Wednesday
21
My commute, while delayed, was not too bad and I made it to work only 15 minutes late.
As I entered Union Station this evening (while the flakes were flying and the Loop streets were in gridlock) I passed a brass quartet playing "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and my mind immediately flashed to the opening scene of "A Christmas Story". You know that scene; it's the one where you see 1940's Northern Indiana and all that comes with it. The shoppers, the voice of Jean Sheppard narrating this wonderful Christmas movie and all that. There's African Amaericans singing around a fiery 55-gallon drum and Christmas-themed windows to go shopping through. A timeless classic. That's the wonderful scene that came to mind just minutes ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPODCrn-kPo
Monday
H: 14
L: 8
Highs down as much as 40 degrees from Sunday. Temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees remain steady or slowly fall through the day despite a partly sunny sky. Strong west winds 15-25 m.p.h. gusting in excess of 30 m.p.h. send windchills as low as 10-15 degrees below zero. Partly cloudy and very cold overnight with lows from zero at the coldest inland locations to 5-10 degrees downtown.
Forecast
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As of 9:32 PM CST on December 14, 2008
Rest of Tonight...Periods of rain...freezing rain and sleet late in the evening...then a chance of light snow after midnight. Snow and sleet accumulation up to 1 inch. New ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. Blustery. Turning sharply colder. Lows 10 to 14...except 14 to 18 downtown. West winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 30 mph at times. Chance of precipitation 100 percent.
Monday...Partly cloudy. Blustery...cold. Highs 14 to 18. Wind chills as low as zero to 10 below zero. West winds 15 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the morning.
Monday Night...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Lows 7 to 11 above. Wind chills as low as zero to 10 below zero. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph until early morning becoming light and variable during the predawn hours.
http://weather.wgntv.com/US/IL/Chicago.html?main=1
Amanda just took her first car ride facing forward (now that she is one year old and over 20 pounds). She was all smiles the whole way to Grandma's house for dinner. Things are looking up.
I got the call last night that my snow blower was ready to be picked up. I was so glad. I picked it up today; it runs great. It's still old. Hey, guess what? It's raining today and it's going to be almost 50 tomorrow. You all can thank me for that!
Oh, the woes I experience. Yesterday, we had our third measurable and shovel-able snowfall in the Chicago area. I say shovel-able because that's exactly what I did. Wait, don't you have a snow-blower? Yes, I do. However, it's been in for repair since October 21st. That's right, it's been almost two months to have a few simple things taken care of:
-new primer bulb
-new primer line
-check fuel line
-replace grounding bolt
-tune engine
-replace shear pins
I have an Ariens 5 HP two-stage snow thrower. It looks like this only it's about 20 years old. I bought it last winter as-is for $150 and it was the best investment I have ever made. I did some preliminary work on it (with Brian's help of course; does anything get done w/o him?) last winter and it worked out great. I figured that if a professional tore it apart, they might make it work even better when under higher loads and also extend its longevity.
The long story is that when I dropped it off in October, I was told that I was way ahead of the curve. I figured I was, too. This really didn't come to fruition because it's still in the hands of Honda House.
Why did I drop it off at a Honda dealer if it's an Ariens, you ask? I'll tell you why. 1)I was on the Ariens web site and HH is listed as an authorized retailer and 2)I bought my moto from them and 3)it was close and 4)I knew the service department staff well. Now you know. Now back to my story of woe.
The reason why the snow blower is still there is that it has taken this long to get the parts delivered that were ordered. I don't know the entire laundry list of parts, but when I called last Saturday, they stated that the last item remaining was the primer bulb. Since they don't start any work until all the parts arrive, there has been no progress. I'm not in service or sales, but if I were in charge over there, I would have called me and asked if I would like them to start work on all the other pieces and maybe have me install the primer bulb myself after the fact. I have electric start and won't likely even use the primer. Why are the parts taking so long to arrive? I'll tell you why.
HH tells me that Ariens has a very "funky" method of shipping parts. They take forever. I find this hard to believe. I've gone to my local True Value and picked up shear pins off the shelf before. On top of all this, Ariens is probably the number one seller of snow thrower products on the market. Maybe Honda House is trying to get me to buy a Honda snow thrower. Keep trying. You're over-priced.
One year ago today (December 9th), I met my daughter for the fist time. Katie birthed her, we welcomed her into our arms and named her. It's been a wonderful joy to have her around ever since. For those new parents out there or those couples about to conceive or about to deliver, I have some simple insights to offer:
-keep all things in perspective
-try to rest when you are able
-remember that this new life responds to its environment
-each month brings new challenges and rewards
-eventually, they will sleep through the night
-eventually, they will start to smile
-eventually, they will start to laugh
-eventually, they will start to roll over
-eventually, they will start to crawl
-eventually, they will start to walk
-somewhere in all that development you will find it impossible to imagine your life without this little person in it and that's when you'll identify yourself as a parent
We had a wonderful time over the weekend; we celebrated Amanda's 52nd week of life with all the relatives over to our house to celebrate. We ate, we laughed, we told stories, Amanda had cake for the first time, Amanda opened presents and everyone enjoyed our little lady. I was a proud father.
Morning train: 33% full
Evening train: 5% full
I'm one of only four people on my half of the car. These trains can carry about 75 people in that much space. It's odd working on a day like this. I do find it rewarding when you can get ahead and make progress on projects without all the interruptions of a normal day.
My humidifier stopped adding moisture to the house. I didn't know why. It sounded like it was running, but when the house humidity fell below 20% I knew something was up. The water pad was the issue, that's what. Can you tell which one is new and which one is the fossil?
You see, a standard whole house humidifier works much like the ones that you sit on your bedroom dresser or the floor of your apartment, it's just connected directly into the output of the furnace. When the humidistat calls for moisture, a little valve opens releasing water onto this water pad (pictured above) which acts like a sponge. The water trickles down it vertically like a water fall. Then a fan kicks in and blows air through the pad evaporating the water into the outbound air flow of your duct work. It's just that simple. If the water pad has scale buildup (from the contents left behind when water evaporates [like calcium, iron, etc]) then it stops holding onto water and you have no water to evaporate. These need to be replaced a couple times a year.
UPDATE: After replacing this part, I still think I have some issues. It might be the solenoid (the valve that opens to allow water to flow). That's a pricier item. I have more work to do.
After watching Schindler's List and reading this article, I am no longer in favor of the 20 years in prison these bastards will serve, but rather some sort of very rough labor with little rest or food for 5 years.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/11/3-charged-in-death-of-store-employee.html
I joined Facebook today; much to my hesitation. Why? It's like buying into a new TV show. Will it last? Do I have time for this? I have to say, the "connect with classmates" feature is pretty cool. There are names on there I have not spoken or heard since 1995. What a blast from the past. My family members are on there and it seems that I was the only one of us that was out of touch. Guess what? I'm in touch now...in addition to my web site and blog.
Great news! My sister Suzy announced the news to the extended family at her daughter's 3rd birthday party this weekend so I feel I can share it with the world now. She and her husband are expecting their second child. Her due date is late April. The whole family is excited and, let's be honest, she is 17 weeks prego and could not suck in the belly any more to hide it! I'm excited to be an uncle again.
What a thoroughly disgusting movie. While I loved the story line, I could not separate myself from its reality and the fact that some individuals deny that its events ever happened. Six million Jews were put to death. That's about the population of the greater Chicago area; gone. Horrible.
The movie was separated onto two DVDs which divided the rising action and climax nicely from the falling action and the Dénouement. I can see why this movie won 7 Oscars. It's hard to see Liam Neeson as anyone other than Qui-Gon Jinn...
I find myself listening to Brooks -n- Dunn "Neon Moon" over and over again. I cannot get enough of this Hillbilly power ballad...particularly after a night of drinking.
