I got a new web space. I'll be journalizing over there. http://www.cyberjanitors.com

Bex, tell me how to do the sattelite thinger.

Brandy and I left the house on Thursday to travel to Fremont, NE before going to Minneapolis to get the kids. About 150 miles outside of Denver, we got caught in a pretty significant rainstorm. I didn't think much of it and just kept rolling along with the cruise set at 80 (remember this part). We crested the top of a rise and I saw a motorhome or 5th wheel camper going much slower that I was going about 30 minutes or so of driving in the rain. I tapped the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control, not engaging the brakes though, and turned to changed lanes. Well, I tried to change lanes but we were hydroplaneing (I don't know how to spell that word.) I couldn't steer, couldn't hit the brakes, and couldn't hit the throttle. I threw it into neutral and tried to just keep the wheel slightly into the spin hoping to gain some control. We spun once on the pavement, and then spun as we hit the dirt of the median. I finally got control back before we could enter the opposite lanes of traffic and got us back onto the shoulder of the roadway. We blew out a tire about 40 miles further down the road and wrecked the wheel. I talked the my brother (the cop with some driving training) and a future cousin in law who does some professional driving, and they both agreed that putting the truck into neutral kept the truck from rolling. I think if we had rolled we would have been hurt badly. I'm very thankful.

On Friday, my brother drove with me up to Minneapolis to get the kids. I was way to tired with only about 2 hours of sleep to go alone. On the way back to NE:

Cade: Daddy, are there going to be girls there?
Me: Yes
Cade: Big girls or little girls?
Me: There will be big girls and little girls.
Cade: Good.
Me: Is this important?
Cade: yes

After seeing Brandy (They've met before):
Cade: Do you have a swimming suit?
Brandy: Yes
Cade: Can I see you in it?

He's 3! Isn't that a bit young to be a playah?

I'm going to need to take some mental health days off of work.

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=195560>1=6657

How that hot chick could be with that putz...

I spoke with my boss in April sometime about how this summer would work if I was going to design it. I told him that I would like to work half days from home while the kids were here so I could spend more time with them and our customers would get served. He said that that plan would be fine, no problem, and all will be grand.

Today is June 27th year of our lord 2005. Today. Today. Today I received an email from my boss stating that the schedule we agreed to in April, that has been on the Outlook Calendar since April, that has been discussed many time since April but starting in April, and that would be fine, no problem, and will be grand will not work out.

So now I'm fucked. I can't take unpaid time off right now. The wedding was expensive, and Brandy just quit her job. Working during my 3 weeks just pisses me off. Like explosively angry. Like I'm going to have road rage issues today. Going to grocery store might get me arrested.

I don't even like this stupid job. But I like money. Well, not money. I like the stuff I can get with money. Like food, shelter, booze, and 200bhp sport bikes.

Life's tough

Vegas is absolutely, 99%, certain not to happen for me. Just outta vacation with the trip the mexico and other holidays throughout the year. Sorry guys.

Bran's applied to a bunch of accounting and mangerial type jobs. Before she started working as a vet tech, she was one of the top pension accountants and before that she was the office manager for an employee outsourcing company. She really getting beat down by being treated so poorly by the people within the company and making very little money. I'm worried that this will make her give up on getting into Vet school. I'm ok if she decides that she doesn't want to go, but I'm afraid she'll feel that she can't get in now that she's started doing these other kinds of jobs. I'd sure like the extra income though. We're talking like at least 4 times what she brings in now.

Last night I played in a poker tournament. The guy running the event was some World Series of Poker player who started a Denver poker league (I don't remember the name). He was really cool to talk to and gave me and the people I was with a ton of pointers in terms of what hands to play with and which ones to walk away from. It didn't help me much. I was done by about 9 o'clock and the game didn't end until around midnight. Out of 110 players I was somewhere in the middle of the pack. I had a lot of fun, and reinforced the rule about not chasing cards.

Ok, for all of you who began thinking this was a Michael Jackson kinda thing. You leave. Now. We don't joke that way on this board. Well we might, but never in the context that it would be Scary Uncle Koorz doing anything incredibly evil like that.

Kids this is about how professors often time will lose touch with the realities of life and become so focused on academia that they devalue other pursuits. This is also about how academians should be very afraid of me when I've been drinking.

