ocean view.....

I was commenting on Kellie's post about her family's vacation and how she was sitting on the bench, while the men were on the roller coaster. I commented that I would probably be there next to them, and she emailed me asking about my dislike of roller coasters. I don't dislike them, I just don't like that many of them. I was very proud of myself to ride Expedition Everest four times the last trip to Disney World. I also have ridden Space Mountain dozens of times. Now, put it in the complete dark with loops like the Aerosmith Roller Coaster, or outside with big speed and large drops, and I am a benchwarmer.

Luckily, it has not effected Cassie, as she just calls me a "big chicken", and runs to get to the front of the lines. The child has no fear. Amazing.

Part of her no fear is her telling me how she wants to ride a motorcycle when she is old enough. We'll see about that when the time comes. That seems to come up when I get on these spurts of riding more days, and this weekend was one of those times.

Since Friday, I put over 150 miles on the bike for the few trips I have taken. Friday night was the local HOG meeting, and let's just say I now remember why I was not showing up to them. There are some very nice people in the group, but overall..........

On Sunday morning it was our church group's monthly ride. We have 14 of us for the ride, and our leader, Randy, made a 20 mile trip almost 40 miles one way to the coast area for a lunch at a Mexican restaurant. We went through the "fancy" towns of La Costa and Rancho Santa Fe, where all you see are multi million dollar homes, and many celebrities that live in them. I am sure they appreciated our group passing through.

I stayed in the back of the pack, as I still do not know these areas that we travel very well, but I was able to stay with them, enjoy the ride, and the glorious weather for the trip, and after about 25 miles or so, I looked ahead, and the Pacific Ocean was staring at me. We then traveled along the ocean and through the beach and surfing towns (which include road signs for "Surfers Crossing"). It was a great ride, with really good people. I saved the directions, so I can do it on my own, or maybe go for an early dinner with Morgan driving there. These are the times that I wish Morgan rode with me, or knew how to ride.

I will say that the ride and the scenery were great. No, I did not take any pictures, as I was riding. But, I did see in either my latest photo magazine, or latest motorcycle magazine a letter asking about a motorcycle camera mount, and there is one available. Not that I would do that, as there is enough to think about while riding, but it is out there.

Today, I did my part for the Harley Davidson Million Dollar Monday, and put another 49 miles on the bike. I just rode around the back roads for a bit this afternoon. As I am writing this, they are over 2 million mile mark. Many long commutes, or hooky days to get that many miles.

On the way home, Morgan asked me to stop by the store, and let's say that you can travel with 3 dozen eggs safely on a motorcycle. :-)

When I got home, there was an email from a client that I had not prepared returns for since 2002. Back then his wife had a side business, and when they became "simple" he did them on their own. Now it seems that they have some complications, and need my help in preparing and planning. He went to my website, and saw that I am in San Diego, so at least that won't be a shock. Seems these "old" clients are coming out of the woodwork.

I mention the "shock", because a few weeks ago, a NC client gave my name as a recommendation to someone who needed help. He is one of my clients that the distance is not even a thought, so he never mentioned it to his friend / associate. When she called, and I explained the situation, you could have heard a pin drop. Needless to say, she did not call back after "thinking about it".

Tomorrow is the start of the free agent frenzy in the NHL. The Tampa Bay Lightning have already gotten better with the signing of Ryan Malone (who became one of my favorites after his Stanley Cup performance), and others. I hope the Hurricanes' front office is watching and gets one of the better defensemen in the next couple of days. Another top line player to go with Tim Gleason, Joe Corvo, Nic Wallin, and Frantisek Kaberle who are signed would go a long way to getting this team back in the playoffs.

- A horrific crime. These two should never again see the light of day.
- See what happens after Bill Gates leaves the building.
- Cassie has been amazed watching the Olympic Swimming Trials.

Until the next time.....

just stay home.....

I'm going to be meeting up with our church group in a little while for our monthly ride. On the way to church last night, I saw that the gas station where I will fill the bike before the ride was "down" to $4.59 for regular, and it will be $4.89 for the premium grade for the bike. Ugh!

You can't help but look at the gas prices each day out here and wonder where they will go. Morgan told me she was "thrilled" to pay $3.97 for regular when visiting NC. That is 60 cents less a gallon, and $12 less a fill up for my truck. Luckily, I do not do much traveling, so I only fill up every 10 days to two weeks, but Morgan having to commute to work fills up at least once a week. Now she does stop at the Costco on the way home, and usually gets the gas for about 10 cents less per gallon, but it is still outrageous.

I was thinking about it yesterday morning while I was taking Cassie to swim practice. Because I had taken my walk before practice, I only dropped her off, and would pick her up in 2 hours after practice. That meant two back & forth trips totalling about 28 miles. That is almost 2 gallons of gas, and almost $9, just to go to practice.

