Colts finally make the Super Bowl

For anyone that has known me at all, you know that Sunday, February 4, 2007, is going to be a day that will live in infamy--at least for me! The Colts will finally make their first Super Bowl appearance since they moved to Indianapolis. You can bet your sweet ass that I will be posted dead center in front of the big screen in the living room, beer in one hand, Doritos in the other. To hell with eating healthy--it's the Colts! HOLY SHIT!

We have placed all of my Colts memorabilia around the house, including a full size Colts flag in front with a couple of smaller garden flags at the side of the house. There are Colts signs, photos, jerseys and T-shirts scattered about on the walls, and my lovely bride has even gotten into the spirit by allowing me to "decorate" in such a male fashion. Damn, I love that woman! :-)

Not a lot else to report. Things they are a-changin', but I dare not speak of these changes just yet. When the time is right, you'll know. There are plenty of people who feel the need to spout off to me via email about this or that. I welcome all comments, and if I like them (or I can make fun of them), I will even post them in here! Yeah, I know..."YIPPEE!"

OK, I'm outta here. Be sure you listen to "Blue Sunday" on the opening page. There is a really cool video that WISH-TV in Indianapolis made for it. You can see it at www.wishtv.com. Check it out!

Until after the Super Bowl...

The holiday season

It just seems like last week it was 100º and we were bitching about mowing grass and sunburns. Now, we're bitching about raking leaves and cold rain! Don't get me wrong--you'll NEVER hear me bitching about cold weather EVER. I live for this season, and I get wound up around 30º or so. I hate raking leaves, but it's not a repetitious task like mowing the grass. You do it a couple of times and you're done! Bring on the snow!

The Razorbacks are doing well this year, and I'll tell you why I make note of this fact. Anyone that has known me for any length of time knows that I've not been a Hog fan for many years--not because they won, or lost, or anything. It's simply because there are other teams in this God-forsaken state that get nearly no recognition for their national championships, and it pisses me off. As a UCA alumnus, I remember numerous NAIA championships that were never even acknowledged on some TV stations. This year, UCA is a contender in NCAA Division I, and although I don't know the school, UAPB is the SWAC champion. Yet, the HOGS steal the spotlight because they're having their first good year in 10 years. Fair? Not really. However, I make mention of this for one primary reason. When the Razorbacks are doing well, I can sell parking spaces in my yard (3 blocks from War Memorial Stadium) for 2-3 times what I am accustomed to getting. Last year, parking was $10 per spot. This year, spots go for as much as $30! How much difference does that make? Last year, I would make $200 for a game day. Last month for the ULM blowout in Little Rock, I made nearly twice that! I have 17 spaces in my yard, and I hawk them like they're the only parking in town. Parking for the LSU game will start at $20 and go up to $30 within an hour of the game. I love the Razorbacks!

Work is going well. My new job is settling in nicely. I ordered my new car this week, and it should be here sometime in January or early February. I actually had to order two different models because they weren't sure which fleet we would be using. I will be getting either a Chevrolet Equinox or an HHR. Either one is nice, but since I am not an advocate for the SUV, I would prefer the HHR; however, since I don't pay for it, I guess I won't bitch either way! I got my new laptop and Blackberry this week, so I'm all wired up and ready for action. My 'official' title is Computer Support Specialist, Midwest region. In layman's terms, that simply means I cover Arkansas, western Tennessee, northwest Mississippi, northern Louisiana and a bite of Texas and Oklahoma. It's a nice pay raise (read: significant), and I get to do many of the things I do well--driving, computers, teaching, and laboratories. I hope this job stays with me longer than my previous attempts, as it's time for some stability! My family deserves it, and I deserve it! I will be spending the entire week after Thanksgiving in Kansas City training. I then will be visiting the clinics in my area to see what their needs are and shake a few hands--you know, the fun stuff!

I've heard it too many times here lately, but apparently it's true--"Everything happens for a reason." I didn't get to keep the last job or two because this job was coming open for me. This job fits me very well, and I like the direction it is going. The pay is excellent, and the benefits are even better. My wife and my daughter and I will benefit greatly from this position, and when the time comes for me to move, I may even get the opportunity to transfer to my locale of choice (Indiana?) and not lose any service time. Sweet deal!

That's all for now. If I don't post before then, have a great Thanksgiving. I have more to be thankful this year than many, many years past. My wife--bless her heart--has made it through nearly three years with me, and she certainly deserves to be acknowledged for her effort. My hat is off to her for overcoming the drama and the hard times. She has taken my daughter in as her own, even with all of the "white trash-isms" we have to work out of her. She was around her mom long enough to really learn some bad habits, and they don't break easily! But I am truly blessed, and this year, I intend to let that fact be known. Never forget your foundation--ignoring the smallest cracks can lead to a major failure.

Until next time...

Death and taxes

It's been a very eventful week...in several ways. As some of you may or may not know, I have been working the past few months as Crash Course Computing, Inc., a name I work under as my own business. However, it has gotten to be the "feast or famine" syndrome, and with Christmas being just around the corner, it's unfortunately been more famine than feast. Therefore, I begin working in a lab on Monday as a Computer Systems Specialist making more money than I've made in several years. This is a NEW position, so I don't have to worry about things like being ousted because of my predecessor deciding not to leave, or because someone's budget numbers didn't fit right, or because I couldn't meet the monthly quotas. I just work. I have been promised a company car because the job requires a considerable amount of travel, which should be fun. I just pop in the XM Radio and off we go!

