It's extremely hard to believe, but our daughter CD was born ten years ago this coming weekend. I haven't spoken about her much on this site. This is because most of my early parenting epiphanies were with NJ, and most of the things I could have said in the last few years would be stepping a bit on her privacy.
She is special to Golden and I in a way that she won't ever really understand. I frequently think about the fact that our family needs her. She is the most outgoing in our family (which is an admittedly low bar), but also has a wit about her that amazes me. She is smart and funny, and there are few people I enjoy talking with quite as much, if I can direct her away from talking about toys or boys.
I think society in general is built in a way that convinces a lot of people, and especially elementary and middle school girls, that they are worth less than they really are. CD is the most socially adept person in our family, but we do sometimes see her dealing with that. It's a bit discouraging because we can see how valuable and valued she is, but she doesn't always believe it when we try to relay that to her. Some lessons are only learned with age and consistent love and encouragement.
Ten years ago I couldn't fathom having a ten-year-old daughter. Now that I'm about to, I can't fathom that the next ten years will see her going from a child to a teenager to a young adult(!). The years are far too short.
Showing posts with label birthdays and anniversaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthdays and anniversaries. Show all posts
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Sunday, May 05, 2013
ten years
I randomly have a few milestones on Cinco de Mayo. One is that thirteen years ago I graduated college on that day. Another is that ten years ago I started working for my current employer. In modern times that is an eternity. In contrast, it was twelve years ago Tuesday that I started my job before that. The difference between ten years and two is pretty significant.
I do not have any real insights on that. I don't like wandering from job to job or from town to town, and I've been pretty clear about that. It is amazing in my mind that I could be anywhere that long. I never lived more than five years in one town as a kid, so being in one area with one employer for double-digits years seems different, even though it has been my life for a while.
However, since I work in the ever-changing Tech Industry who knows what tomorrow holds.
I do not have any real insights on that. I don't like wandering from job to job or from town to town, and I've been pretty clear about that. It is amazing in my mind that I could be anywhere that long. I never lived more than five years in one town as a kid, so being in one area with one employer for double-digits years seems different, even though it has been my life for a while.
However, since I work in the ever-changing Tech Industry who knows what tomorrow holds.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
nine
Today, well technically yesterday now, is (was) Golden's and my ninth anniversary. Most years I come up with something mildly sappy to post here, but this year it is just going to be an observation.
I think that most people in a couple, and even those who are poorly matched with their mate to start out, slowly become the perfect person for their significant other if only through familiarity. Golden is special because she started out perfect for me and has only become more so as the years have passed.
I love you, Golden.
I think that most people in a couple, and even those who are poorly matched with their mate to start out, slowly become the perfect person for their significant other if only through familiarity. Golden is special because she started out perfect for me and has only become more so as the years have passed.
I love you, Golden.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
decaded out
This Monday I turn thirty. I'm not completely sure how that happened. Somehow, the last five years just blurred by. It was not that long ago that I looked forward to turning a year older, but I am starting to hit the age where I want to put on the breaks a bit. Not too much, but a bit.
When people are in their twenties, even in their late twenties, there is not really much expectation for maturity. I am very comfortable with that low bar. While this birthday is not that huge of a deal for me it does mean that I feel I will be held to a higher standard than I have been.
In looking back over the last ten years I do see how I have significantly changed in that time, but it does not feel like I have ten years of experiences to account for that ten years. I think I viewed the decade as a catch up decade to address the challenges I faced at the beginning of it. Different people take different approaches to what they will do in early adulthood and mine was probably a bit less exciting than most. As long as the economy doesn't destroy my plans, I actually want to find a way to make the next decade more of a fun decade than I planned for the last decade. I apparently reversed the order on how that is supposed to work, but that is just the way situations dictated that it had to go.
For someone who plans a lot, I really do not have a clue what direction life will take in the next decade. Given that, I think it is appropriate to end this post without a real conclusion.
When people are in their twenties, even in their late twenties, there is not really much expectation for maturity. I am very comfortable with that low bar. While this birthday is not that huge of a deal for me it does mean that I feel I will be held to a higher standard than I have been.
In looking back over the last ten years I do see how I have significantly changed in that time, but it does not feel like I have ten years of experiences to account for that ten years. I think I viewed the decade as a catch up decade to address the challenges I faced at the beginning of it. Different people take different approaches to what they will do in early adulthood and mine was probably a bit less exciting than most. As long as the economy doesn't destroy my plans, I actually want to find a way to make the next decade more of a fun decade than I planned for the last decade. I apparently reversed the order on how that is supposed to work, but that is just the way situations dictated that it had to go.