Morgan and I have talked about a hybrid SUV, the Ford Escape, as it has gotten good reviews, and would double the mileage Morgan now gets, but there are other factors. First, her Pathfinder is paid off, and my truck has about 12 or so payments remaining, so you are looking at a new car payment. Then, our driving and cost of living situations are going to change in the next twelve or eighteen months, so would the gas savings eventually pay off?

I am sure we will discuss it more, and reevaluate after the next year, but for now, like most of you, we examine where we have to go, and if multiple trips can be made on the one time out. Also, I try to use the bike if I am alone, and whatever stops I need to make can fit in the bags.

I know there are "good" things that will come from these high gasoline prices. I just wish the good did not hurt so bad.

- Fastest American. US Olympic Trials going on.
- Free alternatives to popular software.
- When a no-hitter, really isn't a no-hitter.

Until the next time.....

going riding.....

I started work on the new client I mentioned yesterday, and it is a mess. Not terrible, but when the old accounting form is a CPA firm from Richmond, Virginia, I am expecting a lot better work. There are numbers not "tied in", and the payroll report sheets are not detailed enough to give the employees all the proper information. Also, there are some numbers that have me scratching my head, and wondering what they were thinking. I had to send a long e-mail to the owners, and seeing that the old accountant is family, I had to be a little gentle. But, because it is me, not too gentle. :-)

Morgan and I are almost done with the builder on our want/needs/afford list. We really have not gone overboard, and are now at the stage of just "tweaking" a few items. I would say in a week or so, we should be getting the final papers to start the process.

There is a local HOG meeting tonight. The last time we went was in January, but Morgan thought it would be a good idea if we made an appearance, so we will. I'm going to ride there which will mean a ride back towards dark, but it is only 20 miles away, so it will be OK.

On Sunday morning, the church group, Eternal Riders, will be having our monthly ride. Not sure where we are going, as I think they are waiting to see how warm it is supposed to be. You stay away from the east part of the county when the temperatures rise, and stay mid county or coastal.

Then on Monday, Harley-Davidson is promoting Million Mile Monday. They are looking for all HD riders to put one million miles on the road through their commute or pleasure this Monday. Seeing as I don't have a commute, I will try to get 20 miles or so on the seat to help add to the number. I will be interested to see the actual number that shows up for the day.

- Happy retirement, Mr. Gates.
- Didn't know Top Gun was filmed at this place in SD.
- Any Americans watching this? It has been great soccer.

Until the next time.....

grumpy kids.....

Cassie's swim practice schedule has changed for the summer, and boy, was it a shock to her when I told her the times. On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday she has a two hour practice at 7am, while Saturday starts at 8am, and Tuesdays and Fridays remain in the evening. Let's just say that when I walk into the pool area with her for the morning practices, there are not too many happy faces in the crowd.

By the time I return from my walk about an hour later, they are now happy swimmers and just complaining about what the coach is making them do. :-) This schedule is good for me because I can get my walk in, and also read the newspaper before they finish up. So when we get home I can jump in the shower and have breakfast and start working by 10am or so. Plus, with morning practices, we get to eat dinner together on those nights.

Morgan and I have signed up to be baptised later in August. Our church, does the baptism at this time of the year at the ocean. So it will be off to the La Jolla shores with many other members for our adult baptism.

I am working on putting together the information for a new business client. They were a client before we left for San Diego back in 2004, but when we were moving, they decided to use their brother-in-law up in Richmond, Virginia. Over that time, I have prepared the personal return for one of their employees. Each year, he tells me that I need to do their corporate books, and each year I tell him that I'm not really interested. Well, back in late March, the owner called me and said they were no longer able to use the BIL, so I "had" to take over. I went over what they were doing, and drew up a 2 page email describing what I needed to get started, what I needed each month, and finally I described what the fees would be for the different pieces of work.

You need to understand that I am trying to drastically change my fee structure. I am on the low side of normal accountant fees, especially for monthly business work. If I could "blow up" half my monthly clients fees, and start them over, I would. I have been easing some of them higher, but because these are business clients that have been with me for years, I give them some slack. As for new clients, I have been on a stricter starting fee schedule, and so far, so good.

I described the situation to my friend, John N., up in New York (we shared an office together from 1988 - 1992), and sent him a copy of the email and fees. He thought the fees were fair. Sounded good to me, so off went the email.

Well, that email went out on April 8th. When I did not hear anything by the end of the month, I just assumed I was too expensive for them. That assumption was incorrect. No, it is just that they are "very slow". Last week, I received an email from the owner stating that they were in the middle of gathering what I needed. Tuesday I started receiving some of the paperwork. I don't badger clients anymore, like I used to, but I expect work timely, or the numbers are "old". I hope this was the right decision. If not, I have not been afraid to "fire" clients when necessary.

