Our stimulus check was direct deposited today.
Payday for Heather and I.
We're driving to Mackinaw City tomorrow.
I don't have to go back to work until June 16.
Heather's last day of teaching for the summer.
Our house has air conditioning, and it's turned on.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away...
Today, He decided to give.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Dancin' like a fool
Most of you have probably heard of this cheesy phrase at some point in your life:
"Love like you've never been hurt, Dance like no one is watching, Sing like no one is listening."
Whether I like it or not, I follow the part about dancing to a T. I'm not a good dancer. Not even close. In fact, I make this person look good:
I consider myself to be a fairly decent at DDR, and people tell I play drums really well. So why the bad dancing? I feel that my common sense level is a little lower than most people, which means that for many things in life, I can't just do something I've never done unless it has first been demonstrated by someone else. For example, I didn't know how to mow the lawn, tie a tie, or change the oil on my first car until my dad showed me. I didn't know how to efficiently paint a wall until someone with painting experience showed me. So until I get dance lessons (which I have no desire of paying for), I will continue my awkward, avant garde style dancing. Apparently it's quite entertaining for the people that have seen it.
Thanks to YouTube, I should be able to perform the Cha Cha Slide in time for the next wedding.
"Love like you've never been hurt, Dance like no one is watching, Sing like no one is listening."
Whether I like it or not, I follow the part about dancing to a T. I'm not a good dancer. Not even close. In fact, I make this person look good:
I consider myself to be a fairly decent at DDR, and people tell I play drums really well. So why the bad dancing? I feel that my common sense level is a little lower than most people, which means that for many things in life, I can't just do something I've never done unless it has first been demonstrated by someone else. For example, I didn't know how to mow the lawn, tie a tie, or change the oil on my first car until my dad showed me. I didn't know how to efficiently paint a wall until someone with painting experience showed me. So until I get dance lessons (which I have no desire of paying for), I will continue my awkward, avant garde style dancing. Apparently it's quite entertaining for the people that have seen it.
Thanks to YouTube, I should be able to perform the Cha Cha Slide in time for the next wedding.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Baseball
On Saturday, I had this incredible urge to hit baseballs. Unfortunately, the only batting cage in Cadillac wasn't going to be open until Memorial Day. I was thinking about borrowing my brother-in-law's golf clubs and go to a driving range. I don't play golf, but hitting golf balls feels somewhat similar to me.
Heather and I went to La Fiesta Grande on Sunday to support people from Riv going to Mexico and hang out with friends. I was hoping for a small chance that people would bring baseball or softball gear and have a game. And it happened. I got to feed my baseball fix.
Now, 3 days later, I'm still sore from running and swinging the bat too hard. But again, well worth it.
Wedding weekend #1
I had a good 4 day weekend.
Friday and Saturday were spent up in Cadillac. Heather was a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding, and I got to watch...part of it. We had a little miscommunication, or let me just say, I didn't realize my dress clothes weren't in my car until a half hour before the ceremony started. So I had to rush to a clothing store to find some emergency dress clothes (which will be returned later) and as a result, I showed up 15 minutes late to the wedding. 5 minutes after I arrived, the wedding was over. It was shortest wedding I've ever been to.
The rest of the weekend was great. Heather got to spend time away from school, both physically and mentally. Anytime she's not stressed out, I also feel less stressed. I think I try to bear some of her stress, whether it works or not.
Anyway, we got to spend time together and on Monday, were able to get caught up on stuff that had been neglected. For Heather, it was school stuff. For me, it was working on the yard and taking my car into the shop to get an alignment.
Yesterday, however, I got hit by a truckload of emails, meetings, and work orders when I went back to work. I still haven't been able to dig myself out. Oh well - the 4 day weekend was worth it.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I've had intentions on creating a facebook profile for months, but knew I needed to devote time to set everything up. I really dislike my Myspace profile, for a few reasons. One reason is all the ads, and another is the pornographic friend requests. Just the other day, a friend request came from a naked girl lying face down, using the floor to cover the bare minimum. If I really wanted to view porn (which I don't), I wouldn't go to MySpace. To showcase my frustration, I changed my MySpace status to "Joel wants to get rid of his MySpace profile."
