Some Boston Pics

The day after the ceremony, we headed down to Boston for the weekend. Of course we had to hit up Fenway!

Once Claire joined us Thursday night, we had a wonderful time touring Boston, one of my favorite cities!

It was a beautiful weekend...fall weather most of the trip, but beautiful nonetheless.

We toured the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). To say that the quarters for those sailors were a little cramped is an understatement.

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We visited the Old Library on the Southside of town. It was stunningly beautiful. If you are ever in Boston, you need to check it out!

Here is a shot of the courtyard...

In the library it was a scene right out of a movie...all the seats were taken and there were students actually studying, reading and working on their computers...oh yea, it was the first month of school...

Derek and Emily by the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

Congrats Derek

I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire to witness the "Pinning Ceremony" of my good friend Derek. He was recently promoted to Chief Petty Officer...a BIG DEAL in the United States Navy. It was a really neat thing to see and be a part of.

Derek and me at the after party...

Standing with the 6 new Chiefs from the Helena...

This is right before he was admitted to Chief's Mess...

His wife and father were honored by pinning his Chief's pins on his lapels...

You can see he is proud of his accomplishment...and he should be!

Congrats to Derek and all of the new Chiefs!

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A quick excerpt explaining how big a deal making chief is:

Unlike Petty Officer First Class and lower ranks, advancement to Chief Petty Officer can only advance after review by a selection board of serving Senior and Master Chief Petty Officers, in effect "choosing their own" and conversely not choosing others.

Advancement into the Chief Petty Officer grades is the most significant promotion within the enlisted naval ranks. At the rank of Chief, the Sailor takes on more administrative duties. In the Navy, their uniform changes to reflect this change of duty, becoming identical to that of an officer's uniform except with different insignia. Sailors in the three Chief Petty Officer ranks also have conspicuous privileges such as seperate dining and living areas. Any naval vessel of sufficient size has a room or rooms that are off-limits to anyone not a Chief (including officers) except by specific inviation. In addition, a Chief Petty Officer, no matter how much he was on a "first name" basis with other petty officers before promotion, is always addressed as "Chief" by subordinates and superiors.

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We went to Boston after the ceremony...those pics will be up tomorrow.

Girls are Wierd

Now that I am back coaching High School Girls Volleyball, I am putting together a list of things you never see/hear at a guys practice, but you see at a girls practice:


1. Skipping...guys don't skip. I don't think guys past the age of 9 skip. It really does not happen. Girls seem to skip until they are 80. My volleyball girls do it all the time...during practice. I say "Hustle-up, there is to much walking going on!" and they respond by skipping. What is that about?


2. Fixing hair...You are working out. I am pushing you pretty hard. Why are you fixing your hair while we jump on boxes? Why are you putting your ponytail in when we are running lines?

3. A player saying "I missed that hit because my hair got covered my eyes"...really? Weren't you just fixing your hair a minute ago when we were running lines? What the junk?

4. Crying during practice...I know, I have seen guys cry at practice, but that was because he got a note that said his dog had died, not because it was hard. Guys puke when practice gets really hard, girls cry.

5. Coordinated Cheerleading on the court. When a guy hits a good shot, the other guys high-five them or slap them on the butt...girls circle up and cheer. "Oh snap, beat that ace!" or "Roof, Roof, you just got Roofed"...hand motions to boot.

Some NoLa Pics

Thought we would share some shots from our tubing adventure in LA last weekend...

We had a great time with the family.


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I also mentioned that while we were down in Louisiana we met Leigh-Ann from Starting Somewhere, one of our favorite bloggers...
Sorta looks like an AT&T commercial...more bars in more places.

The New Laundry Day

Back home from a two week jaunt through the country. We had a great time this past weekend in New Orleans, getting some quality time with the fam.

This weekend, I am off to Roanoke, VA with the volleyball team and then New Hampshire and Massachusetts next week. One of these days I will need to settle down.

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While we were in SE Louisiana, I got to fly my RC Plane again. I will tell you, we have gotten more use out of that thing...might be the best $30 I have ever spent.