- Driving & talking is not good.
- OK, Star Trek geeks. Exhibit here in San Diego.
- Fire Season seems all year long out here

Until the next time.....

lots to little "to do's".....

So, I say I have lots to do, but really I have nothing major to do. What I do have is a ton of tiny little projects to finish up and put away. I am over 50% done on the scanning of all clients papers, so the end of this month does not seem realistic, but it will be completed by the end of July (promise). The pile that needs to be done is on my desk, but I just haven't felt like being that bored, as I feed paper into the scanner. :-)

Today, I finally went online and downloaded all of the statements I now get online, and put them in private and office "folders" on the computer. Took longer than I thought, as I did not realize how much stuff we used to get mailed to the house. Now get an email notifying me the statement or invoice is available, look at it, and set up auto payment. Much more simple, and "green".

Last night, Morgan and I finally put in a note the list of needs, and wants (based on cost) of items for the house. We are getting this ranch plan, The Catherine, from a local builder, Sutton Homes. The master bedroom on the sheet is incorrect, as it is actually 13 feet by 17 feet. It looked like a "giant" list, but we really did not ask for anything unusual.

We decided to leave the master, as is, as we were originally going to add 3 feet to it. Instead, we are adding 3 feet to the deck, and having a patio slab poured for the grills, and so we can place a fire pit. We don't want a tub in the master bath, so we are getting an extra large shower. Otherwise, the biggest "add" is the bathroom and walk-in closet for the bonus room, which will be Cassie's room. We were going to do hardwoods throughout, but instead we will carpet the master, and upstairs for Cassie.

Otherwise, it is an upgraded kitchen for Morgan, and we asked for the pricing of many "green" items. Besides a tankless water heater, we asked about bamboo hardwoods, Low-E windows, high efficiency toilets, and simple programmable thermostats.

The other little things are about wiring, gas in kitchen and laundry room, an irrigation system, and other minor "stuff".

I was very happy to discuss with the builder and be told that he uses 30 year roofing shingles, no wood on the corner boards and trim, hardiplank siding, and seamless gutters with no spikes.

Now, you can see why I have been getting nothing done, and the little things keep piling up. :-)

- The Lightning will now be my 2nd favorite team.
- I loved Wacky Packs as a kid.
- So, the Hurricanes resigned Ruutu. Good move.

Until the next time.....

swimmer girl.....

It has been a while since I have written due to Morgan and Cassie returning on Thursday, work on my desk, including a potential new business client (more on that next week), and a ton of house discussions. Then add that we have spent about 8 hours each day (getting up at 6am) this weekend at a pool in La Jolla for one of Cassie's swim meets.

I am tired, and ready to crash, but I wanted to say that Cassie did great in all of her events, and for the last event in the entire meet, decided to compete in the 400m freestyle competition. Well, my little girl, in her first time trying that event, timed well enough to be considered a "B" swimmer in the nation (open/B/BB/A/AA/few other then Olympic). She is pooped, and we are very proud of her. Morgan calls her a little dolphin.

More on everything else going on in the later posts.

- So Get Smart won the weekend movie duel
- Hurricanes resign Tim Gleason. Good move.
- Is this really confusing to people?

Until the next time.....

home build.....

So, the house in the neighborhood next to where we used to live in NC is off our radar. Our real estate agent had us sign the paperwork to terminate the contract. They violated three different clauses in the contract because of the inspection report, so it will just be a matter of the paperwork getting finalized. I feel bad for the people trying to sell, because if they only took care of their house normally (not fanatically like I am told I do), the "punch list" would have been almost nothing, and we would have not looked at anything else. Now, they are going to have a very difficult time moving the property until the items have been improved.

Instead, Morgan went around and we will be building new in Brighton Forest. Morgan has narrowed the choices to two floor plans, but I think we will be choosing the ranch style home. All the rooms are downstairs except for the bonus / rec room, which we will be adding a bathroom to, and letting Cassie have as her bedroom. With a whole floor to herself, she may never move out (as her mommy cheers).

I like the idea of the ranch, because it is smaller in size, but gets rid of the "wasted" rooms that we would not use. The downstairs has three bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, and family room (which is large). I would take the first bedroom, located off the front door, as my office. With no formal living room, all the rooms would actually be used at all times.

I'll get to see the actual floor plans tomorrow after Morgan and Cassie return home. The builder is working on giving us a revised figure after adding the bathroom. There are a couple of lots where the house can be placed, and Morgan and Debbie (our r/e agent) are happy with with either choice. Then it is a matter of Morgan and I adding what we want (hardwoods throughout?, cable lines, telephone lines, ethernet lines, speaker wires, sprinklers, upgraded kitchen appliances, etc.), and what we can afford. Morgan says their "standards" actually very nice, but we will have time to think and add those few extras instead of saying, "we should have", six months later.

