Category Archives: Confessions

Things about me you probably never wanted or don’t need to know.

A Time With My Grandparents

My Grandparents came into town Friday night on the train.  Remember those?  They’re large metal objects with wheels that roll on tracks and they make a lot of noise.  Yes, they slept on the train, and yes they said it was interesting to do so.  It took two days and they enjoyed it.  Well, my grandparents are here in town until Wednesday morning and I’ve been enjoying some time with them.  I really love them a lot because they influenced me so much growing up.  They have left a heritage that is truly amazing to me.  My grandpa’s work ethic, though over the top, was unlike anything else I’ve ever seen.  My grandmother’s raising five children is miraculous.  And their love for one another for over sixty years is a model for many marriages, some of which my grandfather did the ceremony for.  One of those marriages was my own.

It has been wonderful to see them and it has been neat to have them play with the girls (though Evie has been rather picky and still prefers my dad to either great-grandparent for some reason).  I have had several good talks with both of them and over the last couple of days we have recorded some video footage that I will not be sharing with the internet, but will be shared around our family because its certainly part of our family’s experience of them in our lives.  If you get a chance to see your grandparents regularly count yourself blessed.  We need to see them as often as possible and I pray for ways that we can do that more.

Saturday we had breakfast at my parents’ place and then took the girls home for a nap.  Saturday night we had dinner at Kurt & Becky’s with great food and more fellowship and fun.  Sunday was church & then in the evening we had them over to our place for more time together.  Today was the zoo (pictures) followed by an afternoon of rest and then dinner at my parents with some singing (yes, our family does some of that) after dinner.

Good times for sure, and I hope for still many more.

Heavy Whipping Cream

Did you know that heavy whipping cream can really change your tea?  Because if you didn’t, it does.  A tiny bit of heavy whipping cream in a cup of tea turns it into dessert.

I guess any value the tea had prior to the cream has been replaced by the fatty, yummy flavors of the cream.  But it tastes good so I’m going to look the other whey.

Thankful Thursday: Our Friends the Masons

Our friends the Masons are coming into town to visit this weekend.  They’re bringing their little girl Nadia for us to meet for the first time.  That’s pretty exciting by itself, but also we’re going to Estes Park with them.  Its rather wintery in Estes Park compared to the planes of Aurora, but we’re really hoping for some beautiful pictures, fun times driving and chatting, and of course laughing about the crazy stuff in life.

We’re rather thankful for all of our friends, but its nice to have the Masons come and join us.

Schmizness

A quote from Merlin Mann:

You can make any bit of business reporting sound smarter if you say an event happened “quietly.” Makes it sound like only you noticed it.

I totally need to take this tactic to the next level and declare that the world happens silently around me.  Of course part of that is true since I’m often in my basement and the noise of the usual is deadened by concrete and the internet.

Thankful Thursday: America

Yup, I’m totally copying Louanne.  She probably thinks I am all out of things to be thankful for so I’m copying her.  Well, sort of.  You see a few weeks ago I was in Texas at a conference and I had a chance to talk to a guy living in Poland.  He’s Polish so that’s not a huge surprise, but anyway… This guy was telling me all about how he was dealing with the after effects of the Russian occupation of Poland.  He and the rest of the nation that is.  The Russian culture (at least the ones that were occupying Poland) as he described it involved drinking much Vodka.  Much, too much, Vodka to the point of many people drinking and driving and the catastrophes that were caused by this drinking and driving were still normal in Polish life.

On a much lighter note they have no paved highways that consistently get you from point A to point B.  I can drive to many parts of the country in my Honda within two days time on nicely paved roads.  He can drive what should only take a couple hours on paved roads in 6-7 hours of time.   On dirt roads.  Uphill both ways.  OK, not really uphill both ways, but its a total pain.

I’m glad that we have the huge amount of freedom, its not the stuff that is reported on often, but its freedom.  We’re facing the problems that countries face when melting pots become too diverse and not enough melting, but we have most of our freedoms in tact and we’re in good shape in many regards.  I’m grateful for being born and raised here.  I just wish I had understood how great freedom was back when I was younger so that I could have paid attention and rejoiced with others in freedom rather than taking the freedom a bit too literally and focused on note passing and stupidness that is associated with immature Jr. high schoolers and such.

Nine Years

Today is our nine year anniversary.  Last night Evelyn kept us up with no sleeping, which falls in line to what we were doing nine years ago: Jessica was kidnapped by her bridesmaids and forced to go around Carson City, Nevada with a sign saying something embarrassing.  I was just not sleeping because I get so freaking nervous around events like weddings, baby births and waiting to pick up to-go food that I just can’t sleep.  So the lack of sleep from having two girls, one of which who is a night owl, is something that getting married prepared me for.  Not.

