Blogspot Confessional

Alright, I admit it. The Pennsylvania trip was not as bad as I made it out to be. It was actually a pretty great time.

**Random Interuption** Right now my father is watching TV. He is switching between a History Channel show about dragons and South Park. That's beautiful. Good work, Dad! Oh, and Mom is frowning at South Park. And now, back to the show.

As I was saying...Pennsylvania...really fun. Except for that amusement park we went to. Not so amusing. And Pottsville...damn you and your confusing system of roads and allies! But we got to see some relatives that we don't see nearly enough. Good times.

And then there's Harry. Ah, my poor pup...he's got an infection, as Sarah outlined in the previous post. I think I'm turning into one of those crazy dog people. He's like our furry, four-legged child. In my defense, the huge lump hanging from his neck really freaked my out. So, he's on meds and should be getting better by the day.

I know I had a greater point to make, but my A.D.D. has kicked in and I can't remember what I wanted to...HEY! Let's go ride bikes!

Harry's Summer Vacation

Harry stayed with my parents while we were on vacation in Pennsylvania. Our trip really was fun, despite Matt's most recent post. Just don't ask about Pottsville. :) Anyway, Harry got to spend almost two weeks with my parents' golden retriever, Chloe. I've never seen two dogs behave more like siblings than Harry and Chloe. They play hard ALL DAY. They'll compete with each other for everything! Even a dead weed in the yard! They also like to get dirty...well, more like FILTHY! Harry's never been dirtier than he was while he was on vacation. Take a look for yourself.

Though he had a great time, there turned out to be some consequences to the way that he and Chloe play. Harry has since come down with an infection. It turns out that while they were playing, Chloe got a tooth into Harry and his little puncture wound got infected. He's not really sick, but he does have a large lump above his right shoulder. We took him to the vet last night and had him checked out. Big thanks to Dr. Steffen and TeNisha at the Animal Emergency Clinic in Bloomington, they were great! Harry's on some antibiotics now and due to see our regular vet tomorrow afternoon for another check. Hopefully, everything will be back to normal in a few days!

Abandon all hope ye who travel to Pennsylvania!

Ok...it's not that bad as a whole. Just the part my wife Sarah, my sister Anne, her friend Shannon, and I traversed yesterday. But I should back up a step or two.
We're here in Pennsylvania for a family reunion. Danville, PA to be precise. Tourist attractions and stuff to do in general of any quality are tough to find. It seems a little backwards here. Anyway, we began our day by going to a brewery in Pottsville. This town is out of control...stay away. The brewery was kind of cool, but nowhere near worth the hassle of driving there and navigating the labyrinth that is there street system. Just in case you're interested, it's the Yeungling Brewery...supposedly the oldest brewery in the US. http://www.yuengling.com/

Then we went to a "theme park" yesterday called Knoebel's (http://www.knoebels.com/). Believe me...the website makes it look a lot better than it actually is. I can't even translate into words how much yesterday pissed me off. Maybe a picture will do it.


Yeah, that's a pretty accurate representation of my mood yesterday. BUT, the girls had fun which was the most important thing.

Hopefully today will be a much better day. It's almost noon and we have done nothing. So I'm money ahead already!

We'll see what happens...

Mr. Six...the new face of evil

Ok, maybe I'm overreacting. But a year or so back this strange, elderly, energetic "old man" danced into a new Six Flags TV campaign...and into our nightmares. Is it just me, or is Mr. Six just plain creepy? Maybe he should be called Mr. 666.

My Civic Duty...

So, I was called for Jury Duty this week. 9 months in McLean County and my name, social security number, or whatever they use, gets drawn. Of course, I'm so special that out of all the potential jurors, I even get chosen to sit on the jury of 12. I guess it's not as bad as it sounds though...the lighting in the courtroom is kind of harsh. I may have a good sized headache by the end of tomorrow, but everything else seems okay. I get free parking, a free lunch, and ten bucks for each day plus mileage! :) Now, before you get too jealous, it's supposed to be a short trial. I'll probably be done by Wednesday. It's no Law and Order, but it should be interesting...Hopefully, I won't end up in a real life "Twelve Angry Men," or anything like that. Wish me luck!

