Amanda and I have locked in the preacher, the music, the people, the tux & dress, the hair, the food, most of the money, parents, all that jazz. Just waiting now! Thanks to everyone! All the help, the room & board, the kisses from Maggie most of all. See you tomorrow and Saturday!!!
JB
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Sorry about the Month Off
I know it has been a long time since I last posted. I suppose the storm before the wedding has claimed a victim. I know why most people stay together, they are afraid to go through this again. Amanda has been an amazing companion / partner /ally during this whole process. Not much to update on though, life as usual. I have been really busy at work, I did complete my 10,000th appraisal today, pretty cool, less than 40% of buyers have done that many. I get a shiney new clipboard and a polo shirt. We have been watching the Sheild with the Millers every week or so, we started from the begining and are a few discs into season two.... what an amazing show. That is pretty much what we do with our lack of free time... I ride my bike around Evanston, we watch the shield and hang out with Jenni or the Millers and we go into the city. I am very excited, I have a hot date tomorrow... Amanda and I are going to go on a date for the first time in a very long time, it might be the last date with my fiance, next time I will take my wife! I look very forward to seeing my family and friends in two weeks or so. Much love!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Mini Cooper Day
Hello, you must follow the most depressing day of the American year (9-11) with the coolest day of the year!!!! HAPPY MINI COOPER DAY to everyone. I suppose I will post pictures of mi Mini tomorrow! Much love, Let's Motor!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Wedding Invites
Okay, I absolutely have to clear this up before I forget to show up in two months! People, NOT ALL INVITES HAVE BEEN MAILED YET!!! The invitation has an easy rip off card that you can fill out and throw right back in the mail box. If not, call me, if you don't have my number, you probably weren't invited anyway! Sorry if this sounds a little punchy, but please let me know if you have any issues or concerns, call me directly. Thanks!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Dreams
I think I finally figured out what the difference between adults and children is. Dreams. When we stop acting in ways that are consistent with following our dreams, we are then acting mature. When a kid skips school to skateboard with his or her friends, that is a childish act. In the child’s mind however, they aspire to be a professional skateboarder like Tony Hawk.
The sad thing is that we all tell the kid that even someone like Tony Hawk wouldn’t have made it without going to school, we all know that to be bullshit. Ask everyone’s favorite dropout, Mr. Bill Gates, I think he is worth a bazillion dollars now.
I constantly look back and remember how grand my dreams once were. I guess that remembering is what makes me feel like an adult. I don’t chase my dreams any more, I might throw a passing interest at something related to them, that’s it. How do we get to this point in our lives?
I used to think that I was going to be a judge, or a lawyer, a lobbyist, or most likely a politician. I was going to leverage my power and knowledge and change the way the world works. I was going to help lead this country in a direction of prosperity and equality. I was going to make this world the best place it has ever been in history.
I am now a middle manager in a retail chain. I can’t even change the way my company does things without jumping through 800 hoops, when I get to the last hoop, I am pretty sure I will be too tired to remember why I started jumping in the first place. Please to not take this as a complaint against my job. It challenges me, it provides for my fiancé and I, it offers me opportunities to lead and develop others. I am thankful for the move they paid for and the amount of responsibility they put into my hands on a daily basis. That being said, I am still a middle manager in a retail chain.
I know that I am lazy and I can only blame myself for that. I should have taken more opportunities that were put in front of me. I slacked, hard core slacked! Instead of seeking help or tutoring, I let myself fail statistics in college. In lieu of trying it again and conquering my lifelong fear of math, I simply changed my major. It was clear to my History professors then as it is to me now that I should have been a Political Science major or maybe Business, because I am no historian!
Brings me full circle doesn’t it? I said I should have majored in business, now I manage a business worth tens of millions monthly. I have accepted that I will never be well-connected nor financed enough to be a politician. I do feel that I am smart enough be some of the above jobs I have mentioned. If I get there though, I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be disappointed by who I am then. Part of what I dreamed about is not what I would do or how much I make, but rather how I would feel.
