Back in the Saddle

I am slightly sore today, but that's a good thing. Went to the gym for the first time in almost a year. Chest, back and some cardio. It felt good to be in the gym again. While the 24 Hour Fitness by my house is nice, I could totally tell I wasn't in Green Valley anymore, but it wasn't ghetto by any stretch of the imagination.

With Keds back doing Pilates and me getting back into the gym, I'm confident that we can achieve our fitness goals for the year.

Never a dull moment in a Catholic High School

OK. I was going to do my standard weekend update today, but then my friend Denis called me. He was quite troubled. He is the principal of a Catholic high school in western Kansas. There was an issue today right around lunchtime. There was a battery-operated replica of male genitalia that was found in a woman's restroom. It's a restroom that students and faculty alike use. Oh, and the device was turned on. It was off to the side. Some folks find it funny, some are simply stunned.

Poor Denis wants to figure out a way to identify, the, um, culprit. Keds and I are both at a loss. Can you help out poor Denis?

Update: They are still no closer to figuring out who left their personal property there. The good news is that nothing happened on Tuesday. He is suspecting (jokingly of course) that it is either Thorndyke and/or a blonde friend of Keds' that is married to a very tall cabinet maker. The funny thing is that I can totally see her doing something like that...

I really do watch way too much TV

So I admit it - I watch way too much TV. The sad thing is - I wish I could actually watch more! I would love to get into 24, and we have like 6 episodes of Studio 60 on DVR, not to mention that Keds wants to give Dirt a shot as well. So what did we spend Monday and Tuesday night doing? Watching TV.

Can I just say once again that Barney truly makes How I Met Your Mother one of the funniest shows on TV? And the way Marshall played him to get some extra cash for their honeymoon was legend - wait for it - airy. The Ritchie character on The Class is starting to steal the show as well. His nervousness and general clutziness crack me up! Get that man another chocolate gorilla!

Tuesday night was a bizarre pairing - The State of the Union Address and American Idol. We watched the State of the Union and Democratic Response. In terms of the President's speech - I think it was the speech he had to give. He said a lot of things that sound good, but as they say, the devil is in the details. I don't buy this tax deductibility for health insurance because it has the potential for a lot of employers to drop health coverage and force people into the marketplace. Also, the call for tougher fuel mileage standards is nice to say, but again how?

On Idol, I've decided that I really, really don't like the audition portion of it. First, two hours is too long. Second, the bad singers are really, really bad. I would prefer a good mix of clearly excellent, some middle of the road and some bad auditions. I like it when Randy, Paula and Simon discuss and debate a little more often. I'm afraid as the Idol franchise continues to grow, the audition episodes are going to focus more and more on the bad ones then is giving us a peak into the process...

Is it Monday already?

Wow. Where did the weekend go? It feels like it was just Thursday, and I was looking forward to the weekend. Now, it gone already. As many of you know, Saturday was Keds' birthday. I did the best I could to make it a nice birthday for her. I'll let her go into details on her blog, but I think I succeeded in my goals.

I wanted to thank all of our friends for pitching in for the birthday girl. From her Dad, her long-time friends Teri, Lora, Laura, Janell and Annie to our new friends - Amanda and Brian, Casey and Jennifer, Jennifer and Ian and Lisa and John to my best friend Mike and my family. You all helped in making this a good birthday for Amy - which was no small feat this year. We love you all and you are very important in our life.

Sunday, we were amazingly productive. We cleaned out the guest room, which was no small feat. It turned into the dumping ground for all the shower and wedding gifts as well as some of the stuff that we've brought from her Mom's house in California. Our goal is to get the house organized before we head to LA in February.

This week is going to be hectic! Tonight we are going over to Ma and Pa's hacienda for goulash (Amy's request). Tomorrow night Dave is coming over to watch the first night of American Idol. Wednesday, we are getting together with Shannon for Amy's birthday. And then my Mom's best friend and my uncle are coming to town for a couple of days as she moves cross country from Boston to San Diego. Plus, we need to close out our Macy's Registry by next Monday. UGH!