On a lighter note...

It's about time my wife made an entry. Look for her next one around Christmas.

God bowling is fun...even though I really suck at it. Just got back from ThunderBowl in Mokena. 10 bucks all you can bowl tonight was the way to go. Plus, it was cosmic bowling. Jeebus, what am I 12? Hell, I don't care...it was fun. Coronas are yummy.

Pretty sure that didn't help my game any.

Why am I awake? Could it be the Depth Charge from Caribou Coffee with a shot of espresso? Likely. Time to sleep...or try.

I really should post more often. It feels good to empty my brain.

Life, death, and those left behind

Jesus...it's been almost two weeks since my friend Kurt Fischer died. 27 years old is too young to be taken so soon. One moment you're playing softball and in the next you've slipped away. It's too random. I guess it's easy to be angry. It's easy to shake your fist at the sky and ask "where was God for Kurt that day?" Then I remember...with any luck, He was with him on that field. He must have needed Kurt more than we did. Still, it hurts. With all the bad shit going on in the world and the millions of assholes, rapists, murderers, child molesters, etc walking freely I can't help but be angry that they remain and my friend is gone. I also can't help but question my own existence. What would happen tomorrow if, God forbid, I die? Have I done all that I want to do? Certainly not...not at this point in my life. We're too temporary to take life for granted. My patience for greedy and self-centered people in quickly waning. I've gotten to the point where I just want to shake them and scream "stop wasting your time being petty! It's not about you!" That's another story.
So Kurt is gone. His wife Katie and his twin brother Eric (and their respective families and friends) now must pick up the pieces and move on. My keystrokes to God's inbox.
Kurt Patrick Fischer...a truly kind, loving, considerate, and overall extraordinary human being. I miss you, brother.

Sarah's First Entry

So, it's only been, what?, 6 months since Matt set up this blog and I'm finally making my first post. It's 11:18 here and I'm pretty bored. I guess it's about time to start thinking about going back to school...I can tell that my summer is about to end when I start feeling bored.

We've moved into a new apartment, which is okay...We'd much rather be in a house, but it will do for now. So Harry and I are lounging around, though there are plenty of things I could be doing. I need to put clothes away, do dishes, and generally make the place feel more like home.

Harry, meanwhile, is doing great. He's become very protective lately. He does a lot more barking, which would be great if we didn't share a wall! :) But he's such a good dog, it's impossible to stay mad a him for anything. He's been such a blessing in the last 7 months. It's hard to imagine not having him around. He's also discovered a new game this week. It's called, "I'm going to take my ball up the stairs and drop it, so I can chase it back down again." He loves the stairs, but it makes it much harder to keep an eye on him!

Well...my eyelids are growing weary...until next time...

Another post? A mere three months later?!

Ok, ok...so I haven't been as diligent as I thought I would have updating this thing. That's life.
My wife and I just got in from seeing Batman Begins. This makes twice I've seen this movie and I still love it. It blows away any other Batman movie...well, except for maybe the Adam West one. Come on, I've got two words for you...Shark Repellent. If you know, you're smiling. If you're confused, find this movie and educate yourself.
So, where are we now? Three months have passed since my last entry. Some things have changed. My wife could not find a teaching position in the Chicagoland area. That's ok. We've decided that we really like where we are anyway. Unfortunately, I have to find a new job. I guess that's ok, though. It's too long a story and I haven't got the time or energy.
My buddy Aaron is getting married tomorrow. I wish him all the best. Marriage was the best thing that ever happened to me. Well, that's not exactly true. My wife and I have been married only a year, but we've been together in one way or another for six years. So, it's kind of like we've been married that long...just without the official paperwork.
Ok...the mental train just derailed...I need sleep. ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz.........

I am worthless.

