Its party time

Thursday last week was my youngest child's birthday.  It was so much fun to see the smile on her face when I woke her up.  She is usually a little slow getting out of bed in the morning, but on Thursday she jumped right out of bed as soon as I reminded her it was her birthday.  She had wanted to go to Wingers for her birthday dinner because she got a free kids meal in the mail.  When it was time to go she changed her mind because she wanted to stay home and play with her friends.  She then asked for Top Ramen noodles.  She is a funny kid.

On Friday we had her birthday party for friends.  I usually dread those events because it is similar to herding cats.  Ten to twelve over sugared and hyper little kids running around the house is enough to make the normal person completely nuts.  They swing from the drapes and the light fixtures, they ride the dog (or at least try to), play hurdle the couch, spill all their food and drink on the floor instead of the table, and there is always one child who is bored.  Through experience we have learned that having the part at a venue is so much nicer. 

This year we had her part at a local gym.  Not a muscle bound meat head gym but a gymnastics gym.  It was great the kids can go completely nuts.  They bounced off the wall literally.  There was a big foam pit they could jump into and they couldn't hurt anything in the place.  They got to play as much and as hard as they wanted and destroy the gyms stuff not mine.  Then we herded them into a room for cake ice cream and presents.  So worth the money to rent the gym.

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80's decor

I moved offices about 9 months ago.  I was in a nice office just a couple miles away and now I am on my own.  I really enjoy being on my own.  I leased a building that has always housed a dental office and was built in the 80's.  So as you might imagine all the colors were teal and mauve and gray.  I am sure it was stylish back then but today it is awful.  I had some painters come in and paint all the walls in the main part of the building where patients woud be.  The color of the walls prior to the new coat of paint was kill yourself gray.  Not exactly the color you want in a dental office.  It is the most depressing color I had ever seen.  But we rectified that in a hurry.  They also had some wallpaper on the main walls that was so ugly I have blocked the image from my memory.  We of course took it down. 

In interest of time and finances we didnt paint some of the rooms that wouldnt be used right away.  They still have the kill yourself gray color on the wall and a different color of horrid walpaper.  I discovered something today that as fas as I know has never happened in the history of the world.  Are you ready?  The wallpaper just peeled right off the wall.  I didnt have to use anything to dissolve the glue, it just came off.  I couldnt believe it!!!! 

You might be saying so what.  If you are then I am almost positive that you have never tried to remove wallpaper.  It is similar to being drug behind a bus at 5 mph for about 30 miles.  It isnt fun! 
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I could live in Arizona

I spent the weekend in Arizona around the Scottsdale area.  I was down there for a continuing education course.  I really like it down there.  I know people say it is so hot or too hot.  But this is how I look at it,  I live in an area where cold or cool weather lasts for 9 months anymore.  Last year it snowed in June and again in October.  So I look at it this way.  Would you rather put up with 4 months of heat or 9 months of cold?  I like the heat idea personally.
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Scottsdale Arizona

I am flying to Scottsdale Arizona tonight.  I am using Southwest Airlines because they are priced fairly and I don't get charged for luggage.  I know that boarding is kind of like a cattle call, or herding sheep.  But the savings are worth it for me.

I was listening to the news about Arnold Schwarzenegger cheating on his wife.  I started to wonder why people cheat?  Is it the excitement?  Is it because they are tired of being with one person?  Are they being abused?  I am sure there are a myriad of reasons.  I know it really isn't that hard to do, most of us are around members of the opposite sex all the time.  It makes me sad when I hear about people cheating.  I understand that people change but (and perhaps I am naive) I really think if both parties are 100% committed to each other, and do everything they can to help each other out, they wont feel the need to cheat.  I always think of the saying that the grass is greener on the other side.  Sometimes another person may look so appealing to you and seem to be just what your looking for, but at the end of the day they are just another person.  They will have issues and baggage and habits just like everyone else.  I know that nothing is a sure thing but I cant imagine a scenario where I would cheat on my wife.  I hope I am right and I work hard to make sure I am.

