Have a Happy New Year

Just a note..wishing readers a happy and safe new year. All the best in 2009. Back to the usual crap you find here in just a few days.

-march

Most wonderful time of the year ....my ass.

You know it has been bad when you can't wait to get back to work.

Lets rewind to Christmas Eve.

I was able to work from home for half the day. The kids were home with me and were pretty good all in all but Little March was not feeling well. She had been complaining of stomach issues since the day before. She spent most of the day "resting" in bed. Littlest March even took a nap which is rare, and sort of threw everything off too for "Santas arrival". We ordered Chinese take out at 3pm for a 6pm pick up. My brother, his wife and kids and my parents were due to come over as well. I left the house at 5:50 to get the food. I got home at 10 before 7. I waited, with littlest march mind you, for just shy of one hour for our to go order. They were beyond busy at the restaurant. Honestly, I didn't see a person come out of the kitchen with food for at least 35 minutes.

We got home, ate and had fun etc and then tried to get the kids to bed. Key word "Tried". They each took turns waking up and Little March couldn't fall asleep due to the "naps" all day. We tried to have Santa come 4 times..finally I bagged it..and set the alarm for 2:30am for Santa to come. I got up, did what I needed to do..headed back to bed about 2:55..and guess who was up at 3am??? Little March. I hardly made it under the wire.

Christmas day was good..everyone seemed to be feeling better and we had a great day.

Friday I took the day off and we got outside for a bit playing hockey with the kids on the street. About 1 Littlest March heads inside and he'd remain there until Sunday afternoon. Mrs March wanted to go to the bank/postoffice and the grocery store. She called me inside saying Littlest was not feeling well. I cleaned up stuff outside and made it inside JUST in time for Littlest to throw up his lunch. This was a "rise/lather/repeat" story line for the next solid 24hrs. Friday about 8pm my mother in law and her fiancee arrived from Ohio. Littlest didn't even get out of bed...but he did throw up that one more time in bed before crashing out.

Saturday it rained and littlest was still under the weather the bulk of the day. Little starts back up with not feeling well and we do what we can to stay out of each others way. Mrs March and I were due to go out to dinner with some friends later but sort of all day was "touch and go". We didn't want to leave a sick kid with grandma..that is just not fair. We swapped gifts with them and littlest perked up some..but wanted to lay down a lot opening stuff. Still he did pretty well. Around dinner he really came alive and even asked for pizza. He kept it all down and really seemed "better" about 5pm. By that point Mrs March had decided she'd stay home to be safe so I went out. It was fun, good food and laughs and a much needed time away for me.

Sunday I get awoken to Littlest standing at my bedside. Mrs is no where to be found..its 6:30 am. Littlest says "Why is mommy sleeping on the bathroom floor". Oh fucking GREAT. I go to the bathroom and the window is open and Mrs is on the floor. She now has whatever the kids have had. She is having hot flashes, cramps, nausea..you name it. All told yesterday..she was on her feet for about 20 minutes. I figure, we deal..its moms turn to be sick. Grandmas boyfriend takes a shower and I go to the basement for something..and there is water fucking all over the place. The shower is leaking (thank goodness to the unfinished side of the basement). I ask them to be sure the curtain is pulled over etc and the fiancee tells me that the drain cover was over the drain for a portion and perhaps when he let that go, it did a rush causing the issue. Okay, lets be careful. Grandma takes a shower about 20 minutes later..and I go to the basement..and its fucking raining down there now. WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK??! I move laundry and try my best to clean up the water...oh yeah..its like 10:20am at this point.

The rest of the day I try to hide, but I can't. The kids need something every 20 minutes, they are bored, people are napping on the couch, people need to be quiet..Little is playing her new keyboard with no headphones on...its heaven on earth I tell you.

I get the kids outside for a bit by 2ish...we hang out, its really very mild out. They get bored, they fight and take turns crying about something. If I get in my car and drive off how long before people will notice?

Fast forward to dinner time. I am 1/2 way in to making dinner when the fiancee comes in "Oh I'll do this you go watch the game". Dude..I am almost done, I know where the stuff is, I know what my kids are having and how it needs to be cut and served.....gaaaaaaaaaaahhhh. He demands to make a salad to go w/the pasta..fine..but he sets up shop right in that "work space" you have on your counter. He is tossing everything in to this salad to boot..I say "Don't go crazy my kids don't usually eat salad (let alone one with all the shit you are putting in to it). Sure enough dinner is "average" at best and then they want to "clean up" again a nice gesture, but I'd rather do it. I hand wash a lot..but they put EVERYTHING in to the dishwasher. I wash pots and pans..they don't. I just think its a waste..so I'd rather hand wash..annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd people will leave me alone. I can't even do the DISHES with out being pissed off.