Well, at least I've been worthless this weekend...and pretty much all week. Tomorrow I begin my new job. I'm nervous, but more than that I'm excited to get started. The promise of rewarding work and another steady paycheck added to the income is a welcome change.
Tomorrow morning I meet with my boss at our satellite office at 8:30, go to corporate HQ, fill out my paperwork, and who knows what else. Damn...just when I was getting used to watching TV all day with my dog. Honestly, it's a welcome change.
The down side, if there is one, is that I won't get to see my wife as much as I would like. Luckily, that is only temporary.
I'd better get a good night's sleep tonight. I have a big day tomorrow.

Last week of laziness

It's Tuesday...T-minus four days left and counting. On Monday I'm reentering the workforce. Long story short: I used to work in radio. I had a job that I liked. I create radio commercials. I wrote them, voiced them, and produced them. Unfortunately for me, I got fired (Not my fault. I got hosed, Tommy!) So I took another job out of sheer desperation...radio sales for a company that I had previously worked for. I hated it and quit after three weeks.
Now, I'm about to embark on an adventure that hopefully will be pretty rewarding. I'll be working with a non for profit organization taking a motivational presentation to area schools. It's not one of those "I'm Matt Foley and I am a motivational speaker!" And I certainly don't live in a van down by the river. It's a forty minute presentation utilizing movies, music, celebrities, and sports stars...plus, stories from real people. It's powerful and engaging. Hopefully, we'll be able to reach some kids.
So, I am 'enjoying' my last week of doing nothing. Which means I'll be doing laundry and cleaning the house.
Tip of the day: Stay away from the radio business!

Harry's Origin or 'Pay attention to where you're driving, stupid.'

January 3rd, 2005. Location...Beardstown, IL. I was shooting pictures at the new middle/high school for my father-in-law. My sister-in-law Hannah found me in the hallway and asked if I could bring her (forgotten) gym clothes to her at lunch. I agreed, finished shooting, and made my way back to my in-law's house. I grabbed Hannah's gym clothes, walked to my car, and pulled away. Not ten feet from the house, I felt a *thump*. My stomach dropped. I knew there were no sticks in the road. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw this little puppy stand up in the middle of the street...and fall down. I wrapped him up, brought him inside, and my father-in-law called Animal Control. I swear I thought this poor little guy was dying in front of my eyes. Animal Control showed up and told us that if nobody claimed him within 24 hours, they'd probably have to put him to sleep. The next day, I called Animal Control and asked about the puppy. Miraculously, he was not only alive...but doing well. At least as well as one can be after being run over BY A CAR. He found a great foster family to temporarily take care of him. Needless to say, Sarah and I fell in love with Harry. So now...we have a dog.
He's doubled in size and weight since we got him. He's five months now, so we're not sure how much more he's going to grow.

Our dog masturbates

Catchy little title, isn't it? It also happens to be true. There's really no way to sugar coat it. He's a horny little guy. This morning before Sarah and I got out of bed, I heard 'something.' So, I hopped out of bed and went into the next room where we keep Harry, our boxer/terrier mix.

WARNING: IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED OR DISGUSTED BY CANINE BODILY FLUIDS, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO SKIP THE REST OF THIS POST. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

There he sat...eyeing a foamy puddle of goo. I thought, "Great, he threw up." I quickly realized I was wrong. Oh boy...time for the blankets to go in the wash...again. At least he didn't roll in it like he did last time. I don't know what his deal is. We're getting him 'fixed' in April. Maybe it'll calm the little bastard down some. Don't get me wrong, though. He's a great dog...one of the best. He's just a puppy, so we're still getting used to the world.

Next time: Harry's origin...or 'Pay attention to where you're driving, stupid.'

First post

Well, here we are...trying this thing. Maybe we'll stick with it, maybe it'll fade away into oblivion. We'll see.
Thanks to our friend Tiffany for the inspiration to try this experiment. She has a dreamblog that's pretty interesting. http://potatochipbaby.blogspot.com/
I don't know if this is going to turn into an everyday thing...like the final scene in every Doogie Howser, M.D. episode (if anybody remembers that).
Say tuned.