2010 Resolutions/Goals update

My how priorities change once a child arrives. Since our second son, Alex, was born, I haven't had much time to think about these, but here's an update.

House - hang paintings

Still not on the wall and no signs that it's going to happen any time soon. We've actually been thinking about moving so this one isn't really even on the list any more. I should probably just retire the idea.

Life - shoot shotgun (w/Jeff)

Crazy that Summer is over and the same for Fall nearly. There's one possibility that this may still happen in November if I can make it happen and schedules permit. We did a guys trip late in the Spring and talked about the possibility of a pheasant hunting trip down to south eastern Utah and there seemed to be some definite interest. You'd think with this one being on both our lists that we could make it happen. Hard to find time for both of us though with 2 boys each.

Life - go fishing (fly fishing)

I've actually been fishing twice that I can think of and will most likely have another opportunity this weekend as well. I fished late in the Summer up by my mom's for about 2 hours. Didn't have any luck, but CJ got to see his dad dressed up like a fool and standing in the middle of the river. I also fished 2 weeks ago on the elk hunt for about 4 hours and caught 3 fish including a nice 14 inch brown trout. I'm always amazed at how calming and escaping it can be for me to go fish.

Life - improve job satisfaction

Nothing specific has changed in this arena except for maybe my attitude. Things have definitely changed for the better, but that may just be that work has picked up over the Spring and Summer and for sure right now in the Fall. I think I've learned that I need to stay relatively busy at work in order to be getting something out of it.

Life - don't gain any more weight

Can't report much progress here. I hate to keep saying that the 2 boys are keeping us busy, but that's certainly been the case. Additionally, I've had this lingering ankle pain that just won't go away. I was reminded a couple weeks ago on the elk hunt, however, that I need to do something about this issue because the mountains aren't getting any smaller and I'm not getting any younger. Some friends, and my wife, are doing this "Biggest Looser" competition that I didn't involve myself in, but maybe I should have.

Life - blog once a month

Work on this goal comes in waves, and recently I feel like I've had more to write about. That hasn't necessarily manifested itself as more posts, but the desire to write is at high tide. Since the Spring and especially since Alex was born, there's been an extended period of low tide. I've partially justified this as being okay by thinking my declining interest in wanting to post equates to a declining need to complain, but that isn't fair. I have more to offer than complaints. Maybe I need to stop with the damn FarmVille! I have been posting more random thoughts on FB though... does that count for anything?

House - build a shed

I was making good progress down this road a while back but the lack of a decision of where to actually put the shed stalled this goal. We have 2 competing locations both offering pros and cons. In one location, I could simply buy a pre-fab shed... simple, easy, done. The other location (the one I think I prefer) would require a custom shed be built. I have plans for the custom shed, but no cost figures. I know it's something I could build and something down the road I'd be proud to have built, but it hasn't happened yet and Fall is here. The other issue with this one has of course been the issue of whether or not we're moving.

Life - play basketball >=5 times

This damn ankle/lower leg pain I've been experiencing has been keeping this one from happening. There's still a slim chance for this one, but I need to get this pain addressed. I don't think there's anything structurally wrong with my leg, but I'm beginning to wonder if it might be a pinched nerve or something. Need to call/see someone about this. I'm not ready to retire from my athletic endeavors.

House - magicjack transition

I've backed away from this idea some after talking with a few more magicjack customers. Couple with the fact that the magicjack site still says support for Linux is coming in the first quarter of 2010 and I'm not too excited about any progress occurring any time soon. Yes, I hate, hate, hate paying Qwest each month for our overpriced phone service and that thorn digs into my side whenever I think about it.

Life - go to confession

I've read a couple books this year that I thought were going to help me towards this goal, but they've had the opposite effect. I'm struggling a bit with my Catholicism.

House Thoughts #2

Some things about our house that we could be improved... dare I say CONS. I'll try not to defend, rank, or judge any of the following issues in an attempt to just lay out some facts (no promises though).

