What in hell is everyone up to?

[pensodyssey]

I mean, the board gets dead in the summer, but damn.

[jonzr]

Work, etc.  My summer garden is coming along nicely with tomatoes (four varieties, two are heirloom), yellow squash, okra, peppers (jalapeno, banana and cayenne), green beans and two watermelon plants.  Being all domestic and shit.

[Finnegans Wake]

Work, etc.  Trying to whip the yard into shape (this year... for realz!), myself into shape, the usual.  30th class reunion about a month from now, would like to drop another 10 pounds.  Messed up my foot so wasn't running as much, but trying to get back into it now.  Books: House of Leaves (lunchtime), Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue (crapper).  Music:  Not much new, just the punk rotation for running.  Some Kills and Dead Weather, Radio Birdman, a couple of others off of iTunes. 

Have the furnace install coming up soon, so joyous to be dropping a chunk of change there.  Also had some car body work not covered by insurance, doing my best to stay poor but keep the economy afloat.  Some family stuff this weekend, a local artsfest/film fest, and undoubtedly some grillin'.  Great aunt died, so her ceremony is coming up.  Funny lady, lived to 95, bodes not well for all of you that so many of my family live so long.  You'll all be dead and gone and I'll still be here posting about midget hookers.

Not much else. 

[aj_law]

Work issues; house issues; health issues; kids are at each other's throat every damn day it seems.

On the bright side, I did end up getting a new ride.  Makes the morning/afternoon commute slightly enjoyable...so there's that.

[otismalibu]

Been busy helping Brinker with the move.

[Finnegans Wake]

health issues

Uhh, that doesn't sound good...

[Y2Joyce]

Mostly drinking.

[Finnegans Wake]

Mostly drinking.

That's a given.

[jonzr]

Mostly drinking.

That's a given.

Y2J loves his Tab ™

[SCacalaki]

Work, kid.

Going to Pittsburgh and Latrobe this weekend for the Steelers Men's Fantasy Camp.  Weather looks like it will be in the 60's in Latrobe Saturday and Sunday.

Trying to do more travel this summer.  Got back from a week at the beach in Chas, SC two weeks ago.  Will hit the Delaware beaches in mid-June.  Hope to make a run to Pittsburgh in July to see family.  A week in W. Palm Beach in August or September.  The kid flies free on Southwest til she is two years old (just hit the one year mark last week) so we are trying to get travel dates set up.

Got back in to doing the Insanity workout.  Saw good results after 3 weeks of only doing it 3-4 times a week (program is structured for six days a week).  Still lifting weights though not as frequently as I did prior to the arrival of our kid.

Life in the DC area is fine.  Work is good.  Still working in health care and do not foresee a change there. 

Hoping the Steelers will eventually cut Scott and sign Starks.  I would rather gamble on Starks' knee than Ben's blindside.  I am fine with the Adams pick but do not have faith he can handle LT this year.  Read that Starks is working out at the Steelers' facility.

[aj_law]

Trying to do more travel this summer.  Got back from a week at the beach in Chas, SC two weeks ago.  Will hit the Delaware beaches in mid-June.  Hope to make a run to Pittsburgh in July to see family.  A week in W. Palm Beach in August or September.  The kid flies free on Southwest til she is two years old (just hit the one year mark last week) so we are trying to get travel dates set up.

Can we trade vacation funds?

 

Good to hear that all is well.

[Big Virgil]

The kiddo's are 15 and 13 (14 in two weeks), both are girls, nuff said.  They are finishing 9th and 8th grades.  Both are getting ready for upcoming trips.  Mrs. BV has been traveling, and cancelled one trip when she rolled her vehicle twice on the way to the airport.  Extremely fortunate that she walked away from it.  No broken bones or anything.  Gashed her leg pretty good and had pretty bad whiplash, so neck and shoulders were pretty sore.  Sooooo, there was an unplanned vehicle purchase recently (why I'm gonna . . . ), on the heels of a vehicle purchase 8 months ago (*@!#) which was the final push to re-fi the house.  12 yrs left on a 5.25% 20 yr fixed, so for the re-fi I combined 1st and 2nd on a 15 yr fixed at 3%, and am saving some large every month.  Enough to more than offset the recent vehicle purchase.

As far as me, I'm just the dad which means I don't have say on anything, am the only one that will say no to anything, which really means everything, and I just drive people around.

Have been riding the bike when I can.  Last two times out on the bike I recorded my best times on each of those rides, so I can't complain much.  Today and tomorrow are the last days of school, so I should be able to get in more bike riding since I don't have to pick up and take said young-lings somewhere else just about every freakin day.  Last time I weighed, I was tipping the scale at 223, which is pretty decent.  Keeping it under control, but not eating as well as I would like and not exercising as much as I should.