Our team went to the Berghoff for drinks after work tonight. Our manager was in town from Omaha, so it was overdue. As the night went on, we decided it was time to throw down a few shots. I suggested we have Goldschlager. Everyone agreed. As we were ordering the shots, the bartender took the opportunity to work in the old, "Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips." It was nice. I asked her if everyone "gets" that Blues Brothers reference. She said that we would be surprised how many people don't get it. The phrase has a cult following with my team so we find that hard to believe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRp8GrXffhA
I love my current backpack, but it's starting to wear on me and does not fit all my needs any longer. I'm looking seriously at this one; what do you think?
http://www.ebags.com/the_north_face/box_shot_limited_time_offer/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=109316
I awoke this morning to see the first visible signs of overnight snowfall. I knew it was flurrying last night; I experienced it as I took our trash and recyclables to the curb. I just didn't expect anything to stick. Sure enough, my front steps were covered with a thin film of snow and ice making it difficult to walk down and other non-ground objects had accumulation as well (cars, garbage cans, tree limbs).
Here's what concerns me; I took my snow blower in for some maintenance on 10/21 and I still don't have it back. They say it is because the parts were late to arrive. Here I was, thinking I was way ahead of the game when I took it in when it was still 50+ degrees. Now I'm concerned I won't have it back in time for out first big snowfall. The service manager thought I was out early, too. Hopefully, I'll get the call today to come pick it up.
Ever since we bought the Canon EOS 20D three years ago, I've been desperating pining for an external flash. The problem is that they are pretty expensive and have limited use (they are not needed outdoors, etc). With Thanksgiving, Amanda's 1st birthday and Christmas coming up, I thought now was the time. I went with the Canon 430EX II and used an AmEx gift card to buy it. It's the second generation of Canon's mid-tier flash unit and we're very excited about the bump in our low-light photography! Some of its output may show up here.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=141&modelid=17302
For the first time in what seems like forever, Katie and I went to Oak Brook Center two days in a row (or anywhere on a Sat/Sun combo). On Saturday, we wanted to hit up the Christkindlmarket for lunch and then we made a return trip on Sunday to do more shopping because we have such a short span of time away from the house with Amanda in tow. On Saturday, we did not notice any Christmas music playing in the shops or the mall walkways. On Sunday, it was evident that a switch have have been turned and it was "the most wonderful time of the year" everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I loves me some Christmas music, but it seems it is encroaching more and more each year. WLIT 93.9 FM started playing Christmas music on November 1st this year. I thought we had to get through one holiday to appreciate the next (Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Years). I blame the marketing companies and those that want to take Christ out of Christmas and make it a secular celebration.
One week from today, our Designed to Sell episode airs again; it's been in reruns for 2 years now. Why am I excited? It's going to run for the first time in HD on HGTV! I think that's worth cheering about.
I just finished watching Miami Vice. What a disappointment. I could barely understand most of the English spoken; not because it was slang or whatever, but because the audio was either poor or Colin Farrell could not cover up his accept properly. It's an interesting situation when Jamie Foxx is the easiest to understand actor in a movie.
Acoustics aside, the plot was pretty bad. I could barely follow what was what. On top of all that, the theme song was never played. That's just sad. I give it a generous two stars. It's also a long movie at two hours, 19 minutes.
Amanda's digging the cats, but the feeling is not mutual. Each time she approaches them, they tolerate her for a sum of about 8 seconds and then get up and walk away. She's not fast enough to keep up with them yet. When she is, they better find some good hiding spots.
Five budding teeth, four crawling limbs, three family members, two-hour naps and a partridge in a pear tree.
Is the election over? Do we have a new president? It's a miracle I participate in the democratic privilidge of voting because I hate everything associated with politicians, their empty promises and what it all represents.
At work, we have a group of people at voted for Obama and have now stooped to brow-beating Palin because they heard that in some interview she didn't know this or that about NAFTA... Who f-ing cares? Sarah Palin lost; the "people" have spoken. Is there a need to prove over and over again that she may or may not have been qualified for VP (what other VP has been so researched and hammered on?) or the right move for McCain's campaign?
I just got in a verbal throwdown with four colleagues because they would not shut up about bashing Palin. I just had enough. I stood up and asked if the election were over and asked them to talk about something else. It was not a discussion, it was character-bashing. Get over it, move on. Crap; I'm still heated up over it.
I should have just kept my mouth shut and sat there. But, you know me, I have to speak my damn mind. When am I going to learn?
It must be weeks since we have been able to report this...all family members slept clear through the night last night. It's nothing short of glorious. I always thought that I would awake more refreshed; I'm really in no better place this morning waiting for my train.
The full bed has arrived from my sister. Our house is "full" once again. No back pain from that move; yardwork however...that's another story altogether.
My guess is that this has never happened in the auto industry, but I could be wrong. Who has ever found themselves deciding between a Lexus and a Ford? Anyone? Anyone? Well, I found just such a person last Sunday in the Home Depot parking lot.
Let me take a step back and confess that I am a firm believer in the American automobile. I feel that I should support our industry no matter how financially strained it is at the moment (Big 3 payouts to unions and CEOs, etc.) or how supposedly inferior their quality may be. I feel that the only way we, as Americans, are going to keep up with the world is to believe in our own products and buy them. I currently drive a 2005 Ford Freestyle. Before that I drove a 1994 Mercury Sable (still have it). And before that, I drove a 1985 Dodge Caravan...with wood paneling.
Back to my story in the parking lot. As Katie, Amanda and I were making our way to our typical parking space at our local big box retailer, I noticed an older gentleman attempting to cram some 4x4 wood sheets into the tail end of his Lexus RX330.
It's an extremely popular automobile and quite possibly the best-selling SUV on the market. I can't exactly say it revolutionized the segment, but it did make its presence known and I see them everywhere. The thing is, it's soft. It's not meant to go to a hardware store and bring home lumber. It's supposed to LOOK like one would bring home lumber with it (or 4x4 wood panels), but no one really DOES it! Well, I found the first guy who does do it and he was in the Home Depot parking lot on Sunday.
As I was rounding the corner and eyeing a spot next to him, I said to Katie, "I'm gonna ask this guy if he would like to swap vehicles so he can get those sheets of wood home in one piece." I mean, the guy was practically destroying the roof liner right in front of me.
I park the car and walk up to him (make a quick judgement call if he was going to snap at my conjecture) and say, "Would you like to swap veicles? I'm sure that would fit into my car..." He replies, "Ha. Ha. Good idea. Is that a Freestlye? I was seruously looking at that vehicle and bought this one instead. I should have bought the Freestyle, I don't like this one."
My mouth dropped. Did he really say that he was trying to choose between one of the world's best luxury brands and a little ol' home-grown Ford? Yep, that's what he said. It's kinda neat. I love my Freestyle.
No, not to my child but rather to my blog. It was one year ago today I started this blog. Oh how time flies.
I was getting ready to leave the office when I got rolled up into an ongoing issue. Just taking the time to assess the issue took five minutes and put me out of range to catch my perfect train departure. I said, "No big deal, I'll just take the next train". That turned out to be a fatal mistake.
As it turns out, there was a huge backup of equipment due to signaling problems and delays. Normally, the second train gets me home 25 minutes after the first. I ended up getting home over 60 minutes later on this train than if I had taken the earlier one (which was on time). See what a five-minute delay can lead to?
Here's a photo of the scene at the train station as we all waited on the platform for our trains to arrive. This photo is of an adjacent platform. Mine is equally crowded to the left of the frame.
I moved a queen-sized bed from my house to my mother's; now my back hurts. Pretty stiff. Damn.
It's 9:00 PM and I am in bed; ready to end the day. Why am I in bed, you ask? Well, it seems that no matter how early or late we put our little angel to bed she is ready to start her day anywhere between 5:00 and 5:30 AM. While this is a wonderful departure from the newborn every-two-hour-feedings that we endured for the first six months of her life, we need to have more sleep.
I've been chosen as a backup juror. November 12th. More to come on this, I'm sure...