Long story... less long. I skipped class last Tuesday. Thursday the prof asked where I was, I said that I had something come up and couldn't make it. He sighed and walked back up to his podium (I assume that his freshman teacher's aide was under there, or a goat). As class went on he kept making comments about attending class and yadda yadda yadda, I actually got a bit miffed at the whole deal and even the class was getting bored by it. Eventually, I asked him a question and he said that if you would have been in class you would know that answer. I replied that with class spending this much time on my attendance its no wonder I don't find it important. He told me to leave. I did. Yesterday I had an email from the school saying that I had been dropped from the class.

I may still graduate next May but there is a very real possiblity that it won't happen until August.

Buncha fuckers.

Did any of my Austonian friends have any real world moments? Get in a fight with the "drunk?" Get accused of being racists by the "angry minority?" Screw up the double mocha low-fat latte of the "bitch?" Have a 3-way with the "slut" and the "jock?"

Apparently I'm allergic to being married. Seriously. I've been married since May 17th. That's 17 days. I've sick with Mexican toliet flu, sinus congested hell, and normal old stomach flu almost everyday since then. Today I feel really good for the first time in weeks. I'm still a little stuffy but at least I have no skitters or puking. Ugh!

I just found out that the my brother-in-law plans to move out in August. Now, my first thought was negative because that means another 2 months... but now I realize that he actually has a plan to leave my house! Woo Hoo! I just know that he has no idea having him there sucks as bad as it does for two newlyweds (and before the newlywed part) who love each other very much and find each other very attractive. I miss spontanity...

I'm disliking my job more and more. I'm answering emails and phone calls. That's not what I believed it to be. Plus, the product has a bad focus. It has a lot of really good things too it, but instead of fixing problems they are adding new functionality. My opinion is to make a few features bulletproof and build on that. Be better than anyone else at what you do and let everyone else try to be a jack of all trades. So that ticks me off.

I bought a new vacuum cleaner today. The Dyson DC14 Animal machine. I'm pretty sure it will suck the very bones of the earth through my living room floor. I haven't tested this yet but I will let you know. (Is it a standard amongst geeks that you must remember the model numbers of things you buy?) The old one was pretty much crap when I bought it, and so I needed a new one. Apparently, this is something that husbands do. I've never bought a vacuum cleaner before, but I have sold them (don't ask. It was college. I needed the money. I didn't mean to hurt anyone.) Do you want to know that worst part? I'm excited to get home and fire her up and see just what kinda sucking she can do... and that's not any kind of dirty talk! I'm sick of the damn ridgeback fur all over the place.

I got married on May 17th. Most of the people who read this will know that already, but just in case someone didn't. uh... I did. http://www.cyberjanitors.com/pics

Brandy brought home Zip the sugarglider on Saturday. He's more fun than I thought. I think he likes me, but I'm not sure. This morning he was zipping (get it?) around his cage and so I stopped to play with him. He leapt from near his pouch and jumped into my hand. I thought, "Right on, we're buddies." and then he started biting me. Hard, but not hard hard. I know that might not make any sense, but he didn't draw blood and I don't think he was trying too. However, the biting was not exactly comfortable. Now, these things are supposed to be at least as smart as a dog or cat... well dogs and cats learn "no" pretty fast in my house, but how on earth do you discipline a sugar glider? I tapped him with my index finger and I think he got the point. I still think he was playing with me though. He always comes out of his pouch to see me when I get up in the morning, and it just looked like he was playing. He pounced, and then dashed around and pounced again. It was funny... except for the me getting bit, a lot, part.

When I walk into his room, he pops his little head out of his pouch to see what's happening. When Bran walks into his room, he crabs at her. You have got to hear this: http://www.sugarglider.net/sounds.php click on the crabbing sounds. It's just funny

This week has been fairly rough on the old boy. I finished my Constitutional Law final on Sunday. Take home exam with 5 parts to be written essay style... however it had a wowrd limitation of 1750 words for the entire exam. I remember when exams would have limits on the minimum size. It's much harder when they have a maximum size, especially when trying to fully analyze issues of free speech and the establishment clause. I really feel good about it though. I think my analysis was on point but not just a recitation of black letter law. Only time will tell though, it has been my experience that when I think I nailed an exam I actually did poorly.