And you know it's bad when it's Monday, and you already know you are like four hours behind on good TV!

Well, if I get a chance to come up for air, I'll post again. If not, have a good week!

Weekend Recap

All in all, it was a very productive weekend and I got to watch a good amount of football. Can't really complain too hard.

I was amazed at the competitiveness of most of the playoff games, with both NFC contests really coming down to the wire. I do feel bad the Cowboys lost, but only slightly. I was pleased the Eagles won though. I was however, horribly disappointed in last night's BCS Championship game. The game was over by the end of the first half. Ohio State just flat out embarrassed themselves. What a boring game.

Monday night TV was entertaining. How I Met Your Mother and The Class were funny as always, and we caught up on Sunday's Desparate Housewives.

This week is looking like it will be lots of follow up on open items. Keds and I need to plan our household budget going forward. That should be a barrel of laughs. Lots of dinner plans this week. Dinner out tonight, having friends over Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Looks like we'll be busy!

Have a great week!

Anger Issues

OK. I admit it. I'm dealing with some residual anger issues. And for some reason, they are almost all directed at the Dallas Cowboys. Why do I seem to hate them so much more this year? I'll admit to not being a fan. Having "your team" lose two consecutive Super Bowls to them will do that to you. But it's not like they've been some powerhouse dynasty or, gasp, the New York Yankees.

I could say that I just can't stand Jerry Jones. I can't, but in a "take it or leave it" way. That man is clearly dealing with some residual childhood issues.

I could say that not only did this team beat my team in two consecutive Super Bowls, but the current head coach was the NY Giants head coach that beat my team in their first of four consecutive appearances. But I don't really think it is. Or maybe it was because they signed Drew Bledsoe (aka Frankenstein)? Maybe.

My best guy friend is a huge fan. One of Keds' best friends is a huge fan. My brother-in-law is a die hard fan. I'm surrounded by people I care about who are fans of the Cowboys. So why do I hate them so much, especially this year.

As I sit here and think about it, I think it comes down to having learn to interact with my sister around the Cowboys schedule. They won't travel on Thanksgiving Day because it will disrupt the pre-game routine. Christmas Day plans HAD to be tailored so my sister wouldn't deal with an overanxious husband. I'm really thinking that is it. I know it's not a good reason, but it's why. I think I just don't like planning my life around 1 team anymore. I'm a huge sports fan, and ardently support my teams. But I don't hold my life hostage.

So for my friends out there that are Cowboys fans, I'm sorry. However, I think we'll just have to ride this one out. Go Seahawks!

Friendships and Happy '07!

OK. So it's taken me a while to post. Sorry about that.

Now that we are through the holidays, you would like to think that you can sit back and take a deep breath. However, work is really busy. That's life in a world where you provide phone support for consumer products. One of the things I really like about the holidays is how it makes you want to reconnect with the people that are important in your life.

In a one-week period, Keds and I were touched by new and existing friends alike. My best guy friend was in town to spend Christmas with his inlaws, and we got to spend all Christmas Eve Day Afternoon together. He lives in Colorado now and we don't see each other as much. Circumstances kept him from our wedding, and we were able to close any remaining issues out and move on. I am planning a trip to see him this spring. I can't wait.

One of Keds' best friends from high school was in town visiting her Mother in Law for the holidays, and they were able to spend some quality time together. Plus, it gave Laura a needed escape from her inlaws.

Later in the week, we were able to meet up with two sets of our newest friends. Vegas Princess and Prince Charming had us over for dinner, and a hard-fought game of Apples to Apples. Dinner was very pleasant and we have a great time. It's too bad that, even though we live in the same area code, that we are on complete opposite sides of town. We spent New Year's with a neighbor couple that are quickly becoming close friends. Keds cooked dinner and we have a good time playing board games. I can only think of one better way to ring in the New Year, and we ate too much for that.

