20110430 + Talenteder

20110430 + All up and out for Jack's first soccer game of the year.  J got a GOAL!!!  Dropped docs to be shredded at City Hall, then home and D&I went back to the baseball fields to help get them ready for the season.  Home and grabbed a quick bite; I did some paperwork and D started mowing.  Outside and work, then DG&I made a trip to the store and got some pavers and plants.  Home and we planted 14 forsythia bushes out back and mulched them in.  We also laid out the pavers for the extended patio L wants...  We had steaks on the grill and then LDJ&G headed to the church for a talent show.  I cleaned up dinner and myself and walked to the church to join the fam.  It was a pretty good show and we got home about 10.  L&I watched a movie 'Gone Baby Gone'.

20110429 + Early Late

20110429 + Up at 5am and to the airport only to have my flight cancelled and rerouted to get me home by 5pm :-o  I was suppose to be home by NOON!!!  Well got some different flights and made it home through NYC by 1:30pm.  Chatted with L&G, then G took a nap.  Called AT&T to change text plans, seems I am 511 text messages OVER my text plan :-o
Made a couple calls, boys home and out to the bank and dinner.  I took J&G to J's soccer practice and was playing on the playground with G until he had an 'I HAVE TO POOP' emergency.  We ran home and I dropped him off with L at D's baseball practice.  Back to J's practice and afterwards went to the store to get snacks for his game tomorrow.  While there he realized G was not with us and panicked a bit.  I told him we would go back for him after we got the snacks and he hurried me through the store.  We arrived home and I said 'Oh we forgot to get G.  I'm tired we'll go after him in the morning...' J flew out of the car to find L and there was G, he was relieved...  All boys cleaned up and to bed.

20110428 - Mo-Meetings

20110428 - Up to office for another day of meetings.  I had another presentation that went well.  After work went out for a nice dinner with Tom.  Back to the room and called L to catch up: G had school with GmaW and then COSI. When D&J got home they all went out for dinner and got toys :-S

20110427 - Pool Teeth

20110427 - Up over to office. Good meetings all day.  Had dinner and a billiards tournament with the Sales Team.  L took all 3 boys to the dentist today.

20110426 - Boston Bound

20110426 - Up early and checking G out in his clothes he picked out himself for school (better than I do most days :-).  Then to the airport and into the hotel to get some work done.

20110425 - Up and a rainy morning.  D&J to school, I took G to sitter, L to get a mammogram.  Sitting at the desk on a 3 hour con call getting caught up from the vacation weekend.  L&G home for lunch, Lilly captured a squirrel.  L back out to the dentist.  G took a nap and the AC guys showed up while I am on the phone...  More calls, boys home.  Boys home from school and grade cards....  not so great for some...  Bought a washing machine online and trying to arrange help while on calls... Out of the office and all the boys games cancelled for tonight.  L&D ran to get me some supplies for my trip this week and J&I dismantled the washer/dryer combo in the basement.  D home and ready for scouts, L mowing the front yard.  I met Scott at Scouts and we headed to Lowe's and picked up the washing machine.  Back home and met by Chris and we made short work of getting the old washer out and installing the new one.  Back to pick up D from Scouts, home and all boys to bed.  Out to Bible bangers with Doc.

20110424 - Easter

20110424 - The boys up early and went through their Easter Baskets.  I missed it...zzzz....  Finally up and on the road to Gma&paB's.  Got there and installed a wireless router, ate a bunch of stuff.  GpaB home from church and we had a big proper dinner.  The kids had an Easter egg hunt and were in and out dodging the rain.  We hung out and talked and had a good time.  Home and getting ready for the weekend.  The washing machine exploded in the basement and we had water everywhere...  Out to a new Bible study, home and to bed.

20110423 - Cash Vines and Sweeps

20110423 - Up late and out to the bank with J&G to meet the Cub Scouts.  We got a grand tour of the bank and learned a lot of neat stuff.  A quick errand to the Home Depot and then to pick the black car up from the garage.  DJG&I ran one more errand on the way home and then time for J&G to rest.  D&I got the lawn mower running and D mowed the entire backyard while I trimmed the grapevines.  I finished up the grapevine trimming in the rain and then in to get ready for a big night.

LDJG&I to dinner with Gma&paW, Mary and Lucia at the Spaghetti Warehouse.  We had way too much food and I was the only on to make a mess of themselves...  Across the river and to the Ohio Theatre to see Mary Poppins the play.  It was spectacular!  The boys all stayed awake and thought it was great, especially G.  Home afterwards and G was singing all the way to bed.

20110422 + Adventure Day!

20110422 + Up early and to the hotel cafe for breakfast in shifts, DJ&I first, then G&I.  We got all packed up and called Aunt Martha and headed to her house that was only a couple blocks away.  We had a nice visit as the boys stalked her cats and then we kidnapped her and took her with us.  Our first stop was the 'Madonna of the Trail' and our fist geocache as well!

Then from there we took some winding roads and found the 'Prabhupada's Palace of Gold and City of God' where we took a nice tour and learned about their religion.  Martha was a good sport and i think learned a lot ;-)

Back on the twisty roads to Moundsville and the 'Marx Toy Musuem' the boys were in heaven, but wanted everything they saw.  We got the scoop on a local place to eat and had a great meal at 'Bob's Lunch', gravy covered fries is their specialty, YUM!

