Today was the beginning of another trouble-shooting day as this year-long project comes to an end. This project has entered the post go-live support and so far is behaving like other projects. (i.e. There are lots of odd things that disrupt business all coming from different angles.) We are getting things addressed but it is busy.
Last night I played charades with the kids. It was seriously fun. I laughed to tears during so many parts. The kids got me up there and I did my best to get them to guess what one had suggested. It had everyone laughing. From Ferris Bueller's Day Off to Rocky - I had lots of attempts at getting people to guess. I love my family.
Last night Samantha and I sat on the porch and talked. It was good to connect again. This new house is in a neighborhood filled with kids riding bikes and yelling up and down the street. While I am excited to have neighbor's kids who can play with my kids I miss the serene feeling we had in our backyard of our old home. I now feel like I'm turning into the crotchety old man screaming "GET OFF MY LAWN!" With my IT resources I have contemplated using this to ward off screaming children outside my home. Motion sensor sprinklers are oh so tempting.
My sister called me over the weekend with an issue with a new trimmer she is using on her lawn. She was having difficulty loading twine. I talked her through it but I was so besides myself with the way the new Echo trimmers load string. I've had my trimmer since 1992 and that trimmer just works. I can load a huge amount of twine but apparently on these new ones you cannot. It is really really odd.
Until later -
Monday, July 29, 2019
Saturday, July 27, 2019
27 Jul 2019 (4 years, 7 months, 8 days after The Day)
Today I my team at work is completing a year-long project. It is good to see it come to an end. My family and I decided to move to a different home. It has been a long time coming but we finally got into a home that works for us. Blending a family has its challenges but sleeping arrangements complicate what would be simple otherwise. So - in summary this last 12 months has been very very busy both at work and at home. Is it just me but after I go through a massive change I just feel absolutely mentally exhausted. I have felt at the edge of tears as I have juggled these various things and I am sure Samantha has as well.
We have a dog now - this dog likes to get dirty in the mud. She really enjoys it. She also eats everything. Since we moved into this new home we don't have a fence yet and have had to resort to a very long wire mounted to a stake in the yard to keep her tethered and not wandering off. She has lots of room to move and unfortunately I cannot prevent her from jumping into mud puddles. I had to bathe her yesterday and I swear I got about a few pounds of dirt off of her. And... Why it the heck to wet dogs stink so bad? Man... I had to just tell everyone ahead of time that she was just given a bath.
I also saved up and purchased a no-name robot vacuum to help with the dog hair. Holy cow this dog sheds. We have to vacuum multiple times a day. We purchased this thing to help out. The first time it ran it ran for an hour and plugged the bag. So - there we have it. Too bad dog fur doesn't have much of a use other than making people's allergies go nuts.
I am tired. I feel like every entry of this blog could have started with that as the first line.
Until later -
We have a dog now - this dog likes to get dirty in the mud. She really enjoys it. She also eats everything. Since we moved into this new home we don't have a fence yet and have had to resort to a very long wire mounted to a stake in the yard to keep her tethered and not wandering off. She has lots of room to move and unfortunately I cannot prevent her from jumping into mud puddles. I had to bathe her yesterday and I swear I got about a few pounds of dirt off of her. And... Why it the heck to wet dogs stink so bad? Man... I had to just tell everyone ahead of time that she was just given a bath.
I also saved up and purchased a no-name robot vacuum to help with the dog hair. Holy cow this dog sheds. We have to vacuum multiple times a day. We purchased this thing to help out. The first time it ran it ran for an hour and plugged the bag. So - there we have it. Too bad dog fur doesn't have much of a use other than making people's allergies go nuts.
I am tired. I feel like every entry of this blog could have started with that as the first line.
Until later -
Monday, July 15, 2019
15 Jul 2019 (4 years, 6 months, 26 days after The Day)
So - today was a lot of juggling at work with a rather big project. My team and I were able to make some headway in a project that seems to be never-ending. After work ended I found myself sifting through cabinets in the kitchen determining what pans we don't use. It is one of those "spring cleaning" moments I suppose. I found it interesting that pans or utensils in the kitchen could bring back memories. Jan and I got some salad serving stuff I think by accident for our wedding and it is the kind of stuff you never really use because it is too nice. Anyway I found myself just looking at these silly serving spoons.
After dinner I decided to pack my chainsaw in the pickup I borrowed from my father-in-law and head over to one of their friends homes to take down 4 fruit trees. After felling and limbing the first dry apricot tree I turned off the saw to adjust the tension on the chain and guess what?? I couldn't get the darn thing started again. It is a bit frustrating because it is a newer saw and I have not even put a full gallon of gas through it. I will take it back to the store tomorrow to get insights on what I need to do. Madilyn and Ammon helped take all the wood I cut back to the truck. We drove back to the house and unloaded the wood and called it a day.