This morning (Monday) my alarm goes off and Mrs March is still in bed. The conversation goes as such..
me - You are not going to work today are you?
her - Well I might go in for a little while..
me - ummm take the day off...you were on your feet for less than 20 minutes yesterday
her - well I have stuff to do..
me - umm "stuff" can wait

After a few huffs and sighs she says
Why did you set the alarm so early?
me - well i figure I'd shower, get ready for work and be "around" to get breakfast out for the kids because I was not sure how you'd be feeling"
her - well if you go in early can you leave early?
me - I didn't make arrangements per se to leave say at 4:30.
her - well why go in early then?

Really...I couldn't get to work early enough today.

In the News

In the week between October 29 and November 4th amature golfer Curt Hocker scored 5 holes in one during golf games, including 2 in one round.

12 runners in the Boulder Colorado Naked Pumpkin Run may be forced to register as sex offenders. Over 150 people were in the run.

Of people earning more than $250,000 a year - the income level that would pay higher taxes in a Barack Obama presidency..52% voted for Obama, with 45% voting for McCain. - Slate.com

More than 129,000 children are awaiting adoption in foster homes, most of them are bypassed because they are black, over 6, or handicapped. - Washington Post

As of mid November, not a single of the 240,000 tickets to Obamas inauguration in Washington had been issued, but on line brokers are already asking $1,000 to $10,000 per seat. - LA Times.

The number of vacant houses in the US has hit 18.6 million. Almost 3% of all mortgages are at least three months in arrears, double the rate of year ago. LA Times.

Due to the hard times and people cutting back, Starbucks reported that its profits fell 97% in the latest quarter, to $5.4 Million. New York Times.

The Albuquerque Police department has been running classified ads in newspapers looking for informants. They are looking for people that "hang out with crooks" and will pay $50 for drug crime information and $700 for murder information.

A man in Topeka Kansas, who in 10 days won two cars in two separate contests also won tickets to a Chiefs game in a third contest.

A Wisconsin man was arrested for beating up a fellow bar patron who he believed was intentionally butchering a karakoe version of Dio's "Holy Diver".

The Federal Government has spent billions of dollars since 1992 to buy a fleet of 112,000 alt-fuel vehicles, but since there are so few suppliers of the fuels (ethanol for example) the "green" cars are powered by gasoline 92% of the time. Washington Post

Sarah Palin has been offered to write more than one dozen books, and has 800+ requests for interviews and appearances. 20 Foreign countries want to see her too..with all expenses paid. Associated Press

In 2006, the last year the figures were available, there were 515 arrests and 466 convictions among employees of the US Postal Service. Slate.com

Americans say they'll spend an average of $716 on holiday gifts this year, the least since 1989 and a 40% drop from 2005. ABC.com

49% of Americans say the US should not close the prison camp at Guantanamo....only 32% say it should be closed. Rasmussen.

Barack Obama has named 14 of the 24 cabinet and top staff members in his administration. At this point in their transitions, Bill Clinton had only one, while Reagan and Carter only had two. - New York Times.

Over 6200 Mexicans have died in drug related violence since early 2007, when Mexican president Felipe Calderon declared war on drug traffickers. That is more than the number of US casualties in Iraq. LA Times.

With millions of people expected for Obama's Inauguration on January 20th, the DC city council has passed legislation that will allow restaurants, bars and nightclubs to serve alcohol until 5am between January 17th and January 21st. - Washington Post.

Sorry..its a tradition around here...

Some things are a horrible tradition..this included. I've made the mistake of posting this every single christmas since starting this blog.

enjoy.

Oh..MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours.

I never want a day that is under 100 degrees...

Well it is Friday. So that must mean a few things..mostly the start to your day can be found with a new installment of Forgotten Disc Friday.

Another Christmas cd this week. Last year I did "Volume 1" and it was a big hit.

This will probably be the last FDF for the year.

As a note:
Not sure how many of you download stuff, but there have been a lot of cease and desist orders going around on mp3 sites..so grab em fast as they will be coming down quicker from now on.

Have a good week/weekend etc...
-March

I am alive..well kinda.

For the 1-2 readers I apologize for the lack of updates the last few days. Its been a hard week..and a project is due Monday as well.

I am fine..I am ready to blog..gotta work on my best of 2008 list for sure.

Hope all is well on your end of cyberspace.

-March

Why do I get bent out of shape????

Now before we dive in too far..i just want to say I love Mrs. March..this really has nothing to do with her (per se) but I wanted to put that out there.

Two times in the last week I have gotten slagged off, perhaps only slightly to some, but still it pisses me off..why I am not sure really.

Last week we had a holiday cookie contest. Basically it just an excuse to skip out of work for a bit, eat cookies and if you 'win' you get bragging rights. Last year I won 2 of the three categories.

So I am bringing my cookies up to the room and a woman asks me "Did you REALLY makes those or did your wife?"