The moral of my story, be like Southwest Airlines, and let your spouses baggage fly for free.
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Fat man laying on the floor

Last night as I was laying on the floor with my cheek mashed in to the carpet panting it hit me that I have been in that position a lot lately, and that I was very glad I had just had the carpet cleaned in my house.  I am pleased to report that I am starting to notice a difference with each work out.  It seems to be getting a little easier. (sssshhhhhhhhh don't say that too loud or he might throw a nasty twist in on the next DVD.)  I am not saying that I could be a victim in his next DVD work out series, but hey, not wishing for death is an improvement. 

On a side note, if you are a big grammar person, you may not want to read this blog.  I can fix teeth and write, but correct grammar escaped my grasp many years ago.  And punctuation for get it.  If your not a grammar guru then I hope this blog will appeal to you.

I will keep you posted on how I am doing but suffice it to say that I lost a little over one pound today.  I think that is pretty darn good.

On another note, I don't really understand how a woman who claims to be religious and adheres to gospel standards can call middle school girls biatches.  Interesting to me.

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Insanity started up again last night.  It is a 6 day a week routine.  I was going through the warm up and thinking that the warm up is a good enough work out for me.  I cant believe how fat and out of shape I am.  But that is why I am letting Shaun T punish me 6 days a week.

I am now on week two and last week I lost about 4.5 lbs.  Not too shabby for a guy who is begging for mercy at  the end of each work out.  Last night the routine made me cry like a little girl.  (Ok not really but I thought about it)  I still find it funny and refreshing that there isn't one person on the DVD who does the entire work out with out stopping for at least a little break.  While I am laying on the floor gasping for breath I am comforted by the knowledge that only super human people can do these work outs.  If you like to be punished the way I do I have posted the link to the same work out DVDs I have.  I am seeing improvement in my stamina though which is nice.  Last night instead of wishing for death I was able to stay focused enough to wish I could reach through the TV and slap him.  That's progress!!!  That is all!

Clogging part duex

On Saturday we went to the national clogging competition held in Lagoon.  Lagoon is an amusement park in Utah.  I think that I am going to write a letter and campaign for all dance competitions to be held in an amusement park!!  It was great.  Instead of being wedged into a gym or auditorium in some school where there is no chance of escape, I was able to take my two girls who aren't clogging on rides until Mercedes my oldest competed.  Great way to sit through a dance competition. 

The only down side to the whole day was that Mercedes was really quite sick and she was only able to compete in two of the five dances she was entered in.  Kind of a bummer but she gave it her best and did really well for being as sick as she was.

My middle daughter Avery is really quite fearless.  She loves the ride Wicked.  It is a really intense ride.  I also discovered that I talk quite loudly when I am on a really good roller coaster.  She was telling my wife all about it.  I had a fun day we drove for over four hours to see Mercedes dance for about 40 seconds so if we hadn't been at an amusement park I think I would have been a little more grumpy. 
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More thought provoking quotes

As I have said before I love quotes.  I love the way they make me think of things I may not have considered before.  So here is round two.  Enjoy!!

"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."

- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), Sherlock Holmes

"Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’."

- Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back


"Destiny is not a matter of change, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

- William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)


"The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them."

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)


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Just finished day three or my second Insanity workout. FOUR WORDS, I WANT TO DIE!!! That is all.

Insanity work out dvd

 WOW!!!  I just did the first Insanity workout last night.  I knew I would be sore.  But this is ridiculous!!  Shawn T is a mean mean man.  The workouts are EVIL!!!  Needless to say it is a very good workout. 

As I am going through the first workout and I start to notice that almost every person who is there with him in the gym has stopped.  They are all on the floor panting like dogs and they look like they want to die.  This was at least a refreshing change from the other DVDs I have seen where the group with the main trainer looks bored and they aren't even sweating. 

