All Backed Up

I have a backlog of things to write about. I just need the time to do it. So, here’s a little teaser:

  • The Young Extroverted One’s Spring Break adventures with daddy at the library
  • The Young Extroverted One’s Spring Break adventures with daddy at Shelby Park
  • The Young Extroverted One’s Spring Break adventures with daddy at the new ice cream joint in East Nashville
  • The Young Extroverted One’s Spring Break adventures with daddy at the zoo
  • My missing cooking/baking
  • Good times down at the farm
  • Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter

Soon to come:

  • The Young Extroverted One’s first hockey game

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to Ye

Enjoy the day!  But please be careful out there.  This is one of those holidays (like New Years) where the amatuers are out in full force.  If you are a pro be careful and avoid that green beer crap (real professionals wouldn’t  mess up a fine brew with food coloring).  Any of you amatuers out there reading this should not drive drunk.

Everyone should have a designated driver no matter what your status!

Goodbye GEC(H) . . . HelLOOO NA

I’m very greatful for the decision by Nashville’s Metro Sports Authority to approve the proposal* by the Nashville Predators to drop the name that has caused people all over Nashville to spew spittal in my face when pronouncing GEC(H). I have always had a problem with that abbreviation since before I moved here. Even more so lately, when the Elder Extroverted Holy One is working on her Hebrew pronounciations.

When working for the, what was once, Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (now the RBC Center) we never called it the RESA (reesah). We just simply called it the Raleigh Arena or the arena. Affectionally also known as ‘hell hole’ because it seemed like that the first year we opened but now I reserve that nickname for my current place of employment.

Hopefully, the nice residents of Middle Tennessee won’t resort to shortening the Nashville Arena down to NA (nah). You could even just say ‘arena.’ Because, hey, it’s the only real arena in town. At least the only place the Preds play.

So, I wish I could say I’m running down to the Nashville Arena to watch a hockey game tonight but I have to work. Sigh. In honor of the most appropriate, even if it’s temporary, name I’m going to say that I am going down to the arena to catch a hockey game soon!

*read the article here or here

Work Woes

It’s turning out to be a woeful day isn’t it?

Someone explain to me that with a team of three riggers and one of them on vacation for a week gets to do all of the time sensitive related work. The lone, just-off-of-vacation worker is now more stressed than before he left.

You have two guys who saw the beginning of this project and me, who was leaving and thus not involved with the planning, CAD drawing, bidding and buying of supplies needed. I’m going to be here to help with the rigging of this monstrosity but wasn’t here for the planning.

Today I was going to come in later because of a 10:30PM load out. However, I went in much earlier than anticipated and had to put together an order of stuff that I had no clue of quantities for a project that I had barely even seen the first draft drawing of that HAD to be ordered today! Ugh. The co-workers are going to get an earful when I see them because this kind of behavior is not right. Now our boss, whom I consider to be a decent friend, has to deal with this issue as well when he didn’t have to because it should have been done.

He’s stressed, I’m stressed. Someone’s gettin’ punched square in the neck for this one (figuratively speaking that is).

Printing Woes

After dealing with printing frustration this morning as the Elder Extroverted Holy One tried to print an assignment I have made the decision to get a new printer.  I have only experienced this problem on a few occasions.  EEHO, on the other hand, seems to have daily problems with this thing.  I’ve always, absently dismissed her complaints with a wave of the hand and a trip up the stairs.  This morning was the paper jam/ink stain/malfunction that broke the camel’s back!  I had visions of seeing how far it would fly out of the second story window!

We’re going laser!  And networked!  The current piece o’ crap wasn’t networkable so I had to share it through my iMac.  When the iMac was asleep the printer was incommunicado.  Back upstairs to wake the old guy (maybe that’s why I’ve been moved upstairs . . . to get some excercise!) so she can print.  NO MORE!  We are getting a networkable laser printer so I go upstairs when I want to not when the printer is being stupid.

Take that Epson Stylus photo 825!

