Hey look a Monkey!

Kid Exchange

2010-07-13T16:31:00.009-04:00

When I first heard of the Kid Exchange in Raleigh I giggle and laughed about trading in Logan for a newer model, after The Wife shot me a look I soon found out that this is a giant event that happens twice a year and I hope I never have to go near it. If you don't feel like clicking on the link, Kid Exchange is a giant consignment sale of all things kids. It's a great way to get pretty decent clothes and toys without breaking the bank.

Since we are now in a smaller location (I know I need to write something about that, still too close to the issue I swear I'll get to it) we needed to get rid of some items and that's when we realized that Logan had what equals 7 of those Rubbermade tubs full of clothes that

we were not planning on keeping. We were trading clothes with other families but with Logan now wearing 18 month clothing when he is only 12 months we kind of caught up to our friends and have an excess of clothing. For two days The Wife went through the tubs and we ended up with two tubs of keepers, two tubs that would not sell and three tubs that we could actually sell at the Kid Exchange.

They have very strict rules on what type of clothes and what you have to do to each item and the hardest part was everything had to be in wire hangers. The guidelines mentioned going to local dry cleaners and asking for extras or recycled hangers. After driving to 6 different locations and being rejected a few times I finally found enough hangers. We also had to buy card stock paper, zip ties and safety pins. The next two days we spend hanging and pinning the cloths and attaching cards with the zip ties. I figured I spent 7 hours of my life doing this. While packing I did not realize how fast Logan actually grew. 75% of all the clothing was new born to 6 months with the bulk being the 3-6month style of clothing. After that it was a sparse selection because he grew so fast. We had only 9 outfits for that were labeled 9 months. he's finally settled down with the growth spurts but I fear how big this kid is going to be.

I get everything packed into those three tubs and head down to the State Fair grounds and see a wave op people entering into the TWO BUILDINGS carrying clothes and other baby items. As you can see from the

picture this place is huge and it is backed with nothing but toys and clothes. The other building are larger items like cribs, high chairs and bikes. I finally trek my way to the boy clothes and find the 50ft length of stand for new born. Most of the rack is already full and I have to spread my clothes out across the whole section. I noticed a theme with placing the clothes out. Most people wanted their clothes right at the beginning of the sections and as you went further along the less packed the clothes became. I'm guessing everyone wanted their clothes to be seen and picked the starting point. My philosophy became so many people are going to be going through these clothes that it did not matter.

As I keep hanging my sale items I see people bring what can only be described as a fork lift full of clothes and toys into the hanger like building. I thought we had a lot of excess but holy crap, these people made me feel like I only had a hand full of things. How can you get that much stuff and need to sell it. I understand if you have a lot of kids but at some point in time you had to think that your house was creaking and bowing at the seems from weeble wobbles, Legos and Barbies.

The size of this sale is maddening and you should see it when it is actually underway. The one time I went with The Wife the line to check out was all the way around the building and started to double back. It's just a sea of humanity within a see of clothes. It's almost sensory overload and I never ever want to go back. For The Wife it is almost heavenly but I do not wish to be involved.

Back to the original idea of this post, after I finished up tagging everything I figure we have about 150 items for sale and if we sell it all we can make over $400. If we sell half which is what I'm hoping it's about $140. If we do make that $140 we have to take out the $40 I spent on supplies and then the Kid Exchange takes $15 that means we have made we have a profit of $85. Then again The Wife is going twice, once as a seller the day before it opens and then again on Saturday. I'm just hoping to break even at that point. I've said it before, babies are a racket and I need to tap into it somehow.

How Is He Still Alive!

2010-07-13T16:12:00.003-04:00

See that little guy to the left, for those not in the know that is Logan and some how he is still doing OK one year after his birth. Last year at this time I was in a hospital room exhausted and trying to deal with being a father. Oddly enough today is pretty much the same, the exhaustion is more from working and the fatherhood thing is still freaking me out.

Somehow he is still in one piece, has not been taken away by the state, nor has he been take by a band of gypsies tricking me into taking a sack of beans. I love being a dad, but I never thought I could be one. I'm at times not the most responsible but somehow I am managing. Even with The Wife and I now working completely opposite schedules I do not see Logan as much and it sucks, but I have to keep telling myself he loves me still and will not forget who I am.

From what I've heard, we got off pretty easy this first year, not a lot of problems expect that at times he does not like this thing called sleep or wants to sleep in our bed. I'm wondering what the next year will bring, will we get revenge for the first year or will it be similar to the first? When will he start walking and when will Lucy start living in our bedroom to get away from the whirlwind known as Logan.

Finally

2010-06-28T10:04:00.002-04:00

Our long national nightmare is over, I found a job. The one year 7 months and 25 day search is finally done and I am working part time at another Raleigh/Durham TV station. I'm not allowed to say which station by lets just say they have a "mouse" issue. I'm currently part time with the expectation of being bumped to full time when the new budget comes out.

This has been a huge burden lifted off of me, I was to the point I thought I'd never get hired. I set out over 200 resumes and had one interview and seven rejection letters (all from one company) prior being hired. I had clients not pay me, I've had clients try and get me to work for pennies and of course I did because I'm too nice. We are losing the house (more on that later) and have had many financial struggles. This job came at the right time, we started to see some financial light and this will help us get to our goal of no credit card debt.

The job is a lot of what I've done in the past, expect this time I am an editor first and a photographer second. I don't mind that much as long as I get out in the field every once in a while. I get a little stir crazy in the edit booth if I'm in there for 11 days in a row (already happened). I don't mind being the "hybrid" position, I have a job and I'm already looking at things differently than I would have two years aog. I'm letting things just go and roll off my back. I had one photographer yell at me because I used his camera and my first day I was asked if I was an intern 3 times.

I've got to make this work, I'm just going to keep my head down and just do my job and hopefully this time I don't get laid off for economic reasons again.

Out Of Room

2010-05-28T09:01:00.000-04:00

I've been doing this blog for over four years now and I can't believe this happened, I ran out of room for pictures. If you ever wonder how I put pictures on here, I usually scour the web for something silly, save it to my computer then upload it to Blogger. Blogger has a place holder and I am allowed a certain amount of space. For the last few post I ran into an error and come to find out that my Picasa account was full. When I was trying to do a home video business I thought it would be great to put all my video on Google video and that would be a great place to store them and use that to link them to websites. I bought a couple Gigabyte of space and all was good.Well, Google bought YouTube and that ended that fun so I started put all of Logan's photos there so we could have them and not lose them with another computer crash.

With money being tight and the addition of a Terrabyte hard drive the extra Picasa space was not needed. I'm now trying to go through and delete unwanted photos on Picasa Web. I'll have more room, but it feels weird deleting pictures of Logan. I know I have them saved on the main computer, two external drives, on my iPod and on a Shutterfly account. What's more important, a sixth place to store his photos or a folder full of random pictures.

The Next Fad

2010-05-27T08:25:00.003-04:00

I do a little bit of work with the kids at my church. It's me mostly acting stupid and trying to get the other host to break character. The kids usually come up to me before and after the show and talk. A couple of weeks ago a kid named Owen showed me his arm and he had what appeared to be those gel bands that were popular in the 80s and then a few years ago started to have "meaning" and then schools band them.

I thought it was odd that a third grader had all these bands, but he explained that they were silly bandz. If you do not have kids or are not hip to the trends of middle schoolers, they are gel bands that have shapes. The first one Owen showed me was a baseball. I looked around the theater (I should let you know the church is in a movie theater) and two-thirds of the kids had a wrist full of these bands. I'm a nice guy so last week I was comic host again and so I thought I'd go to the local chain drug store and I ask for "those stupid bands the kids love." Before I finished the woman walked over with a container of these silly bandz. She told me they can't keep them on the selves and gets calls daily asking if they have them in. That should have been the first clue. I bought three packs of ten for about $9.

I walk into the theater before the show and the kids were wondering what's in the bag. I told a couple of the older kids and I was almost attacked and ripped limb for limb as the kids wanted these bands. I kept telling everyone that they were the prizes for the games and I heard 15 voices in unison shouting "pick me!" I give in a little and let some of the kids trade for the bands. After 15 minutes I had a completely different set of bandz than I walked in with. I finally break free and we start. We get to the game show part and by that time EVERY kid knew what I had and I almost had them rush the stage to be contestants. I pick my kids and others gave me "you said you pick me." After the show I still had a couple left and then I was attacked again. I had kids who were normally the good quite onces grasping at the bag. I felt like the kids were zombies and these bandz were human brains. I was finally out and still the kids were upset, I learned my lesson that day, why didn't I think of this idea!

It was probably a mistake, someone at the jelly wristband factory made a batch that was deformed and instead of throwing them all out the manager gave a few to his kid. One looked like a star or something and the other kids thought it was awesome. The kid comes home and asks for more. The manager parent gets the idea to sell them and try and make other shapes, and a fad is born. The company is making money hand over fist and then comes the competitors and all is great but like all fads by the time we hit September the fad will be over.

Look at all the stupid kid trends, Beanie Babies, pet rocks, mood rings, garbage pail kids, zhu-zhu pets and countless others. Why can't I get one of these ideas, sure it would be a firework type ride but at least I could make something off of it. Start the fad, sell to a larger company and see it fall to ruins. Isn't that the new American dream? Create something worthless that will make money? Now I just need that idea.

Social Media

2010-05-14T08:22:00.000-04:00

I've had a year and a half problem trying to write on this blog, I don't want to be depressive and to be honest I have had a form of writers block as well. The words have not flowed as much as I liked. We few new things have helped out, what became a free laptop, Wireless connection in the house and some hope has started to get me wanting to write. It's a whole lot easier to sit on the couch and watch a TV in front of me instead of at a desktop where I had to turn around to watch a movie.

Also I started a new blog and I think the creative juices flowing. I'm writing about music in my life. It's not going to be about reviews or even what music I like. It's going to be about when I hear a song it can take me to a place in time. The first post is about the song The Power by Snap. After that I have created three other post that will be released of the next few days.

I did post the first link on Facebook and I had someone tell me it was an interesting concept and wanted to know if I wanted help getting exposure. I responded any help will be appreciated but to be honest, I'm not doing this to make any kind of money or have any real kind of fame. I just want to create the creativity flowing and this has been a great stress reliever.

I understand social media is the new thing but at times I think we are putting way too much into it. People are making careers out of tweeting and blogging. How, I have no idea but it just seems to be a glorified networking thing. Most of the time I see people trying to use Facebook or Twitter for a means to an end it comes across as annoying and pushy. "Hey I've got some new stuff you will want." "I just read an article that will improve your business."

I am the worst at networking, I'm so bad I lost a card to a connection that could have possible gotten me a little work. For me this is a hobby that eats up time and forces me to try and use skills I am lacking... typing and getting a message across. Would I like to make money doing this? Sure, but I'd rather not turn this hobby into a faux career. I already have a hard time trying to do freelance video.

When Did I Walk Into A Sit-Com

2010-05-13T10:22:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was one of those days where I keep looking around for the studio audience. I just felt like I was in a bad sit-com and could not get out. It started and pretty much ended with Logan. The Wife was getting him ready for a bath and handed of a naked Logan to me. Guess what happened next, my stomach started to feel warm and wet, I got pee-ed on. Then I felt like I was changing shirts and pants all day. I got pee-ed on again this time it was on my pants and underwear and no I did not pee myself and blamed Logan.

Logan also is dealing with a nasty allergy cold that turned into an infection. He is stuffy and full of mucus and I ended up changing three more shirts that were covered in snot. Also he has a bacteria that could lead to pink eye. I've been without insurance since December 08 and have become a little bit of a hypochondriac. With my allergies and now this new development I keep checking my eye seeing if I have pink eye. "Oh no, I have watery eyes and they are sore!" I run to the bathroom and wash my hands every ten minutes and then look at my eye, rewash my hands and start to worry again. I should work my day up into a script and try to sell it to one of those bad parent sit-com's on ABC or CBS.

Lost Fill In

2010-04-14T07:40:00.002-04:00

With King Tom a little busy I said I would become a middle reliever and do a blog post for this weeks Lost. I just got back from a trip to Ohio less than two hours before the show started so I hope I can do King Tom justice.

Fortunately for me this week's show is about one of the best characters on the show, Hurley. He's funny, when it's a Hurley show we get answers and his character is just plain interesting. Not only do the fans like him, but it appears that the island is a fan of Hugo as well. In the past Hurley has been the Haley Joel Osmond of the show and has seen dead people on the island. Michael showed up and we learn that dead people trapped on the island because they can't move on (almost a cop out to one of original theories about the island). I've had the impression the island wants Hurley to be the new Jacob and all the other candidates are there to play a supporting role in this play.

Hurley has always followed but over the last couple of seasons he has started to find his voice and is becoming a leader. Now Hurley is to the point of deceiving people to get a solution, taking everyone to the Black Rock just to blow it up and telling Richard that he saw Jacob. We have seen this before and it usually turns bad (Ben and Whidmore come to mind). Will Hurley be strong enough to not divert and become corrupt, will he throw the ring into the mountain to end the rain of Sauron... wait, I just slipped into Lord of the Rings. I hope Hurley continues to listen to the more reliable dead people and become the ruler of middle earth... I mean the new Jacob.

I'm interested in seeing how the meet up of fLocke will go, seriously how can anything good happen from this. I know its a show and most likely everything will "work out" but seriously I hope the writers do not mess with me.

Before I move on I should probably talk about the sideways world, I love the fact that Hurley is successful and not cursed. He seems to be the only one not haunted by something. I think the writers kind of forced this episode. I still don't know why they killed Libby off, but they had to explain the whole Libby in the same insane asylum thing. For the first time I could have not done with the Hurley story off island. It was great to hear Hurley mention an alternate universe. In his own way he has become the common fan voice in the show.

The secondary story involves, Desmond and his special powers in both realities. I have a theory on this, based on the fact that Dez can see Jacob, well at least teenage Jacob. So far three people have seen this "vision" fLocke, Hurley and Desmond. Obviously fLocke because he is the man in black, yet why Desmond and Hurley. If this were an S.A.T question it would look like this Sayid is to fLocke as Desmond is to Hurley. When you see sideways Desmond gun down Locke it shows he knows something and Locke had to die. As I laid in bed after the show I kept thinking about these two character's interaction and each knows what has to be done. fLocke needs Desmond gone and Desmond has to kill fLocke. This will become the new Ben v Locke for the remainder of the series.

Here are some random thoughts that I could not fit into the two main stories:

Interesting to see Jack just give in completely, he wants to lead and "fix" everything. I have no idea what Jake's new role will be but I'm starting to like him again.

I was listening to the BS Report podcast, Bill Simmons and Chuck Klosterman were talking about Lost and it was interesting to hear them talk about how violent this show is, but the violence is only used when necessary and that makes it more shocking. Well Ilanna getting blown up was unexpected and shocking. This lead Ben to maybe give a nugget of information. "Island was done with her, makes me wonder what will happen when it's done with us." Klosterman also mentioned that he hows that the show ends by the plain just blowing up and everything was for not. I hope this is not a clue into that idea.

Really Richard? When Ben is the first person to join your group you still think it's a good idea? That story line can only end in pain.

Sawyer has been one of my favorite characters but he is slowly becoming a Kate on the show, he keeps saying the same lines and keeps doing the same annoying things. Come on, progress his character already.

Finally on the above said podcast it was mentioned that both guys would watch a Sawyer and Miles cop show spin off. To be honest I would watch the first few episodes no matter if it was a great show or not. ABC, make this show happen!

I hope you enjoyed and the King will probably be back next week.

Holy Mother Of Crap!

2010-03-02T22:04:00.005-05:00

I took two weeks off from writing about Lost because I had a bad couple of weeks. When I say bad I mean the worst possible weeks. I'm feeling a little better and then I watched Sundown and things blew up! In the previous two weeks we learned about how Locke always lived under the idea of you could not tell him what to do. Well in the sideways we learn his life was kind of pathetic and then he finally stopped living by that mantra and moved on. Then last week we learn about Jack and his reversal from a man of science to maybe a man of faith. He wants the island to fix him.

This week we learn about Sayid's sideways life. To be honest not that interesting till the end, more on that later. Any time the story revolves around Sayid there is usual lots of blood and people getting hurt and tonight was an uber dose of this. First we get a kung fu fight between Sayid and Dogen and then he stabs faux Locke and more killing later with Sayid turning "evil." What do you expect to happen The Others? you tortured him and then tried to kill him multiple times. Did you think that was not going to turn him? If that happened to me and then faux Locke offered to bring back my love a la Star Wars prequel I would probably do it.

Also this whole crazy Claire thing is creepy great, and I can't wait for her to try and kill Kate. You know it is happening and it's going to get all crazy. This makes me wonder if Rousseau was "in the fold" with Smokey. I'm hoping this gets addressed in a later episode because it is just too not be a coincident.

We have also got a little Survivor Lost going on here and the sides are starting to form. On the side of faux Locke/evil is Sayid, Claire and Sawyer on the side of Jacob/good we have Jack and Hurley then the current neutrals are Jin, Sun, Miles and Kate. I know I'm not the only one to noticed this but at the end when the survivors of the smokey attack walked out Kate did not get a head nod fro faux Locke. I think he doesn't want Kate and truthfully who would. I put Sawyer in the evil camp, but I have a feeling that he is going to split and go his own way as usual.

Oh Kate, why do you screw everything up? She is the worst kind of bad penny and I think faux Locke knows this. Think about it, she screws everything up. When Kate told Miles she was going to see Claire I knew she was going to blather on about Aaron and now she may die. Kate needs to learn that forcing the issue is not her strong suit and needs to maybe go with the flow for a while. She got in the way with Jack then Sawyer, wanted to take care of Aaron even though she has no connection to him and that's just a sample of her idiocy.

Back to Sayid turning all Jack Bauer in every universal plain. I loved the fight scene with Keamy the gangster. You just felt that he was going to go all 24 on the room and he did. Keamy tried to plead but was killed for the second time, not a good track record. The look in Sayid's eyes when Ben tried to rescue him was great, total crazy and totally looking for blood. I was surprised he did not stab Ben.

The battle lines for the island have been drawn and it looks like it's Jack and Hurley against everyone else. Now to the more random thoughts:

Boomerang in the house is always a bad idea.

I missed the creepy sounds of smokey followed by total destruction.

I guess not having the money was a bad thing for Jin.

How is everyone able it keep getting back into the temple? Seriously, everyone has been waltzing in and out of that place, some fortress.

Little something from previous weeks. I think the lighthouse belongs to Jacob and the cave is faux Locke's. We saw organization with Jacob and I think the randomness in the cave is a trait of faux Locke. When asked about the numbers faux Locke had no idea what they were about. We learned they are degrees. Why everyone is important is still up for debate.

I think Adam and Eve are Jin and Sun.

Tricky Door Knob

2010-02-15T22:46:00.002-05:00

The Wife came home and wanted to take a drive and go out to eat. We ended up going to our favorite Mexican restaurant in downtown Wake Forest. I started to enjoy our favorite downtown spot and I started to hear a child, and I could not tell if he was screaming or crying. Then we heard two kids and I looked at The Wife and said "They must be having a good time." The sounds turned frantic and we heard banging. It was not a party instead two kids were trapped. I see a mother run past us saying "I didn't know they had locks on the doors." Where are the kids and how did they get there.