1. No central air - the swamp cooler just doesn't cut it July and August. I'm not going to say that it's unbearable, but if it's 100 degrees outside, it's 80 degrees in the house. There are 3 air ducts where the cooler blows in rather than only one as in most houses with swamp coolers.
   
   • One of the main related issues here is that our house doesn't have air ducts so installing a traditional central air system isn't really possible. We did, however, recently talk to an HVAC company about an A/C system that doesn't require duct work.
     
2. No forced air furnace - our house has a boiler with baseboard radiators in the rooms (not the old fashioned cast iron radiators). This one will be tough to not defend because there are a number of benefits to this system. Maybe I'll just list a few to get the defending out of the way:
   
   • I've been told by a number of professionals that a boiler is actually the most efficient way to heat your house. A lot of high efficiency homes use a boiler with in-floor heating.
     
   • A boiler is a simple device that just heats water. A boiler can last a long time unlike an electric furnace (I will say that our furnace is 24 years old).
     
   • A forced air furnace creating and circulates a lot of dust.
     
   • A boiler produces an even heat that allows your house temperature to stay more even as opposed to heat from a furnace that comes on for a while and then turns off.
   Done defending, back to the facts. Because boilers aren't the norm, it's been difficult to find a good/knowledgeable company to service the boiler (luckily I've solved this issue by finding Tingey Plumbing).
   
3. No real yard and the one we do have isn't fenced. This wasn't ever an issue/concern, and was actually rather nice, until we had kids. The need for a place for the boys to run around, be secured, and leave all their stuff laying around is definitely a real need for us now.
4. 2200 sq. ft. seems a lot smaller these days. Again, not an issue until the boys showed up and probably wouldn't be an issue if our house was laid out differently. Our house is very open. Our main floor is essentially one space so without any doors. As such, the entire main floor has turned into a giant kid room with toys everywhere.

More to follow

House Thoughts #1

Let's start with some of the PROS of our current house (in no particular order).

1. My house is close to where I work. According to Google, 3.9 miles (12 min). I hate to say this is definitely one of my major issues with moving, but it clearly is. 3.9 miles is really nice and allows me a lot of flexibility. Combine that with the flexibility that my work allows as far as working hours, time in the office vs. working from home, etc, this is a major pro.
2. In roughly 7 years (assuming no major changes in our life), our house will be paid for... as in no mortgage payment. I know very few people my age who can say that... not including anyone whose parents paid for their house. Not having a mortgage payment would clearly give Jo and I quite a bit of flexibility as to our options later in life.
3. I like living across the street from my uncle and grandmother and the relationships that proximity has fostered. Clearly, having family close by can be both a positive and a negative, but in this case, it's certainly been a positive. There have been many impromptu get-togethers over the years that we would have missed out on if we/they weren't so close.
   

House Thoughts Preview

Boy have I been crappy at posting lately :-(

I have a theory though that makes my neglect ok (or at least justifiable in my mind). My theory is that the more I'm blogging, the more I have to complain about. Therefore, the less I'm blogging, the more content I am. So there :-P

I do have a topic that's been on my mind quite a bit lately, and I think I've reach a point where I have to write down some thoughts. My intention is that there will be a series of posts about this topic. The topic on my mind is "Should we move?" as in change houses.

We've been in our house now for 8 1/2 years and we've enjoyed it quite a bit. At the same, now that our oldest son has started running around more and our newest son arriving in July, we're starting to see greener grass on the horizon. Yes, the grass will always be greener, but right now, ours is in desperate need of some watering. My idea behind this series of posts is to discuss some of pros and cons of staying versus leaving. At this point, no decision has been made and there are definitely strong forces competing currently. Hopefully, this exercise will help us be more subjective and facilitate us making the best decision for our family.