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We walked around the French Quarter last week. One of the highlights was meeting fellow blogger Leigh-Ann at her work.

I thought it was funny that she recognized Claire before she recognized me.

I mean, c'mon....it is MY blog and all.

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If you have not had a chance to read Leigh-Ann over at Starting Somewhere, I would highly recommend that you do. She is always an enjoyable read!

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It was Southern Decadence Festival this weekend in NoLa. I have never heard more people say to me "Hey Big Boy, what is in your pocket?"

Sadly, I did not see any buttless chaps. You know it is a bad party if no one is wearing buttless chaps.

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I just held up a roll of quarters and told them it was laundry day.

I think it was laundry day for a lot of people.

I Am A Daddy

When I am asked if I have any kids, my standard answer is "none that I know of!"

Then I saw this video and figured that I actually have a kid...I was a redhead until I was 4 or 5 and dude has the exact same moves as me...except my worm is better.

The Weigh In

We had our weigh in last night...

I dropped some poundage and now weigh 1lb less than I did when Claire and I got married.

Claire dropped the same poundage and EASILY won the weight loss challenge.

She is my rock-star!

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Everyone in the family lost weight and it showed. I think among us we dropped a small village worth of weight in the past 6 weeks.

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Last week I was at my mother's home when the "Shaving incident" happened.

No, it was not my mom's shaving cream I used...it was my sister's.

Ouch!

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This week we are in New Orleans with Claire's family. A day for tubing down the river is on the docket fo'sho.

This Blog Post is Rated PG-13

No, really, it is.

If you would not watch a PG-13 movie, you should not read on...if you choose to, do so at your own peril. If you prefer not to go on, here is a link you can enjoy.

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Okay, those of you still with me...

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So I took a shower today. A normal event.

I am traveling and did not bring soap, shampoo or shaving cream. Also, a normal event.

I used the "body wash" that was in the shower...I prefer my Lever 2000 bar, but I got clean.

I used the shampoo that was in the shower...it was fine. I like to smell pretty.

I then needed to shave. Usually, if I don't have shave cream, I just use conditioner. It works well and keeps my pretty face, soft and supple.

Today, in the shower, there was shave cream. It was not manly and not because of the aroma.

No, the shave cream had a very...uh hem...interesting name...

Coochy.

Digest that for a moment.

Coochy.

I don't think I had said that word since I was 16.

Coochy.

And I put that on my face to shave with.

Coochy.

Really? Is that the best name? I mean, it does say rash free body wash for "All Over", but really, what is is for?

No, don't answer that.

I am just troubled that I put Coochy on my face to shave with.

I think my life is complete...or my political career is over...one or the other.

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If you don't know what Coochy is slang for, just think of a girls "who-ha"...now you got it.

Proverbs 31:10-12

Nothing like having your cell phone die when you are 1500 miles from home.

And that sucker is dead. Even the tech guys at Verizon could not get it to turn on.

Claire really wants an iPhone. I really don't have good feelings about AT&T.

But, one of my life motto's is:

Happy Wife, Happy Life

You can also translate that to "What my baby want, my baby get".

So, unless there is something new and exciting for Verizon customers, I think I will be porting over to AT&T fairly soon...and my amazing wife will have her new toy.

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Which leaves me with few options for a temporary phone. I am trying to find a used one to borrow for the next 2 weeks while I am traveling. I really don't want to buy a Verizon phone if I am just moving services in a couple of weeks...

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If she gets a new toy, I think I get a new toy.

Claire gets an iPhone. Bogart gets a 52 inch flat screen.

I think that is fair.

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Traveling is the word of the month for me...I was 1500 miles away from home yesterday...I flew out in the AM and flew home later that night. For a 4 hour stay. Long day.

I travel tomorrow across the country for some work and R&R...will be flying back next Wednesday, only to leave again Thursday for a New Orleans trip.

Can you see why I just want a loaner phone?

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Still looking for tear-away pants for our official weigh-in. I think J in L-Towne would love me to walk up to the scale, tear my pants off and get weighed wearing only my speedo...it sounds like the perfect son-in-law thing to do!

