Year In Review

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? Became a father to the most amazing little girl ever. There are some negatives I won't mention here but they are pretty embarrassing. Took a job outside of the automotive industry.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I almost always say I am going to lose weight, yet near the holidays I end up about the same weight. I will post numbers, this year I hit my all time highest weight of 301 lbs. This year I also weighed as little as 258. I need to focus more on health than the numbers. I am back in the middle of those numbers but even on the low end, it will kill me. So, moving ahead, I will run a 10k, maybe two of them. I will do my best to get my blood pressure and cholesterol down.

3. Did anyone close to you have a child? Well yes, my wife had one. She is amazing too! My friend Christina had one, found out my friend Ashley is preggers, neighbors had one, actually, a few were born in the neighborhood.

4. Did anyone close to you die? We weren't close but my first boss Jim died, he was only 57.

5. Where did you travel? Sunset Beach, that was all. We did have a baby. Hoping to head to PA this year sometime.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? More satisfaction and less frustration with my job. A happier disposition.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory? I would have to say June 27th for sure. That is National Tinky Bums Day! My epic birthday party bashed where I partied like I was in college, also in 1999.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? My 4.0 GPA in grad school. Getting a new job with 10% unemployment in the area.

9. What was your biggest failure? A list so fast cannot fit on Al Gore's Interwebs.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I got sicker than I have ever been in my adult life. I went to the ER twice and Urgent Care once. Only the third time was the proper treatment finally rendered. I had never missed more than two days of work at a time from illness, I was gone a whole week. I missed a trip to Chicago for Brent's wedding. My mommy took care of me. Certainly a low point.

11. What was the best thing you bought? iPhone 4S. Thought I might also say that I am really enjoying my Bostonian saddle bucks.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Barack Obama's, he ended Don't Ask Don't Tell.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Me

14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage, baby, automobiles, credit cards, SCHOOL.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Virginia's birth! Her first Christmas was epic too! Even though she had no clue what was going on, I really enjoyed putting together her Cozy Coupe late at night on Christmas Eve.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011? "You Run Away" BNL

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? Much happier! Fatter, Equally Poor.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Spending time with my family, figured it out toward the end of the year but they are great people, great fun, and very supportive.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Focusing on my wants and needs and being generally selfish.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? We spent the last year doing the typical four christmases, we are done with that shit! Next year, Christmas Dinner at our house, if you want to see VA, then make the trip to the HVL.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011? I did, rediscovered love too.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Parks and Recreation, How I Met Your Mother

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I hope I hate less.

24. What was the best book you read? I enjoyed reading about many things, mostly about business. I guess the Harvard Business Journal and the Economist.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Avenue Q, God I still miss Weekend Excursion!

26. What did you want and get? A new job, iPhone.

28. What did you want and not get? A house at the beach and a pile of money.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Super 8, the Help, Rio, Hangover 2.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 30 and I do not remember. I got drunk like a college kid.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Skipping the bad decisions.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? Clean, weight/age appropriate.

33. What kept you sane? D and M at CBC. Amanda at home, and Zoloft of course.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Emma Stone

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Don't Ask Don't Tell repealed, but really the House and their refusal to do their job, I hope November shows them that ideals without compromise is dictatorship.

36. Who did you miss? Uncle, sad he missed Tinky.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Tinky!

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. That when you fuck up, don't run away from everyone, admit it, your family loves you more than you think they do.

Welcome 2012

I don't have resolutions as much as a renewed zeal and appreciation for the life I lead.

2011 was a year of great ups and downs for me. I reached my highest highs and sank to my lowest lows. I welcomed my daughter into this world with arms wide open. I have never loved before until I met Virginia. My Panda gave me a beautiful daughter and saw me through the darkest times. I dedicate 2012 to my wife and with her in mind chase my next chapter in life with some little goals.

1. Be an outstanding husband. That includes being a faithful, understanding, patient, and loving man. I will remind her how beautiful she is, everyday, because everyday I find something that is more gorgeous than the day before.

2. Be an outstanding father. I really enjoy being Tinky's daddy. It is by far the best job I have ever had. The pay sucks, the hours suck, the benefits are enormous.

