Sanibel Island

It has been way too long since I did a blog post.  I thought a year ago I would do daily updates for a year and call it quits.  I did great for the first quarter of 2014 but my daily posts didn't last long after that.  For 2015 I am going to be a bit more realistic.  I will keep the blog alive but not try to post something everyday.  Just when something is worth posting about.  Starting tomorrow I will write a few blogs about my recent trip to Sanibel Island.  After spending a week there I grew very fond of the place and had some great experiences.  For those not familiar with Sanibel is sits just west  of Fort Myers, FL.  It is a known for its shelling but there is a lot more than that to do.  I will cover several of these things over the next week or so.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Do the right thing

This week I faced a moral dilemma.  I didn't realize it was one until after it was over, but for the past few days I've been thinking about it.  On the way to grab lunch at work on Wednesday I stepped outside of my building and heard a women yelling.  I walked further and saw a young man walking quickly away from a distressed women, probably his girlfriend.  She was apologizing and asking him to come back.  They may have been homeless or mentally challenged or both I couldn't tell.  As the girl started to run after her boyfriend she dropped a big folder she was carrying and the contents spilled on the sidewalk.  I kept walking and as I passed her a women came and asked if she was OK and offered to help.  Why didn't I stop?  That is my nature but I honestly didn't even consider helping her.  I guess I didn't want to interfere with an obvious domestic situation.  It would have been so easy to stop and help he pick up her stuff and I regret not doing it.  From now on I won't keep walking when someone needs help.  I have people stop me all the time asking for money and I refuse but that is different.  This women in that moment was lost and alone and needed a hand.  I didn't offer her mine but I will in the future.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

And it begins….

Last night marked the beginning of the 2014/15 football season.  Really it was the first night of college football but the NFL starts for real next week.  It is a time of year that I look forward.  I am a football fan and can enjoy a game even when one of my teams are not involved.  One thing I am not though is a football fanatic.  I enjoy but do not obsess over the game.  I prefer to watch a game at home instead of in the stands.  I also like football season because I know autumn is right around the corner.  A cool fall day with a good game on the TV sounds pretty good right now.  I don't think the teams I pull for will be great this year and it is kind of nice to not go into a season with big expectations.  I will be disappointed when they lose but it will not linger very long.  I will be disappointed if my fantasy team has an off year.  Our annual draft if next week and I've already started preparing.  So from now until February there will be football on TV and that is a good thing for the casual fan like me.  I remember blogging the night of the super bowl and it is hard to believe that was seven months ago.  Time does fly by and I'm hoping this autumn will slow down a little and it can be enjoyed.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Monument Valley

I think most people have a bucket list of places they want to visit.  Hawaii and the Grand Canyon are probably common ones, but my must see place is a little different.  It is monument valley park in Utah.  For years I have been fascinated by the landscape in the park.  Of course I've only seen pictures and videos but every time I see one of those spires rising out of the red tinted desert I feel drawn there.  There is that famous scene in Forrest Gump when he decides to "just go running"  Years into his run they show him in the park on a long stretch of road with several of the monuments in the background.  This is the location in the movie where he decides to go home.  I can't remember if this is where interest in the park first started but it sure is a spectacular background for that scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKKmzmeU5-0

One of these years we will get out there to experience it in person.  While we are we can see a couple other amazing places.  Arches park is an incredible looking place full of many natural rock arches.  Also it is not far from the four corners monument where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico all come together.  It would be cool to be in four states at one time.  Each time I fly to San Francisco I come close to flying over this area but I look forward to the day that I can see it from ground level.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Commute

Forty miles round trip.  Five days a week for twelve years.  That is my commute from home to work.  Partially on the interstate, partially on country roads, and partially on urban streets.  It is not a bad drive except for when there is an accident on the highway.  On a good day it will take me forty minutes from door to door.  The worst day was well over two hours.  Though my route hasn't changed much over the years the scenery sure has.  Charlotte is expanding outwards and much development has taken place over the years.  I've seen a lot of accidents over the years and have actually been involved in a few.  Three of the four accidents I've been involved in have occurred to or from my way to work.  One was a hit and run which is accompanied by a funny story that I will save for a later day.  When we moved to Charlotte we bought on the north side of town so my wife would be closer to school.  I gladly took on a longer commute to live in a nice neighborhood.  I have no complaints but it is amazing to think I spend about two hours of the eighteen or so that I am awake each day going to or from the office.  I could do it in my sleep but everyday is a new adventure so who knows what I will see tomorrow.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Mingling

This evening I attended a work function in honor of the corporate CFO being in town.  It is events like this that I both look forward to as well as despise.  It consists of an hour and a half of cocktails and finger foods with 100 other accounting and finance professionals.  Sounds like a party right?  Like I said I look forward to these because it does give me a chance to meet people I deal with usually over the phone as well as do some networking with senior leaders.  That is the good.  The bad is that these small talk sessions can be painfully awkward.  Not the small talk as I can talk to anyone about anything but the introductions.  We all wear name tags which helps but like any party small circles of people form and you have to find the way into one of these circles to be able to start mingling.  I usually try to find one person I know and have them bring me in.  The other tough part if when you can tell someone has had enough of talking with you and they look an opportunity to move to the next person.  Truthfully I am probably sick of talking to them as well but it means I need to go find someone else to chat up.  I wouldn't call to night a huge success but it wasn't a swing and miss either.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Pond

