Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Blog Hiatus
Well it's been awhile...to quote one of my favorite bands...since I last saw you. Below are some entries I have written and discarded while more meaningful ideas manifest inside my chaotic mind. With the notable exception of my wedding anniversary tribute, the rest are lame, and quite frankly, they suck. But I thought in light of my "tangent" ideology, I should post them anyway. Enjoy...or don't. Word.
8 Years: Early Onset LCE Syndrome
Flashback: March 18, 2000
Ah, the Y2K scare was behind us...we were settling into the 00's quite nicely. But most importantly, Eli and Cindy (also affectionately known as Papa E and Mama Hansen) became Mr. and Mrs. Eli M Carpenter...or was it Mr. and Mrs. Cynthia A. Hansen, I forget (not really true, we all know the answer). We were married in a church with people around, then shuttled to the Waterford hotel to drink into the night. That pretty much sums it up...our wedding day. A blissful time for all, including Cindy and I, although it was mostly a blur (the euphoria of the event, not the alcohol). Most thought we would probably never make it that far, much less to 2008. But sometimes people surprise you, by people I mean me. I finally grew up. I finally finished school, albeit with 216 hours of undergrad work. I finally got a real job. Cindy finally got to quit her job to raise babies. We finally bought into the suburban lifestyle with a 4 bedroom mortgage and a minivan (ugh). I still maintain my individualism by throwing stickers on the back of my old 4runner and dreaming of getting a tattoo (which I will never do dad). Ok, so some things never change.
On that beautifully crisp (by crisp I mean butt ass cold) early spring evening, I experienced the first symptom of the affliction I have now diagnosed as LCE Syndrome. LCE stands for Life Changing Event. It is no joke people, quit snickering! On our wedding night, a beautiful union of souls, I became the victim of severe fever and gastric issues of monumental proportion. Two and a half years later, the night E was born, the EXACT same symptoms reared their nasty little heads once again. Then came the transfer to Tulsa, the 25th Street house fiasco (Gigi made Cindy cry while eight months prego, that beotch), the move to Arkansas (9 months later), the birth of F, the Halleck Coach house that cracked (and ensuing drama with dealing with the developer), the move to Stoney Creek...all accompanied by the same LCE symptoms. Hmm. Strange, no?
It has been a very interesting decade for the Carpenter's. It all began on Texas Street in Norman, OK. So in eight years, we have moved exactly six times, bought eight pieces of property, built a house, euthanized a pet (we miss Fatty), replaced him with a Shit-Zu (wrong spelling, but accurate description), had two clones, bought a minivan, and have still managed to maintain some sense of sanity and decorum. Whew...can we retire to the beach yet?
Happy Anniversary G! It has been a wild ride, and I am soooooo glad we are finally beginning to see the benefit of being normal! Much love to all (especially my G) during this spring of further impending change.
Ah, the Y2K scare was behind us...we were settling into the 00's quite nicely. But most importantly, Eli and Cindy (also affectionately known as Papa E and Mama Hansen) became Mr. and Mrs. Eli M Carpenter...or was it Mr. and Mrs. Cynthia A. Hansen, I forget (not really true, we all know the answer). We were married in a church with people around, then shuttled to the Waterford hotel to drink into the night. That pretty much sums it up...our wedding day. A blissful time for all, including Cindy and I, although it was mostly a blur (the euphoria of the event, not the alcohol). Most thought we would probably never make it that far, much less to 2008. But sometimes people surprise you, by people I mean me. I finally grew up. I finally finished school, albeit with 216 hours of undergrad work. I finally got a real job. Cindy finally got to quit her job to raise babies. We finally bought into the suburban lifestyle with a 4 bedroom mortgage and a minivan (ugh). I still maintain my individualism by throwing stickers on the back of my old 4runner and dreaming of getting a tattoo (which I will never do dad). Ok, so some things never change.
On that beautifully crisp (by crisp I mean butt ass cold) early spring evening, I experienced the first symptom of the affliction I have now diagnosed as LCE Syndrome. LCE stands for Life Changing Event. It is no joke people, quit snickering! On our wedding night, a beautiful union of souls, I became the victim of severe fever and gastric issues of monumental proportion. Two and a half years later, the night E was born, the EXACT same symptoms reared their nasty little heads once again. Then came the transfer to Tulsa, the 25th Street house fiasco (Gigi made Cindy cry while eight months prego, that beotch), the move to Arkansas (9 months later), the birth of F, the Halleck Coach house that cracked (and ensuing drama with dealing with the developer), the move to Stoney Creek...all accompanied by the same LCE symptoms. Hmm. Strange, no?
It has been a very interesting decade for the Carpenter's. It all began on Texas Street in Norman, OK. So in eight years, we have moved exactly six times, bought eight pieces of property, built a house, euthanized a pet (we miss Fatty), replaced him with a Shit-Zu (wrong spelling, but accurate description), had two clones, bought a minivan, and have still managed to maintain some sense of sanity and decorum. Whew...can we retire to the beach yet?
Happy Anniversary G! It has been a wild ride, and I am soooooo glad we are finally beginning to see the benefit of being normal! Much love to all (especially my G) during this spring of further impending change.
Bittersweet Life Change
It is officially unofficial, our pending move to DFW is closer than once thought. The project in Ft. Worth has been pushed out another year and as a result I am picking up projects all over hell’s half acre. I have been on the road every week since returning from Thanksgiving vacation with the exception of a few trips of our own on the side. The sad truth is I have been “home” only a handful of days. Oh well, home is where you hang your hat, right? So with that, I had a long conversation with the upper echelon regarding my potential relocation and they have now decided it is probably best to get us moved before E starts school in the fall. This is much sooner than I expected. I was anticipating another year in AR.
