Back in Business

Apparently Blogger's stay in corporate purgatory is over (at least for now). I am able to see comments on other blogs, and post my own from work. I am not saying that posts will be made all that frequently, but at least I can get to work on them again.

A couple of catch up items...

This weekend we had some time sans kids, so took in the new batman flick The Dark Night. Was a bit long for me...but I thought it was great overall. I always liked the batman movies and story...probably my favorite of the superheros, and this movie did not disappoint. Has me pumped up for the next one.

The hotel we stayed at had a basketball net at the pool, and not just a flimsy one, but a true backboard and everything. Was about 8 feet tall...so yep, it was dunkapalooza 2008. Thankfully no one else was around so I didn't feel like a complete dork.

One thing that the better half wanted to do was drive over to dallas for some shopping and to go to this cupcake place called Sprinkles. Let me just say...overrated. That is the nicest way I could put it. For some reason this place was full of people and we all were ordering $3.50 cupcakes. You would think that a place this fancy could tell the difference between a carrot cake cupcake (which I ordered) and a lemon one (which I was given). Very disappointing. Won't be heading back.

In other news, the better half celebrates a birthday this week. So gearing up for a nice night out with the fam at Uncle Julio's and a cake from bluebonnet bakery.

I have been trying to come up with a good birthday present ideas for 15 years now. There have been a number of misses, and a few hits along the way. But at least they have been good enough to have her stick around!

Banned Blogger

Some genius at the Southern Union Company Information Technology department has deemed blogger "illegal or questionable" content. What that means for me...I can no longer post blogs from work, which will definately cut down even more on the freqency of posts.

Also, I can't view any one else's pictures, or read comments or post a comment. All I can see is the text. I will still enjoy reading everyone's posts to find out what they have been up to, but won't get to enjoy the full benefit.

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In other news...Molly turned 3 on Sunday! Had the fancy Chuck E Cheese party and came home with the pukes. I guess I can't outright blame CEC, but it sure makes me feel better.

Something about 3rd birthdays and our kiddos. Jack got a tv dropped on his head and molly couldn't stop throwing up. I can only imagine what trouble they will get into for their 21st.

I don't know what life would be like with out my prince and princess. It is hard to watch them get so independent, but I love being able to share in it.

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the better half is saying that somehow I have fallen into the jackpot this week. tomorrow night some of us from work are being treated to a meal at Del Frisco's steak house since our company basically gave us the finger for working all the hours on our filing project. my boss is taking us out to say thanks for putting in the time and effort. then tomorrow it has been discussed among a few (my boss included) about sneaking out to the rangers for the business man's special - we will see if we pull that off. and then this weekend it is off to marble falls to hang with some old high school friends on the lake and catch up. should be a good time and hopefully I will not come back toasted like a lobster.

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now I have to go figure out who I have to get fired to get blogger back...

Quick Update

The better half got on to me for not having a post...so here is a quick update from last time I took some time to write.

Took a trip of a lifetime to Disneyworld...thanks parentals! I couldn't imagine how much I would enjoy it and since I came home I have been trying to figure out how I can get back. (Kind of like "Lost" and the island, except I enjoy it and I know where it is). For a detailed update check the better half's blog. She is doing a daily recap.

Once back home it feels like it has been go go go. Molly ended up falling off the monkey bars and breaking her arm. For the last week she has been figuring out every precarious position to get in to make us parents think she is going to break it completely off.

Jack has gotten over his fear of the water. Thanks to some deft dunking by good old dad at Disney and the weekend back home. As long as you make dunking fun...learning to swim follows. Actually he has gone to swim lessons at TCU with is cousins and they have really worked to get him over his fears. After the first day of swim lessons as soon as I got home he wanted to go back to the pool to show me what he could do, and it was amazing the transformation!

There have been birthday parties and play dates that the better half has arranged but we did get to go see the Indiana Jones movie together which was nice. Tomorrow taking the kids to the Nasher with Myles and Lisa and letting them stay over with them. Right now Jack is fired up...Molly not so much so it may be father/daughter date Sat night. Jodi and Cathie will be heading to the opera on student tickets.