I may have talked briefly about the pond in my back yard in a previous post.  I thought today I would talk about it in a little more in depth.  Though not technically my pond, I've long considered it part of my property.  It is really shared by all the residents who live around it and it is maintained by the homeowners association.  The nice thing about my pond compared to others in the neighborhood is that mine has no obvious public access.  So it really is a hidden treasure.  The pond at one time must have been stocked with fish as it is full of bluegill, bass, and carp.  Aside from the fish the pond has many turtles, frogs, and other aquatic life.  The copious amount of fish attracts many birds with my favorite being the great blue heron. Since the day we've moved in at least one heron shows up to try to catch a fish for a meal.  Herons are majestic birds and I can sit there for a long time watching them stalk their prey. Hawks are also often around and if they have no luck fishing they try to catch the song birds that hang out year round.  The pond is also the winter home three pairs of the ducks.  My favorite is the pair of hooded mergansers.  It is a happy day each winter when they show up as I know they have come from their summer house to winter with us.  They stay a few months and then at the first hint of warm weather they are off for another summer vacation.  I know it won't be long before we move to a new home but it will be very hard to give up my pond.  It is a special place.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Out-Buildings

No not out houses, but out buildings.  I recently wrote about my desire to have land of my own someday.  Of course that land would have to several out buildings.  By definition I would think an out building would be any structure not attached to the primarily home.  When I think of out buildings I think of run down barns or coops on farms that are used to store whatever needs storing. It is fun to drive through the country and see these structures and wonder what they looked like when they were new and what in world could be in them now.  As picker, metal detector, and collector I would love to explore in and around them.  I hope the land I buy someday will have some of these building for me to explore and restore as my vision of my land would have at least one out building that can be lived in.  A getaway or place for friends to stay.  Again maybe someday.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Friday night lights

I had the opportunity to attend the first football game of the season at my daughter's schools last night.  I am a big football fan and always enjoy watching a game at any level.  We went to a few last year and sadly out team lost in blowout fashion each time.  Last night was different.  Though the level of competition was lower the team played great and had a commanding lead when we left in the third quarter.  The school has a small student base so having enough kids to field a competitive varsity team is an accomplishment in itself.  But I could tell by watching last night that the program has made real strides thanks to good coaching and a large investment in facilities.  I hope they have a successful season and continue to improve.  We will cheer for them whenever we can.  Another thing I took from the game last that is that football games really act at a big social for the fans.  Adults were catching up with their friends that they hadn't seen over the summer.  Kids were chasing each other up and down the hill.  It was a fun experience for everyone.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Land

In past blogs I've talked about wanting to be a collector of antiques and artifacts.  I have been thinking about that lately and instead of having material possessions I think I want to start accumulating land.  I'm not sure where or how much but I think it would be cool to have land in several different parts of the state.  The mountains or foothills are an obvious choice.  Just in case of a zombie apocalypse or some other form of unrest it would be nice to have a place to flee.  A place where I wouldn't have any neighbors and where I could keep my family safe.  A creek and a mountain top would be nice to have as well.  The beach is another option but the North Carolina beach is so overdeveloped and expensive that I really don't think that is an option.  One of my favorite parts of the state is the pee-dee region also called the sand hills.  Few live there and the terrain is mostly marsh and pine forests.  I'm not a hunter but I do like to fish so some place with a fishery would be a good choice for me.  I enjoy watching shows about survival and living off the land so if I ever decide I want to try it I would like to have a place of my own to go.  And when it is time to retire it would be nice to know that we have a place that we can build a nice house and have some real space to enjoy.  As always these are just hopeful ramblings as of right now I don't have the funds to become a land baron, but maybe someday.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Scrapping

I have a new hobby.  It is scrapping…no not scrap booking but the act of finding different types of metal and taking them to the junk yard for money.  The ultimate prize is copper and brass.  After my father-in-law passed I took some of both to the yard and got over a hundred dollars for my mother-in-law.  The scrap yard was the coolest place ever.  I had no idea they took all kinds of junk and actually paid you for it.  I saw everything from cars and BBQ grills to some guy scrapping the wheels off of a bicycle.  Since that day I have be obsessed with finding metal.  Being an accountant I don't deal with much but there is one easy source of metal that I can get my hands on.  Aluminum cans.  On my drive in to work this morning I must have passed 10 cans on the side of the road.  It got me thinking that on Saturday mornings I should drive around looking for cans.  I know I would probably spend $10 on gas to find $0.50 in aluminum but it would be a fun hunt.  If all else fails I can raid the recycle bin in the break room at work.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Ice Water Challenge