We Win...We Are Wieners

Claire and I were big Wieners on Saturday over at Wonderful World of Weiners. What did we win? How about a boat load of camping equipment...(Pictures here, about 1/3rd of the way down)

Folding Chopsticks
Gator Machete
Crucial Multitool
My-Ti Folding Fork/Spoon
Remix Knife
Omnimore Flashlight
Lamplight 360
Brewfire Dual-Fuel Coffee Maker
Profile Duo Range Grill and Stove
Helios Stormproof Lighter
Vapor Cookset
Solo 3.4 Power outlet

Now we will be camping and tailgating in style!!!

Thanks you Hallie!!!

Locks of Yuk

I was listening to NPR yesterday as I drove to the HS Volleyball tryouts (I am coaching again)...they had a weird show that had a guy act as if he is Thomas Jefferson and answers questions about his life. It is a very strange show that has a very strange appeal.

Anyway, the interviewer asked him "If Monticello was going up in flames, what 5 things would you grab?"

He started with his collections of 7000 books. Really?

Then he talked about his 5 journals.

Then he creeped me out. He told the story about his wife dying. Just before she passed away, she wrote out a poem that she knew, leaving the last line blank and then dying. So, TJ finished writing the poem out and took a lock of her hair; he put them both in an envelope and hid it in a secret drawer. He said that would be one of the things that he went into the towering inferno to get back.

I understand some sentimentality about the poem, but the hair thing is just wrong. I then realized that I even get creeped out looking at Claire's baby book and the lock of hair that is in there. I am uncomfortable seeing any lock of hair that people keep for whatever reason.

This discomfort includes the Locks of Love chairity. I love the charity. It is so cool. I just don't want to see that clump-o-hair in the ziplock.

Is it just me or does the idea of a lock of hair creep you out too?

I Can Lift Weights in Prison

This guy has continued his music...recently adding a synthesizer and a microphone. Now he has the steel drums, the keyboard and faux back-up singers. Oh my goodness I am getting tired of hearing him 6-days a week.

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The Weight Loss Challenge is going well. The gym has been visited 3-days a week and, outside of communion on Sunday and a certain soccer game last week, I have not touched bread since we left New Orleans.

It will be fun to roll around in all those twenty's like I just hit the jackpot in Vegas!

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Anyone know where I can get some cool, tear-away pants for the official weigh-in?

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Saturday Claire and I cleaned the house, went to Costco and did misc. chores...yet we had a great day. How cool is that?

Sunday we went to church, spent a few hours at the beach and had a seafood extravaganza at Jon and Lisa's house. Great way to end the weekend!

Catching Crabs

Two weeks ago, Claire and I went up to Ocean City, MD to visit our friend Kelly, her two kids and some of her other extended family. It was a wonderful trip, full of good food, good times and great people.

We made sure to have a dinner full of MD Crabs...they were nice and big...just the way we like them.

The house was right on the water (bay side) and we had a great time diving off of the dock, watching beautiful sunsets and stunning lightening.

Man of Steel

Ever have one of those moments when you are sitting, all alone and you do something really stupid? You know, one of those moments that you look around just to make sure you really are alone so that no one saw it?

Yeah, me neither.

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I got to say, travel does not make trying to avoid sugar, fruit and carb's very easy. They are everywhere.

At least at home, I can not buy the bread or pick up some sugar-free jello. On the road, there is little I can do.

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Why am I avoiding those things you ask? Well, cause this guy (the groom) and I were teasing each other a couple of weeks ago. I think he was calling me tubby and I was calling him chubby...or maybe it was fatty and jiggly. Or maybe it was both.

Anyway, I told him that I was going to come back to Louisiana in 6 weeks and I was going to be looking better and have lost more weight than him...Kyle, never being one to back down from a challenge, accepted.

Claire heard about this and wanted a piece of the action. Then Sarah (the bride above and Claire's baby sister) wanted in. Then it was the girl's father. We also drug Pamela (the middle one) and her boy (the candidate) into the fray. Suddenly it was a bet with lots of trash talk going on.

So, on the Friday of Labor day, there will be a weigh in. The person who looses the most weight by body percentage wins $120, second place gets their money back ($20) and last place becomes the drink and food getter.

