Back from the brink....

Yes, I remember that I have a blog to update.  Yes, I know I promised you all the next installment of "Puppy Dogs and Tridents."  So, here you go.

Puppy Dogs of the week--or last few weeks as it were:
1- Denise's birthday.  We had a rollicking good time this past Friday.  Bunch of us all got together for some Tapas (boy did we eat the hell out of some Tapas), then drinks at Blue.  It was a blast.  Good food.  Good people.  Good fun.  In addition--I normally suck at getting thoughtful gifts.  I'm good at getting dumb gifts, and I do like giving gifts to people, however, I suck at the "thoughtful" part.  As my uncle James is fond of saying, I think I nutted it this year.

2-Student Teaching.  Having a blast still.  Our first concert is Tuesday the 22nd.  We're performing pops music.  I get to conduct a lot.  It's going to be fun!

3-ISBE testing.  Done.  Passed.  Take that awkwardly worded questions.

4-3DS.  Played it.  Loved it.  So will you.

5-Prepping for BACONFEST.  50/50 burger anyone?  Hells yes.  Bacon wrapped chicken and dates?  Hells yes.  Bacon rice krispie treats?  Better be there!

Tridents to the Heart--

1-ISBE testing.  Yes, I passed.  But hell's bells.  It was only when I found out that questions had multiple "correct answers" did everything make sense to me.  WOW.

2-Last Friday at work.  UGH.  I can handle "difficult customers."  Really, I can.  However, last Friday was the "Yell at Erich day for no reason--and do it repeatedly, by the way."  I don't want to get into details, however, let's just say I could have told each person that walked in that they won a million dollars and still have gotten yelled at.  It was one of those days.

3-Mother Nature.  Seriously.  What the hell.  I have watched over and over all the footage from Japan, slack-jawed at the sheer scale of the destruction.  It's like a car-wreck.  I can't look away.  I keep on watching and watching and watching.  Seriously.  What the hell. If I had several Trillion dollars to give to the Japanese people to rebuild their lives I would give it in a heartbeat.

4-Lack of Money.  Why don't I have several Trillion dollars to give to the Japanese people?  Why don't I have several thousand dollars to pay both Denise and my bills?

5-Laundry.  I HATE laundry.  HATE HATE HATE laundry.  I do enjoy being clean and wearing clean clothes.  You can see the problem.  Denise and I have recently found a good cheap laundromat.  You can imagine, though, the "social element" that an establishment like this draws...and the various scents that are emanated from those same persons.  America at its finest I assure you.

That's all I wrote today.

Hope your day is...well.  [well enough to not have to write about....]

...on becoming a 1950s husband

For those not in the know, I am a very busy man of late.

Not busy in the sense, oh, I have to go to work, then come home busy--busy in the sense of I am student teaching AND working at the same time.

What does this mean?  Here's a breakdown for you...

Denise wakes me up at 530am on her way out.  Some days I wake up when she does [445--which really sucks]
I rouse myself, shower, eat my cereal, I'm out the door at 715am.
Drive to Brimfield [Monday through Friday], there by 740am.
Student teach until 3-320pm.
Drive back to Peoria--straight to work by 345pm.
Work until 915-930pm.
Drive home, there by 930-945.
Eat dinner.
Go to sleep by 1030pm.

Weekends?  Work all Saturday and most Sundays.

Days off?

Relaxation?

HAH!

What does this have to do with anything beyond a self-pity party?
1-I am always EXHAUSTED.  I'm not tired.  Tired is, oh--I think I should lay down and go to bed.  Exhausted is nodding off while driving home.
2-I get to see my beautiful wife all of about 20-30 minutes a day.  This sucks.  I miss spending quality time with Denise.
3-Denise has had to learn to fend for herself food-wise.
3a--Denise is teaching herself how to cook.

It is wonderful to be able to come home after a hella-long day of student teaching and work and have a left-over meal that my wife has prepared waiting for me.  I love it!  The kicker is, Denise has never really cooked before.  Sure, simple things here and there.  But meals?  No.  Not really.

Yesterday was fantastic.  She made a scratch potato soup [normally, I don't like potato soup--hers was really good] and scratch made apple turnovers.  Those turnovers were fantastic!  I am such a proud working husband!  I can walk in after 14 hours and greet my wife now and proudly ask "What's for dinner?" and there will actually be food for me, not the laughter that usually accompanied it before.

It is a simple pleasure.

I love it.


[I added this picture for my uncle. Enjoy.]