Shane's Journal

Personal Journal ... Why do I need one of those?

2011-09-01T11:26:00.002-04:00

My 10 year old nephew, a kid now stuck in the middle of what will certainly be a messy divorce, has been asked to keep a journal. I’m not certain if he asked for one first or if it is the result of him being asked to remember what he does and where he goes when spending time with each parent. These things will of course be requested of him when custody arrangements are considered eventually. But

I HATE FALL !

2011-08-31T15:58:00.000-04:00

Here we are again, summer sunlight slowly fading into cooler fall days and taking with it that positive summer energy. Summer is not yet over, but it is clearly fading fast as the days get shorter and the nights cooler. The calendar flips to September tomorrow and those who have not yet will return to school early next week. Not far off are the familiar sights and sounds of fall, changing colors

Why I stopped Writing ...

2011-08-17T14:59:00.000-04:00

I’ve heard it said That people come into our lives for a reason Bringing with them something we must learn And we are led To those who help us most to grow If we let them And we help them in return. Well I don’t know if I believe that’s true But I know I’m who I am today Because I knew you! Some time back in 2009 I lost my drive to write, or more accurately my passion for writing. It happened

The Race

2011-03-10T11:44:00.000-05:00

It was inevitableThis test, this resultAnother battle has begunIn a race that won't be wonAnother reminder of how little they really knowOf how fragile life has grownAnd how far we have yet to goIn this race against timeThis is the point where some give inLet time winAnd simply wait for it to endBut lucky for us, that's just not your styleInstead, you'll get up againBrush the dust from your

It's so easy ...

2011-02-04T12:12:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my "smart phone" and the new Blogger app for Android ... my excuses for not updating this are rapidly dwindling. Posting here is now so easy a monkey could do it at least once every few weeks, which is a whole lot more often than I have been able to accomplish as of late. The down side for you, there will be more "photo posts". The downside for me, my thumbs will be getting quite a

Stuck Again!

2010-12-20T12:17:00.000-05:00

Rock to my right, hard place to my left, and solid brick walls both front and back! That’s about where I sit these days and no matter how hard I look and how much I try to wriggle free, it doesn’t seem to be making a difference at all. I’ve spent more than 15 years trying to build a relationship with someone, countless hours dedicated to spending time with them, helping them out whenever I could,

I choose the beginning ...

2010-09-27T16:27:00.001-04:00

We see these phrases daily, as we log into the Twitter-verse and are asked “what’s happening?” or our Facebook pages and see “what’s on your mind” in the status update box at the top of the page. In general, most of us type something trivial about what we are planning to do with our day, or how we spent our weekend. I am not immune to this either, as many of you reading this already know. However

A Donation Request

2010-08-25T11:47:00.002-04:00

So it's almost fall again and in my family that now means fundraising for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Stop by the team page, link here, and join us or help in our efforts to raise $2000 for Breast Cancer Research!http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY11GreatLakes?team_id=767105&pg=team&fr_id=28046

Legacy

2010-08-03T16:21:00.001-04:00

LegacyWe buried him todayLaid to rest with those who have passed before himNot far from where he once called homeHe’s now reached that final goalAnd our healing process beginsLife goes on without him thereTo wipe our tearsTo quiet our fearsTo offer up a big ole hug in hopes of easing our painWe know he is with usIn the giggles and laughter of his grand childrenSome yet to be heardIn the smiles of

In rememberance ...

2010-07-23T11:52:00.002-04:00

I don’t remember the first time I met Tom Brenner, other than it was sometime in the fall of 1995, but I distinctly remember that uneasy first impression I got when he walked in. Tom had a presence when he entered the room, a rough exterior coating that teddy bear underneath, enhanced by what was probably a long day at work. I remember being growled at when my wife introduced us the first time.

And he’s back!