( Even more brain dump about tests and ex-wife and kids )

I'm often asked how I can consider people that I've never met face to face as friends. I'm very fortunate that Brandy gets it, she still thinks it's wierd, but she does get it. It's really not that easy to explain though.

Yes, I've know a lot people online for... uh... carry the 1... I think we're talking like 7 or 8 years (wow!).
I've seen pictures of everyone. I suppose they could have photoshopped them. I would suspect a guy who shaves his head would smooth his lumpy skull out (phrenologist's wet dream)!
Yes, I've spoken to them. I know someone named Amy, randomly, is not a 45 year old man (well maybe he inhales a lot of helium.)

But now and again these people who may not recognize me if I stepped on them (I promise I won't step on ya, Tez), do something that is just really excellent and remind you that they think of you as a friend as well.

Thanks guys.

It's a little nutz in the ME household. Brief run down on why this would be the case: Finals week is this coming week. Saturday Constitutional Law II final exam - take home but I need to do it Saturday or Sunday. Tuesday Patent Litigation final exam - in class, old school pound it down exam. Wednesday or Thursday Basic Real Estate Exam - online must complete within 8 hours of checking out. Friday pack my bags for Mexico. Saturday fly to Mexico at like 6:30 in the f'ing morning. Tuesday get married in Mexico, hopefully to the woman I brough to Mexico with me but I'm not going to sweat the small stuff. Saturday fly back to Denver. Sunday get sober... eventually. Tuesday Remedies final exam - in class exam. Woof, I'm a tired dog. Did I mention that I also work about 45-50 hours a week? Yeah.

Bran's brother moved in with us again. uh uh. Yep, seriously. I didn't have anything going on anyway and I wasn't scramped in this trashy townhouse, and I just love the way he leaves his shit all over when he vists, and I'm tired of having food in my cupboards and soda in my fridge. I think this will work out great. Enough sarcasm. I'm very upset by this. I think the little leech needs to grow the hell up, but I can't send him out on the streets though. He told Bran that he'd be paying rent... well I haven't seen a check and he's in the place. I've never moved into a place before paying someone, but I've never had anyone to take advantage of either. He hasn't bought any food or drinks... didn't even bring any, but that hasn't stopped him from grubbing up and slurping down. I know that I'm being unfairly harsh, but this is the same ass that moved in with me before "for just a little bit" for a whole year and took advantage of everything. I'm not putting up with it this time. Brandy is going to tell him the rules or I will, but it will be my damn house and I will throw everyone (yes, everyone) out that doesn't agree. The way I figure is that if he isn't paying me any rent, then he does chores. Whatever needs to be done, because that is the price of a roof.

It makes me feel bad to get so riled up about him moving into the place. He's a 24 year old spoiled punk kid. He makes all the wrong decisions because there is never any consequences for his actions. This doesn't make him evil or bad... just a democrat (ha!)... just a 24 year old kid instead of a 24 year old adult. I was an adult at 24 because I didn't have a choice. Is that common to be a kid at 24? I'm just baffled.

We put together the sugar glider cage the other night. I really think this flying rat is going to annoy the bejeebers out of me. There was a funny moment with the old dog, Sahari, when I was working on the cage. Sahari got scared of it, for whatever reason, and wouldn't go near it. Well she started trying to get brave and would sniff "near" it. Then she got really brave and, like a shark testing something unknown, she "tagged" it. Tagging is what we call it when the dog smacks something with her nose. Tagging is not gentle. The cage goes smashing down with a great crash, and Sierra, the nuerotic special dog, ran away with a little yipe. Ok, that's not that funny but remember in 4 weeks a sugar glider will be in that cage...

Reasons chix should dig on geek guys:

http://hartford.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/66795671.html

I got Brandy's ring back from New Mexico yesterday. It's pretty, but not what I expected. Brandy says that she likes it and is still willing to marry me, although that was in jeopardy when she pissed me off while I was still waking up... I had to add another word to the list of things I'm not allowed to say to her. Uh back on track! So the ring is definitely old, but the jeweler couldn't guess at anything more specific than "over a 100 years." That's kind of neat. I am a little sad that it's an aquamarine instead of a diamond, but there's nothing I can do about that right now. It's gonna take a big ass diamond to fill that hole and after seeing it I can understand why it was so expensive.

