Steady as She Goes...

I know that I haven't been the most frequent blogger as of late but I'll try to do better.

Back to work today. I'm not looking forward to it, but its how I make the money these days. If anyone know how to make money without work then feel free to let me know. Even when you do something that you enjoy it is still work. For right now I will take the job that I can stand and pays the bills over enjoying myself until I'm homeless. I'm actually avoiding going to work right now.

Its amazing how much blogging will increase the traffic to your blog. I mean, I've been getting 1 hit a day maybe, then I blogged and I got 10, go figure...

Man, Do I Suck As A Blogger

Sorry to anyone who reads this blog on the regular. I don't know what happened. Ever since I've become a professional blogger (the title of this blog now seems extremely ironic) for place of employment my personal blogging has all but stopped. There is so much that has gone on since the last time I blogged. Oh yeah, I'm a professional blogger. I mean, I guess I am. I get paid to blog, so doesn't that make me a pro. I also do other things at my job, so does that mean I'm semi-pro. Still, I like that fact that my job now requires to do the things I do on my day off. I don't think I should mix business with pressure so I am not going to post a link to my "job-blogs", although if you're crafty I bet you can find my other blogs.

Let me get you up to speed with what's happened. I now have dates to go to basic training. It took long enough. I'm cutting it close to the birth of my baby girl, Caroline, but it should be fine. My wife is more and more mentioning how much she will miss me when I am away. I tell her to enjoy the time we have before I leave, but I know that its tough for her. I have to be the tough one and reassure her, but it will be tough for me to be away as well. My wife and I plan to take a trip to memphis. My 11-year-old niece has recently been diagnosed with leukemia. She's been in St.Jude's Hospital for about a month now. The whole family was shocked. I never thought that our family would have something like this happen, but I guess there is no predicting something tragic like this. She is receiving the best treatment and care. I just hope that she gets well and this all becomes a memory of a hard time very soon.

Today is a welcome retreat. I have a weekday off. I am supposed to take one saturday a month but this month has been very mixed up. I now get to take my tuesday off and although my wife still works, I enjoy a day of rest.  I honestly have mixed feeling about these days. I know that it might sound selfish but I like the quiet time that I can have by myself. I can do things that I can't always do when we are together. I have played my guitars for hours already this morning. But after a while I always find myself waiting for my wife to get home. I start to miss the conversation and the attention that I get from her. I know that if I had to choose between a lifetime of singlehood and "freedom" to do whatever whenever, or one where I have my wife by my side always, I would most certainly choose the one with my wife. All the guitars, time, and quiet in the world are no substitute for the close, intimate relationship I have with my wife.

Frustration and Neglect.

Sorry to all the people that got used to the idea of my blog being a regular thing. This is just like most other things in my life. I start and then my interests wains. Obviously I have not blogged in about a month and for that apologize.

So what has been going on in the silence? A lot. I can't really break down everything thats been going on but there are some highlights. Something that I've been missing is church. I hate missing, but I have managed to miss three weeks in a row. Inventory at my work place, Family matters (not the TV show), and my friend wedding (in which I was a groomsmen) have all taken me away from my regular place of worship. I miss meeting with that particular body of believers and playing with the band. My guitars have been all scattered about our extra room, but I haven't given them much attention. I'm looking forward to this Saturday and breaking the streak.

Me and the Misses have also began enjoy watching TV Series via our Wii. We should be spokespeople for Netflix. We don't have Cable here at the apartment so that means we don't get to watch episodes of new show, but that leaves time for us to enjoy the shows that we've neglected to watch when they were aired. We started with Arrested Development. Most recently we've started watching Pushing Daises. I've saddened by the fact that PD only ran 2 seasons. I guess a murder mystery with a supernatural twist has a limited lifespan, but I wouldn't mind another season or two. I hear that there is going to be a comic book or graphic novel.

So I have been struggling with a pedal and a modification of said pedal. Its been a long struggle with no avail. I'm struggling to find something that I did wrong. The most frustration thing is that it worked before I messed with it and now its nothing but a bunch of frustration. Not to mention the fact that I paid $30 for the mod. Frustration.

I'm Obsessed.

So me and Jen are sitting here eating our frozen sorbet treats when I jump on the computer to look at my new hobby, ebay. I am not a newcomer to the world of online auctions. I have had bouts with ebay several times. I don't use it very often but I'm trying to locate some good deals on some pedals. I want to round out my pedalboard with a reverb and eq, but I don't want to spend the big bucks. Actually I wouldn't mind spend a little bit of money on some nice effects, but I have a tight budget since being married means sharing everything, even fiscal responsibilities. I'm trying to make anything I purchase a "minor" purchase. The definition of minor is under $50. Any major purchase is discussed and agreed upon before execution.