For someone who plans a lot, I really do not have a clue what direction life will take in the next decade. Given that, I think it is appropriate to end this post without a real conclusion.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
tracking
Next year is mine and Golden's ten year anniversary. We are considering a vacation somewhere sunny that summer, but nothing is written in stone yet. Whether Golden is comfortable being away from the kids for that long or whether we decide that we have the money available to do this is still up in the air. However, I have been investigating places in the Caribbean lately so can I know what kind of prices and experiences we would be considering.
One key point in this whole process is that we would need to leave the kids somewhere. The logical thing to do is to leave them with my parents because they do not get enough time with their grandkids anyway. If we did this, we would fly from Pittsburgh to wherever we decided to go, and I have taken this into account in my searching.
Because of this, I was a little taken aback a few days ago when I was on Snopes. A Travelocity banner ad specifically targeted me based on a search I had performed previously. I know this because this is the only way the ad would know that I would want to fly from Pittsburgh. I understand the technology behind the ad (it simply stored my search in a cookie in my browser), but in my experience it marks the beginning of something that will become much more prevalent in the near future.
What is really surprising is that this may be the first time that I have been able to identify an ad targeted directly to me rather than to the demographic of people targeted by the content that I am accessing. For example, I have seen ads for the Mythbusters TV show on Snopes before, but I am pretty sure that was targeted more to the general Snopes audience rather than to me personally. I would have expected that, by now, I would have seen more advertising that targets me personally, especially from Google ads.
I am not entirely convinced that Google stock is worth the premium that it goes for in the market. Even so, it has a compelling advertising business model if it can be implemented properly. Why is Google willing to host so many useful services essentially for free? Google Earth can't be bringing in much revenue. Neither can Gmail. However, the information that Google can eventually collect about all of its users through the different applications that it hosts will eventually be incredibly valuable to its targeted advertising.
I think that the feasibility of using the Internet to host a large volume of proprietary content for free depends on this targeted marketing. Many content producers are going out of business or having a tough time finding realistic revenue streams (think newspapers). At some point those who produce high-quality content will demand a higher price or get out of the business. Since targeted ads can command better revenue, it makes sense that such ads could be the savior of much of the content online. If it isn't, look forward to a lot of content going away or ceasing to be free.
One key point in this whole process is that we would need to leave the kids somewhere. The logical thing to do is to leave them with my parents because they do not get enough time with their grandkids anyway. If we did this, we would fly from Pittsburgh to wherever we decided to go, and I have taken this into account in my searching.
Because of this, I was a little taken aback a few days ago when I was on Snopes. A Travelocity banner ad specifically targeted me based on a search I had performed previously. I know this because this is the only way the ad would know that I would want to fly from Pittsburgh. I understand the technology behind the ad (it simply stored my search in a cookie in my browser), but in my experience it marks the beginning of something that will become much more prevalent in the near future.
What is really surprising is that this may be the first time that I have been able to identify an ad targeted directly to me rather than to the demographic of people targeted by the content that I am accessing. For example, I have seen ads for the Mythbusters TV show on Snopes before, but I am pretty sure that was targeted more to the general Snopes audience rather than to me personally. I would have expected that, by now, I would have seen more advertising that targets me personally, especially from Google ads.I am not entirely convinced that Google stock is worth the premium that it goes for in the market. Even so, it has a compelling advertising business model if it can be implemented properly. Why is Google willing to host so many useful services essentially for free? Google Earth can't be bringing in much revenue. Neither can Gmail. However, the information that Google can eventually collect about all of its users through the different applications that it hosts will eventually be incredibly valuable to its targeted advertising.
I think that the feasibility of using the Internet to host a large volume of proprietary content for free depends on this targeted marketing. Many content producers are going out of business or having a tough time finding realistic revenue streams (think newspapers). At some point those who produce high-quality content will demand a higher price or get out of the business. Since targeted ads can command better revenue, it makes sense that such ads could be the savior of much of the content online. If it isn't, look forward to a lot of content going away or ceasing to be free.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
baby girl
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Golden started having contractions late Sunday night two weeks ago (the sixteenth). We headed to the hospital a little after midnight for monitoring after consulting with the doctor. I remember thinking that this was going to make for a very bad Monday if the baby did not actually come out.
Around 3 AM the doctor told the hospital to move Golden into a delivery room so she could break her water at the break of dawn. Apparently, we have different notions of what the break of dawn is, because the doctor showed up around 8:30 AM, which was about an hour-and-a-half later than what I understood the break of dawn to be.
During delivery, the doctor noted that she had never seen a baby wriggle so much at that stage, so she commented that we have a feisty baby on our hands. With two weeks experience, I do not disagree with this assessment. Our healthy baby (six pounds, thirteen ounces) was born at 1:31 PM that afternoon. This is notable because it was on my sister's birthday and on the anniversary of when I asked Golden on our first date.