On Sunday, I went to Facebook and thought, "I'll just create my profile real quick and come back to it later." So I created my profile, but then saw how I could add friends using my email, and by people who graduated with me. I found people I hadn't talked to in years! Then I added my contact info, then people started accepting my friend requests...and then...and then.....3 hours later, I had to give the laptop back to Heather so that she could write lesson plans.
Needless to say, Facebook is far better than MySpace. For those of you that have it, I don't have to tell you that, but I just experienced it for myself. I enjoy how no one can view your profile unless they are a "friend," and there are no "screen names." There are many other things that make Facebook better, but I haven't experienced them all yet. One person told me that Facebook is to Macs as MySpace is to PCs. I'd have to agree.
On Sunday, I went to Facebook and thought, "I'll just create my profile real quick and come back to it later." So I created my profile, but then saw how I could add friends using my email, and by people who graduated with me. I found people I hadn't talked to in years! Then I added my contact info, then people started accepting my friend requests...and then...and then.....3 hours later, I had to give the laptop back to Heather so that she could write lesson plans.
Needless to say, Facebook is far better than MySpace. For those of you that have it, I don't have to tell you that, but I just experienced it for myself. I enjoy how no one can view your profile unless they are a "friend," and there are no "screen names." There are many other things that make Facebook better, but I haven't experienced them all yet. One person told me that Facebook is to Macs as MySpace is to PCs. I'd have to agree.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Some month #3
Last month, after a couple weeks putting up with my broken, barely functional Treo, I bought a Motorola Q. I like this phone much better. It has many more and better features, has better call quality, and most importantly, all the buttons work. The only caveat is the low battery life, which can be resolved by upgrading to an extended life battery.
I had a heck of a time activating the phone with Alltel though. Last year, when I activated the Treo, I didn't have much trouble at all. I couldn't activate the phone at the store because they told me I needed a data plan. So I activated the Treo over the phone, no problem. They mentioned that a data plan is not required - just recommended.
So this time, I didn't expect to have any trouble activating the Q over the phone. However, having a data plan is now "required," no exceptions. Apparently they "changed their internal policy" a few months ago. (Thanks for telling us about it).
I didn't want the data plan. I rarely send text messages, and I don't need internet on my phone because I'm almost always near a computer. The customer service rep refused to activate the phone. I asked to talk with the manager and threatened to cancel my service. The guy wouldn't budge.
I hung up on the rep and wasn't sure what I was going to do next. Heather told me I should call back and get someone else, but this time, just tell them I needed to "transfer my service" from one phone to another. So I called back, told the different story, and my phone was activated, no questions asked.
I had a heck of a time activating the phone with Alltel though. Last year, when I activated the Treo, I didn't have much trouble at all. I couldn't activate the phone at the store because they told me I needed a data plan. So I activated the Treo over the phone, no problem. They mentioned that a data plan is not required - just recommended.
So this time, I didn't expect to have any trouble activating the Q over the phone. However, having a data plan is now "required," no exceptions. Apparently they "changed their internal policy" a few months ago. (Thanks for telling us about it).
I didn't want the data plan. I rarely send text messages, and I don't need internet on my phone because I'm almost always near a computer. The customer service rep refused to activate the phone. I asked to talk with the manager and threatened to cancel my service. The guy wouldn't budge.
I hung up on the rep and wasn't sure what I was going to do next. Heather told me I should call back and get someone else, but this time, just tell them I needed to "transfer my service" from one phone to another. So I called back, told the different story, and my phone was activated, no questions asked.
Some month #2
Last month, I found out that my car is terminally ill.
I was convinced that the oil problem was just a fluke, but thought I should probably check my oil periodically just to be sure. About 2 weeks after my last oil change, I checked the oil while getting gas. I had lost 2 quarts of oil. &!$#&!*$^@#@!
