The Glade 4.0

Work is pretty busy, with the end of the year coming up, my friend and coworker being out on paternity leave so I gotta cover for him, and getting things taken care of for my vacation late next week. Also, my check card # got stolen so I can't get to the money in my bank account until the new card arrives. Plus, my FF team has gone from 6-0 to 6-3 in the last 3 weeks, and I'm not confident in my chances this week.

But, my friend gave birth to a handsome, healthy son. And next week I'll get to visit a place I've never been, which should be fun. Plus I'm going to get Up and Monsters, Inc on BD today. So things aren't too bad.

So how's things with you?

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Just started a new job on Monday, so I'm still in that new job mode. Got a nice 5 day break between the old job and the new, which basically lead to about 60 odd hours of Dragon Age time, and still had time to take care of all the day to day junk.

Got to re-experience muscle spasms in my back on Friday, but a few days of heat, a few pain killers, and a muscle relaxer, and it's almost back to normal.

Now if my wife and I can get the bathroom remodel paid off we'll be golden... in the meantime, we're going to have a cheap holiday season this year.

Pretty crappy, but I console myself with the fact that it's only 5 more weeks and I'll have a break. I'm taking 14 credits and working full time. My Physics teacher is worthless and never arrives at the same answers as the book. My Humanities teacher isn't bad, but his instructions are so poor I only learn by failing. Both of these require me to spend way more time on the work than with other teachers. I'm barely keeping up with the finances. The bills are getting paid and our balance is growing, but I just hate not knowing how much I have in the bank. All kinds of video games are out that I'm really interested in, and I won't get to play them anytime soon because I already have other games queued for when I do get a break.

I'm comforted by the fact that my wife is still very supportive and hasn't groaned at all about the little bit of extra housework she's picked up while I do school. She's great and it makes it easier giving her every minute of my spare time. I've been consistent in my workouts so I'm in the best shape I've been in for at least about 3-4 years. And I keep telling myself that all this hard work is going to pay off, get me into medical school and eventually doing something I really want to do. So many times I have to keep reevaluating that goal. I'm sticking through it though. So far...

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The Dude abides.

I have no real complaints. I wish I had a job so I didn't feel so useless sitting around the house...but we still have puppies to take care of and that keeps me busy...but not too busy to not play video games(which is basically all that keeps me going anymore, which is fairly pathetic now that I've actually typed that out).

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Los Angeles Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

Feel like I want to punch a co-worker in teh face for being stupid for not being flexible and helping cover my 4 vacation when I worked my *** off to make sure his 10 day one got covered...

But I get to spend a weekend at an anime con soon, and I get to host a Mookhow heh

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Veddy interesting here. Long story short: Didn't get the girl, which caused me to look at life in a whole new way. I had a moment of absolute clarity, and realized that I need to get to know myself better before I can get that close to someone again...but that I want to be that close to someone again. It's been one significant moment after another--I'm going to start exploring my creative side, something I've repressed for years. I'm looking at the long view, now, instead of just the ground in front of me. I'm having significant, deep conversations with people in my life again, something I've just never gotten around to. I'm looking at things i've been doing in my life that just Aren't Working, and looking to make some changes.

It's going to be a lot of work, and parts of me are terrified, since I'm going to try to break some habits I've had for decades. The other parts of me are feeling like a 4-year old just opening his eyes on Christmas morning.

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Women are from Hoboken, men are from Trenton. ~ Jimmy Kimmel

About ready to give up on hopes of a career anytime soon. Maybe I'll go back to school if I can find something suitable to my degrees, or waste away in a factory locally since that is the only kind of employment in this area. But given that I feel if I did start my career life would be quite good for me now, I'd say things are going ok otherwise. Doing a lot of work on a fence makes me feel at least kinda sorta productive, and it will be great for my dogs once it's finished. Going to be taking a first stab at making pepper steak soon, too, which promises to be delicious!

I don't know if it's common information, but a while back I put my web design business to rest. At the time, people just weren't willing to pay enough, fast enough, to keep my own bills paid. At least, not the clients a type of 3-man team can pull in.

I began teaching a class at a local college, the same that I had attended for my B.S. It went as well as I could have hoped, I got good student reviews and their final projects were above par. Even given that, the administration felt someone more experienced should teach the class, so it was a one-time deal.

After a couple of months without work, I've now landed myself a lead design position in a small web firm. A firm that is bringing in the clients I wasn't able to bring by myself (doctors) and my boss, the owner, has basically told me that eventually he wants me running the show. Making policy, interviewing people, etc. Hopefully this points to an eventual monetary stability that I haven't had for a while.

Also, in another flash of good news, I was asked to teach again a few days ago. A more advanced class, students who are more focused, and so more suited to what I have to teach. This class will be going Nov 23 - Jan 10, but hopefully will be recurring after that.

All in all, pretty well.

I go back to college next semester.

I need to take the National Registry test again, to maintain my certification, or I need to find out when the local EMT classes are and also do a refresher course.

If I hadn't been starting college next semester, I'd probably pick up a second job.

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Grenade 3 Sports Drink. It's fire in the hole.. Your hole!

