Category: Family

Dad-da

I’ve got some mighty big news to share.  I’m going to be a father for the second time in my life.

We found this out several weeks ago, but wanted to wait until the first appointment.  We didn’t want to tell the world, just to tell them that there are problems and so on.

The news has been both shocking and exciting.  It means I have many things to do around the house in preparation for the new child.

I have to remodel our downstairs to move my office down there.  I then have to remodel the new nursery to make it hospitable for a child.

There’s much to be done, and the clock is now officially ticking.  The due date is October 6th – I believe.

Another Mish-Mosh

There have been many things going on lately.  With the holiday season and new years over, I’m reflecting on all the activities we’ve been pre-occupied with.

Christmas, as always is a very complicated time for us.  We went to 3 family events, my grandma Lawmaster’s on the 23rd, my in-law’s on the 24th and my memma’s on Christmas day.  We then had “after” Christmas get togethers for my daughter, who spent her Christmas with her mother.

Rachel and I finally stopped schmoozing off of my mother for our cell phone service and got our own plan.  We decided to switch back to AT&T, due to a 12% IU discount, and cheaper plan.  I finally got a smart-phone, a Samsung Blackjack II while Rachel decided she liked a red LG Shine.  It was very interesting to go through this process again.  We haven’t been officially on a cell phone plan for 4 years.  While researching how much this would cost us upfront, the difference in how much and where was astounding.

On the AT&T Premier website (dedicated to business & enterprise):  For the mentioned phones, we were looking at about $325.00 in up front costs.  We would receive a $50 mail in rebate in the form of a debit card.

For the same phones at Best Buy, $50!  I’m not kidding.  I was blown away.  The only difference is that we had to set up our IU discount separately, which just took a phone call.

We painted our bedroom finally, it’s a nice yellow hue.  When mentioning it to people I tell them that the color is what you would get if you mixed yellow and brown mustard.  It looks real nice, now onto the curtains.  Hopefully they will be nice.

I will be starting school next week.  I am entering the CIT (computer information technology) program at Ivy Tech.  Within a few years, I should have a degree in a field I love, which can hopefully help me attain some real employment.

Pre-Occupied

Lately I have been pre-occupied with many things, which have diverted my attention away from accomplishing a single task.  So I’m going to merely list some updates as to what’s been going on since I last posted.

Hope is in sight:  My truck is still broken.  We got a deal on a complete fuel pump assembly on eBay.  It’s brand new and OEM, so I’m not too concerned about it working.  Last Saturday I tried to install it, but this job is meant for someone who either works on vehicles all the time, or has power tools.  Since I am neither, I couldn’t do the job.  My dad called last night and my step-uncle agreed to do it for me.  My dad is having it towed to his house today and I anticipate it being completed before any bad snowfalls occur.

Family Memories:  My mother-in-law gave us some priceless family photos to scan into the computer.  Some dating back to 1906!  I’m not sure if she knew it, but many of these “old” photos were actually scanned and printed out by someone already.  Who that is I don’t know.  Some of these pictures need some help, as they have cracks on them or have pieces ripped off.  I hope to sharpen up my photoshop skillz and fix ’em. 

There are several “cards” which I find quite moving.  They are what I would call “death memorial” cards.  They were given out (by the church?) when someone died.  My wifes’ family is from Dubois county, which is rich with German heritage.  This card is written in German and Latin.  I find the artwork on the back quite moving.  What do you think?

Music, Music, Music:  I finally caved and bought an iPod.  I refuse to pay retail for one, so I went second hand on eBay.  I got a nice 30gb model, which is big enough for what I need.  I didn’t buy this iPod for personal entertainment, but to convert all of our CD’s into electronic media.  This way we can get rid of the enormous space they take up.  Once everything is done, we’re going to put them into storage.

I have imported them all into iTunes and discovered one interesting thing.  CD’s over time, with scratches and other defects can sound like old LP’s.  Some of the tracks I have imported have that “scratchy” sound made infamous by LP’s.  Now I have a monumental task of going through roughly 2500 songs and re-importing the ones whose quality doesn’t meet my standards…ugh

Once all is complete, I won’t be lugging any CD’s on trips anymore.  Just an iPod and a FM transmitter/docking station.  It’s a dream come true.

Continue reading “Pre-Occupied”

Scanning The Past

In the 90’s I was a big country music fan.  My love of this particular genre of music brought me to a vicarious situation in 1998.

