Thursday Quick Hits

• Baseball practice last night. The boy did very well and impressed the coach. We are with several boys I have coached before and two from our Scout Troop. Could be another good year.
• Had to be up and moving this morning. Took the dog all the way across town to update the shot so she can be boarded while we drive around the East Coast next week.
• Not sleeping well. The wife is still out of town and I have to be at work at 4am tomorrow. Then after work drive to Cleveland. It will be a long day!
• LOST: HOLY SH*T!!! (no spoilers if you have not watched it yet)
• I have my annual fantasy baseball draft this weekend and I am way behind in planning. I won it all last year. Could I repeat. I hope!!!

3:33am

For sometime I was waking up in the middle of the night, every night. And when I looked at the clock it was 3:00am. It got so that I would be wide awake in bed and NOT look at the clock because it was freaking me out so much.

Last night I was awaken by the dog jumping into the bed. I looked at the clock and it was 3:33am. For a moment I froze and then waited for about 10 minutes and then I heard the thunder. A big boomer was coming and the dog had heard it from far off. I was up until about 4:20am when it was over. But I still had that tinge of doubt in the back of my mind that I was woken up at 3:33am for a reason...

Countdown...

Vacation is almost here. The wife left this morning for Cleveland and we will pick her up on Friday as we head to NY.

I need this vacation so bad I can taste it.

The lawn is in dire need of mowing already. I have no time between now and vacation to do it. Looks like it will be LONG in the tooth when I get back.

The boy has a job lined up with a landscaper we know. Could be a good thing for him.

That's it for now, quick hits, sorry.....

Is it Time To Wake Up??

Hello? Where did the weekend go? Friday night we were out at dinner (the wife and I, the boy was camping) then got home and played a little Guitar Hero (very fun, we have 2 controllers). Then instead of TV we talked, played some more and then went to bed. I awoke at 5:15am and drove to Conseco Fieldhouse to work the 2007 IHSSA Boy's State Finals. It technical directed 4 basketball games and all the in between stuff (half time, commercial breaks, award ceremonies, in between games). That means we were on the air from 10:30am till 4:30pm with NO BREAKS. Then took a quick break (50 minutes), then back to the grind; live from 6:00pm till 10:30pm, with NO BREAKS. So I left home at 5:30am and got back at 11pm and worked my ass off.

To top it off I went to bed at midnight, STARVING (remember no breaks) and the alarm woke me up at 4:20am to go to REGULAR work. That's right, after the marathon freelance job I had to fill in for someone on the AM shift. I get home after 10am and then pick up the boy, go to lunch with the parents, my sister, and my brother and his wife (down from Chicago); sit around my parent's house to visit and then get home after 4pm. Once again the weekend flew by and I have nothing to show for it but a sore back and bags under my eyes. Thank goodness vacation starts Friday at 1pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some Quick Hits:

• I have the greenest lawn on the block ( :-) ) and know I will have to mow it badly when I return from vacation!!! It is too short now to mow but I figure a week will do it and I will be in NY then. Better then shoveling snow!!!!
• Got the boy's report card. While not as good as we would like it, it is 100% better then where he was heading!!!
• The wife is in Cleveland this week, that means two guys living at home alone for 4 days, ohoh!!

No Reply At All

Day 3 is good! So far 3/3 in workout days this week. Tomorrow will make it an even 4/4 on the week and a complete success! I cut back my cardio while my muscles get used to the new weights. I will be back up to full speed next week and then VACATION!!!!!

I have been absentminded lately. I lost the keycard to my work the other day and have no idea where the hell it went. I had it when I left and then it was gone when I needed it. I have gone over all my steps and cannot find it. Time to go upstairs and ask for a replacement.

Did not get to see LOST last night. The wife had a crazy schedule putting on demonstrations in house for several companies on why to bank with her. She did C shift last night and did not get back until after midnight (I think, I was snoring). All told she opened like 45 new checking accounts yesterday! Bravo!

This whole US Attorney thing is driving me crazy. The US Attorney serves at the pleasure of the President. When Clinton took office he fired 93 of them and no one blinked. What the White House should have said was "We gave it a shot with these guys and they are not working out for this administration." Instead they give some cock and bull story of poor performance and secret emails and left hand not knowing about right hand and now we are wasting resources on political bullshit. God I hate politics and politicians. Stand up, be a man and tell the truth for the love of Pete!

Works For Me Wednesday

Like most of the world now our IT guys have gone nuts over security. So every 45 days we must change our password on EVERYTHING!!! I have 3 different items that need a password log in at work. I used the same password on all of them but now I have to change them at different times, plus I have to change an easy to remember password and try to remember what I changed them too EVERY MONTH!!! SO what I have done is taken my regular, easy password and added a number to it. In fact it is the number of the month we are in. So my password, say Wednesday, becomes Wednesday01 in January, Wednesday02 in February and so on.... Easy to remember and it puts the IT guys at rest...

Works for me!