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Not gonna lie Sarah, I am looking good. No longer jello, more like steel.

My Lady Friend

This weekend Claire and I went to Ocean City Maryland to visit one of her closest friends from College. I will post a few pics later this week, but have been laughing about one incident.

Claire's friend Kelly has a five year-old son Luke. He seems to be a bit smitten with my wife.

Claire was on the back patio, playing with Luke's little sister, Lilly. They were in their swimsuits and Luke had noticed Claire. He turned his head, looked out the window at her, looked back at me and said, "Bogart, I like your lady."

I punched him in the nose.

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I don't condone violence, but he looked at her funny.

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Okay, I may have exaggerated...I may have actually just laughed a good, deep belly laugh.

Dialing Puerto Rico

787...I raised my hands in triumph.

787...not my ideal weight.

787...not just an airplane made by Boeing.

787...not just an area code in Puerto Rico.

Seven Hundred and Eight Seven...I had just won the bet.

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Claire and I were at the car dealership on Saturday, working out the financing portion of our new Subaru Forester. We asked the dealer if he could share our scores.

Claire and I then made a $1 bet that my score would be within 12 points of hers if it mine was lower...I figured it would be lower since if you are born with a dumb stick, you get docked points on your credit...no really, you do. I am the guy, therefore I have a little lower score.

The dealer pulls out his calculator, plugs in the numbers and smiles. He looks at me and says that I got Claire by 32 points...THIRTY TWO POINTS!!!

I might have done the sprinkler in his office. Okay, I did, but I did NOT do the worm, although I was tempted.

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He then dropped the news that I actually lost the bet...it was hers that was higher...as in 819.

787...might be a good credit score

819...is a herculean score.

819...my wife's new nick-name.

819...787...sure they are both good, but one is just a little bit gooder.

Bad Jokes and Bacon

I picked up some clothes from the cleaners today.

As I was paying, the dude behind the counter says to me:

"I really like your shirts. They are very nice. If they would have fit me, I would have kept them and told you they were lost in the cleaning process."

Blink-Blink

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Loving the new car, but I hesitated to drive it this morning because my clothes smelled like bacon. Normally, bacon is the greatest smell you will get to enjoy during the day, but the thought of ruining the new car smell in the Forester was making me worry about getting in the driver's seat.

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Received my shipment of Bacon Salt today.

'cause everything should taste like bacon!

Claire and I Have a Kid!!

Claire's birthday was yesterday and it was a great day for me!

We had driven up to DC (via a car dealership in Richmond...cash for clunkers worked for me...more on that later this week) to celebrate her birthday. We woke up Sunday morning, ate at a great little French Bakery/Bistro (the same one as July 4, 2008) and went to the National Zoo. Then we took Anthony Bourdain's recommendation and stopped at a fish market to get some fresh crabs. (No William...not that kind of crabs!)

Then we headed off to Nationals' Ballpark to watch the Padres play the Nationals.

While we were at the park, Claire over heard a security guard talking about kids running the bases after the game...her eyes lit up. "I want to go on the field" she says. Problem was, to the best of our knowledge, we don't have kids. But the couple behind us had 3 of them and offered to let us borrow one.

So yea, we ended up on the field.

Happy Birthday to Claire (and yay for me!)

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***UPDATE 11:40am)***

The Calypso Music has started again this morning...he opened with some free form song, but he has added a mike and a louder speaker, so now I get to hear him sing!

To the Bahamas and Beyond

Every day this week I have felt like I am at a Caribbean wedding.

My apartment sits on the Elizabeth River in P-Towne. At the base of my building is a nasty Mexican restaurant. They have hired some guy to come play Calypso Music for 4-6 hours every afternoon.

His repertoire is pretty limited so I have heard steel drum versions of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", "I'll Be There" and "I Will Always Love You" at least 3 times a day.

I am not sure if I should be sitting on a white sand beach drinking a pina colada or falling in love with my wife all over again.

Horton Drinks a Who

I have only sent one wine back at a restaurant. It was so bad.

No, it had not turned, it was simply bad wine.

