this is tedious.....

I've mentioned a few times (actually, quite a few) that I hope to have the whole office paperless by the summer's end. I had already taken care of business clients, and miscellaneous papers in the files, but the biggest task ahead of me are the income tax clients' information from 2006 and prior.

Skipping around for a bit here, I am also making my business, and our personal information as paperless as possible. Morgan and I no longer get any telephone, utility or credit card bills in paper format, and we have also stopped all bank and savings statements from being mailed to us. They all come in PDF format. I get an e-mail from the different places that the statements are ready, and I then download into a folder, or I "print" them into my electronic filing cabinet.

OK, back to the income tax clients. Well, so far I have spent about 4 hours scanning in their old information, and I have completed the letters A & B! Ugh, this will take a while. I could probably get away with just scanning the current clients, but I would really like to rid the office/house of any unnecessary paper. After last year's fires, and a future move in the next couple of years(either cross town or cross country), I really want to be as "light" as possible. Plus, if that old client ever returns, or needs a copy of something I prepared, it is only an e-mail away, and I avoid any copying and/or mailing.

My goal is to get at least one "letter" scanned each workday during June, so I can be completed by month's end. Then all I will need is the shredder/recycle company to come to the house and haul it all away. After that, I should be able to get away with just a one a year visit from them for papers collected during tax season.

Not much going on this weekend except for Cassie's swim meet the next two mornings. Hopefully, she will improve on her times since the last event. They just sent over her summer practice schedule, and three of the practices run from 7am until 9am. Guess I will stick around on those days and take my walk or go for a run while she is in the pool. One day each week they will be traveling to the beach to do ocean swimming. This is to help them build their strength by swimming against the currents.

Morgan volunteered to make "goodies" for the church's bake sale, so the kitchen is filled with different items. I know she enjoys it, and she certainly works hard on all of this, as she never does anything "half-hearted". I just hope her effort is appreciated.

BTW, have I mentioned that there is Stanley Cup Finals hockey going on?

- Did you enjoy the Lost season finale?
- S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E
- Barry Melrose coaching the Lightning? Hope it is not true.

Until the next time.....

where have you been?????

Actually, I have just been real lazy about posting. There is not too much going on right now, and while I have had some ideas concerning politics, and other things going on in the world, I did not want this to me a "moan fest" or "preachy". That might change, but for the early part of the week, lazy was "in".

Monday, we spent some time at our church's annual Memorial Day picnic. It was a nice time, but nothing too great. I was thinking more people would have been there, but is was a pretty small crowd. Cassie had a ball though, as she must have climbed to the top of the rock climb wall ten times at each of the three difficulty levels. She was sore from all the climbing on Tuesday.

Congratulations to Kellie, and her husband, Steve, for their 15th wedding anniversary. When you get to know them, you realize what a loving couple they are, and how they "fit" so well together.

Morgan and I will be married 17 years at the end of August, and Monday (6/2) will be 18 years since the day we first met.

Morgan has had some exciting news, as she will be doing a little Q&A section in San Diego Magazine, and they are doing a photo shoot of her. They are supposed to take the photos on Monday. I'll keep you updated.

Cassie has another swim meet this weekend. It is back at the pool where we froze and were soaked by rain for the two days in February. At least this time we know we will not be cold and miserable.

Went and saw the Indiana Jones movie last Friday. Let's just say that I will keep the fond memories of the first three installments firmly in my memories.

The next movie I want to see is Get Smart, with Steve Carell & Anne Hathaway. Cassie has asked about seeing it, and I was a fan of the television show (Morgan never watched it), so it looks like a daddy / daughter movie event.

Otherwise, I have really just been playing games, and watching every minute of the Stanley Cup Finals. Man, do I miss live hockey, but after receiving a letter from the Hurricanes asking about me getting season tickets again (I still get all e-mails from them), I think we will just have to stick with games on TV, and the occasional live game, here and there.

Regular gas was $4.21 at the local Shell station.

- Lost season finale is tonight
- More Lost. Josh Holloway (just for my wife)
- Quite a few Geezers are using Wii Fit

Until the next time.....

umm, your alarm is ringing.....

Not much going on today, so I will tell a story from Friday afternoon in Las Vegas.

First, the backstory. About 3 or 4 weeks ago, a section of tiles in the shape of a square just "fell" off the side of the pool. Some are above the water line, while rest is below. The landlord/homeowner has had multiple people checking on it, but he claims that nobody wants to do a job that small. Most of the time, he calls my cell phone to tell me they are arriving, but because it is in the backyard, there is no need for me to be there.