I just got back from picking Amanda up from daycare. She vomited just BEFORE I was about to buckle her into her car seat! How nice of her; projectile and all. So there I am, in the parking lot with a child covered in carrot vomit trying to determine where I can put her down to strip off her cloths and clean her up. It's 50 degrees outside and I decided the best course of action was to open the tailgate of the 'style and strip her bare right there. It's obvious that she was not feeling too well because she put up very little fight. I was pretty proud of myself; there was no transfer of excrement onto the interior of the car. What would I care, I have WeatherTech mats protecting my car!
We see the makings of Amanda's third tooth and her first one on the top. Things are going to get real exciting.
Happy Columbus Day. I rode the bike into work today. I left the house at 6:20 to make sure I got to work on time. I was almost an hour early. It's sorta nice to have some time to yourself in the 7:00 hour when no one is present in the office.
I was hoping to snag one of the coveted free street parking spots on Franklin where motorcycles, mopeds and scooters have been parking for weeks. Since today is some sort of a holiday, I was hoping to have little competition. It appears the city has become wise and I noticed some new parking signage on the street. More importantly, no other bikes were parked there today. I figured that I would get a ticket so I decided to pay the (now higher) $13 to park in the garage next to my office. What a rip. I have been looking at over 30 motorcycles and scooters parking on Franklin for months. Now that I decide to ride in to take advantage of it (and break up my boring morning commute) and cannot take advantage. Bunk!
Amanda is 10 months old today (second Sunday of the month). In the past month a few new things have happened.
-She has mastered the ability to sit up on her own. In the past, we would have to place her in the sitting position.
-She has started to make jagged maneuvers crawling. She still doesn't dart arond the house.
-She can be found standing in her crib in the wee hours of the morning - her typical wakeup call comes in at 5:30 AM. Wonder how the end of DST will impact us?
-She talks more and points a little to help communicate.
-She is fascinated with other little ones (babies, toddlers, etc.).
We look forward to all there is to come.
I reintroduced milk into my diet for the first time in seven years. As an adult who needs milk? Let me take you back a bit into why I removed milk from my diet.
Back in 2001 when I had just moved out on my own with my roommate Ross, we would eat breakfast together and gaze out our apartment windows at Lake Shore Drive; enjoying the start of another work day.
Our breakfast was made up of cereal of course and many bowls of it. Every once in a while, while riding the 136 bus crammed into the middle, my body would tell me that it did not agree with my milk/cereal decision. Panic would set in as I scanned LaSalle street for a safe haven to rescue me from the dire straights I was in. It didn't take me long to decide that milk in the morning wasn't the right thing for me.
Instead of switching to something else and eating breakfast at home, I decided to bring my breakfast with me to the office and eat something there. I switched to dry cereal, ceral bars and pop tarts. To this day, that is my morning routine. That is, it was my morning routine untile I decided to give milk a shot.
My office stocks food supplies for us - a carryover from our start-up days where we worked longer hours just to make ends meet and keep the lights on. Each month, there is a threat that this perk might be taken away. Part of the monthly food purchase is milk and cereal. I've been eating dry cereal (dry) for years now until today. I'm glad to report that all is well and my body has not rejected the dairy.
This middle-of-the-night crying attack has got to stop. We need some rest... Oh wait, there's my pager going off! It's going to be a good day. I'm being facetious of course. Not looking forward to my day today.
The kitchen nasties are now under wraps. The chemicals under the sink (why do we all put our chemicals under the sink?) the pots and pans, our Martini glasses. All are now protected from the prying hands of a 10 month old baby.
The White Sox are in the postseason. Chicago is excited. The team did all it could to AVOID the playoffs. The Twins did the same thing and they had to play a play-in game; sorta like the 65th place team having to play an extra game just to get into the NCAA tournament in March.
Can you beleive it's been 102 years since both Chicago baseball teams have been in the postseason at the same time? Isn't that pathetic? Go White Sox. They are currently trailing the TB Rays in the 7th...
Tonight was the first night in over two weeks that I had to close the windows on the house; more specifically the bedroom windows. It's bedtime and already below 50 degrees. It has been a nice, long run without needing to turn on the HVAC...
This one is on me. For months now, my hooptie 1994 Mercury Sable has been making a groaning noise in the rear suspension. I've hesitated to have it looked at because it's 14 yeras old and has 136K miles on it. The only reason the car is still in my posession is because it was my father's company car years ago and I have personalized plates that I don't want to loose. I won't go into the details of why either is important to me at this time.
I spoke to some friends and decided I would get some estimates on what it would cost to replace the rear struts. I got a few estimages and decided to bring it into Sears Auto Center. I've heard good things and Sears isn't going anywhere anytime soon...
Here is the sequence of events.
-I arrived, said I think I need my rear struts replaced.
-Sears said they would do a front-end evaluation, look at the rear as well and call me when the tech has an estimate.
-I also asked if they could investigate the belt squeek under the hood.
-They said they would investigate that as well.
-Katie, Amanda and I went out to lunch.
-Sears called me back 30 minutes later and said that the driver's side front spring was broken and that the rear struts looked fine. They also said that the serpentine belt was possibly too small for my car.
-I could not believe that the front end has any issues, so I came in to have a look on my own.
-Sure enough, one was broken and it was only a matter of time before the other side caved under the extra load.
-The cost to replace the front struts and possibly the front sway bar and alignment would cost me $820.
-Ouch. I said for them to only investigate the squeeky belt and get back to me with an estimate on that.
-Katie and I went shopping in the mall; bought nothing.
-Sears called me while shopping and fixed the squeek. The squeeky belt was due to a bad pully on the power steering pump. The total: $320 - much easier to swallow.
To sum things up: I came in thinking my rear end suspension was shot. It turns out that it was fine, but it was the front that needed replacement. Instead of doing that, I had my power steering pump (which was working fine) replaced to stop the squawking that eminated from under my hood. What a day.
It's a gorgeous Saturday morning; 60+ degrees, sunny. I'm in my basement...working. Time for a vacation. Go Irish.
Went to Johnny's rehearsal last night. He is marrying Julie on Saturday, September 27th. It was nice of them to have their anniversary date fall exactly one month after my own - easy to remember on my part. I hope everyone will remember thier roles because they had the rehearsal a full 9 days before the wedding instead of the night before. There were logistic issues; no big deal. We walk down the isle, we stand, we walk down the isle again. Pretty simple stuff. I'm excited.
We have not been at a wedding in quite some time and I like this group of people; I've known them all for over 15 years. Some have fallen in and out of touch over the years, but it's nice to see it all come together.
It will be my first outdoor wedding where I'm a groomsman. As long as the weather holds...we'll be fine.
Working from home today; Amanda is 101.5 (a great FM radio station somewhere I'm sure). So you think you'd rather be at home with a feever-weidling child than at work? Here's a breakdown of my day which I will keep updated.
6:00 - Amanda awake, ready for her day to begin. She's crabby and has a feever
6:30 - our only option, I stay home with her and work from home
7:30 - I eat breakfast (Pop Tarts and a bottle of water)
7:45 - Katie feeds Amanda, leaves for work
8:05 - Amanda tired, needs nap
8:44 - Amanda up from nap, needs me
8:45 - conference call, Change Control Board
9:15 - walk to 7-11 for beverage
9:30 - conference call
10:00 - attempt to feed Amanda, she is fussy and refuses
10:15 - lay her down for a nap; no struggle
10:15 - make progress on work; check up on team at the office
10:30 - conference call
11:00 - make more progress on work, catch up on e-mail
11:15 - still napping, nice!
12:15 - still napping. breaking records
12:30 - lunch
12:40 - Amamda awakens
12:41 - 6 oz bottle gobbled down
12:55 - walk around the block
1:10 - back at desk; Amanda in exer-saucer and jubilant
1:20 - unhappy baby
1:30 - realized after 10 minutes she wants a pacifier
1:45 - Amanda napping
2:00 - getting work done
3:15 - Amanda awakens
3:30 - 4oz bottle; into the exer-saucer again
4:30 - Amanda napping (must be a record), catching up on e-mail & tomorrow
5:05 - Amanda awake; work day over
Normally, commercials don't entice me to buy a product. This one caught my attention; we went with the bacon mac-n-cheese. It came with 5 bread sticks for $17 delivered. I recommend it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pyQ-lYbUdM&NR=1
It's amazing how connected the world is. The mother mentioned in this article is a distant relative of mine that I had just met at a family reunion this July. It's a sad story. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time...
story here
Rain, rain, go away. Come back another day. Ike hasn't even made it up here yet!