I never thought I'd hear this but a five year old and seven year older sister locked themselves in a bathroom and could not get out. How does this happen? I know a three year old that can has figured out one of those child proof doors. Even Velociraptor can open doors even this kid can do it. I am just amazed by this, two kids and they are stumped by a round doorknob. Then the kid told the owner that he needed to fix the door. Hey kid how about being smarter than a dog.

Then that comment from the mother still shocks me. "I didn't know the door had locks." If she did know about the locks would she have to stay with the kids so they could get out? Wouldn't they watch and learn to see what the mother is doing? I fear for these kids, if they can not open a door with a lock they are going to end up like the aliens in Signs.

Zombie Episode

2010-02-09T22:08:00.003-05:00

Hurley asked Sayid "You're not a Zombie are you?" Well tonight's Lost, What Kate Does, was a zombie for the first 50 minutes. The writers brought back the old tired story lines and added a bad action movie feel to it. Sawyer was angry and did his own thing, Kate did the wrong thing and followed Sawyer because she can, Jack turned back into the leader that tries, The Others are mysterious and no one knows if they can trust them and as usual not a lot of answers.

In season two and three there would be a great show followed by a set up show that was less than stellar and as a zombie episode this was definatly a setup. We are going to hopefully figure out what happened to Claire. We did see what happened to Claire in the alternative world of Lost and how Kate and Claire stories are intertwined. The biggest surprise in this reality was seeing Ethan as her doctor. The line I enjoyed was him say he didn't want to stick her with a bunch of needles. In season 1 that's all Ethan did was stick and tried to deliver the baby. To be honest that's the only interesting thing in the alternative reality.

During most of the dialogue between the Losties and The Others was not interesting and rather bland. We did learn that Sayid is somehow infected with "darkness," of course that leads probably everyone to wonder if the same happened to Ben and if this is one of the reasons that Faux Locke was able to come back. What exactly is thid darkness, who knows and right now I don't care, just let him turn and move things along. The twist in tonight's show was that Claire was somehow infected and has turned. This could explain why she is hanging with Christian, but at the end she looked more like Rouso than anything else.

Where this is going I have no idea, but I'd give this episode two thumbs down. You would think the Lost writers would have learned that Kate shows are not that interesting. Kate is much better as a supporting character and not the lead. Her flashbacks/forwards/sidways are never that great and yet they she has to be near the top of the leader board for these.

Lastly Sawyer did do something interesting, he took responsibility for the death of Juliet. His character has been based on blaming others for the problems in the world. Is this his change, Jack appeared to be given a chance to change and finally help people instead of getting them killed or injured (Sayid getting shot, Juliet's death, that car crash back on the main land etc). How is this going to effect everything, will Sawyer see through Faux Locke or will this new change make him blind and Faux Locke will be able to control Sawyer. I've written enough about the worst episode ever this fine series, onto the randomness:

The writers stole a page from the Simpson's Homer The Great episode with Aldo and Justin playing Lenny and Karl. Justin/Karl would start to give out "important" information followed by Aldo/Lenny saying shuuuut uuuuuup!

I'm glad they ended the translation bit. That got old real quick.

Clare and Kate could have gone on a Thelma and Louise type run and that would have made this a better episode.

I guess Hurly is no longer the leader. The shortest but best leader of the Losties.

In the last week recap show it was mentioned that the book found on the dead one armed French man was about Abraham and Isaac. It was written as if the narrator was a defense attorney for Abraham. Could this be a clue to the story behind Jacob and Faux Locke? Could somehow Jacob be his father and he somehow actually killed his "son" and Faux Locke is pissed about being killed and wanted to show Jacob what it felt like.

Name Ideas

2010-02-09T13:04:00.004-05:00

If you have not been contacted by or have heard through the grapevine, The Wife is starting to sell Pampered Chef. She is gone head first in and already been to a conference and has 8 shows booked from now till March. As she is sitting here I am being poked with a Pampered Chef 5" utility knife (an all purpose knife and is only $38.00) until I put a link to The Wife's online site. Man that knife is sharp!

At the above said conference she was given an idea and I am involved. The new spring and summer catalog has a grill line and guess what? I am now having a Pampered Chef show. The only problem is, it's a Pampered Chef show. I know guys sell and buy Pampered Chef, but it is not a guy friendly name. The Wife has already started asking people to come to my yet unscheduled show and an idea came from it.

Brian, a guy from our life group, made a comment we need to have a formal name and then have it "sponsored" by Pampered Chef. Like;

Meatapalooza 2010
presented by Pampered Chef

See that gives it a manly feel but we all know that Pampered Chef has something to do with it but we get to grill out and eat some kind of meat and possible buy cool stuff to make grilling even better.

The thing is I need is more ideas on what to call this show. The above is one option but here is a list of others and pitch in your own in the comments. If you suggest the winning name I'll get The Wife to give you a free citrus peeler or one of those bag closer things. The current list of names are:

Meatapalooza 2010
Grilled Meats Fest
Get In My Belly Special
Fire Made It Better, The Outdoor Addition
Grillageddon, A Meat Thing

Share and you might be invited, who am I kidding if you have ever met me, The Wife is going to invite you. I might even get a giant grill out of this... tax right off because it will be used in shows. HOLLA!

What Happened

2010-02-02T23:08:00.005-05:00

That was the last line in the latest installment of Lost and that says it all, what happened. From about eight seconds in I have never been so confused in all my life. Then 10 minutes later I was even more confused. Slowly I started to get my head around the two hour season premier and I think I am figuring things out.

We started out with Jack on Oceanic flight 815 and it looked like the flight never crashed onto the island. Then all of the sudden we see Kate and Miles on the island and before I can figure out what is happening I see Jack. What happened? My theory starting out is this, the flight "never" crashed on the island but everyone did not go all "Back to the Future" and they are continuing on a their time line. I think it was confirmed at the end with the rocket flare that Richard and the others saw. What does this mean? It looks like for a while at least the flashbacks/forwards are no more but instead we are going to get flash sideways. Going back and forth from the reality we know and the reality that should have been.

It was interesting to see people that have not been on Lost for a while like Boone, Mars and even Atrz the teacher that blew up (still one of the funniest moments). Then at times little things changed from the original version we saw in season one. If I am not mistaken Cindy the flight attendant originally handed Jack two bottles, but in the alternate reality only one. Another example is Hurley talking to Sawyer and Hurley says he is lucky. That is a change from everything we have ever seen or heard from him. I don't even know how to begin the whole Desmond on the plane. The one thing that annoyed me though was that Jack did not remember him from running up the stairs, the only thing I can think of is that never happened in this reality. I'm probably over thinking that a bit, but if I go to a message board it probably already has 5 pages devoted it it.

Those are the three I found but after that I enjoyed the interactions that each character continued to have. Sawyer helping Kate out of the elevator, Kate jumping into the cab that Claire is in. Sayid breaking down the door where Charlie is unconscious. The last one I'll mention was Jack saving Charlie's life, Charlie said something that just made my night, "I was suppose to die." No matter what happens from this time forward in this reality Charlie went from a hero to a drugged out musician. If it was not for Charlie the Oceanic 6 would have never left the island and we would not have this multiple realities right now. I know many hate Charlie, but I liked him and it is a shame that this appears to be his end.

We did get big question answered and that has to deal with everyone's favorite monster, ole smokey. The Lost nerds had it right as the man in black is smokey and we learned that the secret ashes are protecting against him. What's the purpose of turning into smokey other than being a defense mechanism I do not know. Still the man in black/faux Locke is a question and I must have missed this last season but when asked by Ben, faux Locke said the last thing he remembered was dying. I do not think he was talking as Locke and there is something more at play.

Oh poor John Locke, for all this greatness as a character he was turned into nothing more than a puppet and that hurts my esteem for him. Instead of being something great he's a pawn in a chess game of the gods of the island. I still think Terry O'Quinn is doing a great job but he original character has lost his luster.

Yet Ben Linus in all of this continues to amaze me. The greatest line he uttered was when he is trying to get Richard into the statue to see faux Locke. Richard asks him what happened in there and Ben's line was "why don't you go in there and find out." Classic Ben, not giving any information out yet you know that the recipient of the line knows no good can come from going in there. Locke and Ben are the same, pawns, but for some reason I still feel that Ben is still trying to weasel his way into a position of power. He is pure evil, but I wonder if the evil forces on the island are going to be too much for him.

Last, it was interesting to see Locke and Jack have a connection in the new reality. I thought it was interesting Jack telling Locke nothing is impossible. I have a feeling that this relationship is not going to end with Locke wheeling away at the airport. Now some randomness:

What is up with Fu Manchu and his hippy interpreter?

Hurley is starting to turn into the leader and this is awesome, more Hurley the better.

I so wanted to see another Jack Sawyer fight.

Because of an episode of Law and Order: SVU I thought Sayid was going to be killed off.

Am I the only one tired of the Christian Shepard thing?

Is Juliet really dead? She can't be, the preview show gave her a feature. Why feature a character that is dead withing two hours.

Could they not get Anna Lucia back on to cuff Charlie? Come on and give a lady a cameo again.

Is it bad that I could careless about Sun and Jin and their alternate reality?

I guess Maggie Grace was too busy hanging with Liam Neeson to do a cameo.

Another great Hurley line
Fu Manchu: Did you look in the case
Hurley: (sheepishly) Maybe

Interview Beard

2010-01-13T19:37:00.002-05:00

Right before Logan was born I decided to grow a baby beard. I was going to grow a beard for the last month of The Wife's pregnancy. Of course three days later he was born. I have decided to bring back the beard and this time it's for a job interview. The last time I shaved was Sunday January 10th and as you can see from the picture the growth is starting to pick up. I just need something to do during this time. I just hope that this experiment ends as fast as the last beard attempt.

This Ain't Flipper

2010-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Jeff Foxworthy use to do a bit about when he was a kid and the President was on television it was a total catastrophe "Oh, no the Presidents on, we're gonna miss Flipper!" Times have changed and even more than I had thought. A TV show has forced Obama to change the time or the date of his State of the Union address. What show could possible force the leader of the free world to do so or maybe it's a super natural force from the Earth that is creating this change. Would it have anything to do with Ben Linus and John Locke? Yes it does, that show is Lost.

Not just any episode of the greatest show on ABC, but the premiere of the last season. As you can tell I am a follower of Lost and I have been waiting for a new episodes since the credits rolled on May 13th. Regretfully I have devoted a lot of time to this show and I want answers to the show. The thing with Lost is if you miss one minute of the show, that's it, your done because you missed something. I just know that if I am not watching it live I might miss not find out what "smokey" really is because my DVR will crap out.

I understand the importance of the State of the Union it's the Presidents way of telling the nation what he plans to do for the next year. The only problem is with ability to send information out to the masses in an instant, the State of the Union has become nothing more than a campaign PR moment. He's going to talk about health care, the economy, the wars, people in the audience that have done something and he will get about 50 standing ovations which will push the address time to about and hour. Then of course NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and Fox News will have a pissing match as to who will be on longer and will fill their airwaves with pundits on both sides of the politic aisle as they try and push for their parties views. Because this is what America wants, mindless blather by people who think they are smarter than the masses.

It may be blasphemy but I won't learn anything from the State of the Union, if there is something new it won't amount to anything. Remember when Bush mentioned hydrogen fuel, how did that work out I haven't seen Howie Long push one of those yet. I get the whole pushing the agenda thing but I am unemployed and can't get a call back to save my life, Just let me watch Lost and have a moment where I don't have to worry about losing my house or why I can't find a job.

A Man's Guide to Babies

2010-01-06T21:51:00.004-05:00

With King Tom and others having "youngins" and Logan about to hit the 6 month mark I thought I'd share what I have learned about this whole baby thing. Going into the new phase in life I had no real idea of what was going to happen. My whole goal was to follow the lead of The Wife and keep my head down and hope Logan made it through. You see no one told me the important things I needed to know about dealing with babies.

First go back and read this previous post and FREAKING DO IT! I'll sum it up in once sentence; If you are having a baby ween yourself off sleep.

After the little one is born and you are in the hospital look around the room and find things that you can take. I'm mostly talking about diapers and formula and anything that is not nailed down that the baby will use. The thing is they are billing you for everything and keeping track of it and if you have any kind of insurance, little things like diapers and formula are such a small part of the bill it's barely going to show up on the section you will have to pay. One set of friends ended up with 15 packages of diapers and 11 formula boxes. We didn't make out with that much, but as we are checking out I asked the nurse for a little extra and she loaded us up.

Here is why the diaper thing is so huge, tell family and friends to buy you stage 2 and 3 diapers. If you can make out like a bandit from the hospital you are set for infant diapers and that leaves you with stage 1 diapers. I still don't fully understand all the stages but the one thing I know Logan was out of infants within a month and was in stage 2 by around 3 month. He is now exiting stage 2 into 3. Baby don't stay in those early stages long so you can afford to buy that first stage. Stock up on the later ones as early as you can. It's not like they are fruit that go bad. We had two giant boxes of stage 3 diapers just sitting in a closet waiting for this day.

When you are using all your gifted diapers, use the ones that you do not have a gift recite first. Babies R Us are crazy about this, we had to jump through hoops to prove that the diapers came from their store so we could exchange them for a larger size. I understand that we live in a time where people are going to try and get away with murder but it gets a little crazy. I'd even say if you are given diapers as a present ask the person for the recipte. I know that might sound a little harsh but freaking diapers are not cheap.

Diapers are freaking expensive and Target brand diapers kick ass! Logan for some reason always pees through Huggies and Pampers, but put him those polka dotted Target brand diapers and he will stay dry. I think I bought 96 diapers for 13 bucks or something last week, now look at how much that would have been with a major brand. For 20 more it's 33.99 and that's on the cheap side. It's a total racked and they know it. It's like professional video cameras, the cameras do not really cost any where from $6,000-20,000 but they know it's niche market and people have to buy them. Diapers are the same, every baby needs them and they are going to make you pay.

Speaking of diapers lets go to what ends up in them... poop. I never changed a diaper till we had Logan and it's an experience. For a new dad here's the deal, it's black and looks like tar at first. It doesn't smell but looks like it came out of a tar pit and a miniature dinosaur bones are in there somewhere. Once the Labrea Tar Pit ends it's not that bad for a while, it's a little messy but still not a lot of smell. Once they start to use more formula then that's when it becomes bad. For some strange reason this smell does not effect women as much as men. She can muscle through when I get the gag reflex going. It must be a mother thing because that smell gets foul and I need to cover my nose. She wants to laugh at me, but hey I could turn into 50s dad and make her do them all so at least I am helping.

Back to the sleep thing, I love sleep and early on I was a creature of the night, now I go to bed early and here is why. Babies have an extra sense that science has not figured out yet. They know when everyone in the house is sleeping and they hate that. Starting out Logan would wake up ever two to three hours and want food. I said I'd take the late night feedings. I'd try and try to stay up until he woke up. Some nights it worked, most nights not so much. The second I'd lay down and start to get into that deep sleep he would scream his head off. It was like clock work and I think infants hate when more than two thirds of the house is asleep. This is where researchers need to be doing their work. My advice is go to sleep and just forget trying to time it out, sleep is your friend.

Another thing for new dads is remember babies are repulsed by testosterone, it's like Brut and any woman under 50, they don't go together. In the beginning if The Wife left for more than two hours I'd have a screaming baby on my hands. The Wife would return and the second I handed Logan to her the insanity would stop. As the months rolled on the time has increased and now I can go about 5 hours before bedlam is unleashed. Don't get frustrated, I've been told this happens to everyone and sometime after a year it changes and babies want their dads more. Just roll with the punches, buy really nice earphones and throw on some speed metal or something loud and wait for that change.

Finally, don't let the mother get all crazy and buy a billion outfits. Logan started out 16 inches
(don't quote me on that) and now he's about 25 inches. Babies grow fast and we have some outfits he has only worn once and a few he never got to wear. The big thing is find friends who have had babies 5 months earlier and someone who is having one after you and share all the clothes. We have two good friends, one with a one year old and another with a 9 month old. We have given them clothes and they have given us the ones they can't use anymore. It's going to save you a ton of money. It might also help to invest in those horse blinders or something to help keep the momma away from the baby clothes section. I may get a few nasty emails and comments from women in my family or passerbys but all I know is The Wife still comes home with new outfits all the time. Most are on clearance but it gets crazy and before you blink the kid is popping out of the outfit.

Some people will read this and think that I am crazy for not realizing all this stuff earlier, but hey for a lot of guys out there this will be new and they need to know this stuff. I'm probably forgetting a lot, if you have a tip add it in the comments or for those that know me email me and I'll try and do more of these. As men we need to stick together and have our own guide to this baby thing.

Say Cheese

2009-11-06T21:47:00.004-05:00

One of the things that annoy the living daylights out of me is a pile of unorganized pictures. I do not know what it is but this one thing will consume me till I have every picture in the house put into an album and the extras stored in some box far away from sight. The Wife on the other hand does not care and could have a mountain of pictures and it would not bother her. I know this has to be on my top 10 list of least manly thing about me, but hey, I like photos and organizing them so sue me. I'll take the hit to my man card.

While cleaning the house I found 9 packet of pictures sent to us from the Mother-in-Law. For the last three days all I have thought about were those pictures and where can they go. Luck was on my side, The Wife had two "brag books" lay around without photos so I went on a mission to fill them. Considering the combined photo capacity of the folders was 34, I did that real quick. Yet again, I have a bit of luck two 100 count photo albums. I start going through each packet and then I realized something, most of the photos are very similar.

I am not trying to make The Mother-in-Law feel bad here, but she loves taking pictures and will take at least 5 shots every time and then go to the local photo shop and print them all out in triplicate squared. To me this is insane and a waste of money and resources. Maybe it's my years in news where you get what you need and get out. These extra copies are a little much and I understand maybe having doubles but when you have 9 different pictures of Logan sleeping and then five copies of each, I can't handle that many photos. To me I have to put them somewhere and we don't have the space for that many copies. I may just start shipping some to family, but they may not want a picture of "Experience Columbus."

She means well and this is going to be one of those things I will have to deal with. So if anyone wants a few extra pictures of Logan and people you may not know just post a comment and I'll ship them out. I must get all these photographs put away... can't sleep till it is done!

Be Kind Rewind

2009-11-06T11:17:00.003-05:00

I understand that I am getting older and I know this because I can now say back in my day and have a group of kids have their eyes glazes over and wish I would stop talking. I bring this up because I saw a job posting asking for a demo reel on VHS tape. I know this is not like asking for a reel on laser disc or film, but still... VHS? When I started in news nearly a decade ago the main way to show an employer you could use a camera was via VHS. I remember going to Wal-Mart and buying a 10 pack and dubbing my master reel over. I did this for every job I have ever received. Even here in Raleigh three years ago. DVDs were becoming easier to burn. I would have done DVDs, but The Network only had one DVD burner and it was just easier to make a VHS copy.

In that time though, you can put your reel on the web and the cost of DVDs and burners are cheaper. I seriously would have to go out and buy a converter so I can export my video to VHS. The job was in a small market and I know small markets do not advance as fast as other areas, but I just wonder what that station has to be like for the post to make a point in saying VHS. Technology is moving fast and equipment is getting cheaper. Hell, I create a webcast from my house. ON TV news, how far we have come, yet how little has changes.

Nothing In This World Is Truely New

2009-11-02T13:04:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I was sucked into another TV marathon, this time it was the 1980s mini-series V. The Sci Fi Network (sorry I refuse to use their new spelling) ran all the episodes back to back and then today they are showing the TV series. Why are they bringing back a mini series from 1983, we besides the fact that it's the Sci Fi Network. ABC is airing a remake of this classic series.