Tuesday

Well, it is official I am the father of a 14 year old. I do not know how this happened but here it is. It has not been an easy journey but it was a good one none the less. I would not trade any of it for the world.

We had a nice little family party last night. Dinner and cake and some conversation. The boy got enough money to outfit himself for Philmont this year. He was very grateful. He also got a replacement Ipod for the one that was stolen. And we got him Guitar Hero for the PlayStation. Now he has something to work towards.

The workout went well today. I am SORE!!!!! But I handled it and now have to take a nice hot shower so I can actually lift my arms at work. But hey I am 2 for 2 this week!

Brothers In Arms

Another Scout filled weekend. We not only had Scouting for Food and another Eagle Project on Saturday (we worked about 10:30am till 4pm) we also had the boy's 14th birthday party. Then on Sunday we were up at 6am to do a conditioning hike (10 miles) then off to an Eagle Court of Honor in which the boy was in the Color Guard. By the time I got home and sat down it was after 6pm. I am beat down and tired but I still got up this morning and hit the gym and started my new workout. So far so good, but then again it is only the first day. Wish me luck.

The party was fun. It was definitely different. Only a handful of kids were invited (mixed group: boys and girls) and we gave them their room (but not too much). They wanted to hand out on the deck, watch some movies and 'chill'. And that is what they did. We got some pizza for them and had cookie cake. They watched 2 movies and sat on the couch and talked all night. The boy invited his girlfriend. She started the night on the opposite side of the room and by the time the 2nd movie was over she was sitting next to him with him arm around her and they were holding hands. I know, I know, we have already had the talk and I watch him like a hawk. No unsupervised visits!!!!!!!

My big shock came when no one wanted to sing Happy Birthday to him, apparently they are all too cool for that. He blew out his candles and they ate the cookie. They all had a good time so it was a hit. The boy said Thank You about 100 times in Sunday. That was very nice, to hear that he actually appreciated it. While we were working the Eagle project on Saturday the wife was shopping for the party and called and asked what type of chips he wanted. When told he could get cheese doodles too he was amazed and said, WOW you guys are going all out on this one!.....

Lunch Break

No time for the Internet this morning as I was up and out and to the gym. I got there and told a trainer/friend that I was BORED, and had not worked out in a week or so. And have definitely not been as regular as I was last year! He hooked me up with another employee who used to be a trainer before a car accident. He beat the HECK out of me!!!! I now have a new routine to start for weight training. Two days of legs, one of upper push muscles and one of upper pull muscles. It will be difficult, I am upper my weights, reps (from 12 to 15) and sets (from 2 to 3); while decreasing the NUMBER of machines I use. I am very excited about this and hope to have some good results in a few months!!!

As for the previous posts in which some of my loyal visitors have not read ANY on the list I will tell you this: I do read more than SciFi/Fantasy (see my reading library here) but try to pick a title on the list and give it a shot. There are some one book classics and a few long trilogies (Lord of the Rings), but give it a shot!

Well lunch is almost over and I have a little light reading I want to do before I go back to the grindhouse!

Trying Again....Book Post I Take 2

SFBC List

Science Fiction Book Club listed the most significant SF novels between 1953-2006.

Bold the ones you have read, strike through the ones you read and hated, italicize those you started but never finished.

1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert
4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson
7. Childhood’s End, Arthur C. Clarke
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
9. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
10. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
12. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
13. The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov
14. Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
15. Cities in Flight, James Blish
16. The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
17. Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
18. Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
19. The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
20. Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
21. Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
22. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
23. The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
27. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
30. The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
31. Little, Big, John Crowley
32. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
33. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
34. Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
35. More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
36. The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
37. On the Beach, Nevil Shute
38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
39. Ringworld, Larry Niven
40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
41. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
42. Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
43. Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
44. Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
45. The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
46. Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
47. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer

AARRGGHHH!!!!

I just finished a DOUBLE POST and then BAM, it was all gone. It was all about books and reading and habits and CRAP!!!!!!!!!

later

Digital Man

Lazy bones....no workout. Good eating, pants getting loose. What would happen if I actually did workout. Sometimes I am a moron.

I am bored of my workout. I need a new plan. I have a meeting with a trainer on Thursday. We shall see what happens. I am hoping to move over to some free motion weights. I do not mind the cardio I am doing. It works for me. It is the middle part that I am having a hard time with.

Duchess

Well it is Monday morning and this weekend kicked my butt!!!!

WE started early on Saturday morning to help a Scout work on his Eagle Project. He is making collections for the Human Society and we had to drop off a bag and list of needs to 174 homes. The Scout hit 800 homes total. It was not that hard but just a lot of walking to every house and putting a bag on their door. We go back to 'our' homes next week and pick up whatever was left for us.