Black Mountain Ramblings

I’m sitting here in the fine home of our dear friends, currently stealing someone’s wi-fi (thanks whoever you are!) and enjoying the scenery here in Black Mountain, NC. I have certainly missed this quaint town on the verge of being surrounded by gated communities spoiling the ridge tops of these Blue Ridge Mountains. I’m not really sure if it’s B.M. or just the area because we really enjoy Asheville too. Whenever the Elder Extroverted Holy One graduates I’d really like to be back here.

It’s not that we don’t like Nashville. We really do enjoy being there. I think it’s the community feeling that we miss the most.  As we pulled into the Ingles parking lot to pick up some wine* for our host family the EEHO saw and greeted three or four people she knew. I only see one person that I know when I go into the Inglewood Kroger every couple of weeks and that doesn’t guarantee they’ll speak to me (or me to them . . . what can I say? I AM an introvert!).

Just driving from one place to another in this place we have seen people that we know going about their business. It’s comforting to experience that kind of thing. In East Nashville it’s more like, “Hey!  There goes that kid who broke into my car last week!”  Definitely not the warm and fuzzy feeling that one gets from a small, mountain community.

I guess the one thing that’s going for Music City is that we wouldn’t have to pack and move again. Plus, the hockey team. Oh and the museums and concert venues. Add to that the fact that I have a job that is year round. Oh well, maybe we’ll stay. I swear to you out there in the blogospherical universe I will have seasons tickets to Predators hockey if we stay!

*It is SOOOOO nice to be able to buy wine at the grocery store and not some nasty liquor store.

This Guy Deserves the Nobel Prize!

This is awesome!  For more information on the genius AND the launcher go to beerlauncher.com .  Definitely go there because this is an unauthorized video on YouTube.  The real video is here.  Apparently, WordPress won’t allow embedding video from this site so I had to go a different route to share with you.

It’s okay.  I’ll take the heat.  All in the name of science, beer and laziness.

Enjoy!


Mornings Revisited

Morning routines in my house are an interesting thing (at least to me). I like a slow non-stressful start to my day. I want it low key from the time I get up until the time I walk out of the door to go to work. I wake up earlier than really necessary just so I can have some morning me time. Some coffee, some Mac, some blogs and news. Maybe a shower. Maybe some breakfast. Kiss the ladies and then I amble out of the door. The Elder Extroverted Holy One, however, loves her sleep. She’ll sleep as long as humanly possible and still leave the house at a predetermined time. If I am off during the week and get to experience this it just stresses me out and kind of ruins my calm morning off.

It starts out nicely enough. The Young Extroverted One will wake up first, usually, and is extremely cute and cuddly. Family hugs, family snuggles and then requests to get up and eat some breakfast. The problem with that is she is a sloooooowwwww eater. With the EEHO extending her sleep time this leaves very little time for the YEO to be a slow eater and have time to get dressed and out the door. By the time EEHO is ready for the day it’s all GO, GO, GO. Repeated names and requests to get dressed, to get shoes on, to brush hair and then out the door.

“Oh wait! I didn’t have my vitamin!” Vitamins are found and then taken. Walking towards the door . . .

“Oh wait! I need a sleep buddy!” “Alright, go find one. . . . Let’s go.” Hunting around the house to find just the right stuffed animal to nap with. Walking towards the door . . .

“Oh crap!” The realization that Kongs need to be filled with a treat and peanut butter and the dogs kennelled so the alarm can be set. Alarm is set and walking out the door and gone to their respective schools.

Whew! It stresses me out just writing it. Don’t get me wrong. I love to sleep. It’s just more important for me to have some time multislacking and relaxing before I arrive at that potentially stressful place that I affectionately call ‘work.’ That’s just how I roll.

In the end, though, after the whirlwind of my wonderful bride and the fruit of my loins leave the house I just have to smile. In all of their crazy morning routines they are both pretty awesome. I think I’ll keep ’em. And then take some Xanax and enjoy the rest of my morning.

Sunday Happenin’s

Anyone in the Nashville area that is without a place to worship or want a change of scenery should come to Trinity Presbyterian Church tomorrow.  This is where the Elder Extroverted Holy One will preach at 11:00AM.  I’ll be there even though by then I will have heard it for the fourth or fifth time.  I guess it makes up for all of the unchurchiness I have done in the past.

My lovely bride is so awesome up there preachin’ to the masses!