With NJ I spent almost all of my time at the hospital. Since Golden's mom was at the house taking care of NJ, I did spend a couple of hours every day at the house, and I had a few more errands that I had to run between the house and the hospital. That broke the day up nicely for me, though it probably made things a tad more boring for Golden.
We found out right before we left the hospital that a kidney issue that had been found on our sonograms had cleared up. It was one of those things that the doctor told us usually does heal itself by the time the baby is born. It still feels like a bit of a miracle, and is quite a relief.
Tomorrow we have to go in for the latest in a series of weight checks that the doctor ordered on our daughter. She lost a lot of weight in her first four days, but has gained back pretty regularly since. Both Golden and I think it is a bit ridiculous that we have to go in for this specific weight check because this one is just because she didn't technically reach her birth weight in the last weight check. They should have enough data to see she is growing very rapidly.
Anyway, I have been meaning to get to this and now I have. Hopefully, I can get on a regular schedule shortly now.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
romance
Today is Golden's and my eighth anniversary. We don't usually make too big a deal of it, but cards and small gifts are often exchanged. If I'm not careful I can let it become routine rather than romance, so that is the biggest danger that I have to watch out for.
I don't necessarily understand what romance is, at least as it is typically defined by women. I don't think that most guys understand romance, which explains why this rather cynical work of humor on the subject is funny to a lot of guys. I don't know that most women would find it as humorous. I can personally identify a lot of things that qualify as romance, but this knowledge comes second hand.
My general understanding of romance is that it is something that makes someone else feel special or important. That seems to be an incomplete definition, though, because it doesn't explain to me a lot of things that are romantic, such as candlelight or cute stuffed animals. I think the main problem I have is that my mind interprets "special" and "important" differently than most romantics.
Another possibility is that I am not describing romance properly. Since this is a distinct possibility, I would like to put this question out to everyone. If you had to explain romance, how would you define it?
I have one last, and very important, thing to say. Happy anniversary, Golden!
I don't necessarily understand what romance is, at least as it is typically defined by women. I don't think that most guys understand romance, which explains why this rather cynical work of humor on the subject is funny to a lot of guys. I don't know that most women would find it as humorous. I can personally identify a lot of things that qualify as romance, but this knowledge comes second hand.
My general understanding of romance is that it is something that makes someone else feel special or important. That seems to be an incomplete definition, though, because it doesn't explain to me a lot of things that are romantic, such as candlelight or cute stuffed animals. I think the main problem I have is that my mind interprets "special" and "important" differently than most romantics.
Another possibility is that I am not describing romance properly. Since this is a distinct possibility, I would like to put this question out to everyone. If you had to explain romance, how would you define it?
I have one last, and very important, thing to say. Happy anniversary, Golden!
Monday, July 07, 2008
the past week
My sister visited this past week to spend some time with NJ, so I took the week off from work so we could more properly visit with family.
I picked my sister up at the airport in the late afternoon on Monday. Not much happened on that particular evening. We watched Nancy Drew. It was more or less what I expected.
We were supposed to have the gutters replaces on Monday as well. I was hoping they would be replaced by the time I got back from the airport. Eventually I got a phone call saying that the work would be postponed until Wednesday morning.
Tuesday, we went to the doctor to find out that we are having a girl (I know, we already announced that). Around supper time, we visited Legends. Now that we have been there a few times, the place actually feels kind of small. It didn't feel that way the first time I went there. That night we watched National Treasure 2, which I think is much better than the original.
Wednesday was NJ's birthday. We opened presents and had cake at lunch time.
We were planning to go to the pool around 3:30PM, but that is when the gutter guy showed up. It turned out that he was just there to make a final measurement and make the gutters rather than put them up, so he left in short order and we visited the pool. We spent quite a bit of time in the kiddie pool, then as we were walking into the big pool we heard thunder and the pool shut down. Bummer.
That night we watched Witness for the Prosecution, which is an old British movie based on a story that Agatha Christy wrote. Not a bad narrative, though it contained a lot of dialog, so it is not for people who don't like a lot of talking.
Thursday morning, the gutter guys showed up right as we were leaving. We visited my grandmother and great-grandmother who live a two hour drive away. Actually, that is two hours if you don't get sidetracked. I took a wrong turn and added a half hour to the trip.
NJ was especially fussy on Thursday. He screamed for the first half hour to hour that he was at his great-grandmother's house. I felt bad, but there was little we could do. From there we headed to Golden's family's house in the Springfield area.
Friday was the fourth. I celebrated by being lazy. NJ played in the back yard some. That night we set off some small fireworks. Nothing real noteworthy.
Saturday, we visited a nature center in Springfield, then traveled back to the OP. Sunday, I took my sister back to the airport.
Typically, the mark of a good break from work is when it feels like forever since I have been to the office. Since it feels like ages since I was at work, it must have been a good break.