Looks like by the time the paperwork gets started, and they start building, we are about eight to ten months away from completion. We will tell them we are in no hurry, as I really don't want it finished before Memorial Day of next year, as to keep it empty for only a short time.

I'm very excited about this phase, and new adventure in our lives. It will be great to have a new house that Morgan and I will be able to set up the way we want to, and make it "ours" for growing old together. And, yes, I'm even excited that my little girl will have a part of the house that she will be able to enjoy, and may not want to leave. :-)

- Hopefully in a year the rates will be lower.
- I see a "smart phone war" coming.
- Goodbye, Tim. You were a good man.

Until the next time.....

stealing thunder.....

Cassie had a little birthday party with her two good friends from NC last night. They started out at Paradise Pizza (my client), and then went over to Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream, before heading back to the hotel for a sleepover. I think it took about twenty minutes before Morgan sent a text message wondering why she agreed to do this. Well, she agreed because it is our only daughter's 10th birthday, but know how those girls act together, let's just say I am not upset I missed it.

Morgan did tell me that the father of one of girls, who we are friends with, just lost his job after many years with the same company. They lived down the block from us, and just had their third child less than a month ago. He is a real nice guy, and I am hoping and praying that something comes up for him in the job market in a quick manner.

So even while on vacation, Morgan has a work issue come up that just set me off (and her too), and just makes me angry. Some of you know Flat Stanley, and those of you who follow these posts know we had Flat Stanley visit us in February / March of this year. Morgan even mentioned it on the air, and he had his picture taken in the studio. Well today she tells me that the point man on the show, CD, has decided to cop the idea as his own, and this summer they will have a "Flat CD" promotion. He told the "bosses" of his idea, and explained that the idea was from a school project for his daughter. So, not just stealing, but lying to top it off.

Morgan said she doesn't want to say anything because she does not want to be told that she is whining or "expletive" (used to nastily describe females who speak up). She says just let it go, and add it to the list. I disagree, but will not argue with her on this. As I have mentioned many times, in general I don't like people, but when you act this way, it just puts you down towards the bottom of the totem pole.

This just makes it so I will now make it a point to avoid any meetings or occasions together, because sometimes I do not have the best "social graces", and can't keep my mouth shut. :-)Especially if it involves my family.

It has been 15+ years since I worked in an office, and it was at a different time in the late 1980's, early 1990's. Is this type of office "behavior" normal? Will people say or do anything? I am afraid before anyone responds, the answer is yes, and that is truly sad.

We actually had a sermon on this subject at church about three or so months ago. Pastor Ken was talking about how as Christians we had to take our beliefs and values into the workplace, and not leaving them at the front desk. That does not mean hitting the guy in the next cubicle with our Bibles, but just remember who we are, even at work. He told us to be honest, do the right thing, help a fellow co-worker, and other core Christian values that sometimes can be forgotten while in the "rat race". Wish Morgan worked with more people who had just one or two of those values.

Morgan looked at some houses with our friend and real estate agent, Debbie, (including the one we wrote a contract for, but that had many problems after inspection), and it looks like we will be dropping away from the one under contact, and are looking more towards new construction in the Johnson Pond area (considered Fuquay-Varina) of Wake County. More on that in the next day or so.

I miss my girls being home!

- Hulk seems to be getting "OK" geek reviews.
- Hug a chimp good for stress?
- It was a great US Open. Feel bad for Rocco.

Until the next time.....

Happy Father's Day.....

Another third Sunday in June, another final round of the US Open, so it is another Father's Day. My 11th day for a father, while it is my friend, Casey's first. To me it really is not different than any other day. I feel extremely lucky every day because of daughter, Cassie. I am blessed to have her as my child.

This "holiday" is just another day for me to miss my dad. I don't think about missing him everyday, but I do think about him quite a bit. He passed away in October 1995, so he only got to know Morgan for a little while, and never met his granddaughter. He would have loved spending time with both of them.

Morgan and Cassie got to NC safely, and they are getting their busy few days started. They are meeting Morgan's mom for lunch at the NC Museum. Then a little later today, Cassie will be meeting up with a couple of friends for her NC 10th birthday party. After that, Morgan gets to be in charge of the three girls as they have a sleepover at the hotel where Morgan & Cassie are staying.

I miss them not being around, and not just because it is Father's Day. I just like having them near.

Happy Father's Day to all of you dads out there. Hope your day is / was great.

- A very nice tribute for Tim Russert.
- Water does unbelievable damage.
- 20 years since Bull Durham? Still as great today.

Until the next time.....

our old cat.....

Last night we celebrated Father's Day early and had dinner in the section of San Diego called Old Town. It is a very nice place to eat and wander around for an evening. We were even entertained by the Mariachi Band that plays at the restaurant. Overall, a nice quiet time with Morgan and Cassie before they left this morning for North Carolina.