For those who do not remember the series, where is a quick recap. Aliens came to Earth offering peace and just wanted to hang and help out. In teh beginning everything is fine until it is found out that they are reptiles and they want to turn Earth into a giant Krogers. Yet, they have great PR and most people do not realize that the aliens are shipping humans out to eat. Finally a reistance is formed and finally end the reign of the aliens.

As a kid I remember this series with fondness and all my friends and I would play V. I even remember going to an Ironton version of Home Depot and acting like the showers were containment cubes used by the aliens. I was usually followed by my dad asking me what I was doing and to stop it. As I watched the original I was shocked that it actually held up fairly well for being 26 years old. There were moments like the alien babies that was a bad muppet or the bad special effects at the end where the half alien half human girl saves everyone and she starts to "glow and sparkle," but over all the show kept moving forward and did not have too many of those bad 80s 15 minute lulls where the plot never progressed. It was an enjoyable flashback to my youth. Also realizing the Beastmaster was the lead in the series made the watching more enjoyable.

Yet I kept thinking about the new version, maybe it was because there was a promo every break for it, I don't know I just kept wondering why must we remake everything. I've written about this in the past about the entertainment industries sudden lack of creativity. In the past year they have remade Transformers, GI Joe, Land of the Lost and others that I can not remember at this time. Where have all the original ideas gone? Has Hollywood really become so gun shy that if anything that does not involve toy sales or an older idea that was one popular it gets shot down?

As much I am wanting to see what they are going to "change" from the original I am not going to watch the new V. Just going to ABC.com I can tell that the new version will only be V in name only. We have to stop watching this retread crap and clammer for something new. Who am I kidding, Candyland the movie will be number one. If they are going to continue this trend why can't they remake something cool like Airwolf or BJ and the Bear, now there's a concept I can't get enough of: a man and his monkey.

Update
Just found out they are also remaking the Karate Kid with Will Smith's kid. Come on! Leave the classics alone, if you want to remake something do something that sucked and make it better. Hey Will Smith what about Made in America your kid can do that one over.

Work: Giving Up The Dream

2009-10-22T16:56:00.002-04:00

It's been almost 11 months since NBC17 decided that they did not need my services any longer and I thought I'd try and give an update as to what is happening. For those not in the know I am still looking for work and taking as much money from Uncle Sam as I can. I've been trying the freelance thing and I have a couple clients but for the most part unemployment has been our biggest provider.

I've been living with the hope of two things, not to work in news and trying to stay in the Raleigh area. As time creeps on those options are starting to look like they are not going to happen. I think the market is too saturated with freelancers and I don't have a lot of connections so I'm playing with about a quarter of the deck. So I've started searching TVjobs.com for news jobs and I've applied to 7 news/sports jobs in the country and all of them are out of the state. We hate this idea, but we have to start thinking about the extended future and how are we going to pay for everything. We are scrapping by and we can't continue this game of who gets the money this month. As much as I dread the news world I have to come to the realization that I am good at it. It takes a lot out of me and I'll have to work weekend nights probably, but at least it's work and I know how to do it.

The one small hope we have for staying here is that I have been a part of a group that won the bid to shoot a 20 DVD workout set. The original plan is to shoot and do prep for six weeks and I make a lot of money in that time. The amount is not enough to get us ahead, but we can get a lot closer to normal. Mortgage could be caught up and we could have a couple credit cards paid off. I'd lose unemployment for a couple of weeks, but it would be worth it. On top of that a clothing chain has an opening as a studio photographer. So I'd be taking photos of kids and families, the pay is VERY SMALL and it's only seasonal, but if I can get those two jobs and make it work with a few small freelance jobs I do already, we could turn a corner and start to see daylight and live in the area a little longer. Also if I did have to move it would make that transition a lot easier.

Who knows what's going to happen, I've just have to keep plugging along and hope something breaks soon. Maybe I can still get that baseball job or that local company that has an editor position open will call me back. This next month will be very tough and yet be helpful.

Going A Little Too Far

2009-10-16T10:08:00.003-04:00

This week started the North Carolina State Fair and The Wife and I are excited to go. We wanted to go this past Thursday, but rain and cold prevented us from going. One of the things about the fair I get a kick out of is what crappy food concoction will they create next. Most are things I have no desire to eat (deep fried Coke), but every once in a while they will hit a home (deep fried Twinkies). While on facebook, local company Burt's Bees mentioned the new craze at the state fair... chocolate cover bacon.

That made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. Yes I love bacon and I also enjoy chocolate, but who thought up this travesty. It's can't be as simple as the Reese's commercials of yore. "You got peanut butter in my chocolate." This had to be some bored Carnie sitting there eating the rejected pig that did not get sold and looked at the chocolate and went, "What the hell." and poured chocolate over the bacon.

I do not see how those two tastes can EVER go together, and I'm the guy that likes mustard on his french fries, I actually enjoyed the deep fried twinkie and yet this I want no part of. I don't even think Homer Simpson would touch that, who am I kidding it was probably on an episode and I just can't remember.

As I kept reading stories online about this new phenomenon I wonder what did they try and thought was not suitable. If chocolate cover bacon made it past, I'm guessing the list was pretty short. Carnies need to get a grip on reality here. I know it's the fair and everything has to be deep fried, covered in something or on a stick but please stop mixing things like bacon and chocolate.

Free Stuff

2009-10-08T11:12:00.003-04:00

I was over at the kingdom of King Tom and he had an interesting post. Someone wanted him to review their product. In other words, he was about to get free stuff! I want free stuff! King Tom had written about a turkey cannon and you know what, I'll freaking review it. It's almost Thanksgiving and we might be buying a turkey.

I know the King is wildly more success than this blog, but still come one Aquafina, I've had people coming to my site wondering about your stock. Freaking sponsor me, The Wife loves to buy bottled water, why not give it too us. Mmmm Aquafina is delicious. Hey, I'm not above whoring myself out to the highest Internet bidder that wants to send me stuff. I'm looking at you snuggie and you too Old Spice ad that keeps popping up on facebook. Hey Bruce Campbell, I'll hawk Burn Notice for you, it's not like I've written about you or named my child's middle name after one of your characters. Come on people, send me free stuff so that I can support my child. Huggies, I have your new promotions guy right here. Who am I kidding the King will get that sweet sweet Huggies swag.

Things Stuck In My Head

2009-10-07T10:46:00.003-04:00

For the last few months I've been trying to make a little money shooting recitals and one local dance studio has hired me to shoot a weekly track out camp recital. It's not that hard and it's not a lot of money, but there is one draw back, the music. I'm not talking your standard pop music I'm talking music designed for preteen girls. Here is the list of shows I have done, Hannah Montana, Spectacular, High School Musical, Princess Protection Program and The Cheetah Girls.

In a singular form I can handle 20 minutes of this music, but the problem is I've done multiple of each. If you click on the links above you can hear the music that is involved. It's very poppy and over the top and once it bores itself into your skull it won't leave, it's the ash borer of music. The biggest offender is The Cheetah Girls, it feels like every other time I shoot I walk into a studio with cheetah print all over the place. Cheetah Girls is Disney at it's evilest, it's basically diva training fro preteens. I think every eighth word has to be cheetah and there is always a whoo involved. I will finish my shoot and I will have one of their songs in my head for the next three hours. No matter how hard I try and force it out with better music or even sports radio, nothing works. The musical flu has to run its course and I hope there is not an out break sometime during the week.

I like the studio, but I don't know how many more Cheetah Girls shows I can handle. I never thought I'd want to hear more High School Musical. With a 2 month old, I know the music in my life is about to get worse and won't get better for a few years.

Job Search

2009-09-30T15:14:00.003-04:00

For those not in the know, I've been out of work since December and to be honest I never thought that as we turn the calendar over to October that I would still be without a full time job. At worst I thought maybe I'd be in some kind of freelance rotation for companies, but that has not happened either.

I've applied to so many jobs that I ran out of DVDs and I've sent out over 60 emails with links to my demo reels on youtube. Out of that 60 I've had less than 90 hits per link and I know I'm about 1/3 of those because I click on it to add the link to emails. Part of me wonders if my cover letter is unimpressive or is it with this economy that I am "too experienced" and get over looked. In February I cold called a bunch of production companies and every single one would look at my resume and give that look of "holy crap, this guy has done a lot" and give me the ol' we are cutting back. So what and I to do in this situation?

I've got two new opportunities out there and one is with a local sports team and the other is at a large company that is know to be great to their employees. Also for the first time I have someone one the inside helping me out. To be honest, I just want a call back and maybe an interview. That way if I don't get the job at least I might have the chance to find out what I am doing wrong. My fear is that I will get the answer of I'm not doing anything wrong. That means I am done with video work, and have to find a new career.

I've seen the trend of hiring young to save money, but I wonder when that trend will level out. At some point in time quality has to be an issue. With this whole Internet low tech and the easier access to video everyone can do some kind of work. It seems that to most that just enough and that they can get by with that. Everything looks the same and has the feel of being homemade. When will the polished look come back? Will it ever? Maybe my thoughts of grandeur are false and I need to come to the realization that video is a dead art form and I need to find a new career.

Sleep

2009-09-29T14:41:00.003-04:00

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. ~Leo J. Burke

I've not posted over the last couple of month because of a couple of reasons; I've been in a "down" mood because of the lack of a job and has caused problems all over the board and most of the time I would want to write it was very negative and dark that I would probably get phone calls from family and friends wanting me to put down the knife (I was just making a peanut butter sandwich... seriously). Then the other reason, my mind has been turned into a kind of puree or slurry which does not allow any form of thought to flow easily. What is this thing that has my brain in constant zombie mode? Lack of sleep.

For months before Logan was born I was told that I needed to get all the sleep in that I could. To those people, I hate you, you gave me the wrong advice. I needed to do the opposite and ween myself off of sleep. I'm the kind of person that needs 8 hours straight or I just don't function properly, and since the arrival of Logan, I do not get that 8 hours any more.

Also this kid can sense when I am about to enter REM sleep, 20 minutes after I hit my pillow he starts screaming. We have a system setup for feedings, I do anything prior to 2am and some how I now have the post 5:30am as well. Once the crying starts I get up, start the bottle warmer, change a diaper and then it's bottle time. If I am lucky he will be out in 30 minutes. Then there are the nights that he's up for an hour, then 5 minutes after I lay him down he's back up. One night I tried to stay up until he was hungry and that turned disastrous. I was up till almost 1am and he started crying at 1:50am. I get him a sleep and the next thing I know The Wife is waking me up and it's after 5 and I have to feed him, I finally end up falling asleep on the couch while he is asleep in the swing.

Maybe it's a good thing that I am currently unemployed, I'd be a wreck at any kind of job and I still can't figure out how I get some of my "freelance" stuff done. Logan is getting closer to sleeping longer hours but I think we are a few months away from getting him to sleep from 10-6.

The Wife and Logan are leaving for a week to see family in Ohio and maybe I can get some sleep and get myself back to a some what normal life. Maybe I will get a call back or even an interview. Yeah right, I start with the sleep and hope that another position somewhere opens up.

Unexpected Suprise

2009-07-16T15:52:00.009-04:00

So much for the baby beard. 90 percent of you know what I'm talking about, but for the people who randomly came to the site Logan came early.

For the last few weeks people have been telling The Wife that she looked like her belly had dropped and she started to complain about her pelvic area. I thought she could go a little early, but on Monday July 13th at 3:30AM I wake up to The Wife leaning over me. Obviously I am a sleep and I have no idea what's going on, I thought see was leaving for work. "My muscus plug came out and my water broke. For weeks The Wife kept thinking up senerios about when her water was going to break. According to our baby classes, only 12 percent of all births begin with the water breaking. We had numerous friend with water breaks so law of averages were against this line of thinking. She needed to plan to have contractions and then maybe after a few hours her water breaking. Stupid classes making me look like a fool!

I get out of bed and we start to get the last items needed for the trip to the hospital. I'm calm when talking to The Wife, but inside I am freaking out that our son is coming a month early. We get on the road and we are making great time. So great of time The Wife lets me stop for a donut and a coffee. Mmmm donuts.

We get to the hospital at 4:30 and go up to the waiting area. The next hour and a half go by like a blur. The Wife is now on a gurney with an IV and a gown on. Around 5:00 we are told that it could be a while till we are scheduled, then at 6:00 we have a 7:15 time. Time started to slow down and we couldn't do anything, she's on a gurney and I'm internally freaking out. We talk and try to pass the time, but when you finally have the finish line in front of you, it feels so far away.

As we are given information, they mention the cathater will be put in a little bit. The Wife looks at me and ask, "where are they going to put that?" I explain that it's so she doesn't have to worry about going to the bathroom. Her eyes get the size of saucers and asks if this is done after the spinal tap. As a good husband I laughed for a good five minutes. She is always laughing at me when I get hurt and for some reason, seeing her worry of the cathater and not the giant hole about to be cut into her made me laugh. That was my pay back moment.

We are next informed that they are takin her to the OR and I will be put in scrubs. Me being me I lean over and ask if she can call me JD or Turk from the TV show Scrubs. She gives me the wife look of death and then I get the ol' stink eye when I ask if she can call me The Todd. We are seperated for a few minutes as I scrub up. I walk into the OR and all I see is The Wife's head and a giant sheet. It is mentioned that I can look over if I want and as I mentioned in a previous blog I did not want to see that. After about 15 minutes of pushing and moving behind the curtain we hear, "there's the butt" followed by "I think he's sucking his toes?" Followed by a cry and I look over to The Wife and she is balling, I am tearing up as well and we see our son being taken past us to another room.

I'm allowed to follow and to be honest a new born baby is kind of discusting, they are slimey and covered in blood. I of course don't care and crack out the video camera and digital camera and shoot away. After a few minutes they have me put the camera down and I am now holding my son. It's strange yet awesome all rolled into one. I take him in to see The Wife and as I sit down I accidentally glanced past the curtain, all I saw was a giant hole and what appeared to be flesh. I duck down fast and shudder for a second. The Wife is crying even more now and she gets to see him for a few minutes.

Logan and I leave the OR and we go to the nursery for all the tests and everyone loves this kid. Look at that picture with all that blond hair. Watch out newborn girls, Logan is on the prowl. By this time, he has only cried once, when he first came out. He was vocal, but never did that typical cry you hear from babies. The other two newborns in the room are doing that, but Logan is quiet. He passes most of his test with flying colors and after 30 minutes I go back to see The Wife.

For having a giant hole cut into her, she is doing pretty well and it even surprised the nurses. She instantly saw Logan again and went into mother mode in .00000001 seconds. From that point on things have gone smoothly. I know I'm a week behind and I'll try and catch everyone up within the next few days

Complaint Department

2009-07-13T21:14:00.001-04:00

I will try and make this as short an not complicated as I can, but I am going to try and not reveal some names so this might be tough to read.

A few days ago I was listening to a podcast of Bill Simmons (The Sports Guy) and he interviewed ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd. I use to be a fan of Cowherd, but I thought he got a little too big for his britches and stopped listening. Yet, I thought what the heck, I'm going to listen to this podcast. To my surprise, he seemed to be less jerkish than on his radio show and was even candid. Simmons did a good job an even brought up the fact he helped crash a blog. Cowherd apologized and to be honest I was a little shocked that he appologized and he is now a fan of that site.

Oddly enough I read that site as well and when I saw a response to the interview I got pretty much what I thought. They were bitter and upset and complained about how hard it is to make money as a blog and it seemed they had a thing against Simmons starting out on an AOL server and now being a success. They also felt Cowherd was a little demeaning at times towards blogs I decided to send a email to the site and just mentioned they need to back up a little on Cowherd and that blogs have only been around a few years and ESPN (for some reason the bane to all sports bloggers) started out small.

I actually got a response and come to find out that the creator passed the assignment off to another writer because he was too close. A good move and I read this writers comments to me and he had valid points and I moved on.

While driving to a shoot for a webcast something dawned on me about the writer... he was 19. Wait, he was complaining about making money and he is 19 and in college? At 19 I was working summers at Bob Evans saving all the change in tips so I could do laundry for a few months. I understand the main writers are probably older and my have more expenses, but when you are in college and an intern at this site, should you be writing about how hard it is to make a living as a sports blogger? I'll back track this to the Simmons comments in the article, Simmons is about to turn 40 and should be in a position to be making very good money at ESPN. I'm just stunned that I never picked up on this kids age until a day later. I think you can make money as a blogger in this new age, will it be tough, yeah, but you need luck, a story that breaks big and quality work to keep the momentum of that big break. Maybe that website should not pass off an article like this to a 19 year old intern. Like I said the kid seemed nice and could do something in the future, but for this story, give it to an older writer.

Baby Beard

2009-07-13T10:07:00.000-04:00

We are in the last month of the pregnancy and I feel like this is the playoffs and we need something else... baby beard. Friday morning is the last time I will shave until Logan finally comes. I mean hockey players do it for the Stanley Cup and this is kind of as big as the Stanley Cup so I might as well try and get as much luck as I can. The longest I have gone without shaving is about two weeks and it was driving me crazy. Hopefully this will get The Wife a little help in the pain department, if she sees me struggling through the itchy part of full beard then maybe she will think that she can get through this. Who am I kidding, she will yell at me for complaining about an itchy beard while she as a small person inside her. At least this way I can save money on razors and shaving cream.

I'm taking a picture every day that I remember. I already forgot on day two, but you can't tell any difference between day two and three so that really doesn't matter.

Final Baby Class

2009-07-12T20:43:00.003-04:00

With Logan being breech we almost didn't go to the last class, but since we threw 80 buck down we might as well go. Fortunately we went because they talked about C-sections. I had one problem with the instructor on this part of the class. We told her that Logan is breech and that a c-section was scheduled and she starts by saying that almost all c-sections are caused by bad health and things that could have been avoided. Well, geez, that's for that up lifting and made us feel all warm and fuzzy because we now thing we caused this. The biggest problem with the instructor is she is very anti drugs, pro breast feeding and pro natural birth. During the epidural lecture she kept telling us about how she never had one and all the women in the class are not in pain, they are just pushing hard. Last time I checked the only people to yell that loud and much were tennis players. I don't mind giving her views, but at times it was a little much. Give us the information and we will decide. I'm having the Stadol, I don't know about The Wife, but I'll need something to take the edge off.

She then went on to mention other reasons for a c-section and we saw our two reasons; breech and placental eruption. The eruption part was from an earlier incident, but that is part of the reason they don't want to try and turn him around. I start feeling a little better, then they showed the video. I was like the scene from Alien where that creature ripped it's way out of that guys stomach. I have seen way too much from this class.

I'm happy the class is over, but I think someone needs to retake it. The Wife keeps asking me questions about contractions and I keep giving the answers. "When do we have to go to the hospital?" I answer, "When the contractions are about 5 minutes apart and you should be about 4 centimeters." Why am I the one that has to know this? I should be asking not her. I finally asked her why she can't remember this. While watching the movies all she kept thinking was let's go up stairs and have this thing now!

I hope for both our sakes he does not come early. I feel we will be one of "those" expecting parents, all crazy and clueless.

Defiance In The Womb

2009-07-07T10:27:00.003-04:00

The Wife and I went in for a baby appointment today and we found out that Logan is still breech. What does that mean for us? The Wife now gets to have a C section sometime around August 4th. My first thought was great, we paid for those child birth classes for nothing. The Wife's thought was great, now I can't tell out friends what a natural child birth is like.