I have an interview for a new job next week. If I get it I wonder how I will transition my in-flight projects to someone else? I imagine if I leave now there will be a lot of curse-words attached to my name.

My girlfriend sucks, hard. Ready for her to go.

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It's going! I seem to have slipped into a depression, which I've been told is quite common after a heart attack. Last night was pretty bad. Today was starting out the same, but hubby came home early and took me for a drive into the countryside. First stop was Coyote Discount Bait and Tackle, where he bought me a new rod and reel!! Then we checked out three of the local reservoirs! Man, the water levels are low, sure hope we get lots of rain this winter! He is going to take me trout fishing at the local pay-to-fish spot. It's cheaper than a full year's license...will buy that after the first of the year! I'm feeling a lot better tonight!!

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"Said I never had much use for one, never said I didn't know how to use one!"~ Matthew Quigley

"nothing like a little meow in bed at night" ~ Bruskey

"I gotta float my stick same as you" Hondo Lane

"Fill your hand you son of a *****!"

Going well, but busy! I recently started a new part-time job to go with my full-time job. My head is spinning from the training sessions so far, which are being smushed in due to be having to take a trip in a week and a half for more training. I'm also trying to fill out applications for graduate school. In addition, I've been a Big Brother for a half a year and it's been rewarding, but I might need to end it after my year commitment is up. (By the way, I highly recommend volunteering for your local Big Brother Big Sisters organization. It's a good organization.) On top of it, I've been dating a girl for over a month and we've had some ups and downs based on other things going on in her life that left her less emotionally available, but things are picking up again after that situation has been resolved. Unfortunately, when things didn't look like they were working out, I started something up with another woman. And there's even the possibility of two other women, which I'm going to back away from for now. Balancing two is hard enough, and from my rants in the past, I'm not used to it. So I'm trying to go with the flow, but I have a tendency to overthink the situation. And I'm certainly not complaining, but it's a little tiring recently.

Lost hours, lost pay per hour. In total I have to figure out how to replace 1300 bucks a month.

That is how I am doing.

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Raell Kromwell

Looking at buying a house. Something that seemed a bit far away before, but now it's looking like a reality.

Raltar, don't stress over a job. Having a job doesn't define you or your worth. You have family and friends who care about you. That's a far better thing to put on a card than a business title. As for the job hunt, always keep this in mind: It's ok to settle for a job you don't want while you continue to look for the one you do want. There isn't anything wrong taking up a low paying not-so-fun job and then giving them 2 weeks notice after you found something better.

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Les Zombis et les Loups-Garous!

I'd be willing to go back to fast food at this point, but even McDonalds isn't hiring. It is pretty bad around here. I thank whatever powers there are for my family every day, though. I'd literally be dead right now without them.

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Los Angeles Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

About the same as usual. Enjoying work I'm not really all that good at. Happy I have a job, trying to get better at it. Making ends meet, but being single helps a lot in that vein. Talking to my daughter occasionally. Avoiding the rest of my family most of the time.

I need a girlfriend. Someday I may actually do something about that.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I've been having ups and downs recently: School is going well, albeit a bit intense this term. Tested for my blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Saturday, passed with flying colours. First night back at the gym on Monday, managed to break my toe. I am now super high on Vicodin, weeee.

Personal life is pretty much on hold, no one that I'm interested in presently, but we'll see.

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"I've got twenty ways to tell you shut the f*ck up / nineteen of them are twenty-four bars long / the other one goes: SHUT THE F*CK UP" - Aesop Rock
"There is no God higher than truth." -- Gandhi
Formerly: Tulamian

Baby is making me happier than I ever thought I would be.

Family problems continue to plague me and are now straining my marriage. I am trying not to let it harm us, but it is hard.

Job is tenuous as Wyeth Pharmaceuticals is no longer in existence (Acquired by Pfizer) and my company's contract is (was) with Wyeth. We will see how long Pfizer will keep us around.

This holiday is going to be a bit bumpy with the family issues and all, but somehow I think I may survive.

Much <3 for my wife and son who make my world go around.

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This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.

I found my first grey hair.

We have at least a thirty day warning Foamy

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"...but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom." - De Tocqueville

heartbroken--about the only thing I can process now.

With how happy your wife, son and you look together in pictures... This alone would be enough to stand against the world.

as for me... trying to figure out how to balance between complete feelings of depression and worthlessness and trying to convince myself that I have no reason to feel this way, that it is just the down economy that has me circling the drain right now.

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Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

Foamy, god love you. For you are a lucky bastard. With the state of things have you ever thought of standing still for a little while, let the world spin under your feet and starting over when you find a new location that you like? It is sometimes easier to love your family when they are farther away.

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Raell Kromwell

I suggested they move to California awhile ago. I just couldn't guarantee them housing or jobs. They declined politely.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

If Oonagh wasn't so close with her parents, or if they already lived a distance away, I would have suggested years ago that we move far, far away from my parents.

Perhaps the tides are finally turning, though. See my new post in my parent rant thread for more details.

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This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.

But that would mean movign far away from me!

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"...but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom." - De Tocqueville