Claire and I even confirmed it when we visited the winery and gave the wine a second chance.

Yuk.

A couple of weeks ago, Claire's book club met at our apartment. All the girls get together, bring food and wine and talk about anything other than the book they all agreed to read. Really quite cleaver.

There is always a wee bit of wine left over and occasionally an empty bottle.

That was the case this time.

The next night, we finished the opens and took a closer look at the one left unopened.

It is the same wine we sent back at the restaurant.

Yuk.

New Orleans

We spent the last week in New Orleans for Maw-Maw's funeral. It was a nice celebration of her life and I was blessed to be there.

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We also got to spend some time just hanging out with the family. Quality.

We ate way to much food. Drank way to much friendship juice. Had way to much fun.

It was nice!

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Saw my first gator and water moccasin in the wild. We went out on Sarah/Kyle's boat Sunday morning, pretending we knew how to fish.

2 hours later we headed over to grandaddy's for lunch, picked up some oysters/catfish/boudin for dinner and had a big cookout that night. We also slipped in some time for the remote control airplanes we had bought over at Walmart back during our New Orleans Wedding.

Those things are so cool and way worth the $30 we dropped on them!

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

File this under, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time:

I tried to be a good husband and bake my wife an angel food cake for her book club Saturday night.

That worked well. Even got them out of the pans without much issue.

Cutting the Angel food sucks, but I finally got it to work.

There were a lot of crumbs on the counter. I LOVE Angel food cake crumbs. They are tiny morsels of goodness.

What was I to do? They could not be thrown away.

But did I, a 33 year old married man with a college degree brush them into a bowl or onto a plate so that I could eat them the right way?

Nope.

I did what any 33 year old, married MAN, with a college degree would do...I stuck my lips to the counter and started inhaling them into my mouth.

It worked well for a min, but then the inhale got a little excited and shot some into my lungs.

I almost died!

I was choking. Alone.

Claire was going to find me on the kitchen floor, my fat body dead because of angel food cake.

Quick, where is a chair I could thrust myself upon? What am I thinking? I can't do that, it would hurt like heck.

Maybe if I run around, the power of the wind would dislodge it.

Or maybe if I drink, I can force water down my trachea and water down the cake.

Wait...I can breathe again.

Whew, that was a close one.

Now, back to sucking the cake off the counter.

Maw-Maw

Claire's grandmother passed away this morning.

She was 94-years old.

Maw-maw was a striking woman with a very kind heart. To the very end, all she wanted to do was to take care of the people around her and make sure they were comfortable.

I am blessed to have been able to spent some time with her over the past couple of years.

She will be missed.

She turned me into a newt...

A sixth sense, ESP, witchcraft or hidden cameras...I am not sure which, but my wife is using one of these...regularly.

How do I know this?

Because at least 3 times a week, she will call me while I am visiting the restroom. Usually within 30-Seconds of the point of no return. She knows I can't get to the phone. She knows I won't be taking the phone in with me.

It happened last Saturday...It happened last Thursday...It happened last Monday.

It happens so frequently I am really beginning to think that she is a witch.

And you all know what we do with witches, right?

Direct Correlation

I have notice that my comfort in Virginia is directly related to the relationships I have developed.

The first 6 months or so were fine, I had this hot chick to be with and had ample travel back to the left coast.

The next 6-8 months were still fine, but I longed to be back home in SoCal.

The most recent couple months have certainly ticked up...Claire and I are married and have a wonderful relationship; I have a buddy to hang with, grab fish taco's and hit the gym with; Claire and I have found two other couples we enjoy being with, a lot; we are getting involved in the leadership of our church; we have discovered that the military beni's that come with Claire's Navy Reserve commitment are rock'n...etc. etc.

This certainly, and in no way, diminishes my desire to be back home in the bosom of my beloved San Diego, but it certainly makes the time away much more enjoyable!

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Claire and I hit the golf course, the driving range, the beach and a load of car dealerships this weekend. Yes, we are in the market.

I figure if the government wants to give me $4500 for my Nissan...the same Nissan I paid $2500 for 2 years ago...who am I to say no?!