They told us there is a 5% chance that he will turn around and with The Wife having gestational Diabetes, a placenta up front and this being our first child, they don't want to mess with trying to move him around. To be honest I'm fine with that, now we will know pretty much when he will be born and can prepare for it. The Mother-in-Law now can book a flight and we can get the house cleaned and ready to go.

The Revolution

2009-07-03T09:02:00.000-04:00

I've been doing some work for a natural life science website that does a weekly webcast about the pharmacutial industry, I know it sounds hella awesome. Since the owner of the site has moved to Raleigh and the web presenter (I use that loosely) is a friend, we have been featuring different cities in each episode. This week being having Independence Day we thought it would be a great idea to do it at a Revolutionary war site.

Growing up in Ohio, I always thought of the Revolutionary War as happening in land far away, even the Civil War to an extent. As a few locations to shoot was mentioned, it finally dawned on me. The Revolutionary War happened close to where I live. Wake Forest is within an hour and a half of three locations that are registered sites.

We picked the Alston House or as it is known, the House in the Horseshoe. In the grand scheme of things it was not a major battle, it was barely a skirmish, but the house still has holes in it from the battle. Let me help you sink that in, these bullet holes are 227 years old. I'm not talking little paux marks I'm talking holes that go through a wall that then lead to another hole on the other side of the room.

What happened was this Alston guy had a group of patriots and they were attacked by a group of loyalist called the Tories. Alston's group thought they were going to lose and ended up retreating into his house. After a few days Alston surrendered and that was that. Your never going to see a major motion picture made of this incident, but for me it was the greatest thing. I was walking around in a house during the founding of our nation. These guys fought to become what we are today. Did these guys push us over the edge and made us free? No, but at least they tried. If I were alive I probably would have had the same thing happen to me, it's just my luck (or I would have died of dysentery).

So for me this Independence Day weekend, I feel I have learned a little and feel a little closer to our founding fathers. It's not every day that you can stick your finger into a hole made from enemy fire that's over 200 years old.

If you are wondering why I did not post a picture of the holes... I forgot to take a picture, I have video of them so that my get posted later.

Baby Class Update

2009-07-02T11:11:00.003-04:00

My sister Julie wanted an update about how baby class is going and all I have to say is I have seen too many breasts and vaja jays for my comfort. I keep hearing about how beautiful the birth of a child is and I want to know if these are the same people who enjoy crime scene photos. With TV shows like Baby Day and whatever else TLC shows, they usually blur out the lower region and truthfully that's fine with me. The class on the other hand shows it all. There's screaming, yelling, and a blood covered body sliding out of another person. It's like Alien, but with less death and toxic spit.

Coming from the TV world I sit in this class thinking how did the production crews get permission from these people to be in there. I had trouble getting people to talk about gas prices and these guys have a camera two feet away from the action. I can't get a digital camera two feet near The Wife before she starts freaking out. Yet after watching the carnage in the video The Wife leans over EVERY time and says that she wants to have the baby now. My reaction is why isn't this the 50s, I get to sit in a waiting room with 5 other dads and then the nurse comes out and says it's a boy. I get all excited and hand out cigars. I'm guessing it's going to be different when it's my kid, but freaking a man, do they need two solid weeks of showing me the delivery?

There has be one conversation I did giggle at for a few moments... episiotomies. This is where the doctors snip the region below the birth canal and the rectum. For most people my age, that region is know as the taint. I don't know why this turns me into a 13 year old boy, but it does. The Wife hates when I bring up the episiotomy, because she does not want it done and I giggle like a school boy. There was one point in the class where the instructor talked about rubbing some ointment around this area. The Wife leans over and gives me the best movie reference she has in months. "Can I just spray a little Pam down there?" Look at the above movie clip and you laugh as much as I did in the class.

This past week we had practice with dolls on how to waddle them and how to take their temperature. On the temperature there are two ways to do this, under the arm in rectally. The under the arm one seems pretty easy. Then we learned how to do the other and a collective groan went through the room. The instructor said the baby probably won't enjoy this. Really? The baby doesn't want something shoved into that orifice? I'm glad I'm past that stage and can just do an oral thermometer.

Finally, I felt bad for one guy in the class. We had to answer some questions and his was about warming up a bottle. He started out with the easy answer of running it under the faucet. Then he gave a wrong answer and said microwave. I thought four women in the class were about to get up and club him like a baby seal. He tried to recover by saying he was testing everyone but the damage was done, he's "that father" the one who is going to screw up his kid. To be honest, I would have probably said the same thing and looking around the room there were at least two others that would have said microwave. I'm glad we had the easy question about introducing your pets to the newborn (thank you Shawn, Melissa and magazine article in the doctors waiting area).

Next week will be just as fun, breast feeding and rehearsal for delivery. At least we're done with things coming out of vaginas.

Recital Work

2009-07-01T16:22:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I shot my first long recital, I had to clarify that because I've shot three mini musical recitals. While shooting and editing what has been condensed down to a three hour program I have learned a few things and also I have some questions.

The biggest question that I kept asking was when does grace occur. When I say grace I mean the fluidity while dancing. The five year olds were cute, but they weren't really moving to the music. Instead they were just jumping up and down and doing what they thought they were taught. As the age of each group started to rise I started to notice that around middle school some people were starting to show signs of grace. Of course, others were flopping around like fish, grace is something that can't be taught. Trust me I am not graceful at all, and this is not a slight towards The Wife, but grace has not been her strong suit. I remember in first grade during music class the teacher had me stand up and sing a song. I was actually singing, it takes a few years of like to actually sing and not just say the words in a rythmic pattern. What is that age when grace starts to creep in? What is the age when you finally say yeah, maybe you need to do something else.

Then I started to wonder, do the parents of the ungraceful not see the fact their child has no rhythm or major skill at dancing. One girl looked to be in high school and you could tell she had no desire to be on that stage. The other two girls dancing with her, were not the best dancers but they were putting out a very admiral effort. The other was going through the motions. I kept imagining her inner dialog.

"Gosh, why am I still doing this... step ball change... I hate dance, like, I haven't wanted to dance for like three years... hop, pop, slide... I just want to go home and read Twilight for the fifteenth time... spin, drop, pepper grinder... Edward Cullen is so dreamy."

Then you had the kids that you could tell LOVED being on stage yet did not have any skill. For them I say keep dancing, I would be in this group, they are oblivious to everything, but they just gotta dance man!

There were many kids on stage that just did a great job and have some sort of skill, yet with those kids there is a subset, the divas. They believe they have skill and they believe they are the next big Broadway star. Even though they can be a little "over the top" to be honest those are the kids with the parents that will ALWAYS by a DVD and even though I hope my kid will never turn out that way. The more the merrier, keep buying my DVDs for $25 and help me make a living.

For the most part things for me went off with out a problem, except for one guy. I'm shooting a tap group and this guy walks up to me all angry asking for the manager. It takes me a few seconds to wonder what's going on and during that time I swear I smelled Bourbon. I tell him I think the back because there is a production going on. He keeps asking me questions and finally I had to tell him I am not connected with the company directly, I'm just freelance. He storms off, come to find out his child's name was left off the play bill. I hated it for that kid, but really, you had to interrupt me shooting your kid dancing? Maybe I don't understand parent logic because my kid is still baking, but couldn't that wait till oh I don't know afterwards? It's not like they told her she couldn't be on stage, it was a typo. Deal with it later, enjoy your kids performance. Be happy now and then rip someone a new one. If I was vindictive a certain name might get left off of the DVD, but I can't cause I need money.

Over all it was a good experience and hopefully enough people will like this DVD and maybe I can get a few more ordered before I jump the price up another ten dollars. Even better I get 20 more after the price increase.

Update

2009-06-29T10:54:00.002-04:00

As you can tell, I have not written much this month. I don't know what the deal is, I have ideas but not the motivation to do anything. Part of it is just from this lack of a job and part of it is the soon arriving Logan. I'm hoping to get motivated, and get back to my normal two to three a week average.

Deja Vu

2009-06-18T14:08:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting at home playing Madden 04 (I only have a PS1... sorry, I'm not cool enough to upgrade) when I get a phone call and The Wife is having problems with the Mazda... guess what's wrong... the transmission, again. She gets stuck on a busy street, fortunately for us we have AAA and get a tow back to the auto shop.

This is getting ridiculous, if it wasn't free I would be going to another shop. For the first time in a while fortune looked upon me and it was not the transmission, but the coolant line in the transmission. It only took a day, but how many weeks will it be before something else goes wrong. I haven't gone two months this year with out having this thing at the shop. We are just under $2,000 away from having this thing paid off. I'm wishing it was now so we could save that 265 a month a buy something that doesn't suck as much. Even a used rental car can't be this much trouble.

The problems don't stop with the Mazda, the tank of a Honda is running fine, but can't pass state inspection, why? I need two tired, or so we did a few weeks ago. Now all four tires won't allow me to pass. I understand why we have these yearly inspections and for the most part they are good, expect when I have to replace something. The back two tires are on the boarder and if I find the wrong inspector I would fail yet again. What's the running price, $356 for the lowest tires they sell. Great more money pumped into the car that does not involve my gas tank.

Baby Class

2009-06-17T10:39:00.000-04:00

Last week we started out five week baby classes at the hospital and already I am learning way too much. First of all there are 12 pregnant ladies in one room, that can't be a good thing. That many hormones have to be some kind of health violation or fire code. Every thing started out OK till I heard the line "Husbands, you are going to learn somethings you may not wanted to know." Trust me, I did not need to hear most of them. Mostly the mucus plug and how it will come out and what it is, also what color it might be. This conversation took a good 20 minutes. At this time I sneak my cell phone out and text Shawn who has been covering a building explosion and wanted to know if he would trade. His answer was no. This is so bad that even though he has gone through this class he does not want to do it again and would rather deal with chaos or a police scene and a newsroom. I'm in trouble here.

We finally get away from that and go to breathing exercises, nothing bad here right? Wrong, I find out that men have kegels. I actually learned about them at an early age, from Night Court. There was an episode where Christine was taking a baby class and she went with everyone from court including Dan. The instructor mentioned kegels and that you need to do them and no one could tell you are doing them. "I'm doing them now... could anyone tell?" Dan raises his hand, looks at his watch and says "For about 20 minutes." Back to the class, we are lying on the floor breathing and the instructor starts at the head and works her way down the body. She gets to the kegels and I lean over and ask The Wife, do I have kegels? That's when I hear, OK guys even you have kegels, what do you think you use when you have a bowel movement. I'm done for the night. I keep thinking about the fact I have kegels.

This week was the one with the video. We watched as this head comes roaring out a small hole. Holy Crap that looks bad! The instructor keeps trying to convince everyone not to use an epidural. Hell, after watching that I want one. This class is suppose to be helpful, instead it driving me even further to the depths of crazy. I'm now terrified about the handling the baby class. Is it too late to return it?

Puppy Love

2009-06-16T21:55:00.006-04:00

While driving home The Wife looked to the side of the road and gasped, "Were those puppies?" To me it looked like a group of sand bags. She insisted that they were puppies and we turn around. We get out and find an old coat and three very young puppies (to the left). With hormones set to full, The Wife goes crazy about people and then how we have to find a place for these puppies. We go back home and get a laundry basket and some old towels and found the closest shelter, 20 minutes away, in Louisburg in Franklin County (foreshadowing). We actually aimlessly drove around and tried to find a place closer but no one was able to give us a location. We couldn't even get a hold of the people in Louisburg.

After 20 minutes of this aimless circling Wake Forest we head north and finally get to the animal shelter. I found out why no one answered, the two workers were outside smoking. We get the guy to get up and walk over to the door for drop offs. The Wife is in tears by now, she has become attached to these lost puppies. I'm starting to think we are going to have four dogs. The shelter guy starts to take our info using as few words as possible and after I mentioned Wake Forest he says they can't take them. Even though they are closer they only take Franklin county dogs. We head back home, cancel an appointment with a pediatrician and after nine phone calls to local groups, that end in voice mail, we head out to the SPCA. We are half way there before we could get through and find out that they won't take these puppies. I'm almost to the point of understanding why the people just dropped them off. It should not be this hard to drop off a dog. We finally are told that the only place to take them was to the county animal shelter.

We started this trek at 2:00 and arrived at the shelter at 4:45. As I start to open the door of the car one of the shelters called me, Puppy Paws Rescue. The lady was very nice and my favorite part of the conversation with her was "People suck" when we told her how we found these girls. Come to find out she knows the shelter people well and wants us to pass along that they might be taking them in. This makes the two of us feel a whole lot better.

We walk into the shelter and everyone is nice and they laugh at the fact that Puppy Paws Rescue will be on their way later, seems to happen a lot. On the way home we find out that the three pups do not have the dreaded parvo and will be kept alive and hopefully some one will adopt them.

Just look at those cute little faces, how can you just dump them on the side of the road and hope for some one like us to find them. With the raging hormones The Wife was wanting to quarter the people involved. She also became very attached to them and we are almost considering fostering one of them till we can find a good owner.

Hitting a Small White Ball

2009-06-03T15:59:00.002-04:00

After yesterdays thought provoking moments I needed an escape and I decided to go golfing. Normally golfing would not be on top of my list to clear my mind, but while in Ohio I bought a $90 club for $40 and wanted to give it a try.

Holy crap is this new club working. Along with some tips I've been given over the last few months I hit the ball well. After four holes I had three double bogeys and a par. As a reference that would be like an average golfer shooting three birdies and a hole in one. I will admit that part of the reason I was doing so well was the course. Paschal Golf Course in Wake Forest is the farthest thing from the PGA you can get. When you hear municipal golf course this is that place. The only good thing is it's easy and cheap.

By the time I got to the eight hole I double boggied everything and was thinking I could do no wrong. The golf gods frowned upon me and the next thing I know I'm hitting trees and a creek. I finished the hole a par 4 with an 8. With my humility back I pulled the new drive back out for my last hole of the day. I swing back slowly, only did a partial back swing, kept my head down and did not move my feet and the next thing I see is my ball flying through the air and land 210 feet from where I was standing. I finished the par 5 last hole with a par. That is a new personal record for me. Now the trick will be going back out and doing that again. Usually after a day like this, I'll lose 10 balls and shot 8s on every hole.

What to Do?

2009-06-02T17:02:00.004-04:00

For the first time since being let go I have a serious problem, do I go back into news. I kid you not in the same day I found two openings and I have no idea what to do. I'm not going into deal about either one, nor will I say what market or stations. One sounds cooler than the other, but do I want to go back to the belly of the beast.

One would involve an hour of travel and is only weekends. The other is mostly weekdays with random weekends. They have one thing in common... part time. I would lose my unemployment, but at least I could have a real job and not this Do some work for free and maybe something will happen gigs.

If I get the weekend gig, then I will have a harder time starting up a small production company. The weekend is when all the weddings and recitals happen. What little ground I have made into this business will be lost.

Why can't anything be easy with me. I always feel like have to make a decision of these natures. Do I want to go back into the industry that felt a nasty taste in my mouth or do I want to try and get this thing off the ground. I'd also lose my new favorite day, Sunday. No longer will I be able to go to church and then play ultimate Frisbee.

I just wish there was a giant billboard telling me which path is the best to take. No matter what happens from this point forward I will always be second guessing myself. If I go back into news, then I will wonder if my life would have been less complicated as I am standing on a beach being pounded by a hurricane. On the flip side, I will always wonder if I made the right choice by not going back to what I know.

Why can't real life be more like the board game.

It's like a Fiesta in My Mouth

2009-06-01T15:50:00.000-04:00

During our Ohio round trip/baby shower we got to go to our favorite place in Columbus, Fiesta Jalisco. If you have not been there you need to. When God wanted Mexican food he created Fiesta Jalisco. When you walk in, it appears to be your run of the mill Mexican restaurant. That's where it stops being normal.

I don't know what they do to the chicken, but it taste like happy. On the day we went I had a craptastic day, my car died AGAIN, I had a horrible round of golf (it was so bad my brother at times was doing better than me). I order the ultimate burrito with chicken and my world changed. I don't know if it's laced with LSD or Ecstasy but I don't care. It's so good my in-laws loved it.

We have some great Mexican restaurants here, but nothing that can compare to Fiesta. I wish I could open a franchise down here. I'd gain 80 pounds, but I'd be happy.

One Day a Year Ironton Shines

2009-05-31T12:06:00.000-04:00

Growing up in the town of Ironton, Ohio you will have a few things pound into your skull; Ironton football is the greatest thing in the area and you have to go to the Memorial Day Parade. I know what your thinking, really, a Memorial Day parade? Well there's a little history behind it. This year marked the 141st consecutive parade. That is not a typo, 141 straight years. No other town in the country can say that, since 1868 we have had this parade and this year there was an estimated crowd of about 30,000 and I was one of these people.

As all parades you have things like all the little league teams, a bunch of pageant winners that should be on Tots and Tiaras, horses and old cars. Then there are a few of the "Ironton" things you can see in the parade. Every year the rider less horse rides by, our Civil War reenacters and the Shriners.

I love the Shriners in this parade, we have a group of hillbilly Shriners that look like they came straight from the "haller." Then the favorite of all, the El Hasa Oriental Band. Just watch the video above, most will not understand the fascination, but to those of us from the Ohio River Valley will know the draw. This years sword guy was not the best, but in years past at every symbol crash he would run up to a random lady and give a huge pelvic thrust. I even believe one year my grandmother was a recipient. It's great fun to watch and I wish I was the sword guy. I would so rock that sword and thrusts that they would have to retire the sword and pants. The things I remember from my childhood. this is high on the list.

In The Weeds of my Neighbors

2009-05-30T10:48:00.000-04:00

After we come home after Christmas, we noticed some strange occurrences with one of our neighbors. There were a lot of bags on the curb and at first I just thought it was stuff from Christmas. After about two weeks of it sitting there I notices that it had a lot of cloths and house hold items. I started thinking, I had not seen my neighbors for a few weeks. Then the next day a crew came in and cleaned out the house. I don't know if the people left or if it was rented and they were evicted. For months now the house has sat empty and a small forest started popping up. When I last mowed my yard the grass was up to my waist.

The Wife has been freaking out over snakes and other things being in that yard. I was waiting for her to mention that she thinks chupacabra was in there. I was about to sit down and find out Wake Forest's policy on grass when I hear a large lawn mower. It was Denmark Properties out mowing the yard. I guess the neighbor on the other side complained finally.

I'm just trying to figure out what they are doing with this house. There is not a for sale sign anywhere and with the tall grass I guess they are not trying to rent it out either. I know everything involving the economy is bad, but it's not that expensive of a house and what's the point of sitting on it.

Baby Training

2009-05-29T17:46:00.000-04:00

I might need some more work on putting the baby in the car seat.

The New Grill

2009-05-29T10:24:00.006-04:00

I've either been busy, out of town or not in the mood to blog and I got chastised by family over this. I have a few hours that I should be doing house work before an afternoon shoot, but instead I'll bang out a couple of blogs, the first about the new awesomeness... I have a new grill.

As I wrote earlier this month, my grill met an ugly demise and I was a man without a grill. I no longer was a man, I must burn meat on an open flame! As I lay around in my no manliness I package arrives... what could it be? It's a new grill! My sister Julie shipped me a new and improved grill and I have my manhood back. I go out and get some charcoal and some tasty ground beef, thaw out some hot dogs and fire them up.