"Warm and muggy with periods of showers and thunderstorms. Severe storms possible this afternoon. Heavy downpours; totals well in excess of an inch are likely over much of the area. Winds out of the south to southwest at 15 m.p.h. with gusts to 25 m.p.h. or higher. Temperatures warm into the 70s during the morning, approaching an 80-degree high this afternoon. Showers may weaken and diminish overnight."
It's that day again, a time when The United States of America was welcomed to the "global village" of international terrorism. I just hung the flag outside my house and started to reflet on the events seven years ago.
That's right, seven years have passed since over 3,000 Americans lost their lives on that fateful day. Think about this, children that are in the second grade weren't even born when this happened, 8th graders have no memory and it won't be long before incoming college freshman are in the same boat.
Where were you at 8:46 AM EDT on September 11, 2001? I was at work in the Chicago Loop. I was working at an investment firm and had the early shift. I was at my desk for only 20 minutes starting my day as a data communications administrator when I received a call from my buddy Joe. He said, "You'll never believe this, but a jet just smashed into one of the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan. That crazy bastard Brian Walsh predicted it - 'It's only a matter of time when an airplane crashes into a skyscraper'. Get down to the 32nd floor to watch CNN on the trading floor..."
And so down to the 32nd floor I went and watched in horror as the second jet slammed into the second tower. No one was talking, everyone was in shock. It went from, "What a terrible accident" to "We're under attack!".
Our team gathered the troops and no inessential personnel was ordered to evacuate the building. I was on the top floor of a 30+ story building at the NW corner of the Chicago Loop which is in direct sight of O'Hare Airport just 13 miles to the Northwest and down the street from the Sears Tower.
Joe and myself left the office just before 10:00 AM and decided to skip public transit altogether and walk to his apartment which was only two miles to the north. It was a crazy scene as thousands of people departed the downtown area. Forget about trying to make a telephone call, all lines were jammed. I eventually was able to reach family to tell them my status.
We arrived at his apartment in time to watch both towers collapse. What an eerie site that is. They fell like a house of cards. Their design was partly to blame. They went up quick and came down even quicker. I could only imagine those smug bastards shouting "Jihad!" in their caves as they got way more than they expected. They likely praised Alah for allowing their f-ing suicide/death/terror mission to be so successful.
I only hope that if the Cold War can come to a peaceful end, so can this socio-religious conflict.
It's hard to believe, but today my daughter is nine months old. That means that she has spent as much time outside the womb as she spent inside it. What a dramaitc change. I'm not sure where she's happier...
When is the CTA gonna get with it and stop lowering fares (a-la free fares for seniors) and simply raise their prices to keep step with raising costs of operation? Metra did so in February; my monthly pass went up 10%. I'm still riding.
Let's get real. I'm done listening to how the CTA cannot meet its own budgets. The last time the CTA raised fares was 6 years ago. Times have changed. What are you afraid of? The North and South Sides won't stop buying your product; you have a captive audience. Raise fares to $2 a ride and let's move on with our lives. Raise the fare another $0.25 in two years. G-Rod is not going to help you; only hurt you...
http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/chi-cta-cuts-web-sep09,0,7996333.story
I was at my sister's Sunday afternoon in Winfield. They had a parade to celebrate their weekend of "The Good Old Days" celebration - http://www.winfieldchamber.biz/GoodOldDaysSch.pdf. They have dunk tanks and all that jazz that jerks at our memories of days of yore.
At this parade they throw LOTS of candy. After the parade, I was enjoying some DOTS and oops, my crown popped off of my lower left rear molar. Damn, what a buzz kill. I had some temperature sensitivity, but not much general pain. It's really hard and annoying to chew on only one side of your mouth. On top of that, it was really difficult to drink beer during the Bears game Sunday night! I survived.
I called my dentist and alerted my coworkers Sunday night that I would be working from home as I did not know when I could get an appointment. It was not an emergency so I did not feel the need to contact the dentist himself after-hours. After all, I know what that's all about and it's no fun for anyone. Their office hours on Monday are 1-8pm so I knew that I would not have resolution until after lunch. I was okay with that and left a message to call me.
I got in at 3:30pm to have the crown cemented in. I figured it would be a quick in-out; I was wrong. The crown had worn a hole on the tongue side and that caused all the cement to loosen and it chose Sunday afternoon to pull loose (my DOTS did not help). That said, I now have a temporary cemented in, have the taste of cloves in my mouth (they flavor the cement with cloves?) and the dentist needs to send the crown out for repair if that's possible. After that, I need to go back in and have the temp removed and the crown put back in. I feel like I could use an oil change, too.
Well, you need look no further than this. This is called "Trumpets in the Dome" and takes place approximately 70 minutes before game time. Don't let the (slow start) Alma Mater keep you from getting to the good part at 1:24. See lyrics from previous post. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9LnTr5RQXg
The Notre Dame Victory March is 100 years old this year. Yes, the best-known of all University fight songs is that old. I went to the San Diego State game yesterday in South Bend and many people just don't realize there is more to the song than the simple chorus that we all know. I figured I would lay it out for everyone. Two verses precede the chorus. And they are:
Rally sons of Notre Dame,
Sing her glory, and sound her fame
Raise her Gold and Blue,
And cheer with voices true,
Rah! Rah! For Notre Dame.
We will fight in every game
Strong of heart and true to her name.
We will ne'er forget her
And we'll cheer her ever,
Loyal to Notre Dame.
Chorus:
Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send the volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky,
What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching Onward to Victory.
"City commuting is easier than suburban commuting." I was sitting next to a young gal on the train this morning; I take Metra (http://www.metrarail.com/). She was on her cell phone talking to another young gal and she was very excited about moving into the city starting her apartment lease on October 1st. She was so glad to "not commute any more". I found that expression very intesting; interesting enough to write this blog entry. I have a bit of advice for her.
The CTA is marginally reliable at best. That statement comes from 7 years experience riding the CTA as a worker in the Loop and a bar-going 20-something on the nights/weekends. While the CTA may offer around-the-clock service, it certainly is not predictable. During your morning commutes, you will struggle to find a seat; I certainly never got a seat in the morning rush and rarely got a seat on my way home. That's par for the course.
Metra is very reliable and on time. Most importantly; you get a seat just about every time. That said, I've heard some stories floating around that during certain times of day on certain express trains to certain destinations, individuals are standing in the vestibules. However, that's never been me.
What an exhilarating game; the Spanish were outstanding. Not outstanding enough to hold back Bryant. I cannot remember when I last cheered for or was exited to watch NBA players (well, not since the golden years of the 90's).
This is something altogether new for me. After all, it was the Olympics. I was on the edge of my seat the entire game even though the results of the game had long been determined over seas.
What can I say? Michael Phelps is not human. Well, he's not mortal for certain...
What an exhibition.
You kick a soccer ball in her face. You heard me. It happened last night. I was playing with the usual fellas at our indoor facility. For the first time, my buddy brought his fiance with to watch the goings on. She was sitting on the endline half way between the sideline and the goal flipping through "Modern Bride" magazine. She was surrounded by a half-dozen other standing players who were resting during their game off. There isn't much room. The goal backs up all the way to a fence and there is only about three feet of space behind the endline. It's tight.
On the far sideline, a player was advancing the ball and then placed a shot on goal. The ball skipped past the goal keeper, bounced off three defenders and one other player on the endline before smacking Julie on her upper lip just below the nose... The room of 20 fell silent as John came over to tend to his lady. She tried to stay composed. No blood, nothing broken, all teeth present. The fact that four or five players made contact with the ball before it hit her likely slowed it down enough to cause no harm. Wow, she dodged a bullet there.