And for those of you who wonder why I don't eat tomatoes...here is one reason in my favor.

Death Tomatoes

Cars, friends and school plays

Yesterday was Jack and Molly's pre-school end of term performance. Lets just say that it is clear these kids go to school in Colleywood. The stage at our chruch had a stream, a fake camp fire, huge tree, and a cabin that had a working chimney.

It was also Jack's pre-school graduation but instead of actually sending him to kindergarden (the horror!) he will do advanced post pre-school, pre-kindergarden stuff (I guess) for another year.

And to top everything off...Jodi was going to miss it. Had to work at TCC - tell the kids what they ended up getting for the semester. So it was solo mission for Dad.

Headed off and the Durango wasn't feeling right. That is ok I think to myself...it is just a piecer anyway. Molly starts crying. "I can't get the bow out of my hair". Look back and yes, in the time it has taken to drive out of the neighboorhood MOlly has pulled out the ponytails and exactly matching bows that mom had managed to put in. Well, I will do my best to put them back in at the show.

Get to the light to turn into McDonalds and yep...that smells bad and yep...that is smoke and sure enough...it is coming from my car. So pull into the McDonald's and look at where the smoke is coming from to make sure there is no fire. Other than that I am stumped. Know nothing about cars. Now, panic time.

How am I going to get these kids to their program on time...can't drive the truck, afraid it will blow up. Call Nana and Papa. Get your butts here and save me. Of course they will, but figuring it out in my head...no way they get here and we get there in time. Call better half...don't worry just take them home. To heck with that, I will find a way. Call neighbor Natalie. Sure enough she agrees to come rescue us.

Get the kids happy meals...like I am happy right now...nothing for me. Natalie arrives and off we go. Getting better, we are going to make it. Sure enough right on time. But I am so frazzled there is no way I am getting Molly's bows back in.

Off to watch the show and it goes off without a hitch. Unless you count the time where jackson was standing straight up crying a little when everyone else on stage was kneeling down. Other than that...perfect performance! Molly hit all her moves and is a natural in the lime light. In jack's defense he probably could have used a nap and was really tired.

So huge thanks to Natalie for saving us so the show could go on!

Now to see how much my pocket book gets hurt for the car repairs....

Weekend at the farm

Took the kids to the burgeoning metropolis of Winters, TX this weekend to give the better half some quiet time to work on her paper for her last class towards the master's degree.

For those that don't know, Winters is about 40 miles south of Abilene, between Abilene and Sweetwater. Has a population of about 2,000 and was the birthplace of Rogers Hornsby.
Winters

My grandparents were both born there and they had a small farm and home on the outside of town where my mom grew up. Now the house is my mom's and she and my dad go up there every couple of months to take care of it and just get away from the city for awhile. Even though my mom and dad both grew up on or near a farm, living 40+ years in houston has pretty much taken the rural out of them, so to see them there is somewhat an awkward fit.

In college both my grandparents were still alive and I looked forward to the weekends when I was free to go down and hang out do some laundry or just sleep. I always knew there would be something good to eat and I would go back to the dorm not needing dinner that night.

When I go out it is somewhat bittersweet. The house and fields still look somewhat the same, but you can tell the house is not lived in full time and with that it brings the memories of what used to be and no longer is.

With children I get to see it through their eyes and right now they are filled with wonderment. The simplest things, like and old horseshoe found in the field that becomes Molly's "mystery" or a rusty old tractor the Jack climbs and starts to "drive", keep them entertained and me enthralled. I know that over time they will lose this wonderment and the old farm, with its dusty rooms, broken sink, and isolation from electronics will be a punishment more than a joy, but for now I will enjoy the farm again through their eyes.

It was a fun trip, but the kids were ready to come home to Momma and both wanted to stay as close as they could last night at bedtime. The farm might be fun for a day...but with Momma and at home is where they would rather be.

Weekend ramblings

Easter weekend was a fabulous success once again. This time mother nature helped out with gorgeous weather so we were able to basically spend the entire day outdoors saturday. Kids were sugared up beyond belief and some of the adults too. Good food, games and family were the name of the game. Had everyone there but Sid who is way out in Washington state trying to help save people in the er.