Then today I had my stack of holiday cards and a co-worker says "Did you wife do all those?"

What the fuck..seriously. My wife does enough honestly (some days too much..all we did was clean the house yesterday). I digress.

I loathe the stereotype of dumb guys that can't do laundry or cook or whatever. We each pull our weight around the house. To that I loathe the stereotype that women can't change a tire for example....

The cookies, she had nothing to do with. This was a work thing for me and she had other stuff to do. The cards, well she took the picture of the kids and ordered them. Last night I sat and sealed them and did the labels, stamps etc. It is give and take.

Not sure why it angers me so much...i am not THAT helpless really.

Lift up your voice and sing...

Well it is Friday. So that must mean a few things..mostly the start to your day can be found with a new installment of Forgotten Disc Friday.

This week (and probably next) we will do some Christmas cds....so you decide.

As a note:
Not sure how many of you download stuff, but there have been a lot of cease and desist orders going around on mp3 sites..so grab em fast as they will be coming down quicker from now on.

Have a good week/weekend etc...
-March

Boris - Jerky's Providence RI December 6, 2008

My review w/some pictures can be found
here.

The Holidays are Here....

Charlie Brown Heavy Metal Christmas....
Kills me...so funny.

This is odd...

Okay..so you decide to cave and get your kid some Pop Tarts. They beg and beg and you decide that "today is the day" you'll let them have one. The package gets ripped open and I go to toss the wrapper away..

ummmm is it just me...or does that "hat" sorta look like something?? Ummm ahhh..

You gotta learn how to fall before you learn to fly

Well it is Friday. So that must mean a few things..mostly the start to your day can be found with a new installment of Forgotten Disc Friday.

As a note:
Not sure how many of you download stuff, but there have been a lot of cease and desist orders going around on mp3 sites..so grab em fast as they will be coming down quicker from now on.

I think next week and the week after we will look at some holiday records..we shall see.

Have a good week.
-March

My Christmas lights are up...

*not really..but this made me laugh.*

Unnecessary "jazzing"

Okay..lemme explain.

Today some co-workers and I walked to the cafeteria. We got coffee, water etc and then as we were leaving we saw Cinnamon Rolls.
"A" said - "Lets just go look at them...
So we look and sure enough it looked like there were raisins in them.

I said.."why do people do that..that is not needed..just give me a cinnamon roll"

That lead to a conversation that lasted a solid 15 minutes..and will probably continue through out the day.

Here are some things that we (D and A) sort of came up with..but its a work in progress.

Cinnamon Rolls - don't add anything to them.
Brownies - I like mine w/choc chips..but D+A don't..so its a 2-1 vote now.
Chicken/Tuna - just mayo..no celery etc...

D mentioned fried dough..he didn't like to dress them up w/sugar etc..but we sort of shunned that idea..

(man its all junk food..sorry!)

We need help..can you think of anything that that can fall under Unnecessary "jazzing"?

How does one define excellent???

I won't bore you all with the long lavish and lusty details of my weekend..but it was a blast from Thursday on.

Thanksgiving was great. Good food, family..what makes the holidays worth it.

Friday - I worked and it was a pretty quiet. I got things done (well some) and hit the road for 5:30. Mrs March and I had a date with 2 friends that are somewhat local and friend of mine from elementary school who was up from Florida for our 20th reunion on Saturday. We went to Chloe: An American Bistro and it was amazing. Our reservation was for 7:30 and we left at 12:30am! (trust me that is late). We had amazing food, great wine..good conversation. Awesome. A good friend of mine is the chef, owner. Stop by, say hi and tell him I sent you.

Saturday - the marches spend the night at Grandma/Grandpa Marches place and they were asleep when I left Friday morning..so I was missing them. I got some holiday lights up, then headed to my parents. I played and hung with the kids before getting my buddy and then heading to the reunion.

Some folks don't care for them, but I don't mind them. Good times..great laughs...really fun. I won a trivia contest (what was the #1 album in 1988...Joshua Tree). Got me a $10 card for Dunkin Donuts...ummm donuts. The reunion ended at 11:30 so we hit the hotel bar, then went to a classmates house. I gave another classmate a ride home and headed home. Head on pillow...2:55am.

Sunday I was up pretty early and thank god NOT hung over. I could use a nap..but I was in good shape really. Sort of laid low most of the day and Little March and I went to the Providence Bruins game (they won on OT). My head hit the pillow at 10pm and I was asleep at 10:00:01.

Monday I was off for working Friday. Christmas shopping is about 98% done...home by 2pm..watched "Hancock"..made dinner for the wife and kids...in bed about 10 after I watched Shrek the Halls and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Great weekend..a little fast for my liking when they are good..and I don't want them all to be like that..that would take away from them being so special..but awesome all around.