It has been fun watching friends, celebrities, and complete strangers take the ice water challenge.  The best part is knowing that with each bucket of water being poured over a head a donation is being made to and ALS related charity.  ALS is a horrific disease that kills slowly and painfully.  A co-worker and friend lost her fight to ALS to three years ago and I'm hopeful all this recent attention will get researchers refocused on finding a cure.  Have I taken the challenge? No, but my daughter did this afternoon.  I will gladly make a donation but have no interest in having a bucket of cold water poured on me.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Big 100

This is my 100th blog post since it was launched on New Year's Day.  I initially said I would do a post every day this year but if that was the case I would be well over 200 posts at this point.  Life got in the way and I lost my motivation to do daily posts.  However my other resolution for this year is still in place….I still have not eaten a french fry.  I said in my post yesterday that my new motto is "make the most of everyday."  I'm not exactly sure what this means and I hope it will become clearer, but for the time being I think I will try to do something to improve the life of my family each day.  It may be little things or big things.  This is one I really think I can see through the rest of the year and really the rest of my life.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Summer

Today marks the last day of Summer 2014 for my family.  My daughter starts second grade tomorrow and it is back to the routine of early morning wake ups and early bed times.  Homework starts again and life becomes a little more structured.  Doesn't sound fun but in reality I think all of us are ready for this summer to be over.  It had many fun times but I think it will be remembered by the loss of two members of the family.  My father-in-law Bill passed in mid-June after a long and courageous fight with cancer.  Though he had been sick for several years his passing came quite suddenly. It was a difficult time leading up to and following his death but family members rallied and supported one another.  Life if far from normal since Bill passed but life carried on and we took our annual trip to Michigan.  It was a nice time though it went too quickly.  We came back to find the health of our fifteen year old greyhound, Gray had deteriorated.  We made the gut-wrenching decision to put him down.  Gray had been around since before I knew Susan.  He had been a fixture in our lives and he will be missed.  Life is precious and this summer reminder us of that.  Though it is still 2014 I feel a new year starts tomorrow.  We are looking forward to the new year ahead and making the most of every day.  I think that will be my motto for the upcoming year….make the most of every day.

Until tomorrow…...or next month,
Dave

Happy Birthday

Its been too long!  Tonight I want to write about an event that has been 20 years in the making.  My most prized physical possession has recently turned 20 years old.  May of 1994 was the first time I set my eyes on it.  It has been a part of most of the memorable experiences of my adult life.   A gift from my Grandma Mary, I never expected to still have it 20 years later let alone still use it everyday.  It is of course my 1994 Chevy S-10 pick-up truck.  I'm sure I could have bought several others with the money I have put in to it over the years but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  It has transported most of my favorite people in the world including three of my grandparents.  It carried me from the doldrums of Delaware to a new life in North Carolina.  It has seen almost every mile of I-95 and vast parts of the Midwest.  It has been as reliable as a twenty year old car can be.  It has no air-bags, or automatic windows and locks.  The anti-lock brake light has been on for at least ten years.  Fuel efficient…um no.  Load and smelly…um yes.  But it is still very special to me.  My relationship with the truck predates that with my wife and daughter yet they have adopted it as part of the family.  I hope 20 years from now I still have it and it is still running.  I'm sure my daughter will not want it but maybe a grandchild will be interested in a classic!!!

Until "tomorrow",
Dave

Circle of Life

Spring is the time of year for new beginnings.  Trees and flowers come into bloom and many animals have their babies.  Yesterday while walking around the pond in our backyard my daughter and I noticed a baby fish struggling in the water.  Looking closer I saw it was wrapped in seaweed and without rescue was going to die.  Without thinking I knelt down and reached out and grabbed the fish.  I unwrapped it from the seaweed and released it back into the pond.  It happily swam away.  It felt good saving a life and it made my daughter very happy.  That feel good glow didn't last long.  While driving home from work this evening a bird took off from the side of the road and flew directly into my windshield.  To say it died on impact would be an understatement.  It more like exploded on impact.  After running the wipers and mourning the poor bird for a minute I tried to remember how good it felt the day before when I saved the fish.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Twin Cities

I was able to visit Minneapolis, MN last week for a two day work event.  I had never been in Minneapolis let alone Minnesota so I was anxious to experience it.  The flight there was smooth but I don't think Minnesota knew that winter was over.  It was in the 30's and rainy both days I was there.  I did see some late April snow as well but no accumulation.  The work was fine but the highlight of the trip was the sky walk.  Every building in downtown Minneapolis is connected but over street, indoor walkways.  There are lots of stores and restaurants throughout the sky walk and I was told it actually extends 15 miles.  Even Minneapolis makes Charlotte seem small.  I wish the weather was nicer and I had more time to explore but I found it to be a pretty cool place.  The winters must be absolutely brutal but a lot of people live there and the economy is strong.  Not a city for me but some place I hope to visit again.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Oscar Part II

It is hard to believe that it has been two weeks since I did a post.  I  need to change that.  I will try to do a new post each night this week.  A couple months ago I did a review of Dallas Buyers Club and talked about my goal of reviewing all of the movies that were nominated for best picture.  Well last night I watched American Hustle.  It was a great movie with a great cast.  The highlights were the performances of Amy Adams and Christian Bale.  Adams has long been one of my favorites because she is so versatile.  She was so believable in this role as a con artists.  Bale was great too and showed a side I've never seen before.  Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence we excellent in supporting roles.  I won't go into the plot as I think you should see the movie but it will keep your interest and the script was very well written.  If I had to vote between Dallas Buyers Club and American Hustle I would go with Dallas as it was a more powerful film.  Both were excellent and I look forward to my next review.