Fast forward to Friday, early afternoon in Vegas, as I am checking my email on my phone, and see a note from the owner that another contractor is coming Friday afternoon. A few minutes after that, I get a call from him telling me the same thing. I tell him that it is fine, as we are away for the weekend, and I'll let the pet sitter know, just in case you cross paths. I also inform him that I have reactivated the alarm system, so if he hears it while there, it is probably the pet sitter. Got an OK on that, and away I went.

Was napping about 4pm when my cell phone starts going off. It is the alarm company telling me that the automatic alarm has gone off (meaning one of the "instant" areas was activated), and do I want the police sent? Thinking for a minute, I remembered the homeowner going to be there, but figured it could not be him breaking in, but I'll check anyway. I call his phone, and there he is sheepishly picking up, and telling me he thinks he set off the alarm. I ask him how, and he says he opened the door to get into the garage. I ask him why, and he tells me he really needed to see the tile to make sure they had enough to do the job. I explain to him that 2 hours prior I told him the house was alarmed, and he said to me, he did not think I would "alarm the garage?!?". I tell the alarm company it is a false alarm, and there is no need for the police.

I get back with the homeowner, as he needs to reset the alarm or it will go off again automatically when my pet sitter arrives. Again, he tells me he was surprised that I would alarm the garage. Really? I remind him I have a motorcycle and a 1994 Viper in there, which is worth more than anything in the house. As I walk him through the steps to resetting the alarm system (which includes having to give him my code and tell him where I hid a key in the garage for the back door, which all now need to change), I hear the alarm again. He failed to tell me that he closed the garage door when the alarm went off the first time, so that when he again opened it, he again set it off. When he got into the house, my phone was again ringing from the alarm company wanting to send the police. In hindsight, I should have let them. Instead I had to call the alarm company, and again cancel the police's arrival.

After the whole fiasco was over, no real apology, and no explanation as to why he would be opening up doors in a house he no longer occupies. I sent messages to Morgan explaining what had happened, and how I was not happy.

Thought it would be over until we arrived home. We decided to leave Saturday night, so we would be home all day Sunday, and be able to attend church. Well, when we returned from church, I notice the water to fill the pool was turned on. Then after that, I see the owner walking in the backyard and shutting off the water. No phone call, no e-mail of his arrival. I sent off an e-mail explaining that he "scared" Morgan and Cassie because they did not expect anyone in the backyard. He explained that he figured we would still be away. Um, that does not matter, but he still didn't seem to "get it".

Anyway with that, we figured it was to best to end this ASAP, so we sent off an e-mail to the owners changing our position from a couple of weeks earlier about them selling the property. We told them that if they can sell it, go ahead, and we will just find another place. This time with a better landlord. Hopefully.

- How's your Indiana Jones knowledge?
- Was he your Idol?
- Have I mentioned the Stanley Cup Finals start on Saturday?

Until the next time.....

ok, that was Vegas.....

Been quite a while since I did any serious posting, and it still might be so. After being sick last week, then being in Las Vegas for the weekend (more later), I woke up Monday with a stomach bug that just will not go away. I feel better, but three days is a long time to feel so weak and worn down from it.

Ah, yes, Las Vegas. Let's just say that "one and done" will also work for visits there. Now, maybe when Morgan and I were younger, or if I really "had" to hit the casinos, but even then I don't think I would have liked it. Besides Morgan's work time, and our dinner at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, it was really a waste for us.

I'll start with Bobby Flay's place, Mesa Grill. It is located in Caesar's Palace and is a really nice place. Tucked all the way in the back of the hotel and casino (a long walk from the front doors), it was a fine dining experience. The service was excellent, and the food was great. Every plate was done up "fancy" and garnished in different ways for presentation, which is what you would expect from the Food Network star. Not my normal place to eat, but as a special treat, it was really nice. I know Morgan enjoyed herself and did not have a bit of disappointment after being there. Sometimes your expectations can bring on a "letdown", but that was certainly not the case here.