We drove the Ford Flex and Edge, the Toyota FJ and the Honda Element. Not sure what we are going to do yet, but it is fun to test drive and dream.

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If you have not had a chance, head over to Poop and Boogies and check out his post about his first car...classic.

Something Stinks

Can someone please explain this sign for me:

Domesticated Man

Do you remember HomeEc class from Jr. High/High School?

I do...I remember how to clean a pot, cook an egg and sew...

In Norway, I proved my love to Claire through my use of HomeEc skillz...

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In College, I sewed an outfit for my girlfriend. I bought fabric, pulled out the sewing machine and went to work. It was a GREAT Christmas present...

I made shorts and a scrunchy (there was left-over fabric)...

I think there was left over fabric because I, UNINTENTIONALLY, made the crotch of the shorts about as thick as an Andes Mint...

Her dad did not think that UNINTENTIONAL mistake was very funny.

From Norway, with love....

Claire and I had a wonderful trip to Norway...She was there for 2 1/2 weeks for work and I was there for 9 days because I like to be with my wife.

It was an interesting place and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. You like camping, hiking and/or biking...then you would love Norway.

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Here are some of the things that struck me as interesting...

1. They seem very serious about the whole small car thing...
2. In some parts of town, you can take your time and cross the street leisurely.

Other places, you need to hustle and apparently dress very dapperly...

3. The bathrooms are a treat. The men get to smoke pipes and, from the looks of it, the women get to go shopping...


4. The manhole covers all have a little story to tell....
5. They seem to like this statue that sorta looks like a Chocolate Man...they are all over town.
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And this is quite possibly the most beautiful place I have EVER been... It is called Preikestolen or Pulpit Rock. It is 25 meters x 25 meters and is a sheer cliff about 1/4 above the water. AMAZING.
It was also quite scary...the wind blows and that cliff just drops off. We did what any sane American would have done, we hung off the edge:
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It was a good trip and we had a wonderful time together...I am so blessed to have a wonderful wife and life.

The Colbert Haircut

Back from Norway without Claire...she comes home Wednesday night only to leave again on Thursday...

See you this weekend, Hot Chick! :-)

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I will post some pictures and thoughts on Norway by Friday...for now, enjoy Stephen Colbert...

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen Gets His Hair Cut
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Stephen Colbert in Iraq

Nice suit Stephen...I need me one of those!

SoCal and Norway

I had a chance to visit Southern California this past week. Claire left for Norway on Saturday, so I decided to head back “home” for a few days.

It was a nice respite from the day-to-day in VA…Had lunch with a friend at a rock’n taco shop, got to spend the afternoon with my Goddaughter, her sister and her parents, my great friends Steve and Stacey…Had a night of poker with my buddies, which included just my second cigar of 2009, was able to go to the church that I helped found back in 2004 and even got to have breakfast with my Bubble-Headed buddy Derek and his wonderful family…then to the OC for some family time.

That was also glorious…plenty of chocolate chip cookies and an ample amount of avocado for consumption…got to hang with Pops, play games with Gma and spend some quality time with mom. Even got to see all the siblings (save the one in MN).

All-in-all a great trip, but one thing was missing…the beautiful woman I call my wife.

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A week without hearing her voice is way to long. I don’t know what I would do if she were called up to active duty and then deployed again…that would personify suckiness!

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Luckily I am now in Norway with my lovely bride. She is working and I am touring, but I do get every evening with her and we do have some free time together.

I really do live a blessed life!

Music, My Wife Rocks and SCOTUS...

Rebuilding my iTunes folder has become a mess. So many duplicate songs, so many lost albums and so much confusion. There are many benefits to having all of your music on CD and not in digital form. Sure the ability to carry your music anywhere you want at anytime is very nice, but if those bits and bites fail or you are a moron and delete most of your music, the resulting work and frustration is enormous.

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Some of you were asking for a photo of Claire going head first into a puddle…here is as good as we got:

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Just finished Jeffrey Toobin’s book The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. Claire’s boss had given it to me to read after both his wife and another friend found it boring and were unable to get through the first 100 pages…what a ringing endorsement, eh?