I had two weird phone calls the night before last. 1) the bands that I ordered on Sunday were in and they weren't supposed to arrive until this coming Sunday, kooky. 2) A guy called at 10pm and I hadn't gone to bed yet (which is odd also) and demanded to speak with me. Bran answered and told me this. I was immediately pissed. Don't call my house after 9pm during the week unless it's important to me, and don't ever demand anything from me. It was one of these federal grant scams. I've had one before and I told the guy that I didn't believe he was for legit, and he got nasty which proved I was right. Maybe there is such a thing as a federal grant program that randomly just sends you money for a grant you don't know about and never applied to get, but I still expect certain rules.

Two of my buddies will be graduating law school this May. We entered the evening program together in 2001 but they switched to full-time after the first year. I'm jealous of them, but wish them the best. It does make my desire to graduate a little stronger, and that is a very good thing. There is another woman who I've had a lot of classes with who is graduating in May as well... I'm started to believe that graduating law school isn't much of an accomplishment, but just a necessary step. Passing the bar will be an accomplishment.

Oh I nearly forgot: We contacted the place in Playacar where were staying in Mexico to see what they had about wedding stuff. I was fairly sure that they would have stuff pre-packaged, we ain't the only people to ever want to get married on a beach in Mexico. I was right, but I was shocked by the packages. The least expensive package was $1150 (US, if it was pesos I'd buy five of em and have a raffle). I know that that price isn't insurmountable "for a moment that will live with you forever" but damn I just want a person to officiate a symbolic ceremony and a photographer. I don't need a cake or flowers or arch and sure as shit don't need a polo shirt. I need to work them a little bit, or not. Maybe I just need to pay them. I don't know yet.

I spent this weekend buying myself a suit. I haven't bought a suit since 1997. Things have changed. I expected to spend about $500 on a decent navy blue suit. I hear some of you laughing, and you can all go bite a rock. I went to Foleys and learned that they have nothing in their store that will fit me... ever. The sales lady told me that they simply don't carry clothes for tall people, especially tall people with long arms.

I tried out Nordstroms. First suit I tried on was a Hugo Boss suit, 46 extra long in case you're keeping score at home. The jacket fit me great, but then I learned about the "drop" (my sales man taught me a ton of shit about suits). Apparently, suits have a drop from jacket size to waist size of 5-7 inches. Boss suits have a 6 inch drop. The pants on this size 46 suit have a 40 inch waist... I'm not quite up to that girth, and I wear a 34-36 inch waist pant. The salesman told me that they would end up taking the pants apart along all of the seams and resewing them to fit me. Well I don't know about that... plus the added cost. Price of the suit $895. I said, can I see something else? And then I got to see a Pellini or something close to that. I LOVED this suit. I put it on and looked in the mirror. It felt great, and I looked damn sexy, baby. I said to Bran, "I look like a rich kid on holiday." Price... $1400. I very carefully took the suit off.

I ended up finding one where I was able to replace the pants that came with the suit for a pair of size 36 pants. It looks good, it doesn't feel like the $1400 suit, but it's comparably to the $900 suit. I spend about a third of that. I'm happy.

Next I went to find some bands. I was really disappointed that the stores don't have much in stock. It's like one case and then, "But I can order in anything in this catalogue you want." I'd order it online if I was willing to do that. Eventually I found some pretty cool bands that I could get in different thicknesses. Bran got a 3mm and I got an 8mm.

Public service announcement. People... remember that this nation is all about bartering. I'm always amazed that people don't discuss the price with retailers instead of just accepting it at face value. You may not get anything for your efforts but they also won't throw you out. Jewelry stores have a lot of markup, I think. My jeweler in New Mexico told me that stones were at about a hundred percent markup. I don't know if metal is that way, but I've never failed to get at least 25% off of any purchase in a jewelry store. It doesn't cost you anything to ask, but it can cost you a lot not too ask.

Well that's about it. I still need to go to the bank and the post office to mail off some money to the guy in New Mexico for the ring. Still have to go get the marriage license place. Still have to talk to the people cancun to get the ceremony set up. (I think I want a guy who only speaks spanish. He can just nod at me when it's my turn to speak.) But I think that I'm pretty much done. Phew!

