BACK IN ACTION!

OK! Let's see what happens, but I may be back in action. Without the ability to blog at work, the Blackberry may act as a bailout. Tomorrow is the Lovely lady I'm lucky enough to call my wife's B day. With limited amounts of sleep, an un-interrupted nap would probably be her gift of choice. Hopefully we I can publish a little news now and then with my new found outlet!

June 11th

6-11-05 was 5 years ago today. To most of you it was just another day. It had been raining on and off for like a week straight and the skies had been gray and gloomy. However, that Saturday afternoon was beautiful! For my lovely wife and I it was the first day of the rest of our married life together. It is one of those things that seems like yesterday, but also seems like a lifetime ago. We had different jobs, different cars, a different house, no kids and were so full of gusto for so many things. Five years later and virtually everything has changed. Together we've owned 8 different cars or so. We've decorated and re-decorated houses, we've landscaped and re-landscaped 2 yards, and now we are 2/3 of the way through pregnancy #2. Had you asked me to predict where I would be today 5 yrs. ago I don't know what I would have said, I'm quite certain it would have been different from where we're at, but that's not to say it's a bad thing. Everything I have ever wanted the Good Lord has provided me. He hasn't necessarily provided it immediately when I wanted it or exactly how I thought it would be, but I have everything I could ever ask for and so much more. To say Michelle is my rock, is an understatement...she is my mountain! A loving wife, a gentle mother and a talented career woman. She is in so many ways everything I wish I was and hope our children will be. Shell, you have made my life worth living, and together we can tackle whatever life hits us with.

Love,

Mike

Time

I have been slacking lately on this thing, and it's time for me to start to catch up. It's not that I haven't had things to write about, it's just that I haven't made the time, which is what this is sort of about. Time...it's truly our greatest commodity in this life. We have only so much of it, and so many things to do. All of us are allotted 7 days per week with 24 full hours in each one. I know that some folks think they get shorted, but we do all get the same amount, but it's how we choose to spend that time that gets hairy. It's really like a paycheck...so much goes to rent, another chunk to a car payment, utilities, TAXES, etc. At the end we have a small amount left to have fun with....just like our time. It gets split between work, house work, and a teensy bit left for fun and family. We all walked oursleves in to the situation we're in. Some are rewarded monetarily for their long hours, extensive travel and sacrifice of personal time that they forgo to give to a workplace. Others(stay at home Moms/Dads) are rewarded minimally in the fiscal area but spend their days at home tending to children watching them grow and depending on another for their monetary needs. So many of us have dual income families and try to make the most out of the time we have with our spouses and children, soaking up every minute of pleasure time like human sponges or perhaps more correctly like camels taking in every drop of relief in order to dole it out at a later date of need. It has been this balance of life/work that has caused me to exclaim several times recently(much to my wife's chagrin) "I wouldn't want to work any more than I already do"! That being said, I work 40hrs. plus 1 night a week for a total of maybe 45 hours a week. I feel like I hardly get to spend any time with my Wife and son and wonder how these super-execs or more realistically the 2 or 3 job workin' schmoes get any time with their families whatsoever? Anyhow, my motto has always been that I work to live not the other way around. When I was a kid my Dad always made me actually listen to the Cat's in the cradle when it came on the radio, and being the sap that I am it really meant something, and still does. If by some chance you're a parent and have never listened to the song, make a point of it.

Thanks Mom!

Yesterday was Mother's day, and hopefully everyone gave much deserved attention to their's. We had everyone over to the house and the kids ran wild while the adults attempted to give reverence to the Mothers. It really wasn't until my wife became a Mom that I realized what a thankless job being a Mother is. I realize as a Father that I share a portion of the burden, but it never seems to equate to 50% no matter how much us Dads feel like we do. Aside from the fact that Mothers have to deal with the pregnancy portion of our childerens' lives, they also deal with so much more than we know. It's the nuances of a Mother that make them just that. When we are in need of tenderness or compassion or when it seems like the world is against us and no one cares about our problems, there's always one person who does...Mom. When we don't feel well and no one wants anything to do with us, there's always one person who will stroke our heads and comfort us...Mom. Mothers are equipped with an instinct that no Father has for sensing a child's needs, waking up for the slighest wimper while we snore away and relentlessly loving us, no matter how hard we try to fight for our independence. To sum things up, thanks Moms and Grandmas! Thanks for always being there with a shoulder to cry on and for being the first to put us on a pedestal when we do well.