All of our friends are very dear to us, and we are grateful that they are in our lives. These were just recent examples.

There are so many people in our lives that I am thankful for, but none more so than my blushing bride and Bestest Friend in the whole world - New White Keds. I love you honey. Happy New Year!

Christmas 2006

This was mine and Amy's first Christmas as a married couple. Overall, it was a good holiday. I successfully negotiated a stomach bug, Amy and I both went a little overboard with gifts, my best friend and I were able to bring closure to an issue out there, and I got a late Christmas gift when the Cowboys lost yesterday.

I was able to spend some quality time with my best friend Mike over the weekend. For those of you keeping score at home, this is the same Mike who backed out (albeit with plenty of notice) of being the best man at my wedding due to some irrational boss issues. We were finally able to bring any issues remaining from that to closure. It was great seeing Mike. There was a group dinner on Saturday and we got to see Mike, Kyria and some friends we only see at these group dinners.

Love was just fantastic. I can't wait to see more Cirque shows. Plus, it was extra special since I got to see it with my wife!

Our Christmas plans got moved around a lot between my stomach issues and then trying to coordinate with my sister so that we could open gifts as a family. We were able to come to a compromise, but I wasn't able to keep a promise I made to Amy, namely taking her to see Dreamgirls. I promise that I will do it before the end of the year. Vegas Princess and Prince Charming were able to join us for dinner, which was lovely.

All in all, not a shabby holiday. I got to spend it with my wife and my family. What more could I ask for?

Hanukkah 2006

Well, it's here. The Festival of Lights. I'll admit that I slightly overlooked Hanukkah last year since it started at the same time as Christmas. Then there was a slight miscommunication between Amy and I over gifts for Hanukkah. So I was left to pull something substantial together at the last minute that we would exchange with her Dad on Saturday.

Since there was a break between Hanukkah and Christmas this year, we decided to go to LA for her family's Hanukkah party. This was my first real family function. Her cousin's wedding in July really doesn't count, because everyone was sort of split up. We flew in on Friday and finished up some last minute shopping.

Saturday was crazy. We were staying in the Valley. We needed to wrap gifts. So Amy got up early and wrapped gifts. We headed to a friend's house in the city for brunch and gifts. We can never spend too much time with these folks. They are among our favorite people. Then, we dashed back to the hotel to meet up with her Dad to have our own private Hanukkah with him. That was nice. Amy loved her gifts from her Dad and I, and mine were awesome. We got Hal a digital camera and photo printer. Then off to Ventura (about an hour away) for the Kaltman Family Hanukkah party. That ended up being a lot of fun. We spend some time with her aunts, uncles, cousins and their kids. I practiced the Hebrew prayers so as to not embarrass myself. However, they had the kids do it and I was off the hook.

Sunday was nuts. Went to a friend's house in the Valley for her son's second birthday party. I think my ears are still ringing. I talked to her friend's Dad most of time. They said they were trying to save me, but I was enjoying myself. Then off to her Mom's house to meet with a doll merchant. That was rough. Finally, we headed out to lunch and then off to the airport.

We are having friends over tomorrow for dinner, latkes and candles. It should be a good time.

I should excuse myself so that I can get back to work on my Hebrew. Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam...

Wackjobs all

Well, another post about the wackjobs that are in this world. One set is close to home, while the other not so much.

First, the wackjobs in Pahrump. This is the small town in Nye County, Nevada - where prostitution is legal, I might add - that recently passed an ordinance making English the official language of the town; depriving illegal immigrants of all public services administered by the the town which at last count, was simply police protection and the sheriff has said he wouldn't enforce it; and finally illegal to fly a foreign flag without also flying the US flag. That was evidently just the first act.

Last night, in the current board's final meeting in its current makeup they same Councilman that proposed the previous resolution introduced one that went even further - all "undocumented foreign nationals" to register themselves at the Town Office within 24 hours of arrival and pay a $200 fee. They would need to fill out a form listing relatives in Nevada and provide a list of all forged or counterfeit documents they might hold. Failure to do so would result in a fine and jail time. Finally, if any non-governmental agency challenges the ordinance in court, they first would need to shell out $20K to cover any costs incurred by the town. Call it the "ACLU clause."