That's all I got.  Looking forward to summer and a reduced schedule for a coupla months.

[kluisi61]

Trying to do more travel this summer.  Got back from a week at the beach in Chas, SC two weeks ago.  Will hit the Delaware beaches in mid-June.  Hope to make a run to Pittsburgh in July to see family.  A week in W. Palm Beach in August or September.  The kid flies free on Southwest til she is two years old (just hit the one year mark last week) so we are trying to get travel dates set up.

Such a relative term when dealing with flying with children in my experience. It may not cost you money, but it will probably cost you in other ways (like lifespan).

[SCacalaki]

Well I just have one so coordinating the flight time with nap time is easier.

No vacation since Sept 2010 so we have been saving $ and vacation time.

[aj_law]

The kiddo's are 15 and 13 (14 in two weeks), both are girls, nuff said.  

My condolences.

Mrs. BV has been traveling, and cancelled one trip when she rolled her vehicle twice on the way to the airport.  Extremely fortunate that she walked away from it.  No broken bones or anything.  Gashed her leg pretty good and had pretty bad whiplash, so neck and shoulders were pretty sore.

 

Holy fuckin' shit!  Helluva way to start a trip.  Very glad to hear that she's OK (generally).  The fact that she walked away is amazing.  Gotta be a German vehicle.

As far as me, I'm just the dad which means I don't have say on anything, am the only one that will say no to anything, which really means everything, and I just drive people around.

LDO.

[aj_law]

The kiddo's are 15 and 13 (14 in two weeks), both are girls, nuff said.  

My condolences.

Forgot to add, please take copious notes and pass the information along when you get the chance.  I dread the tween/teen years...

[Big Virgil]

Thanks AJ.  Wife's vehicle, which I don't personally care for, was that small Lexus SUV, RX300 (2002).  Now they are all RX350's.  It is waaay too small inside for me and it has a pretty high center of gravity for a small wheelbase.  Having said that, the structure was in tact after rolling a coupla times, so I can't complain about that.  The '02 only had the "steering wheel airbag" that didn't deploy since there was no impact to the front end.  She absolutely loved that vehicle and wanted the same vehicle as a replacement.  We found one a few years old with low mileage, yada yada yada.  It has the full compliment of airbags (side, legs, etc.)

The girls are pretty good and not night-mareish yet.  The older one is young for her age, so she is still pretty easy, but moody.  The younger one is like her mother, full of spice, and will be a real tester.  She is smart and going to a high school with an IB program (she will be in the IB program (International Baccalaureate <comprehensive AP curriculum>.  I don't think that's just a local CO thing?), so hopefully that will keep her busy and minimize shenanigans.

In addition to saying no, I am an SOB, don't know anything about anything (I'm generally stupid, and even moreso to the 15 yr old who thinks I'm an incomprehensible ogre because she can't open her bedroom window when it is raining sideways), and an over arching tyrant.  She also expects to be driving a newer vehicle than my 2002 Volvo sedan.  LMAO.  I was thrilled to drive a 12 year old Oldsmobile when it was made available to me.  Cuz I'm going to provide something newer and nicer than my daily driver for a new driver that will be in an accident within a week of driving on her own.  This text box doesn't allow enough characters to cover the tip of this topic. 

Did I mention I need to spend more time riding my bike?

[jonzr]

Cuz I'm going to provide something newer and nicer than my daily driver for a new driver that will be in an accident within a week of driving on her own. 

My wife doesn't understand this logic.  I won in the end though.  But the price helped (free car from my mom).

This text box doesn't allow enough characters to cover the tip of this topic. 

No.  No, it doesn't.

[Big Virgil]

Amen brotha.

[otismalibu]

The Chinese have it right.

[pensodyssey]

The Chinese have it right.

Put the girls in the trash?

[Finnegans Wake]

The Chinese have it right.

Put the girls in the trash?

See, and here I thought he was referring to the state subsidizing the solar industry.  WTF do I know?

[Finnegans Wake]

Went to Ft. Indiantown Gap National Cemetery on Memorial Day to leave some flowers at Mrs. FW's father's marker.  As we entered, they had meticulously laid out 7,000+ flags for the servicemen and women who died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  One of those moments that really hits you in the gut.  We get numb to certain things, what with the news cycles obsessing with Donald Trump's birther bullshit and the usual parade of assfuckery.  Friend of mine's BiL lost his legs in Afghanistan ~ a month ago; his replacement is coming him a quadripalegic. 

Bin Laden's dead.  We're fighting some drone war.  WTF do we need boots on the ground for?  Are we doing anything except being IED targets?

[jonzr]

Bin Laden's dead.  We're fighting some drone war.  WTF do we need boots on the ground for?  Are we doing anything except being IED targets?

Still making a butt load of money for the war industry, that's why.