2010-07-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

So for the past three nights running he’s been there as I close my eyes to fall asleep, again when I begin to wake, and quite often the entire time in between. The face is not always visible, but I know it’s him. Some times he speaks, sometimes he’s a mere shadow on the wall, but always I know he is present and watching. Most would find this unsettling, but for me it is a comfort to have him near

More Than Just Another Monday

2010-06-14T11:15:00.000-04:00

Today seemed like every other Monday when the alarm went off at 6:10AM. I stumbled to the bathroom, managed to get dressed, grab my bag, lunch, and keys, and find my way to my car through swollen eyes barely open. The commute to work was uneventful and filed with frustrating moments in traffic jams while listening to radio DJ’s banter on about one thing or another in between the music they play

2010-06-11T16:49:00.000-04:00

< 'cycle' >

... WTF?

2010-06-08T11:41:00.004-04:00

< /2ww >< 'frustration' >

in progress

2010-05-26T11:13:00.000-04:00

Was doing a little blog re-organization and ran across this draft I never published ... It was originally penned back in 2008, somewhere between May and September. It is by no means a complete work, but I'll share it anyway.Can't concentrate, can't thinkThoughts keep drifting back in timeMemories of our last encountersThings he said, looks he gaveAdvice he offered so effortlesslyMonths have

Every once in a while we all need a wakeup call …

2010-05-24T16:07:00.005-04:00

I know we all get busy, wrapped up in our own issues and daily lives and before long we are so entrenched in what we have going on that we forget about some of the more important things in life. We worry about having a nice house or car, maybe a new wardrobe or at least a pair of shoes, and keeping up with the latest in technology. We spend all our time making money so we can spend it, or so our

So about that blog post I promised to write …

2010-05-19T13:33:00.000-04:00

Dear loyal readers,I have not forgotten about you, or your interest in this blog, my life, and my writing. However, I have been far too busy for far too long to keep up with this thing. I have been writing all this time, but most of it has either been for my eyes only, not even shared with my wife if you can believe that, or has been in the form of a FaceBook (FB) status update or comment. Many

I is DONE ...

2010-05-11T16:54:00.003-04:00

With classes 'till September, with homework, with the stress of 18 straight weeks of school without a single day off (classes run 7 days a week), and with proper English ... for now. A proper blog post will follow, now that I have the time to write again!

To those who shall remain nameless …

2010-02-17T12:08:00.001-05:00

For the average reader of this blog, this post is something you can skip over and simply return another day to read my latest take on life as a whole. However, there are a special few who I feel the overwhelming urge to address here today. Those little rats scouring the web and this blog for any crumbs I may have left along the way. They know who they are, so if this post seems odd, thank you for

Lost and Found

2010-01-12T12:16:00.001-05:00

Some days is seems like Facebook has become the worlds greatest and most useful Lost and Found on Earth. On other days, it appears to be more of an entertainment avenue providing billions of bored office workers across the globe endless hours of entertainment while they attempt to look like they are doing actual work when ever the boss walks by.Ever since I was guilted into joining Facebook about

Desiderata - by Max Ehrmann

2009-12-10T10:19:00.002-05:00

A recent e-mail from a close friend inspired me to look up the origin of the quote "no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should" today. What I found was that it came from the poem Desiderata written by Max Ehrmann around 1920 and copyrighted in 1927. Though some of it's verse is a little "preechy" in my opinion, they are easily overlooked by the general tone of the piece. Read it with open

working secretly from Florida?

2009-11-30T12:49:00.002-05:00

Wonder if this would work on MY boss? ...

Much overdue post about a much overdue leave of absence

2009-11-20T11:34:00.003-05:00

The sun has gone away for the season and the wacky weather is preventing me from enjoying anything to do with snow and gravity induced enjoyment. So ... Jen and I are headed SOUTH this afternoon for a week in the Florida sunshine. I may write while I'm away, I may not. I will have some sort of recap when I return however ... and I'll try to get it posted here on this far too often neglected blog

Another reminder of how quickly it can all be taken away

2009-10-30T12:16:00.001-04:00

As if I had forgotten in the last three weeks since the last reminder of how quickly life can be turned upside down or snatched from your grasp, along comes this one. A name I haven’t heard in years attached to a face I haven’t seen in even longer and hardly recognize any more arrived in my inbox. It was a news article from the local news station back in my home town, or more accurately the

Angered and Offended buy a simple question!