I am not normally into work out DVDs but I have done this one before and I know it is a great workout in a relatively short amount of time.  The other day I saw Captain Ahab in the rear view mirror and he was  sharpening his harpoon while he was looking at me with a maniacal grin on his face.  I thought its time to get back to a fitness routine.  Since spring refuses to come to Idaho this year and nice days have been far and few between I need an inside workout activity.  Plus then I can drop from a heart attack in my house where someone might find me as opposed to in the mountains where I am sure it would take much longer to find me.  I love to mountain bike but my bike has been starting to cower and hide when I come into the garage due to my plentiful girth.

Tonight is round two.  I am soooooo excited.  UGH.  Why is it that gaining weight is relatively simple while losing weight is tough?  I guess its so guys like Shawn T can torture people for money.  Funny thing is that torture used to be something we wanted to avoid and now we pay for it!!  Kind of crazy.

That is all.  (If you I don't post ever again just know I died gasping for breath on my floor)

My Kindle

I just recently had a birthday.  I am now the ripe old age of 37.  For my birthday I told my wife that I would really like a Kindle.  I already had the amazon kindle software on my droid x phone and have really enjoyed reading books on my phone.  I weighed all the options out there (ok not really) but I did look at some of the competition.  I went with the kindle due to the price and the features, namely that I just wanted a reader. 
I have been very impressed so far with the kindle.  I have discovered that when I read on my phone it keeps track on my kindle and vice versa.  I love it.  I know the kindle isn't the fanciest option out there but it is great for me.  Plus Amazon gives away many of the classic books such as Sherlock Holmes, Oliver Twist, Moby Dick, Jeckyll and Hyde, etc. 
So for what it is worth I really enjoy my kindle.  Easy to use, convenient size, and just fun to own.

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Computers

I hate and love computers all at the same time.  It is amazing that I can turn on the computer and within minutes have all the inforamtion I could possibly want on a given subject. 

My office is a paperless office.  In other words we keep all records and x-rays on the computer.  We have a small server that takes care of the office.  I really dont know how all of it works, but it does, most of the time.  I showed up to work on  Wednesday and my staff tells me that my server is down.  AHHHHHHHH  NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  The staff has been on the phone with tech support for over an hour and they decided that the network card or the cable or the switch is fried. Not a good day when everything is on the computer, and I mean everything.  We use my laptop to act as a temporary server.  But this laptop is 4 years old and it was a low end one when I bought it so the technology is at least 6-7 years old. 

Everything worked out fine the office just ran a little slower than usual.  I am amazed by what computers can do. 
Apparently the problem started with a power outage at the office.  We have the server connected to a battery backup with a two hour batter life.  I guess the power was out for longer than that and the power loss fried something.  Fun fun fun. 

Gotta love technology

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Clogging aka Power Tap

This weekend I took my family to Utah for a clogging competition.  My oldest daughter just started clogging, which is also known as power tap in January.  She has really enjoyed it so far.  From what I understand clogging is limited to mostly Idaho and Utah.  If you saw the show America's Got Talent in 2009, my daughters teacher was in the group the Fab Five.  I had never really experienced clogging until this weekend. 
My wife used to teach dance but she didn't clogg.  To me, having a very untrained dance eye, clogging looks very similar to tap.  I am sure if I asked a clogger what the differences are they would be able to talk my ear off about it.

Previously I posted about my middle child participating on the local swim team.  As with swimming clogging involves sitting for hours to see your child perform for maybe 10 minutes.  YEEEEE HAAAAWWWW.  Fortunately my daughter wasn't on the competition team, because she is so new, but I can feel that day fast approaching.  I started to wonder why I put myself through this?  Why do I subject myself to things I don't really like?  The answer was simple, I love my girls.  It's really that simple.  If you love someone you are willing to submit yourself to less than ideal situations to show them you care.  We really only have our kids in our homes for a very short amount of time, and we need to make the most of it.  If that means suffering through dance competitions so be it.  There are really so many worse things to suffer through, overall I am lucky. 
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