Quote of the Day

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
- Dr. Seuss

NBA Players and their priorities

Since today is July 1st (the start of the most important NBA free agency season ever with the likes of Lebron, D.Wade, C.Bosh, Amare, Dirk, etc), I thought it timely to make this comment. All these guys talk about wanting to win championships and that being their #1 priority. If that were really the case, these guys would sign for the league minimum and recruit other star players to play with them. The amount of money they make in endorsement deals far surpasses the money they get from the NBA, but as we'll see, it's not about winning. It's about feeding their egos and padding their wallets. It's no wonder I can't get too excited or too committed to the NBA and its players.

An idea whose time has come

Thought I'd pass this along

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For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered... in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have elite that are above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution

Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.

Earmark Reform

Reform we can believe in

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/mar/12/jim-demint/sen-jim-demint-says-obeys-partial-earmark-ban-woul/

This says when this issue was brought up during the last campaign, the vote was 71-29. I'd say the odds aren't too good of getting some real change on this issue.

2010 Resolutions/Goals update

Original Resolutions/goals post

1. Life - smoke cigars
No real update for this one. Our second baby will be here in July so that will certainly be an opportunity.

2. House - install microwave
Tada! As you can see in the photos, this one is done. The 3rd photo in the group here is where the microwave sat for 8 months. I must admit that the only role I played in getting this done was to find a contractor to do it for us. Luckily, I have found an awesome contractor who's done some other work for us and will continue to do work for us in the future.

3. House - hang paintings
No progress on this one primarily because it hasn't been on the top of the list. Now that the microwave is done, this moves up in priority.

4. Life - see a movie in the theater
Booya! This one is done too. Actually, I've seen 2 movies in the theater already this year. Jo and I had a date night in Jan and saw "Up in the Air". A very good show. Last week, Jeff and I saw "The Book of Eli". Also, a very good show. At this rate, I'll see more movies in the theater than I have in years. Still haven't seen "Avatar".

5. Life - shoot shotgun (w/Jeff)
No progress on this one and real effort due to weather. Come on Summer!

6. Life - go fishing (fly fishing)
Not to blame the weather on this one too, but it is easier to keep this one on hold while it's still cold. Although, now that it's starting to warm up, I am starting to feel the itch more and more. I don't want to say I'm confident that this one will get done (especially with the new baby on the way), but I'm very hopeful. We do have plans to go to Clear Creek in April, so that might be a good time to shoot for.

7. Life - improve job satisfaction
This one has been a struggle, and I'm a little reluctant to write much about it. Sadly, there's only so much I can do to really work on this one. I am hopeful for this one as it's one of the most important I feel.

8. Life - don't gain any more weight
Ugh... can I just skip this one for now (as I sit here eating trail mix)?

9. Life - blog once a month
Doing pretty good on this one. Not all of my posts have been at the same level, but I do feel like I've been doing a better job of getting my thoughts and feelings out there. Part of the issue that I struggle with is finding something other than the day to day to write about.

10. House - build a shed
Some progress has actually been made on this one, and I think I have a plan to get it accomplished. For information sake, I had a contractor give me a bid, and it was in the ballpark of what I was thinking (which is more than I want to pay). I've also done some research on buying a shed kit and either having it put together or doing it myself. The current plan is to buy a kit and put it together myself. I'm sure that it could be done over a weekend with some help from a friend or two.

11. Life - play basketball >=5 times
No progress here, but some of the guys I used to play ball with are starting to play on the occasional Sunday in addition to Tues and Thurs during lunch.

12. House - magicJack transition
According to magicJack's site, they were supposed to be coming out with a new version that would run on Linux. That has yet to happen. We've given some more thought to the idea of buying a new computer and I'm sure we'd end up with a Windows box, but that hasn't happened yet either. My wife has warmed up to the idea though due in large part to the number of phone solicitations we receive on a daily basis. It seems like the more money you donate, the more calls like that you receive.

13. Life - go to confession
No real progress to report here although my plan to read a book about the sacrament is on the horizon. I wanted to get through a few other things that I was reading before I started to work on this one. I've since finished those other things, and the next step is to talk to Greg about a book that he could recommend.

So, I'd say the tally to this point is 3/13 which isn't great, but I'm still hopeful. Progress is nice to see and with winter nearly behind us, I'm excited to see what the warmer weather brings.