Saturday, Cassie and I joined Morgan at the MGM Grand for her day of country star interviews. It was nice to see Morgan do her thing with the artists. Many of them she has know for quite a while. It is a little unnerving though to see Keith Urban come up to your wife (twice, when he first arrived and then leaving) and give her a big hug and kiss, but they have known each other for many years, and it is nice that he remembers her all the time when they do see each other. I even heard him compliment her on how great she looks. Back away, Aussie boy! :-)

As for Cassie, she made herself best friends with Taylor Swift. Taylor was very nice to Cassie, and during the interview while Cassie had my iPhone, was hamming it up for her, and letting her take any picture she wanted. Then Taylor took my phone, and was snapping pictures with Cassie like they were girlfriends. It was very nice.

Besides Taylor, Cassie was also treated very well by Keith Urban, even though see "goo-goo eyed" most of the time (most be a mother/daughter thing), and he asked her to take a picture with him. There were many others including Trisha Yearwood to were very kind to her. The best though, had to be Randy Owen of the group, Alabama. He asked Cassie if she could sing, and when she said "yes", he had her sing a song, so Cassie picked the song she will be singing for her school play (We love you California). He was impressed that she was able to stay focused. So impressed, that later in the day, when Luke Bryan was going to be interviewed, Randy stopped by and told Luke that Cassie could sing. When Cassie started a Hanna Montana song, but then forgot the words, Luke mentioned that he forgot the words while singing the National Anthem at the Women's SEC Basketball Championship. Well, Cassie told him that she knows the Anthem, and next thing you know, Cassie is singing the National Anthem for him. Very funny, and also great that these "stars" were so nice to a 10 year old.

So, basically, that was our trip. Hope to feel better and get more caught up with everyone, and everything going on around us.

I will quickly follow up on something I wrote about last week concerning Coach Laviolette of the Hurricanes. On Friday it was announced by the team that he would be keeping their job (nice of management). Well, I have been trading a few e-mails with N&O writer, Luke DeCock, and it seems my take on the situation was not far off, and coach is not a happy man. I have a bad feeling that this will come back to bite the team down the road.

- Soon it will be cheaper to ship your clothes than fly with them
- Who's your Idol?
- Penguins vs. Red Wings starts on Saturday

Until the next time.....

head still cloudy.....

Well, my stomach feels better, but my head is still cloudy / foggy. I hope it clears up tomorrow with the long drive ahead of us to Vegas. Don't want Morgan to have to do the driving after working in the morning.

Slinger has mentioned that we need to visit the Star Trek Experience. Might get there for a lunch. I will probably lose my geek/nerd card, but I am not a Star Trek fan, so looking at the menu, I did not get some the the names.

Going to leave the laptop at home, but take my camera (I think), so no posting until after we return on Sunday.

Otherwise, another quiet day. Got on motorcycle for a quick ride to post office and bank, but otherwise it was just a big of work, and trying to get a clear head.

More after we return.

- Aiming for another VP try?
- Got a F-150 or Lincoln truck?
- The 2nd chapter in The Chronicles of Narnia starts Friday.
- Don't like ants? Stay away from Houston.

Until the next time.....

head case, um I mean cold.....

So Cassie had a slight head cold this weekend, and I felt bad for her. Didn't think I felt bad enough to take it from her, but that's what has happened. I don't feel bad, just "fuzzy", which makes working not so productive. It is also effecting my stomach for some reason, which just adds to the "don't do anything" feeling I have had for the past 24 hours or so.

My buddy, Casey, has started the South Beach Diet, under doctors orders. Seems his liver numbers were up, and this should help him lose weight and get his "numbers" in order. I know how difficult some diets can be, but this is pretty popular, and I'm sure he will do fine on it.

We leave for Las Vegas on Thursday morning. I am planning on bringing my camera, and my laptop. I hope to get some pictures of the different hotels and "attractions" in them, and then post them. While there, we are staying at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. Morgan has to work both Friday and Saturday, and I think she mentioned another event she needs to attend, so it will be Cassie and I walking "The Strip", and plenty of swimming during the daytime.

Otherwise, quiet, and I don't feel well, so that's it for today.

- Happy retirement to the female Tiger Woods
- Anything you can't get in iTunes?
- From CBS Mornings to ESPN Mornings

Until the next time.....

fire Coach Lav?????

Very quiet day today. A client who I have only been preparing payroll returns for has increased her business, so we discussed her moving to monthly accounting, and what I can help her with by seeing the books more consistently. Otherwise, nada.

Morgan is busy preparing her Baby Shower Lunch for tomorrow, and received her first income payment for her new business venture. There will be many more to come over the years.

