Currently Watching The Iceman - Confessions of a Mafia Hitman By America Undercover see related

Child's Play

Wow! I almost forgot how to post.  I have intended to post several times and just haven't done it until now.  The intention to post has got to count for something though, right?...uhh, maybe not.

Wow, did we just get a butt-load of snow.  Normally, I don't care for all the snow, but when we get so much that it is illegal to drive to work, I welcome it with open arms.  I hope we get another 2 feet with 35 mph winds.  So, I left work early Tuesday and didn't go in at all on Wednesday.  It made for a nice Valentine's Day with Abs, but I wasn't able to get her gift until the day after.  I bought her a gift certificate for a massage from this sweet spa.  I felt like a schmuck when I went into the salon to buy it.  The place is packed and the woman at the counter asks if it is late Valentine's Day gift...All the blowers and dryers stop as the beauticians turn, pages stop rustling as the women in the waiting area turn and glare and wait to see what I'm going to say.  So...feeling my life at risk, I paused for a moment, thought about how my mother always told me it is best to always tell the truth, and... I lied anyway, "No just wanted to do something special for my wife."  The dryers start back up, the women go back to work, and once again pages begin turning.  Wow! Mama was wrong!  

Well, Abby was happy with her gift and laughed when I told her the story.  For my Valentine's Day gift, as childish as it may seem, I'm getting a pair of Heelys. I have heard, "Freedom is a wheel in your sole."  I don't think Abby was too surprised this is what I wanted after I asked for a pair of binoculars and a bb gun for Christmas.  You may ask why Binoculars and a bb gun.  Well, binoculars are just cool and the bb gun for the cute little chipmunks that prance through our yard...and dig holes into the side of my brick garage and make it's walls their home... I will kill them and their young.  I know, I'm terrible and a horrible person, but in my defence they are rodents... and wow is it going to be a lot of fun.  

Fort Wayne has been great for Abby and I.  We love it! We didn't really know anyone when we moved and spent alot more time together.  This allowed us to become even closer and it has been great.  I am blessed to have such a wonderful wife.   It's also been really cool to be close to our church and we are now only an hour away from our families.  Our house is always open to guests.  The invitation is there.

Currently Reading The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness By Dave Ramsey see related

Yes, I'm alive!  It is time for the yearly posting.  Things are going well.  I'm almost half way through my second year of school and only have 3 1/2 years to go.  I'm in my second quarter of Practicum and staying busy with this.  I am putting in about 20 + hours a week for practicum in addition to work and school. Somedays I don't know which way is up.  I'm doing a testing practicum right now for a psychologist in Warsaw.  I do all kinds of tests (i.e. I.Q. testing, personality testing, projective testing like the Rorschach- ink blot test, ADHD testing).  Then I interpret the data and write a report on what the person may be going through and appropriate treatments.  I then send the report to the probation dept., parents, doctor, or whoever referred the person for testing.  It's been really sweet.  I'm actually in the middle of a 3 1/2 hour testing right now that the person is working on. I'm currently working on trying to put together a budget.  Man, I hate budgets.  Abby and I have started talking about starting a family soon, which scares the crap out of me...and I think it would be good to take care of some debt first.  Thus, the need for a budget.  I'm reading Dave Ramsey's "The Total Money Makeover"  and he has a lot of great things to say.  It doesn't sound easy by an means.  He suggests having an emergency fund of $1000 and then paying off smallest to largest debts.  He suggests doing anything you can to put extra money toward your lowest debt...like selling your stuff.  I've been looking around the house to try to decide what to sell.  I think I'm going to start with some of Abby's stuff...just kidding babe.  According to his play you should be completely out of debt withing 18 - 24 months.  I think it may take a little longer for us since I'm still in school  and still racking up the debt. Spiritually, I feel like I've been coming out of a funk just within the last few weeks.  For the longest time I had just felt blah.  Like I was through the motions.   Since I'm a prideful bastard, I try to do things on my own when things get stressful... like a little kid saying, "no, I can do it myself."  God lets me, but then it's like life hammers me.  I get so overwhelmed I can do nothing but drop to my knees and pray for mercy.  It's only then that I find peace and contentment.  This is a lesson that I am well aware of, but seems that I have to learn every few months. Gotta roll.  Hope all is well.

Currently Reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! By Robert T. Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter see related

Ok! It's been long enough!  What in the heck is happening?  Dallas, nice to see pics of the cabin.  Man those were great times.  Peace and quiet and my job being several hundred miles away.  We have to take a summer trip.  I'm down.  Sometime toward the end of the August would be a great time for a trip to Third Crow Wing...I'm there.  Anyone else who wants to go...let's get er planned! 

Well, long story short, the corporate office at Bowen (My employer) decided several months ago that employees should not be on the internet.  Great idea fellas.  Let's give you internet access and tell you you're not allowed to use it.  I know, I know. No excuses!   

Plateks, if you need a place to crash, we've got a spare bedroom with your names all over it.  Just let me know. 

Jewett, that picture is comedy. 

Ogden, it was good to hang for a while today.  We don't do it enough. 

Wow, life can get crazy.  Last quarter I was almost cured of procrastination.  The professor gave my class an outline of the work projects we had to do to get a "B" and the work in addition to that to get an "A".  He told us not to wait until the last two weeks because we wouldn't get it done.  Well, I thought I'd try to prove him wrong.  He obviously did not know what he was talking about.  At 4 o'clock in the morning the day the projects were due, I decided he knew more than I had given him credit for and it was time to go to sleep.  I thoutht I had been defeated.  Well turns out, procrastination pays off and I still have a 4.0.  Amazing! 

Currently Playing Brushfire Fairytales By Jack Johnson see related

Well, it looks like it's time for the monthly posting...I'm in the office sipping-not mexican shade grown-but a delectable blend of maxwell house's finest, canned diarrhea coffee made by the extremely gregarious cleaning lady, Marie.   Jack Johnson is in the background singing to me, "Slow down everyone your moving too fast..." So, I'll take his advice, close my door to the chaos, and reconnect with the xanga world.

The fall is beautiful!  It is also my favorite time of the year as many of you have said.  I think I love it for several reasons.   It represents soccer games, hay rides, bonfires, hoodies, apple cider, and so much more.  I think some of my favorite memories growing up took place in the fall. 

One of my favorites times was when I was about 5 and my family bought a huge cider press.  My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins would all come over with bushels of apples.  We would all pitch in to make fresh cider and hang out until the wee hours of the morning.  It was awesome!

What's your favorite fall memory? 

Get this!  I called the credit card company to find out why it was taking so long for them to deposit my money.  They said they already did..."uhh I don't have it."  Turns out they made a mistake and deposited the money in the wrong account....oops!  That sucks for them.  So, they have to start the process all over again and it could be another week of waiting.

Think about the guy who goes to his bank to check his account and finds a large sum of money that who knows how it got there.  I picture his response to be something like the Hispanic maid at the end of the Goonies.  They are all on the beach about to lose their houses and she finds all of the Jewels in the marble bag...I don't know what she says because I don't speak Spanish, but I'm sure it was something like...Mama Mia! Holy crap! Praise Jesus! This is a lot of frickin money.