3. Find some fulfillment through work. My last few years at CarMax, my year and a half at CarBuyCo were filled with some successes and some horrible times. I brought many on myself but also they were lessons in trusting the wrong people with your feeling, ambitions, and goals. I know the kind of people I don't want to work with anymore, those that act like 13 year old girls when things aren't going their way, those who are intellectually challenged, and those that are so rude they don't even care when they've betrayed the trust of someone else.

4. I am going to run a 10k, the Cooper Bridge Run in Charleston, SC.

5. I am going to be a bit healthier, a bit lighter, and a bit smarter this time next year. Tinky deserves a smart Dad who will be here a while.

Baby is coming!

UNCLE - May Angels Lead You In

My Uncle Rege passed away yesterday afternoon. I was at work when my cousin David called me and told me something was up. By the time I had called my mom, she let me know he was gone. A really stunning wrap up to the Thanksgiving weekend. That being said I give thanks for many things.

First, the way he passed. Uncle passed away in his big chair, watching movies, and by all signs, quietly. I am so thankful he didn't have to go to a hospital, endure a long ambulance ride, or he didn't have to go to any long term care. I am thankful that he set a good example for "making the rounds" before leaving. He got to visit most of his siblings this year and see his grandkids get old enough to remember him. I am very thankful that I got to hug him goodbye thanksgiving and tell him that I love him, cause I really do.

Second, I am thankful for his life and lessons that he taught me. My dad left when I was 12 years old. From day one, day one, he was there. We worked a celtic festival while my dad moved his stuff out. I have a picture, if I find it I will post it, me in a kilt / sweatpants but I thought it was cool, cause that is what Uncle wore. Even after I knew it wasn't cool, I still wore it because it was what Uncle wore. Uncle taught me how to work hard and long hours. I traveled with him from Indiana and Ligonier down to Stone Mountain, selling music at the Celtic Trader. He made me deal with the 16-18 hour days but we also had a lot of fun. He taught me how to work for a mean boss ;-). He never failed you remind you of a funny story. I will share two:

1. Christmas of 1984, a really warm Christmas, on Christmas Eve we had finished decorating a our tree and my mom looked at the ceiling and noticed a praying mantis, then another and another. They had hatched in the tree on Christmas Eve. Uncle had to come help my mom get the tree out of the house. Uncle was dragging our Christmas tree into the woods while Andy and I sat in the window and cried. We begged him not to throw away our Christmas tree. The following Easter he called my mom and said "Go ahead and tell them I ran over the Easter Bunny this morning." He felt horrible.

2. At the Wolftrap Celtic Music Festival we were hanging up signs and banners inside the tent in a really tall part. So tall that he had to use a ladder. I was holding the ladder when the butt end of a cordless screwdriver clocked me on the side of the head. I fell over but got back up, once I woke up, and got back to work. Uncle and I laughed about it and would continue to do so, even at Thanksgiving dinner Thursday night. On the RARE occasion that I would say something smart-alec-y he would be happy to remind me of the screw driver.

I am thankful for our long talks on random nights. I am thankful that he would call me at weird hours, just to chat. I am thankful that we had 5 years of Charlotte/Duquesne games, home and away, to spend together. I am sad year 6 will never come.

So here is to a varsity member of my "dad-by-committee" team! Here is to the tall & kilted! Here is to Uncle! May angels lead you in.

Hear You Me - Jimmy Eat World

There's no one in town I know
You gave us some place to go.
I never said thank you for that.
I thought I might get one more chance.

What would you think of me now,
so lucky, so strong, so proud?
I never said thank you for that,
now I'll never have a chance.

May angels lead you in.
Hear you me my friends.
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.
May angels lead you in.

So what would you think of me now,
so lucky, so strong, so proud?
I never said thank you for that,
now I'll never have a chance.

May angels lead you in.
Hear you me my friends.
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.
May angels lead you in.
May angels lead you in.
May angels lead you in.

And if you were with me tonight,
I'd sing to you just one more time.
A song for a heart so big,
God wouldn't let it live.

May angels lead you in.
Hear you me my friends.
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.
May angels lead you in.