I ended up doing the Fuel Pressure Check that was recommended to see why the catalytic converter died. Everything tested 100%, which means my fuel system is in top condition. I also asked the mechanic to find out why my car was burning so much oil. He told me that the problem was internal to the engine, basically stating that I would likely need major engine repairs. #$$&$*%%^%$^#!!
My car is definitely burning oil, not leaking it. The end of my exhaust pipe is black from all the soot caused by the burnt oil. THAT is why the converter died. A few days later, I took the car to a guy I know that owns a body shop, had him take off the converter, and replace it with a straight pipe. No sense in spending $200 on a converter that would have died within months.
Last week, I called the Toyota dealership to see if there was a recall for this type of engine problem. Nope. It happened because of infrequent oil changes from a previous owner. Toyota mechanic said the car would likely need a "ring job" which would cost around $1500.
I called another mechanic today to get another opinion. This person told me that I would probably need more than just a ring job. He said I could possibly need, at the least, a partial engine rebuild. At that point, I might as well rebuild the entire engine or find a different one. He's going to call me back tomorrow to give me a quote on a used/rebuilt engine.
I cannot afford to replace the engine, so for now, I'll just put a quart of oil in my car every week, and hope that the problem doesn't get any worse. Spending $2 extra per week on oil is much more feasible at this time.
DO NOT EVER buy a car without getting an inspection - I'm an idiot for not getting one in the first place. You wouldn't ever buy a home without an inspection. Learn from my mistake, please!
I was convinced that the oil problem was just a fluke, but thought I should probably check my oil periodically just to be sure. About 2 weeks after my last oil change, I checked the oil while getting gas. I had lost 2 quarts of oil. &!$#&!*$^@#@!
I ended up doing the Fuel Pressure Check that was recommended to see why the catalytic converter died. Everything tested 100%, which means my fuel system is in top condition. I also asked the mechanic to find out why my car was burning so much oil. He told me that the problem was internal to the engine, basically stating that I would likely need major engine repairs. #$$&$*%%^%$^#!!
My car is definitely burning oil, not leaking it. The end of my exhaust pipe is black from all the soot caused by the burnt oil. THAT is why the converter died. A few days later, I took the car to a guy I know that owns a body shop, had him take off the converter, and replace it with a straight pipe. No sense in spending $200 on a converter that would have died within months.
Last week, I called the Toyota dealership to see if there was a recall for this type of engine problem. Nope. It happened because of infrequent oil changes from a previous owner. Toyota mechanic said the car would likely need a "ring job" which would cost around $1500.
I called another mechanic today to get another opinion. This person told me that I would probably need more than just a ring job. He said I could possibly need, at the least, a partial engine rebuild. At that point, I might as well rebuild the entire engine or find a different one. He's going to call me back tomorrow to give me a quote on a used/rebuilt engine.
I cannot afford to replace the engine, so for now, I'll just put a quart of oil in my car every week, and hope that the problem doesn't get any worse. Spending $2 extra per week on oil is much more feasible at this time.
DO NOT EVER buy a car without getting an inspection - I'm an idiot for not getting one in the first place. You wouldn't ever buy a home without an inspection. Learn from my mistake, please!
Some month
So I haven't posted in over a month. Time to play catch up. I'll give you a little recap from last month, given in chunks.
The first full week of April was Heather's spring break. Anytime she's able to get relief from all the stress involved with her job and the students also takes away some of my stress. I don't have a lot of stress from my job, and I don't need to take work home most of the time, but I always try to shoulder some of the stress that she experiences. Needless to say, we were both looking forward to her spring break.
It didn't, however, turn out exactly as we thought. Not at all. During the first "official" day of her spring break, she got hit with the viral flu bug. We ended up in the ER for 4 hours early Tuesday morning, and then 8 more hours late Friday night. She didn't get much sleep all week, which also meant I didn't get much sleep either. One highlight of the week was driving down to Detroit to see Feist, and she was amazing. The band Kings of Convenience was her "backup band," which I also like.
Heather started feeling better on Sunday, just in time for school and stress to start back up again.
