Mean People Suck!!!!

So, there was an incident. Who the mean person is, I'll probably never know but if I ever find out, you can be assured that there will be an imprint of my fist on their face.

I received a virus yesterday. I was finally able to get it weeded out. I got it at work and it was spread to a couple people but was contained. One was my brother (sorry about that T) and then a coworker.

What pisses me off the most is the fact that there are people out there who are deviant enough to do stuff like this. Why do people have to be so mean? It is truly upsetting that anyone would do something harmful to another person. This was pretty mild compared to some of the truly sick and demented people out there. This really hit home when a news report hit, "1 in 100 Americans in jail." Out of every 100 people, one of them is in jail. That is a lot of people.

What is going on? It really makes you wonder why. What could we do as a society that would prevent such monstrosity? There is no fear for prisons. People go to jail, get 3 squares and a cot plus cable TV, a library (which some use to learn about the law and file all kinds of lawsuits), workout room, and they don't have to do anything for it really. Just commit a crime and free pass to paradise. Maybe you end up as somebody's girlfriend but most get over that pretty quick.

I think jails and prisons should be scarier. I'm talking punishment. Chain-gangs, bustin' rocks, diggin' ditches, gruel, bread/water, solitary confinement, etc. That's what prisons should be. Don't make them a pleasant experience. Here is the difference in thought.

(Current) - Future convict sees nice car and wants it. The thought is that he can go for a joy ride, and if he doesn't get caught, can do it again. If he does get caught, goes to a "Prison Resort" for a while, gets out with good behavior (or because of overcrowding) and then is back on the streets to do it again.

(Should-be) - Future convict steals car, gets caught and has to put in 9 months hard labor working in a mine. Gets crappy food, very little rest and poor working conditions. Criminal thinks, "Hey, I don't ever want to be here again." and is scared straight to be a good citizen out of fear.

See the difference? He gets out, goes and tells all his friends about his awful experience, and scares them into not committing crimes. Prison should be punishment!

Things we should have in prison:
- Expedited appeals for death-row inmates. They are already on their way out, let's not pamper them for 20 years.

- Chain gangs - Road work, ditches, etc. Crap work that no one wants to do. Put collars on each so if they try to run, you can zap them (just like dog collars.)

- Get rid of cable - They don't need to watch Oprah or any other program. If they need to watch TV, let them watch the weather channel.

- Right to lawsuits - If they are in prison, they should not be allowed to file any lawsuits. They have shown that they have a disregard for the law by breaking it to end up where they were. Why should it work for them when they have disregarded it so easily?

Anyway, there is a start. I'm sure I'll think of more but for now, time to work.

Getting Myself Into Trouble

Looks like I have a year to get my affairs in order. You see I'm probably not going to live much past next winter. Why, you ask. Well I've been talking to my friend Harold and we got talking about snowboarding. I don't like snow. I don't like the idea of strapping plastic to my feet and heading down the hill. I'm not very coordinated when it comes to standing on something that is moving. I've never been able to get up on water skis either. So, he told me that I should try it and that he'd show me. I'm a firm believer that you should try things before you can truly say you don't like it. I've been skiing and can say I don't like that, but snowboarding is something I haven't tried. So I agreed to try it once and he said I had to go at least 3 times. So next winter, I'm going to go snowboarding at least 3 times, well unless I die on the first time. I know my wife skied when she was younger and has mentioned that she'd like to get back into it, so, I'll try snowboarding, then if I like it we will have something to do during the winter rather than stay in the house and complain that it's cold outside. I told Hess that I was going to blog about it and he said I was excited. I told him it was more out of dread and such, but I'm actually thinking it could be fun. (There I said it, happy Hess?) Please, wish me luck.

Mice Update

I just wanted to give everyone an update on the mice problem that we were having (Ramblings on Chels' Blog). Last night I went out to close to close the back blinds and make sure the dog had water and I saw that the mice had taken to playing in the new playground between the screen and the window of our sliding door. I got dressed, put on my gloves and told Chels to come help. I tried to block them in the screen, and then wanted to trap them in a Tupperware container and release them into the wild, or at least the field up the street from our house. Well in the process of trying to catch them, the little one got away and I killed the bigger one. Not on purpose mind you, but I just squished him a little to hard. I don't really know if it was a he or a she, so I'll just use him. I didn't squish him so that he was splattered all over the window, just enough probably to suffocate him. Poor little mouse. I put him in the mac and cheese box that was still on the counter from when I made me some dinner. Folded the top over and taped it and tossed it in the garbage can. Poor little guy. Now we just have to get the little one and we'll hopefully be mouse free. Cross our fingers.

Wanting what you have

I have been faced with some dilemmas as of late and it has made me think about life in general. Because of the ease with which people confide in me, I find that there are some common themes among some of the issues brought to me for the "Complaint Department." This isn't necessarily about anything recently but is a common theme that I have discovered over the last decade or so.

