First Vinyl

I have a few minutes to breath before the next baseball event, and before going back to work tomorrow. I need to do some venting about work, but not today (I know it completely bores you guys).

BWH has come up with another great meme. Well, I think its a great one.

This time the meme is called First Vinyl.

Just post the album cover and a description of the first time you spent money on a good old fashioned Record.

You can tell us how old you were if you want to. Just make it worth reading. And give him a link or a trackback.

It was 1979. I was 13 the summer before 9th grade. Tim, my best friend at the time had me over for the night. We pitched a tent in his back yard. His house backed up to a drainage ditch, so we explored the various gardens of the people that lived along the drainage ditch. When we got back to his house somewhere around 2 a.m. we had the radio on and I heard Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?".

I think this was one of those times where I just knew that this was music I was going to love. I had to buy the album.

I was usually pretty good about saving my allowance. The next morning Tim and I road our bikes down to the strip mall not too far from his place and I picked up a copy. I was not disappointed. I think this was also one of the catalysts for my move to listening to a lot of New Wave in the 80s. His style was different, unpolished. I was hooked.

I think joe Jackson was my first departure from listening to the things my brothers and sisters were listening to. My brother Mike also became a big fan of Joe Jackson, but this time I was influencing him. I later found out that my sister Paula was also a fan. We can't all be wrong.

No time to blog

I am totally swamped. Sorry for not posting, but the real world (not that you guys aren't real) requires my attention.

Maybe I'll find some time later tonight to scan all my favorite blogs.

What's with this weather?

I worked from home today because of all the blizzard warnings that started on Thursday. It started snowing Thursday afternoon and we were supposed to get 6 inches Thursday night, and another 6+ on Friday.

We got the first 6 and I stayed home in anticipation of more coming, but it never came. The kids schools closed for the day, and the roads were mostly clear. I think Chicken Little is working at the Weather Channel.

My niece, Katie, just turned 20 last week. So to commemorate her first 20 years she posted 200 pictures of friends and family for all to see. She warned us that most of them were embarrassing. I figured I was safe. I didn't think she was around for most of my goofy pictures. Well I was wrong.. She scanned in pictures that my sister had taken years before. Some of them were just hilarious. I was in tears.

Like this one at my high school graduation


But she did get one herself that is pretty funny


Then there was just this past Christmas. How do I always forget this stuff?


Some of the pictures were really good. I cropped this one just to show me. This was in July of 2000. Me in a suit... a rare sight. That's my ex that I cut in half. No not literally.

Then there was my kids. I have to show you them. They're about 7 years older now.

I love going through old pictures once in a while.

THPPFT!

I am feeling kind of blah about things lately. Could it have to do with me coming down with a cold? I have semi-worked from home Monday and Tuesday. It was rough trying to concentrate with a head full of snot and cold medicine.

I am going to try to get tickets to The Police concert for when they are in Denver this June. I am a huge fan. I have just been to BLAH to get off my ass and get tickets.

Stress from work is no better, and is probably worse than ever. My new boss is grateful for all of the things that I do, but holy shit this needs to stop.

I am trying to hire someone for our Des Moines office. I don't have much hope in finding a perfect fit for a technical job in Iowa. I know it's bad to say, but there just isn't that big of a bowl to fish from. Any SCM engineers out there want to move to Iowa? I didn't think so.

The official opening day of Little League Baseball here in Colorado Springs is this Saturday. My kids are psyched. Kevin (14yo) has a scrimmage game that day after a hitting competition. We'll see how that goes. I am still not sure what is going on with Erik's (9yo) team. I think they've had 2 practices now, it might just be 1. Not that I want to coach, but if you're going to volunteer to coach these kids, then schedule some practices.

PLAY BALL!!

Stolen Meme

Lady R kept this going, so who am I to stop it...