I picked my sister up at the airport in the late afternoon on Monday. Not much happened on that particular evening. We watched Nancy Drew. It was more or less what I expected.
We were supposed to have the gutters replaces on Monday as well. I was hoping they would be replaced by the time I got back from the airport. Eventually I got a phone call saying that the work would be postponed until Wednesday morning.
Tuesday, we went to the doctor to find out that we are having a girl (I know, we already announced that). Around supper time, we visited Legends. Now that we have been there a few times, the place actually feels kind of small. It didn't feel that way the first time I went there. That night we watched National Treasure 2, which I think is much better than the original.
Wednesday was NJ's birthday. We opened presents and had cake at lunch time.
We were planning to go to the pool around 3:30PM, but that is when the gutter guy showed up. It turned out that he was just there to make a final measurement and make the gutters rather than put them up, so he left in short order and we visited the pool. We spent quite a bit of time in the kiddie pool, then as we were walking into the big pool we heard thunder and the pool shut down. Bummer.
That night we watched Witness for the Prosecution, which is an old British movie based on a story that Agatha Christy wrote. Not a bad narrative, though it contained a lot of dialog, so it is not for people who don't like a lot of talking.
Thursday morning, the gutter guys showed up right as we were leaving. We visited my grandmother and great-grandmother who live a two hour drive away. Actually, that is two hours if you don't get sidetracked. I took a wrong turn and added a half hour to the trip.
NJ was especially fussy on Thursday. He screamed for the first half hour to hour that he was at his great-grandmother's house. I felt bad, but there was little we could do. From there we headed to Golden's family's house in the Springfield area.
Friday was the fourth. I celebrated by being lazy. NJ played in the back yard some. That night we set off some small fireworks. Nothing real noteworthy.
Saturday, we visited a nature center in Springfield, then traveled back to the OP. Sunday, I took my sister back to the airport.
Typically, the mark of a good break from work is when it feels like forever since I have been to the office. Since it feels like ages since I was at work, it must have been a good break.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
planning vacations
Golden and I don't do too many vacations. Since we don't live too close to family, we tend to budget vacation time and money to seeing family. This year, some family is coming to see us, but we are not currently planning trips to see family.
We have discussed going to Omaha some time this summer. I have heard that the zoo there is impressive, and it looks like there are a few other attractions as well. It doesn't hurt that Omaha is a mere three hours drive away. That is a bearable trip with a toddler.
We still may not try travelling this year, though. We have a relatively busy schedule set up, and the later we get into the summer the less Golden is going to want to do things that require her to walk around in the heat. Also, the house has been more expensive to maintain this year than I hoped, so I might not feel comfortable spending much money on non-essential things this summer.
Since we don't really take vacations, I don't have a lot of practice setting up the details of a vacation. It may seem simple or stupid, but I don't know how to pick places to stay and things that we will like to do. In a couple of years we want to have a more major vacation around the time of our tenth anniversary. I have started to realize that I don't have the slightest clue how to set one up. A lot of the typical resort activities (swimming, golf, going to a spa, etc) are not things that we get into. Is it even worthwhile to look into a resort or cruise? I don't want our once-every-ten-years event to be a waste, so what wouldn't be?
We have discussed going to Omaha some time this summer. I have heard that the zoo there is impressive, and it looks like there are a few other attractions as well. It doesn't hurt that Omaha is a mere three hours drive away. That is a bearable trip with a toddler.
We still may not try travelling this year, though. We have a relatively busy schedule set up, and the later we get into the summer the less Golden is going to want to do things that require her to walk around in the heat. Also, the house has been more expensive to maintain this year than I hoped, so I might not feel comfortable spending much money on non-essential things this summer.
Since we don't really take vacations, I don't have a lot of practice setting up the details of a vacation. It may seem simple or stupid, but I don't know how to pick places to stay and things that we will like to do. In a couple of years we want to have a more major vacation around the time of our tenth anniversary. I have started to realize that I don't have the slightest clue how to set one up. A lot of the typical resort activities (swimming, golf, going to a spa, etc) are not things that we get into. Is it even worthwhile to look into a resort or cruise? I don't want our once-every-ten-years event to be a waste, so what wouldn't be?
Saturday, March 08, 2008
saturday evening post
This is a little later in the weekend than I usually post, and it's just going to be an update of what is going on.
On Thursday I was supposed to pick up my car at the shop. I left work early to pick it up, then the guy I have been working with noticed a sound from the power steering and told me he'd prefer to keep the car one more day to make sure this wasn't a serious issue. I am thankful that he was willing to check on it, but I was very frustrated that I had to drive out to pick it up again.
On Friday the crew who were to replace the furnace and A/C showed up at the house. I was not there for any of that, so if there are details to share, Golden will have to share them.
