Life or Something Close…

The other night, during one of our storied visits to McAllisters, Kyle and I started reading some old posts from here. Mostly ones that were from this time last year, the year before and even three years ago. We had several inches of snow on November 23, 2005, I totally forgot.

It was a bit strange honestly, looking back at years gone by, and even though it seemed like forever, three years isn’t that far back. I wonder what posts would like if I had blogged in high school. What was I thinking in November 1996? Surely there would have been something about freshman year, the girls I was dating, band practice, new friends and the excitement of the friends who had a car and could take me places! I wish that I had started blogging, or at least journaling much earlier in my life. In my younger years there was usually a notebook, a sketch pad or just a scrap of paper that I would often write things on, I wonder whatever happened to all of those? I know where some of my “note books” are, essentially composition books that I passed back and forth with girls I dated instead of tearing out paper from our notebooks. I have 2 or 3 around somewhere. Maybe I should delve into those sometime to reminisce. But I’m not sure there are any surviving “journals,” places where I wrote the kinds of things that I write here. Pieces of paper with short quips, quotes and long, drawn out prose on my life and my thoughts. The memories I have of that time are incomplete, not because I can’t remember every detail (which I can’t) but also because I’m sure there are days gone by, and thoughts that passed to quickly that I didn’t document in some way. How sad, my past is but a memory because I didn’t take the time to record it.

Looking at those posts from a few years ago I realize that life has changed and has changed me. Mostly I think it’s been for the best, but at times there I things that I miss about the past, things that I wish didn’t happen or things that shouldn’t have happened. I like where things have ended up though. I’m happy with life and where it’s taking me in the future overall.

I am grateful for the future that I have and still, at times, I mourn for the past that is no more.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918).

Today is Veteran’s Day, formerly Armistice Day. The end of World War I, the Great War was ended on the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.” The end of the war signified, however incorrectly, that a great peace was to fall over the world.

Of course we all know that wasn’t the case, World War II was shortly behind and a countless number of conflicts, police actions, peacekeeping missions, and  other military involvements were soon to follow, right up to today.

No matter which side of the issue you stand upon, those who wish for peace or those who lust for war to solve the world’s problems, I urge you to take a moment today to thank those who have made the sacrifice so that you can have that choice. Millions have given their lives or sacrificed in some other way to give us the opportunity to do essentially what we want when we want. Make the effort today to remember those who gave, those who served and those who are still serving at posts all over the globe. It’s a small thing you can do to honor those who gave so much.

All around me I can feel it. My forehead is clammy, my throat is vaguely sore, my sinus cavity feels like its going to explode. I haven’t slept well for the past two nights. I’m getting sick.

Erin spent most of last week in a daze from this thing, a crazy sinus infection/cold from hell from which there is no reprieve. I can’t wait.

Overall life has been nothing short of stressful, there’s not a whole lot I particularly want to talk about right here right now. I’m sure none of it has helped my health situation though.

I had grand ideas of a post tonight, I don’t think I’m into it right now.

“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

We are heading in to the US Elections on Tuesday. That’s this coming Tuesday for those of you who may have been in a cave for the last few months. I post once or twice before about choosing someone based on a choice about them not about the other guy. Let me stress again that we should all vote for someone, it doesn’t matter who, as long as you believe in their abilities to lead this country. Don’t vote for someone because they aren’t the other guy, that’s the wrong spirit of the entire democratic process.

(The debate about the true democratic-ness of our process will have to wait, Republicanism (the ideal, not the party) and the Electoral College make things a little messy.)

If you still haven’t made up your mind, I ask that you use sites like this one: votehelp.org to guide your decision. But in reality, once you are behind that curtain the choice is yours and yours alone to make and no one has to know what you did or why you did it. Choice, it’s a great thing!

I’d like to think that in all my wonderful years on this planet, I’ve learned some things. Here’s one of them:
YOU ARE NOT THE EXCEPTION!!!