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:15 am for a 7:30 a.m. and then 8 a.m. conference call, then I went back to bed until 10:45... I am sick.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Both. I have given both, and I think they are both beautiful.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Shooter. I enjoyed it a lot. Marky did a good job not sounded like a hood.
4. What is your favourite TV show? I think it would have to be Heroes. I am enjoying it more than 24 this year
5. What did you have for breakfast? A breakfast bar and 1000mg of vitamin C
6. What is your middle name? It starts with A. You can try to guess the rest
7. What is your favourite food? New York Strip Steak medium
8. What foods do you dislike? Bell Peppers
9. Favourite chip? Tortilla with a hot salsa
10. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Plain White T's - All That We Needed
11. What kind of car do you drive? Pontiac Vibe GT or fullsize Chevy 4x4 Pickup
12. What is your favourite sandwich? Pastrami on Rye
13. What characteristic do you despise? Cheaters
14. What are your favourite clothes? The ones that don't cost too much
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Austalia
16. Where would you want to retire? In a city with an airport to take me where ever I want to go
17. Favourite time of day? Quitting time
18. Where were you born? Detroit, Michigan
19. Who do you think will not respond to this? It doesn't matter
20. Person you expect to respond this? It doesn't matter
21. Beavers or ducks? Beavers, of course
22. Are you a morning person or a night owl? A Morning Owl
23. Pedicure or manicure? I just want my feet rubbed
24. Share? If I must
25. What did you want to be when you were little? A verteranarian
26. What is your best childhood memory? Playing baseball with my friends
27. Piercings? That would be silly
28. Ever been to Africa or Alaska? I've been to Alaska a couple times.
29. Ever been toilet papering? Many times
30. Been in a car accident? Yes, 4. One of which was my fault
31. Favourite day of the week? Saturday
32. Favourite restaurant? Phantom Canyon Brewing Company (it's a brew pub)
33. Favourite ice cream? B&J either Cherry Garcia or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
34. Favourite fast food restaurant? Tokyo Joe's (Japanese, but it's fresh and fast... yum)
35. Last email? Sending metrics forms for work... BLAH
36. What was the last movie that you rented? I usually buy, not rent, but I did rent Employee of the Month and Beer League recently. Definitely both rentals
37. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Amazon.com
38. Bedtime? Somewhere between 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m.
39. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? It doesn't matter
40. Last person you went to dinner with? My kids
41. What are you listening to right now? Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah
42. What is your favourite color? Purple
43. How many tattoos do you have? 0
44. Favourite magazine? Maxim or Wired... yes, they both rank higher than Playboy
45. What book are you reading? Crystal Reports for Dumbies
46. Weirdest thing in your purse or wallet at the moment? Hunting license I haven't needed for 5 years
47. If you had one wish, what would it be? Win a 100 Million or more Powerball Jackpot. A couple of you would get presents :P

Some time to post... and lots of pics

I finally have some time to right something. YEAH!

I had another urge to buy me some techie shit since I got a huge tax return. So I went WAY out of control and bought two 22 inch LCD monitors. One would have been enough, but I got a great deal and was out of control.


The boys were on Spring Break for 2 weeks. I had them for a week of it, plus a couple days to go skiing. We get a hotel room up in Keystone, CO on the night of March 26th. We skied at Keystone on that Monday, then went to Copper Mountain about 20 minutes away the second day. Here are some pictures:

Keystone

This is a shot from a bridge that that connects the slopes to the village at the bottom

I was amazed that weren't trying to be goofy. A great Kodak moment before we started up the first lift.

On the gondola heading to the top. Do you love the hat hair?

Kevin's getting good on the board... He scares me sometimes

Erik is still improving, but he has a great time.

My Mental Disorder

What mental disorder do you have? Your Result: GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) You can never seem to calm down and always feel anxious for unknown reasons. You tend to not be able to concentrate and have headaches or other anxiety symptoms.
Manic Depressive
Paranoia
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)
What mental disorder do you have?

That's kind of scary considering that is what a doctor told me about 8 years ago.

Another symptom that they didn't have on the test was that I don't think anyone wants to hear from me.

Have I mentioned recently that I am stressed? Guess what... no change there!