2009-10-19T10:58:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while I am reminded in a very blunt way how others view the world. More specifically, how they perceive both me and my family. Months and even years go by with countless interactions between us not once allowing their true opinion to slip out. Consciously or subconsciously, they manage to hold their tongue or refrain from asking a rather blunt question that alerts me to their true

Gone Away Again

2009-10-15T12:47:00.002-04:00

And so I'm off to mend my friendTucked securely inside my shell againThis cozy dark place is comfortingAll snug and warmSafely hidden from the outside worldI come here often it seemsWhen the seas get roughAnd the skies appear to open upIn here where it's safeTo ride out the stormAnother storm has comeAnd will not pass soon it seemsSo for those who wonder where I've goneKnock a little on top of my

It's annual visit has arrived

2009-10-08T16:39:00.001-04:00

As if the annual color shift from green to red’s, oranges, and eventually browns wasn’t clue enough, this familiar feeling tells me it is fall again. For every year about this time going all the way back to my early teen years, it has been there. Like a comfy old sweater worn to remove the chill from the air, it arrives and reminds me it is that time of year again. Triggered by the receding

Frustrations Abound

2009-09-09T14:50:00.003-04:00

Months go by with no communication to anyone outside of their little clique of inner circle friends. An entire season has passed with very little being accomplished on any front, and a pile of promises made in the beginning now lie broken at my feet. Should I trust them again? Should I take their word that this is just "growing pains" and they are doing their best to accommodate everyone involved

The catcher has returned, a coincidence I’m sure

2009-08-27T16:50:00.001-04:00

His reappearance comes while I am once again reading through Unconditional, making a few corrections and modifications to improve on the writing in certain areas, not to mention ensuring that my memory of the story is correct and all the details match with the summary I have now provided my agent. It has been almost a year since I last read through it, and apparently long enough that I had

The dreaded Author Bio

2009-08-21T10:39:00.007-04:00

How exactly does one write their short bio to be included with all submissions of their manuscript? Obviously I could put down all the stats, birth date and place, hometown, family info, even educational and career info ... but that wold be much more like a resume than a short author bio. So I am left searching Google again for examples of what should be in one of these things and, have managed

While I'm away #7

2009-08-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

And for my last automated post ... A DOUBLE FEATURE!Trouble AheadThe Trophy Mount

While I'm away #6

2009-08-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Secured on top of the Car

While I'm away #5

2009-08-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

The Off Season

While I'm away #4

2009-08-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

First Run

While I'm away #3

2009-08-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Timmy meets his Little Rider

While I'm away #2

2009-08-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

The snowboard shop

While I'm Away #1

2009-08-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

So I thought about it ... and I decided that while i am off playing in the woods you should still be able to enjoy my blog. I would have shared these eventually anyway but now is as good of a time as any. The following set of posts are the line drawings for the illustrations I am doing for the pendig childrens book (not yet titled). Enjoy!COVER IMAGE

Just an update ... and notification

2009-08-07T12:48:00.001-04:00

For those who only keep in touch with me through this blog, first I apologize for the lengthy gaps between updates. Next ... this short post is simply to let you know that I am headed to the woods again. Finally it is time for the annual camping trip and I will be without technology for 8 whole days!In the past I have posted automated posts that would magically appear while I was away. This year,

How did you celebrate YOUR Freedom this year?

2009-07-06T16:46:00.004-04:00

Friday 7/3/09 With the sun fully up and the sky finally blue after almost a solid week of overcast and rain, Jen and I loaded up the bike, double checked the straps on the luggage, and headed out on the bike for a much needed mini-vacation about 11:00 AM. Our first destination was lunch, but with only 58 miles on the trip odometer since the last time I filled the tank, we hit the expressway and

My 4th of July Plans ...

2009-07-02T16:18:00.002-04:00

The Route:Distance:175 mi – about 3 hours 49 minutesCost:Hotel: $105Gas: $30Food: $60Time Alone with Jen - PRICELESS!Enjoy your Independence Day

Who is on your Facebook Friends list?

2009-06-29T12:44:00.001-04:00

That question seems simple at first, obviously friends and family are on there, but take a second glance at your list, who is really there? In the case of my Facebook account, there are many people whom I know, directly or through other friends, who are on my friends list. I have even created categories of them so that I can easily sort my friends list based on how I know the person. I have one

Office politics ... way too much like High School

2009-06-15T16:34:00.001-04:00

I guess I was probably a little over due for a reality check on discrimination and discomfort with the whole subject of homosexuality for far too many people out there. It has been a long time since it has slapped me in the face as a reminder that not everyone out there is comfortable with my sexuality and some are down right offended by it. To be honest, I’m a little uncomfortable with the idea

It's on sale NOW!