I still read my old daily newspaper in North Carolina to keep up with certain things, especially in the local business section, due to most of my business clients being located there. It also gives me a local take on the Hurricanes. Well, this article in today's paper just got be steamed. I can't believe it is still in discussions, but there are still "rumblings" that Peter Laviolette job might not be safe. What garbage!

First of all, I don't believe it for a second, because there is still 3 years remaining on his contract, and the Canes' ownership and management is much too cheap to eat that much money. Second, if they did fire him now, it would possibly be the dumbest move the team has ever made since I have been following this franchise.

I'll get back to why he should his job should be safe a little later.

What has gotten me real upset is that this "rumbling" has been going since a day after the season ended. I first heard the general manager, Jim Rutherford, make remarks concerning Coach's job in this interview he did with a local NC sports talk station. That is one month ago, and now the owner is coming to town next week to discuss this further. How ridiculous, and unfair to Peter. What has changed in the month that the team has not played any hockey to either help or hurt him? I understand not wanting to "be rash" at season's end, but you either say it was his fault, or not. Again, nothing has changed.

This "twisting in the wind" is unacceptable to me. I understand he is a coach of a professional sports team and making more money than almost everyone reading this, but he still has a wife and kids that live in the community, and it's not fair to them either. Fire him, and it stings the family for a while, but it passes and gets better. This has been "poke, poke, poke" for a month, and now the owner wants in on the fun.

Imagine you screw something up at work. Not major, and their are reasons behind it, but you are the "point man". At the next staff meeting, your manager calls you out in front of your co-workers and colleagues (which Rutherford did by going on the air) about it, but then adds, "well, we just aren't sure if we are going to keep you or let you go". Now you go into work everyday, and your co-workers keep looking in your office to see if you are there. Then a month later, the company's owner sends out a memo telling everyone, "don't know if we are going to keep or let Joe go, but I'll be making an appearance, just to add to the suspense". Besides you, how do you think your wife and kids feel this past month? On top of that, it is not a private matter, as everyone knows the boss is coming in just to talk about you.

I know this all sounds trivial, but these are still people. Everyone should be treated with the same exact care and respect, no matter what your profession and no matter what your income. Same as if you screw up in society (criminal, etc.), you should be treated the same whether you make $10K a year, or $1M a week. Ugh!

Now going back, this is a absolute terrible idea if it is being entertained by Canes' management. Yes, they have missed the playoffs the last two years after winning the Stanley Cup, but you can not put the blame on Coach Laviolette.

In 2006-2007, the team definitely went through a "Stanley Cup hangover", but also had a ton of nagging injuries to too many players. Add in the short off season, Cam Ward's first season as the #1 goalie, plus underestimating the loss of Matt Cullen (Rutherford's fault), and you have a recipe for disaster.

This past year saw the loss of Justin Williams to a torn ACL (Plus, he was brought back way too early. I had minor knee surgery and did not feel "right" for 6 months. He had major surgery, and was trying to play, not just practice 4 months later), Ray Whitney in and out of the lineup, Matt Cullen return, play well, and then get injured, and the biggest injury of them all in losing our Captain, Rod Brind'Amour in February to another torn ACL. Factor that in with an aging defense (Bret Hedican and Glen Wesley), and so many call-ups, and again, it is not the way you want to try and make the playoffs.

In 2005-2006 when we won the Cup, we had the least amount of injury games. Stability and health are the key for every team. Coach deserves at least one more year to make this work, but also management must help. There are some key free agents of their own (Tim Gleason first on the list) that they need to re-sign, and they need to sure up the defense with one more young set of legs to play coach's upbeat system. Mix that together with a full year of Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves playing with us, and then let's see where things shake out.

Whatever the decision, let's get it out there now. No more games. Tell him ASAP if he is employed or not. Firing is tough for all involved. Making him twist is only hard on him and those close to him.

- I called him the "Quirky Idol"
- I could have done just as bad for that kind of pay
- She gets lots of Mother's Day presents

Until the next time.....

Welcome back Kuehl.....

Well, it's not Kotter, but it's my blog, and it will have to do. Last Saturday, after five weeks away, Pastor Harry returned to his job at our church. He had been absent because they needed to put four stents into his heart to go along with the other two already there from a procedure years earlier. It was good to see Harry back, and I'm glad he is feeling well. Morgan had done a reading during the services the weekend that Harry finally went to the hospital, and she mentioned to me that he seemed lethargic, and was sweating whenever she saw him. He is only about 55 years old, and seems in good shape, but this is his third different procedure the past ten years. In this case, looks don't mean anything, as heart disease does not only effect those you think it will.