Take a minute to google up marriage licenses in CO. It's kinda funny at least to me it is.

"I" thought I was spending too much time playing because I was told that someone important to me was jealous of all the time I've been spending on the computer. During the week, I quit at 9pm and start at 5-7pm. On the weekends, I'll veg out if there's nothing to do around the house.

Well, I was talking last night with the jealous person (having not played any games since very early monday morning) and said that I'm sorry they feel neglected and I told her my plan to drop some playing and yadda yadda yadda. She said, "Right on, but don't quit completely because I know that it helps you maintain your santity with all the shit you have to deal with with school, work, and the ex."

I sure do like it when she reminds why I'm willing to get married again. Someone who actually cares about what I need/want/etc. That's cool.

I think I'm willing to admit that to myself now. Yep, I'm addicted to it. I'm gonna have to make some changes so that this addiction doesn't get any worse. I have waaaaay too many other things to do besides play games, and things I should be doing instead. I thought about this last night: Do I want my tombstone to read, "Total roxored at leveling." or "Beloved Husband, Father, and Friend."?

I'll tell you what the first thing to go is: mmo's. They just drag me in too much. I'm done with it. Cold turkey or whatever. If that doesn't correct the problem, then the PS2, XBOX, Gamecube, and PC are going out the window too. I'll use my laptop for emails and not have a machine capable of playing games.

This will genuinely be hard to do, but I think that it is the best thing for me. Because it is hard to do, just shows how much I am addicted. Wish me luck.

I'm having a negative day today. It happens. I'm ok with it.

My daughter's mother told me that Mikaela would be learning to water ski this summer. She'll be 4 1/2 this summer. I think it's way too young. I'm not concerned about her trying and failing, and I'm not concerned about her getting hurt. I'm concerned that she will have such a miserable experience with it that she won't want to try when she's much older and she'll miss out on some opportunities. I'm intimately familiar with this. My parents tried to teach me to ski when I was 6. I was told that you need to hang onto the rope because it will pull you through the water, but to let go if I get into trouble. Well it's kinda hard to understand at 6 years old the difference between getting pulled through the water and drug under the water. You generally don't have that kind of body awareness to even really know what position you're in... why do think kids fall down so much?

I have to be a little bit honest and admit that I do have some jealousy, but I've made the best peace with that that I can. I've really thought about this and I think it is a bad bad idea.

Been awhile. Nice to see that things haven't changed much. Well here on the board anyways. Tons of new stuff with me. I have a job. That's good. I was sold the job as it was post-sales engineering, but it's more Tech. Support. I'm not knocking Tech. Support, but that's not the job that I've been doing. My skills are going to decline fast. In all fairness, this isn't tech support for microsoft of level 1 sun support. I'm working with SA's and SAN Admins, for the most part and that helps. Oh well, what do I care? I get a paycheck twice a month.

I'm tired of school. No, really tired. Like I don't wanna go at all anymore. I hope I don't flunk out or something. I should graduate in May of 2006, but that may end up being July 2006 or even Dec. 2006. Being unemployed hurt the pocketbook, and I'll need to heal my nest egg before I can pay for summer classes.

I'm gonna get married in May in Cancun. May 17th actually. Which is my brithday (cash is always a good gift). I think I'm going to like the easy of memory. I'm getting an old family heirloom of Brandy's repaired. It's a nearly 200 year old ring from her Great(x) Gramdma. Now, they had been told that it was platinum. The jewelers that I had taken it too said it was white gold. I even had one tell me it was platinum that had been repaired with white gold. They ALL said, "I ain't working on that thing." I finally found a fucking jewelry artist in Albuquerque who is willing to tackle the project, and promised me it would be done within two weeks. It's white gold, has 8 small stones around the setting og the major stone which 7mm. I don't know what any of the specifics mean, I just know what it will cost. I had to go with an aquamarine as the center stone though. That's her birthstone and it's apparently something that was commonly done when this ring was made. I feel pretty bad about that, even with my rationale. My ex got a big diamond, but her's still cost less than this one will. With a diamond it was going to be about $15k and I just can't do that right now.

I'm playing: RE4, God of War, and World of Warcraft