2009-06-09T16:54:00.006-04:00

Buy my book on Amazon.com!

Motor City PRIDE 09 - it was a good day!

2009-06-08T15:41:00.001-04:00

It began like any other Sunday in June, except that I was awake, out of bed, and moving before 9:00 AM. Mom and Dad stayed the night after finishing the tile job very late on Saturday and, though I was awake when they left, I never actually saw them Sunday morning. Jen and I dressed and headed to Fenton to return the loaner car to the Ford dealer and pick up the Escape for what had better be the

I'm beginning to feel the Winds of Change

2009-06-02T12:36:00.002-04:00

This was too cool not to post ... taken directly from Whitehouse.gov WORD FOR WORD!THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press Secretary___________________________________________________________For Immediate Release June 1, 2009LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009- - - - - - -BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAA PROCLAMATIONForty

I know, I know - I'm terrible at this lately.

2009-05-21T11:28:00.001-04:00

So I have no excuse, and I’m still awful at keeping this thing updated.School is done, pulled a B and a B- in my tow general education classes. End of story. Not fighting the grade though I certainly deserved higher than a B- in the Cultural diversity class. Some things just aren’t worth arguing about.Spring is slowly making it’s way to summer and with the tail bone now 4 weeks into the healing

FREEDOM !!!!!!

2009-05-13T13:52:00.000-04:00

It’s a Wednesday, but not just any Wednesday, it’s the LAST DAY OF CLASSES for the summer. As of 9:30 AM today, after turning in all the remaining homework I had and posting my last participation posts, I am FREE! I have been in class 7 days a week since January 8th, 2009 and am so looking forward to this break in homework and BS-ing papers daily for nit picky instructors who are searching for a

It's almost over ... x2!

2009-05-12T16:41:00.002-04:00

I am 10 questions and 8 participation posts away from summer break! I’m not certain anything else needs to be said about that.Today was a return trip to one of my least favorite places to go, the dentist. My first visit was a little over a week ago where I had one new cavity filled and three existing fillings replaced/repaired. Painful I know, but better to do all four at once than break it up

Well at least I still have a word processor

2009-05-05T18:40:00.000-04:00

So I have a little time on my hands again, we’ll get to why later, and decided to update this thing for a little change. This makes twice in a week … see I am improving!School is finally nearing the end for this year, I have a grand total of exactly 8 days left of these two pain in the a$$ classes and then I can officially begin summer vacation. The work load has been way more than I wanted to do

Catching Up ...

2009-04-29T11:47:00.001-04:00

The “newness” of Facebook has worn off after roughly a month of using it almost daily. Yet, I still log in almost daily and either play a game or two or at the very least change my status message. I’m not on it three and four times a day like I was in the beginning, but it has remained a part of my daily routine, and this blog has suffered for it. I once used this blog to keep my friends informed

A little uninspired ...

2009-04-17T15:06:00.000-04:00

I’ve not been writing lately, have no drafts as promised for the new project. I’ve not been doing much of anything except work, school, and of course Facebook these days. Last night Jen and I put on the new roller blades and went for a slow roll around the block. It has been YEARS since either of us has been on a pair of skates, far more for her than I, yet we both made it safely from start to

Is it really too much to ask that he take notes?

2009-04-07T10:52:00.001-04:00

Okay, so the NooB has worked here for 7.5 months now and is still not grasping some of the major stuff he needs to know to do his job around here. This may be partly my fault for not covering everything with him in his training, or my co-workers for forgetting a few items along the way when he first started. However, it has become painfully clear that he either refuses to take notes or writes

It came, The internet survived, NOTHING HAPPENED!

2009-04-02T11:01:00.002-04:00

So April first came, and went, and the world continued. What did we learn? Sadly the answer for 99% of the citizens of this country that answer is NOTHING!For weeks the news media has been hyping up the latest virus threat set to detonate on, of all days, April fools Day. The detonation day alone should have been a clue for most people, but then we tend to believe whatever the news media tells us

Oh, to be a kid again, just for two weeks this summer!