I hearken back to the day of cavemen huddle around the fire as they cook up some kind of puma or thunder cat. Nothing beats the smell, the sizzle and the heat from a grill. Oh happy day. For the first time using the grill I did all right, I under cooked the burgers a little, but that is expected with a new grill.

Then on the trip back to Ohio I get another surprise, the same sister brought me Fricker's sauce! Oh glorious rapture how do I miss me some Fricker's. For you non Western Ohioans, Fricker's is like BW3s on awesome! The wings are huge and when you get ten wings, you know you had ten. The hottest sauce is called Killer and it's not the hottest I have ever had, but it's the best. You feel the burn, but it's not going to give you an ulcer of the mouth. You will feel the pain later on, but at least you get to enjoy the meal without having a fire crew blast you in the face with a hose of water.

I pull some chicken out and slather the sauce on there for a few hours and it was heaven! We only used the hot sauce (saving the killer for that right occasion), but I felt like I was back in a smokey Fricker's after a hockey game or in Toledo with Shawn and Melissa after a long night. Hooray for grills and Frickers!

Open Letter to Boston Bruin Fans 3

2009-05-08T22:12:00.004-04:00

So for two periods the Bruins played with more intensity than the Hurricanes, so what happened. Easy, I was not in the stands and the Canes go on a goal scoring spree in the third to win 4-1. I've told you, this team is on a mission, and the Bruins are falling on old habits of choking against an "inferior" opponent. You want me in that arena you NEED me in that arena for game 6.

Listen, to be honest I want the Canes to win, but because of the economy and my inability to find a good job, I can't buy tickets. I just want to have a night of fun and watch some hockey. I love hockey and being in the south this is the only option I have. If you can somehow win game 5 and send this game back to Raleigh I can be the difference. Think about this game, I was the two shots off the post. If I was there those would have gone in and you would have a two goal lead and the Hurricanes would have been a tropical depression.

Also this is for Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe, if you were so unimpressed by the RBC Center then why did you not get me a press pass. Now you have to come back here and deal with the Marriott's Bar not having all the channels you want (Hello Bob-o it's called room service). To be honest, all of Boston should be blaming you for this lose and how ever game is do or die. You could have checked these here ebays and interwebs and learned how you could save your team. Now you may have to make a return trip. In all honesty I hope you don't have to come back.

Come on Bruins fans, don't you want your team to make it to the Eastern Conference finals? Like I said leave a comment on how I can get a hold of you and we'll work this out. If not, hey Washington Pittsburgh fans, you might want to start to thing ahead on this one and start to think about this ticket situation. I've given the stats I'm 0-20 for the home team when I am present, add in baseball and that rises to 2-65. The odds are on your side.

Open Letter to Boston Bruins Fan 2

2009-05-07T10:08:00.003-04:00

Dear Bruins fan,

So you did not take me up on that offer and what happened, you lost in overtime to a team that kind of sucks in game 3s. This is what you get for not buying me tickets. I could have prevented that lose for you. Instead I am all giddy that the Canes have the advantage and all they have to do is win two games and most likely those will be home games. See you can redeem yourself by contacting me through the comments and I will be glad to go to the game.

You still have a chance to save your team, it's a lot like the show Lost, you have to have faith and with that faith you know that I can bring down the Canes. My motivation is simple, I want to see a freaking hockey game and I can't get any friends to go with me because they think I'm cursed.

Facebook Friends

2009-05-06T18:17:00.002-04:00

Back in August I mentioned that a co-worker got me into Facebook and to be honest it's an addictive creation that I can not stop using. Since I now have a lot of down time I seem to be on there a lot, but I started to notice a small annoying trend... people from high school popping up on Facebook.

It started when I added Wilson, we have been friends since high school so obviously I added him. Then slowly one by one people from the Huntington/Ironton have started to add me. The problem there is I was not popular in high school. I'd say I was a misfit among misfits. I never really fitted in any where. If you know me you might understand why. I've been judicious with the people I added. If you made my life a living hell I just click ignore. If you were actually a friend I of course would add them. Then there is the 90% left over, the ones that were indifferent to me or just ignored me.

What do you here, this Facebook thing gets complicated, what is the proper edict here. Every once in a while I'll look though the suggestion page and I am starting to get more and more people from home and I start to get a little anxious because I'm probably on there suggestion page as well. One day some one "friended" me and I contemplated it for most of the day. I'm serious, I should not have to think about things like this. Instead of worrying about Logan's birth I'm thinking should I add Jane Doe, she was cool for a while then started acting strange and was kind of jerkish.

I can't be the only person that thinks this, I mean someone made the above video so at least those guys know what I'm talking about.

A Gig

2009-05-06T09:23:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning I was getting dressed when my cell phone rang, I thought it was going to be a credit card company, but instead it was a local number. Who could it be?

Let's flash back Lost style to a few months ago, I cold called seven dance studios in the Wake Forest Rolesville metropolitan area. Everyone seemed to have a video person, but also no one seemed happy with their person. Flash forward again and it's one of the local dance studios, he is looking for a guy and wants to know my prices for a recital for late June (and possible one in Late May). We talk for a while and then he adds in there is a weekly track out drama camp and they could sell DVDs for that as well. Obviously the large scale production is the real money maker, but the week class could produce a couple hundred.

Let me do the math here, if 200 parents buy a DVD at $25, I get $15 and the dance hall gets $10 that means I get $3000 for one night of shooting and a day and a half of editing. The weekly thing could have as few as 15 DVDs and on average I'd make $15 and the studio gets $5. I'm getting $175 a week average for two hours shoot and three hours editing. I still have multiple days open and at least we would have some kind of income coming in on a steady basis. If I get both productions and this weekly gig that means at the high end that's $6,000 for the big shows and about $875 from the weekly. That could help us out huge. That pays off a couple bills and gets us set up for when the baby comes so The Wife can take a few weeks off.

My goal is to get us to August because I might have another trick up my sleeve that could bring in some more money.

Some Assembly Required

2009-05-05T14:56:00.006-04:00

This past Friday I was sitting at home enjoying the alone time. I started to walk from the office to the bedroom when I noticed the UPS man outside. We weren't expecting any packages and I started wondering what could it be. The UPS man emerged from the brown truck with a rather large box. Now I am really intrigued, what in the world is in that box? He finally struggled his way to the door and what do I see, a picture of a stroller on the box. Of course I am stunned and I want to head for the hills. This was the first present we have received and it had to be one of the largest ones. I am not faced with the fact that this kid is coming. I send a picture to The Wife and she is excited and now I have a project, putting this thing together.

We found out that my family bought the stroller and during that conversation that this will be my first of my test at my abilities to put things together. I must have had a mind meld with my dad because I started flashing back to my childhood, the bikes, Castle Grayskull, basketball hoops and other items from my childhood.

I waited till The Wife came home and she ripped open the box like it was Christmas and I finally get into the room to help take out the stroller. I decided against the traditional man thing and look at the directions. I kid you not the first eight pages were different languages telling me now to not use the stroller. I finally find the first page of the instructions and find the English portion.

The instructions are mostly pictures, and still I felt stupid trying to figure out what they mean. Then The Wife told me to turn the directions the other way. Within 15 minutes I finished putting the stroller together and now we have to figure out of if we actually did it right. Shawn and Melissa would let us use Nathan we had to find a substitute... George. George is going to be Logan's stuffed animal that he will always have. I was taught how to strap him in and how to put the car sit in the stroller. and we pushed George around in the stroller... it didn't collapse, WOO HOO!

It appears that I have passed my first test as a dad, I put something together and nothing bad happened. I wonder what will be the next big test.

Open Letter to Boston Bruins Fan

2009-05-04T10:15:00.003-04:00

After last nights 3-0 shutout by the Carolina Hurricanes, you might have doubts starting to creep into your head. "Is this team good enough, we've seen collapses like this before. Is there any way to make the Canes lose." I have your answer, buy me tickets to the game. Why should you buy me tickets to the game? I have never seen the Hurricanes win a game, and generally after that game they go into a tale spin and the next thing you know they are losing 5-0 games back to back.

I am cursed when it comes to sports, it does not just occur with the Canes, it took me 10 years before I finally saw the Cincinnati Reds win a game. I use to live in Columbus and went to Blue Jackets games and it took me being away for two years before they could make it into the playoffs. The beginning of the year the Canes had won two home pre-season games and were 2-0 to start the season. Shawn and Melissa gave us their tickets for the Detroit game and they lost 3-1. That started a tale spin and Peter Laviolette was fired. After that I was banned by Shawn and Melissa, little did they know I made it to another game, this time against Toronto. The Hurricanes had just lost two games on the road by 10-2 and were looking to get a home win. Yet I was in the crowd and went down 4-0, they even tried to break the curse and tied the game! Then my karma over came them and lost 6-4.

It's not just this year, one year after the amazing cup run I moved to the Triangle and I am taken to about 5 Cane games and they lost everyone and ended up not making the playoffs. Last year I got to shoot about 4 games for my former employer and yet again, they lost all of those games and had no chance for the playoffs.

Lets take this one step further, it is known in my family that we can not gamble, we never win. My dad is retired and took up a part time job at a gas station. He has people coming in buying lottery tickets and every time they say, I've got a sure winner here. My dad tells them that he can jinks it by buying a ticket, and if he does it's a loser. We just can't win at games of chance, it's our way.

That's 11 games in three seasons. Try and find someone with those kinds of stats, factor in the Cincinnati Reds in ten years I was 2-65. Then the Blue Jackets in three years I was 0-9. I'm freaking 2-85 with professional baseball and hockey. Bruins fan I implore you to buy me two tickets, they don't even have to be good seats, I'll take rafter seats. As a fan you know how superstitious you can be, what better way than to bring the opposite of a rabbits foot. Of course if the Canes some how win, I can't be to blame, it's the curse.

I Need a Young and Old Priest

2009-05-03T13:08:00.004-04:00

I had a nice start to my day on Saturday, took Lucy to the dog park and then went to Kohl's to get new shoes. I find the shoes, go to the car, turn the key... nothing. I have enough power to turn the radio, but not enough to start the car. Of course, the Mazda does not have jumper cables and no one in at Kohl's will help and no one in the parking lot with cables I walked over to Just Tires and finally ended up buying a new battery because the old one in there was the original. The guy walks it over to the car changes it over and I start the car... well, that's what I wanted to happen. All I got was a particle click and nothing.

Since Just Tires only installs batteries the guy was clueless as to what was wrong. I then try to use my cell phone and it is dead. I walk to the other side of the strip mall and buy a charger. Why didn't you use a store telephone? That's the problem, I only have two numbers memorized, The Wife cell phone and The Parents number. The Wife is at a women's treat and is hard to reach, so I had to get a charger. I finally got a hold of Eddie to take me home.

While at home I start trying to find a tow truck to get the car to the shop. I finally figured out that AAA's basic membership is cheaper than a tow. I get a membership card and call for a tow. I head over to the car and as I am waiting for the guy to show I get an idea. Why don't I try to restart the stupid thing? I get in, turn the key and it starts up without any hesitation. I am now frustrated beyond belief. I'm still going to use the tow truck, knowing my luck, if I leave it overnight it will get impounded.

The only good thing to come out of this was the tow to the house was exactly three miles, anymore and I would have had to pay a little. I'm just getting tired of this car, ever since I hit 75,000 miles it has started to fall apart. I only own $2,000 on it and if I had a joke I would be trading it in right now. Instead I have to continue to pay off this thing and hope to save money and maybe by an older car that is a little more reliable than this Mazda. I will no longer want to own a Mazda, I will probably switch over to a Honda or maybe a Jeep Cherokee. Sorry Mazda no more zoom zoom for me.

Interesting Stats

2009-05-01T10:51:00.000-04:00

For the last two years I have been using Google Analystics to keep track of how many views I have received and what they are looking at. In that two years span I have had 12,217 visitors, 17310 page views and out of that 12, 217 visitors 6,736 were new viewers. That means I am averaging about 16 people a day and 9 new people a day. That seems small but considering I don't go out and try to promote this site to get more "google juice," I consider that a success.

Just looking at the raw data is interesting, I've had three giant spikes the first was March 28 2008 when I was covering the NCAA basketball tournament. Some how I was getting a little love from blogger and ended up with my highest one day total of 233 visitors. The next biggest spike was December 19 2008 when shoptalk did a little story about how I was let go at NBC17. I had 187 people that day. July 22 2008 was a total anomaly with 101 views and I still can not figure out why I broke the 100 mark that day. Just looking at my daily averages I can tell when I take a break or when I have writers block. My numbers average around 20 a day, but they will slide after about three days of inactivity into single digits. I no longer get days of a zero, but I've had a couple of 1 and 2s. Then within a day of posting my numbers start to climb. If I actually wrote something everyday I wonder if I could push the average into the 30s and have it stay there.

Next is my favorite part of analytics... keyword search. Anytime someone uses a search engine and lands on my page I am notified what they used to land on my page. The straight up top five keywords/phrases are:

Aquafina Stock
Hey Look a Monkey
Aquafina Stocks
Mila Duno
Fat Punter

Looking at that list you notice something, Aquafina is in the top five twice. So I went through the top 500 keywords and broke it down a little more and added up the numbers to get a better look how people land here.

1. Monkey 219 hits- This is everything from polkamonkey, monkey basketball to monkey hitting guy in balls. With a blog name like mine I was bound to get a few hits like this, I never thought it would be the most I would receive.

2. Aquafina Stock 172- I just made a flippant subject line like about Aquafina stock was going up because I drank a lot of water on a scorcher of a day. Ever since then at least once a month get a hit from someone trying to find info on Aquafina. I love the internet for this, someone is trying to do research on stocks and instead they get me bitching about the weather and how I hate hippies. Also if you go to google and type aquafina stock I am the number one entry... I love you Al Gore, thanks for the interwebs.

3. USC Song Girls 72- All I did was take a picture of the song girls at a NCAA tournament game and I get a hit every three months.

4. Fat Punter 63- The bane of BGSU football fans and I write a post about the notorious moment and call it a curse because the program has never been the same. Yet again I am Google's top entry on fat punter. My goal is to make it so every Falcon fan thinks our program is cursed. I'm 63 views closer to my goal.

5. Milka Duno 48- I attempted to do a live blog for the 2007 Indy 500 and just made two comments about the Charoeaque Milka Duno and ever since she has been near the top of my keyword list.

6. Kate Winslet 37- I was going to stop at five till I kept seeing Kate pop up and you won't believe what most of the hits are for... Kate Winslet naked or topless. Instead they got me talking about how I enjoyed Finding Neverland and a quick remark about Titanic.

I enjoy writing this blog, I know I have no real presence on this thing called the world wide web, but hopefully two or three people enjoy my ramblings, that's all I can ask for

Goodbye Old Friend I Knew Ye Well

2009-04-30T10:24:00.000-04:00

This weekend The Wife was craving bacon cheddar cheeseburgers and instead of paying the 4.99 a pound at the store I unfroze a pack of bacon and bought a pound of beef (2.90 a pound) and fired my little grill. We bought the grill the first spring down here in North Carolina. We were living on Fried Chicken Drive and couldn't go all out on a grill. To be honest it was big enough for the two of us and that was fine.

Add a couple of years and the fact it was not the greatest of grills, I started to notice some signs of aging. The legs were less stable and rust in strange places. As I was finishing up the bacon cheddar cheeseburgers the legs were getting a little more wobbling and as I pulled the last burger of the grill that bad leg gave out and the grill tumbled over, the grill is dead.

Oh all the memories we have, the steaks, burgers, hot dogs, corn and pork chops you have cooked up. I will miss you little grill. How soon can you be replaced? Well, if I can ever get some work I'd say that day, but I digress. As I picked up up after you cooled and tossed you into the garbage can I felt a little bit of me go with you. That might be because you were still a little hot and a small part of flesh went with you, but that's not the point. What is a man without a grill... nothing... little grill, you completed me. You complete me.

Nights in Rodanthe

2009-04-29T09:14:00.005-04:00

With my weekly text message for a free movie from Red Box I was forced I mean asked to pick up Nights in Rodanthe. If your a guy you are going to hate it and if you are a woman you will probably like it, but that is not why I write. The movie is based in the outer banks area of North Carolina. We have visited and it is very nice, but also has a connection to Raleigh.

Richard Gere's character is a rich doctor from Raleigh and Daine Lane's character is from Nags Head, but is helping a friend with a beach house in Rodanthe. The people in Rodanthe and the outer banks are portrayed as salt of the Earth people which is so much different that the city folk of Raleigh... WHAT?

In the movie they mention that it is 200 miles distance from each other, but to be honest the two are not that much different. First the fact that it was trying to make Raleigh into a big time city is a little off. Yes it is progressive, but the Triangle is basically 10 mini metropolitan areas that have grown over the last 30 years. When you think of "big city" Raleigh ain't it. Don't get me wrong, that's why we love it here. It has a big city feel without well, the big city.

I understand what they were trying to do, but man, most of the outer banks is very commercialised and portions of it are not rustic. The further south you go (past Nags Head) it is more quaint, but the same kind of people are there as in Raleigh. Go ten miles out of Raleigh and you get more of "country pumpkin" than you will get in the OBX.

Maybe I'm being too cynical and I need to heed my own advice I give to The Wife while she complains about a scene. "It's just a movie." It's only because I live in this area that I notice these kinds of things.

One last thing, I know the only skyline shot of Raleigh is off of Saunders (I've shot it many a times), but why would you go that way to the OBX? US 70 through Garner hella suck and if you go around on the inner belt to US 264 you don't have to take the ferry, with the new bypass it's a whole lot faster... just sayin'.

Open Letter to Spring

2009-04-28T10:25:00.001-04:00

Dear Spring

Where did you go? Did you pull a hammy and told summer to go on in? It's freaking hot already! Do you realize that I have warm blooded pregnant wife that was complaining when it was the 70 for three days. Tell me what it will take for you to come back and have summer go away for a few weeks longer. I'll hire a physical therapist to work out what ever injury you have.

Or is it worse? Did mother nature lay you off? I know the economy is bad, but how can she not have spring? You are so much better than winter. Without you it's be, well like it is now. Cold one day and way too warm the next. Give me her number and I'll give her a call and try to help you out. Or at least try and get hired, I'd be a good season; Winter, Jeremy, Summer and Fall. Who am I kidding you are the best at it.

Whatever it is, please come back and hang out till June. Just give us a little break before the hot head comes in and makes it miserable for me and my pregnant wife.

Not the Pork!

2009-04-27T20:46:00.003-04:00

As I am starting not hate the news, I've started to watch CNN a little bit more and I started to hear about this swine flu. Of course it's CNN so I zone in and out and only catch bits and pieces. I keep thinking nothing about it because it's in New York. As I get on here to write a new cover letter (not telling you why... can't jinks it... crap I may have said too much) I see on my WRAL and News and Observer RSS feeds a story... The swine flu in North Carolina.

What? How did that happen, then I started to remember, it's freaking North Carolina... Smithfield pork is here and that we have 900 business that deal with pork. We even have a pork council! First I had to deal with West Nile while in Toledo and now the swine flu. Why are we getting the flu from pigs? I read the story and mostly people are getting the flu because they were in Mexico. Then I read this douse of a line;

Although the the flu has been deadly in Mexico, it appears to be mild in
the United States, where 40 people have had confirmed cases.