She spent the rest of the game behind a fence off the field where she could read her magazine and sit in a chair without the fear of a ball coming it to attack her. The take-away here is that the game is fast moving and a ball can come from anywhere at anytime. Whenever I'm not in the game, my eyes are always watching the action.
John and Julie will marry on September 27th. I bet you I don't see her at a game before that date...
How quickly eight months go by. Amanda is eight months old and it keeps getting better and better as a parent. Just this weekend I started editing up the home video I took when she was 1-4 months old. She has gone through quite the transformation. It's shocking to look at video of us trying to coax just a smile or a chirp out of her. Now she smiles and chats all the time. Looking forward to all that the future holds...
I just left my first happy hour in what-seems-like months. I really like the collage of individuals at the office. Single people have the best stories.
It was a great time. Of course, I was over-served. The train ride home is currently a challenge. I just want to go to sleep, but afraid I'll miss my stop - or worse.
Entertaining movie; worth the watch. As it started to unfold and death was chasing both Edward and Carter I started to think about my father's experience with cancer. I did not expect this to happen when the movie first began, but the parallels were so striking that I had no choice.
His experience was nothing like theirs. He was given six months to live upon diagnosis and six months he got. There was no jet setting around the globe or random acts of fun. There was hospital, chemo, bed, repeat. All along, we were fortunate enough to watch his quality of life steadily decline.
I was a senior in college at the time and came home when I could. He was diagnosed shortly before Thanksgiving in 1998 at the ripe age of 60. That means I spent Christmas, New Years and a few random moments with him that I now savor as my last. He did not make it to see me graduate from college; the saddest part of the whole story. He missed Commencement by four days.
I struggled to enjoy my final days as a college senior before the big, bad real world would come down upon me. Several changes were all about to happen at once. I graduated from college thereby losing my current circle of friends and way of life that I had gotten used to for the past four years, my sister moved out of state to pursue her dreams and my father passed. For those at home, I lost three things when I gained my diploma:
1)College
2)Sister
3)Father
Sice then, Mom and I have been keeping the clocks on time and trying to make sure all is good. I lived with Mom for two years after graduating before I ventured out on my own. It was time and she was stable. Finances were in order and we needed time apart.
I'm in a much better place now. It's been 9 years since I lost my father to pancreatic and liver cancer and every day is a new challenge. I still carry the torch he passed on to me many years ago and it continues to fuel my fire in my personal life and professional career. That torch has pissed off more than a few individuals along the way. That's their problem. They need to toughen up and get with it. Your life is not that bad. Neither is mine; this is not a "woe is me" post, but rather a reflection upon how some feel that life is tough for them. It can get a whole lot tougher in one instant; one announcement - Daddy's sick.
I'm a Sox fan, but went to a game at Wrigley. It's an annual thing I've been doing with two co-workers since the summer of 2000 which makes this our 9th game.
It started out just the three of us - Joe, Derk and myself. Derk is the Cubs fan and his birthday was this week. Each year, we gather for a Friday home game around his birthday to watch his team and then go out for some drinks and food after. Some years, it's been a very late night of pub crawling but as of late we stay more under control and everyone heads home by 10pm. Myself, I was on the 8:40 train tonight. I had my fill and needed to prep up for a familly reunion tomorrow in Michigan. More on that later.
OMG, I have reached the pinnacle of suburban living when I need a generator; and this thing is super cool. Well, it's super cool if you like tools and electricity and having the lights stay on for hours after there is a major storm that rolls in and takes out the electricity for 18 hours (see my post about Father's Day).
This year alone (2008), we have had about 4 electrical failures. One of them lasted all day long on Father's Day and the others were less lengthy, but long enough to threaten the (refrigerator-keep) milk supply of a nursing mother. Once we nearly lost that 4-day supply, Katie had enough and we decided it was worth the expense.
We pony'd up for the 10HP 5500 watt model from Briggs and Stratton. Additionally, I purchased a transfer switch to so that we can plug the generator into our house and power certain electrical circuits. We don't need to run extension cords through the windows/doors and plug in our refrigerator. This thing will power the outlets that all our electronics are already plugged into. That means the Internet, TiVo, TV, lights, computers and furnace all stay powered up by this generator. If you are curious as to how a manual transfer switch works and why it's really neat, here are a few links:
www.green-trust.org/generator/genny_install.htm
www.reliancecontrols.com/Stream/ProTranInstall/ProTranPlayer_T1.aspx
I've been fascinated with generators and electricity since I was a child. We had a generator when I was growing up - a 1200 watt Sears Craftsman. It ran and ran and ran. It only provided 1200 watts of power, so you were basically limited to one freezer or fridge back then. We had to switch the extension cords back and forth from the kitchen to the basement. It was a pain. On top of that, it only ran for a few hours because it had a small gas tank. Today's generators are much better; the one I have provides 5500 watts of power and has a runtime of over 10 hours per tank. While I don't look forward to having a power failure, I like to know that I am ready to light up when the time comes.
So I don't have allergies (as some have suggested). I know this because 1)Claritin did not help me and 2)allergies don't create yellow/green phlegm (AFAIK) or body aches and pains...
I haven't been able to sleep for more than two consecutive hours since Tuesday and it's taking its toll. I can't talk (work was hell Thursday and Friday) and I have a sore throat so I cannot swallow anything. I can't smell so even comfort foods don't help.
At the suggestion of my co-worker Roger, I have started taking Mucinex-D. I have to say it gets things moving, but it's no miracle worker. I've taken three tablets (read horse pills) so far.
I've felt bad for the past week with body aches, a sore throat, sinus congestion, shivvering and a general malaise. I don't have allergies to anything that I'm aware of. I've tried Dayquil/Nyquil, Sudafed and a Walgeens generic. Today I start with some OTC Claritin. Let's see how that goes.
UPDATE 3:30pm - Claritin was no help. Pain everywhere. Need sleep. Can't communicate.
I took out yet another tree-like bush in the back yard. It only took two minutes to "chop" it down via reciprocating saw (love 18v DeWalt gear), 15 minutes to dig up the stump and another 15 minutes to backfill/seed/fertilize/water. I love it when a plan comes together.
Jim, Brian's Brother-in-law (who fixed the gas line to my furnace last winter), will come out and replace the worn out fan and anything else that comes along. He's cutting me a deal which is nice. It can get pricey in a hurry. ETA 9:30pm
We went out shopping for 90 minutes and came home to a warm house. The thermostat was okay, so I went to see if the breaker was blown for the compressor outside. That was fine. I went outside and could hear the compressor trying to do something, but the cooling fan was not blowing any air and the compressor was very hot.
My souces tell me it's either the blower motor or the capacitor. I didn't wake up this morning with the intention of learning how central air works, but add that hat to the list...
http://home.howstuffworks.com/ac3.htm
Who lines up to buy a cell phone hours before the store opens? Apple gadget people, that's who. Rediculous. It proves the fact over again how much the 'cool' factor trumps true functionality. A smart phone is for business, not to say, "Hey, I can do this or that" with no real application to a need. Drives me nuts.
Man, this is getting old. At what age is it appropriate to say that I'm too old to be a pager guy. I'm not a doctor; I'm an IS Manager, but I seem to be the primary point of contact at all hours. It's been a long week and there's still one more day (gee whiz Friday) and the weekend (working both Saturday and Sunday) and then it continues all through next week. No. Time. Off. See my post about "Opportunities".
I am in my basement on a conference call about an issue that's been lingering for 36 hours for an important client. We have no idea what's going on and no idea when we'll have resolution. I have 4 family members that came over for dinner and I have yet to greet them or even eat for that matter. I may not have the opportunity for either.
I have colleagues that complain over and over about "meetings" as if they are the worst thing that can happen to you at work. 'Oh no, I have to sit in a room with others and discuss things.' I can think of at least a dozen things in the working world that are worse than that. Let's keep everything in perspective.
Just leaving soccer. Actually played well for taking three weeks off for one reason or another. Scored a goal off my left foot from 25 yards out; upper 90. NEVER done that before. I had to walk away smiling...