We hung around the house after that, cleaning and enjoying the nice weather. We had windows open all weekend and the dog did not want to come it at all!!! WE did hit the malls to pick up some jewelry that was busted. I pick up some clothes as some of my current stuff is starting to be big on me. The wife is after me to get new jeans as the ones I wear are too big. I am right now BETWEEN sizes. I hate that. The ones I wear are baggy but the next size down is a little uncomfortable. Give me a few weeks..........

Not only did we have the time change to deal with on Sunday I had to work the AM shift. That would be 4am-9am (for a fill in) and will the time change it was 3am that I had to be there, meaning wakey wakey at 2am. So the rest of the day was a blur.

We did get to watch two movies this weekend. The Departed and 300. Both were absolutely FANTASTIC in it's own way. The Departed was classic Scorsese!! The acting was well done, the story intriguing and the ending had some many 'moments' I think I said "Holy Sh*t" more then I said it all year!!! 300 was in a word AWESOME! The number one movie at the box office and rightly so. Action, plot, great visuals, fantastic acting, it had it all. AND loosely based on a true story. I am a big fan of the tall of the 300 against Xerxes. I have read several books on the subject and they did alright for a movie based on a comic based on an historical event. Check them both out! Both are a little bloody (OK not a little) but both tell great stories and are very well acted!

Today I slept FOREVER! My wife woke me up and I have to move my butt. I guess I need more than 3 hours of sleep on a Saturday night.......

Friday, Friday...

Wow, what a boring week altogether. Nothing to write about, nothing to rant about and nothing to really remember. I think I would enjoy more weeks like this. Sure we were a little busy with Scouts, band meetings and concerts but it was nothing we couldn't handle. I got to watch my shows and sleep and get some exercise in, not too bad for a week.

In work news we are getting ready for a big studio project. Which means we will be in a temporary studio for some time. Which also means that the news department will be able to concentrate on writing the news and not worry about where they need to move talent too (the bosses like to have the talent move around the studio for no reason, very distracting). It is the hope of most involved that when the brass sees what real news can be they will get away from this movement for movement's sake.

We are also having big parking troubles at work. I was 15 minutes late because I had to drive around the block waiting for someone to leave. I finally parked a nice walk away on the street then went out there after lunch to move the car closer and more secure and still did not make it into any of the 3 lots we have to park in. It is ridiculous what we have to go through to get to work....

Survivor Night.

At last it is Thursday. I think it is my most favorite day. The week is behind us and we have the anticipation of tomorrow, the last day of the work week. I know you are all thinking, Friday is the best day, but you would be wrong. See all you do Friday is wait for Mr. Slate to pull the tail on the bird to end the working day. But Thursday you can be all excited that TOMORROW is the end of the week. Which is better the day before Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Why the day before, the joy and excitement. Christmas Day is over and you are left with a mess to clean, toys to put together and sometimes disappointment that you did not get what you wanted. Ah but the day before all your dreams might come true......

Got Up...

Went and worked out today. Did only cardio no weights. I have a dentist appointment tomorrow and my stomach is still a little 'off'.

The boy is still doing well at school and is earning some of his stuff back. We let him out with friends this weekend and let him play video games (with us). So I think he is learning his lesson but we are still on top of him.

Sorry, slow boring day in a slow boring week. I have nothing to rant about (yet) and am trying to take an even keel to work and keep it! I believe it to be working so far, but time will tell.

My parents did return from NYC with gifts! One dozen NY Bagels and some potato knishes. If you have never eaten neither, who have not lived! Had a bagel for breakfast and might use one for a sandwich for lunch.......

Back To Work...

Have being sick and then working all day freelance on Saturday it is time to get back into the saddle. The only thing I want to do is win the lottery. Why can I not just pick the right numbers.

Baseball started this weekend. Ah, the first signs of spring is in the air. Training down in Florida means that all this cold and snow and wind will be gone soon and I will be able to bitch about having to mow the lawn twice a week instead of bitching about the cold. Are we ever satisfied? I think not.

I should have worked out today but I did not. I woke up the boy and tasted that taste in the back of the throat that said to me, lay down or you will puke. I will check what I eat today and then work out tomorrow.

end transmission...

UNcle, Uncle....

Because some of my readers are bored, a quick post...

Saturday, woke up at 5am and drove to Conceco Fieldhouse for 6:30am crew call. Got my credentials and headed to the TV studio.

Set up video board, checked 4 cameras and tape machines. Set up for first High School basketball game televised all over Indiana, State Finals.

First game tip off 10:30am.

Second game tip off 1:20pm

Broke for quick lunch.

Third game tip off 6:05pm

Final Game tip off 8:15pm

Shut down control room and head home, 10:30pm

So to recap yesterday's schedule work 6:30am to 10:30pm with only 65 minutes for lunch and no breaks whatsoever. Me very tired!

Sick Day

My first sick day of the year and first in several months. Up all night, need to be near bathroom. I have a freelance gig tomorrow and if I can not kick this I am in big trouble. The gig goes from 6am till 11pm and I couldn't handle a 1/2 hour show today. Relaxing and sleeping and not eating, that might work....

Later....