How the other 1/2 of 1% lives

Private hangar with multiple jets waiting to go!

How about a fleet of private jets all painted to match!

Look at the gloss on those floors!

Must be rough!

Makes you want to be top brass...

How about a little cardio in between flights? Go ahead stretch your legs!

A little nostalgia on the walls for your entertainment.

Take a load off, watch the game, you've got time before your flight.

Those public parking garages are always so full and so far away.

On a cold night, sit by the fire and flip through a good book.

Or...why not have a few cocktails at your private fully stocked bar?

All photos were taken in Omaha,NE. I thought I would share these for the sake of doing so. Perhaps the next time you're stuck with the sheep waiting for a late flight with your "C" boarding pass for a Southwest flight, you can dream a little. Having flown privately a few times in my life, I will say this..."It's good...real GOOD!" To my kids: Work hard in school and the world could be yours!

Easter = Rebirth

These statements don't seem too far from reality anymore, do they?

Are these scenes from our Nation's past long forgotten?

Well, it's been a couple weeks since Easter and I have been thinking. Easter for Western civilization is supposed to be the rebirth of our faith and a time for rejoicing. However, it seems to me that the Wal-Marts of the world are trying hard to boost Easter as much as possible in to the realm of Christmas with the commercialization of it. That topic is one for another day though...

Today my thoughts are on the meaning of Easter, and no not to beat the religion drum with too much fervor, but to simply give reverance to it and take a look at it for what it really is...a rebirth. In the latter part of the year we plan out things that we hope to change about ourselves or our lives. However, how many of us can even remember what we pledged to change for 2010? I know that I witness it every year as the gym I go to becomes fattened(pardon the pun) with new members seeking to lose a few pounds or garner health and wellness. The gym though isn't a past-time that can come and go, if you want it to make a difference in your life anyways. I say this because this is one area of my life that I have somewhat under control, and it hasn't always been easy, especially since the birth of our son, Angelo. Getting there has taken sacrifice and will-power. There are countless other places in my life where I need a LOT of help. I believe that all of us have our pluses...my wife Michelle is organized in every thing she does in life and has work ethic like no other.

The challenge that I propose is for all of us to look at Easter as a rebirth, but not one marked by foolish promises, but actions as nation. Let's assume responsibility for everything we do and don't do and begin the painful process of cutting away the fat that is destroying our nation. I'm really not trying to sound political, but if folks take it that way than so be it. I am quite simply and honestly appalled, sick, disgusted, etc. at the sentiments of so many in our country. The sense of entitlement that I witness on a daily basis is revolting. From the abuse of the wellfare and unemployment programs to the absurd pensions of public employees that are bankrupting our cities and ultimately our nation, it's everywhere. It's in our house as well! Remember when you were a kid and you had one TV in the whole house? We have 3 plus 2 DVD players in my wife's car! Remember when your parents bought used cars from Grandparents, in-laws, etc? We have an '09 and a '10! I'm not saying that I don't want the best for my family or your family, but I think as a whole we're a little(read A LOT) out of control. When I was a teenager and wanted(had to have) various STUFF, my Mother always told me a couple of things, that were so damn annoying I could scream, but nevertheless true.

1. You obviously don't know the value of a dollar yet...

2. It's so good to have wants.

As individuals, as families, as cities and as a Nation...Let's try to control our wants! Until then, I guess I'll have to deal with pukey 20somethings driving Range Rovers, drinking $11 martinis and wearing $250 jeans all while earning $28K a year! Entitled!!

