Thanksgiving.

I've come to realize that all I really want for my Thanksgiving meal is a huge plate of stuffing smothered in gravy with a small side of mashed potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. Delicious!

I was afraid to log on to my blog. I thought maybe I had missed a whole month and I think that would have been a first. This entry just makes it in under the wire. There is actually a lot to write about. My new job and the events leading up to me deciding to take it. Lots of fun and madness with the kids. But I'm not going to write about any of that stuff.

I'm going to start taking guitar lessons. Targeting next week for lesson number one. It was in second grade that I declared to my mother that I wanted to take lessons. She didn't say no but what she did say was "If your are still interested in taking lessons when you are in third grade then you can." To her credit when third grade rolled around she asked me if I was still interested and I said no. This decision has bothered me for my whole life and I'm finally going to do something about it. So I'm taking my tin ear and bad timing to a pro and hoping that with some coaching and a lot of practice he can help to locate the "Guitar Hero" in me. ROCK AND ROLL!

Tamales

We've had an older kid selling Tamales in our neighborhood this past summer, he's probably 20 years old or so. He's been walking the street with a cooler on wheels selling Tamales for a dollar each or four for $5. My neighbor buys them every time the kid comes around and he highly recommends them. I had conjured up an image of a kid and maybe his mom working hard trying to earn some extra cash. Just today a pretty nice looking Mitsubish Eclipse pulled up to my neighbors house and out jumped this kid hawking his tamales. It kind of ruined the illusion I had created.

Very much the same.

I'm up early with one of the little guys this morning and I'm noticing that already we are not very different. He like to have his milk first thing in the morning and he's grumpy until he gets it. I like to have my coffee and I'm grumpy until I get it. He's captivated by the auto retractable power cord on the vacuum cleaner. I get it, who wouldn't be.

Burning Man?!?!?

So apparently the CEO is going to go to Burning Man. Yes if you haven't heard it yet it is true, she's going to be leaving me and the kids behind and going on a solo adventure. I'm excited for her but perhaps more nervous for myself. I keep saying that now I'll know what it is like when I go on business trips. The major differences being that she won't be on business and her accommodations will be a lot less luxurious. There is still a lot to do for her to get ready and there is so little time. At the moment our nights are tied up putting kids to bed and then working on making half a dozen or more Ugly Dolls for The Kid's upcoming Ugly Doll themed birthday party.

Currently life seems to be made up of negative time. I just need to get some simple stuff done like buying some underwear. It seems so trivial but when am I ever out shopping for myself. Ahhh, never. Oh yeah I need socks too. How do we ever get anything done around here. I'm amazed that we can even put dinner on the table most nights. OK I'm starting to exaggerate and ramble but perhaps I'm getting prematurely anxious about the CEO's departure.

Wish us all luck.......

I'm so caught up with all this Burning Man stuff I forgot to mention the most important event of this past week. The Kid broke her arm, well it's not offically broken nor is it offically not broken. They can't seem to tell for sure but she's in a lot of pain and is wearing a half cast that is supported by wrap. The poor little thing. She's actually being a great sport.

Blogging?

I've been contemplating retiring Tony-C.blogspot.com. I'd like to maybe start a new type of blog. The second after I had that thought I realized that I didn't need to retire this blog I just needed to make a fresh start and start trying something different. Hmmm.... What shall it be? More to come (or not).

Here's one of the reasons I need to reinvigorate my blog:

At this rate I'll hit zero by 2011 at best!

Green thumb.

I do have to admit that they did look like strange beets but beets is what we planted along with carrots and lettuce. Since carrots and lettuce were growing those other plants had to be beets. I lovingly watered them daily and removed the weeds from the garden so they could grow. Then one day I saw my neighbors beets and they looked nothing like mine. Must be a different variety I thought. Just to be sure I pulled one out. Well it was not a beet at all just a big healthy weed. Some of the healthiest ones must have been well over two feet tall. The first foray into gardening has been interesting...

Brothers.

I always had heard that some of the worst fights were between brothers. I just didn't expect it to be happening so soon. I left the boys alone for a moment as I tried to setup a movie for the girls, while doing that I heard a thunk and then immediately after came the screaming and crying. I raced up stairs to find the little bear on his knees with a big smile on his face as he happily watched his little brother scream. As I got closer I soon realized that the little guy had a massive fat lip and a small welt on the side of his face. I removed the little bear from the scene and comforted the little guy. As things calmed down I made an inspection of the scene and found a 6 inch long cylindrical wooden block with a small splat of blood on it. Unbelievable.....

And so it begins.

Today is the last day of school for The Kid.  The summer officially begins!  

I may be just as excited as The Kid.  It will be so nice not to be tied to the school hours that impose rigid rise and bed times.  Plus, I'm so looking forward to having a break from the mad rush in the morning to get everyone out the door.  Most of all I'm looking forward to more time with the family.

Fame.

In seventh grade I started practicing writing my signature really fast.  I was preparing for the day when I'd be signing a lot of autographs.  I can even remember the class room I was in when I made the break through where I swooped from the bottom of the letter "t" and came over the top of it and continued down into the letter "h." It was pure magic, and I've been "th"-ing that way ever since.

Online what's it all about.

I have a blog, a facebook account, a twitter account, a linkedin account, and three email accounts. What's this all about. Why do I need all this stuff and why am I spending so much time online? Although, having been laid off has shown me the power of some of these networking tools, it has been great to reconnect with people and I think I will stay better connected from now on.

No I'm not.

So it turns out I'm not starting that new job after all. The position was closed prior to me ever starting. That was a bummer. This was the first week of my at home unemployment, sort of. I'm still collecting a paycheck until the end of the month, thank god. I wish I could give myself over the the freedom of being unemployed but I just can't. The CEO is confident I'll have a job by the end of the month. I'm glad to have her on my side, there are often advantages to living with an optimist.

Changes

I'm starting a new job in a couple of weeks, it's a contract position and should keep us going for at least a few more months and give me some valuable experience in Medical devices. Actually the really big news around here is that my little 4 year old girl learned how to ride a two wheeler! She's amazing and I love her so much.

When is it going to end?

I can't handle any more poop in my life! Between the dog, and the boys that enough clean up. Then there's the girls with the farting and monopolizing the bathroom when they go number two. The kid could sit on the pot all day long, we literally have to yell at her to get her off. I know it sound gross but I can't wait for the day that the only persons shit I have to worry about is my own.

Ugh....

The CEO was saying yesterday it was much nicer when she was sitting back with her fancy coffee drink thinking about how bad this recession was becoming, yet not being part of it. Now we are in the masses of those being laid-off it and it stinks. I don't like this sort of stress, the CEO seems to handle it a lot better. Ugh...

Karaoke

On Sunday night we went out as a family to a great Chinese food restaurant. Not because it was great food, although it was good, but because it was Kid Karaoke night. I have to admit that I was just as excited as the kids because I have come to love Karaoke. I was a bit disappointed on the way to the restaurant when the CEO informed me that it was for kids only. Yet when we arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the parents were welcome to sing. I was able to satisfy my Karaoke needs with two horrible performance (Prett in Pink & Safety Dance). However the kids really stole the show The Kid did a fantastic job singing YMCA and the Z got up the courage to sing Happy Birthday. The Kid must have gotten up and done at least two more songs and when we left she said she had I great time and wanted to make this a weekly outing. That may be more than we can support but we will definitely be back soon. Rock On!