I love Netflix. With some free time late last night, we decided to take in a "watch instant" movie download from Netflix. Somehow, Eddie Murphy's "Raw" showed up as a new release. I have never seen it before (if you can believe that) so we decided to stream it for some comedic relief.
It wasn't all that funny. Sure, it was vulgar and profane and all the things you want as an adult that they can't do on "Last Comic Standing". It just seemed like it was trying too hard. Maybe it was funny back in 1987, but not 20 years later.
It makes me want to go back and watch "Delierious". That's what I thought I was seeing. They both have the same connotation in my memory banks. Oh well, that was that. Maybe I was too stressed out to open up and enjoy the comedy. Katie was laughing for most of it. I was unmoved.
Saw 'Get Smart' Thursday during my vacation day. It was nearly one year since Katie and I had seen a movie in the theatre. Wow how time flies by. There were only about 20 people in the theater; very nice. I liked the movie. It had its moments with Max and '99'. The best scene had to be when Max (Steve Carrell) tries to break free from his zip-tie handcuffs in an airplane bathroom by using his Swiss Army Knife cross-bow. Hilarity. I had to cover my mouth I was laughing so loud. All in all, I would give it three stars.
I have a vacation day tomorrow (and then a holiday on the 4th)! Everyone wants to know what I'm going to do with it. For one, I'm not going to work. I'm going to spend time with my wife. They ask, "Don't you spend time with her at home each and every day?" You see, that's the sad thing. I see her about one hour a day and none of it is quality time. The rest of the time she's attending to our daughter and I'm in the basement hammering away on this laptop working to support an insupportable application that will never go away. I've really been earning my salary these past few months.
Some days I feel like I'm stuck in Folsum Prison... I can't see out a window, but I know it's nice outside and I feel traped in an office all day long. I don't have time off, I'm always on, always supporting and trapped under a pile of work. It gets really old. We watched "Walk the Line" again last night; happened to catch it on cable. What a great movie.
"I hear that train a-commin', it's rollin' around the bend.
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when.
I'm stuck in Folsom prison and time keeps draggin' on.
But that train keeps a-rollin' on down to San Antone.
When I was just a baby, my mama told me, son.
Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns.
But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.
When I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head and cry.
I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining car.
They're probably drinking coffee and smoking big cigars.
But I know I had it coming, I know I can't be free.
But those people keep a-movin' and that's what tortures me.
Well if that freed me from this prison and that railroad train was mine.
I bet I'd move it on a little farther down the line.
Far from Folsom prison, that's where I want to stay.
And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away."
Three nights in a row she has slept through the night. It's nothing short of a miracle. What are we doing differently? We're letting her cry herself to sleep. So far, so good.
Wow am I over my head... What an exhausting weekend I had. Once again, my personal savior Brian came over and gave me a hand. Earlier in the week, he offered to deliver some wood chips from a neighboring village that he works for. With all the recent storms, they had lots of quality "green" trees that were chipped to get them out of the streets. After the pile fills up, the village has to pay to dump them somewhere. For nothing, they dumped three buckets full from a front-end loader in my driveway. That's how it started.
Once Brian showed up after lunch today, we got to work. The tally:
-2 trees cut down
-untold number of vines removed from fence
-6 bushes removed from front of the house
-3 rogue bushes/trees removed from around garage
-potted plants staged in front of house to take place of the bushes
-1.5 tons of wood chips placed around house and garage (and more are coming next week to complete the job)
What am I going to do when this man moves to California? He's single-handedly motivated my ass to accomplish a dozen or so projects around the house/car/etc. He has no fear. I'm afraid that I won't finish what I've started.
Brian, if you're listening, don't pay any attention to me. Live out your dreams. Enjoy the opportunity. It may never come along again. I'll be here. Come back when you're ready. I'll keep in touch.
Katie flew out of town on a business trip Monday and Tuesday. She arrives home tonight. That said, I had my first night totally on my own last night. I think I handled the situation pretty well. Amanda is still alive; she made it to and from daycare without incident yesterday. Here is a brief rundown of the day in the life of a single dad starting Monday morning.
4:00 woken up by Katie's alarm; car to pick her up and take her to O'Hare
4:55 Katie feeds Amanda one last time
5:00 Katie departs for flight out of town
6:00 I wake up
6:10 tend to Amanda who wants attention
6:35 Amanda on bathroom floor while I shower (the shower soothes her)
7:00 depart house for day care
7:20 drop child off at day care, walk to train
7:40 hop on express train to downtown
8:15 at work
-------------
5:15 depart work
5:32 take train, walk to day care
6:10 have Amanda, headed home
6:30 arrive home, unpack child and stuff
7:00 start to feed bottle to Amanda
7:30 change diaper, put Amanda in crib
8:00 eat dinner
8:30 jump on call for work
10:30 Feed bottle to hungry and awake Amanda
11:00 I go to bed
1:15 Amanda crying, soothe her with pacifier. No bottle
4:00 Amanda crying, soothe her with pacifier. No bottle
5:30 Amanda crying, failed to soothe her with pacifier. Gave her bottle
6:30 Shower
7:00 change Amanda's clothes and diaper
7:30 drive to day care, drop off Amanda
8:15 back at house to work from home
3:00 blog about the past 36 hours.
As sad as this sounds coming from an alumnus of Our Lady's University, this was the first time I was able to watch "Knute Rockne, All American" in its entirety. What a great story. However, in true film making fashion, they take two hours to build up the story line and then resolve the story in only five minutes.
For example, the Rockne Memorial building (where I playe basketball and exercised while an undergrad) was but a side note just before the credits roll. Additionally, the "House that Rockne built" better known as Notre Dame Stadium received the same attention. Sure, the storyline was about the man and not what was left behid, but it seemed to be in poor form. Of course I have 68 years post-movie to make these statements. In 1940, things were different. Frank Leahy had yet to arrive on campus and rekindle the winning tradition to Notre Dame.
A socio-religous connundrum: When you're feeling ill, should you still be compelled to go to Sunday mass? Both Katie and I woke up with sore throats feeling generally icky. Church is such a socially interactive place where you shake hands, touch objects, etc. that it becomes a breeding ground to pass along germs and sickness.
While channel surfing, I ran into a braodcast of Sunday mass (not sure where from). It's one of those little things you cannot explain. It's one of those times in your life where you don't get what you want, but somehow get what youu need. So, I continue to watch and feel I am in some way fulfilling my obligation...
While I spent the majority of my first Father's Day "in the dark", it was not as bad as one would think. I awoke at 7:30am (terrific to sleep in that late) to an electrical outage caused by a tremendous storm that swept through Chicagoland eventually downling power lines all over and affecting 140,000 ComEd customers. I was able to focus time with family. We had lunch at Panera and then dinner at Noodles and Company. We couldn't eat at home; can't risk opening the refrigerator and spoiling the food. Oh, the suburban adventures.
I rounded out the evening with a cigar and a (still cold beer) on my front steps with a candle for light while I peered down the block looking for signs of life. Neighbors chatted with flashlights in hand and the air was deathly still. It was a nice end to the evening.
As I was closing my eyes in bed preparing for the worst overnight as our food began to rot in our refrigerators, the ceiling fan spun up and we were back in the 21st century once again. The time, 11:30pm. I made sure there were no issues throughout the house and all was right in the world.
"Next to me in the blackness lay my oiled blue-steel beauty. The greatest Christmas gift I had ever received or would ever receive. Gradually, I drifted off to sleep, pranging ducks on the wing and getting off spectacular hip shots."
We had a nasty storm this morning and down goes the electricity. We've had a bad run the past few weeks.
UPDATE 11:30PM: Power is back on. Almost 16 hours without power. Some Father's Day we had - all outdoors!
I'm on the train now thinking over my night out. Have you ever had that moment (from your own, unique perspective) where you ask a friend of the opposite sex, "Remind me again why you're single?"
I had that moment tonight. Check that, I've had this moment in my head for over a year but only spoke out about it tonight. I was out with several coworkers tonight and (for the sake of the argument let's call her) 'Jami' joined the party.