Why is the US strain less deadly? So I go to where all people get "reliable information... Wikipedia. The entry for swine flu is well medical at best and does not tell me if I am going to die. I then type into google "Will I die from swine flu" and I find a story on CBSnews.com that tells me:

Tamiflu, that have been shown to be effective, but they need to be taken within
days of the first symptoms

What are the freaking symptoms! The article is also telling me to not freak out. Too late for that, because you are making it sound like I'm in a bad episode of 24 and I have to go on a rampage to find this miracle drug or I might die because I don't knowwhat the symptoms are.

The same CBS article tells me not to travel to Mexico (Check), wash my hands and cover my mouth when I sneeze and cough. So is sneezing and coughing a symptom? Crap I'm going through allergies right now. Maybe it's the swine flu, I've had that for a month now. Am I allowed to play the game Pass the Pigs? I mean it has little pigs in it, how am I to know if they have the flu or not... I'm so going to turn into a swine zombie I know it.

Loaner 2: The Electric-Boogalo

2009-04-27T15:12:00.003-04:00

With the Mazada getting it's third transmittion this year, I again get the loaner seen here. You can read the previous exploits here, but I have a new problem... this thing over heats. I was driving to a business meeting/ golf outing when I kept hearing a "bing" and looked down to see the temperature needle was pegging the hot. The one thing I learned in drivers ed was when your car over heats, but the heat on to suck the air out of the engine. If this was February, not a problem. The fact it's April and already in the 90s makes it a problem. Not only do I have the windows open on a hot day, I've got the heater blasting warm air all around.

It takes the mini-crap about five minutes to get back down to normal, but 45 seconds to get back to the red line. So far the worst has been driving around during rush hour traffic on Capitol. When it takes 10 minutes to get through a light, it gets very hot a muggy. By the time I get home I need a shower. The Mazda better get fixed soon and won't have to go to the shop for a long time.

Here We Go Again

2009-04-21T10:16:00.004-04:00

Sunday I was driving the Mazda and I noticed that the tachometer was around 6000 RPMs. That's not normal, I turn of the radio and roll up the windows so I can hear what is going on. Well, ever time the car would shift into fifth gear the car would shutter a little and the RPMs would jump. As I kept driving I started to lose fourth gear, luckily I was near our church and nothing less happened. Church is over and I have The Wife follow me home to make sure nothing else happens. Of course, I now can't get the car to stay in third gear.

Monday morning comes around and we are going to take it to the shop and you won't believe what happened? I completely lost third gear and second was starting to act up. You may or may not remember, but I had the transmission on this car replaced in March. My level of frustration on a scale of one to ten (1 being calm 10 being an insane crazy person that has to have the cops called) I'm a 41. I walk in as calm as I can, I tell them the problem and the guy remembers my car and makes the comment "I hope for you that it is the transmission because that's going to be cheaper for you." I'm thinking two things here.

Something else is wrong and it's going to cost me.
I am going to get a free transmission.

Later on Monday I get a call and come to find out... it's the transmission. He doesn't tell me exactly what is wrong, but I'm guessing they got a bad transmission and the gear box went bad.

This is kind of a good thing, I'm getting all the work done for free, but I'm without a car for a week. I might get another lovely loaner, but that won't be until sometime on Wednesday. I'm just amazed that I am going to have my third transmission on a car that has 84,000 miles. When will all this end? I need some really good news soon.

Travel Music

2009-04-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

The Wife is getting stir crazy and is clamoring to go to the beach, even though she is going in two weeks she wants to go on a trip with me. We are taking a day trip to Wrightsville Beach which is just over two hours away. One of the biggest problems we have while driving is music. The Wife is very main stream, while everything I listen too is slightly different from the norm. This has caused problems while driving long distances and the normal rule is who ever drives gets to pick the music. The problem The Wife has is she doesn't drive that much and midway into a trip will start complaining or makes suggestions that she would rather listen to the radio.

With the downfall of our MP3 radio transmitter death this causes even more problems. I will not listen to radio stations and now we have to pack CDs for the trip. Then I get an idea, I'll make a mixed tape collection for the entire drive. The problem is I have to cut out things that we don't agree on, so no Nirvana, Tragically Hip, Gorillaz or Silversun Pickups and for The Wife no Conway Twitty, New Kids on the Block or Poison. Pretty much that leaves us with a small selections but here is the list and order I came up with.

Ice Ice Baby- Vanilla Ice (She loves it and I'll make her happy and get this one out of the way)
Take on Me- A-HA (Classic)
Pour Some Sugar on Me- Def Leopard (Guilty pleasure and happiness for The Wife)
Inside Out- Eve 6
Brian Wilson- BNL
Walking Barefoot- Ash (Since it has a beach reference I slid this one in)
Karma Chameleon- Culture Club (ugh)
Look Away-Chicago (Don't judge me! I like Chicago)
Iris- Goo Goo Dolls
Desperately Wanting- Better Than Ezra
Rock Me All Night Long- AC/DC (I'm not a fan, but The Wife is)
Love Shack- B52s
Business Time- Flight of the Conchords (Greatest two songs back to back EVER on a mixed tape. Go to youtube and find both songs and see why)
Feralicious-Fergie (This song will never leave my head.... get it out!)
Notorious- Duran Duran
Everlasting God-Lincoln Brewster (Happy Wife equals happy trip)
Pocket Full of Sunshine- Natasha Bedingfield
Island in the Sun- Weezer (Somewhere King Tom is Smiling
Dizzy- Jimmy Eat World
Lovefool-Cardigans
Ladies of the World- Flight of the Conchords
1 2 3 4- Collio (Shut Up)
I've Got the Power- Snap (Fav!)
Fellin So Fly- Toby Mac
Unbelievable- EMF
Dancing Queen- ABBA (Stupid Mama Mia)
Summertime- The Sundays
Be My Yoko Ono- BNL
It's the End of the World-REM
Save Tonight- Eagle Eye Cherry
Vacation- Go Gos (Come on, you know you like it)
Let the Praises Ring- Lincoln Brewster (Happy Wife again)
You Can't Have It All- Ash (I will get a look when this comes on)
Right Behind You- Our Lady Peace
Barely Breathing- Duncan Shiek
Slide- Goo Goo Dolls
Leggy Blonde- Flight of the Conchords- (Greatest ending to a song)
Since U Been Gone- Kelly Clarkson
Love Like This- Natasha Bedingfield
Don't Funk Wit My Heart- Black Eyed Peas
Hungry Like a Wolf- Duran Duran (I think of Old School every time I hear this song)
Pump Up the Jams- Technotronic
Mickey- Toni Basil (Obvious)
Just a Girl- No Doubt
I Want to Fly Away- Lenny Kravitz
Sweetness- Jimmy Eat World
Meant to Live- Switchfoot
Good- Better Than Ezra
Here It Go Again- OK Go
Mysterious Ways- U2
Bring Me to Life- Evanescence
Somethin Somethin- Seven Nations (Celtic rock!)
The Most Beautiful Girl (in the room)- Flight of the Conchords
Girl From Mars- Ash (I'm hoping she's asleep on the return trip by now)
Lucky Denver Mint- Jimmy Eat World
Hurricane- Athlete
Clocks- Coldplay (You know how I know you're gay?)
Chasing Cars- Snow Patrol
All I Want- Toad the Wet Sprocket
Don't Speak- No Doubt
The Middle- Jimmy Eat World
Hiphopopotamus vs Phymenoceros- Flight of the Conchords (I have converted The Wife, she loves them.

The Hardest part of a mixed tape is the flow. The movie High Fidelity explains this process the best, you have to start out strong, mellow out and then hit it harder than the start. Everything has to go in and out seamlessly. If not then it's jarring and if you have too many slow songs in a row then you get bored. To much tempo and you get bored. I think I did a pretty good job for building a list that long in under an hour.

What a Rip Off

2009-04-17T20:24:00.003-04:00

With the NHL starting the playoffs and both of my teams (Carolina and Columbus) in the playoffs I want to start watching the games, yet we have one small problem. We cut out about 100 channels on our Dish to save money and of course Verses and FSN Ohio and Carolina are not in the top 125 package.

I heard that the NHL decided to put the games online, all I thought was that's awesome. It's going to be like CBS putting all the NCAA tournament games online! There is one catch, the NHL wants me to pay $79.00 for the entire playoffs. WHAT? After what CBS did you expect me to pay? How about no, I'd rather go to a bar and spend $10 for a beer and nachos. My option tonight is listening to the game on the radio to a guy I can't stand to listen too. Also, he's one man team so I don't get a single second away from his voice. I don't care if he's a hall of famer... I don't like his voice.

The NHL is struggling enough, why not make it free so that you can at least get some decent numbers and tell people, "See, people were watching us!" Put a few commercials in there to recoup some of your money. Stupid NHL, no wonder ESPN would rather have the PBA and College Softball.

The Wife Is Now Insane

2009-04-10T13:53:00.001-04:00

This baby thing is starting to get out of control. The Wife comes home all excited about a gift she received from one of her clients. It's a book called Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. She starts reading it and gets a look of pure happiness. The plot is pretty elaborate, the letter A starts to climb a tree and before anyone realizes it the rest of the letters climb up behind A. Spoiler Alert here, all the letters get into the tree and then fall.

Here is a direct quote as she finishes the book "This book is the most awesome book ever!" I guess we have to read this to Logan every night. Why, I have no idea, but I'm just along for the ride. Oh what a crazy ride it is.

Chain Letter and a Pyramid Scam

2009-04-09T11:14:00.000-04:00

The other day I got a rather stuffed letter in the mail. It was from someone in Tennessee that I have never heard of. I do have relatives there and thought they might be sending me something. Much to my shock it was not from a relative, but a total stranger, he sent me a chain letter.

Not just any chain letter, this was also a pyramid scam. Yet they tried to tell me it was not a scam. I mean the top of the letter clearly states "AS SEEN ON OPRAH & 20/20." Well I guess I'm wrong this can't be a bad thing, yet I still think this is a scam. Then I read on "THIS IS NOT A PYRAMID SCAM." Well if the letter says so then it must be legit.

The whole basis of this scam is you send six dollars (one dollar each) to six people. Then you mail out this letter to six people, put your name in the 6th spot and bam! You're making money. Yet there is another rub in this ruse to make even more money you send away for a set of labels so you don't have to bother your friends. It only cost forty-five dollars. Hey, they have a story in here about how some fifteen year old made a quarter of a million I mean I must be able to.

This letter is full of testimonial with names, but not one name from the person who created it. That should have been this guys first clue that this was a scam. If someone won't give you their name, then it's not legit.

The most interesting part of this letters is a diagram in the letter. With the 200 names you will make fifteen dollars then in turn those 15 send out more letters and from the new people you will get $225 and so forth and so forth. Here is the money breakdown in the letter:

$15.00

$225.00

$3,375.00

$50,625.00

$759,375.00

$813,615.00

In no way at all that could be a pyramid. I mean the top is flat so it's more like a rumbas and those aren't illegal. How has this not been stopped yet? Then on top of it who is falling for this scam? With the Internet all you have to do is type in datalineone into Google and the second and third listing are about how this is a scam.

I know times are tough, cheap get money quick schemes are not the answer. You just have to be smart about money. Then a few friends and I were discussing pyramid scams. The best place to be in one of this is right below the guy who started it. You are not fully at fault and he gets all the blame. Of course non of us wanted to be that guy so I guess our get rich quick plan won't work. I guess it's back to trying to make a living.

Pollen Pollen Everywhere

2009-04-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

I've written this before, but Still two years down here and I am still amazed at the pollen that comes with early spring. I have pretty bad allergies and right now I am doped up on Sudefed and Claritin Yet that's not the biggest problem right now. It's the yellow dusting coating everything inside and out. You can no longer describe your car without adding yellowish to the color.

This is the first spring in our house and it's annoying to see this yellow haze all over the kitchen floor. With The Wife still in a nesting phase this is driving her crazy. I think we went through a pack of Swiffer cloths in a week. Then you have the porch and deck are covered, you can't do anything, it's like trying to shovel the show in the middle of a blizzard.

We have had a few good rain showers and you would think that would clear up this mess. What it actually does pools it low lying areas and then when it dries, blows back onto everything. I love the warmth of the season, but this is the worst thing about living here... stupid pine trees!

Winning and Rioting

2009-04-07T13:13:00.009-04:00

Since I no longer work in the news world and UNC was in the national title game, guess what I decided to do, go to Chapel Hill and be involved in the idiocy. Six months ago I would have paid to get out of going to Chapel Hill, any time I went near that city, something would happen. I'd be forced to move the live truck 6 times after I had everything set up. Being kicked off a roof because the snipers "don't like TV people." Yet I wanted to see what it was like without being forced to confront the idiots.

First the Dean Dome had probably over 4,000 people there watching the game. I thought it was interesting how the entire crowd reacted like the game was happening in front of us. Anytime they cut to a Michigan State player they booed and of course a UNC player was cheered. This made it interesting during the fast edited pregame show. Many chants filled the arena and made it a very lively scene.

I like UNC, but do not love them as many of these people did. Unless BG makes it to a title, I'll probably stay at home and watch the game, the food is a little cheaper.

Once the Tarheels routed Sparty the "fun" began. 80% of the crowd at the Dean Dome started the mile trek up hill to Franklin St where 30,000 people were already starting chaos. To compare it to something people have seen or experienced, it's like Bourbon Street except on fire. For some reason a local paper thought it would be a good idea to hand out championship papers... WRONG! They were used to start the fires and I swear I saw Nero and a fiddle at Top of the Hill.

Smoke filled the air and pockets of small fires littered the streets. Most of these fires were very small and for some reason people thought it would be a great idea to jump over them. I, now part of the mob, jumped over a couple. Some where just to do it and others were the only way to cross the mob.

Then you just randomly saw people in places that were strange like trees, on top of crosswalk lights, poles and my favorite ripped off street signs. Of course what did people do, jump on top and surf through the crowd. The video below is one of the times I was a little too close to the group of sign surfers. The video below is that time, each time someone fell off it was like an ocean wave crashing into you. People were thrown back into you and you into those behind. Luckily I kept my balance, but some had to be helped up from the fall and their new injuries from people stepping on them.

It was around 1:45 by the time I finally made it back to my car over at the Dean Dome. Am I glad I finally got to be apart of the mob... yes. Will I ever do that again... no. I have experienced the crowds from both sides of the lens. Next time this happens I can watch WRAL and know what is going on and relive this experience, that's enough for me.

Buffalo Wings

2009-03-27T13:58:00.000-04:00

I love me some buffalo wings and with The Wife craving them or as she says Logan wants wings! I have been forced to go to Buffalo Wild Wings, which shall be known as B Dubs from here on out. The only problem is that the closest B Dubs is in Knightdale and that's a good 20 minute drive. If there was an actual road that went from Wake Forest to Knightdale it would be 10, but yet again that's another post. It's a journey to get over there and it better be a good time.

Well, on my birthday we had a dreadful experience. It was so bad, I actually got up and ordered old school style at the take out counter. From what we gathered, they sent a server home and chaos in sued and we were in no mans land. The young manager blamed his staff and flat out said they were bad. Something tells me he is new and doesn't understand that when you say that... I'm not coming back.

I sent off a email blasting the restaurant explaining what happened. The main manager called and wanted to say he was sorry and asked us to come back. We take him up on the offer for a free meal. Luckily it was the B Dubs of old, it was busy, but it seemed everything was going well. The manager was wonderful and we had a great time. Basketball, free wings and the fact I did not have to get up and get my own food and drink made it a good night.

I Know Him!

2009-03-26T21:10:00.003-04:00

While watching and listening to the NCAA tournament I kept hearing names and those names kept sounding familiar. Come to find out, I actually sort of know them. With my three years working at ONN I got to meet a lot of the best in Ohio. As I am writing this I have seen two guys I had interviewed. BJ Raymond (Toledo St John) who is Xavier and Raymar Morgan (Canton McKinley) at Michigan St. I did a feature about BJ Raymond and followed St John as they advanced to the finals my last year. Raymar was part of a Canton McKinley bulldog team that dominated the state. He was a man playing against boys.

Then I also saw a story on the NFL Network about Jevon Ringer who went to Dayton Chaminade Julian. Javon is looking to make it in the NFL, but every time I see him all I can think about is the promo he did for us. He said "Hi, I'm Javon Ringer and you are watching SportsZone." He jumped and did a round house kick in front of the lens. All I kept thinking was, "Holy crap this guy came inches from kicking my camera, which was set up 5 feet off the ground. He later broke his leg his senior year, but he still has a chance to make it to the NFL.

That's the thing I miss, I will no longer be able to say "I know that kid, he almost kicked my camera" or "That guy dunked over my reporter (DeQuan Cook)." I will being able to do that. I know no one else cares, but for me it was always a perk of shooting high school and college sports.

Lucy is Learning

2009-03-26T13:41:00.001-04:00

Back in February I was bored and did not have anything to do. How is that different than now... not much, but I have found ways to pass the time. One of them is training Lucy to come to the kitchen every time she hears Whoomp There it is by Tag Team. Go back to the original post to see why I am using that song.

Every time I gave her a treat I hit the button. It took a lot of time and a lot of Beggin' Strips and Scooby Snacks. Then a couple of weeks ago, Lucy was in the backyard and I decided to hit the button. She came bolting in looking for a treat. I have done my own Pavlov's dog.

So what am I suppose to do now? Should I use my new found powers of dog training for good... or EVIL!

Cold Calling 3: Rise of the Machine

2009-03-25T19:07:00.003-04:00

Even though this is my second post about cold calling, today was my third time out. There was a difference today, I did not go to production companies. Instead I headed out to dance studios and ninja schools around Wake Forest.

To be honest I got a better reception from most. One ninja school did quite understand what I was doing. He kept say he has someone who takes pictures, I finally gave up with that guy. I didn't get any work out today, but there seemed to be at least a chance they might think about calling to see if they want to think about using me.

Do I want to be that guy at recitals who seems out of place, if it brings me money... yeah! Hopefully I can get at least one of these places to call me back. At least that would be a start. Also I bought a website and hopefully I can get this thing off the ground in the next couple of days.

Old Age

2009-03-19T13:32:00.003-04:00

This past Sunday The Wife and I went with another family to celebrate a couple of birthdays. As we sat down we noticed a note on the table. A woman was celebrating her 102 birthday. That is not a typo, I checked it... let me restate it 102! She was born in 1907, think about it, she was born before World War I. I'm not talking just being born, I mean she was 7 when it started and was 8 when the US entered. Then she was 32 when WWII started, she was almost my age when the war to end all wars started. Then she was 5 when the Titanic sank.

Then I thought about all the technology, she is 1 year older than the model T. She went from radio, to TV and now is in the Internet age. The minimum wage 22 cents and hour compared to the $5.25 now. There was only 144 miles of paved roads. 95 percent of births were at home. How about this nugget, there were only 45 states. She has been alive for 19 Presidents. Compared to the 7 in my life time. The five leading causes of death where;

Pneumonia and influenza
Tuberculosis
Diarrhea- Really... diarrhea?
Heart disease
Stroke

Then I started thinking, she's an African American woman and living in the south. The Civil was was over 42 years before. Most likely her grandmother was a slave. I just wonder what kind of hatred she had to endure. Then she was 61 when Martin Luther King Jr was killed, 61 years old! She lived a life time under strong racism. Then to have 40 more years of change and finally she was 101 when Obama became President. If I went back in time to 1907 and said. One day America will have a black President I would have been tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail.