My two kids both had a great time. Jack because he got to play with the big boys...thanks Dale, Shawn and Cody for letting him in your games. Molly because she got to carry around a pink chicken all day long. At one point I could see the chicken actually say a prayer for its own safety. He ended up making it through the day. Thanks betty sue for the surprise.

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Jodi's old cell phone has died. I will say it wasn't due to natural causes, if there was a phone autopsy cause of death would be blunt force trauma. So it was off to the AT&T store to see if we could get a free replacement phone. Now since I worked for Nokia for 5 years I somewhat know the tricks...not that I can beat any of them, just that I know where I am getting taken to the cleaners. So I was prepared to have to sign a new contract or extend our contract, but I was going to get out of there with no $$ changing hands.

So we walk in and there are at least 6 employees in the store. One is clearly helping a customer the others just milling about. We wait a few minutes and some guy comes over to get our phone number and why we are there. Says a rep will be with us in a moment. Still 4 employees just milling around. Finally about 8 minutes later a rep comes over...and asks us again why we are there what our phone number is etc. The exact same thing we had just gone over. I am beginning to get steamed.

Come to find out we can't do anything because the better half doesn't have her license with her and they can't change anything without it due to some fcc regulation (I call bs on that). And that was it. Time to walk out of the store...better half is to the door and out...but I can't....I can't let them just treat me that way. So i double back and tell the 4 service reps behind the counter that they need to work on their service model, that we waited for 10 minutes there are 4 of them standing around and that once we were helped we had to answer the same questions we had just answered.

Then one of the do nothing service guys starts to try and fight back explaining that he was "helping" some dude who was looking at accessories across the store, and that another chick was on CSS duty or some crap like I care. This was about to become a full abercrombie moment...but instead I just repeated that they should work on there service model turned around in their mid rebuttal and walked out the door. Definitely considering switching providers over that though.

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And finally, a little bit in the mind of your blogger. Last night due to multiple circumstances I had the house to myself. So at 8 pm I finally sat down on the couch to see what was on tv...and there was nothing worth watching. Except for WWE Raw. Now, let me explain a bit. There is only one character that will make me stop down for anything wrestling and that is the Nature Boy Ric Flair. So for some reason I end up watching the first little montage of WWE Raw where they have all these westlers with their petty grudes talking smack in the ring, waiting and hoping to see if I will get rewarded with a Nature Boy sighting. And sure enough...at the end of the performance it is annonced that the main event tonight is a 8 man tag team no disqualification match between wrestlers 1-5 who I have no idea who they are, the heartbreak kid sean michaels, triple h, and yes...the Nature Boy Rick Flair. And they had me at "Ric Flair."

And I was rewarded mightily. Not only did I get a Ric Flair face off "discussion" with Sean Michaels. I got Ric Flair winning the tag team match with his pattented figure four over the regining WWE champion who is probably 1/3 his age. Needless to say it is going to be saved on the dvr for awhile. Have to say that I can't stand WWE in its current context today...but Ric Flair transcends time, back to mid 80s jr high school weekend afternoons. Here is a little sampling of Ric Flair.

Ric Flair HOF

And at the 3min mark of this...well just see for yourself.
Ric Flair backs Huckabee

Home Alone

The better half took off yesterday with the kids for the beach. I hope they have good weather although it was looking a bit stormy on the forcasts. The house is really quiet with just me and matty. We don't make much noise I guess. I hope they have a wonderful time and make it back safely and swiftly.

So what do I end up doing when the wife and kids are away...working late. What a looser I am. Although at least I know that there is no confilct and I can try to get a bit ahead. Won't get accomplished what I thought I might around the house though...seems the time gets away.

I am looking forward to the weekend when we will have the bain family easter shin-dig. Should be good times, bobby and debbie always but on a good show.

Don't have much else to say...just thought I would post something so everyone knew I wasn't dead. Be sure to fill out your brackets for march madness and get the alt-tab and long lunch excuses ready for thursday/friday NCAA tourney tipoff.