I am not unsympathetic to their frustration. I do happen to believe that something needs to be done to address illegal immigration. Whether it is more funding so that existing laws can be enforced or coming up with a new comprehensive plan, we need leadership from the federal government because this is more a national, not a state or local issue. Plus, this resolution is essentially unenforcable. Do you expect undocumented nationals to 1. register in the first place, 2. have $200 and 3. essentially confess to breaking the law by listing all the illegally obtained documents they hold? And how do you know exactly who is here legally vs. illegally? Road-side checkpoints? Stopping people on the street randomly?

We need common sense solutions - not these xenophobic and short-minded band-aids. Enough on local wackjobs.

Leading the list of international wackjobs this week is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Holocaust conference. One of the tenets was that either the Holocaust was 1. A fabrication or 2. an exaggeration. There is physical evidence that the Holocaust took place and if anything, is typically under-reported. If you ask your typical person how many people died in the Nazi death camps, you'll hear the number of 6 million. However, a total of 9 million people died in Concentration Camps. Six million Jews perished, but nearly 3 million Gypsies, Communists and other "non-Aryans" were shipped off to death camps as well.

This guy gets a lot of press for saying wacky things. You almost have to wonder if it is just a publicity stunt or what...

Good TV and no fights about holiday cards

OK. First, Monday TV was great last night. Not so good to write out your holiday cards to.

Another classic How I Met Your Mother. Between sick Barney and trying to figure out which really bad word Ted said (oh come on - you know you were trying to figure it out too!), just hilarious.

The Class was good. I agree with the TV Guide people, the more we get to know Duncan, Amy and I can't understand why he still lives with his mother. (Note to self - do NOT get Amy a stripper pole for our first anniversary.)

Two and a Half Men, while crude, had some good moments. The constant Rose and Bertha narration was great, a Susan Sullivan had a great guest spot.

The New Adventures of Old Christine is starting to grow on us again. Tonight's episode - Prius vs. Hummer - was somewhat indicative of the change that Amy's dealing with going from her Civic to a Honda Pilot.

In spite of all of the good TV, we managed to get through most of the Holiday cards - without a fight. Sunday's Holiday Card session wasn't quite as smooth as we got ourselves into a fight over passive aggression other people being rude.

Unfortunately, this evening of good TV and holiday cards was the by product of Amy cracking a crown. We had originally planned to go out with some friends last night. They were meeting up with some of their other friends from church. We like hanging out with them, and some of their friends are fun. All things considered, we just needed to stay in last night, I think. Besides, there was ice cream to eat!

Somethings never get old

A few comments on this fine Monday morning.

1. It was a really good football weekend. I missed watching the Bills school the Jets in New Jersey 31-13. However, I did manage to watch the Cowboys get their buts kicked by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 42-17 in Texas Stadium. That was great. I feel bad for Lora and my brother in law this morning. That smack-down must still hurt.

2. Amy's Nana is reading the Book of Mormon. She's 92 and Jewish. I don't really think she has any intention of converting. Frankly, I can't really see her sitting through a three hour church service. I think she's reading it like a trashy novel - kept referring to it as "her book." Who would have thunk it - Mormon Nana.

3. Wrapping up holiday shopping. I think we just need to finish up Amy's little cousins, and I need to get one more thing for Amy.

4. Mom is working 40 hours this week. What's upsetting to us is that she is working three nights. Tonight, she's scheduled until 10:30 p.m. I know it's her life and as long as she's happy, but driving 35-45 minutes one direction, and she's a tentative driver makes me nervous on her way home.