Most times, people have everything they need to be happy except for the attitude. They think of things past or could-have-been. They contemplate "what-ifs" and make their current life seem like the bottom of the barrel. There is a consistent desire to see what they want. Life would be all roses if something different would have happened, if you would have chosen a different spouse, gone to school, taken a different opportunity. There is one thing that I can say; life would have been different but not necessarily better or worse.

One thing to understand is that if you live your life as though you made the wrong choices, you will find that you will have lost not only what you dreamed up but what you have. Right now is very important. Take a snap shot of right now and evaluate it. Not for what was or what could be but for right now. Are you happy in your spousal relationship? If so, why? If not, why? Are you happy with your home? Are you happy with your kids? Are you happy with your career? If you are happy with things, what can you do to keep things happy? Are you doing it? If you aren't, what needs to change.

Life is not a dream. It isn't what appears on the big screen. Not always does the good guy win, not always is there sage advice that will help boost you out of your rut. Not all crimes can be solved in an hour of TV.

Life is a series of events. Some are good and some are bad but they are all events that happen to us. Some happen to a few people while other events affect large numbers of people. It is the culmination of these events that help provide us with the opportunities to define ourselves. How we handle these events and the repercussions that are a result of those event is what creates the person we are and the happiness or sadness we feel.

Most people have tunnel vision. They see one or two items and focus so hard on those items or events that they do not see all of the glory surrounding them. If you are in a forest and see the only dead tree but that is all you see, to you the forest is completely dead. Every once in a while you have to lift your head from the rat race and look around to see what is going on around you. This is not to compare with any of the other's running the race but to look at what you have gained.

One example is this. Let's say you live in a house. It is not the best house nor is it in the best neighborhood. The yard needs a lot of work, there are a lot of maintenance needs inside and outside the house. It is drafty and needs new carpets. The walls could use paint and some of the cupboards are falling apart. Kind of dismal, I know but look at the bigger picture.

The house really is in decent condition. It could use some work but for the most part it is clean. Not only is it a house, it is a home. You live there with your spouse and kids. Your cupboards that are falling apart are full. The yard that needs work also houses some toys for the kids to play on and maybe a sandbox. There is an area to plant a garden. You can afford it plus afford to do a few extra activities with the family. You can have a pizza night every once in a while. Because the carpets and walls are not pristine, you don't mind letting the kids have movie night in the front room because popcorn can be vacuumed up fairly easily. Everyone is happy and healthy.

A lot of what we struggle with is the perception of what we have to what we want. Most ignore what they have because they are focused on what they want. We want that tree to be healthy but we ignore the rest of the forest because of that one tree. Its OK to have a few bad trees in our life if we focus on the entire forest. Take the time to appreciate the forest of your life with its good trees and its bad trees.

Life

So I'm sitting here in the dining room listening to the movie that is one downstairs and thinking of how life is going. I have no complaints at this time, which is good. I have been thinking a lot recently of things that I would do if I came into a lot of money. Taking trips, golfing all over the place, having money to go out to eat when we feel the desire. You know just having a good ol time. Money wouldn't solve all my problems, but it would sure make things a lot funner.

One thing I was thinking about is how nice life is right now with my family. Knock-on-wood, we are all pretty healthy and happy, except for Keighlee who is currently crying in her bed. Life seems to be headed down the right road and work is getting better. I was struggling there a little bit for a while. Now things are starting to move forward and hopefully I'll get to help them move along.

One nice thing about things today is that the snow is finally melting. I know, there will be more before the end of the season, but I'm excited that what is there is going away. It's nicer to have a spring snow storm because it doesn't usually stick around very long.

Well that is all I have to say today, have a good night.

10 Years!!!

Today is my 10th anniversary. I am really excited about that. It makes me really think about relationships and I realize that you can never really tell where something will lead.

When Aly and I got together, I don't think either one of us really knew what to expect. We had both been in a variety of relationships that were good, bad and ugly (sometimes all at once) but never was a fit enough to last. I know that I have not been and am not the easiest person in the world to get along with and there are very few people that I have ever met that can really deal with me. This is why I have so few friends but I am ok with who I am. You either like me or you don't and that's ok.

Aly and I dated in high school for a very brief time. It didn't last long because I was a jerk and was not ready for any type of relationship. I wanted one but wasn't ready to commit to one. Up to that point, I had only had one real relationship that mattered at all and I wasn't ready for anything different. I liked the idea of relationships, I always have but was awful at them. Mostly because I was too self-conscious and shy.

Luckily, I didn't commit to anything right after high school because I had a lot to learn and a lot of growing up to do. I went to basic training and came home trying to grow up too fast. I tried school and work right after getting back when I should have taken a break and failed at both miserably. I spent the next 5 years trying to figure out what it was that I wanted. In fact, it was my 5-year high school reunion. I almost didn't go because I had a class.