2009-03-26T16:44:00.002-04:00

The days are getting longer, more sunshine in my morning commute and few evening hours spent at home during the week. I appreciate this, along with the warmer temperatures spring always brings. However, I desperately wish that summer would hurry up this year. Spring has always left me feeling a little morose since as far back as I can remember, at least as far back as seventh grade anyway. While

The snowboard season recap … Now bing on SPRING!

2009-03-16T12:26:00.002-04:00

With family obligations and crises finishing out 2008, our snowboard season didn’t begin until almost the end of January this year. We had a ton of snow, and not using it until January 24 was a shame, but once in a while life gets in the way of play.Our Season began with a week long trip to Boyne Mountain. We had a condo at the base of the hills from Friday 1/23 through Thursday 1/29 and planned

A new story ...

2009-03-13T16:17:00.004-04:00

I had a little time on my hands and managed to knock out a children's story that has been kicking around in my head for a month or so. It needs illustrations to help the flow a little but here's the raw text version for you to enjoy.It is a tad long so if you prefer, you can find the PDF version in my downloads area, or for the lazy among you, click hereNow for the story ...The life of a

Ahh the joys of being dependant on technology!

2009-03-12T12:25:00.000-04:00

So what do you do at work when the infrastructure fails and you can not connect to anything on the network? In my case, I field phone calls for the first ten minutes, then laugh at those who didn’t figure out they couldn’t get on the network 30 minutes after it went down. Play a little pinball, some spider solitaire, and eventually decide to work on some homework only to discover it requires the

I'm still here, honest!

2009-03-11T10:48:00.000-04:00

I know I know, I promise to keep this up to date and look how long it’s been. I get it … but sometimes life just gets in the way!Since my last post, not much has really happened in my life worth writing about, really nothing. I received my new Yakima Fat Cat 6 snowboard rack and installed it on top of the Escape, both locks work perfectly on and off the car. Imagine that! I am now on week three

The rest of the story ...

2009-02-26T11:15:00.001-05:00

At the direction of my contact with Boyne country Sports (BCS), the three surviving snowboards have been dropped off at the repair shop for a complete tune on their dime. My board had a few extra nicks in the edges I didn’t see upon first glance, Jen’s board actually looks the best of the three, and poor Christopher’s board it getting a total makeover of the base and all edges. By the time they

And while Yakima has just ruffled my feathers …

2009-02-24T07:48:00.003-05:00

So I spoke to Kevin at Boyne Country Sports (BCS) a few minutes ago and was given my options about the damage our poor snowboards suffered in their high flying adventure Sunday. Yakima’s warranty replaces the rack only. It is a limited warranty and therefore has limited options for me, the poor consumer who had the misfortune of a rack failure. However, they do have some sort of an insurance

And what's left of my Fat Cat 6 rack ...

2009-02-23T23:17:00.004-05:00

What was left on the car ...The top of the rack, these should be attached to what is left on the car by the black ends ...The back lid to the rack, notice it's still locked and attached to the latch!The front top to the rack, clearly the point of failureThe mount points for the two lids to the rack, both ripped off their mounts

The photos ...

2009-02-23T23:09:00.002-05:00

This is the tail and what the tip edge SHOULD look like ...Here's the damaged tip ...

Another snowboard weekend come and gone.

2009-02-23T12:26:00.003-05:00

So, we headed north mid day Friday 2/20 for a full day of snowboarding Saturday. This trip we were boarding, okay more like just sleeping, at my parent’s house for the weekend and would be driving further north to Boyne Mountain Saturday. This would mean an early rise Saturday in order to be on the hill for first tracks, and a late night drive home if we decided to close the runs @ 9 as well, but

At what point does dinner become breakfast?

