Spring has sprung

Everywhere I look I'm beginning to see the signs that point to the fact that Spring is here, or is at least ramping itself up for an explosion on the senses.  The grass is greener, fuller, in need of a first mowing of the year... VERY shortly.  The daffodils in the front landscaping are already reaching for the sky, and will be blooming any day now.  There's been rain, but it's of a sort that holds the promise of growth and a general cleanup of impact of Winter.  Another sure sign that Spring is upon us, is of course my allergies are flaring up, worse than before.  But it's a give and take thing I guess. 

With the coming of Spring, Little League baseball will get under way.  Cole finally committed to another year of lacing up the cleats and oiling up the mitt.  For once... I'm not coaching.  I'm going to spectate, and just enjoy the time.  Cheer when he plays well, and offer comfort and encouragement when he doesn't.  I'm looking forward to some positive "stuff." 

Also, even though there's still a lot of school time left, you already get the sense that it's coming to an end, and that the promise of Summer vacation is on the way.  Summer is my favorite time.  Hands Down!  Sun, heat, outside, pool, ocean, sand, cooking out, time spent with family and friends.  There is NO better time! 

I've been sticking to my workouts.  I'm running around 15 miles a week, consistently, and I'm lifting about 3 times a week as well.  I feel better, and think I look a little better too.  The belt has tightened a few notches and even a few people have made some comments.  AND not obese or fat-ass!  : P  Shut it Uncle June... just shut it! 

I've played some poker, but not obsessive.  It's been ages since I've fired up the PokerStars client to donk around, but I'm sure I will again.  Life has it's seasons, and all things have their time.  In the end though, it's all my time to do with as I will.  I'm glad to have shared this and many other things with you all. 

Enjoy life, go one, get out there.

Regards,

cheer_dad

P.S.  The next Texas Hold'em Tournament at the local Eagles Aerie is scheduled for April 9th, 2010.  Registration at 6pm, game time 7pm.  $20 gets you started.  Bring more for the cash games to follow, for your adult beverage of choice, and of course don't forget to tip your bartenders!

Thanks for the Stanwick's hospitality

Thank you Chris and Jill for welcoming us into your home once again for a night of poker!  Jill you should have played, but you were whipping up lotsa great stuff in the kitchen, so who were we to argue!  I played game one and chopped with Jim for 1st and 2nd.  Big Red had earlier been rivered, and was knocked out late in the tourney.  Knowing I had to work the next day I prepared to leave after pocketing the cash, but I handed a buy in to Red for game 2 and told her to play.  I made my departure.  Next morning she tells me that she chopped the 2nd tourney with Jerry!  Good night all around for the Murrays!

The server upgrades at work went fine today, despite some network and proxy issues, and even phone switch upgrades too.  Email continues to flow and no one had to die to make it happen.  One of these days we'll actually finish this upgrade... and then what'll we do with all that "free-time?"  Yeah right, like that will ever happen.

Enjoyed a rare nap today on the family room floor, when I got home.  The kids enjoyed the peaceful sawing of logs, interrupted their tv watching.  : P  Who's yer daddy!

Regards,

cheer_dad

Daylight Savings Time indeed

Well here I sit at the computer screen on an early Sunday morning, before 7am.  I have to laugh just a little over an honest mistake.  My loving wife set the alarm clock last night for me to get up for work (Sunday maintenance window) and took care of the "spring forward" hour too.  It seems however that the fancy, shmancy alarm clock, with its internal settings adjusted itself, as well... by timezone... Not sure, but suffice it to say, your ole buddy cheer_dad's up an hour earlier than needed!  On the plus side, some quiet ME time, and a much needed blog post huh...

Work still is pushing the limits of existence, but I'm surviving it.  We'll see what today holds... 

On a positive note congrats to the WVU Mountaineers on a fantastic nail-biter of a victory last night in the Big East Championship!  Facebook is absolutely littered with celebratory remarks from my friends. 

Hope all is well with each of you!

Regards,

cheer_dad

into the vortex

Another day (specifically a MONDAY) sucked once more into the vortex of time.  To call it mind-numbing would be an understatement.  Nearly everyone in this area was in the process of moving to a new spot in the cubicle farm.  Those who weren't moving today, are moving tomorrow or the next day (like me) and so have been fully engaged in packing up all the crap they've accumulated over the "x" number of years our backsides have called these desks, home.  With all that shuffling about, there's been little in the way of required actions.  I instead took the opportunity to catch up on some mandated training that is coming due very soon.  But talk about your real yawner of a day.  All the more reason to despise me some Monday! 