5. Had some fun putting together our Bissell carpet cleaner last night - a chore made manditory with Rosebud once again using the carpet as her litter box. It was just a disaster from the start. First, when I put the hose in its holster, I inadevertly depressed the trigger and got water EVERYWHERE. Then the brushes stopped spinning, so I needed to take the thing apart, clean out the pet hair, and then it worked again. That's why they tell you to vacuum first. After that, it was fine. The carpet got cleaned and I think I got most of the urine up.

The Holidays

I love the Holidays, but I hate them.

Things I love:

• Holiday cheer - people are generally nicer and most, well, humane
• Gingerbread Lattes at Starbucks (although they don't seem as yummy as in the past)
• Spending time with friends and family. This is mine and Amy's first Christmas together married, and our first in the new house. That's exciting to me.
• Giving a gift so perfect that it makes the recipient cry (in the good way.)

Things I hate:

• Holiday shopping. I usually do OK deciding what to get people, but when I can't figure it out, I can't stand walking around stores looking for things.
• The Mall. While people are happier this time of year, they are absolutely miserable while hunting people down for parking spaces, fighting over this year's "must have" toy and the like.
• Holiday cards. I like receiving them, and sending them, but I always put it off until too late.
• Holiday decorating. Too much effort for two weeks worth of enjoyment.

Anyway, I'm mostly glad the holidays are here. If for no other reason that I get to spend more time with Amy!

Odds and Ends and other snippets

A few musings after a wonderful Thanksgiving with my wife, our family and friends.

An interesting piece on how the Southern Nevada print media needs to elevate their game on Nevada Today. While it is written by Tom Gallagher, who brings his own bias, he has a very valid point.

Speaking of bringing their "A Game," another classic episode of How I Met Your Mother. It just keeps getting more and more funny, if possible.

I hope we see more episodes of The Class like last nights. Something that starts bringing the octet together more often instead of watching 3-4 story lines inone show will make the show stronger.

Amy rocks. Her oatmeal-craisin-chocolate chip cookies rule.

Blech. We really haven't started Christmas shopping yet. Our window for online shopping is getting smaller and smaller.

Looks like we are going to one of our favorite Henderson hangouts on Thursday, which is cool. However, I'm not sure if they are going to be serving food much after Friday. This may be our last chance to get our fix.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was fantastic - flaming marshmallows and all.

Laugh-out loud funny

OMG. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. A classic How I Met Your Mother episode! Every single joke was funny. The slap bet was classic, the rapid fire "Lawyering" questions about whether or not Robin was really married and how Ted spent his lunch hour and the final punchline about why Robin is afraid to go to the Mall was classic. I've heard of weird phobias, but a distinct fear of going to a shopping mall takes the cake.

Amy and I really have gotten into The Class. It's a cute little show but it's almost like three-four little shows in one. You don't see a lot of cross-group interaction and that makes for a little confusion. Two and a Half Men was just classic. Absolutely classic.

Unfortunately, the events of the last few months have found us with little time to catch up on TiVo, so I haven't seen much CSI this year, and Amy's really wanted to watch Heroes, but shows we already like such as Studio 60 are taking up space on our DVR. I don't really see us getting too much more time to catch up, but I could be wrong.

Now I have to find a way to get that song from How I Met Your Mother out of my head!

I'm back!

I'm back from India, and very happy to be back. It's odd to think that this is going to be a calm period for us, with Thanksgiving a week and a half a way, but it really is. After everything else, it's just good to be home.

So on this most recent India trip, I once again forgot to take a camera. Not that there was much to see. When I'm in India, I get up, go to work, go back to the hotel and go to sleep. I really should get in some sightseeing, but that would require extra time, and my time there is short and I don't want to extend my trip because I really just want to get home. I'll get pictures eventually, I promise.

It was really interesting watching the US Mid-Term elections over there. First off, BBC World carried election returns like CNN or a US-based network would. While the Indian news outlets weren't quite as focused on it, they still got more coverage than I was expecting. Even my co-workers were talking to me about it. I was amazed at the level of interest.

Other than that, I'm glad to be home!