She has seen more in her life time than I could ever fathom. I probably won't make it to that age, but just think about how much different things will be when I'm 66. I can't imagine going throw everything she has in her life.

Complaining... again

2009-03-13T10:22:00.003-04:00

I had a friend email me a guy who was looking for a production assistant and of course it's work so I sent in my resume, references, blah blah blah and yet again I had my hopes up. Not a lot though, once you had hope dashed to sunder a few dozen times you start guarding yourself.

I check my mail and I got a message. "Oh please be good." I stated as I opened the message. It was more of the same, except this time I at least got a response. The work was for only ten an hour and according to him below my skill level.

That got me thinking, how many of these jobs have I been "over qualified" for? With the way things are going, I don't care if I'm over qualified, I want to work and try to make a decent living. I just don't get it, don't they understand that I am applying for that job? I know it's below what I have done, but I don't care. I'm just getting tired of the rejection. Just once I'd like to get a freaking interview for a job that will actually get me work.

It's been three months and no end is in sight and I just don't know what to do. I'm afraid that I will have to open a TVjobs.com account and try and get back into news. That means we have to move, I don't want that, but with baby Logan on the way, I have very little options right now.

Cravings

2009-03-12T17:02:00.001-04:00

One of the things I have always heard about pregnancy is that the woman gets strange cravings like ice cream and pickles or just instant cravings. The Wife is in denial over the cravings, yet I know the truth and here is a list of the foods she has craved:

Ice Cream- This has been the biggest one, I'm guessing at least 5 times.
Fish Sticks- I kid you not, why? I don't know be she sees a Long John Silver commercial and she wants fish sticks.
Buffalo Wings
Mexican Food- I don't mind this at all.
Jalapenos- Everything has to have them.
McDonald's Pancake Breakfast-One Saturday morning 15 minutes before they stopped serving breakfast I had to run out and get the Deluxe breakfast.
Pancakes- Totally different than the above, we had to stop at IHOP for pancakes today after the ultrasound.
Salt and Vinegar Chips- She keeps getting a bag for me and before I can get a chip it's gone.
Popsicles

There are a few that I can not remember, but she is reading this over my shoulder and the quote was "Mmmmmm Buffalo Wings!" Off to the closest BW3 in Knightdale a good 35 minutes away.

I am being forced to mention that most of these items are also things I crave. What can I say, Logan and I are in sync.

It's a Boy

2009-03-12T12:48:00.003-04:00

We went this morning for the level two ultrasound and everything is looking good, the baby seems healthy and everything is good... oh yeah and we are having a boy. To be honest I would have been happy to have a girl, but this is awesome! The J Dog family name will live on for another generation. Then you have all the cool stuff I can do, play sports, teach him how to throw a knuckleball, spit, throw an elbow of the top ropes and all those other cool boy things.

Halloween will be a lot cooler. I'm now trying to find either a baby Wolverine outfit or how I can make my own Ash costume... chainsaw and all! The Wife is all happy as well, she now 100% feels like she is pregnant and is happy because we can go register at Baby's R Us and Target. I'm happy with that because I want to play with the scanner gun.

Cold Calling

2009-03-04T12:32:00.001-05:00

Tuesday it was decided that I would trudge out into the world and attempt to find gainful employment via one of the worst methods ever... the cold call.

I looked up production companies in the Raleigh area and just went around the city handing out resumes. Everything went as I thought it would... I got a job. If you believed that I have some swamp land you can buy. Every where I went it was the same answer, "We are not hiring right now." A few were nice enough to give me a few suggestions and even said they would keep me on file. A few places seemed annoyed that I was there and one place no one even came to the front desk when I came in. I just laid my resume and reel on the scanner at the front desk.

The one thing I had about doing this is the fact that 99.9% of the people are not looking for someone to hire. I'm just hoping that I can get lucky, but my track record has shown that luck is not on my side.

On Thursday I am trying the Cary, Morrisville, Apex and Chapel Hill areas. Hopefully I will not be in the minivan of doom by them.

Craigslist

2009-03-03T17:53:00.003-05:00

Since my demise from news I have used craigslist the most to find jobs. Monster and Careerbuilder do not really have any TV jobs and TVjobs.com usually doesn't have too many decent market listings for photojournalists and I don't feel like paying for it. Most of the listings are not the best work in the world, but sometimes you find one that is not that bad, like this one;

Seeking reliable, enthusiastic, motivated, people wanting to work as sports
videographer for The ReelAthletes.com.

The ReelAthletes.com is a full service media production company that
provides professional video taping services for all sports.

Videographer needed must have 3ccd camera mini dv format and tripods please
detail your experience and equipment. Hourly earnings $15-$25 per hour Please
send contact information to set up interviews in Raleigh NC if interested.

Not a lot of money, but after looking at the website I could do this. I may only make $50 a gig, but it appears to be easy work. I apply and as usual I have not heard anything back.

That's not the main reason I'm posting. It's more of the idiots that post something insulting to the original poster:

Are you serious? You expect someone to provide their own equipment for $25
per hour, with no minimum guarantee? So a person is supposed to tie up their
entire day even if the event is two hours - meaning you will only make maximum
$50?????? You are NUTS!!!!!! Nothing professional about your organization
as anyone in the business knows a good videographer with equipment costs minimum
$300 per day. GET A LIFE and quit looking for slave labor!!!!!!! Craigslist is
becoming nothing more then bottom feeders using the high unemployment for their
gain!!!!!!

I did not change a thing from either post, the response guy needs to shut up in my opinion. While working in news I did not make $25 an hour. If he would have actually gone to the website he would have seen they are not looking for high end. I'm getting tired of the two extremes of craigslist; the guys who want you to work for nothing and the self righteous jerks that think every job should cost a minimum of $300 an hour/day/minute. I would love to make $50 for two hours of work that I can do in my sleep. I get three of those a week that's an electric bill. If one school has a couple of kids, and bang them out all at once then you have a car payment for The Wife.

I love the fact that $15 an hour is slave labor, last time I checked that's about 2.5 times minimum wage. I can't make that working at Kohl's... trust me I tried. I love how people throw that phrase around in situations like this. Would I like to make $300 a day... YEAH, but I'm going to take whatever I can that will not cost us more in the long run. Response guy needs to find out how good a $300 dollar a day job is and leave the one who are struggling to decide whether or not 15-25 and hour is good enough.

New Camera

2009-03-02T10:18:00.000-05:00

I'm surprised I have not posted about this earlier in the week, but I got my new camera and wow, it's tiny!

I knew the Sony HRV-A1U was the smallest prosumer they made, but look at the picture to the left, it's barely bigger than my hand. Even though it is small, all the reviews (not on Sony's site) said it is small but high end and so far it's rockin like Dokken. The attached XLR mice box allows you to to get decent sound, but it also has a mini plug for the smaller wireless mics. Obviously it is light weight and in normal light it takes a great image.

The draw backs appear to be that everything has to be done through a menu, so if you want to change audio level you have to scroll through the menu. Also the DV tape is bottom loaded. So if you are needing a tape change and you are on a tripod... that's going to take a few seconds as you screw off the plate to get to the tape. It does not have a CCD, but a CMOS I've heard a lot of cons and some pros on this chip. The biggest thing it's more cost effective so that's a plus and you're not suppose to get the "Streaking" bright lights give the smaller cameras/ the P2 I was using at WNCN. As all smaller cameras, lower light sucks. It gets more grainy as the camera will bump up the gain to pull in more light. I knew that was going to happen, the smaller cameras just can't handle low light as well as a professional camera.

I like the camera so far, but I have to get the mind set of bigger is better out of my head. I remember seeing people with these small cameras at events thinking they need to leave this to professionals like me in other words a twelve grand camera. If I can get half way decent image with this thing, I should be able to blow away any small time crews. I just have to remind myself and anyone who asks it's not the size of the camera, but what you can get from it. I also have to remember I'm not shooting Ben Hur with this thing, it's weddings and kids doing things.

Still I am amazed at the size of this thing, Gilbert the Gnome is as long as this thing!

The camera in the last picture is a Canon XH A1 owned by Lifepointe Church.

The Loaner

2009-03-01T13:58:00.001-05:00

With the car in the shop for a week, the auto shop was nice enough to give us a loaner. I was worried about what they were going to give me. I kept flashing back to the movie The Mask and seeing a giant hoopty, little did I realize that a hoopty would be a lot better.

I go in and see the keys to a Chrysler and was thinking that the car off to the side was a Chrysler and that would be fine. No, that would be too nice. I'm directed over to the other side of the building and I see a blue Plymouth Voyager... from what has to be the mid 90s. It's the kind of mini van you see on the side of the highway broken down. The Wife immediately laughs at me knowing my hatred of minivans.

This thing has all the mediates of the mid 90s, AM/FM radio, tape deck, air bags, a horn, heat and power locks. I am stylin and profilin here, look out ladies I'm crusin in style. I keep thinking of the minivans The Dad use to get while working for EcoLabs. It was always a minivan so that he could get all his equipment in there. Of course that flashes me back to high school and I fall into a fetal position, and last time I check you can't drive from the floor boards. I can't wait for Wednesday to arrive.

Car Problems... Again

2009-02-28T18:42:00.002-05:00

A few months ago The Mazda started to have a bad vibration and I took it in and was told that it was the tires. We replaced then and guess what, the vibration did not go away. We would have fixed it right away, but other things happened. Had to fix The Wife's car and the whole no job think kind of hurt.

I mentioned in a previous post that we got some money back and part of it went to fixing the cars. I take The Mazda in and they find out that the bar and the behring that goes from the transmission to the passenger front tire is shot. It will cost about $5oo to replace. We are fine with that and start to plan when we can get The Honda in to fix the air conditioner. Later in the day I get a call from the shop. The part is in and fixed, but... I don't like to her but on a sentence that should have a period. I'm informed that most of the vibration is gone, but the differential in the transmission is causing some of the vibration.

The place we go to is nice, but the guy who makes all these calls can't keep on track. He keeps veering off asking me if I really like this car, if we need two cars and other not fun questions. Finally it is reveled if we wish to fix this car it will cost us $2626. I guess Mazda thought it was a good idea to put the part that is broke inside the transmission. To just fix the differential will cost us as much as a replacement tranny.

We do the math and we have enough between the amount we set aside for cars, emergency fund and the money we were going to send to the state of North Carolina. I've had some people say that we should just go out and buy a used car and be done with it. The only problem is, the car we buy for three grand is going to be pretty bad and I like my car. I might as well just fix it and keep a car I like.

The big issue I have with all this is five months ago when I brought the car in, did these guys actually look at the problem or did they just look at the tires. I keep wondering how much damage was caused by the bad diagnoses. I'm debating about bringing this up. I don't want to get a discount out of it, I just want to know. If they tell me they can't be for sure or give me a bad answer, I'll be looking for a new mechanic... again. Seriously, why do my cars hate North Carolina so much.

Polish Delight

2009-02-24T09:54:00.005-05:00

I am not Polish nor catholic, but every Fat Tuesday I get all excited. You might be wondering why I would get excited for Fat Tuesday, not I am not going to Mardi Gras, but I do crave a Paczki.

That strange word at the end of the paragraph above is pronounced poon-shkey and it is freaking AWESOME! Yet it is evil, let me explain. even though Polish people hate it when I say this, but it's a giant donut of death.It's double the sugar, double the lard, double everything. The story I pieced together over the years is that in the old country the ladies needed to get rid of everything bad for Lent and one day someone thought of putting everything in a donut that you eat on Fat Tuesday. I think the Catholic church needs to find out who created this god sent and make them a saint.

Even though they can have as many calories as one and a half Big Macs and 29% of your daily fat I had to have one. Luckily Lowe's Food carries them, why I have no idea, but I raced out and bought a pack. Personally I love the lemon ones, I should get the prune filled to flush it out, but I hate prunes. It was an OK paczki, nothing as good as the Ohio Theater in Toledo, but what is. Those paczki are like mana filled awesomeness.

I'm half tempted to eat a second one, but as I wrote two years ago that might be a bad idea.

Crafty

2009-02-22T19:43:00.000-05:00

When we bought our house one of the things The Wife liked was the previous owners had a old window hanging on the kitchen wall. I also thought it was kind of cool and we have been looking for a similar window at a price we could afford.

While at a strange antique store we find a window frame for five dollars. Oddly enough that is in our price range and we took it home. With the money from the government we bought some paint and sanding paper. Now for my non married readers, you will not understand this, I am not the most crafty of people, I am creative, but I am not good with wood or paint. So of course guess who is doing this project... I am of course. It's one of those things that happens. I am doing the work and The Wife is supervising.

So far the project is going pretty well, I have sanded and removed most of the old white paint and put one coat of paint on the exterior side. While working I do get little "pointers" to make on how to paint or sand better. Will this window frame ever win an award for awesomeness... probably not, but my goal is to make it look good on my wall.

C is for Constant Bombardment

2009-02-22T12:23:00.000-05:00

With our tax check in our bank account we thought we would use part of the home improvement budget and go to Lowe's for needed supplies. While we were leaving we saw a few Girl Scouts selling cookies. I don't know if you have ever seen a pregnant woman after she sees those cookies. It was a strange mix of a demonic possession with shear joy. I thought she was going to take the brownie hostage until her little friends gave us all the boxes.

Reason and a priest over came her and we bought two boxes (Thin Mints for her and Tagalongs for her and me). As we were driving I realized, that they were in front of a home improvement store. Then we saw them in front of a pizza place, a grocery store, side of the street and inside my house! OK maybe not in my house but it felt like a bad zombie movie. Instead of trying to eat my brain the girl scout zombies were trying to eat what little bit was in my wallet. This is getting out of had, I'm yearning for the days when the only time you saw Girl Scouts was either a co worker pimping out the boxes or a random kid coming to my door.

I think we need to change the old adage about a nuclear blast, no longer are cockroaches are the only things to survive, I believe the girl scouts will sell their cookies to the zombies not killed... or maybe the cockroaches.

Angel Food

2009-02-21T18:47:00.006-05:00

A few years ago while we were living in Columbus someone mentioned a Christian organization that gave food to people at a really cheap price. We looked at it but felt guilty about trying it, we were struggling, but not that bad to be getting food for real cheap.

Jump to the present and we are now needing help and someone mentioned the same group, Angel Food Ministries. We remembered the conversations we had and decided that now would be a good time to try it. The whole purpose of this group is to give people who need food a cheap place to find it, yet if you do not need help, you can still buy food, they just want you to take the money you save and give it to a charity.

The food above is what we got for $52, no I did not type that wrong, let me spell it out fifty-two dollars and zero cents. I'll give you a quick run through of the food; 2 steaks, 4 pork chops, 4 chicken breast, 7 breaded chicken breasts, 6 Salisbury steaks, pound of potatoes, eggs, a pound of sweet potatoes, a pineapple and much more. Look they even gave us a sweet potato pie (it is North Carolina after all)!

Now contrast this cornucopia to what The Wife picked up at Target (Sorry Target, we are not slandering you... you just happened to be the store she drove by.) Milk, cereal, fiber bars, tea mix, two chips and fig cookies. Guess the total... $25. Holy crap, we can't live off of that and it cost us almost half as much as Angel Food.

The only draw back for me was when you went and picked it up you had to go through a line and the volunteers placed the food in what ever box (laundry basket) you brought. I felt like I shouldn't be there, but I saw people who appeared better off than I. So that made me feel a little better. I just have to get rid of that stupid pride and except this gift. I seriously would advice anyone to use Angel Food, it's not just a Carolina thing, it's all over the southeast and some of the midwest (I'm looking at you Ohio). They even have a steak package you and order, I'm trying to convince The Wife that the baby is craving steak. I know I always am.

Backyardagins

2009-02-19T19:33:00.008-05:00

For next few days The Wife and I are watching Titus for Shawn and Melissa, we enjoy watching him because it gives Lucy a playmate when we are away (Titus is also very low maintenance). When I get home from some video work at the church I find two dogs in the back yard and I have no idea what was going on.

Where what I figured out what was going on. Titus just HAD to greet me at the fence as I came in. Lucy wanted her usual welcome back scratch and Titus wasn't having it. He growled at Lucy and the pup took it as play time. The above video is just a small part of what seemed to last for a good 20 minutes.

My favorite part is when Lucy "boxes" Titus. She gets the giant eyes, jump while landing a one two combo. Titus usually wins by rolling Lucy and she will stay down for a little bit. Then run away and the whole thing starts over.

Then you have the neighbor's dog Copper, she sees the craziness inside our yard and has to come as close as her electronic fence allows to see the commotion. I keep wondering if she is wanting to join in or just is enjoying the show.

Photoshop Called, You Need to Read the Manual Again

2009-02-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

If you are not on Facebook then you man not know what I am talking about. Lately on the right of Facebook they have these annoying ads that usually have a line about "I'm rich find out how," or "The government is giving money away." You know it's like those spam emails, but this time they don't go directly into a folder you never have to open. Most of the time I glance at them and just go back to posting pictures and finding out what people are doing. Last week I noticed the above picture, I see Katie Couric and a check. Then I actually look at it and I notice the hands don't match her skin tone and to be honest the size of the hands and check are off. They have five or six of these ads and all of them are this bad. One even has a French anchor with the same hands. The big problem is there is a graphic over her shoulder of a burning building. Wow ad guys, you couldn't change the graphic? I want to know who falls for these ads. I will admit I did click on one just to see what they were trying to scam me with and all it sent you too was a fake blog telling you you need to buy some crappy thing or something. If you are spending money on something like this at least make the picture different.

Strange Side of Craigslist

2009-02-16T19:41:00.004-05:00

With me being out of work and looking for jobs and equipment, I use craigslist a lot. I've applied to 8 job so far and have found some possible equipment purchases. Yet, there are a lot of strange post that even baffles me. I'm not talking adult content work I mean just plain weird. This is the strangest one yet. For the first few lines it's normal, just a post asking for women to play football with out shoes. OK the no shoes thing is a little strange. Then it goes to the crazy boat.

Hey Girls Here is the info on the Powderpuff Games. Unique fun at its finest.
$200 an hour Females for Barefoot/ Powderpuff football game.A male foot group is
funding a Barefoot Powderpuff football games this Spring with the next one in
February. We may move indoors on a soccer type cushy turf for the bad weather
days .Those of you who did last months games are welcome back plus we will be
adding a few more. The males participants are either from a rugby group or
firefighters. They are almost all in twenties. The females for hire will wear
football jerseys , and shorts. The male foot group members simply like to watch
female barefeet in action with scantly clad men. The male players will be
wearing mesh thongs.This will be at a semi public field and The male foot group
members may ONLY watch from the sidelines and will not be permitted to talk to
the participants. You do not have to be athletic but at least look good
trying.Pay is $200 an hour for a four hour game/event. plus tips.If selected you
have the option to work a partial game. We will be adding a few more players and
a couple cheerleaders for the Fall roster. The barefoot cheerleaders get $75 an
hour plus tips.The event will NOT be filmed or videod .This should be another
fun event and surely profitable. Bring attitude and barefeet.

Wow so many questions so many times I have thrown up in my mouth a little. So this group is definitely in it for a foot fetish but the thong wearing guys just... I don't know. It's interesting that they had to put in this post that no members will be allowed to talk to the participants. Yet the cheerleaders get tips. This is just strange, I can't imagine a bunch of guys oogling over girls playing football in bare feet. Yeah I know there are all kind of people out there, but this is just over the top for me.