When we returned home, Morgan mentioned that our oldest cat, Leo, was wobbling around, and fell over when standing on the bed. He had been better since we increased his medicine, but he is over 17 years old now, so things like this should not surprise us. I took him to the vet this morning, and the good thing is he is in no pain, but we need to watch him as this could start getting worse. Him, being in no pain was a relief to me, and he is "careful" as he moves around, so as long as he is only slow, and not endangering himself, he should be able to hang around with us for a while longer.

So, that's how my few days on my own started. I plan on getting close to done on the scanning of client information these next few days, and I am planning on getting started into the game, Mass Effect, which is a science fiction role playing game (RPG). Also, because I am on my own, I will be able to take the motorcycle out for my trips around town, including when I go to church tonight, which I am sure will get a smile from our Harley loving Pastor, Harry.

Still upset about Tim Russet's death from yesterday, and will probably be for a while, especially with tomorrow being Sunday. The tributes being done on the different news outlets (not just NBC) were very nice. Morgan and I must have watched them for three hours.

Thanks to "anonymous" for reading and posting yesterday. I knew there were lurkers out there besides my Geezer Gaming buddies. Anonymous was commenting on Morgan being in a "man's industry" and the way she is sometimes ignored. She goes through the same thing as she is in law enforcement. Don't know anything about her, but just for being in law enforcement, a big "thank you". Your work, where ever you are is appreciated.

I guess what bothers me most about Morgan's situation (and my ranting yesterday) is that she is completely professional in her job, knows and does what needs to be done, and it is many times overlooked. She never handled news before starting at KSON, but she knew what was needed, and got right into it. She injects her personality (which was part of her trouble), but gets the information needed out to the listeners in a "likable" manner. You wanted Morgan Thomas, you got her. You wanted Morgan Thomas to do news, well you got that. If you wanted an news reader, there were thousands of others with no personality or professionalism you could have hired.

Also, in every job she has had, she is always the most informed of her group in what is going on "today", and what is important to the main audience. I am amazed that the people she works with, don't read a paper, follow any news, or know what is "in" for their audience. You are on public radio, people. Talking to people, not just your own little isolated world. That is especially annoying, when she does bring something fun and relevant, and gets these blank stares from her colleagues. Instead, she is told to talk about "real mommy" stuff like shopping and cooking, and not the fact that you play Rock Band for 5 hours with her daughter and husband.

Don't even get me started when she starts discussing relevant sport topics, and gets even worse looks of confusion on the faces looking back at her.

But you know what is the most annoying? It's when that information that she has brought to the table is taken by someone else, and then used for their benefit, and they take the credit. That has happened too many times to count, and if she does step herself up about it, she is told that she sounds whiny, and insecure, and I am sure other words that won't be mentioned here.

Ugh! I don't want to say anymore at this point, as it will just bring more of the bile up, and maybe cause an unnecessary problem. Bottom line is that she is loved and appreciated for the job she has done these past 25 years by me, her daughter, and close friends. As for the others, who cares.....

- Ahh, good old TV Land channel

- my favorite adult comic

- I know. You don't like soccer.

Until the next time.....

Sunday mornings have changed.....

I am deeply saddened by the death of Tim Russert. At the age of 58 (much too young), we have lost an "everyman" of news and Washington politics. I say "everyman", because he was a commentator who did not talk down to you. He wanted to engage you, not lose you with his "knowledge". That's is how I like my commentators (be it news, sports, or politics), just like it is how I like my friends (plus I'm very picky), and how I try to connect with my clients (I want them to understand, not just shake head yes, and walk away still confused). It is a lost communication skill is this "I'm better than you" society we now occupy.

Many of you may not be "news junkies" or "politic junkies", and with the sad state of those pieces of our society, I really can't blame you as it seems to get more depressing each passing day, but I am, and for the last 15 or so years, the man I looked to for Sunday politic conversation was Tim Russert and Meet The Press. I haven't caught many of them live the last few years, but I caught their replays on MSNBC, or the web. I always felt that he understood "normal" people were watching or listening to be informed, not have their eyes glaze over. You could comfortably watch MTP, even if not a "junkie".

Now, he was from Buffalo and being a huge sports fan, rooted for the Bills and Sabres (including in 2006 when the Hurricanes beat them), but we are putting that to the side. ;-) A good Irish Catholic boy whose family will be in my thoughts and prayers. Sunday mornings with Meet The Press will never be the same.

I mentioned I was going to write about the type of house Morgan and I are looking for to settle into back in NC for our "finally settled" part of our life, but I'm going to skip that today, and get to it over the weekend.