Also on Friday I went to see the surgeon who will be performing my gallbladder removal (for those who don't know, I am having my gallbladder removed). He said the test results showed that my gallbladder was "filled with" gall stones. I can apparently rest assured that surgery is the best course of action. I am scheduled to go under the knife early in the morning on March 20th.
A final thing that happened on Friday was that I actually picked up my car after the mechanic bled the power steering lines and determined that there was nothing with my power steering. What was weird was that when I got my Honda Accord loaner I was not entirely comfortable in the car because the blind spots were in different locations and it handled a bit differently. I even mentioned to my sister that I still preferred my car. After driving a recent model car, though, mine feels a bit old. I still plan on holding onto it for several more years, though.
Today we travelled to Springfield to celebrate Golden's mom's birthday. The entertainment for the day has mostly come from NJ.
On Thursday I was supposed to pick up my car at the shop. I left work early to pick it up, then the guy I have been working with noticed a sound from the power steering and told me he'd prefer to keep the car one more day to make sure this wasn't a serious issue. I am thankful that he was willing to check on it, but I was very frustrated that I had to drive out to pick it up again.
On Friday the crew who were to replace the furnace and A/C showed up at the house. I was not there for any of that, so if there are details to share, Golden will have to share them.
Also on Friday I went to see the surgeon who will be performing my gallbladder removal (for those who don't know, I am having my gallbladder removed). He said the test results showed that my gallbladder was "filled with" gall stones. I can apparently rest assured that surgery is the best course of action. I am scheduled to go under the knife early in the morning on March 20th.
A final thing that happened on Friday was that I actually picked up my car after the mechanic bled the power steering lines and determined that there was nothing with my power steering. What was weird was that when I got my Honda Accord loaner I was not entirely comfortable in the car because the blind spots were in different locations and it handled a bit differently. I even mentioned to my sister that I still preferred my car. After driving a recent model car, though, mine feels a bit old. I still plan on holding onto it for several more years, though.
Today we travelled to Springfield to celebrate Golden's mom's birthday. The entertainment for the day has mostly come from NJ.
Monday, February 25, 2008
special day
Tomorrow is Golden's birthday. Last year I had a class scheduled on her birthday. That was unintentional and unfortunate. This year, I did not schedule any classes that would require me to be gone on her birthday. This has not caused things to happen that can distract from her special day.
Sunday morning I went to the emergency room for sharp pains in my stomach. This is related to the problem I was experiencing a few weeks ago, but the numbers of foods that sets me off has increased since then. They think I have a problem with my gall bladder, so I need to get that tested. This, along with dealing with my car and schoolwork, all threatens our ability to properly celebrate Golden's birthday.
As I was sitting in the hospital room in a hospital gown I contemplated how fortunate I was to have Golden. She did not complain or question the wisdom of going to the emergency room and she kept me company while we were there. We both got laughs at the same things yesterday, like trying to figure out why the doctor had to ask me whether I had a family history of ovarian cysts and how there is no such thing as maintaining your modesty when you are a hospital patient.
Golden, I do hope that you have a happy birthday. I love you!
Sunday morning I went to the emergency room for sharp pains in my stomach. This is related to the problem I was experiencing a few weeks ago, but the numbers of foods that sets me off has increased since then. They think I have a problem with my gall bladder, so I need to get that tested. This, along with dealing with my car and schoolwork, all threatens our ability to properly celebrate Golden's birthday.
As I was sitting in the hospital room in a hospital gown I contemplated how fortunate I was to have Golden. She did not complain or question the wisdom of going to the emergency room and she kept me company while we were there. We both got laughs at the same things yesterday, like trying to figure out why the doctor had to ask me whether I had a family history of ovarian cysts and how there is no such thing as maintaining your modesty when you are a hospital patient.
Golden, I do hope that you have a happy birthday. I love you!
Monday, February 18, 2008
february
I always kind of joked that I was asking for trouble in marrying someone who was born in February. I need to make sure to remember two important days in such a short month. All that really was joking, though, because Golden is not difficult to please.
I have had other reasons to not like the month. I am always impatient for Spring while it is February because it is cold and because it is gray. There are few good movies that come out in February, and even before NJ it was always difficult to find something fun and different to do in this month. Did I mention it is cold and gray?
The last few years, though, I have really disliked the month of February. Since I went back to school I seem to have had the most schoolwork assigned in February of any month. I know this because I have not truly dreaded any month other than February. Every other month has felt manageable, even when I was busy. Getting through February, though, has simply been a matter of survival.
This year is not much different. I am ecstatic that the month is more than half over. I can't wait for March. My life begins again in March.
I have had other reasons to not like the month. I am always impatient for Spring while it is February because it is cold and because it is gray. There are few good movies that come out in February, and even before NJ it was always difficult to find something fun and different to do in this month. Did I mention it is cold and gray?
