my first choice. I don't think I really realized I even had this around until I started drinking coffee back in May.
Interview Results
My first tech interview I felt I was too 'happy/hyper.' At the time, I didn't think I wanted the position at that school. I did want experience interviewing for the job. When I arrived 10 minutes early for my interview, I was told they were running half an hour late and given a 'creative' prompt to explain something about myself. I had a little too much fun with it. The rejection letter arrived in the mail a couple of weeks later.
My second interview I felt I was unprepared and could have said more. Shane was very needy and I never got a chance to research the school's technology needs and capabilities. I showed up 10 minutes early, the interview began a minute later, and it was a panel of eight unresponsive faces. I couldn't read a thing. It threw me off. The rejection email was in by 9 AM the next morning.
My third interview was definitely the best. I felt like I sold myself, connected with people in the room, nailed the writing sample, and then had a chance to fix a printer when I was done. Friday, the third school called trying to get in touch with my references. I heard back from them at 9 PM last night. The principal emailed me "Thank you for interviewing at _____. I want to let you know you were not selected for the position. The committee felt you had a lot of good qualities, and ultimately we had to make a tough decision based on the needs of our team. Best wishes on your pursuits. " That marks me as 0 for 3.
There's still a chance. I applied for another school today, and they have to be running low on good tech people at this rate! Perhaps that's why the last school was so interested.
Also, something strange happened on Monday. I'm not sure if it's a sign of an opportunity yet or not. My school's assistant principal received a promotion to the interim principal of a different school. Our tech person was promoted on an interim basis to become our new assistant principal. Does this mean I could stay at my current school but switch positions? It's an intriguing possibility! I don't know how likely it is, but I'll go for it if given the opportunity.
In the end, I still have my teaching job so the bills aren't in danger of going unpaid. I really like the people I work with too. I do want to transition to a more technical job one year, but if I have to wait another year it won't kill me. Sometimes, it's better to wait anyway.
I figure that God has a plan and it's going to happen according to his will.
My second interview I felt I was unprepared and could have said more. Shane was very needy and I never got a chance to research the school's technology needs and capabilities. I showed up 10 minutes early, the interview began a minute later, and it was a panel of eight unresponsive faces. I couldn't read a thing. It threw me off. The rejection email was in by 9 AM the next morning.
My third interview was definitely the best. I felt like I sold myself, connected with people in the room, nailed the writing sample, and then had a chance to fix a printer when I was done. Friday, the third school called trying to get in touch with my references. I heard back from them at 9 PM last night. The principal emailed me "Thank you for interviewing at _____. I want to let you know you were not selected for the position. The committee felt you had a lot of good qualities, and ultimately we had to make a tough decision based on the needs of our team. Best wishes on your pursuits. " That marks me as 0 for 3.
There's still a chance. I applied for another school today, and they have to be running low on good tech people at this rate! Perhaps that's why the last school was so interested.
Also, something strange happened on Monday. I'm not sure if it's a sign of an opportunity yet or not. My school's assistant principal received a promotion to the interim principal of a different school. Our tech person was promoted on an interim basis to become our new assistant principal. Does this mean I could stay at my current school but switch positions? It's an intriguing possibility! I don't know how likely it is, but I'll go for it if given the opportunity.
In the end, I still have my teaching job so the bills aren't in danger of going unpaid. I really like the people I work with too. I do want to transition to a more technical job one year, but if I have to wait another year it won't kill me. Sometimes, it's better to wait anyway.
I figure that God has a plan and it's going to happen according to his will.
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