My girlfriend at the time and I went to see Garth Brooks at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY.  We got the tickets extremely cheap ($36 each).  They were almost the best seats in the house, 3rd row center.  If it weren’t for the drunk girl in front of us who lost her bladder control and the crazy guy with his extremely large cowboy hat, I think it would have been an amazing concert.

But the story only begins here.  While leaving the concert that night, I had a seizure while trying to merge into another lane of traffic to leave the parking lot.  Most of what I remember after that is quite hazy to this day.  I do remember several specific things though.  I came to in an ambulance in the parking lot, after leaving an area hospital we arrived by cab back to my truck.  I then had my unlicensed girlfriend drive us back home.

She didn’t know how to get back home, so I set her on a path and napped while I could.  When we got onto Highway 37 I told her to, “stay on this highway.”  Needless to say I woke up and saw Bedford Junior High School and she had a puzzled look on her face, not knowing where she was.

If you can imagine, this is the memory from just one night.  Imagine the memories I have held within the 500+ 35mm negatives I just finished scanning for my mother.  I recently asked her for the negatives and pictures from that night in question, as I have a blown up picture of the concert.  It is damaged and I want to replace it, but with a good quality piece.

Instead of just giving me what I had asked for, she gave me everything she has.  My mother hasn’t made the switch to a digital camera yet, she prefers a disposable 35mm for now.

To some people what I’ve done is just a waste of time, but to me I’ve just preserved the memories of an awkward time of my life.  It covers a time span of about 3 years, 1994 – 1997.

Once I’m done cropping and restoring I’m going to burn these to a DVD for my mother to keep.  I’ll keep what I want and  upload them to flickr.

Deflated

Today the RCA Dome, better known to all as the Hoosier Dome was deflated.

This was done to assist in demolition, as it has been replaced by Lucas Oil Stadium (In the background).  The space occupied by the RCA dome will become yet another expansion of the Indiana Convention Center.

Many memories were made in the dome, but no more will be made there.  Rachel and I purchased a piece of that roof as a keepsake.  I highly recommend to buy one yourself if you have any fond memories of the dome.

I took this panorama picture the last time we visited the dome during ISSMA marching band finals.  We were there to see my niece Sabrina play the clarinet for Forest Park.

To get a better grasp of the scale, look at the 1/2 size version here.  I had to make the picture that much smaller just to fit within flickr’s size limitation.

Back in the day, J&B on the ROX did an episode based on the changing of the dome’s name.  It’s called “The RCA State” and definitely good viewing.

These are the changes I don’t really like to see.  I still miss Market Square Arena.

In these times, I’m really starting to hate corporate sponsorship of whats seems to be everything under the sun.  Can you believe that the Verizon Wireless Music Center’s (formerly Deer Creek) box office is sponsored by Taco Bell? 

Almost a Decade

Almost a decade ago, I became a father, a father to a beautiful baby girl.  How can I raise a child when I’m just a kid myself?

Many things change in almost a decade.  Your mother and I have since went our seperate ways, but the seperation has added two families who love you even more.  Instead of having 1 mommy and 1 daddy, you have 2 of them.

3rd grade was a tough year for me, I hope it’s a good year for you.  I got a burr haircut, I hope we don’t have to go through anymore hair dramas with you.

We discovered a shared interest recently, golf.  We had such fun at the driving range, hitting golf balls.  I hope this is something we can do for years to come, and I’m on the hunt for a golf club set made just for you.

I hope you know that daddy and Rachel will always be here for you, and you will always have a place to call your own with us.

I hope you enjoy your birthday present this year, a complete room makeover.  We are painting your room pink, giving you a new door and closet door.  New trim painted white with pictures on your walls make it complete.  Your room will be the first room complete in our home.

It’s amazing what almost a decade can do, and now I’m starting to feel old.

Harvest for All

Over the weekend my in-laws came up for a get together to celebrate my daughters’ upcoming 9th birthday.  They also had fun picking apples from our apple tree.

My mother-in-law took 2 five gallon buckets that were almost halfway full.  My niece Sabrina got a nice amount in a box.  After the festivities were over I wanted to go pick some, not for me but for my ROX family.

This is what I could reach.  It may not look like much, but believe me it’s a grab.  I do not fertilize or spray my tree, so these are completely natural treats the entire family can love.  There is still this many or more near the top of the tree, but they are not ready for harvest yet.  When they are I will be ready.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut about what I was going to do, so I posted about this earlier.  The only problem is that the apples weren’t ready yet.  They are now.