The last few years, though, I have really disliked the month of February. Since I went back to school I seem to have had the most schoolwork assigned in February of any month. I know this because I have not truly dreaded any month other than February. Every other month has felt manageable, even when I was busy. Getting through February, though, has simply been a matter of survival.
This year is not much different. I am ecstatic that the month is more than half over. I can't wait for March. My life begins again in March.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
important day
There are two notable things about today.
First, I asked Golden out for our first date ten years ago today. We celebrated last night with dinner and a movie. It was nice to have a night when we didn't need to worry about NJ, so we greatly appreciate our sitter giving us so much time.
It's hard to believe that it was ten years ago that I left a note with Golden telling her I was interested in her and asking if she was too. Kind of a high school thing to do, but I was eighteen.
Just about everyone I have mentioned this to has responded with, "You still keep track of when you started dating?" I don't usually feel like a sentimental fool.
Also, this is my sister's birthday. It was not on purpose that I asked Golden out on my sister's birthday so I would remember the date better, but it did work out conveniently. I should probably call my sister to wish her well shortly.
Happy birthday, Miss Carisma, and happy ten years, Golden!
First, I asked Golden out for our first date ten years ago today. We celebrated last night with dinner and a movie. It was nice to have a night when we didn't need to worry about NJ, so we greatly appreciate our sitter giving us so much time.
It's hard to believe that it was ten years ago that I left a note with Golden telling her I was interested in her and asking if she was too. Kind of a high school thing to do, but I was eighteen.
Just about everyone I have mentioned this to has responded with, "You still keep track of when you started dating?" I don't usually feel like a sentimental fool.
Also, this is my sister's birthday. It was not on purpose that I asked Golden out on my sister's birthday so I would remember the date better, but it did work out conveniently. I should probably call my sister to wish her well shortly.
Happy birthday, Miss Carisma, and happy ten years, Golden!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
happy seventh anniversary
Seven years ago on Sunday Golden and I were married. A few weeks ago Golden's mom pointed out how we looked like two kids playing dress up more than adults getting married on our wedding day. That is probably not too far off.
Probably the thing that has struck me the most about marriage has been how much the person you marry impacts you as a person. I know this is probably largely due to how young we were when we got married, but it is amazing how much our personalities have become like each other.
Golden, there isn't anyone else I want to be like more than you.
Probably the thing that has struck me the most about marriage has been how much the person you marry impacts you as a person. I know this is probably largely due to how young we were when we got married, but it is amazing how much our personalities have become like each other.
Golden, there isn't anyone else I want to be like more than you.
Monday, July 02, 2007
happy birthday, nj
I hope Golden wasn't planning to post this information today. I did not talk to her about it yet.
Today is NJ's first birthday. It is hard to think of NJ as anything but a baby, so him hitting the one year milestone is a little weird. He is headed into his toddler period and I am still coming to terms with having an infant.
I don't think we are going to do too much today because he has already had two celebrations. One was with my family a week ago and one was with Golden's family this past weekend. The picture below is from a week ago.
The birthday celebration on Saturday managed to be quite memorable because a tornado touched down a few miles from Golden's parents' house just an hour before we had the cake. Golden, her mom, and NJ went to a back closet for a few minutes when the radio indicated that a funnel cloud might be headed our way, but it didn't even get close enough for us to see it. Some day I will tell NJ that even God was celebrating his first birthday and just got a little carried away.
Besides being NJ's birthday, this is also the first day that Golden would be going to work if she was still at work, but isn't because she is not. So, everyone around the house has something to be happy about today. If only I were there.
Today is NJ's first birthday. It is hard to think of NJ as anything but a baby, so him hitting the one year milestone is a little weird. He is headed into his toddler period and I am still coming to terms with having an infant.
I don't think we are going to do too much today because he has already had two celebrations. One was with my family a week ago and one was with Golden's family this past weekend. The picture below is from a week ago.
The birthday celebration on Saturday managed to be quite memorable because a tornado touched down a few miles from Golden's parents' house just an hour before we had the cake. Golden, her mom, and NJ went to a back closet for a few minutes when the radio indicated that a funnel cloud might be headed our way, but it didn't even get close enough for us to see it. Some day I will tell NJ that even God was celebrating his first birthday and just got a little carried away.Besides being NJ's birthday, this is also the first day that Golden would be going to work if she was still at work, but isn't because she is not. So, everyone around the house has something to be happy about today. If only I were there.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
socks and apples
This Monday is my dad's birthday and, as usual, I still haven't figured out what I am getting for him. I think there is probably not anyone else that I will ever know that is harder to buy for than him. This has always been an issue. When we were growing up and my sister or I ever asked what he wanted us to get him he would always reply that he either wanted a pair of socks and a basket of apples. This did not make the process any easier.
