Dave's Daily

Monday, October 31, 2005

Happy All Hallows Eve....

Man, this was a busy weekend for parties! Friday night one of my son's friends' parents were having a little party. They had invited two other couples over that had kids and we had chili, hot dogs, hot chocolate, etc. They had an outdoor firepit things too which was nice as it was a little chilly outside. They had games and prizes for the kids and of course, lots of candy to pass out too. It was a lot of fun for the kids as the all came dressed up in costumes.

Saturday night our Sunday school class teamed up with another class and we had a "Bluegrass and Bonfire" party at one of the teachers' home out in the country. We had a nice bonfire over which we cooked hotdogs and everyone brought side dishes to eat too. Who ever could play an instrument brought it and a group of them played bluegrass style music. We also had 'smores too. It was a really great time.

I lost my extra hour of sleep Sunday morning as I got a call from work at 4am and then couldn't go back to sleep for awhile... That was a bummer as I was then pretty sleepy all day long. I can't take naps during the day or I can never shrug off the hazy feeling and then I can't sleep at night either. So, I just suffer through the day. I just tried to go to bed a little earlier to make up for it.

I did work on my podcast Sunday afternoon though. I got all the voice stuff recorded and laid out all the tracks. It is pretty much done, but I just have a little bit of tweaking to do before I can post it. It's too much work though, so it'll probably be my first and only one to do... :-(

Guess I shouldn't complain about how slow work has been. Today has definitely been a trick for me. We had some hardware problems that caused a bunch of other problems for me that I've been working on all day to figure out. Once we pinpointed what the actual problem was, it's now in IBM tech support's hands for now.

There was a bunch of little kids from a preschool that came through today for Halloween. They are all so cute in their costumes. It's fun to watch them.

Our church is holding (as they do every year), our Halloween alternative called Hallelujah Night. They setup all kinds of games, activities, door prizes, free food, etc. for all the kids of the church and for the community too. It's a good outreach and safe environment too. We'll be heading to that tonight. My daughter is going as an elephant and my son is dressing up as Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings. He's done pretty good at picking out the various items for his costume. He found a few things at the local Goodwill store and has borrowed some other things from friends.

Also, yesterday, Oct. 30th, was our One Year Anniversary of moving into our new home. I can't believe it's already been a year! It's gone by pretty fast! You can read all about our moving adventures in my blog's archives!

Guess that's enough for now..... As usual, it's raining on Halloween too...

Blessings!

Friday, October 28, 2005

The Weekend Approacheth

Yeah, it's finally Friday! Sometimes it seems like I'm the only one around on Fridays. Especially today as two of my co-workers left at noon leaving me here almost all alone...

Got the yard mowed last night after I got home. It was really needing it as I hadn't mowed in a couple of weeks. Since it's been colder now, it doesn't grow as fast. I'll probably only have to mow a couple of more times to mulch up the leaves that fall.

We were invited to a little fall party tonight by one of my son's school friends. So, I guess we'll go to that for a little food, fellowship and fun.

I'm going to try to put together my first Podcast this weekend if I have time. I've got all the little pieces I need now (except for a few voice over recordings I need to make) to put it together, so it'll be fun to see how it goes. I'll be posting on the blog if it happens or not, so stay tuned!

Let's start the weekend!!

Blessings!

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Just Another Day and I've been Googled

Today has been pretty normal. No major problems are occurring. Which is good for once. Except for this guy I've been dealing with here at work for the past two days. He's running a huge program that is producing over 70,000 emails that is choking our mainframe email system. I think I've straightened him out, but it's been a battle.

Tuesday night I had a church board meeting. It went a little longer than usual as we discussed for quite awhile about starting a Saturday night service which would have a pretty contemporary style worship service and/or to continue our Sunday night service. As always the Chinese food we had for dinner was excellent also.

Wednesday night during church I finished up this past Sunday's sermon video for our TV broadcast.

I'm also playing around with possibly producing a podcast. We'll see if it comes to fruition or not. :-) My plans are to produce a Dave's Daily Weekly Wrap Up show with some extra stuff thrown in. Could be fun... Will be more work than I have time for, so I don't know if I can swing it or not. I've got the "script" all planned out though and so I may give it a shot.

Have you noticed on Google.com that you can personalize your Google "homepage?" You can add news headlines, sports, weather, or just about anything. I thought it was pretty cool. Well, now I'm not so sure. Usually, when I go to Google.com, I've got something I want to look up and do a search for. When I get there, I see all this other stuff that catches my eye now. When I'm done looking at it, I forget what it was I went there in the first place to search for. Ugh! I've been Googled! Too much of a good thing I guess... :-)

I think I've got to mow the yard tonight...