Things with the child formerly known as my son have not changed. I still haven't spoken to him since August 20th, and apparently he's living it up--as he would with no rules or expectations. His grades for this 9 weeks are beyond miserable, pulling Cs and Ds everywhere. It's a sad statement, but I can't do anything about it. He chooses not to be a part of my life, and that is certainly his loss. Perhaps someday he'll come back around. Who knows.

Lastly, my ex-wife, as much as I despise her and her lifestyle, she has endured something that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy--the person she had been dating off and on for nearly a year died in a fall this week. It's just weird that someone that close that I knew died in such a sudden way. I guess it goes to show how fragile life can be sometimes. I know my day will come...I just hope it's later more than sooner.

Until next time...

Fall arrives

So, as the leaves begin to change colors and the days become shorter, I figure it's about time for an update. I keep myself busy doing just about anything these days, so I don't have as much time as I would like to update my blog--and my site. Oh, well...I guess it will someday just fade away.

It amazes me sometimes how people who think they have something of significance to say will do so, but they do it anonymously. After my last post, I get an angry email from some 'anonymous' person who makes all sorts of comments about my parenting ability and my lifestyle choices. I didn't post it because they didn't give any sort of real name or anything. I'm not one to censor, and had I gotten their true identity, I would have posted it for all to see. "Redass" just doesn't seem to be enough information as far as a name goes...but I do appreciate you stopping by!

Now, on to more important things. The business is going very well. I've been keeping busy with several website projects and even a few network administration jobs. I have a couple of remote clients (one in Portland, Oregon, and one in San Juan, Puerto Rico) that take up a significant amount of my time because they are relatively new networks and they have several issues that new networks have. I've also begun selling mass quantities on Ebay, which is pure profit. I'm selling stuff that we've been paying to keep in storage for two years, and the $$ is rolling in. With at least a half-dozen auctions going at a time, the packing and shipping adds to my list of things to do. Finding boxes for some of this stuff isn't easy! Electronic equipment has to have anti-static packing, fragile items have to have starch peanuts, and shipping in general has to have a box that's close to the right size, or you get tagged with shipping overage (read: less profit!).

My daughter is doing extremely well in her new school. She made the basketball team, and cheerleader tryouts are next week. My lovely bride is the cheerleading sponsor, and that keeps her quite busy in addition to her other teacher duties. Progress reports came out last week, and she is on course for a 3.0+ GPA. Her grades have never really been a problem, and she works very hard to meet the standards set on her by the more rigorous curriculum of the new school. There is none of the "good ol' boy" system here like there was at her previous school, so everyone gets an equal shake. She has adjusted well, and has a whole new group of friends that keep her phone line hot and her computer keyboard smoking. Ah, to be 13 again...

So, that's about it for now. And for my 'anonymous' visitor, please feel free to continue to send in your comments, but until you give a name, I don't feel obligated to publish you. Sorry!

Until next time...

Dare I ask...?

OK, so I'm finally back up and running after nearly 3 weeks off. I lost a hard drive that contained almost all of my critical files, so I had to go back and redo everything! Fortunately, I have backups of my really "critical" files on the server, so disaster was somewhat averted.

In my last post (which I removed), I went on a slightly drunken tirade about the developments with the person formerly known as my son. He has, indeed, chosen to move back to the trailer park in Greenbrier, where discipline, rules and expectations are all but non-existent. The fact that someone would choose their few friends over their entire family will never make sense to me, nor will the fact that I've been lied to for the past 3 years. But, the true sign of a man is the ability to move on, regardless of the situation. I am now moving on without him, and my life will eventually return to normal.

I don't have much to say about work, as that doesn't exist, either. It seems as though I'm destined to be a house husband, where I do the cooking, the cleaning, and the errands, while my spouse goes to work each day. Some people would die for that kind of living--not so much with me. I prefer to be at work, toiling away at a job that I enjoy, building relationships and earning a living. Being at home, I still earn a living somewhat through the business, but it's not as steady as a salary would be, and the benefits aren't as lucrative. I make enough to pay the bills and still have some 'funny money' on the side, but I like knowing how much I'll be contributing to the budget so we can plan out things like college for my daughter and repairs on the house. I did have a very promising interview this past week, and although I've had many interviews over the past few months, this is one of those jobs that you really want. It's an international company with a big shiny building and lots of potential for growth. Their decision has been made, but it could take a few days for the candidates to be notified. I'm still hopeful, as this is a long weekend...but it's time for me to get a break for once.

Lastly, it appears as though we'll be staying put here in Little Rock, at least until my daughter graduates high school, at which point we'll be moving far, far away to a land where seasons are obvious and so is intelligence. We'll fix this place up and keep it up while it continues to appreciate in value, and perhaps by the time we get ready to move, we'll be able to make a couple of bucks in the sale. It's a nice thought, but who knows what tomorrow brings.

I keep hearing that everything happens for a reason, and sadly enough, the events of the past few months show that perhaps that isn't too far from the truth. Some really horrific things have happened during that time, and hopefully the hand that fate has dealt me won't be a bust. I guess time will tell.

Until next time...