With a lot of men you can buy them things to contribute to their hobbies, be it golf equipment, fishing equipment, or any other type of equipment. He doesn't really have any hobbies, though. I think it is mostly due to the fact that he does not want to spend money on a hobby, but for whatever reason that is not a strategy that I can use.
My dad does like to laugh, but there is a genuine limit on very clean humorous entertainment available that fits his personality for sale. There is more blue humor available than clean humor, and the blue humor is out of the question. My dad does like an author named Pat McManus who mainly writes short stories about mishaps fishing, hunting, and growing up in a rural area. I am not 100% sure of which McManus books he has, though, so I can't always fall back on that author.
For some men, you can buy them something that they can use at work. My dad he currently manages a school bus terminal and does fill-in preaching in churches in his area. In the past I have bought doctrinal books and a car seat warmer for him for on the job, but his career roles have not been a great boon for gift ideas.
So, now I am two days away from his birthday without a good idea. I guess I will be getting him a gift card to some store. I just have to decide which one.
With a lot of men you can buy them things to contribute to their hobbies, be it golf equipment, fishing equipment, or any other type of equipment. He doesn't really have any hobbies, though. I think it is mostly due to the fact that he does not want to spend money on a hobby, but for whatever reason that is not a strategy that I can use.
My dad does like to laugh, but there is a genuine limit on very clean humorous entertainment available that fits his personality for sale. There is more blue humor available than clean humor, and the blue humor is out of the question. My dad does like an author named Pat McManus who mainly writes short stories about mishaps fishing, hunting, and growing up in a rural area. I am not 100% sure of which McManus books he has, though, so I can't always fall back on that author.
For some men, you can buy them something that they can use at work. My dad he currently manages a school bus terminal and does fill-in preaching in churches in his area. In the past I have bought doctrinal books and a car seat warmer for him for on the job, but his career roles have not been a great boon for gift ideas.
So, now I am two days away from his birthday without a good idea. I guess I will be getting him a gift card to some store. I just have to decide which one.
Monday, February 26, 2007
happy birthday
I made two mistakes this year. The first was signing up for a class that met on Valentine's Day. The second was signing up for a class that met on Golden's birthday. She has been very nice about it, but I'll be much more careful in future years.
Happy Birthday, Golden!
For those of you who want me to put a real post up today I have some thoughts.
Don't you hate it when you visit a blog and it feels like there is no real topic? It's like the author didn't have any good ideas for a post so he just typed something with no meaning. Just a rambling mess of nothingness to fill the gap in the posting schedule.
It's not like the blogger is doing anyone a favor. He could just admit he is drawing a blank and hold out the promise of a new post later on. He could just ignore his blog for a few days. Instead, he opts to waste everyone's time using a lot of words to say very little.
After reading the post the audience is left with the nagging feeling that the last minute or two of their lives were wasted and irretrievable. A sacrifice the blogger demanded for the privilege of maintaining a strict schedule on his site. A sacrifice that can never be gained back to be used for personal growth or entertainment. An expensive void.
Don't you hate that?
Happy Birthday, Golden!
For those of you who want me to put a real post up today I have some thoughts.
Don't you hate it when you visit a blog and it feels like there is no real topic? It's like the author didn't have any good ideas for a post so he just typed something with no meaning. Just a rambling mess of nothingness to fill the gap in the posting schedule.
It's not like the blogger is doing anyone a favor. He could just admit he is drawing a blank and hold out the promise of a new post later on. He could just ignore his blog for a few days. Instead, he opts to waste everyone's time using a lot of words to say very little.
After reading the post the audience is left with the nagging feeling that the last minute or two of their lives were wasted and irretrievable. A sacrifice the blogger demanded for the privilege of maintaining a strict schedule on his site. A sacrifice that can never be gained back to be used for personal growth or entertainment. An expensive void.
Don't you hate that?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
two mildly disturbing things
Being that I am a geek, I enjoy watching some of the documentaries on The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, The National Geographic Channel, etc. Based on a couple of documentaries I have seen, I have learned two mildly disturbing things about myself.
Mildly disturbing thing number one:
I have always liked the way my first and last initials looked together. I think it is the straight lines and similar appearance of the "A" and the "H." I did like them enough for my initials to be among the things I most commonly scribbled into loose paper throughout my life.
About a year or two ago I was flipping through the channels when I noticed silverware imprinted with my initials on a show on the History Channel. I wondered excitedly what person from history shared my initials, so I stopped to watch. Imagine my dismay when I realized that this was a documentary on how Adolph Hitler lived in his military bunker system.
I console myself that Alfred Hitchcock also had the same initials.
Mildly disturbing thing number two:
I have always liked my birth date. The end of July is in the heat of the best of the four seasons. The year 1979 marked the death of disco and started the transition to the 80s.
