Still a blur today (Great News*)

Wake up call! Will forgot his backpack. So much for sleeping in and getting a haircut. Shower. Drive to Hatler. Pick up backpack. How do you forget a backpack? Drive to St. X. Drop off backpack. Late for work. Morning tea and oatmeal. Busy, busy. Work on query. Interrupted by Infrastructure. Denial of Service attack? Bah! No way. Not from Oil. Interrupted by QA. Alert Tool down. OH CRAP! Fixed. Interrupted by hunger. Lunchtime. Bazos with Hills, Sneaks, and Amrita. Back to work. Query. Nasty query. Debes has no help (but offers a nice suggestion). Nastier query. Eddie steps in to help. Eddie steps back. Final query works but isn't that pretty. Great news*. Leave work. Pick up dry-cleaning. Change. Drive to Hatler. Grab Will. Go to Oxmoor. Go to Apple Store. No need to talk to Geniuses. Problem solved. Pick up gift. Grab Skyline. Eat. Talk with Jooj. Observant kid. Hang with Will. Watch video game play. Watch YouTube videos. Epic Rap Battles of History! Leave. Drop off blues. Would you fucking believe that it is still raining?!?!?! Drive home. Rachel texting me, trying to get me to come out. Jooj texting me, Jack fell down the steps. Just want this day to end so I can go to bed. Sweet dreams. Get home. Manscape. Shower. Finally convince Rachel that I'm not coming out. Catch up on blogging. Pack. Oh shit, it's 1:13am!

Still a blur today. I just don't feel like I'm catching up. And yet do I stop? No. No, I don't. Does something have to give? Perhaps. Not certain yet. Must. Keep. Going.

* My BFF at work put in her two-week notice last week, making this effectively her last week. Well, nothing is set in stone yet, but it appears that she may be around a wee bit longer. If things go her way, she'll be working three days a week for at least the next couple of months. With so much going on in my life - so much in flux, in motion, in a blur - it's comforting to know that I'll have one of my rock solid supports around just a wee bit longer.

80.01% | 173.53 lbs. (168.6 lbs.) | 20% (10 of 50) | 91.23% (333 of 365)

Life in Fragments

Wake up. Shower. Sneak out. Commute (Jesus, it's *still* raining?). Work. Meet. Meet. Work. Soup for lunch. Work. Work some more. Meet. Run a quick errand to the shoe shop (damn this rain). Work. Late for dinner. Change. Eat. Play. Leave (Still raining!!!). Sam's (weeknight is *the* time to go). Dog treats. Tea juice. Dog treats. Gatorade. Blueberries. Dog treats. Bacon bits. Stop by Hatler. Impromptu visit with Will. Watch video game footage. Doze off. Say good night. Drive to Target (OMG, *still* raining). Comfy cozies. Aquaphor. Trimmers. Drive home (fuck me - STILL raining). Good night!

I feel like I'm living my life in a blur right now. I live my life in fragments. I do this and I do that and I do the next thing. There is no real cohesion. Is that a bad thing? Good? I'm not sure. I don't feel like I have time to catch my breath. But is that such a bad thing right now?

I feel like I'm a good worker bee, a good step-dad-from-a-distance, a good still-technically-a-husband, a good son, a good uncle, a good friend. Or at least good enough. And that's about all I can give right now. I am giving all I've got and trying not to take any more for myself than I have to.

80.01% | 173.55 lbs. (169.4 lbs.) | 20% (10 of 50) | 90.96% (332 of 365)

Easy Day, Unbelievable Ending

Woke up early. Showered. Went down to Toast. Picked up George. Drove to the new Toast. Dropped off Cliffie. Helped clean up some leaks from the ceiling. Came back home. Switched out car. Met Kelsey at Hatler to wish her off. Ran over to Melisssss' house to feed the pets. Sounds like a busy day so far, eh? The first few hours of the day were. The next fourteen hours were easy peasy.

Sat around. Played a bit. Smiled. Relaxed. Helped with some Christmas decorations. Had some laughs. Meant to go to Trader Joe's. Drove around in the rain instead. What a gloomy day. Gloom. Glooooooooom. Had a serious talk with my BFF. Helped out around the house. Made dinner plans. Salmon, greens, and roasted sweet potatoes. DELICIOUS! And dessert? Stroopwafels!!! Are you fucking kidding me?!?!? (No, no I am not) Had a few drinks. Sat around for a bit. Chitting and/or chatting. Time got away from me.

Then I realized that I may be in trouble. The night was supposed to end with dinner. And end early. One drink led to two which may or may not have led to a third - I can't remember. Either way, the good times continued until it was getting a little too late. Since it was *supposed* to be an early evening I had left my house key at the house. Once I realized this I sped home... to a dark house with locked doors... in the cold... in the rain... with no key to the house and no key to Hatler and no key to work. I was soooooooooooooooooooo fucked!!! And I had to pee.

So I stood there under the awning, trying to think of anything I could do other than sleep in my damn car. I held my phone and stared at it, ready to text someone - anyone - who could deliver a miracle. Call the house? No way. I fear the wrath of mom like I fear the wrath of Khan!