The first full week of April was Heather's spring break. Anytime she's able to get relief from all the stress involved with her job and the students also takes away some of my stress. I don't have a lot of stress from my job, and I don't need to take work home most of the time, but I always try to shoulder some of the stress that she experiences. Needless to say, we were both looking forward to her spring break.
It didn't, however, turn out exactly as we thought. Not at all. During the first "official" day of her spring break, she got hit with the viral flu bug. We ended up in the ER for 4 hours early Tuesday morning, and then 8 more hours late Friday night. She didn't get much sleep all week, which also meant I didn't get much sleep either. One highlight of the week was driving down to Detroit to see Feist, and she was amazing. The band Kings of Convenience was her "backup band," which I also like.
Heather started feeling better on Sunday, just in time for school and stress to start back up again.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Some week
This week is almost over, but not without some drama.
Monday - I begin driving my car out of my subdivision and the oil light comes on. ?!?@#$!!! I was already late for work and now had to drive to the nearest gas station (3 miles away) to see if I was actually low on oil. It was low - in fact, I wasn't sure if I could see anything on my dipstick. More ?!?@#$!!! I got my oil changed 3,000 miles ago, and was told I didn't have to come back for at least 5,000 miles because they put high-mileage oil in my car (which I asked them to do). Added 2 quarts and went on my way. Didn't have time to go back to the oil change place today, but will go tomorrow.
Tuesday - Went to the oil change place (not the same one as last time) and found out that the other place put synthetic oil in my car, not high mileage. This would normally be ok, but since my engine is over 100,000 miles, it tends to burn oil. As a result, the synthetic oil burned right up. Had I ignored the oil light, I could potentially not have a car right now. This place changed my oil, put the high mileage stuff in my car, and sent me on my way. I'm still a little paranoid, and will check the oil periodically.
Later, right before I went to bed, I accidentally knocked my phone off the couch. I've never dropped my phone before. I pick it up and notice that the keypad no longer responds. ?@#$%@$#~!!! The touchscreen still works (it's a smartphone). Reset the phone, still no functioning keypad. The only other thing I could try is do a "hard reset," which would erase everything on my phone. Too tired for that, will do that tomorrow.
Wednesday - Called Alltel, since I have ProductGuard (insurance for cell phones), to see if I can get a new phone. Can't, because I didn't buy the phone directly from Alltel. So I canceled the insurance. I hotsynced my phone and backed up all my phone info (contacts, calendar, etc) to my computer, which took about 30 minutes since I hadn't backed up anything in a year (I don't recommend that).
Did the "hard reset" and then my phone was asking me to select a Language. But I had to use the keypad to do it (which still doesn't work). ?@#$%@$#~!!! Now what do I do? I realized that one of the buttons on the keypad is permanently pressed down, which is likely the cause of the whole debacle. So I tried removing it with the sharpest object I could find - a steak knife. At one point, the knife slipped and went into my left pinky. ?@#$%@$#~!!!
One band-aid and a few drops of neosporin later, I got the stuck button out. The keypad now works, sort of. When the phone returns from sleep mode, you have to take the stylus pen and dig around in the spot where the button used to be. Then the keypad starts to work.
Thursday - began my search to look for a new phone. I've lost 10 auctions on ebay so far, trying to get another smartphone at a reasonable price. Will keep trying.
Monday - I begin driving my car out of my subdivision and the oil light comes on. ?!?@#$!!! I was already late for work and now had to drive to the nearest gas station (3 miles away) to see if I was actually low on oil. It was low - in fact, I wasn't sure if I could see anything on my dipstick. More ?!?@#$!!! I got my oil changed 3,000 miles ago, and was told I didn't have to come back for at least 5,000 miles because they put high-mileage oil in my car (which I asked them to do). Added 2 quarts and went on my way. Didn't have time to go back to the oil change place today, but will go tomorrow.
Tuesday - Went to the oil change place (not the same one as last time) and found out that the other place put synthetic oil in my car, not high mileage. This would normally be ok, but since my engine is over 100,000 miles, it tends to burn oil. As a result, the synthetic oil burned right up. Had I ignored the oil light, I could potentially not have a car right now. This place changed my oil, put the high mileage stuff in my car, and sent me on my way. I'm still a little paranoid, and will check the oil periodically.