Blessings!

Monday, October 24, 2005

A Night Away From The Kids

I took off at noon last Friday so we could get ready for our little romantic "get-away" for the evening. At 1:15pm, the lady that was going watch our son (who has a son his same age), called to say that her son was sick and it may not be wise to have our son stay with them. AAHH!! The first wrench was thrown! My wife made some hectic calls to other people with sons that my son is friends with. The first two were strike-outs. It's the bottom of the ninth with two outs... It's crunch time folks as time is running out... The third call was a Home-Run! :-) We found someone to keep our son for the evening! The Night was Saved! :-)

So, we picked up our son from school, dropped him off at his destination for the evening, then took our daughter to her sleep-over place with a family that has a daughter her age and we were off on our little vacation.

We got to our hotel and checked in. After freshening up, we headed out to dinner at a nice romantic Italian restaurant. It had very good food. After dinner we went to a music show. It would be similar to a show that you'd see in Branson, MO or Nashville, TN, but this was in a smaller town, so it didn't quite have the "big feel" production qualities to it, but it was still pretty good. They did a variety of music styles and had lots of funny comedy skits in it too.

After the show we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the nice jacuzzi for some nice relaxation.

The next morning we ate the "continental" breakfast at the hotel and headed out to the HUGE factory outlet mall next door. We shopped until early afternoon... My feet and legs were killing me... but we found some nice stuff and headed to a late lunch. Then we headed back home to pick up the kids.

The trip was too short and yesterday, my wife was ready to leave for the next one. The kids didn't take long to be at each other's throats again and really puts a damper on your good memories. :-)

My son woke up this morning not feeling very well, so he stayed home from school. He already gets this Friday off for Parent/Teacher conferences, so he'll get a short week.

Blessings!

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Pearly Whites

I've started using those Crest Whitestrips to whiten my teeth. Today is just my second day using them, so I've still got a ways to go yet (it's a 14 day treatment). I don't drink a lot of tea or coffee and I don't smoke, so my teeth weren't too bad, but I just wanted them a little whiter. My wife used them a year ago and they really worked well for her. We'll see how it works out.

It was amazing... My son had NO homework last night. I guess due to all the tests he had yesterday, they gave them a break. They've also been doing achievement tests all this week as well on top of their regular work. No doubt that he'll probably have double the work tonight. It was a good thing he had no homework as we had Wed. night church activities to go to.

With the St. Louis Cardinals losing game 5 of the NLCS last night, it's going to be an Astros / White Sox World Series this year. Now that the Cards are done with their season, the demolition crews can now start tearing down the old Busch Stadium to make way for their new one. Congrats to the Astros for finally making it to the Big Game...

I talked to my Dad last night and I found out the person that hit him was a 30-year old woman that was under the influence of drugs. She even had drugs in the van with her too. So, when they took my dad to the hospital, they took her to jail (she was not injured in the accident). Sometimes you just wonder why....

I found out recently that one of the pioneering Christian music rock bands will be dissolving after 30 years. They just came out with a CD ("Jekyll and Hyde")and so this tour will be their last one. They will be playing in a town about 2 1/2 hours from where I live tonight. I wish I could go as I have never been able to see them in concert. I do have some of their albums (and cassettes and CDs) as they were one of the forerunners of getting more a "contemporary" style pushed through in to Christian music. It's a shame that their time is coming to an end... But I guess everything does at some point. The band? Petra. Thanks guys!!

Blessings!

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Coming Home

Got a note from Mom that Dad made it home from the hospital today. She said he was a little weak, but I'm sure he's really glad to be back at home. He has to go back in two weeks for a checkup and another x-ray.

Last night was crazy after I got home. I knew things were going to be bad as soon as I stepped in the door. My son was all teary eyed (he had been crying) and my wife had that "I'm upset" look on her face. The deal was, my son was swamped with homework last night and also had to study for two tests (in Math and Science) that he was going to have today. He was just feeling overwhelmed and couldn't concentrate. We finally made it through everything, but by the time we were done and he got his bath, it was time for bed. No playtime for him. Oh well, another lesson in life I guess. Guess I'll find out when I get home how he did on the tests... Although he always tells me he did pretty good, but sometimes the actual results are not quite as good, but most of the time he does do well. He's a smart kid like his father... :-)

My wife and daughter came to eat lunch with me again today which is nice. They go to the library for Story Time and since they are so close to where I work, they come and have lunch. It's a nice break and I get to eat lunch with pretty ladies! :-)

Cold front is coming through tonight with rain and hi temps tomorrow are only suppose to get into the low 60's compared to 80's today...

Blessings!