I am cynical enough to know that when I got done at the end of a hard day’s work as a judge or a lawyer, that justice was in somehow compromised in my hands. Some of the wicked would get away and some innocent lives would bear that hairshirt. I would not feel like I was saving the world but jut bartering another day of its existence. If I were a politician, beholden to those who got me there and those who want to keep me there, I would loose sight of my ambitions and forget who I am supposed to represent. I would grow tired of hearing my own words because I wouldn’t know who they belonged to.
Back again to me today, I suppose I am in pretty good shape. I can be myself most of the time at work and I provide a good living for my family. I just need to find something fulfilling to take care of the void I feel for forgetting to change the world every day.
The sad thing is that we all tell the kid that even someone like Tony Hawk wouldn’t have made it without going to school, we all know that to be bullshit. Ask everyone’s favorite dropout, Mr. Bill Gates, I think he is worth a bazillion dollars now.
I constantly look back and remember how grand my dreams once were. I guess that remembering is what makes me feel like an adult. I don’t chase my dreams any more, I might throw a passing interest at something related to them, that’s it. How do we get to this point in our lives?
I used to think that I was going to be a judge, or a lawyer, a lobbyist, or most likely a politician. I was going to leverage my power and knowledge and change the way the world works. I was going to help lead this country in a direction of prosperity and equality. I was going to make this world the best place it has ever been in history.
I am now a middle manager in a retail chain. I can’t even change the way my company does things without jumping through 800 hoops, when I get to the last hoop, I am pretty sure I will be too tired to remember why I started jumping in the first place. Please to not take this as a complaint against my job. It challenges me, it provides for my fiancé and I, it offers me opportunities to lead and develop others. I am thankful for the move they paid for and the amount of responsibility they put into my hands on a daily basis. That being said, I am still a middle manager in a retail chain.
I know that I am lazy and I can only blame myself for that. I should have taken more opportunities that were put in front of me. I slacked, hard core slacked! Instead of seeking help or tutoring, I let myself fail statistics in college. In lieu of trying it again and conquering my lifelong fear of math, I simply changed my major. It was clear to my History professors then as it is to me now that I should have been a Political Science major or maybe Business, because I am no historian!
Brings me full circle doesn’t it? I said I should have majored in business, now I manage a business worth tens of millions monthly. I have accepted that I will never be well-connected nor financed enough to be a politician. I do feel that I am smart enough be some of the above jobs I have mentioned. If I get there though, I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be disappointed by who I am then. Part of what I dreamed about is not what I would do or how much I make, but rather how I would feel.
I am cynical enough to know that when I got done at the end of a hard day’s work as a judge or a lawyer, that justice was in somehow compromised in my hands. Some of the wicked would get away and some innocent lives would bear that hairshirt. I would not feel like I was saving the world but jut bartering another day of its existence. If I were a politician, beholden to those who got me there and those who want to keep me there, I would loose sight of my ambitions and forget who I am supposed to represent. I would grow tired of hearing my own words because I wouldn’t know who they belonged to.
Back again to me today, I suppose I am in pretty good shape. I can be myself most of the time at work and I provide a good living for my family. I just need to find something fulfilling to take care of the void I feel for forgetting to change the world every day.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Detroit
I went to Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Dearborn Michigan this week. With the exception of Ann Arbor, you can skip the rest on your to do list of American cities to see.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
I have my days...
You know there are those days when I just want to come home. I miss my family and friends. The website that has given me the most comfort during these rocky transitions has got to be THE WEATHER CHANNEL!!! Holy cow Charlottians! You know there are places on earth where it isn't 98-105 every day in July & August. In fact it was a balmy 72 last Saturday.
In all seriousness, this is all still a work in progress. I have to help Amanda with her transition. I remember when the 2nd and 3rd months rolled by and some of the new wore off and lonliness set in. That is when I went about the task of making friends. Jenny was an absolute god-send when it came to getting my butt out of the apartment. Amanda is getting to know my small but very valuable group of friends that I/we have made. We hang out at the Miller's house about every Sunday and watch movies, eat, shoot the junk, and mostly play with their 6 month old. I think it is neat that we have friends that in the short time that we have known them are wanting to come to our wedding and be apart of our special day.