Then dad's face appeared through the window in the door. ARE. YOU. FUCKING. KIDDING. ME??? He hadn't gone to bed just yet. He had been on the third floor, brushing his teeth, looking out the window, when he saw my headlights reflect off the neighbor's house. He thought to himself, "I bet that's Eric." I haven't wanted to kiss my dad since... well, shit, I don't ever remember wanting to kiss my dad :)

I slept like a baby and have never been happier to be in my little dinky room on the third floor!

80.01% | 173.56 lbs. (170.0 lbs.) | 20% (10 of 50) | 90.68% (331 of 365)

Hard Day

Busy bouncing between my sister's house dog-sitting, Hatler, and mom and dad's. Feel like I'm always on the go. Took a little time out during the morning to do some window shopping at The Summit. Sales were still going on strong but I wasn't there so much to buy. Felt antsy the whole time - couldn't relax. Felt like I was on a timer. But it was still a neat morning. Nice way to start the day.

Then switched gears and headed over to Hatler. Moved some furniture. Then busted up some heavy-duty chests down in the basement so we could haul those old-ass pieces out (they were there when we moved in). I was pretty wiped after that. But I took the time I had left to finish up a painting of my niece Caroline (put the finishing touches on the newest piece for Toast, Cliffie, the day before). Between the moving and the painting my body was devastated.

I came back home and showered up. Then I headed back out to Melisssss' house to hang out with the dogs. I had a gluttonous meal from Burger King - a double cheeseburger, large onion rings dutch apple pie, and a large diet Coke... and ANOTHER double cheeseburger. Good lawd. I watched Conan the Barbarian followed by X-men: First Class. Both were somewhat entertaining. Neither were mind-blowing.

Best line of the night: "I'd rather lose you for one night than lose you forever."

Tucked the dogs in. Locked up. And headed home.

80.01% | 173.57 lbs. (169.0 lbs.) | 20% (10 of 50) | 90.41% (330 of 365)

Black Friday Extravaganza

I had checked the ads, both print and online, from the previous day. I was ready. My plan was to be at my first stop, Target, at 7am.

I woke up at 4:16am. I was ready to go. So I showered and headed out. Target at 5am. Earbuds in. Jamming to iTunes. Shopping at my own pace. Not a care in the world.

Target. Express (visiting my cousin Rachel - not really there to buy). Gap. Good morning, sunshine! Target #2. Meijer. Old Navy. Best Buy. Chik-fil-A (chicken biscuit breakfast - yummy!). Dillards. Dillards again. Lunch at El Nopal. Target #3.

DVDs, DVDs, and DVDs. Candyland. Night-vision goggles. Polo shirts. Nice slacks. Sony headphones. Flash drive. Secret Santa gift. Jeans. Thermal. Sweaters. Undies.

Overall the day was without any headaches of any sort. I managed to luck out and avoid all major crowd activity. I never had to wait in line too terribly long. Never felt cramped. It was a very enjoyable shopping day.

80.01% | 173.59 lbs. (169.6 lbs.) | 18% (9 of 50) | 90.14% (329 of 365)

Happy Thanksgiving

Today I am thankful for family. I am thankful for loving parents, for an adoring niece and nephew, and for a great sister and brother-in-law.

Today I am thankful for extended family. I am thankful for their assurance and their compassion.

Today I am thankful for friends. I am thankful for my fellow adventurers and for friends of yesteryear.

Today I am thankful for the ability to smile in the face of these unsure days. I am thankful for the little moments. I am thankful for the funny moments. I am thankful for the neat moments.

Today I am thankful for Kels and Will. They took time out of their day with their mom and their dad to stop by and drop in on me and my fam. I love you guys.

Today I am still thankful for the family that I no longer can call my own. I am thankful that I was a loving husband to Jooj. I am thankful that I was a fun uncle to five lovely nieces and one spectacular nephew. I hope I had a positive impact in your lives during my time.

So there are plenty of things to lament over, to mourn, to cry about. But these things are not things that I need to dwell on today. What I choose to celebrate are the things I mentioned above - the things and people and friends and family that I am thankful for. I love you all.

85.17% | 173.60 lbs. (168.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 89.86% (328 of 365)

A Fun Day ("Porn and Chocolate")

I cut out of work early today to pick up Kelsey (after dropping Eddie off at the airport for a holiday visit home to Detroit). She is in town for the Thanksgiving holiday and had plans to head over to mom and dad's for some punkin pie and to visit. I picked her up after getting her hair did and brought her over to the 'rents' house. Melisssss and the kids were waiting there to greet her as well. Everyone was happy to see her.

While visiting Kelsey told mom that her friend had texted earlier and told her that he was getting her some "Porn and chocolate"... well, that's what I heard at least. Thankfully, I was there when he had initially texted and knew that he was, in fact, buying her *foreign* chocolate. What a difference a few consonants make. Hahahahahahahaha!

Afterwards I headed out to the house to drop off Kels and visit with Jooj. She's been busy getting the house in order. I'm gonna have to pull my weight this weekend. We chatted for a while - laughed and had a good time. I grabbed some sweaters, some CDs, and some movies and headed out.

I polished off the night helping make chocolate chip punkin cookies. It's a neat combination of flavors. They were delicioso!!!

Fell asleep on the couch playing Bloons Tower Defense 4. Jeebus Christmas I can't stop playing that silly little game! :)

I've dropped my lifting weight from my footer, as I no longer have regular access to my weights. I'll get back on it soon though.

85.17% | 173.62 lbs. (167.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 89.59% (327 of 365)