2006 Wrap Up

All right people, here is my 2006 wrap up. I had some goals that I wanted to accomplish so lets see how I did.

2006 goal of "to lose weight"
Advantage: Lost 11 pounts and 6.5 inches total
Disadvantage: was at 20 pounts and 11 inches
This is a push folks, I accomplished this goal but spun around toward the end

2006 goal of "pay off debt"
Advantage: drove down debt by 1/2 of what we owed.
Disadvantage: Still have some to pay off and added some more.
This is advantage me, 1/2 is still a accomplishment I'll take it.

2006 goal of "fix up house"
Advantage: some landscaping, gutter cleaning and weed removal. Room painting and outlets replacement.
Disadvantage: still have some drywall to complete, figure out where water is leaking into and stopping of a slightly leaky basement. Bathroom floor needs to be replaced also.
Advantage...Push. Yep we did some good things and some need to be done but I am pretty sure this is a never ending battle.

2006 Goal of "find a new job"
Advantage: Yep new job and pay more..woo hoo
Disadvantage: lose of health insurance and 401k
Advantage...Push

So there you have it, overall we did some really good things and are moving forward. Family is healthy, roof over our head and food on the table. Overall, advantage me.

Me Man, I Fix Car!

Yeah yeah, now Jen will be the first to tell you and make fun of me for my ability to fix the car and when I say fix I mean break it fix.

This last summer Jen calls me and tells me that water is pouring into the passenger side right behind the glove box. Well my short term solution was to put the car in the garage when it rained, problem solved...and again by solved I mean forgot about solved.

Yeah so how many of you loved the rain this last week. Rain in December is horrible, it is cold and almost impossible to get warm. Snow is much better because it tends to insulate the world in pretty white. Anyway, my lovely wife gets in the car yesterday to a pool of water splashing around from what sounds like the glove box. Everytime she hits the gas more and more water comes rushing in.

So today I go and get an oil change, I tell them the problem and ask for some direction to which I get "take off the grill and maybe you can see something, but that is a big task". So I am having nightmares about my water problem, out of need to fix something today I popped my hood and started to look around. Sure shinolies there is a hose about 18" long coming from what I am going to make a huge mental leap and call the drain hole for the front of the car. I softly pulled it off and could see it plugged up with pine needles, probably the same pine needles that keep plugging up my gutters. I grabbed my metal snake pushed all the needles out the bottom, pured some water through and heard the sound of water coming out the bottom of the car. So I did the same thing to the driver side and found that to be plugged also. No more leaks, no more plugs.

Oh by the way if your snake is metal make sure you don't touch the battery....Just saying...

Singing Duo

This time of year the kids Christmas concerts are in full swing. Dominic's was up first on Monday morning, who would have known he was such a good little drummer boy. Yep he stood up front and played the drum. Normally I would have asked off for the morning to go myself but situations have dictated that I go to work this week anyway I did ask Jenny how he did and she said he has a knack for keeping a beat, that makes me smile because so much of the world is recognizing rhythym and he has it.

Tommy's was yesterday and of course he rocked. His teacher says that no matter what she asks of Tommy he gives 100%, what more can you ask of a 6 year old but of course he rocked.

I know that Jen hasn't written since September but who knows maybe she can write up a "christmas letter" soon.....lol yeah right!

The Most Wonderful Time....of the Year

I am sitting here writing this on a Sunday afternoon with the Packers on the T.V.....Brett just fumbled the snap by the way. It is 45 degrees out side, Al Harris just made an interception, the kids are outside playing with their new cap guns and best of all our Christmas shopping is done for the year. We battled the crowds yesterday had an early supper and headed over to Jen's holiday party.

Between the whiskey cokes, the sweaty balls (don't ask), the Italian chicken, and believe it or not fresh made egg rolls (mind boggling good) it was a fun night.

1am and we are headed home with the plan to say up a little longer only to fall asleep within a couple of minutes of sitting down on the couch. I woke myself up by a whole body twitch, more of a convulsion really. Yeah so not like a leg or arm twitch but rather my whole body had other plans, freaked me out really.

Anyway I have one more week at work before having the rest of the year off, I have big plans for that week. New beds to be moved, flooring to be put in the bathroom (maybe even the kitchen if I get bored) and probably even a nap or two....good way to end the year, I'll keep you up to date on my home improvement projects and by home improvement I mean getting myself in over my head home improvement.

Shhh.....

For some reason my life has taken on a mind of its own. I would have to equate it to Foghorn Leghorn from Warner Bros. See none of his anticts ever got him in major trouble but it was always something, he was smart enough to get the best of the dog but never smart enough to protect himself from retaliation.

I feel that way sometimes, whether it is "just going to clean the bathroom grout that turns into replacing the vinyl flooring" to "changing jobs and them not coming through with promises" to "graduating college only to be told your grade point ave wasn't high enough then waiting a month to get it all squared away".

Jesus, why can't this be easier. Why can't I just move along with very little interruption of the big things. Right now it is the job thing, I took a chance at more money with promises of cobra reimbursement, health insurance, 401k and long term stability....Now, it has turned into every other employment bullsh*t where I am guilty by association even though I pay attention to the dynamics at work....crap....

All I know is that I don't have health insurance, that scares me. I am not sure why but it scares me more now than when I was in school....I am just shaking my head wondering when my luck will change.

Maybe I should just start my own company, but I have no idea what I should get into....this is just stupid.

Tis the, Season

I slept good last night, the reason? We shopped all day yesterday.

Actually it made me a little sick because most of what we bought was neccessary. If you don't know already it snowed here, not a huge amount but enough blowing and drifting to screw up your world. Well I have been meaning to buy new tires for our van for almost 2 years, yeah they didn't do well. Wheels spin, no movement....and since it is the car that my wife and kids are in I had to break down and get tires, but tires aren't cheap but can you really put a price on safety. Now Jen didn't want to buy them but I knew that if we put it off again something was going to happen, probably nothing serious but you never know. Tires were $280, installed and ready to go. Then I was kinda anal but on thursday night I knew snow was coming so in the other car I got an oil change, replaced wipers and made sure I had all fluids and the air was right in my tires....$50

Then you add in trees, festival of trees at the amory, a trip to superwalmart (which sucks by the way) to pick up food and other misc stuff (along with santa figuring out what the kids want for x-mas).

Then you put in the Polar Express, put lights on the tree, make a couple of white russians and the next thing you know you wake up in the morning saying "wow I slept like a rock"....this isn't going to end for a while is it?