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

On the Mend

My dad is still in the hospital, as he did have a partially collapsed lung, so the doctors were trying to correct that today. I did just find out that they removed the draining tube though, which is good news. They're now hoping that he'll get to come home tomorrow morning.

Another gorgeous day today... Lots of sunshine and low 80's... So hard to be inside today....

Blessings!

Monday, October 17, 2005

Yawn, it's Monday Already?

Man, it sure seems like the weekends just fly by.... It's already Monday!

My Dad is still in the hospital getting the fluid drained from around his lungs. Got an update from my Mom today saying the he even may have somewhat of a collapsed lung. They thought he may get to come home today, but after checking the x-rays, there is still more fluid in there, so he'll stay another day or two.

I didn't do very much on Saturday. I didn't even mow the yard. We did have a "Fun For 4" get together Saturday night which was a lot of fun. Each month our Sunday School class has one of these events where four couples meet at a host's home to have food, fun and fellowship. It's so that more couples can get better acquainted. We actually had five couples in our group, but that was no biggie. We had tacos and played the game "Catch Phrase" which was a lot of fun. It seemed the evening was over too soon, but it was getting pretty late (well, it was only 9pm, but when you have to get kids to bed for church the next day, it was late).

Because we all got to bed later, we decided to go to second service at church on Sunday so we could sleep in a little later than normal. It was a beautiful day and I think we're getting a little bit of an "Indian Summer" this week as we're going to be in the 80's this week until about Wed. or Thurs.

Blessings!

Friday, October 14, 2005

Back to the Hospital

Well, after seeing the doctors for his weekly checkup, my dad had to be readmitted due to the fact that the fluid around his lungs still wasn't draining even though he tried more exercising and coughing, etc. The surgery to put in a draining tube went well this morning and I guess he'll be in the hospital for a few days.

Also, my mom got a copy of the police report from the accident and as usual, the news wasn't good. 1) The guy driving the van wasn't the owner of the van. 2) He was uninsured. Why does it always seem to be that way?

Man, it's a beautiful day outside... Almost all of my co-workers are out or left at noon today... Why am I still here? :-)

Blessings!

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Basketball Camp

My son attended a basketball camp this past Mon. through Wed. that was put on by his school. He seemed to enjoy it. We're not sure if we'll have him join an actual team this fall as they practice two nights a week and with all the homework he gets every night and tests every week, I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not. I know he likes basketball though, and the exercise is good for him, but I don't want it to interfere with his studies. It's hard enough already for him to get them all done as it is.

I made out part of my Christmas list today. I put together a list of DVD's that are coming out real soon that I'd like to get. Then I'll let my wife pick a few of them for a gift. I'm also putting on my list a new XBox 360 and the new Apple iPod that can play video. :-) Oh, just throw in a Sony PSP too. Big boys and their big toys! You Betcha! :-)

My lovely wife and daughter came to eat lunch with me yesterday here at work. That was fun and provided a break from my normal routine rut. After lunch, they came back to the office area with me and I got to show off my daughter to my co-workers who hadn't really seen her "in person" for a few years.

Since my son's b-ball camp is over, I think tonight will be the first "normal" night of the week... Man, I hate going somewhere every night...

Blessings!

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Weekend Overview and Holiday

Myself, I really didn't do a lot on Saturday. Kind of just took it easy. My wife went shopping for about 4 hours and I stayed home with the kids. We played outside quite a bit since it was pretty nice. My wife was pretty worn out by the time she got home (I didn't know women could get worn out from shopping... HA!). She had to buy a few clothes for my son for this fall and she also got a few nice outfits for our daughter too.

Sunday was the regular church routine except that we went to first service again instead of second service. We were just getting out too late (12:30 to 12:45p) and by the time we had lunch, got cleaned up, etc., it was almost time to go back at 5pm... So in order to give us some more time in the afternoons, we decided to go back to first service. It's a little more stressful in the mornings trying to get everyone ready and out the door, but I guess it's worth it.

Monday was a holiday for me (Columbus Day), so I had the day off. Since my son still has to go to school, we usually make it the day when we go Christmas shopping for the kids. We still had to take our 3 year-old daughter with us, but she's still pretty clueless on what we're doing. We dropped off our son at school and headed to the "bigger" city 30 miles away as they have a Toys-R-Us store and a bigger and better mall. But first we stopped by to see my parents and they took us to see some land they bought. It's about 100 acres of nice land with a 6 acre lake on it. My dad has hired a guy to cut hay on it and sell it, so he even can get money off the land as well. The lake is well stocked with fish, so we can go fishing there anytime. After a quick visit with my folks, we headed to the stores. We pretty much got everything bought for the kids at T-R-U, so we then headed to the mall for lunch and a little clothes shopping for my wife. She found a nice pant suit and regular pants. We then booked it back to our town in time to pick our son up from school.