Back on the road and stopped at the 'Grave Creek Indian Mound' and museum, it was pretty cool and we found a geocache with cool stuff in it there.  The mound was directly across from the castle like old West Virgina State Penitentiary, they would NOT take the boys :-(


One more stop in WV for a geocache, we found it but it was soaking wet.  On the road and over the Ohio River to Bellaire where we found the 'Toy and Plastic Brick Museum' = LEGOs.  I mean I have never seen so many LEGOs in all my life.  We were all amazed at the awesome displays and things they had built.  This is a must see for anyone with kids that like LEGOs!!!



Back on the road and Martha directed us past the site of McColloch's Leap, which is a great story.  We got Martha home about 5pm and said goodbye, except for G who talked some much during the day wore himself out and was dead asleep.  We had a great day with Aunt Martha and hope we did not wear her out too much :-)


On the road heading home and made a stop at Buckeye Lake for a Pizza Cottage dinner and hot wings.  We got home, things put away and our 3 tired little fellas from a huge 24 hours adventure went right to bed.  This day was great and so much better than had I sat behind my desk...

20110421 - Forgot; then Fun

20110421 - Up and at the desk.  Got a ton of stuff done today, always more to do...  Towards the end of the day I realized the boys had tomorrow off and on my personal calendar I did to, but I had not scheduled it with work :-o  so I made some quick calls and got things line up and shew, I was able to get tomorrow off :-)  I made some more quick calls and then emerged from the office hustling everyone to get there things together, 'WE ARE GOING ON AN ADVENTURE!!!!'  We loaded the car up and were on the road by 6pm.  We had dinner in the car and the boys watched a movie.  When the movie was over we were in Wheeling WV at a hotel.  We got into the room and you would have thought the boys were in paradise, they were jumping on the beds and dancing and singing as they got their swimsuits on.  We went to the pool and swam until 10pm, followed by the traditional hot cocoa.  All to bed and G had terrible nightmares throughout the night..

20110420 - Frazzled Nerves Unraveled

20110420 - Up and the news is BAD: 18 more folks that I have worked with for a long time have been let go...  Pretty much screwed up my entire day...  did manage to get the essentials done...  Had dinner with the fam and then to the basement to watch a James Bond movie with the boys while L went to a meeting and got groceries.  Up doing some personal catch up and watching documentaries.

20110419 - Trip of Nerves Frazzled

20110419 - Up at the crack of dawn and to the airport. I was traveling today to meet Cindy, Lee and Tom for an undefined meeting in Chicago... Lee had mechanical and weather delays so he did not make it. Cindy and I met up in Chicago and took a shuttle to a nearby hotel to meet with Tom.

*STOP* insert history here...

Ok so late last week the 3 of us were asked to be in Chicago with no agenda or reason or information on the trip. Cindy Lee and I tried to get info and speculated what and why the secretive meeting was being held. We had heard from others in the Netherlands that the following morning there was to be another all hands meeting there and we were all very anxious...

*RE-START *

So Cindy and I get to the hotel and get a cup of coffee. 
Cindy went up first.
Stressed out beyond all imaginably I take the picture of this day...

Trying to remember my Bible reading from this morning that prompted a Bible Banger Blog post.
Time seems to stand still...
Cindy eventually comes back.
She has been let go from her job/downsized.
I am sick to my stomach, horrified, even more scared, saddened, worried, distraught. 
I can't even imagine how Cindy is feeling...
I have no idea how to help her...
YEARS of working together and 'snap' done...
We said goodbye, but I was expected upstairs next... :-s   So certainly we did not get to say a proper goodbye. 
I head to the elevator.
Cindy heads to the shuttle to try and get an earlier flight home.  How sucky is that to be flown to Chicago to get fired. (over the next week I ask both Tom and the HR lady to make sure when it was my time I did not have to go anywhere...  that was horrible).
I had a meeting with Tom and Lee.  Tom was visibly shaken as well.  I do not believe it was his choice and he made the best out of a crap situation...  We talked a bit, had lunch and i left, to dazed and confused to stay and work. 
I got home earlier than expected and got to see the boys before they went to bed (the highlight of my day).
Lesson learned today = have multiple streams of income, cash on hand, plan B ready, always.

20110418 + Civilized Eggs

20110418 - Late start, catching up on Bible reading missed during the camp out.
At the desk with a mountain of paper, mails and calls.  Nervous about tomorrow's trip to the point of paralysis...  Finally got in gear and desk is cleaned off, all caught up.  Watched G while L went to the Dr today.  Joe over to get the weed eater.  All boys home. G taking a nap, L raking out front, D doing homework and J playing.  Finishing up my day.  Had dinner with the fam and then took a bike ride to Signatures with J&G.  We all met back at the playground for D's baseball practice and some play time.  I took J&G home for showers.  All home and boys to bed, out to Bible Bangers.

20110417 + Up early, but not as early as yesterday...  Very cold this morning but NO RAIN :-)  We had breakfast with the Pack and then started cleaning up our campsite. J and I took one final hike down along the creek and then J crossed the creek and back on some fallen logs.  We climes a steep hill to get back to the car. 
Back to civilization and J&I took long hot showers. LD&G home from church, they had an easter egg hunt, and we all unpacked the car and had lunch. We then set things out to dry before putting them away.  The boys played pretty good in the backyard and L&I gave the white car it's annual cleaning.  All in and ready for bed, everyone completely exhausted.