2009-02-19T14:44:00.000-05:00

In my world, I can eat items generally considered breakfast foods any time of day; so calling it breakfast, lunch, or dinner based on what I’m eating has never worked for me. I also remember, from my early college days, many trips to get breakfast any time between midnight and 4 AM at the local Denny’s before calling it a night and crawling into bed ‘till noon the following day. Since I was never

A not-so-typical Wednesday night

2009-02-18T22:22:00.010-05:00

When Jen called me at work about 10:30 this morning, I knew that today would be no typical day and my evening plans might be slightly altered. What I didn't realize is that the evening adventure would include a multi hour trip to the local Emergency Room.Today is Wednesday and Jen's work schedule every Wednesday includes checking in a large food order and putting it away in her kitchen. Today was

Similiar story, different day

2009-02-11T22:03:00.003-05:00

Once again I arrived at work today and was told that if anyone called about their network account being locked out I was to check with my boss before re-enabling it for them. That sentence alone was both good and bad news. It first told me there were going to be more people let go, but it also told me that since I was being informed, I was not on their list of cuts.Once again, today my company

And so it goes ...

2009-02-10T15:17:00.001-05:00

It was almost exactly four years ago that my company began to cut down on its workforce in mass. When I started here in early 2004 our payroll was well above 2000 nation wide with more in Canada and Taiwan. Today, after years of scaling back at the plant levels, sometimes laying off an entire shift at a time, and the initial 26 whose jobs were eliminated in February 2006 in this office alone, our

PHOTOS ONLINE!

2009-02-03T00:22:00.003-05:00

Okay enough with the phone calls, e-mails, voice-mails, blah blah blah ... I have uploaded the Boyne 09 snowboarding trip photos to my PicasaWeb account and the full album is available from the Photos link at the top of the blog. For those who just want to sit back and watch the show ... here's a sideshow of them.

I returned in one piece!

2009-01-29T22:32:00.003-05:00

I know I promised to keep this up while I was on vacation, and I intended to do just that but there was no wifi to be found close by and the cell card was near dial-up speeds. So those pictures I promised will come but sometime this weekend.

It's finally here!

2009-01-23T14:13:00.005-05:00

So it’s the end of January already and I have yet to strap into my snowboard outside my own living room where I tested the gear to be sure everything was tight. Tomorrow, we rectify that problem! Thanks to the failing economy, ski resorts in Northern Michigan are having a hard time filling their rooms and we got a STEAL on a week of timeshare at Boyne Mountain. Initially Jen and I were thinking a

You wanna’ know how bad the economy has gotten? . . . Even the mighty Blue is making significant staffing cuts!

2009-01-22T11:12:00.002-05:00

That’s right folks even Microsoft, the biggest of the big, richest of the rich, is cutting staff for the first time in its history. Yes I said history!Microsoft, suffering from a downturn in PC sales is finally beginning to feel the blows our economy has taken in recent years and are yet another sign of how bad it has gotten across the board. The good news, I’m sure they are from the Vista

President Obama Inauguration Speech

2009-01-20T22:46:00.002-05:00

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has

It's Officially Over

2009-01-20T14:24:00.003-05:00

So 1/20/2009 has come and Mr. Bush, more affectionately known by me as simply The Shrub, has handed over the keys of the Oval Office to our incoming President. Will it be different now? Will we actually see change in policy and economy? Will the promises made on that campaign trail fall by the wayside now that he has taken office? Or, is President Obama, I like the sound of that, a politician we

Seemingly Random Question

2009-01-16T11:56:00.001-05:00

For those of you “in the know” this will make perfect sense. For the rest, patience my dear readers. Does a “Definite Maybe” count?

The death of a Timbers icon

2009-01-15T15:33:00.019-05:00

This has taken about a week to both write and post, sorry for the delay and for the lack of postings over the last week but as tends to be the case when things like this happen in my life, the writings have not been things I wish to post in the public domain. So last week as some of you loyal readers may know, a friend, an acquaintance, someone I use to know passed away after a lengthy battle

A little reflection ... Amazing what you find when cleaning house!

2009-01-09T10:42:00.004-05:00

I was doing a little thumb-drive-cleaning in preparation for both the new school quarter and the new writing project I am slowly beginning to piece together and ran across a blog post I started last fall. The time frame was end of October beginning of November 2008 and it appears it began as sort of a reaction to my last meeting with Jack. It was rough, a little random, and a tad disorganized but

What does the word family mean to you?