Amazing

That's all I can say about the wedding and the honeymoon. The wedding was absolutely magical. Amy looked absolutely stunning. I will always remember how she looked when she turned the corner to walk down the aisle. It was as if a Greek goddess was moving towards me. The reception was just fantastic. Aside from not really getting to eat and visit with our guests appropriately, the evening was absolutely perfect.

The honeymoon was awesome. From our arrival at the Grand Lido Negril, we knew we were in paradise. Our room was all of 30 paces off the main beach, and the whole trip was about relaxation and rejuvenation. While about 3/4 of the way through our second full day Amy got a little antsy do start doing things, all in all it was just what the doctor ordered to help destress after the events of the last six months and start our marriage out fresh. I won't go into boring details about what we did and the like, just know that we loved the resort so much, we have seriously talked about making it a regular on the vacation circuit. It will always be a special place to us.

So now, back to the grindstone. I'm off on Saturday for a week in India, but I also think I'm coming down with something. I'll be ODing on Airborne and Mucinex D from now until then. Hopefully I can kick this before it becomes a full-blown thing.

Four days and counting

Four days and counting until the big day! Things are definitely getting excited. Excited about seeing family and friends. Excited about the honeymoon. But mostly, excited about marrying the woman I am so schmoopy in love with.

What's starting to depress me are the folks that are now backing out. Yesterday, my Aunt and my Mom's older sister called her to say she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be able to make it. Given all the weather issues they had in Buffalo last week, I'm not really surprised. Then my cousin called last night. She is having a "procedure" done on Friday morning and won't be able to travel from Maryland until at least 10 a.m. ET on Sunday. She's going to see if she can make it, though. That would bring my grand total of one aunt, two uncles, and eight cousins plus five significant others attending down to one uncle. Most have good reasons. Not working right now, no child care, unknown legal issues - the list goes on. I do realize that all of these people are gravy to the day, but it would still be nice to have them around.

Anyway, the honeymoon is confirmed, today is Amy's last day worked until we get back! I probably won't post again until we are back from Jamaica. We'll take plenty of photos and will publish some of the more PG-rated ones!

Batter Up!

OK. Now baseball gets serious. The American League Championship Series starts tonight in Oakland, with the Wild-Card Tigers facing the West Division Champion Oakland Athletics. How cool is this? Both divisional series were entertaining. Oakland's games in Minnesota were nail-biters until big innings later in the game, and the Tigers were just amazing to watch in their final two games against the Yankees.

I'm an American League guy. The National League Championship Series between the Cardinals and the Mets is only slightly interesting to me. It will get more attention because the biggest draws will be in bigger media markets. However the American League, for my money is where it is at. You have two smaller market teams. The Tigers are just three years removed from a 119-loss season. Everyone wondered if the A's could make it out of the division series.

To rip off a phrase from Major League Baseball, I LIVE FOR THIS!

Mmm...enchilada's

Happy Monday everyone!

Two main highlights from last week. First, last Monday was my Mom's birthday. Initially she had asked to go out for Chinese food, but my Dad took her to a buffet on her birthday so she could have Chinese food. While I realize that isn't true Chinese food, we took her for Mexican. My Dad, for his part, opted to stay home. I'll admit I was a little disappointed in Dad. You can usually make something work. Had he been a little flexible, we would have taken Mom to someplace where maybe Dad could have had a cheeseburger or something. But since he wasn't we went to Cabo in the Santa Fe Station.

My Mom loved it. Not only did she get a chance to have a second birthday dinner, but she got to try something new. She got herself sort of a Mexican Prime Rib stew. It was a little spicy, but she enjoyed it. I got chicken enchiladas, while Amy got a combination plate. She tried a little bit of everything. She enjoyed herself so much that we have decided to make this a regular thing where we go out without my Dad.

The second highlight is that the majority of the wedding is now paid for. It is a very good feeling. I can't believe it's less than three weeks. I'm sure Amy will go into a little more detail on the wedding blog, so you may want to check over there.