Until tomorrow, (I promise)

Dave

Traditions

I like traditions but have very few in my life. There are a few things we try to do every year. We take a trip to Mackinac Island each Summer to visit the spot where we were married. We also spend Memorial Day weekend at Carolina Beach, NC with a large group of friends. The one I wanted to write about today is the annual Easter egg hunt at a friend's house. We've attended the festivities even before our daughter was born. It has changed over the years but most of the faces have remained the same. The one thing I noticed this year is that the faces keep getting older. The little ones aren't little anymore. They are growing up and within a couple years the annual hunt may be down to one or two kids as the older ones will be off at college. Aside from my daughter this group of kids are the ones I've been around the most and I have watched them grow up. That includes my own nieces and nephews who I only get to see a couple times a year since they live so far away. It is a little bitter sweet knowing that one of my favorite traditions will be changing in the next few years but change is good and I'm sure a new tradition will be formed.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Deadliest Catch

Next week one of my favorite reality shows comes back for another season.  Deadliest Catch tells the story of several crab fishing boats in the Bering Sea during the king and snow cab season.  This will be the tenth season and the great thing about this show is that no two seasons have been close the the same thing.  Fishing is the Bering Sea in the middle of winter really is one of the most dangerous jobs a person can do.  The weather, ocean, and heavy equipment means you a one bad move away from a serious injury or death.  I've watched the show over the years and often wondered if I could cut it and survive a season on a crab boat.  I'm sure I would have a hard time sleeping and would be sick a lot not to mention the physical nature of the work.  I now know I am too old to even try but I'm not sure I was tough enough even when I was younger.  One added bonus of watching this show is that it turned me on to just how delicious king crabs are.  It has become one of my favorite foods.  Thanks to this show every time I have crab I know what it took to catch it and that makes be appreciate it even more.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Satellite Radio

In the last post I talked about the advancement in telephone technology.  Today I want to talk about radios.  My generations grew up listening to the car radio on long road trips.  I remember the joy of finding a good station and the agony of losing it minutes later as your drove out of range.  So you pushed seek or scan until you found another station that would do.  I remember not realizing how popular country music was until taking long drives and finding it to me the most common format.  If I liked country or christian music I would have been fine but popular music channels were hard to find.  Jump forward a decade or two and satellite radio is a travelers new best friend.  Regardless of where you are or what time it is there is always good music or talk to be found.  I don't miss the days of manually tuning the dial and the selection available on SiriusXM is excellent.  I always tell myself that I'm not going to renew when the bill comes each year but they will give you a good deal to keep you and it is money well spent.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Masters

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. The Masters golf tournament takes place in Augusta, GA. I have never been to watch in person but hope to one of these days. Watching on TV is still pretty great. The course looks perfect and the golf is always very competitive. August is only two hours away from Charlotte but it is kind of off the beaten path. I've heard that Augusta National Golf Club is right in the middle of a bunch of strip malls. It is like an oasis. You could not tell by watching the telecast the the club is not in the best part of town. The tress are beautiful, the fairways and greens are perfect, and the azaleas are always in bloom for the tournament. The grounds keepers do an incredible job of getting the course ready and it really shows. I have been watching the tournament for many years. My first memory is watching the 1982 tournament from my grandparent's house just outside Chicago. We must have been there for Easter and Craig Stadler won that year. Augusta is also home of my favorite golf hole. The thirteenth hole is a short dogleg left par five. It is a big risk/reward hole that always adds an element of drama to the weekend. I hope to play it one day or at least watch someone play it. I should add that Augusta National isn't perfect. There has been issues over the past decade about their refusal to allow women and minorities membership. Both have been addressed but they took too long. So I look forward to sitting down on Sunday afternoon and watching the leaders play the last few holes. It is the official start of Spring for me.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Back in my day….