This is what you will be receiving in the mail (in 2-4 days).  A sheet with greetings and instructions on what we think would be a good use of the apples, a mason jar containing apple crisp mix, nutmeg and apples,  there is also extra apples in each box.

We divided the apples in the big box pictured above into 4 equal parts.

B:  If you want to find out what variety of apple these are, please do!  I’d like to know for myself.

I don’t feel it’s appropriate to let this great natural resource of mine go to waste.  You have all been like a family to me in one way or another.  This is just one of many ways for me to say thanks.

P.S. MF and Kelly:  You’ll be receiving another “surprise” gift once I get a shipment in the mail.

The Old Just Got Older

Today is my dad’s 57th birthday.  Happy birthday dad!

I’ve really lost count of my dad’s age since about 1999.  It just doesn’t really matter to me anymore.

While he won’t be receiving any gifts right now, he does have something coming.

Bill Cosby is performing at the IU Auditorium in September, the first thing I thought of was dad.  When I was a child he spoke constantly of listening to Bill Cosby albums when he was a teenager.

Dad’s health hasn’t been too good recently.  I hope he can feel like a kid again, if just for one night anyway.

The Long & Short of It

Tomorrow is our 4th wedding anniversary.  Much has happened since that wonderful night in Bedford.

We didn’t really do much for our anniversary last year, so this year we are at least going out to eat at a nice place.

Rachel will have a surprise in store for her as well.

Sometimes it seems like we’ve been married forever, but then I look at people like her parents and B & XY and realize we’ve only just begun.

Coming from a broken home, I try as hard as I can to ensure I don’t fall into the same trap my parents fell into.  My father has been married to someone he hates for 21 years.  My mother has been married 3 times, she’s said that she’ll never get married again, and so far has kept up with that statement.

When I see the differences in our upbringings, I realize why I am the way I am, and why Rachel is the way she is.

Sometimes it makes me depressed that I wasn’t as lucky as her, but then I realize that I wouldn’t be who I am without what I had to endure.

Rachel, you are my rock!  Without you, I’m not sure exactly where I’d be right now.  I love you. 

The Cat is Out

Last week I sent an email to the entire ROX blogging crew, asking if they liked apples.

I was very surprised as to the response I got.

B is very curious about what my plans are, and even told me about a particular type of apple he enjoys.

MF told me that she isn’t particularly an apple person, but I have another idea which she might enjoy just as much.

J and Kelly both told me that they love apples and can’t wait to see what they shall receive.

I can’t hold this little secret any longer, so the cat is out of the bag folks’.

This is my apple tree.  When we first moved into our home, it looked like an overgrown bush.  With much trimming, I’ve turned it into a “happy tree” as I like to call it.  We’ve only had one harvest due to an ice storm last February.  My mother-in-law came and took all of those apples, which I didn’t mind.

We’ve been checking the apples every week to see if they are ripe.  They aren’t yet, but once they are your packages will be in the mail.

This year is a different story, as I want my ROX family to enjoy the fruits of my trees’ labor as well.  All of you have been like a family to me, in one way or another.  This is the least I can do to thank yall.

I don’t know the type of apple that grows from this particular apple tree.  They are green, medium to small sized, and quite tart.  They are best used for baking purposes.  My thought, send everyone a “apple crisp in a box kit!”

I also plan on sending Kelly and MF ROX Season Zero sets as well.

It bothers me that my search for help with this heat damage problem has led me nowhere.  Sometimes you have to find your own solution to problems, which is what I’m working on.  With the help of Photoshop for Video, I have learned a few things.  I hope to soon have the skills to correct this damage, and continue on my way of saving this beloved show for generations to come.

This show enlightened me in those key teen years.  It wasn’t about the drinkx, or the drugz, it was about keeping your mind open to new and unusual things.  Something that is still lacking in society today.  If I hadn’t stumbled upon J&B on the ROX playing on BCAT oh so many years ago, I very well could be in prison or dead by now.  Many who know me well, know that my life has been nothing but a story of hardship and overcoming seemingly impossible hurdles.  It will all be in my book.

I know I’m repeating myself, but this is the least I can do to thank everyone who participated in the show, whether as an active participant, or as a passive person who was just there when the camera was rolling.

I came into this as merely a fan, but I’m treated as if I’m a family member.  Words cannot describe how amazing that feels.