2009-01-08T15:05:00.002-05:00

Most people define family as those in their biological and/or legal family unit, but I disagree. Obviously the traditional definition of family fits me from an outsider’s perspective. I have two parents who are both my biological and legal mother and father. I have two siblings with no half or steps thrown in. Simple. Unfortunately, though they make up my legal and biological family, I have

So I have noting left ... Apple will soon no longer be evil

2009-01-06T17:05:00.003-05:00

Okay, I admit it I’m a computer geek who stands firmly on the PC side of the world. Or at least I did. I’ve been playing with computers in their IBM clone form since about 1984 and, except for a way cool pinball game on the old Apple IIe system, I’ve never cared much for anything Apple ever produced. Years into my paying computer career, long about 1997 or so, I got my first real taste of the

The end of 08 ... it all blended together!

2009-01-05T13:24:00.000-05:00

Generally this time of year I spend an hour or so typing up a blog recapping my last year’s main events … for those who missed it as they were happening. This year, I’ll get to it! Before I can recap the last year in one long post, I needed to type out a recap of just the last three weeks of 2008, since so much happened that I stopped Blogging as a whole during most of those three weeks. Details

This is now stuck in my head and thought I would share with you loyal blog-o-readers!

2008-12-26T23:19:00.002-05:00

The youTube video below is actually Jen's cousin, a freshman in high school, who wrote, produced, and sang the song. While it's a little more "churchy" than my typical taste, it's got a decent hook and I love the voice. Check it out and share with those you think may also enjoy. You never know, she may be famous one day and you can say, "I saw her way back when on YouTube!"

How is it that the shortest day of the year, the Winter solstice, can seem like the longest day of your life?

2008-12-21T21:56:00.012-05:00

December 21 1987 was the first time I remember wishing Christmas wouldn't come at all that year, and I was 10. I was in the fifth grade and my maternal grandmother had been in a bad car accident earlier that year. In 1987 seat belts were not the law, and air bags were yet to be invented, so it was primarily the dash board that broke the impact when she was thrown forward in the accident, and why

a few of my favorite geek things

2008-12-17T16:21:00.002-05:00

A few of my favorite coder t-shirts from thinkGeek.com ... in case anyone is looking for the perfect Christmas Gift for the other geeks in their life.English Translation: If at first you don't succeed, Try, Try againEnglish Translation: Do or Do Not, There is no TryEnglish Translation: There's no place like HomeEnglish Translation: It's a SQL Query to return all rows from the table USERS where

Pardon the interruption!

2008-12-16T15:48:00.002-05:00

To those who frequent this blog and are looking for the most recent post, read the one below this. To the ONE PERSON who frequents this blog, drops a comment on occasion, and doesn't have the courage to contact me any other way . . . GO AWAY!We parted ways not so amicably over thirteen years ago, were in touch a few years back and cleared up some things between us, then parted ways once again. I

Free at last, free at last, thank whom ever you want, . . . I’m free at last!

2008-12-16T15:43:00.002-05:00

That’s it folks, the last assignment I’m doing for Java is done. The last of the finishing touches for my final Project have been made. The last postings I will make on the boards for this class are posted. My final Project has even been turned in one full day early! I am DONE! It has been a long 12 weeks of Java programming with no breaks and I now look forward to the next 22 days of no code to

That light up ahead ... it's getting brighter!

2008-12-11T14:53:00.004-05:00

The end of my Java Hell is near. Today begins the final week of my 2nd of three Java classes and all that is left to finish is my final project application. I am looking forward to my three full weeks off of school before classes resume January 8, 2009. Unfortunately, it might be just long enough for my brain to forget some of the code that has been swimming in it since last September. I may need

I didn't know how important his approval was . . . until now.

2008-12-08T16:54:00.002-05:00

You know, it’s absolutely amazing to me how much time we spend trying to make others proud of us in our lives without even realizing it. As children we seek our parents’ approval almost daily in the early years, a little less throughout adolescence, and again more frequently as we enter post high school life and begin to make our own way in the world. For some, we realize how important our

The Editors Review is In!