Now, he did not do his sermon "live" on Saturday night and Sunday morning. The church is making him come back slowly, so he actually taped his message out at one of the local lakes. The lake tied into the scripture (Mark 4), and the lesson being taught (part of the series about the "Three Prayers God Always Says Yes To") about asking God to "please get you through this storm". This was perfect for Harry to come back to, because as he told us, he was saying that prayer about getting through the storm as he was being rushed to the hospital.

He sat on the stage (our church is what was an old theater) and only spoke a little bit between the "scenes" of the video, and then gave the benediction, but it was good to see and hear him.

I want to thank all of you that read through and commented (public or private) on the past few days posts. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. I am not sure if it is funny or sad that all of this came spewing out of me during the week of Mother's Day.

Not sure if any of you caught this, but on Tuesday night during the Indiana primary, there was a county (Lake County) in Indiana that was almost 5 hours behind the rest of the state in tabulating their votes. No reason was given that night, nor have I seen one since. Excuse me, but this is only a primary. I was hoping people had learned, and we were over this, but I have a sneaky suspicion, that we will be in for a long election night, with problems "popping" up in the "battleground" states. Ugh!

Had a nice conversation with one of my clients (known him since 1996) that I consider a friend, and it looks like he, his wife, and youngest son will be coming out to visit us and visit Sea World and the Zoo. He just sold his screen printing business, and is returning to school to be a surgeon's assistant. We have always gotten along, and unfortunately are the same "type", and he needed to sell because he was having anxiety attacks due to business pressure (which I am sadly familiar with).

Yes, I am a mess. I freely admit it, and will discuss it, but I am getting better, as I get older and "wiser". My growing faith has been a big help in getting me to a better place. Also, I have a great wife, who I love very much, and who is my best friend, that helps me through all of this.

- Playoff hockey is back after a few days off.
- Sorry to see Coach Maurice was fired. A nice guy.
- Two weeks until Indiana Jones is back!

Until the next time.....

family life.....

I hope these past few days have not been a downer for those who are reading this, but it has actually felt good "speaking" about a few things on my mind, or buried a bit before Morgan brought them to light. Sorry, but this one probably won't bring many chuckles either.

As I said yesterday, I can't remember much of a family life, or family times, growing up, but I did have a good childhood with friends in good numbers. I should note that I can remember the three getaways my father, brother and I did growing up after my parents divorced. One was in 1980 up to Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame and then over to Hershey Park and Amish Country, then in 1981 & 1982 we went up to a lake on the Maine/Canada boarder and did lake fishing. I can remember those pretty well.

Now some might say that I am nitpicking here, as I did have good times with my father, and yes I did, on three vacation trips, and overall I had a good relationship with him through those very testing teenage years. I miss him dearly, and wonder what we would be doing now, or the relationship he would now be having with Cassie. That is not what I am talking or thinking about. I am talking & thinking about the "normal" life that I should have had, but for some reason my parents (and my mother in particular) did not allow us to have.

I grew up with beatings, and fear, from a mother who was too tired to ever get out of bed to make my brother or I breakfast in the morning (the only time I received breakfast from my mother was the morning of Morgan & my wedding day). From kindergarten forward, I sent myself off to school. Woke myself up, got dressed, made my own breakfast and then went on my way (I also went to all after school activities that way, whether it be Little League, etc., until dad would show up, if time permitted, after he worked). Dad would always put out a cereal bowl, and our vitamin before he left for work. One morning the house diagonally across from us had some of its greenhouses catch on fire. My mother slept through it, and I, as a five or six year old would, went and spoke with the firemen on my way to school. When I got home, I caught "heck" for not telling her about the fires. My response was that we were not supposed to wake her up, and knew what would happen if we did. That did not go so well.

Only later in life did I find out this "dark" side came from the fact that she grew up in the same situation. It did not make me feel better, and actually always makes me wonder why in the world did she not try to change the situation with us. I don't want to make my mother sound like a monster, but when these are the only times that ring in my head concerning growing up, it makes me think.

I have never in my life figured out my mother's go to bed at 4am, sleep away the time you should be with your children pattern. I guess it was somewhat easy because once we got home from school there was a list of chores that needed to be done. Dusting, vacuuming and other cleaning were usually it, and my brother and I knew it all had to be done (spotlessly), so that part was taken care for her. This "sleep pattern" still goes on today, except today she just blames it on one of the ailments that she has. Ugh!