So wedding planning and counseling are abound this weekend. I think this is where I get my "Wife Instruction Manual." Correct me if I am wrong, but in a 4 hour class they are going to teach me everything I need to know about how to be a good husband. I cannot believe more people don't take this class, there would certainly be much less divorce.*
Since the cruise things have been back to the status quo. We have gone out a few times and danced, drank, and were merry. Amanda continues her job hunt, she has decided to expand outside the educational field. Please wish /pray her luck.
*okay, so did anyone pick up on the sarcasm, that is paraphrased on how important the letter made this class sound to the future of our marraige.
In all seriousness, this is all still a work in progress. I have to help Amanda with her transition. I remember when the 2nd and 3rd months rolled by and some of the new wore off and lonliness set in. That is when I went about the task of making friends. Jenny was an absolute god-send when it came to getting my butt out of the apartment. Amanda is getting to know my small but very valuable group of friends that I/we have made. We hang out at the Miller's house about every Sunday and watch movies, eat, shoot the junk, and mostly play with their 6 month old. I think it is neat that we have friends that in the short time that we have known them are wanting to come to our wedding and be apart of our special day.
So wedding planning and counseling are abound this weekend. I think this is where I get my "Wife Instruction Manual." Correct me if I am wrong, but in a 4 hour class they are going to teach me everything I need to know about how to be a good husband. I cannot believe more people don't take this class, there would certainly be much less divorce.*
Since the cruise things have been back to the status quo. We have gone out a few times and danced, drank, and were merry. Amanda continues her job hunt, she has decided to expand outside the educational field. Please wish /pray her luck.
*okay, so did anyone pick up on the sarcasm, that is paraphrased on how important the letter made this class sound to the future of our marraige.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Cruise Wrap Up
All said and done, we had a fabulous time! Thank you to Aunt Claire for this fabulous wedding present. I highly suggest this cruise to anyone, maybe a 7 day version without St. John, but it was fun. I cannot wait to go on another one.
Cruise Day Ten
Waking up at 5:30am to disembark started the day off on a wonderful note. We had our luggage sent down the night before and they were to call us by color to get off the ship. This was to ensure a nice orderly departure. My cold had gotten worse as Amandas seemed to improve as the day wore on. We got off the boat, loaded the 700lbs of luggage into the van and headed back to Aunt Claire's house. We ate some lunch, said our goodbyes, to the airport we go.
We had some time and got through security quickly. Ate a little dinner and got some Tylenol Cold. My sinus' were so stopped up that I knew what was coming on the plane. I was right. The relief I felt as we got to cruising altitude was reversed 10 fold as we came down. My ears had long popped and I just wanted to stick a pen in my ear and pop my ear drumbs to relieve the pressure. So glad to be home though, oh, damn.... I forgot.
We boarded the orange line at about 9:45pm. Transferred to the Red line at the same time that lalapalooza was letting out. So there is Amand and I, me sick with sinus crap, each holding 70lbs of bags, with thousands of stoners asking if we had any pot. This days was just getting better. Amanda fought hard on the train first and scored us some seats. She kicked ass! it was crowded all the way up to Loyola, I guess all the students went to the show that day.
In bed at 1:00am. Never to take the train from home to Midway again!
(Note: We traveled by boat, car, plane, and train in one day!)
We had some time and got through security quickly. Ate a little dinner and got some Tylenol Cold. My sinus' were so stopped up that I knew what was coming on the plane. I was right. The relief I felt as we got to cruising altitude was reversed 10 fold as we came down. My ears had long popped and I just wanted to stick a pen in my ear and pop my ear drumbs to relieve the pressure. So glad to be home though, oh, damn.... I forgot.
We boarded the orange line at about 9:45pm. Transferred to the Red line at the same time that lalapalooza was letting out. So there is Amand and I, me sick with sinus crap, each holding 70lbs of bags, with thousands of stoners asking if we had any pot. This days was just getting better. Amanda fought hard on the train first and scored us some seats. She kicked ass! it was crowded all the way up to Loyola, I guess all the students went to the show that day.
In bed at 1:00am. Never to take the train from home to Midway again!
(Note: We traveled by boat, car, plane, and train in one day!)
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