This evening one of my wife's friends needed a rotary dial phone  for a prop in a play her child was in.  We just happen to have one that my Mom had given my daughter to play with several years ago.  The sad part if that I remember using that very phone for many years at our summer house.  Things really have changed.  It would take over a minute just to dial the number on that thing if you were making a long distance call.  My daughter asked us how we played games on that thing and if her grandmother had one like that in her car back in the day.  Man things really have come a long way.  Do you remember when cellular phone were big and did one thing…make phone calls?  They didn't even make good phone calls.  Now my cell phone has more power than the entire computer lab in my high school while I was there.  Now people make millions of dollars developing apps for phones.  Man I wish I had the idea and the skill to develop and awesome app.  Maybe that should be my goal for next year.  It's better than giving up french fries.  I like the advancements in technology from my generation to my daughters.  One of these days I will have to write about remote controls for televisions.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Pretzels

I love pretzels.  I once had a roommate who called referred to pretzels as "empty calories".  That may be true but they are one of the best snack foods ever.  I should give a little background.  I grew up near the pretzel capital of the world.  No not Germany, but Hanover Pennsylvania.  It is the home of dozens of snack food and more specially pretzel makers.  Brands that are now know nationwide were formerly just local brands.  I miss living in that part of the world for one reason.  Wege broken sourdough pretzels.  The ultimate in hard pretzels.  I have ordered a box or two over the years and they really are the best.  I also like soft pretzels.  I spent a few years living outside of Philadelphia which I think is the home of the best soft pretzels.  The good thing about a soft if that you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just as a snack.  I pretzels that you get at the mall are good but they are not real soft pretzels.  The denser the better if you ask me.  As I write this I am enjoying some pretzels and a Bud.  Its a nice way to end a day.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

America's pastime.

You know Spring has arrived when major league baseball has their annual opening day. I love baseball especially the Detroit Tigers. I either watch or read about all 162 games they play each year. I have been luck because they have been relevant and good in recent years. However for a good fifteen year stretch they were horrible. To get my baseball fix I started following the Tigers minor league teams. So that is six more teams I follow. More importantly I followed the players on these minor league teams knowing that some of them would be future Tigers. Following Tigers are all levels of professional baseball became a hobby that continues today. I don't bump into many people who I can talk about a 16 year old Dominican prospect they Tigers are high on. Maybe someday I will sit next to someone on a plane with the same interest but I really doubt it. Looking forward to another long season of baseball and hoping for a successful year for all levels in the Tigers organization.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

A real truck

I haven't written about my pick-up truck yet in the blog. I will save that for its 20th birthday on May 15th. You should know that it is a small truck and old and beat up. It broke down on my way to CrossFit this morning...thank goodness. Well I ended up having to rent a car and even though I requested a compact I got a Chevy Suburban. Now that is a truck. I thought I was going to scrap the roof when I pulled into my parking deck. The drivers seat is so wide and comfortable and you sit like 10 feet off the ground. What a truck. I could sit a dozen people in this thing. It is fast and just massive. I love it. It will be tough going back to me little red pick-up truck and someday when I can afford one I am getting a Suburban. Until then I will just drive the rental for this week and feel cool.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

I'm done

Three months ago I made a commitment to myself to write a daily blog in 2014. The first few were fun but not it feels like a job. I am running out of things to write about and half the time I write because I have to write. It is not worth it. Also my audience is my wife and her best friend. And they only read it from time to time. What is the point? There is no point. I got through the first quarter of the year and I am throwing in towel. I may do a post occasionally but today is my final daily post. It has been fun and the site will be here forever in case anybody ever wants to read about me. So thanks for those that have read. I really appreciate it.

April Fools...Until tomorrow,

Dave

How To End A TV Show

Tonight was the series finale of How I Met Your Mother. Not my favorite show but one I watched and enjoyed over its nine year run. Was the finale good? It was and did a nice job of tying up loose ends. It was good but it didn't wow me. Sadly most series finales disappoint. You invest years watching a show and you want satisfaction and closure from the last episode. I can think of some real stinkers over the years. Two that come to mind are Seinfeld and Lost. Both were horrible, actually shockingly bad. Thinking of good finales Breaking Bad comes to mind. It was really good but again no wow factor. The Office was another of my favorite shows that actually had a really good finale. Nope, not wow worthy. If I was a TV writer I would start thinking about the finale while writing the pilot. There has to be a good conclusion! Too bad so many classic shows gave up and disappointed their loyal viewers. Not sure if another favorite will end its run before the blog does but if so I will be here to critique it. Also I better start thinking about how to end the blog later this year.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Conscious Uncoupling

Really? Did Gweneth Paltrow really refer to her pending divorce as "Conscious Uncoupling?" In recent years I have found her more and more pretentious. It is a shame since she was a huge part of one of my favorite movies. What is that you ask? Shallow Hall. If you haven't seen you should try to catch it the next time it is on. Not only is Charlotte featured in the film, but it is a great movie. Back to Gwen. It is always sad when parents of young children break up. But she has this way of putting her issues at a higher level than the same issues faced by other "normal" couples. There is a laundry list of quotes attributed to her that illustrate this stuck up attitude. The one that really got me this week was when she said that being an actress mom is harder than being a regular working mother. I mean come on and get a clue. You know what you can afford that most normal working mothers can't? Help. Sure you may work late when working on a film but there is always someone who is paid very well there to care for your kids when you are shooting some lame movie. So take my advice Gweneth and think before you talk. It will really help how the ordinary people who make your career possible view you.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Real Life