I find that outdoor activities like mowing grass, cutting wood, working on vehicles, etc. seem to help me detox a bit from the monotony of the daily routine. Here by the Rocky Mountains I find it is just peaceful to sit outside and look at the mountains. Growing up in Houston never afforded anyone there to have any mountainous view; however, it was thunderstorms that brought me peace. I think I have heard thunder maybe 3 times in the few years I have moved away from Texas. Weird eh?
Tonight is a quiet(ish) night with two of the teens working and Madilyn at a friends home. We tried to FaceTime Grandma and caught her in the store. It has been some time since we talked with her. She will call when she gets back home. Tonight's entry is a little dry -
After dinner I decided to pack my chainsaw in the pickup I borrowed from my father-in-law and head over to one of their friends homes to take down 4 fruit trees. After felling and limbing the first dry apricot tree I turned off the saw to adjust the tension on the chain and guess what?? I couldn't get the darn thing started again. It is a bit frustrating because it is a newer saw and I have not even put a full gallon of gas through it. I will take it back to the store tomorrow to get insights on what I need to do. Madilyn and Ammon helped take all the wood I cut back to the truck. We drove back to the house and unloaded the wood and called it a day.
I find that outdoor activities like mowing grass, cutting wood, working on vehicles, etc. seem to help me detox a bit from the monotony of the daily routine. Here by the Rocky Mountains I find it is just peaceful to sit outside and look at the mountains. Growing up in Houston never afforded anyone there to have any mountainous view; however, it was thunderstorms that brought me peace. I think I have heard thunder maybe 3 times in the few years I have moved away from Texas. Weird eh?
Tonight is a quiet(ish) night with two of the teens working and Madilyn at a friends home. We tried to FaceTime Grandma and caught her in the store. It has been some time since we talked with her. She will call when she gets back home. Tonight's entry is a little dry -
Sunday, July 14, 2019
14 Jul 2019 (4 years, 6 months, 25 days after The Day)
I watched the movie The Other Side of Heaven. It is good. It reminded me of my time serving people in California. Service of others is how one changes inside. I learned that then and I was reminded of that when Jan died. Tonight, Claire wanted a story after Samantha put her in bed. Samantha asked that I pop in and give her a kiss goodnight. I walked into her dark room and leaned down to give her a hug and a kiss. I pulled the covers up tight and tucked her in like a burrito. She was laughing. She wiggled free and threw her arms around me and said "I love you, Daddy. Can you read me story of the monkey?" I got the Curious George book that has a collection of tales and she picked a story. I read her the story and then gave her a kiss. She asked "Daddy, can you nuggle me?" (snuggle). I just hugged her and wept. I don't know why. I just felt like this little kid is just so sweet and innocent. I felt so privileged to be her father. She was concerned that I was crying and wanted to comfort me. I felt silly for being weepy but for some reason I was.
A few days ago Samantha and I talked about how it would be a good idea to talk to the kids about finances. Many are working for extra cash and we wanted them to ensure they were all on the same page with what is expected financially of them after high school. Today at dinner, Samantha and I spoke to the kids about the importance of financial independence and how it was important to save and discipline yourself today for unexpected bad weather in the future. We tried to paint the picture of how life gets tougher when you get in college, then get married, then have kids, all the while working to make ends meet. It is helpful when you have the opportunity to learn the hard lesson of financial discipline when you are young and still living at home. We encouraged them to save 50%, pay 10% in a tithe, and keep 40% for spendable cash. Disciplining yourself now is always easier than having to make a decision later on what you really believe when times get tough.
I'm struggling when talking with our youth that are teens. They have partially progressed from dependence to independence. They want to be independent but still have some growing to do. I find correcting these youth has to be done with care. At times I feel I approach these problems as tactfully as a brain surgeon and at other times I feel like a bull in a china shop. I just want my children to grow empowered to be their very best - to be good people who serve others. I may suck as a dad but I am trying. Sometimes I feel that just isn't good enough. I suppose every parent feels this way at times.
A few days ago Samantha and I talked about how it would be a good idea to talk to the kids about finances. Many are working for extra cash and we wanted them to ensure they were all on the same page with what is expected financially of them after high school. Today at dinner, Samantha and I spoke to the kids about the importance of financial independence and how it was important to save and discipline yourself today for unexpected bad weather in the future. We tried to paint the picture of how life gets tougher when you get in college, then get married, then have kids, all the while working to make ends meet. It is helpful when you have the opportunity to learn the hard lesson of financial discipline when you are young and still living at home. We encouraged them to save 50%, pay 10% in a tithe, and keep 40% for spendable cash. Disciplining yourself now is always easier than having to make a decision later on what you really believe when times get tough.
I'm struggling when talking with our youth that are teens. They have partially progressed from dependence to independence. They want to be independent but still have some growing to do. I find correcting these youth has to be done with care. At times I feel I approach these problems as tactfully as a brain surgeon and at other times I feel like a bull in a china shop. I just want my children to grow empowered to be their very best - to be good people who serve others. I may suck as a dad but I am trying. Sometimes I feel that just isn't good enough. I suppose every parent feels this way at times.
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