"Bug" Time

Well folks, it's that time of year again..."Bug" season. You may be wondering what that means, to which I will provide a brief explanation. "Bug" season is similar to that of allergies or other seasonal disorders that affect us, however there are no pills that will alleviate the itchings of this malady. What I am referring to is the season of the year that inspires men to go after things. Depending on the man's interests, the items will vary...for a fisherman/hunter this will consist of constant catalog browsing of new gear, and probably the purchase of a new rod and reel or a few new flies or lures(don't ask me, the last time I cast a rod was in the 80's!).

For other men this time may inspire them to invest in much needed(honest dear) new power equipment to accomplish home improvement tasks(or so we tell our wives). However for me(and my good friend Scott who coined the term "bug") this season is not only new power equipment and a new pair of running shoes. No this season marks the beginning of gasoline powered lust for us and many others who suffer our ailment. The condition begins each year with the first sightings of sports cars freshly shined and awakened from their winter slumber. Some of these beasts have large V8 powerplants shaking the earth and reflecting Spring's flowers in their chrome clad wheels, bumpers and pipes. Others rudely interrupt the tweet-tweet of birds clamoring to build a nest with a shrieking exhaust note inherent to a small displacement engine of a highly tuned nature.

Indeed this is the time of year when it all begins for us. Each year every dealer and purveyor of motorsports goods must be visited whether in person or online to determine what the new "must-have" wares are. You see, this is the only way that this need can be satiated. Countless internet searches and a process of rationalization for the need will happen systematically. For me the process begins silently and progresses through a number of stages after the initial object of desire is selected. the process usually culminates with a non-chalant mention to Michelle of a new vehicle en-route in a few days. Her initial reaction is what you would expect, but then subsides to a disgruntled shoulder shrug. This year I am on the down cycle of one of these spontaneous purchases, as I just sold my last toy. That's not to say that the spring air hasn't inspired me, but the pending arrival of our 2nd child has pushed me back a little. For now I must be content w/ a new set of shoes for my truck. Finally, I wish to offer special thanks to my loving wife Michelle for dealing with me and all of my vehicular needs/fantasies, she's always great and as understanding as a wife could be!

Father & Son

Angelo has had plenty of haircuts so far, but up until this point we've been keeping the baby "do". Well, Mama said it was time to butch it off and what Mama wants...Mama gets. Anyhow, Angelo and I both got our hair cut by Mary who has been cutting my hair for a few years now. She's always great and lets me make last minute appts. and bring my son in spur of the moment for a clip. Angelo did a great job, partly due to the fact that he's a good boy, partly due to the fact that he was caught up in a cherry lollipop. What a little stud!

My Baby's gone...

Well, last time I wrote, I spoke of selling my toy(Porsche 951). I'm here to say with a disgruntled sigh of quasi-relief that it sold. I got my price and it happened quickly, so I guess it was somewhat quick and painless. Although the guy(actually a dealer in SanDiego) hasn't arranged shipping yet and it is sitting in my garage taunting me to drive it one last time. I won't however, since the check has been deposited and spent already!!! I wonder how many guy's toys turn in to tile floors and window treatments after they're gone?

Here we go again....

As everyone can see, it was 2008 when I last posted. Since then, a ton has happened. My wife(Michelle) and I welcomed our first child (Angelo) and we are currently expecting our 2nd, but we haven't found out so far what the sex is. We have girls names in droves, but can't agree on any boy's names, so I guess that means it's a boy. Other than that, I am currently working for the Douglas County Assessor's office in their commercial department.

Today's topic is somewhat heart-wrenching. I am in the process of taking a hard look at my life and where things are going. With the pending arrival of another child and an admiration for "The Oracle of Omaha", I've decided to trim some fat. The initial fat trimming comes in the way of selling my toy, a 1986 Porsche 951(944 turbo for those of you that call them a Porsh). It's a painful thing to do, but will free up some capital. Secondly, I am pondering the sale of my truck a 2009 Toyota Tacoma(No not because it's a Toyota), but because Michelle has a brand new SUV, and I think we could probably make due with one nice car for awhile. Michelle disagrees with me selling the truck, but was on board pretty quick with getting a car removed from the side of our house. Be certain that my love affair with cars is far from over though....