Whatever rule it is, whatever line there is to stand in, whatever ladder there is to climb, you are most likely going to have to do it.

It seems to me, looking around at people who think the rules do not apply to them, that the guidance given to them doesn’t apply because, “I’m in a different situation,” are exactly the same people who need to be following those rules in the first place. Your “different situation” is most likely the result of the last time that you thought the rules didn’t apply to you.

I’m not saying that being part of the crowd is the only way to go, far from it. But you also should realize that there are certain rules and mores of society that most people are expected to follow. If the entire world’s set of rules and expectations seem to disagree with everything you stand for, perhaps everyone else isn’t wrong and you are.

Look around you, there are smarter people there guiding you and showing you the way to prosperity, safety, and who knows maybe something you would have never expected, normalcy. Take the advice, follow the rule, and every now and then, take your “different situation” and try to be part of the crowd, at least some of the time.

Individuality isn’t a sin, but disrepect for all the rules and norms around you isn’t the way to do it. Go with the flow now and then, you might be surprised how normal it can be!

Do you ever call tech support, customer service or any of a number of automated systems and get the systems that don’t respond to button pushes any more? “Press 1 for English”

Now it’s, “Say English”

I hate those things!

I’m sitting at my desk, trying to cancel a credit card the other day. Not only did I have to say my credit card number out loud but then I had to say “Yes,” “No,” “None of those,” and who knows what else just to get to a real live person that would cancel my card.

Of they had to sell me on keeping the card, I stood firm and have now closed all but one of my credit cards. I’m keeping the last one because of the interest rate and I’m slowing moving the other balances to it. Little by little I’m getting there.

Anyway, I’m sick of these systems that try to seem more human by making us speak to them instead of just puching buttons, but instead cause us to repeat ourselves because they misunderstand something. Let me push a button, I’m a geeky person, buttons make me happy!

Customer service, it should service the customer, not the company.

Erin and I have been going through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University for the past few weeks. We’ve completed a short and long budget, shared it with each other honestly, it’s been kind of eye opening. Sharing that information with someone for the first time is kind of a big deal. We had always just kind of glossed over money stuff, “I’ve got enough to do that,” or “I’ve been saving up for that,” was our old M.O. Now we know what is coming in and going out for each other we’re hold each other more accountable, it’s definitely helping. We’re saving money, understanding each other’s wants vs. needs. and most importantly, how to give and take criticism without freaking out.

I’ve saved over $350 of the $1000 that I want to have by December 1. I have canceled all but one of my credit cards, paid down my debt (the numbers escape me right now), and established a spending plan for myself that includes saving for the things I need to save for, honeymoon, winter food stock up, etc. It hasn’t been easy all the time, I have a few extra bucks now and then and get tempted to buy something dumb. I’ve held back, and really haven’t felt bad later about it.

“The difference between adults and children is children do what feels good, adults make a plan and stick to it.”

We still have about 8 weeks left of class, there are things left to cover that may not even apply to us yet, estate planning is not on our radar right now, but we’ll be ready when it is. Most of all I’m happy that Erin and I are taking that class together, we’re getting married in less than a year and starting things off on the same page financially is extremely important to me.

The phones have been down here at work for the last 2 days. They  went out around 10am yesterday and didn’t come up until after 11am today. The new highway work they are doing led to a “network issue” wherein they cut the main phone line for our business park rendering approximately 20 businesses entirely impotent. We rely on email, fax, and phone calls to do everything in our business, without it, we’re dead in the water.

How can you plan for this? We were using iPhones to check some critcal email accounts. But faxing? How can you back this up without email? How can you provide alternatives to email when most of the organization is not on smart phones or laptops? We used our cells to communicate with key customers about the issue, but still I’m sure something got dropped along the way. I’d really be interested in any thoughts you might have out there…

I enjoyed the peace of no phones ringing though, unfortunately ringing phones provide money for us and in turn a job for me.