One of the Signs I Have Too Much Time

2009-02-13T16:56:00.006-05:00

This week has picked up a little; the church had a few projects, I helped a couple of teachers make a video for the amazing race, posting new videos to Pond 5 for sale and I'm doing a video for a family that has a gymnist. Yet today I started a new experiment with Lucy.

For Christmas The Wife got one of those "easy buttons," but instead of saying that was easy we hear Whoomp there it is. I looked at the button, looked at Lucy, back at the button and I am now trying Pavlov's theory. I hit the button and give Lucy a treat. The above video is my fourth test of the day. She's not getting it yet, but it's day one and she was at the park earlier and is tired.

I so need more work outside of the house.

Show Me My Money!

2009-02-10T12:35:00.002-05:00

Most years at this time I am dreading my taxes and this year was looking to be pretty bad. Then it got worse as we went started.

Little did we know that a large tax preparation software that in no way sounds like ZerboZax had a glitch. In the beginning you are asked to input how much you received from the economic stimulus earlier in the year. The program reassured me that it would not effect our taxes. I do as HAL2000 says and after I enter all of out w-2s and 1099s I'm in the hole for over a grand. that has never happened before! By the time we finished we were owing well over $3000. Luckily I call my parents to ask a few tax questions and come to find out The eldest of the kids had a similar problem. We talk and come to find out that glitch was that when you enter your stimulus info it taxed it. The end around this little problem is to leave it blank. Once you go through your errors, put it then.

Since we bought a house we knew something was wrong and yet we were having problems with the deduction section. Finally I noticed a little check box in very small font "If you want to do it manually click the box." That wasn't exactly what it said, but close enough. All of the sudden we start seeing the large negative number drop and then we get the greatest section ever... First time home owners. Holy Crap did that give us some happy happy joy joy feelings. We are now getting money back. It's not tens of thousands, but enough to help us out and keep us a float for a few months longer.

We still owe the state, but I don't mind that as much right now. I feel like I should be wearing a top hat and monocle.

I Guess I'm Not the Next Wink Martindale

2009-02-09T20:48:00.002-05:00

Monday night was suppose to be the night that I was going to host a trivia night. That never happened, I gave them my number and I never received a call back. I'm a little up set over this one. I had people that wanted to show up and give support and that makes it even harder. Most of the rejections the only people that know are The Wife and myself. Now it's about 20 people are involved asking about me when they can come out. I'm almost wanting to give people this guys email and tell him that they want to see me do trivia night. I don't think it would work, but hey if there is a ground swell I just might. Till them I will practice my entrance and cheesy game show host smile.

What's In A Name

2009-02-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

As The Wife and I are now in the second trimester we have been thinking names. As I have mentioned in an earlier post we came up with a girls name, drum roll please, Isabella. That was the easy part, the hard part has been boy names. We have gone over this many times and we have a list;

Logan
Dylan
Brylan
Satchel

Of course you know what that means... BABY NAME POLL! The last one was a pretty big hit and you know what lets try it again and this is how we came up with each name.

Logan- The Wife mentioned it first and I liked it for completely different reason than hers. WOLVERINE! Now if I can convince the doctor to add adamantium claws we would be set.

Dylan- This was from The Wife, I'm OK with this one, not my fave, but it would be OK.

Brylan- All I know is The Wife came home and was all giddy over the name. I am not a fan, but that's why we are doing this post.

Satchel- This is after the baseball player Satchel Paige. I like baseball and I think it would be a great name.

We have the middle name all picked out... Ash

Ash- I am shocked that The Wife has allowed this one to fly. Let me remind you of the two reasons for this name. First is an homage to the greatest B level actor of all times Bruce Campbell. One of my favorite movies starring Ole Brucey was Army of Darkness and his character name was Ash. Then second is my favorite band happens to be named Ash. It's a powerful name and it is awesome!

That's the list, then of course you have the joke name Englebert. Vote and vote often people.... ROCK THE VOTE!

What Do I Have To Do?

2009-02-05T20:32:00.003-05:00

It's been two months and I have applied for 12 video/editor positions and 15 other no TV related jobs and nothing. I know my last post talked about being a trivia night host, but the guys in charge have yet to call or email me back. I'm still holding out hope, but I see the writing on the wall.

With one position I've been persistent. With the first email I sent my resume, reference and a few links to my work... nothing. The job gets re posted, I ask if there is anything I can do. I even mentioned (again) that I just bought the editing software they are using. He finally sends me an email back asking to see some of my work from my new Sony Vegas Pro 8. Well, do to the fact I have not had any work yet, I've only tinkered with it. I put on youtube two videos. One is a touch up job of an old video. I added some new clips and used a couple of effects. The second was a video I did for the church, I happen to have the raw at the house so I recut it. I sent an email with the link. The job was re posted.

Then there was the big freelance job that I signed a contract with. I have not heard anything since in a month. I know the weather has been jack up... I mean we got snow two days after he told me about the outdoor gig. I know this is the thing with freelance, you never know when something is going to happen, but I don't know how much longer I can wait.

While talking to a friend, I was told that I might not be getting considered because I am over qualified and people are thinking I want an arm and a leg. "Forget this guy, he's going to want six figures. Lets go with the recent college grad." I just want to work, I'm not going to ask for six figures. I just want an income that will allow me to keep my house and pay the bills, that's all.

On Sunday Kohl's is having an open job fair for their new location in Wake Forest and I'm going to be there. Maybe I can get a little money there plus I was asked to do a video for a gymnast, if they like it they will show it to their friends and that could lead to a bunch of videos like that. At fifty bucks a pop, maybe I can make a living there.

Channelling My Inner Wink

2009-01-31T23:30:00.002-05:00

With my prospects work looking rather slim, I've come to the point where I'll try for just about anything. I've actually applied to be a dog groom, I'm a week or two from apply to a carny post on craigslist.

Not all post on craigslist are as bad as the recent carny find. I saw a post asking for a trivia host. If you do not know what this is; it's basically a game show in a bar, the contestant are the patrons. I'd be the one asking questions, keeping track of the score and making sure everyone is having fun. I'd get $40 a night plus $20 in food and drink.

Everyone who I've talked to about this keeps telling me that I would be great at this. Of course, I will have to do a guest host/try out and I am scared to death about it. I know it's only a $40 gig, but we need every cent and I kind of really want this to work. I'd get to ask a fool in front of people and get paid. Then there's that little bit of me that thinks maybe someone will see me and I can be the next host of Tic Tac Dough or Card Sharks. I know that will never happen, but a little bit of me can hope for something like that.

Sexy People

2009-01-28T09:54:00.003-05:00

I have to thank former co-worker Chris for this new addiction... sexy people. The entire blog is old photographs that at one point in time were "in style" but now are... I have no idea what they are except AWESOME! I keep going further and further back and the pictures just keep getting better. The picture to the left is not the best, but it gives you an understanding of what you are going to get. Oh sexy people, how have I ever lived without you?

Tedious and Monotonous Week

2009-01-25T22:33:00.003-05:00

Ever since my trip with Dante to the lower bowels of hell I have been plagued with tedious and boring tasks that takes up hours of my life. What have I done to deserve this? Will this be part of my future and God is prepping me for a life of data entry?

Friday was a good day till I opened up iTunes and noticed a few exclamation points next to song titles. This is iTunes way of telling you there is something wrong. For some reason, the original file was missing and I had to reconnect it. I connect a couple and remembered that a few other songs had this same problem. after a little digging around I found out that over 500 songs where not connected. The only way to reconnect them was. Click on the song, find the proper band, the proper album and then click the song. The problem occurs with bands with multiple albums and on top of that I have the same song on multiple albums. Barenaked Ladies' Brian Wilson is on 4 albums and three were missing. I lost 4 hours fixing this problem.

Next is the new editing software, I love being able to now edit from the house, but I have to learn the terminology of this system. Of course Sony, Grass Valley, Avid and Apple can't use the same terms, no they have to make it hard. Example; to control the speed of a clip in Sony's Vegas Pro 8 you have to use velocity. Come on Sony, you could not call it speed? There are other such randomness that I am dealing with so I get a little bit of a project done and then I sit for an hour sifting through the manual trying to find a tool then trying to figure out what Sony would call it. I can't wait for the day that I can sit down and "Bang out" a project at normal speed. I'm guessing that will be in a month.

To help make some money down the road and to learn the editing software I am making a video for The Wife. I'm cheap and Valentine's Day is around the corner. The problem is I'm using a lot of pictures and most of the ones I need are from the wedding. If you don't remember we lost almost everything with the great computer fry of aught 7 and I never got around to rescanning all of the wedding pictures. Now I am 40 pictures out 200 that I am scanning. Oh it doesn't stop with the wedding, I have honeymoon pictures and other random fun picts that need to find there way onto the hard drive (Then to be backed up on the external drive and finally onto a flash drive).

I'm hoping this week will have something different, maybe some ninjas or a pirate ghost ship. Who knows something wacky. Who am I kidding, it's going to be script writing for the church with a side of editing frustration. I can't wait till I have to figure out how to crop something... and no the answer is not a ninja sword.

Pain, Frustration and a Five Minute Meeting

2009-01-22T18:48:00.003-05:00

I have seen the seventh level of hell, nor shall I ever want to see if again. It's the straight and narrow from here after. I have found this level not on the ethereal plains, but right here on Earth. It has a sidious name... the unemployment office.

I woke up early and got to the closest office and made it there within 10 minutes of the doors opening. I thought to myself that the line couldn't be that long. What I found in side was a mass of humanity that filled the waiting room and at least one other conference room. I was 100th in line, I know I exaggerate at times, but I was literally the 100th person. I thought it was going to be a long wait, but never did I believe that it would take six hours.

The mass of people there was far ranging from the people you would thing would be at the unemployment office, to people in dress clothes to construction guys that all they needed to hear was "you two, come with me I have a mess of dry wall to put up." I was a hybrid in my jeans and a nice pullover. Then there were the extremely strange people, one guy thought it was a great idea to wear a coat that only said one word "Smokers." Not that bad, it I saw the back with a giant blunt on it. Then he was called into an office for an interview. Another guy had skulls with knives through them all over a jacket.

After listening to all of Bill Simmons podcast, I was three hours into my wait and everyone in the conference room started talking. Most of us came in around the same time and a few of the newer guys (I am in this group) wondered if this is normal. The pro in the group a former mechanic Mack was a hold over from the day before.

he room of people all had the same look, frustration, boredom and lack of hope. Except when someone would pick up a clip board and would start to say a name. All you can do is pray "please say J Dog, please say J Dog." Alas 99 times I was thrown down to the canvass and had to pull myself up. "Maybe next time."

Finally I was called and brought back to a little cubicle where I feared two things:

They couldn't help me and I wasted a day.
I forgot some paper work and had to come back tomorrow.

fortune smiled on this beleaguered soul and I got an answer. It appears that who ever told me that I could start filing my claims could not read a calender. It starts this weekend not last. There were some other clerical errors that were fixed and I turned in a direct deposit slip so the trip wasn't for not.

Hopefully I will not have to go back to that office. For my sake I hope I can stay away. I do have a plan. Get there round the same time, check in, wait 10 minutes, leave, eat something, sleep and come back three hours later.

Return to Being Lost

2009-01-21T22:42:00.003-05:00

Since December 9th I've not had a lot to look forward to. I know the baby is a big thing and I can't wait for it, but there's a lot of worry and dread with that as well. Then you have the one thing I have been looking forward towards... Lost.

The most confusing yet most awesome show on TV has returned for a 5th year and all I have to say is, I have no idea what is happening but it's FREAKING AWESOME! The two things I have figured out is that part of the Oceanic 6 has realized that they have to return to the island... how... no one knows. Second is Hurley is the only honest and probably good thing in the show.

Let me start with that last statement, Hurly is good. The show is not bad, just everyone else in the show... even to a point the island. We find out that Hurley has always wanted to tell the truth about what happened. The innocence he has makes me wonder if he is the key to the island. Everyone has secrets, except Hurley. That's the key.

I thought it was interesting that all of the Oceanic 6 are now in LA. The island is calling yet will everyone pick up. The hardest problem Ben will have to get everyone back is two people Sun and Hurley. Hurley just turned himself over to the police but that won't be the hardest thing. How about the fact that Widmore and Sun are conspiring to kill Ben. This will make everything complicated.

I'm trying to figure out what is going on with the island. I guess it's not only changing locations it is also changing time. The first part I understood to a point. Then all of the sudden they are in WWII. I guess this explains the polar bear bones that were found in the dessert but besides that I have no idea what is going on.

Then at the end of the episode you have Ms Hawkings at a computer trying to find the island. If you do not remember Ms Hawkings, she's the lady from the Desmond episode where he is back in England after the hatch goes boom. So this means she's real and a computer whiz?

In the preview episode the producers kept talking about this season we will be seeing answers. Unless I've been so confused by Lost for so long I never saw an answer just more confusion. On to the randomness:

Favorite line: "Sayid has crazy ninja moves."

I never thought that a hot pocket could be used as a weapon. I guess Jim Gaffigan will have more material.

Charlotte is about to have her brain explode

I was worried that Desmond would not be on the show any more, but he is the constant.

Ummmm is Locke not dead?

Who doesn't heart Shis Tzus?

Where the hell did Vincent come from? I never saw him in the beginning of the show then all of the sudden there he is.

Lost law: If you start yelling during freak out and you are an ancillary character you will die in some ironic way... thank you Frogurt.

Wait a second how does Sawyer know about Frogurts?

What is This Stuff?

2009-01-20T09:31:00.007-05:00

Are the gods angry? Why do they send white flecks from the sky? Do we need to sacrifice something? Wait a second... I lived in Ohio for most of my life, I think I've seen this before. I think they call it snall... no bwall... that's not right sn-ow? Yeah, snow!

The weather guys actually got the weather right for once and we currently have two to three inches of snow and to be honest, it feels strange. I moved here to get away from all this. Then again, I don't have to work in it... WOO HOO! So, The Wife and I are going to hang out and watch movies all day. For me that's not a lot of deviation, but for her it will be a nice change of pace.

One thing about the snow I was not foresure about was Lucy. How would she deal with it? She loves it, she has been outside for most of the morning. We keep bringing her in, but within minutes she is at the door wanting to go back out.

I've seen people here freak out over the threat of snow, I can only imagine what the roads and stores look like. I'm envisioning Mad Mad with a little bit of snow.

Ash-tastic

2009-01-18T16:54:00.003-05:00

Musically I'm a little off of center, I'm not as diverse as friends like Gianluige or DJL, but my presets are not any of the local top 40 stations. With that said my favorite band is the Downpatrick, Ireland band Ash. Most of the people I know or 99 per cent of the US readers have never heard of Ash. They are one of those bands that when people hear them they generally like what they hear, but American radio won't play them. So I've given up on hopes that America will know the awesomeness of Ash.

Then I go to a Carolina Hurricanes game, and I started to think the PA guy stole my iPod. Then I was scared because I heard the opening riff of Burn Baby Burn. I squealed "That's Ash!" The guy I was with looked at me strange, but honestly I get that look a lot from him. I sing along and I am in a good mood even though the Canes choked the game away... TWICE!

Then today I'm wasting time away on the computer during the crapfest known as the NFC title game. I hear something from the TV, it looks like a NASCAR commercial with a song I know. It's World Domination off of the Free All Angels album.

Did I miss something? The band has been around for over 15 years and are now getting played in commercials? I don't know how to feel about this; I mean they finally are getting some recognition, but still it's a NASCAR commercial. Who knows, they still are my favorite band.

A Sign the Economy is Not Turning Around

2009-01-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

Holy Crap, the town of Wake Forest is being sold!

Baby Names

2009-01-17T13:57:00.003-05:00

While eating lunch today we were trying to come up with baby names. We have the girl named set, but we are having massive problems just trying to think of a good boy name. Nothing sounds right or The Wife just hates my names, so here is a few rejected/could reconsider names;

Isaac
Alex
Gandolf
Robert
Lando
Nieman
Dillon
Jim
Awesome
John
Hambone McGee
Gibbs
Dwight
Micheal

A decent list, but then I came up with a name that currently leads the pack Logan. To be honest it technically breaks one of my rules for a name, can't name a child after a place. I'll make an exception on this one. Then The Wife out smarted me and figured out where I got the name Logan, or should I say WOLVERINE!!!!! Still she is OK with it, till I came up with a middle name, Bruce.

At this moment I know Wilson just spewed Coke Zero all over his monitor and keyboard, because there is only one Bruce. Ole Bruce Campbell and yet The Wife kind of likes the name. I could be in geek heaven here. I even mentioned if it's a girl we could have the middle name be Ashley. She gave me a look of confusion, yet she could tell it was going somewhere. Ashley is Bruce Campbell's character name in Army of Darkness... get it Ash is really Ashley. That didn't fly over as well, but I think I can wear her out.

Then again I am asking for help, I have the feeling once the family reads this that those names will go out the window like Satchel. I am asking for names, leave them in the comments and if you can tell us where the name came from. Remember the front runners are currently Dillion and Logan.

Your Mom is Organic

2009-01-17T12:44:00.000-05:00

The Wife and I went to Jason's Deli a nice little place to eat and I started to notice all the organic signs and then some signs that made me laugh. First was Vegetarian Vegetable Soup, I know it can be made with beef broth but that just made me laugh, you would never see carnivore steak salad. They had little symbols on the menu to denote vegitarian meals, why not just add that next to the soup instead. Then I saw the sign to the left; organic condiments, really organic mustard? I am getting tired of the green organic thing.

Back during the Adkins diet fad, I was walking down the condiment isle and I saw "no carbs" mustard. I thought to myself, "Mustard has Carbs?" I looked on the back and it said zero carbs. Then I grabbed the same brand that did not say no carbs. Guess what I found, NO CARBS! It cost you an extra fifty cents for no carbs label.

I know the hippies say organic taste soooo much better, granted it may but it's freaking mustard! how much better is it going to be? I don't feel like paying extra just to know that my mustard seeds were raised by hippies. I can't wait for this fad to die down, let me have my genetically enhanced mustard seeds with my toxic distilled vinegar.

Jane Get Me Off This Crazy Thing

2009-01-16T11:06:00.005-05:00

I am tired of this roller coaster I have been on. The ups have not been that big and the downs are taking the wind out of me. Yesterday I got my COBRA packet from Benesyst and we are only going to have The Wife covered because we are not eligible for Medicaid. I call and find out how this works and to get a payment total. If we both get covered it's $810 just for medical yet if it's just The Wife the bill drops to $392. We can hopefully pay for that.

On the form, I owe from 12/22/08 and I needed a price for January and those last 9 days of December. I ask how much I owe and I was shocked. Even though medical was taken out of my last check in December I still have to pay the entire month for a lovely total of $784. How am I suppose to pay that and continue to pay bills? I kept asking why I had to pay a full month and all I got was silence and the statement "It's notning personal." No, it's just greed.

Sitting beneath all my Benesyst information is another packet... my 401K. I haven't opened it yet, but there has to be at least $8000 in my account. The smart move is to put it away and not deal with it because the penalties are going to kill us, then again, we need the money. That could pay a few months of insurance and payoff a few bills. I could even pay off both cars and we could save over $400 a month.

I keep hearing how we are heading towards simpler times, in my mind things have become more complex and will never be simpler. I know The Mother keeps telling me we will get through this and God will never put more on my plate than I can handle, but seriously I think the plate is full right now. So God put that ladle down and let me get through this batch before you plop down some more hurt.