Morgan had a tough day at work today as she was critiqued in a way that she did not appreciate. Her boss decided to use the "point man" on the show, and an e-mail to criticize her, instead of doing it face-to-face when he had the chance yesterday. Never mind that the "problem" has to do with her personality and the reason they hired her (don't ask, it will make your head spin), which was thorn #1, but the fact that her boss was in her office yesterday, and never mentioned any of it, really bothered her. She has been doing this for 25 years, and really should have more respect shown to her than what was presented.

When she came home today she mentioned that besides things like that bothering her, she feels that the move out here was for no reason. She felt disconnected while in NC with everyone else here in San Diego, and thought that would change with the move. Well, expect for her time in the studio in the mornings, which she loves, it is not any different. She told a friend that she still feels "invisible" at times, and it bothers her that she uprooted her family for no real change.

While this might be correct in some aspects, I don't want her beating herself up over this. I saw how unhappy she was being disconnected, and also thought this was a good idea. I really am surprised that her being in the station has not helped the situation. I would say that maybe the situation will change, but I have seen how she has been treated these 18 years, and it is not good. It really is a man's world out there, and it radio that is very prevalent.

We always say things happen "for a reason", so that is how we are approaching it. We were supposed to move out here, for whatever purpose, and we did (right, Kellie?). Nothing terrible has happened to us with the move, and we are trying to absorb what is out here for us to enjoy. We will get back on our feet for the next stage in due time.

While thinking of going back east now would be nice, it would mean possible problems for Morgan with work, and even if they were 100% behind the idea, it would mean her traveling again, and in the end, it is not really worth it, as she would be miserable with the "back and forth". As a matter of fact, I think she would rather quit, than have to do any more flying. No sense causing a mess. Just need to "let things happen", and trust our Faith. It will all be OK.

- How much more "weather" for the Midwest?
- Video games are recession proof?
- 5 recession proof jobs.

Until the next time.....

home care.....

Went to the movies this afternoon to see the second Chronicles of Narnia installment, Prince Caspian. It was very enjoyable, but I think I liked the first one a little bit more than this one. It is really very close, but I think because I did not know what was happening in the first one (having never read the books), made the story stand out a bit more.

Today was Cassie's last day of school. Morgan and I have decided after much thought, and prayers to allow Cassie to stay in this school instead of transferring to the private school. She has made some friends, and even though she is like us, and does not have them over or seems very close to them, they are friends, and a comfort level for her. Having her switch and become the "new kid" again, just did not seem right to us. Also, it is not the same as attending Christian school everyday, but she enjoys going to church and attending Sunday School, and other events through the church, so that helped us with our "comfort" in making the decision.

I am learning more and more each day that renting a home from somebody else is not much fun. Especially when your landlord is cheap, and not handy at the same time. We have had the normal small events happen, but on Tuesday we had the drain in the second sink in Cassie's bathroom literally fall out of the sink. Luckily it is not normally used, and there was only a small amount of water. When I examined it closely, it looks like it was "repaired" once before, and silicone was used to "plug it up" around the outside to stop any leaking. A terrible job. So far, I have received no response from the landlord, so I guess it will not be fixed for a while.

Morgan and I have also come to realize that the landlords took all the "holders" (towel, toilet paper, etc.) out of the house and replaced them before moving out. How did we find that out? Well, after the third one came out of the walls, we saw the repainting and holes where the originals were secured. Again, this would not be a problem if they used toggle bolts, or found a stud to secure the hardware. Nope. Just plain old screws into the drywall. The ones that have fallen are now secured by us with Gorilla Glue.

Add to the fact that they never did any maintenance around this house, and you can see why it is not on our shopping list. Actually, we would just like to survive the rental period without them claiming these were our problems. I email and take pictures of every and all problems around the house, just to be safe.

The no maintenance is what amazes me. Just some simple "checking around", and examining things every couple of months can save a world of problems. I am not handy, but I always kept an eye on our house, and for certain items, like the heavily used air conditioner, had a contract so a professional looked and cleaned it twice a year. When we sold, the inspector was amazed that our unit was 10+ years old.

Why do I bring this up? Well, Morgan and I thought we had found a house back in NC to purchase and rent out until we return. It is in the subdivision right next to here we used to live, and we knew the house because we each took our walks in that neighborhood. Well, after we hammered out a contract, and then brought in the inspector, the fun started. The list of non-maintained items was very large. The house is not falling apart, but it has us concerned. My broker is working to try and get us even a better deal, but I don't think this one is in the cards. I have a good friend who is a contractor, but we're not sure if we want to start owning it this way. We will be thinking hard about it these next few days. Simple "keep up", and they would have had a sale with no problems.

Morgan is going to look at some other houses while in NC next week. Cassie is being taken by different friends for the Monday and Tuesday after her Sunday night birthday party, so Morgan figured she can give a look and see what is available. We looked near Kellie, but did not find any for sale in our price range. Morgan has scoped out quite a few off of Johnson's Pond Road.