May angels lead you in.
Hear you me my friends.
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.
May angels lead you in.
May angels lead you in.

Happy Week

I have to admit, I rarely miss this blog, I hardly think about it. I don't know if has been the lack of good news in the world, in my our community, or in my life. This past week has given me a lot to smile about in the outside world.

The first thing I am really happy about is the judge in California ruling that Prop 8 is unconstitutional. I think that freedom and equality are THE two attributes that are the foundation of this country. Without them, I feel, this isn't the United States of America. I am so stoked that, if the ruling holds up, that everyone will have the freedom to have a marriage that is equal to mine in every way.

If the above paragraph offends you, I will offer the courteous advice to stop reading now. I think Jesus would have allowed all people to have a marriage, regardless.

I was also really excited at the plugging of the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. It is about time, I hope that the coastlines will recover. I was also happy to see Kagan get confirmed, I like that she isn't a judge. I think sometimes you have to have academics to tackle problems with a different perspective and with a different attitude. She will not have the taint of prior cases heard to cloud her judgement.

Work is good, life is okay, things are alright. I look forward to more good news coming up. Shameless plug time: Friend my company's facebook page, look for CarBuyCo. Thanks!

Working

I have been working hard and ignoring this page a ton. I have school, and then I am working, then I go to school, then I work. Here is something I am working on, a CarBuyCo Facebook page, I hopefully can keep it interesting and interactive.

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I don't use this anymore

I guess either life has been to shitty to share OR I just value keeping a little more to myself than before. A mixture of both I guess.

I am back at the house, thanks mom for housing me for such a long time. I know I can always count on you. Amanda is in with her parents for a bit. We are working on things, I don't know how it will go, I really don't know how it is going. We will figure it out either way.

The neighborhood next door that had four houses in 2008 and until this month, had 4 houses in it this year. They have begun to build homes in the neighborhood next door in the same price point that our neighborhood is in, I guess that is good except it makes the selling landscape a bit more rocky. I really feel bad for the guy who paid $550,000 for a house and the neighborhood now builds from the low low 200's.

The new job rocks. I have enjoyed making a difference in the direction of a company. I feel very valued and I work harder than ever. Some days I sit down and I am late leaving for the day before I realize I missed lunch.

I am only taking one class this summer, I had to drop the Monday/Wednesday for my own sanity. I am so far very happy with my decision. We will see when December 2011 hits and I still have a semester to go.

Thats about it, I am good to go, don't you worry about me.

This entry is merely for posterity

Today= Worst day ever.

Tonight I went out on the town with my friend Josh. We did it up really big tonight! We went out to eat at the Rock Store BBQ. Delicious! We then busted the budget with a $1.50 movie. We saw Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness... completely predictable but good acting, good plot, and some nice fight scenes. Finally, we went to a bar in Mint Hill to play a little pool.

The funny thing was I used to pass this bar everyday on the way to school on 218. It was O'Neil's bar and I think it opened in the late 80's. I felt like I was in the middle of a Pearl Jam song. The lady behind the counter looked very familiar and I couldn't place her. Finally I said to Josh "I can't remember where I know her." Finally the conversation went like this:

me: How long have you live here?

her: All my life!

me: I haven't been back to Mint Hill in a while, I you are very familiar to me.

her: What school did you go to?

me: Clear Creek, Bain, Northeast, Independence.

her: Oh what year did you graduate.

me: 1999

her: shit, I graduated in 1984 so thanks for making me feel old.

me: sorry, where have you worked.

her: hell everywhere, I drove a bus for six years, worked at Tryon House, many places around town.

me: bus 27? Is your name Wilson?

her: 327! I loved that bus, I think it was the best one they ever built.

I love small town living sometimes. We both got a big kick. If you had told me 22 years ago I would be in a bar shooting pool and my bus driver would serve me a beer, I would ask you what beer tasted like.

10 Years

Today, I am "celebrating" 10 years with the country's leading used car superstore.

I started in my freshman year at UNCC as a Sales Consultant. I have been full time for nearly 7 years. I have done appraisals in 16 different stores, I have gotten to travel many different places, I have met many amazing people.

Here is to 10 years!!!