Sorry for the spotty updates over the last week. Real life has gotten in the way and to be honest I've fallen asleep several nights without thinking about posting a blog. I will play catch up this weekend and get back on track. Coming back from vacation is never easy and it just seemed the challenge was magnified this time. It was so nice to get away and forget work, school, and other things but coming home was really tough. Nothing major has happened but I thought I would recap some of the recent current events. The trip was great but way too short. I didn't win the billion dollar NCAA bracket challenge...nobody did. I'm still working on CrossFit and actually can't walk again this morning. My lost wallet was returned and I got a temporary debit card along with access to my bank accounts. Instead of a shirt malfunction I had a pants malfunction last night and blew out of seam on good work pants. The weather continues to be so blah but I think there hints of spring coming in the next week. That's about it.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

The Good

I've talked about the bad part of our recent Disney World vacation so now the good. Everything else. It was a great trip from start to finish. The weather was great, the food was incredible, and time with family was wonderful. We are Disney people. We get it and you have to get it to truly have a magical experience with 50,000 of your closest friends. Crowds and Disney go hand in hand and we manage them well. We know when to go, when not to go, and how to get away from the masses when we need a break. Disney is a special place for us. It was one of the first vacations I took with my wife. My daughter has been there five times and she is only six. I wish I had been smart many years and bought into the Disney Vacation Club. It would guarantee us an annual visit to one of our favorite destinations. We're not sure of the next time we will get to Disney but half the fun of a trip there is the planning which starts the minute you get home.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Thanks for your help!

As I mentioned yesterday I lost my wallet in Disney World last week. It has been found and is being mailed. I should have it later this week. The problem is before it was found I cancelled all of my credit and debit cards. I knew I could go to my bank this week and get a temporary debit card so I could access my accounts. Think again. My drivers license is with my wallet and my bank required a picture ID to get a temporary debit card. Now you would think since I work for the bank where my accounts are that my company issued ID badge with my picture on it would suffice. Guess again. Without my license I cannot get a dime out of my bank accounts. It is my fault for losing it but my bank was so indifferent and unhelpful. I was furious. I went back to my office and called customer service and got the same answer and attitude that I got at the branch. Great way to start the week. My wife gave me some cash to get me through until my wallet arrives but I am still so mad at the company that I love working for. Oh well...I guess I will be more careful with my wallet from now on.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

That was interesting

Sorry for missing a couple days of the blog but I will make those up before the end of the month. We just returned from our trip to Disney World and I will cover parts of it in upcoming blogs but today I will cover what went wrong. I am usually not one to leave things places or lose things. I did it twice on this trip. The first time was on the drive down. I left my work phone at the Holiday Express in Walterboro, SC. After a few minutes of panic I called the hotel and they found it in the room along with my wife's charger. They mailed to our resort in Orlando. Crisis averted and the one hiccup of the trip had come and gone pretty painlessly, right? Wrong. The big one was still to come. Friday night while in the Magic Kingdom I lost my wallet. I realized within a couple hours of doing and quickly cancelled my cards. I knew I had about a one hundred dollars in there but I was more concerned about my license and cards. I went to lost and found the next day and nothing had been turned in. I tried again later in the day and still nothing. I was bummed but didn't want it to ruin the last day of the trip. It didn't and we had a great last day. It was tough leaving Florida without it on Sunday. After we had been on the road for a couple hours I got a call from Disney with the news that it had been found. The cash was there too. Happy ending but I really need to get my act together.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

The curse of the shirt

Two Fridays in a row I have had shirt issues at work. First I was scheduled to meet with the CFO of the division of the bank that I work in. She's is my bosses boss. It was an early meeting and when I got to my desk I took off my coat and noticed a big pink streak across my clean white shirt. This was not good. I realized I must have wash something with it and it faded. I didn't have a choice but to go to the meeting and hope it wasn't noticeable. Well nobody said anything and for the rest of the day I wore my fleece jacket. Then this past Friday I had a meeting with the CEO of my division. So my bosses, bosses, boss. About 30 minutes before the meeting the top button of my shirt went flying. I asked several people if they had a sewing kit. Nobody did. So I went downstairs, bought one, sewed the button, back and got to the meeting on time. Hopefully the next time I meet with a senior leader I won't have any clothing malfunctions.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

The best character is?

This will be a short one but as Disney World approaches it got me thinking about which Disney character is the best. Mickey and Donald are legends. Ariel and Belle are big with a new generation. The characters from Frozen are instant classics. I am going to surprise you with my choice of my current favorite character. Its Doug the dog from Up. He is one cool canine. Is he better than Mickey...no. But that is the good thing about this question. Depending on the day you may get a different answer. Try me tomorrow.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Road Trip

We are preparing for our upcoming trip to Florida. We live about nine hours away from Orlando so we usually drive. I don't mind a nice drive especially when I am looking forward to getting to the destination. I am fortunate to have a family that does very well riding in the car. From the day she was born my daughter has been a great passenger. My wife too does well and is a great navigator. Road trips give me the rare opportunity to eat fast food and junk food. I have a passion for beef jerky that warrants its own blog one of these days but I know I will be consuming some on the upcoming trip. There is not much to see between here and Orlando. The most scenic thing we pass is Jacksonville harbor. Other than that it is road, trees, and swamps. We will probably leave Charlotte in the evening which requires us to stop somewhere for the night. That is always a risky venture since roadside hotels in non-metropolitan areas can been kinda gross. Let's hope for a safe and non-eventful trip. We need this vacation and can't wait to get it started.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