I went for a little while and talked to maybe 4 people while I was there, one of which was Aly. The rest were fairly superficial conversations and as I looked around to everyone showing up, I realized that I wouldn't have anything in common with 99% of the people that showed up anyway. So, I left (after getting Aly's number, of course.)

We pretty much clicked right away (after I finally called her. It took me a month.)

Anyway, long story short, we made it work. It hasn't been easy and I have learned a lot about me during that time. I woke up this morning and knew I had made the right choice 10 years ago. I love Aly and our kids and the life we have created for ourselves. I am excited to see what the next 10 years holds.

Loads of Snow

This is my neighbors yard. My yard wasn't this bad, probably only about half as tall. Lucky I have a nice neighbor with a snow blower or I would have never dug my way out. Thanks to all those that helped me and such. Not that any of them read this...

Happy Valentines Day!!!

When I was growing up, Valentine's Day was always one of those holidays that really wasn't much for me. I didn't have many girlfriends through my youth and I don't think I ever had one during the Valentine's Day season. I always liked the symbology of Valentine's Day though. I never thought that you needed an excuse to tell the ones that you love that you love them or to celebrate that love but we have a holiday to celebrate that. Those of us that celebrate our love through the year, Valentine's Day gives us one more excuse, just like an Unbirthday gives you a reason to celebrate as well. For those that are a bit slower that need a hint, it gives them that hint to show the ones that they love the appreciation they deserve. Back when the wife and I were just engaged, we were trying to pick our date to get married. It was January and we weren't planning a big wedding. We didn't have the 6-month or year wait that is typical. We sat down with a calendar and tried to pick a day that was convenient for us as well as our attendees so we looked at Saturdays. That year, Valentine's Day fell on a Saturday and as we debated the day, we had several pros and cons for picking that day. One the one hand, what a day to get married? The holiday that celebrates love could be our anniversary along with all the cliches that came with it. On the more practical hand, try getting a reservation anywhere for your anniversary if its on Valentine's Day. Good luck to that!!! The other con came from the wife. Her parents had been married on Valentine's Day and that had ended in divorce so, to her, that was a cursed wedding day. So, we chose Feb 21st. We had decided that since our anniversary was so close to Valentine's Day, that we would celebrate both together on our anniversary and reserve Valentine's Day for us and the kids. Anyway, a bit of history but relevant to the time of year. I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you all get the chocolate, flowers, or dinner from the one you love.

Ouch...

Last night I went sledding with the Young Men of the ward. All I can say is...ouch. I'm not that old, but I know what people mean when they say they felt their age. There was this one run on the hill that we went to that was very, very bumpy. Hitting those bumps helped me remember that there are bones in my body, mostly because all of them were rattling together. After feeling like I wanted to lay in the snow for a bit to feel better about the bone jarring run, I found a run that wasn't as bumpy. This one looked smooth, so I thought, good, one that won't kill me. About 1/4 the way down I notice that there is a drop off in the middle of the hill. It was only about a 6 inch drop but when you are flying down the hill, you hit that and then you hit the ground. Let's just say I have a bruised tail bone. Then one of the young men found the nicest run and we went down that for the rest of the time we were there. Now I'm sitting at my desk and wishing that I would have used the brains that I have and not gone sledding with the youth. I could have watched from the bottom of the hill. But no, and I fear that I will act not my age again as time goes on. I better get in shape so that I don't have to feel so old the next time my 31 year old body acts 15 again.

Pile it on

As I sat in my office trying to dig my way out of the mountain of stuff I need to get done, the GM came in to my office talking about all the stuff we should be doing. Why limit ourselves? Well, let me tell ya....

If you REALLY want to know why we can't bring on more thing, it is because there are only 24 hours in a day and because of the laws of physics and biology, I can only operate at a certain speed without having my head explode. There is only so much work that can be done in an 8 hour work period and I have to function as a father and a husband to get stuff done at the house, help with homework and provide entertainment to all the people there. Not to mention laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and trying not to be a grumpy old man.

So, at this point, I can do more but the quality of work is going to severely suffer. You have a choice, quantity or quality. I'm guessing a good mix of both with a lean toward the side of quality. Quantity just doesn't cut it if you have to re-do something.

Anyway, thanks for the vent. I feel much better and it didn't cost me $150/hour.

Caffeine for Me

So last October, I was having issues with being tired all the time. I took drastic measures to figure out what it was. So I cut caffeine from my diet, well caffeine in the form of soda pop. Well after 4 months, I'm back to the faithful beverage of Dr. Pepper. I'm not drinking a ton of it and I've implemented a lot more water into my beverage diet, but I'm back to my caffeinated ways. Why you ask, after four months, why return to the vice. To make my excuse, I'm a big pop fan. I love soda and it's hard for me to go a couple days without the refreshing taste of something artificially flavored and carbonated. When you are a soda drinker and don't drink caffeine, you limit your selection of soda pop and you get really tired of drinking the same stuff all the time. So for the time being, I'm drinking more choices of soda pop and if it has caffeine, oh well.