Recently, I was watching a documentary on Saddam Hussein and found that he first asserted his power as Iraqi president and held political mass executions on the date of my birth, July 27, 1979.
I'm starting to wonder if I missed my calling to be a dictator who rules with an iron fist. Perhaps in this case missing my calling is a good thing.
Mildly disturbing thing number one:
I have always liked the way my first and last initials looked together. I think it is the straight lines and similar appearance of the "A" and the "H." I did like them enough for my initials to be among the things I most commonly scribbled into loose paper throughout my life.
About a year or two ago I was flipping through the channels when I noticed silverware imprinted with my initials on a show on the History Channel. I wondered excitedly what person from history shared my initials, so I stopped to watch. Imagine my dismay when I realized that this was a documentary on how Adolph Hitler lived in his military bunker system.
I console myself that Alfred Hitchcock also had the same initials.
Mildly disturbing thing number two:
I have always liked my birth date. The end of July is in the heat of the best of the four seasons. The year 1979 marked the death of disco and started the transition to the 80s.
Recently, I was watching a documentary on Saddam Hussein and found that he first asserted his power as Iraqi president and held political mass executions on the date of my birth, July 27, 1979.
I'm starting to wonder if I missed my calling to be a dictator who rules with an iron fist. Perhaps in this case missing my calling is a good thing.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
our sixth year
Today is Golden's and my sixth anniversary. It leaves me in a quandry. I don't want to drip sap on my blog for every brithday, anniversary, etc, but I want Golden to know I appreciate her on this special occasion. In an attempt to be caring without sappy this year (on the blog) I will simply list some of the reasons I love being with Golden.
- She looks past my every flaw (except my tendency to make us late for church).
- There is a lot more to her than she advertises. People write her off as being boring, so she tells me. Anyone who cares to dig deeper knows better.
- She is way funnier than almost anyone ever realizes.
- She is and will be a good mom.
- We both understand each other's personality (introverted) needs.
- We were made for each other.
Happy Anniversary, Golden!
Thursday, July 27, 2006
twenty-seven
Age: It's what separates the men from the boys.
Today is my 27th birthday. Given that it is also July 27th, this is officially the only day in my life that I turn the same age as my birth date. It's all downhill from here.
As I have gotten older I have observed several things about personalities at different ages. One of the things that has stuck out the most to me is that people really don't change as they get older. Let me explain what I mean.
Generally speaking, if you surround yourself with people who have a certain type of personality when you are in high school, you'll do the same after you graduate. If you let someone else determine your tastes in music, fashion, or anything else, you will probably continue letting others influence you. If you are in a popular or unpopular crowd at school age, you will probably stick with a similar type of crowd as an adult.
I used to think that adults were more or less impervious to peer pressure. That was before I had fully thought through the situation. I thought that since senior citizens aren't generally up on the latest trends that they must not care what others think. I found out this was wrong when I made the obvious observation that they were not being influenced by what was cool right now, but rather what the people they hung out with considered normal or cool. Sure, pulling your pants up to your armpits may not be the in look right now, but if all of a seventy-year-old man's closest friends wear clothes like that, he'll fit in to do that too.
Bringing this a bit closer to home, at twenty-seven I don't feel any less susceptible to peer pressure today than I did ten years ago. It's just that now most of my peers are in their thirties with kids.
So, the next time I am tempted to think about how easily manipulated teenagers are to what happens to be hot right now, I will try to remember that I'm probably not any different. Maybe I should work on that this year.
Today is my 27th birthday. Given that it is also July 27th, this is officially the only day in my life that I turn the same age as my birth date. It's all downhill from here.
As I have gotten older I have observed several things about personalities at different ages. One of the things that has stuck out the most to me is that people really don't change as they get older. Let me explain what I mean.
Generally speaking, if you surround yourself with people who have a certain type of personality when you are in high school, you'll do the same after you graduate. If you let someone else determine your tastes in music, fashion, or anything else, you will probably continue letting others influence you. If you are in a popular or unpopular crowd at school age, you will probably stick with a similar type of crowd as an adult.
I used to think that adults were more or less impervious to peer pressure. That was before I had fully thought through the situation. I thought that since senior citizens aren't generally up on the latest trends that they must not care what others think. I found out this was wrong when I made the obvious observation that they were not being influenced by what was cool right now, but rather what the people they hung out with considered normal or cool. Sure, pulling your pants up to your armpits may not be the in look right now, but if all of a seventy-year-old man's closest friends wear clothes like that, he'll fit in to do that too.
Bringing this a bit closer to home, at twenty-seven I don't feel any less susceptible to peer pressure today than I did ten years ago. It's just that now most of my peers are in their thirties with kids.
So, the next time I am tempted to think about how easily manipulated teenagers are to what happens to be hot right now, I will try to remember that I'm probably not any different. Maybe I should work on that this year.
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