'Jami' is smart, sexy, fun and (most-importantly) single.
She's the type of woman that I would be attracted to if I were single. I'm not, so let's leave the questions about my fidelity right there. Her dating status - over 30 and single but actively searching for a man - has always perplexed me. She has a commanding presence when she enters a room. There must be some critical flaw that I cannot see.
I'm compelled to help and told her that I'd be a great wingman. However, this nasal congestion prevented me from joining her and the group at the very loud venue they were headed to. It would have been painful. I feel she's looking for the "6-foot 3-inch former football quarterback turned stock broker who's in his late 30's and looking to settle down and start a family in the next 18 months". Wonder how hard those are to find?
My thoughts shift to my family at home and how I feel disconnected at times due to work or this or that; it bothers me. I received a quote from a VP today that stated, "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother". Father Ted Hesburgh, C.S.C. said that; what a great quote.
Tonight was my first night out after work in quite some time. It felt real good to be out and about on my own. After a while the guilt sank in that my wife and child were home and I was out drinking. On top of that (for those keeping score) I have not been sleeping lately and working long and odd hours which probably lead to the sinus congestion I currently experience...
I'm on a marathon conference call for work at the moment. I took a step outside the house for some fresh air. Wham! It's still 80+ degrees and breezey. It's a nice departure from my meat locker basement. This old house needs better HVAC, but it would be cheaper just to purchase a newer home I think. I'm not in that market.
UPDATE: It's 2:15am and I just got off my call. Woo hoo.
Topics to note:
-Got out on Saturday with my buddy Brian on the moto. We put 75 miles on the bikes, saw another buddy's "gut and rehab" house and then put some burgers on the grill. He's the best. I will miss him if he and his wife relocate.
-Biggie ups to my colleagues for putting forth a tremendous effort this weekend. I'm very proud of Joey.
-Attended a family party today for a First Communion. I really enjoy the company of Katie's family.
-Just had a brown-out and I'm working a support incident at the moment (yes, it's past midnight); that could be a bad sign.
I got out for a motorcycle ride for the first time this season. It was nice, I really needed to blow off some steam. It was only for a couple hours and only a handful of miles, but noteworthy nonetheless.
There is an unexpected side-effect, however - guilt. I cannot help feeling guilty for abandoning my wife and child that I haven't seen all day to go out and do what most see as "play". It's so much more than that and as the saying goes, "If I have to explain it to you, you just won't understand."
Looking at all the birthdays celebrated yesterday is bitter sweet and makes me kinda sad. Today would have been my father's 70th. However, there's nothing like the Pet Parade to cheer one up!
What an attitude adjustment I've had today. It's so nice to get out, go to a ballgame and then hang with the fellas afterwords for some beers, brats and bean bags. I great day all around. Happy birthday to Tom, Cindy, Phil and Gabe.
Tomorrow is Friday which also happens to be my first scheduled (and granted) vacation day is quite a while. Not sure how long it's been. I'm scheduled to go on our annual "Trifecta" which is a round of golf in the morning, a baseball game in the afternoon and then a pub crawl to end the evening. I'm stoked; ready to rock.
Update: We just cancelled golf because there is a 70% chance that there will be thunderous downpours in the AM. (Friday...Showers and thunderstorms likely. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy downpours and gusty winds. Highs around 80. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.) This is not good news. It's now a biathlon...
I decided to assist. Guess what, my advice was spot-on and the issue was resolved. While I feel great that their issue is resolved, it's troubling as they now have faith that I can fix things... Double-edged sword here. I love family and all its units.
On a side note, Katie and I got outside today for the first time in quite a while. We actually took Amanda shopping with us - that is a major accomplishment. In the afternoon, we loaded her up in the "Sherpani" infant backpack (very cool - http://sherpani.us/product.aspx?bO3FscouH=1&GQd0EjaqX=6&pmdoXJC4W=31) which my sister was gracious enough to lend us and we went to Cold Stone for some ice cream. Oh how my mood has improved. I'm ready to start the work week at 0700 tomorrow.
Folks who work in IT speak many different languages, but when it comes to providing technical support for our family and friends we have a common voice - we are not the help desk. Call someone else.
Today is Memorial Day (happy Memorial Day to all those protecting us from ourselves) and I am in my basement *trying* to leave the house to run some errrands with my wife and child. I haven't left the house on the weekend for the past 2+ months and it's starting to wear me out. I feel trapped and it's not healthy. I could use some support from the rest of my teammates, but they don't step up. Don't offer to help; help. They go on with their weekend party livestyles and let the family man suck it up. After all I am their manager so it's fitting. Or is it? I'm too hard on them.
I have to really thank Roger who works harder than I do. He's been doing this line of support far longer than I have. He truly is Superman...
On top of all that, I get a call from a family member who just experienced a BSOD (blue screen of death) from their computer. Where do I go with this? I am not the help desk. I am an IT manager who is on call 24x7 for a platform that generates millions of dollars per year and touches the lives of millions. I work every day, even holidays and haven't had a vacation day...I cannot even remember when. No, I don't want to do more.
There are still open items, but suffic it to say that the migration of one of our company's core components was a success.
Even though I've been working all weekend I have the comfort that it's at home and on my terms. No one walking up to my desk; no distractions.
On a side note, there's this core group of individiuals from many different teams at work that have been on conference calls hammering out some last-minute show-stoppers; some are directors, others managers and so on. We're starting to argue like a family.
You can clearly see the lines drawn as to who is the grandmother, father and spoiled brat. It's refreshingly funny to listen in while we lose time spent with our families or anything else that might be going on in our personal lives to solve these problems that will soon be distant memories.
Man am I moody today. If it's not one thing, it's something else blowing up at work. One step forward, three steps back. As I've stated before, I can't get any traction on the five simple tasks I need to knock out that are on my plate because someone starts a fire and we have to call in the fire department to look at it and so on and blah blah blah.
I'm searching through my mind as I hide in a conference room eating lunch to avoid any more BS and I don't even know what my touch points are. That bothers me. There's always some one *thing* at the root cause of my woe and cannot put my finger on it. Maybe a relaxing weekend with my family will help. Oh, that's right, you'll be working again tonight and on Saturday. Hmmm.
I just read my previous post. It sounds so negative. I must have been venting.
I don't know if it's because I am married or too old or just unpopular... For the first time, two or more co-workers kept me completely out of the loop tonight on a happy hour or birthday party or...well, I don't care what it was because I was never invited. For some reason, I feel cheated, the low man on the totem pole, unliked and disappointed. None of those are the feelings that I needed to add onto my already stressful day.
Could I have attended? Maybe, maybe not. The invite is the compliment that one never minds refusing. It says, "you're included, you belong and we enjoy spending time with you". Why does this bother me? These people don't really care about me and it's just a job. My real focus should be on my wife and child; the people that aren't so transparent in my life. Now, don't expect any sympathy from me if you come in hungover tomorrow...
Some days, I find it difficult to keep it all together. As we get closer and closer to conclusion on some very large and lengthy projects we are starting to slip. We're starting to slip collectively and I don't know how to right the ship. I don't even know who the captain is. Is it me? If so, we need a new one quick because this captain is losing his grip on the mainsail.
Although several of us were up late into the night working, I feel refreshed when I walk out of my house to walk to the train. It rained last night and the air is ripe with the smells of flowers and aromatic mulch laid down recently at the townhomes next door.
It signals to me that summer is just around the corner. It will brighten everyone's disposition and outlook, both professionally and personally.
Hmmm, I like to think that I don't get too stressed out or take things to seriously at work. After all, health, friends and family are far more important. Recently, I find myself hypersensitve to anything that can go wrong within our environment and more difficult to get along with. I'm always on edge.
We are in the middle of a data center migration and anyone that is involved in IT in even the most peripheral role knows that this is a very tricky thing to do. It's particularly tricky when the "product" we are trying to move is completely custom code and takes months if not years to really know all the bits and pieces and how they interact.