St. Patrick's Day

Another day another reason to drink. I have never been a big fan of St. Patrick's Day. Like New Years it is another excuse for rookies to come out and drink for the sake of drinking. Even in college I don't remember enjoying any of the festivities. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever had a green beer. Am I missing out on something by never hitting the overcrowded and overpriced bars to drink beer? Nah...I have beer at home. I'm sure in every town across the nation people are out tonight consuming way too much. People like to celebrate their supposed Irish heritage and I guess that is OK. Maybe one of these years I will actually go out and get one of those green beers but more than likely one will be it and I'll be anxious to get home. Now I'm in the mood for corned beef.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

One Billion Dollars...

When it was announced a month or so ago that Quicken Loans was going to pay $1 billion to a person who picks a perferct NCAA tournament bracket I though it was a joke. $1 billion is a whole lot of money. Then it was announced that Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway was in on the action as well I knew it was real. Am I going to enter? Um...yeah. It is free and I can win $1 billion. I have had mixed experiences in these bracket contests. I either do really well or really bad. This year I am going use my head and my heart when making my picks. I am going to include my team, the Michigan Wolverines, and my father in law's team, UNC in my final four. Both would be semi-long shots to make it. I always choose my team and I want UNC to make it for Bill. He deserves some good. My other two picks are Florida and Arizona because they are the best teams in their regions. I will make a promise if I win the billion dollars. I promise to blog for two years instead of one. It is the least I can do.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

Kiss my ash

I mentioned earlier this week that I was going to rant about the power companies.  It doesn't have to do with the length of time that many customers suffered without power during the recent ice storm.  It has to do with coal ash and their handling of this known pollutant.  I'm am different from most.  I am a proponent of coal fired electricity plants.  Technology is now to the point that burning coal to generate electricity doesn't pollute the air as it once did.  And coal mining is a huge source of jobs for many parts of the country that would suffer without them.  My rant is about the handling of coal ash.  This is the residual coal that remains after it is burnt.  The typical handling of this ash is to put into a pond on the site of the power plant.  Now remember most coal fired plants are on major rivers due to the ease that coal can be transported on the water.  Putting this residue in a pond next to a river is not smart.  Even less smart if how careless the power companies are with this poison.  Recently in southern Virginia a metal pipe under an ash pond corroded and spilled tons of ash into a river.  It leaked for days.  They now say ash is at the bottom of this river for up to 60 miles downstream from where the spill occurred.  This is inexcusable.  Why didn't they have a better plan to dispose of the ash?  To top if all off is the fact that the leader of that company is demanding that customers foot the bill for the clean-up of ash ponds at other sites through increased rates.  Not cool sir.  Admit your mistake and clean up your own mess.  Blatant disregard for people, wildlife, and the environment in the communities where they have an obvious monopoly should be criminal.  Thanks for hearing me out.

Until tomorrow.
Dave

Can't keep them open

I been trying for the past 20 minutes to write a post with no luck.  I've tried several different topics but just can't focus.  Its due to a combination of things.  A long week, early morning work out, and a few beers.  I am beat.  Instead of writing junk I thought I would explain the situation and commit to putting out something really good tomorrow.  And with that I will say good night.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

16

This week marks the 16th anniversary of my move to Charlotte.  I remember it like yesterday the morning I left Delaware.  It was cold and rainy and nine hours later I was in sunny and warm Charlotte.    So much has happened to me since.  Jobs, friends,marriage, fatherhood, and just life in general.  It hasn't been dull.  I feel very fortunate that I made the right decision to move and picked the right place to move to.  I miss things about other places I have lived but Charlotte is the place for me.  I hope the next 16 years are as good as the last have been.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

I'm special

So at the end of my last CrossFit fundamentals class the coach pulled me aside and suggested I work with a personal trainer before joining group classes. That is a nice way of saying you are not good at this and you need to get better or you will be in the way. Did it hurt to be singled out? No, I really am bad. Am I hopeless? Not at all, I've seen real improvement just in three classes. The debilitating soreness has passed and I did a fair job in the last class. So I think I am going to stick with this for a while and see if I can continue to improve. I'll just have to live with the fact that I was different from the others and got put in the special class.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Where is it?

Where is Malaysian Airlines flight MH370? The plane left Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing but stopped communicating and fell off radars just a couple hours into the flight. There has been speculation of terrorism or catastrophic failure. Resources from several nations have searched the waters where they initially thought the plane lost contact. This evening word came that the plane changed course and flew for a while heading away from China. Who knows what happened but more than likely 239 people lost their lives. Very sad but the big question remains. Where is the plane? This is a big planet but with all of today's technology we have to be able to find it to figure out what went wrong and to bring some closure to the families of the victims. I would never make light of a tragedy like this but am I the only one that ever watched LOST? A large plane disappears in the tropics without a trace...kinda creepy right? Speaking of LOST what was up with that ending. Four years later and I am still mad...that show made zero sense. That finale left me saying...."Really?" I invested a lot of time in that show with no resolution. Anyway, let's hope they find the plane soon...I'm anxious to know what happened.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

When it rains....