Later, right before I went to bed, I accidentally knocked my phone off the couch. I've never dropped my phone before. I pick it up and notice that the keypad no longer responds. ?@#$%@$#~!!! The touchscreen still works (it's a smartphone). Reset the phone, still no functioning keypad. The only other thing I could try is do a "hard reset," which would erase everything on my phone. Too tired for that, will do that tomorrow.
Wednesday - Called Alltel, since I have ProductGuard (insurance for cell phones), to see if I can get a new phone. Can't, because I didn't buy the phone directly from Alltel. So I canceled the insurance. I hotsynced my phone and backed up all my phone info (contacts, calendar, etc) to my computer, which took about 30 minutes since I hadn't backed up anything in a year (I don't recommend that).
Did the "hard reset" and then my phone was asking me to select a Language. But I had to use the keypad to do it (which still doesn't work). ?@#$%@$#~!!! Now what do I do? I realized that one of the buttons on the keypad is permanently pressed down, which is likely the cause of the whole debacle. So I tried removing it with the sharpest object I could find - a steak knife. At one point, the knife slipped and went into my left pinky. ?@#$%@$#~!!!
One band-aid and a few drops of neosporin later, I got the stuck button out. The keypad now works, sort of. When the phone returns from sleep mode, you have to take the stylus pen and dig around in the spot where the button used to be. Then the keypad starts to work.
Thursday - began my search to look for a new phone. I've lost 10 auctions on ebay so far, trying to get another smartphone at a reasonable price. Will keep trying.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Studio Drumming?
Last weekend, after the last Riv service, someone came up to me and asked if I've ever done studio work. Apparently this guy owns a recording studio and was wondering if I'd be interested in recording whenever necessary. I told him I thought it was a great idea, but mentioned that because of my full-time job and being in two of the Riv bands, I had no idea when I'd ever have time to do something like that.
I've thought about being a studio drummer before. Having been in 6 bands (not including the current ones) over the 11+ years I've been playing drums, I've had my share of recording sessions and experiences in the studio.
A lot of doubts and fears have sprung up over time. Among them include:
- I haven't had any professional training, education, or instruction.
- I don't know how to read percussion sheet music.
- I can't compete with other studio drummers who have had experience in the previously mentioned items.
- I wouldn't even know where to begin. I'd have to quit my job and possibly move far away.
And I think the biggest fear is that, like being in a band, you don't always know when your services are needed, and steady income is pretty much not possible. Additionally, if something happened to me physically, such as breaking a limb, I'd be out of work for an extended period of time. Not to mention, I'd have to figure out how to pay for health insurance (unless Heather continues working after having kids) so that it doesn't cost a fortune to fix my supposed broken limb.
All of the above reasons keep me at this current place. And I'm ok with that. Are they legitimate enough reasons? Some are, and some feel like material, earthly reasons. Will I ever change my mind? Maybe. But right now, I'm content.
I've thought about being a studio drummer before. Having been in 6 bands (not including the current ones) over the 11+ years I've been playing drums, I've had my share of recording sessions and experiences in the studio.
A lot of doubts and fears have sprung up over time. Among them include:
- I haven't had any professional training, education, or instruction.
- I don't know how to read percussion sheet music.
- I can't compete with other studio drummers who have had experience in the previously mentioned items.
- I wouldn't even know where to begin. I'd have to quit my job and possibly move far away.
And I think the biggest fear is that, like being in a band, you don't always know when your services are needed, and steady income is pretty much not possible. Additionally, if something happened to me physically, such as breaking a limb, I'd be out of work for an extended period of time. Not to mention, I'd have to figure out how to pay for health insurance (unless Heather continues working after having kids) so that it doesn't cost a fortune to fix my supposed broken limb.
All of the above reasons keep me at this current place. And I'm ok with that. Are they legitimate enough reasons? Some are, and some feel like material, earthly reasons. Will I ever change my mind? Maybe. But right now, I'm content.
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