Luckily, we have and ace on our staff. Gabe puts in long hours and complains very little. He's the man behind the curtain and I hope he's able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Times are rough for all of us. We've got a handful of manual processes to do each day because certain projects were launched before they could be supported or automated. So, the automation becomes a human. But at what cost?
All these distractions are just that; distracting. We spend more time hand-holding instead of focusing on making our product better and more supportable. I guess that will come with time. Once this tunnel ends and we do see the sun shine again, we can start pressing for improvements. Until then, we monkey though it and take the knocks.
Today, I watched the recent remake of my beloved "Dukes of Hazzard". It wasn't very good or true to the original premise of the wildly popular TV series from the early 80's. Sad.
They portrayed Bo and Luke to be NASCAR-loving morons who only happen to solve situations that they got themselves into by happenstance.
Jessica Simpson, while not the best choise for Daisey, certainly got herself into teriffic shape for the role and was rewarded with at least 7 T&A scenes. That was mildly entertaining. I'm glad I didn't pay money to see it in the theater...
I could not get over the casting of "Mr. Friendly" from LOST as Roscoe. "We're gonna have to take the boy".
Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg also seemed odd. I was waiting for "The Bandit" T-Top TransAm to make an appearance. There certainly was plenty of CB radio use, however.
Today marks the third concecutive day that the train doors on my Metra line have opened right in front of me. It's a suburban sport; you can stand anywhere you want along the 8+ car-long platform, but once the train finishes pulling into the platform, there is a surge towards the doors to get "the best seat". If you are expeerienced and have a good train engineer, he'll stop in the same spot each time thereby allowing you to predict where to stand. I've had a good week.
We're both awake vomiting. She first and then I followed at the sight, sound and smell of it. Good thing we have Dr appointment for Amanda tomorrow so the doc can check her out, too. She has not shown any signs. I think we had some bad chicken (that I cooked on the grill [for the its first use this season]). Not sure.
I have added a few things to the stock photo shown in my previous post:
-Cobra slash-cut deluxe exhaust and jetted carb
-Windshield with integrated passing lamps
-Mustang saddle with driver backrest
-Luggage rack
-Cobra engine guard & Kuryakyn foot pegs
-Cheap saddle bags
-K&N air filter
-Garmin Zumo 550 GPS
-Video camera handlbar mount
I just dropped my bike off at the dealer for a season-beginning oil change. I have a 2004 Honda VTX1300. I just rolled 12,000 miles and it's time for new fluids and a slew of inspections. Summer is just around the corner; I can feel it!
Daycare called yesterday and stated that our little angel had a temperature and we must pick her up ASAP. Oh, on top of that, she cannot return the next day. So, I am at home trying to juggle work, a crying child, laundry... Oh how my perspective has changed.
Another sleepless night... If Blogger were cooler, you could have heard the audio clip I just uploaded of my daughter crying ALL.NIGHT.LONG like Lionel Richie.
Amanda's been a wreck for the past four days preventing Katie from getting any sort of real rest. I hope the end is in sight. My patience and sleep are wearing thin as well. This, added to my previous post, makes for a strained lifestyle.
It was a long work week for me. As I went through the grind, I realized that some of my coworkers lack a sense of ownership. I work in the IT industry where we are on call almost all the time (so it seems). My team, in particular, is responsible for a platform 24x7. We rotate that responsibility between the five of us. Three of us work day and evening shifts and then there are two dedicated guys - one handles over night and the other handles the weekend coverage - that never comes into the office. This disconnect could be key.
It's starting to come to light that there is a lack of ownership in our support mentality. "Oh, someone else will see that alert or page that has come in and will take care of it. It certainly isn't MY responsibility. Heck, I have other things to do." It seems individuals are content collecting a paycheck and will do the least amount of work possible to maintain employment. Maybe this is commonplace in the American workplace? As their manager, I feel that I must keep an eye on things even though they are paid a healthy salary to sit on a pager and simply respond should it go off. Fact - that comes with the territory.
SLA. We have an expectation on our team that we will respond to an alert or page within 15 minutes of receiving it. It does not mean the issue will be resolved in 15 minutes, but rather that we will acknowledge it and start on the path to resolution. We will work the issue in real time and provide status. Recently, there has been a rash of missed opportunities to show ownership. Missed pages, poorly executed deliverables, foul language, smoking grass - poor caddying. Do you want to be replaced by the NOC? Just keep it up.
How do I instill ownership? It's got to be the toughest task I've ever had. I must be particularly bad at it. If I were responsible for something and my superior asked me about something I missed, I'd damn well make sure I don't miss it the next time. That's just me. I'm not like others. Others didn't have a father that would follow up on topics to make sure you had your act together. I consider myself blessed to have that instilled in me. Why do I get myself all worked up? It's only a job...
...and it is good. It's odd, I don't feel nearly as buzzed as I expected to be. My mind quickly came out of the fog that is morning, but I expected a much stronger reaction after 40 days of detox. Hmmm.
OK, so I have a theological debate on my hands here. Lent officially ended last night upon celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. We then launch into the shortest of liturgical seasons - The Triduum (Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday). This begs the question - when can I have caffeine again...?
I've done my due diligence and it seems there are several ways to look at this:
1)Lent ended last night, so I am free of my obligation to give up caffeine
2)Today is Good Friday, a day of abstinence and fasting, so it would not be exactly in order to delve right back into my sacrifice on a day that should be directed towards suffering with Jesus
Oh, the Catholic torment I go through. This forum has interesting banter about just such topic:
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=216582
I received my basis for the end of Lent from here:
http://www.americancatholic.org/newsletters/CU/ac0302.asp#F8
http://www.catholic-church.org/st.paulcathedralpgh/current/minist-ref.shtml#lent
My fatherhood has been legitimized. I now officially feel like a dad. I took the train home from work to a different stop to pick up Amanda at day care. Like a big boy, I was able to pack her up and drive her home safely with our car that Katie left behind while dropping her off earlier this morning. It's quite a nice system we have going.
I now feel like a man. I used to think you're not a man until you buy a home. Then it was not until you take a wife. This is the real deal - being a father.
I'm using the BabyBjorn for the first time - it's pretty cool. Up until now, I've only used the over-the-shoulder-baby-holder called the sling. Nice to have an extra weapon in the baby wrangling business.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2267522
When will dreary winter end? This is getting old. We are pushing into our 6th month of chilly weather with very few days of sunshine. We all know the inevitable spring and summer *will* arrive. It's only a matter of time.
I hate running outdoors in the cold weather, it makes my ear drums hurt. Yesterday, it was in the upper 50's or the first time in quite a while and I decided to go for my first run in over four months. What have I been doing for the past four months you ask? We'll, I've been adjusting to being a father and Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc. I hurt today in places that I have not felt soreness for four months. It's painful, but kind of refreshing at the same time.
Today was the 36th day of measurable snowfall in the Chicago area. Four more inches over night.
All hell broke loose at work this morning. Related? Who knows? It felt like Y2K all over again...
Three weeks w/o caffeine and (other than less selection in beverages) I don't really notice. I do miss the high, though.
No, not sharing babies like sharing a toy or an object; more like sharing experiences, stories, feelings, fears and realizations. Today, we spent the afternoon with another couple who had a baby only two weeks after we did. Since Amanda is only 11 weeks old, we are pretty much on the same path of development (though lots can happen in two weeks).
I found it refreshing that they have had similar experiences, frustrations and joys of parenting as have had. Tim receives the same greeting upon coming home from work from his Angela as I receive from my Amanda - tears not of joy, but frustration. With the hustle and bustle of the work day, all a father wants is some peace and quiet upon arriving home. That's not in our daughters' game plan so it seems.
I do have to say that our Amanda is getting much better these days. Her fits of crying (for no apparent reason) has decreased and she sleeps longer at night.
Our visit to Natalie and Tim also included a tour of their new home. It was our first visit; it's a very nice house. Katie and I are jealous of a few facets: square-footage, closet space, elbow room, finished basement, storage, his/hers sinks and laundry room. I could elaborate, but I don't feel it's necessary. We had a great time today; thank you for your hospitality.
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