More on what we are looking for in a house next time.

- I guess, "hold the tomato".
- A new FireFox for you IE "haters".
- US Open is in town. Let's go Lefty!

Until the next time.....

double digits.....

Well, that is what Cassie keeps telling us, as today is her 10th birthday. I can't believe it has been ten years. I can still remember Morgan taking three pregnancy tests because there was "no way" she was pregnant. Then on the day before Cassie's birth, I'll never forget us walking three separate malls, because even though Morgan was "ready to go", the hospital was not ready to admit her. Finally, at about 6pm they finally let us into a room, and about 12 hours later our little girl came into our world.

And it has not been the same ever since!

I can't imagine not having her around. Like any parents, we have gone through our "ups and downs" so far, and like any parents, we think our child is the most special in the world. But, in our case, she is. ;-)

We are getting ready to go downtown for Cassie's birthday dinner. She has picked the Corvette Diner for tonight's meal. It is a fun little place, and she like getting her Shirley Temples with many cherries.

Not going to crowd up my girl's special day with ranting. I'll save that for the next posts.

BTW, a big thank you to those of you who publicly or privately congratulated Morgan on her weight loss and the pictures.

- Looks like Paul Newman is battling "C". One of my all-time favorites.
- Woo Hoo! New iPhones!
- US Open is in town. What a traffic mess it is going to be.

Until the next time.....

crazy Saturday.....

It is early Sunday morning, and I have not even gone for my walk yet, but I figured I would give an update from our full day of events from Saturday.

Cassie had five girls over for her birthday party, and besides being as loud as twenty girls over for a party, it was a great success. They swam and had a great time during the whole party. I grilled hot dogs for them, and Morgan had a local bakery prepare a cake. The cake looked great before, and while eating it (Morgan & I stayed away from eating any), and all said it tasted excellent. Cassie received nice little gifts from her friends that were mostly Webkinz related.

Once the last girl was picked up, it was time to clean up, and head over to school where Cassie would be performing in a short play. They asked the kids to be there for 2:30, while the parents did not need to be seated until 3:30, so Morgan and I had time to relax at a Starbucks.

Cassie has been taking these classes through Drama Kids, and has seemed to really enjoy them. Well after 10 weeks of classes, it was time for the play. Cassie was the lead character, Lulla Belle, in a cute story, "The Cleanest Town in Texas". She knew all her lines, and I think everyone elses, and did a great job. All the kids in her class did a nice job, and seemed to have fun.

From there it was off to her Girl Scout leader's house for a kid's dinner, some end of year awards, and a pool party. Cassie received badges for cookie selling, her participation in this year's group, and a cooking badge for the part of the dinner she made for the night (meatball heroes).

After Cassie received her awards and started swimming, she no longer needed mom and dad around, so Morgan and I were able to get to church services on time, and then have a quiet little dinner. By the time Cassie was dropped off at 9:30, she was one exhausted girl. Luckily, she has nothing going on today, and can relax for the day.

- Not as exciting as when his dad did these jumps.
- Think you will start seeing more small gardens.
- Will always remember growing up with Wide World of Sports.

Until the next time.....

model wife.....

So if you have been following along (you have been following along, haven't you?), you know I have discussed Morgan's weight loss. It all started back in January 2007, and had accumulated to over 140 pounds lost as of this time. Because she is a "public" figure, and they have discussed her weight loss on the air (They do a weekly update where Morgan gives her weight lost, or some weeks not lost.) others have taken notice of her progress. Including many listeners who tell Morgan that she is an inspiration, and that they are now losing weight because of what she has been doing. Also, it has been picked up by other outlets including our local San Diego Magazine (which I mentioned a week or so ago). Well, on Monday, Morgan met with their photographer at a local park, and had her photo shoot. Included is one of the pictures that was sent to us, and will not be used in the piece. Morgan really enjoyed taking the pictures, and felt very good about them.

Once the article is published, I'll make sure I put a link up so you can see the whole piece on her. I am very proud of my beautiful lady.

Tomorrow, we will be having Cassie's 10th birthday party for her friends from here in San Diego. She is just having them over for swimming and lunch. Cassie's actual birthday is on Wednesday (June 11). I can't believe it has been ten years.

That will be the start of a busy, and I mean busy, day. Once the party is done, Cassie has a performance in a play for the after school drama classes (like she needs to be taught drama) she has been taking. She is the lead character in the play. Once that is over, she then goes off to her last Girl Scout event at the leader's house. The girls are bringing the meals they cooked themselves as the dinner. They must all try each other's meals, and then it is a swim party for the rest of the night.