I know, and I pray, that I am in no ways like that with Cassie. Yes, I do yell, and I do get furious, but I also feel bad about it, and pray about it afterwards. I need to get the anger out of the equation, and I am trying, and with Morgan's help, somewhat succeeding. It is a slow journey, but I hope to make it.

The other part I do not worry about, and that is the lack of being there for her. Now, she gets her own breakfast (unless she wants eggs cooked), and does all of it on her own, but she never has to do any of it alone. I am up each morning to make sure everything is ready for her, but she does it on her own. Morgan is there to pick her up from school, and depending on schedules, one of us is always available for her to get her to any activity, and stay for it if she wants us to (that does not happen much anymore).

All this leads me back to the beginning, and liking my family together at most times, and in our home. I did not enjoy my family home. There are no good memories that I want to revisit. Well, now as an adult, I like home, and I want to be there with my two most important people around me most of the time. So homebody for me it is.

Also, I guess in the end, I might really want that for Cassie. Not staying home all times of the day, but I want her to like to be, or want to be home. I want her to remember getting her mother's pancakes or dad's eggs in the morning, homework help in the afternoons, dinners together in the evenings (though that is getting harder), and some playtime / relaxation time at nighttime. And I want her to want to be with her parents (no matter how embarrassing we become). Throw in the weekend events or quick days away together, and it sounds good to me, and I would hope good to her.

There is nothing wrong with being home. People did it, and stayed their all the time in the "good ol' days". Now, some people make it seem that it is wrong, and you need to be "out and about". For a short time, yes, but for a real good time, for me, nothing beats my home and family together.

This may (no maybe, it was) have been a ton of rambling, and I did seem to be all over the place these last few posts, but I actually feel a bit better. A bit, but not a lot, as this actually made me stop and look back at some of the stuff I was trying to forget, but actually could not. It is how I deal and adjust going forward that will be the important part of all of this. And honestly, looking back at some of this, has me just shaking my head.

Well, enough of this. Fun stuff like my normal life, politics, and the world around us in upcoming posts. Thanks for reading (if you still are).

- So the quirky Castro might be voted off Idol?
- Steel pennies?
- Down to four for the Stanley Cup

Until the next time.....

homebody.....

Should have done this yesterday, but I will follow up today. The lunch catering job that Morgan had on Saturday was very successful. When we delivered and started to set up the food, the kids (mostly high school) and adults were very impressed. She has not heard directly from them yet, but we are sure everyone enjoyed it all. Morgan's next job is this Saturday for her co-worker's wife.

This morning I picked up the "registration" package for Cassie's new school (Maranatha Christian). I wish we did not have to move her, but this is what is best for her and her education. I am actually blown away by how poor the public schooling is, and with possible major cuts up ahead, how much worse it could be. It is not the teachers' faults, as they are following what is put in front of them by the State of California, but I am amazed how "simple" and "to the test" the teaching is. If this is our most populous state, and with the most school age children, then "yikes!" is all I can say. Of course, we were spoiled by the wonderful teachers over at Wake Christian Academy.

The other piece I was blown away with was the cost. Again, as Morgan and I say, Cassie is worth it, but the tuition is about 25% more WCA, and when you add in the fees, and cost of uniforms (nice dress, not too formal), it is almost 50% more. Sticker shock!

Going back to yesterday's post, I was mentioning future houses, and our future living situation. Morgan, added a comment about pushing Cassie out, and that she never has to leave if she doesn't want to. Well, I'm actually OK with that, but there is the "chance" we could be empty nesters in less than 10 years.

I was talking about being a homebody. Someone that reads this blog who fits that description. For some, that phrase brings up images of a hermit, who never wants to be with anybody. Now, I freely admit that I don't have many friends, but I do like being with other people, but just not for very long. At the end of the day, I like being home, preferably with my wife and child.

I also don't like being away from my home for long periods of time. Two or three days in Las Vegas, good. Maybe four days at Disney World, great. A week away. Umm, I'll get back to you on that one.

Now does this make me unsociable? No, I just like my wife and daughter, and being with them. A lot! I never really thought about why I am this way. Why do I love to take walks, watch a movie or TV show, play Rock Band or any other game with them, more than anything else that I could be doing at anytime? Why do I clutch to the home, and my two favorite girls?