Upon the day of our wedding I was a super-emotional basket case.  I was unable to iron my own clothes so I had to go over to my parents house where my grandma was staying for the wedding and have her iron my clothes for the departure from the reception.  I could not operate an iron if I had to.  To further emphasize my inability to think I had to stop at the Mervyn’s on the way to the church to buy black socks because I had failed to bring some with me.  My brain was in a state of total and utter shock.  I’m surprised I could drive – I probably shouldn’t have.

Being married to Jessica has been an overwhelming success and I would definitely do it again (though I wouldn’t recommend it for others – she’s mine and you can’t have her).  She’s been through thick and thin, richer and poorer and sickness and health.  She’s also been a great spiritual partner as we have grown in the Lord.  She’s a rockin’ mommy and a great motivator (except for with working out which I refuse to do when she suggests it because I’m a stubborn dork).  I’m thrilled to be her husband and am looking forward to the next nine!

Naughty Children and the Lying Parents that Lie to Them

Today at “Old Knavy” we were looking at clothes in the “I like pink” section for children and a mother, whose child was out of hand, said to her child who was out of hand, “See?  Those girls just asked their mommy & daddy why you were being so naughty.”  Jessica and I began to laugh because 1) our girls were just being out of hand seconds earlier and 2) the mother was lying to her daughter to get her daughter to obey.

I think that this mother totally missed the boat – if you’re going to lie to your children scare the carp out of them.  Make them wish they had never been naughty because of the aliens on the other side of the clothing rack that are ready to suck their brains out through little straws that will go into your children’s ears.  That will cause your children to stop being naughty.  When they’re as young as our children are peer pressure just doesn’t have the same effect.  Of course my children will be disciplined for naughtiness in large quantities and it appears that the girl we were witnessing gets disciplined when Santa comes to visit with the 3,500 dollars in presents come every holiday.  That is to say… never.

Thirty

So today I am thirty.  Thirty years of heart pumping, sweat inducing action.

Or sitting behind a computer desk typing.

The good thing is that I’ve learned some things since turning 18 and being legally an adult:

  1.  If you find a girl worth marrying – don’t wait!  The worst part of 18-21 was not being married
  2. Church legalism kills – I left a few churches and tried out many more.  If you find legalism – move on.
  3. Credit cards are not free money – they have cost me thousands of dollars in paid interest and interest unearned on investments
  4. Waiting to lose weight is a dumb idea.  I am finally down to below 170 after spending the latter half of my twenties above 170 and 180 and 190
  5. I stink at fulfilling new years resolutions like 99% of the rest of the Earth’s population
  6. If you find a company worth working for – stick with it.  I love working for my major client because they’ve got great character in the owners.  I can honestly say I love those two guys [and many of the employees there].
  7. Be patient.  With your wife/husband, kids, friends, relatives, co-workers, animals, other drivers and yourself.
  8. Keep smiling and laughing.  If everyone is laughing, they may be getting a break from a lot of hurt.  Or if they’re doing well before, they’re doing better now.
  9. Kiss your wife every day as often and as caringly [SIC] as possible.
  10. Spell check your blog.

My children are beautiful, my wife is amazing, my church home continues to amaze me, my job is going well and I’ve learned a lot.  Thanks for participating in my thirtieth birthday!

DVR Saves Me on a Late Night Sick Kid TV Fest

Last night Evie was puking her tiny little guts out.  She got some sort of bug and just let it all come out.  All over me, Jessica, her bed and some even on her blanket that she likes to cuddle.  While she was awake feeling bad I was up watching shows on the DVR after quickly scanning and seeing that late night infomercials were all that was on.   I would have preferred to have been sleeping and have had Evie well and not being sick, but at least the Good Eats episodes I watched were consistently weird Alton Brown creations that I enjoy watching.

Oh, and Ask This Old House was kinda cool to learn about vegetation in Las Vegas.  Weird.

A Post Wherein Abby Joins Girl Scouts

Abby will be going to her first Girl Scouts meeting this afternoon. Jessica is taking her and has told me (though I’m not convinced) that its not going to involve cookies at this age. At this age.  Next year or the year after she’s going to be hawking diabetes-in-a-box to help send her to a camp where they’ll teach her how to be a feminist [I’ve put my foot down, once the cookies come out, so does Abby].  Yeah! Sure, I sound skeptical, but the truth of the matter is that I’m actually just afraid that my girl is growing up.

When I was a young boy I had the chance to join the Boy Scouts but I passed up on it because of reasons I don’t even remember. However, Abby is a little social butterfly and so the idea of her turning into a brownie or whatever they call the girl scouts her age – twinkies, dough-girls, or what have you – just means that she’s going to have yet another place to be extroverted. Its good for her. I’m just going to keep telling myself that.