Well fortunately it only rained here in Charlotte last Friday. Friends and family in the triad and triangle had extended periods of no power. In fact my in laws just got power back this afternoon after losing it on Friday. It could have been worse...at least it wasn't bitterly cold like it tends to be following big ice storms. In December 2002 while living in Raleigh we had a bad ice storm resulting in the loss of power for a couple days. The highlight of that experience was sleeping with a sweatshirt wrapped around my head. Mother Nature can't be stopped sometimes and you can't blame the power companies for the slow response. I think it take a lot of work to turn the lights back on for a quarter million people. They mobilize hundreds of workers and work 24/7. I hope some day the majority and not minority of power lines will be buried and not hanging out there exposed to the weather and underneath limbs. So the power companies react in force to a large scale outage but they have other issues. I blame the power companies for something that has been in the news lately. I will save that rant for later this week.

Until tomorrow

The Oscars

OK so I'm a little late with this one. The Academy Awards where a week ago and obviously all of the winners and losers have long since been announced. I didn't watch. I think the only nominated films I saw were Frozen and The Hunger Games. Neither of those were up for Best Picture. I am vowing to watch all of the films that were nominated for best picture and do my own vote. Last night I watch the first one. Texas Buyers Club. It is hard to say it was enjoyable considering the subject but it was an incredibly well directed and acted film. A little background. It takes place in the mid-80's when the AIDS epidemic was becoming just that...an epidemic. It tells the story of a hetero-sexual man who has AIDS and fights the system to find the optimal treatment for an incurable disease. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto were excellent. As a child growing up during the 80's I remember AIDS as being so scary and this film reinforces just how scary it was. I recommend this movie and I'm anxious to see another nominee soon.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

The Game

Tonight the college basketball world has its eyes focused on Durham NC. The reason is the University of North Carolina vs Duke University game. They play at least twice a year and sometimes more due to match-ups in the ACC or NCAA tournaments. I don't care who wins tonight but I always enjoy hearing the different fan bases go back and forth before and after the game. In state rivalries are always a big deal but this one is different. Duke and UNC are always good. Other teams have good years and bad ones and I guess that is true for these two. However more times than not they are both in the top ten nationally and the game has big ramifications. I remember in March of 1998 when I was leaving Charlotte after a trip to find an apartment before my move. Every bar at the airport had huge crowds gathered around the TV's. On the screen was Duke vs North Carolina. That stuck with me and at least twice every year since even though I am not at the airport I know that scene is is repeating itself.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Reboot

I've followed many blogs over the years and eventually the writers all hit a wall. Some carry on and some throw in the towel. I am committed to doing 365 posts this year and though I have a bit of writers block I remain committed. Life continues to be good and relatively quiet. That is the way I like it but it doesn't make for great stories to share. Things don't stay quiet for long and with warmer weather arriving soon I know more adventures will soon occur. I have topics I want to cover but some of them deserve the writer, me, to be totally committed to telling the story right. I am confident that commitment will be back and I look forward to the next 9 plus months.

Until tomorrow,
Dave

Is it over yet?

I know I've written about the weather a few times thus far but I have to do it again. We've been teased a couple times over he past month with a 70 degree day or two. On those days you want them to be here for good. Sadly this winter just won't end. Today was a great example. Cloudy, cold, and windy. And tonight it is pouring with the temperature hovering around freezing. Nothing better than taking the trash out in a cold rain. I am so looking forward to our Florida trip. Temps in the 70's and 80's will be so nice. And to go swimming will be a real treat. I know it may rain while we are down there but it won't be a cold rain like tonight. We are less than two weeks away and I hope the time goes by fast. For now I will suck it up and deal with it. Spring in Charlotte isn't far off.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

I've fallen and can't get up

I still can't walk. It is pitiful. How out of shape am I? I wonder how I am going to do another session tomorrow. I think I tried too hard to keep up last night instead of taking it easy since it was my first night. That is all I have for tonight. I hope I wake up tomorrow feeling a little better.

Until tomorrow,

Dave

CrossFit?

Torture is more like it. I am 3 hours removed from my first CrossFit introductory class and I can't move. My legs and shoulders are so sore. The sad thing is it wasn't even a real class. It was more about technique. Primarily how to squat. I was told I squat well for a big guy. That's nice but my thighs feel like jello. I can only imagine what I am going to feel like in the morning. I think I struggled partially because I have a touch of something. Or maybe it was because I haven't done anything physical in months. So am I going to go to the two remaining intro classes? Oh yeah. I want to be good at this. I am a long way from being good at it but I can tell if I dedicate to it and not give up I will be fit before I know it. Dreading the morning but have to keep moving forward.

Until tomorrow,
Dave