Morgan brought up the point the other night, that it probably is because I never had this when I was a kid. I had a good childhood with many friends, and we hung out all the time either playing sports, or in my basement playing Strat-O-Matic Baseball (board version with dice) or early video games. I am still in long distance contact with many of them and we play fantasy football together each football season. But, family life was not there. My parents divorced after my 13th birthday (about 6 months or so later then they would have, but I was very ill the months before my birthday), and as sad as it is to say, one of the only "family memories" I have in those thirteen years is from a trip to Great Adventure in New Jersey, and that is because my brother tried to jump out of a water ride because he was scared to death. I can't remember doing anything "fun" as a family, or for that matter, just doing mundane things like watching TV together. Ugh!

I can probably fill quite a bit more space with this today, but I think I will continue tomorrow with my "self-therapy" session.

- Now I know where the name came from, but why 31 flavors?
- I have found the couple I have seen too hard to watch, but it may have been the theater
- Guess mine would be a coffee cup
- Major illegal operation at our local college

Until the next time.....

house for sale.....

So last week I received an email from our landlords informing us that they were planning on selling the house we are renting. Their plan is to sell this more expensive one and purchasing others in San Diego for rentals. A first I was a bit upset, as I hoped to stay here for the duration of time that we would be here in San Diego without any other moving, but Morgan told me not to worry about anything, and that when the time came, we would just find a smaller place, storage our stuff, and save a few dollars. Guess that is the life of a house renter.

But, the more I thought about the email, the more I think they may be grasping a bit. For one thing, our lease expires in over 16 months on September 30, 2009, so why tell us now? One reason may be due to the fact that we do have the first right to purchase the home if it goes on the market (as per our lease). They mentioned in the email what a great opportunity and time to purchase it was, but as I told them in my email response, Morgan and I have no interest investing in California real estate. Also, after living in the house these past 8 months, we know the upgrades that must be done to take it from its original 1987 state to something close to the 21st century. I don't know, but I just don't think you should buy a house for $850K (at least their asking price), and then put another $50 to $80K into it to make it "modern".

The living in the house part reminds me of a new show on TLC called "Date my House". Too high maintenance for us, so we would not be asking for a second date. :-)

All this got Morgan and I discussing our future home (empty nest /retirement home). At the earliest, we would be back in NC just before Cassie's 12th birthday, so it's possible we could be only 6 years away from being on our own if she goes away to college. That means we need to decide what kind of home "we" want and need for our future. Will we spend more on the home, and make it our focal point, or less on the home and use the other money for other things. In the end, we both want to enjoy our home, because at the end of the day, we are "homebodies"......

More on that tomorrow.....

- my old state in the political mix this year
- Steven Spielberg's family video game
- anyone else stay up for 4 overtimes!!!!

Until the next time.....

morning ride.....

As I mentioned last week, Morgan's morning show broadcasts from a different place each Friday, and this week was the town of Romona, about 20 miles from our house, so I hopped on the motorcycle and took a ride. It was a pleasant morning ride, and it was nice to get the "head clearing" ride through the easy winding roads.

Morgan is wrapping up her menu for tomorrow's catering lunch. Grilled chicken with pesto sauce, grilled vegetables with orzo rice, salad, strawberries and cake. Yummy, and the house smells good.

As I was typing this, I just received my "passing certificate" for my continuing education course. One more piece off my "2009 tax season prep" plate. Now it is just a matter of going through the files and finishing the scanning. One long day when I have nothing else going on will do the trick.

While in Las Vegas in a few weeks, Morgan has made reservations for us to eat at Bobby Flay's place, called Mesa Grill. I find him funny when I see Morgan watching his shows, and I like food with a little "kick", so it should be good.

My Geezer friends from the SouthEast are getting together in Atlanta this weekend for their 4th Annual Meet n' Greet. I was supposed to go last year, but I was in so much pain with my neck at the time, I just could not take a six hour drive each way to and from Atlanta. I promise them I will get to one of them when we return back east.

Morgan and Cassie are going to the USS Midway tomorrow morning for the "Operation Thin Mint" festivities, then Morgan has to drop off her lunch, and then we will be done for the weekend, and I want to do nothing.

- From Home Depot to Rock Star
- The Singing Nanny had a good ride
- Did not know about her until her husband's tragic death, but I'm pulling for her
- Playoff Hockey. Nothing better.

Until the next time.....