My son has a basketball camp this week (Mon. - Wed.) so as soon as we got home, he got his homework done and then we ate and then my wife and son sped off for the camp. After they got home, my son and I studied for his big math test that was today.

My wife was taking our daughter to Sears today to take some pictures. We're a little late getting her 3 year old pics taken, but we wanted to have something to put in Christmas cards, so we're finally getting around to it. :-)

Blessings!

Friday, October 07, 2005

The Long Friday

When the work week is uneventful and nothing at work is going wrong, it sure seems like the week just drags and Friday especially goes on forever. I was ready to go home at noon, but alas, I'm stuck here until 4:30pm. What makes it a little more depressing is that this is the first Friday since our Casual Days were taken away. Even though we only have to dress in Business Casual (no ties), I went ahead and wore a tie today in my little silent "protest." To some here, Casual Day was no big deal, but I just liked Fridays being a little less "stuffy."

Dad had a checkup yesterday. The doctors did an x-ray to check on his chest. They still found fluid and wanted to admit him back in to the hospital and insert a tube to drain it. Dad asked them what he could do to prevent having to go through all that. They told him to keep his feet elevated above his head, walk a lot more and breathe more deeply. Guess they're going to give him another crack at it as they let him go back home. :-)

Next Monday is Columbus Day (who in 1492, sailed the ocean blue...), so I get the day off which gives me a three-day weekend! It's one of the only days off when my son still has to go to school. HA! So usually, my wife and I try to do our Christmas shopping for the kids. My son is thinking he'd like to take guitar lessons. I found a couple of places via eBay stores that are selling guitars (nice ones too) for a little more than $40, which isn't too bad for a beginner one. So, we'll see...

We had a major cool down in temps this week. Wednesday's high was 85 and Thursday's high was only 55. A cold front came through with a little bit of rain. It's a little warmer today (57) and will be a little warmer tomorrow (64). I kind of like the cooler weather... Nice and crisp in the mornings... Fall... I love it! :-)

Blessings!

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Home Again

Dad impressed the physical therapists and doctors enough that they let him go home yesterday afternoon. He had to walk without support, go up/down a ramp and stairs, etc. to show he had good balance, etc. He was really happy to get home.

We're really struggling with our daughter's potty training. She is one of the most stubborn kids I know. She'll fight you until she just can't hold it any longer and then sometimes pees on the floor before she'll tell you she has to go. She's about to drive my wife and I crazy. UGH!

It also seems like my son's school just LOVES giving lots of homework every night, even when there is going to be a test the next day. That's causing more stressful nights. Don't they know that kids still need to be a kid and play some? It seems like most nights are fully consumed with getting homework done and studying for tests. I hardly get a break myself... I almost feel like I'm in school again too. UGH!

UGH!!

Blessings!

Monday, October 03, 2005

Weekend Roundup

Man, I've got so much to post, it's almost overwhelming. I tried to post an update on my dad last Friday, but Blogger was down for some maintenance.

Friday, was PayDay (YEAH!!) and our last Casual Day (BOO!). It's going to be really hard not to want to go casual on Fridays anymore. Just one more benefit management has taken away. Oh well. I took off at noon on Friday as we were going up to visit my mother-in-law for the weekend and also to attend a Retirement Party for my brother-in-law that is retiring from the Navy after 20 years (he was a Chief Navigator for an attack sub - last stationed on the U.S.S. Alexandria).

Saturday, my wife along with her 3 other sisters went to a near by town that was having an Octoberfest in which she bought a "few" more things for the house. Things we "needed" of course... We've had a plate rack thing on the wall now for awhile with no plates on it (it holds three). She found some neat plates to finally adorn the rack. Yeah!

Saturday afternoon we had the big party with a large crowd of family and wonderful BBQ'd hamburgers, chicken and hotdogs. It was a grand 'ole time and great to see everyone again.

Sunday we went out for a brunch with my mother-in-law and then headed home. My daughter was so cranky all the way home. We were hoping she'd just fall asleep and take a nap, but no way... She had to fight it all the way home.

We stopped by the hospital to see my dad on the way through town. He's doing a whole lot better and may get to come home today or tomorrow. He's been up walking some and finally got to cough, much to the Doctor's delight.

After we got home, my son had to finish up some homework, I had to pay some bills, and we finally got to bed after an exhausting day only to have work call me around 10:30pm which kept me up until after 11:30pm... Oh well, that's why I make the big bucks I guess... HA!

Blessings!