Well, with my love of all things Supreme, I actually enjoyed the book. Sure, it was like when I watch the news, a lot of disagreeing with the sentiment, shaking my head in frustration and even an occasional outburst of yelling, but overall I loved the “Insider’s Picture” the author drew.

If you like the behind the scenes type of books AND have any interest in SCOTUS, then pick it up….just don’t blame me for the political and ideological rants that are throughout the book.

Pool Day One

I am gonna die.

You are not gonna die.

I can’t breathe.

You can breathe You are just tired and out of shape.

No, I can’t breathe. I think the pool water-boarded me. I am going to drown.

You are holding onto the side of the pool, standing in 4 feet of water. You are not going to drown.

Michael Phelps is not human.

That is true, but don’t change the subject. You have 14 more laps to do. Now get on it, Chubby.

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I see the hand of God reaching down from Heaven, hearkening me onward.

No you don’t. Stop making stuff up, you have 8 more laps. Get on it.

This sucks. Who chooses to do this? At least with running, I know that I won’t die…being in the pool is bringing death upon me. My lungs are filling with water. It is over for me. I hope Claire knows that I thought of her in my last moments.

You are not going to die. Will you knock it off? Just get those last laps done…there is no shame in doggie paddling the last little bit.

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I don’t think I can ever do this again!

How are you going to do the triathlon if you can’t swim a mile?

I don’t like your logic right now.

Cause you know I’m right. My half of the brain is always right.

Shut up. Emotions need to be coddled right now. I think I might still die. Only a big hoagie and some chocolate chip cookies will make me feel better.

Loving My Wife...wink, wink, nudge, nudge

Last Thursday, we played our weekly kickball game. Neither Claire nor I really wanted to play…we had the last of our packing to do for our trips and we were not really excited about the still present storms that had made the field muddy and puddle-ly.

The game started just as the drops fell…stronger and stronger the rain fell. Wetter and wetter we became.

The fun was just beginning…

Sure, it was great to win 14-0…yup, a shut-out, but what followed reminded me of one of the reasons I love my wife…not only does she tolerate my persistent silliness, she often is either the instigator of it, or, the main participator in her own silliness.

The puddles had grown quite large…4-5 inches deep in a couple of areas. She whispered to me that at the end of the game, she was going to do a “slip-n-slide” through the biggest puddle.

True to form, she got a 25-yard running start and hit that puddle like she was Pete Rose and it was Ray Fosse.

The explosion of water caused by my beautiful wife going headlong into the mud was glorious. As was the cannonball that followed by another one of our players.

I don’t know about you, but a cannonball into a puddle is not often seen by me unless it is in a Sprite commercial.

My Baby's Daddy's

So Claire and I were talking about this story the other day...go ahead, click the link and then come back...I'll wait...

Okay, really?

I don't have the words...as a matter of fact, the statement that Claire and I were "talking about" the story is not exactly true...it was her telling me about it and me looking out the window in shock.

I think I dropped a "WHAT THE???"

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And then the evolutionary biologist says it happens in about 1 in 400 fraternal twins?

Really?

And he says it happens because they are looking for someone who is more genetically different...suggesting that if you look like your mate/spouse, then you are more prone to be cheated on.

Or did I miss something?

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Really makes the whole Swinger Scene a whole lot more scary.

Guilty

Thanks for your input on my ticket from DC...while I know that the law allows me to get out of it (prove who the driver was!), I admit I was speeding and will pay the $50. It seems like the right thing to do.

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On Saturday morning I am hopping a flight to SoCal...30 hours in San Diego, 3 1/2 days in Anaheim and a final night back in SD.

Poker night with the guys, a Padres game with my brother and some glorious time with the family...how does it get any better than that?

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24-hours after getting back to VA from CA I board a plane to meet Claire in NORWAY!

I get to spend a day in Oslo, visit Stavanger and if I get lucky, even get to see my good friends Jeff & Dorthe in Copenhagen...I am one blessed man.

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Job searching stinks, so I decided to start my own company. Sorta nervous about that whole self-employment thing. Good thing I married a woman that can hold a steady job!

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