Ever since I was alive there has been a piano in my house. My mother learned piano as a young girl, and her father bought her a piano and she has kept a center piece of our home since I can remember. I've always had a fascination with the keyboard. Its so simple to play yet amazingly difficult to master. I'd like to devote more time to learning this instrument further, but as I don't have one, (or the time) this is very difficult. As you may know, I have chosen to develop my guitar skills, but the keyboard still nags at my consciences. It may be some dumb whim, but its an amazing breed of instrument that I know about as well as I know spanish.

Side 2:

I have moved around as a young boy. My father in the Air Force, we got stationed several places growing up. My mother piano came with us of corse, and every time I believe it got heavier. I do want to a keyboard but I think if I were to have one it would not be a piano. If you were to ask someone who knows what type of guitar I play then they would tell you, Fender Telecaster. Well, Fender just may be the best musical instrument maker in the world. If I were to have any type of keyboard, it would be a Fender Rhodes. Possible the most imitated piano sound in the world. It would be amazing to own the genuine thing

Look What I Did...

So I like to make pretty pictures. I spend a lot of time in photoshop for my job. I like to sharpen my skills and deepen my knowledge of the far reaches of photoshop. This tutorial I got from hongkiat.com. Its a pretty good place to find anything you need to know about PS. The tutorials are easy to follow and they have pictures.

When I came home tonight me and my wife cooked some healthy dinner. That's a salad we had for dinner. On top are some onion rings and a jalapeno. We also fried up some squash. We've been on a frying  spree. Everything just tastes better when its dipped in batter then put into boiling hot grease.

My Life Thus Far.

... is a bit anticlimactic.

I just got done watching the movie "W." The one about George W. Bush. I was prepared for a all out attack on the man, but it was a little more far that I imagined. You can't take everything you see in a movie for the truth, but it did play to both sides. It ended in an unexpected way. It actually paralleled his terms in office. I enjoyed the first half. The explanation of  Bush's past and relationship with father, and troubles that he faced were acted in a way that, if not factual, seemed believable. The administration did make mistakes and was very unpopular at the end, but the movie emphasized a key point that I admire about George W. He was not a politician. Had he been one, then he would have done better in the rating and probable would have done a impudent effort in the middle east. I'm a happy with the how, why, when and where the war has taken place? As an airman in the Air Force, I can say I'm not exactly thrilled. I can't help but to think about all the men and women that have paid for this war with their life. The war has cost untold billions of dollars but my thoughts always drift to the fact that before a decision to go to war is made, the cost in lives is estimated. Thats why I don't want to be the president.

I'm actually really encouraged in my workout. I ran a mile and a half in 11:30. That is my best time yet, not to mention that it is also within graduation req's. My push-ups are the only thing that I haven't gotten there yet. 25 Seems to be my wall. That is in a minute. I've gotten 35 in two minute, which is what I need to do before going to basic, but 45 is the number to do in a minute for graduation. I've grown complacent with set-ups. After fulfilling the 50 in a minute in only a few tries, I let that become a back burner issue. These are the lowest standards for graduation. Lately I've been entertaining the thought that I could bump up to the next level of graduation. I have no idea if there is any real incentive to do so, but It would be some great bragging rights.

I have tomorrow off. Man, do I need it. It really doesn't feel like a day off. It really took me by surprise. I usually have a plan for the day, but tomorrow is a little void. I may go to the gym, or take my guitar to the shop. I need to restring one. I also planned to do a little DIY work on a pedal. Me and the wife actually have this mid-week day off together. Neither of us knew till this afternoon when she called in to her work. Evidently the kindergarden is still ironing out their summer schedule.

Oh well, my woodchuck is about gone and its getting about that time.

Laters

The Bike.

... otherwise know as my butts worst nightmare.

I know that the exercise bike is suppose to work the legs but I'm not sure if it works the but muscles or if 20 minutes of sitting on a near rigid piece of plastic makes your bum ache. I found myself sitting every-which-way you can on the seat. That wasn't the worst part. I try my best not to look like a total novice when I go to the gym. I most likely fail measurably at this, but I try. I climb on the bike and start a program. I know that these are designed to give you a good workout but never really give them much thought until now. I selected "hills" and as I thought, it simulated going up and down a series of hill. The parts that were "up hill" nearly killed my. My only saving grace was the fact that there is a manual level selector. I was able to dial down the grade if I found my self too in-over-my-head. The levels were 1-20. I started at 15. I spent most my time at 10. Those hills were tough!

I was starting my cool down when my father showed up. He got on a treadmill so I joined him. I didn't anticipate this part of the workout. I planned to just bike. My dad doesn't run much. So I matched his speed and walked briskly beside him, trying to maintain a conversation. I walked a mile, jogged a mile, and then when for another mile and a half or so. I'm trying to keep it low-impact and work on endurance and stamina.

I made one important mistake today. I didn't tell my wife that I was going to the gym. I did mention it, but not as firm plans. Sorry Jen.

Kind of a boring workout blog, sorry guys.

later