2008-12-05T15:37:00.005-05:00

So I've found a publisher (an actual publisher not a vanity press) for Unconditional ... below is a piece of the review from their senior editor. I know many of you have read it's various versions and all have told me it's good, some numerous times, but I figured I would share the reaction I got from a professional publishing editor.----------------------------------------------------------------

Today, just a question

2008-12-02T23:00:00.005-05:00

With my head still a little cloudy from the drugs and sinus pressure, writing has been put on the back burner, along with going to work today. After 14 hours of sleep, a heavy dose of Advil, and some time spent upright so my head can drain, I have managed to accomplish something on my Java homework and come up with an idea for this post. It is mostly just a question ... one that Jen and I are

Sorry Guys, I don't write coherent things when I'm sick!

2008-12-02T00:55:00.001-05:00

The Catcher exits Stage Left!

2008-11-24T23:41:00.002-05:00

You know that place between dreams and reality, the one we all slip through when drifting off to sleep or waking slowly in the morning? It's the place where you can still remember your dreams yet hear the world around you and begin to comprehend that morning has come. That place you visit each night where dreams begin and the days events end.That is where I can always go to spend time with him.

Emotions back within my comfort zone, and posting in public again

2008-11-19T12:19:00.003-05:00

Just to lay your fears to rest, and stop the questioning e-mails I have gotten over the last week. I am here, I am breathing, and I am still writing. I have been busy with life and school, and I have been writing things that do not yet need to be in the public domain. Nevertheless, I have been writing! The emotions are settling again, back down to levels that are far closer to my comfort zone.

Extra! Extra! Read all about the new site update!

2008-11-19T11:53:00.006-05:00

It’s HERE! The new layout is out of development and currently in front of your eyes for an extensive beta test. I have ported over the history of posts and most comments and believe it to be 98% functional at this point. I’d like to point out all of the changes but there are so many that a listing of the major ones is all I can manage.- New look and feel with darker colors and larger text area to

11/15/08

2008-11-15T00:16:00.002-05:00

A Straight Man's Point of View on Banning Gay Marriage

2008-11-13T20:37:00.002-05:00

From the ashes of defeat ...

2008-11-12T10:35:00.003-05:00

With the crushing blow in California last week I, much like every gay person I know, was left wondering if we would ever gain legal recognition and equality for OUR relationships, under any name on a national level. I disagree with those in the movement who believe that anything other than something called a marriage is not equal and would be happy to have a nationally recognized Civil Union

Tuesday 11/4/2008, the most important day in American History that has happened in my lifetime.

2008-11-07T16:01:00.006-05:00

I missed the Boston Tea Party, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the end of legalized slavery, and the beginnings and endings of World War I and II. I was not even a glimmer in my parent’s eyes when President Kennedy was assonated in 1963, Martian Luther King was killed in 1968, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969. I missed the bulk of the Civil Rights movement that began in the late

Changes under way

2008-11-06T23:36:00.003-05:00

In case you didn't notice there have been a few chances around here. I am in the midst of a complete renovation of the blog but for now only minor adjustments have been made. From now on all posts on the main page will be a summary of the full post, or in most cases simply the first paragraph. To view the full post you will need to click the link you see below. go on ... try itSEE THERE IS MORE

400,440 votes needed

2008-11-05T11:56:00.008-05:00

As of this writing (9:45 EST Wednesday 11/5/08) The votes were still being counted and will certainly be recounted at least once due to the close numbers on California’s Prop8 ballot measure. Currently it looks bleak for those of us who were hoping for a defeat with 5,125,752 votes FOR and 4,725,313 AGAINST the measure. There are still 5% of precincts who have not reported in yet, and those all

And so it begins

2008-11-04T09:50:00.005-05:00

Today is guaranteed to be an historic election day with the possible outcomes involving either a female Vice President or a non-Caucasian male President taking the oath of office on Jan 20, 2009. The polls are open, the lines have long since formed, and here in Michigan we have, for the first time in our state’s history, 98% of the eligible voting population registered to vote. There is no

so much to do, so little time to think

2008-10-28T23:36:00.004-04:00

School has been keeping me busy lately, with the first Java class winding down to it's final week soon and projects to complete in order to make the grade. Work has been busier than I have been use to with little time to work on much of anything personal except at lunch and my evenings have been spent finishing homework that normally would be done at work. The newB is learning, and has figured