When all these things started coming together on the same day (we had planned the birthday party well in advance), Morgan and I could not believe how everything was rolling into the one day. The good thing about it, is that once the day is done, our craziness is also done for a while. All I know, is that on Sunday, I am doing nothing.

It is a day old, but Glen Wesley has decided to call it a career. Twenty years in the NHL is a long time, and he has held his own for all of them. He came up as an offensive defenseman for the Boston Bruins, and spent his last 13 years with the Whalers/Hurricanes. A real nice guy.

- Our greatest generation. D-Day remembered.
- This is the one thing I don't miss about NC, heat?
- Congratulations to the Red Wings. Season over does not mean I'll write less about hockey.

Until the next time.....

first date.....

I guess you thought what I wrote about last was funny, and I am assuming you were telling me this because I said that the first date Morgan and I went on did not go so well. I am not kidding. I was amazed she ever called me back after I left a message on her phone telling her I had a nice time. I thought is was "one and done" (stealing Cassie's phrase) for our relationship.

When I went to her place to pick her up, the jeans wearing, normal woman was replaced by a woman with pulled back hair and a white button down sweater. I figured these were "date clothes", but once we got in the car and went to this little Mexican restaurant out in the Hamptons, she would not talk. The woman I spent two hours with gabbing away at the mall was silent. Even after dinner when we went to this old house that was converted into a bar / music house (old couches in every room was the seating), I can remember her sitting there playing with the buttons on her sweater. When it was all over and I took her home, I said good night, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and figured I would never see her again.

Little did I know that she did have a good time, but was uncomfortable because her "friends" had "dressed" her, and I think made her nervous about going out with me. (BTW, it was also the last time I ever saw her with her hair pulled so hard back, or in that white sweater. :-) ) So when she called me back on the Monday and asked me to join her at a movie premiere her station was handling (Gremlins 2), I was stunned.

I met her at the local movie theater where they were doing the showing, and we had our second date, and our first "good" one. Even with my sweaty hands. :-) That was June 14, 1990.

Then the rest was history.

Now, Morgan says the CD I received was Robert Plant's "Now and Zen", while I still think it was Alannah Myles' self-titled debut CD. She might be right, but either way, her station was giving out some old CDs in the middle of 1990. ;-)

Actually it is funny, because once we started dating and I was at the station most of the time, I can remember "prize closets" where there were tons of CDs from all different artists that the record companies provided to the stations. Seems like half our collection came from those closets. Now, the record companies give away nothing.

Hope you have been watching the Stanley Cup Finals, especially that classic on Monday night / Tuesday morning that went 3 overtimes before the Penguins finally won the game. Looking back, I can't remember a team being that close to clinching the Cup (36 seconds left when Pittsburgh tied it up), and having it slip away. Guess we will see if getting that close and then having it disappear has any lasting effect on Detroit.

- OK, oil is down. Will it follow to the pump?
- Guess he knew where he was headed.
- Chicago Olympics?

Until the next time.....

June 2, 1990.....

The above date is exactly 18 years ago, and it is the date I first met Morgan. And it has not been the same ever since. There are days where I do wonder how we have stayed together this long (meaning, how she has put up with me (seriously)), as we do look at things in different ways and angles. I don't mean that in a bad way at all, as no couple fits "perfectly" together. But then I look and think about it, and I see that is part of the charm and the magic we have with each other, and what ultimately makes it work. I love you, honey!

It did not start out all rose pedals and honey, and it was fate/events that all happened perfectly for us to even meet. On the day we met, she was working for a rock station on the east end of Long Island, and that station happened to be in my part of the Island doing a charity event for Muscular Dystrophy. I only knew about it because a friend who was a teacher was having a car wash with her students, and when I stopped by to have her kids was my car, I mentioned I was heading to the mall, she told me "that rock station you listen to is there today". The station was having a "Day at the Races. Basically, they were showing old horse races, and you "bet" your donation, and if your horse won, you won a prize. After I placed my bet, I asked if Morgan Thomas was there. I was pointed to her, and went over to say hello. When I told her "it was nice to put the face with the voice", she said "thanks", and then proceeded to turn around and continue talking to her co-workers. Blown off, big time. Though I was only be honest, and not looking to flirt or hit on her.

Anyways, the horse I picked won the race, and when I went over to collect my prize (an Alannah Myles CD - she sang Black Velvet) there was Morgan. She gave me my CD, we started talking, and two hours later, were still talking. I gave her my business card instead of asking for her number, and told her to call me if she wanted to talk some more. She called my office, we went out on Saturday (June 9th), had the worst date of my life (more in another post). I called her the next day and left a message telling her I had a nice time (which I did). She then called me a couple of days later, we went out again, and about ten days later we discussed getting married.

And as they say, the rest is history.

- Not a "space" guy, but this is interesting.
- The original Bo.
- Woo Hoo! Lego Indiana Jones!

Until the next time.....