Relationships

The ramblings in this post have been floating around in my head for months now. I don't know if I'm ready to write this or not, but I need to give it a shot. I've written before about it being more important to say something than it is to say exactly what I want to say. With this post in particular, I'm not sure what I want to say and I'm not sure where it'll go.

First and foremost, I should probably begin with a disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER: This post is in no way intended to offend any of my friends, family, or other people in my life. The intention behind it is more to show love and just put my thoughts out there.

Side note - DISCLAIMER P.S. - At the same time though, over the past couple years, I think I'm starting to care less about what others think about me. I could write an entire post about this point, but I've spent a lot of my life worrying too much about what others think. It's not that I don't care or that I'm trying to shove people away... certainly not. It's more just about wanting to be true to myself.

I think I want to start out with the following pretty broad statement: To all my real friends and family, I love you all dearly and only wish we could spend more time together. I wish that life moved slow enough for us to all share our lives more fully. We spend so much time apart and so much time with other people in our lives (coworkers, etc). I'm reminded of a quote by Bilbo Baggins.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you, half as well as you deserve."

I've always had a fairly small group of friends, and I believe I prefer it that way (Having nothing to compare it to, I can't say for certain, but I firmly believe that would be my preference). I think it's difficult and unreasonable to try to maintain a multitude of close relationships. What's a 'multitude'? I'm sure that's different for everyone, but I tend to feel my definition is pretty small. I'd rather be your 'friend' rather than your 'buddy'. I'd rather be someone you know you can count on and know that I can count on you as well. What's a 'close relationship'? That too is probably different for everyone, but I'd generally like to be closer to all my friends.

I recognize the importance of having true friends in your life. One of the most wonderful things about friendship is that it's voluntary. There is no obligation like there tends to be with family. There's an interesting discussion that could be had about the differences in relationships between family members and those between friends. I know a few people in my life that don't seem to have any of these types of relationships (friends), and I think it's pretty sad.

As my wife and I have gotten older, we've watched as our friends began having babies and how life fills up with other activities as a result. Now that we're parents, we're definitely aware that the same thing is happening to us. That's not to say that I/we resent our friends or our kids. Certainly not! I'm merely pointing out that something has to give in our busy lives. Have people's lives always been as busy? Not according to my grandparents. This too could easily be a topic of an entire post, but I digress.

I started off this post with saying I had no idea where it was going, and I think I've successfully demonstrated that point. I'm not sure where I am with this post at this point so it's probably time to send it out into the ether. I do love my friends and family (most of the time).

Until next time

Lobbying Imperils Overhaul of Student Loans

Yet another reason to call your congressman

Congressional Salary over time

I don't why, but I was googling around the other day for some info on our wonderful, in-effective congress, and I stumbled upon the following:


I found the image here.

This graph got me wondering about the data outside the date range shown... specifically about the data since 2000. So, more googling revealed the following report which includes the data I was looking for. The following graph (which I created based on the data in the report) sums it up:

In case you're counting, that's about $175,000 a year for our elected representatives. It's no wonder they aren't in favor of term limits.

P.S. Here's a link to the raw data I used to create the updated chart which I compiled from the other CRS report. It shows the percentage increases.

Cell Phone Etiquette

For everyone's benefit, please leave the phone out of the bathroom. I won't talk to you if I'm in the bathroom, I don't want to talk to you if you're in the bathroom, and I don't want to listen to you talk to someone else if I'm in the bathroom. When did this become socially acceptable. Ladies, help me out here. Talk to your men.

Gifts

I just ran across this and had to share:

My relatives are always asking us what they can get us for birthdays and holidays, and I'm usually at a loss. After all, my son can only play with so many toys, and anything he really needs, we've probably already purchased. So they end up sending checks, which just drop unceremoniously into the bank account. The next time someone asks you about a gift, suggest a housekeeping gift certificate. Instead of spending hours at home cleaning and organizing, you can devote them to quality time with your family.