Finally, I’ve had a reasonably relaxing weekend. Of course tomorrow I head back in to hell for what will likely turn into a 6 day work week. We begin a major re-set in my department tomorrow morning, there is a ton of work to be done and only 1 week to do it. I’m going to have to be a cheerleader most of the week and that is indeed exhausting work.
Today I packed up the dog and headed out to the lake. The sun has been out for the past few days, something exceedingly rare this time of year and I figured I would take advantage of it today by bringing my camera along. I ended up going down to a beach I had not been to in quite some time. It was further south than I usually go but still on Good Harbor Bay, just down the road further. It was quite nice. There were a few people out today but because of the Super Bowl and my complete lack of interest in sports, it was pretty quiet overall. Gavin was able to run around off the leash for a while and I spent some time trying to capture a few good pictures. I’ve uploaded a new gallery at leelanauphotography.com, just click the picture below to check it out.
The folks are off to Iowa for about 6 weeks tomorrow morning. They’ve decided to spend some time away from here this winter since it’s easy to get really stir crazy this time of year. We still have a good 3 months of shitty weather before spring starts to hit, I really hate this time of year up here. Luckily, my job keeps me quite busy so it’s hard for me to care much. Mom and Dad will be staying with Sarah, Brian and Christopher and I’ll be interested to hear how that all works out. I love my folks to death but given the choice, I would not choose to have them live with me for any extended amount of time. I’m pretty sure my folks would say the same about me. Our family dynamics are a bit much to tolerate day in and day out. And, at my age, and their age, that’s the way it should be. Christopher will be spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa for 6 weeks, and, that’s the way THAT should be too! He’s a lucky kid, even if the only words he can say are “doggie” and “LOOK”. We’ll see if Grandpa can teach him a few words during his stay.
I have made a new purchase since my last entry in this blog. Last week, I broke down and bought a Wii so that I too could join the ranks of 30 something’s who are sick of being out of shape but who don’t want to join a gym. I have always enjoyed video games even though I suck at them and I like the concept of being more involved in them rather than just sitting on a couch with a controller. The Wii promises to at least get me off my ass for a little bit each day. Eventually I’ll buy the Wii balance board and Wii Fit Plus game so that I can actually start getting in shape. Sadly, they are sold out nearly all over the country and it’s going to be several weeks before they get back in stock. Oh well, I’ll be busy enough at work.
Bonus time at work is fast approaching. Profit Sharing checks are handed out Feb. 16th and my Managers bonus is due in mid March. Crazy thing about my job is that I make more in the first 3 months of the year than I do the next 8 months of regular work just because of bonuses. It’s nice to get big fat checks but it’s also dangerous because it’s easy to just go out and spend it. If I had this job at any other time in my life, I’d be broke all the time but fortunately I’ve learned how to manage my money in much healthier ways so I’ll be able to save what is necessary but I’ll also be able to go out and get a few toys to play with. This year I am buying a keyboard and I’ll write more about that when the time comes. So for now, enjoy the new gallery.
There is one thing I just do not like about living in northern Michigan, well, make that Michigan in general. This place reminds you in nasty ways that it’s still the middle of fucking winter here and it will be until May! Another foot of snow fell up here today in the northwoods. Pretty quickly too. When I went to bed last night, this mess was supposed to fall south and east of here. Well the storm changed directions and dumped a shit ton of snow on us all day today and tonight and another 5″ again expected tomorrow. 12-18″ of snow in 48 hours is a bit much for any rational person to deal with on a regular basis but yet, somehow we all manage to live here without going nuts. Oh well, summers do make up for it but I could really do without this sort of thing.
Found a video on the net tonight I thought I would post. I got this from a web site called wimp.com although this clip is all over youtube too. You should check that web site out if you have high speed Internet (and are not at work). Its a REALLY random collection of videos from around the Internet, many of them really funny, some of them really random, and some of them even educational. This reminds me of my old cat Pooh who used to sit in the window and do this to birds.
Today is Thanksgiving and I thought tonight I would share a list of things I am thankful for this year. There are lots of things that I should mention but I know I’ll leave some out.
My Employer – this has been a very difficult year for a lot of people. With the unemployment rate in Michigan the highest in the nation somewhere near 9.5%, I am thankful that I have a job and I am not in jeopardy of losing it any time soon. While many people have seen reductions in their income, mine has actually gone up this year.
Facebook – this has been a fun year for me catching up with old friends from days gone by that would never have been possible had it not been for the social networking web site Facebook. I’ve reconnected with people I’ve not seen or spoken with, some in over 20 years and I’ve been able to appreciate more fully the depth of the relationships I have had with many people over the years.
My Dog Gavin – this has been a challenging year for both me and my dog. This is the first holiday season in 10 years that I have not had a significant other by my side. Gavin has helped me a great deal this year by not leaving my side. Even though he can’t keep his drooling mouth closed most of the time, and he snores something fierce keeping me up at night sometimes, he is always there for me wagging his tail, satisfied with only a pat on the head.
My Sister Sarah and Brother-in-law Brian – their unwavering interest in my well-being and their complete understanding of my inability to pick up the phone to call them is amazing. Their background presence in my life even though they are some 600 miles away is something that I truly appreciate.
My Nephew Christopher – even though he has no concept of me yet, the addition of a new baby to the family is always something to be thankful for, especially when he has no idea yet how spoiled (and lucky) he already is.
My Parents – this has been a year of some pretty big changes for me personally and through it all, my parents have kept a watchful eye on me and my mental health. I don’t thank them often enough but I am thankful that despite what I happen to be going through, I can count on my parents to have my back and I appreciate their willingness to peel me off any brick walls I smack into before I eventually get it right even though sometimes it takes me several times. Their calm understanding, their incessant quirkiness, and their continued interest in my success are all things that I value tremendously.
There you have it. My Thanksgiving list for 2008. As I head now into the Christmas season, I may not have a ton of time to write. This is the lash hurrah before everyone up here shuts themselves in for the winter and hibernates. Even with holiday shopping season, the slow down at work this year has been very noticeable, much more than in previous years which makes me wonder just what the hell I’m going to do all winter at work. I’m looking forward this winter to trying a few new things. I would like to go skiing again since I’ve not done that in over 10 years and I want to do a little more reading this winter. I’ve never been a great reader, mainly because I can’t focus my mind on something for that long. Hopefully I can find a few good books that will interest me enough to actually finish them. So, until next time…