The beginning of the weekend was spent in a pokery bliss.  Friday at the Eagles.  Chris and I played host to the 54 players who showed up for the Texas Hold'em Tournament.  Becky took down that top spot, with a fantastic run of cards, the likes of which I'd love to just have happen to me once in my pathetic little poker experience.  just once...  Then, the following night we played at the Yanok's house.  I made 4th in game one, and got my money back, minus the $5 year end qualifier fee.  Of course, I donated it back into the 2nd game.  But I can't fault bad play.  I went out on a KJ, called by Jerry's 3-4.  Trip 4's will tend to win that!  : )  Hey it happens and he had the stack to make the play. 

Sunday morning came a little early for the "slightly" inebriated!  I had to head into work for our standard server/application maintenance window.  We FINALLY got to begin the upgrade process!  The delays imposed upon us, were pointless.  It went off without a hitch!  A big thanks goes to the team!  This process will continue over the rest of this month, and bleed on into April as well.  Baby stepping our way to brand-spankin' new email! 

Sunday afternoon involved laundry and lounging, and more of the latter than the former.  (snore)

I've been trying to be a little more frequent about posting to the blog and I find that I've really missed these little rambling sessions.  But lotsa extra hours at the workplace have left me a bit drained.  But some of the dark clouds are beginning to lift, both figuratively and literally.  Can you believe it, there's actually been sunshine!  The snow is gone.  C'mon springtime!

Regards,

cheer_dad

Today is a good day NOT to die!

Brief pauses in the rotation of the merry-go-round of life, make this whole thing not only bearable, but once again something that I don't want to miss... 

Life with its many conflicts and trials is just priceless.  Time to savor and drink it in.  When particularly tough... focus on the "drink" part.  No... no... but seriously know that friends are the BEST medicine ever. 

Regards,

cheer_dad

egg on my face

Sometimes I amaze even myself.  The complete and utter dunderhead that I am.  It takes a random act of idiocy to snap me around a bit and force me to take stock in myself and just how a lousy attitude is a force which will feed and fuel itself.  That is until you reach the point of meltdown and snap at the exact wrong time.  That time was tonight for me.  Worse the object of my rage was some kid who was watching the same basketball game that I was.  Now... what he was doing I have absolutely NO USE for.  In an elementary school basketball game there is no place for making distracting noises when the opposing team is shooting foul shots.  And doing so every time is a real big no-no for me too.  These kids are playing their hearts out.  They deserve our attention and respect.  This kid who I later learned was 12 did it just one too many times right in front of me.  His mother who sat a few feet away opted to let it continue.  Me... with the lousy couple of days I've had unloaded both barrels and yelled and told him to "shut up!"  In hindsight... not one of my classier, better moves.  Of course mama bear came to the defense of her cub, the boy child who had already launched into his best "I'm bad" act...  Already my mind is racing, what the hell did you just do?  Are you an idiot?  Clearly I was and am not proud of the moment.  I can offer only as a reason a few bad days bottled up, but it's not an excuse.  The incident has caused a bit of a re-evaluation.  Maybe I shouldn't focus on the negative as it simply leads to more negative emotion, and the inevitable blow up.  So, I've got egg on my face, shame on my mind, but in the end laughing at myself for being such an idiot.  Kid, whoever you were... my apologies for my mouth, but take your own inventory...  As for mom, you were right to defend, I suppose even your son... however, belaboring the point through the rest of the game to try and showcase it for your adoring friends and family... it was then that I understood the boy.  Good luck to you kid.

But I suppose no one died, and it didn't come to blows, although I think Big Red was about to break out a can of whoopass (in MY defense), as my own flare of temper was fizzling out.  To those of you who know me... that just ain't me, and it isn't exactly characteristic.  Although, I have had my moments!  Live and learn...improve.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Paint it on

It may be the only thing you can grab to hold on to your sanity, but you've gotta dig deep and smile.  All this under the gun bullshit is getting old and I mean quick!  But, you know, take heart in the fact that they keep coming to you with it, because you get the job done and they damn well know it.  Seems no one bothered to tell them that you keep going to your stars you will eventually burn them out.  I gotta tell you I'm in need a good stoking. 

But tomorrow is a new day.  They can't take away your birthday, and you can laugh at them all as their folly takes them down.  Even the laws of variance apply to donkeys in the workplace!  So, bray it up... I'll still be here.  You may have beaten me down for a time, but I'm foolish enough to believe that I can outlast you and get back up in the end of this fight.

Today was Tuesday, more like my Monday, thank goodness tomorrow's Hump Day.  Then, Thursday and Friday... leading into a great poker weekend for me and the rest of the NDPT crew.  Friday night is Poker Night at the Eagles, registration at 6:00, and gametime is 7:00.  Be there, and plan on around 50 players.  Then, as if last weekend wasn't enough, and this Friday too, but the fine folks at the Yanoks bring us yet another night of poker debauchery on Saturday!.  Bless you two!  The cheer_dad is in need! 

For now, I've got the smile painted on...

Regards,

cheer_dad