I know it sounds crazy, but I actually love it here. We have been here for almost five years (which in itself is hard to believe) and managed to build our lives from scratch. We moved here with no expectations and without the support of local friends and family…we knew not a soul. It was a long first six months. E was only nine months old and in that first six months we managed to procreate again. Shortly after moving onto Halleck Coach (11 months after arriving), F graced us with his presence. Our isolation all changed when we started branching out meeting new friends, moving houses, meeting great neighbors, and really settling in for a lifetime of happiness. So it is with bittersweet anticipation we are awaiting the next chapter. Cindy is really excited, me not so much. I am flying to Chicago next week to discuss the next step and get a firm sense of timing. The housing market could not be shittier at present, so it will be interesting to see what becomes of that mess. To keep and rent, or to sell, that is the question. And what will become of the little rent house we already own…it’s hard to manage property from 350 miles away, so many questions creating so much more stress.
I will try over the next few weeks to view the situation with a glass half-full outlook. In time I too will become excited, after all I have always wanted to move back to Dallas. But now, I am sad to leave our life as we know it. I am sad to leave my friends who have become my surrogate family. All good things must come to an end…so they say. I will try to embrace it and look toward the future. I am lucky I work for guys that are willing to consider my whole family as an asset and not just me, so I am thankful for the opportunity.
It’s hard to think E might start school in some unknown ISD in the DFW metroplex within a few short months. Life goes on…and time waits for no man. To quote one of my favorite films, The Shawshank Redemption, “get busy livin, or get busy dyin.”
I know it sounds crazy, but I actually love it here. We have been here for almost five years (which in itself is hard to believe) and managed to build our lives from scratch. We moved here with no expectations and without the support of local friends and family…we knew not a soul. It was a long first six months. E was only nine months old and in that first six months we managed to procreate again. Shortly after moving onto Halleck Coach (11 months after arriving), F graced us with his presence. Our isolation all changed when we started branching out meeting new friends, moving houses, meeting great neighbors, and really settling in for a lifetime of happiness. So it is with bittersweet anticipation we are awaiting the next chapter. Cindy is really excited, me not so much. I am flying to Chicago next week to discuss the next step and get a firm sense of timing. The housing market could not be shittier at present, so it will be interesting to see what becomes of that mess. To keep and rent, or to sell, that is the question. And what will become of the little rent house we already own…it’s hard to manage property from 350 miles away, so many questions creating so much more stress.
I will try over the next few weeks to view the situation with a glass half-full outlook. In time I too will become excited, after all I have always wanted to move back to Dallas. But now, I am sad to leave our life as we know it. I am sad to leave my friends who have become my surrogate family. All good things must come to an end…so they say. I will try to embrace it and look toward the future. I am lucky I work for guys that are willing to consider my whole family as an asset and not just me, so I am thankful for the opportunity.
It’s hard to think E might start school in some unknown ISD in the DFW metroplex within a few short months. Life goes on…and time waits for no man. To quote one of my favorite films, The Shawshank Redemption, “get busy livin, or get busy dyin.”
Spring Renewal: Written 3-17-08
March 20 is the official first day of spring. I am very anxious for it to arrive after battling a bad case of spring fever since early February. The sky seems more clear, the air fresh, the zenith of the sun especially bright. The days are longer. The mornings start later, my personal favorite. Yes it is the season of rejuvenation and renewal. It is true with nature and should be so for mankind as well. Next weekend is also Easter, which (duh) is the end of the season of Lent. I did not make it on my quest this year, giving up just two weeks before Easter on my Diet Dr. Pepper dry spell. Surprisingly, it doesn’t bother me this year. There are so many more things I can do to give of myself, why fuss with self-sacrifice which really only benefits self and what’s the point in that? Self-sacrifice should benefit others. What better time of year to pay it forward than the season of renewal? Ok, ok, perhaps I should lead by example…and I will as soon as I figure out what to do…but for now, I’m trying to psyche myself up for a rejuvenating season of mind, body, and soul. For those of you not excited about the coming change, boo. Close your eyes and think of yourself on Panama City Beach, it’s 1995, your 21. You looked forward to it for WEEKS…it can be like that again. In my head, I sit on that beach everyday during the dreary end of winter. Plus, you get green beer today…and March Madness has begun…the March Trifecta! Now go out and do!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
A Cheers Moment
Ah the beautiful Westin La Cantera resort, my home away from home. Last night I arrived and unpacked my car, loaded up my trinkets, hiked up the hill to the entrance, and bounced in the front door. As I rounded the corner of the forer and before I could approach the front desk, Arturo, the friendly desk manager, says to me "welcome back Mr. Carpenter, how is the project coming along?" I think I may come here a little too often.
My room on the concierge floor was ready for me, complete with raspberry chocolates (my favorite). I unloaded my trinkets, sipped from my always handy bottle of water, and headed back out the door to visit Steinheimer's, the hotel's cantina, for a quick drink while jotting down some blog post ideas. This is always my moment to decompress. I walked through the door and before I could even take a seat, Philip, the bartender says "hey man, welcome back, Coors Light?"
Yes, I am here too often, but as long as I don't become the embodiment of Cliff Clavin, it'll be ok. Besides, sometimes you just wanna go where everybody knows your name.
My room on the concierge floor was ready for me, complete with raspberry chocolates (my favorite). I unloaded my trinkets, sipped from my always handy bottle of water, and headed back out the door to visit Steinheimer's, the hotel's cantina, for a quick drink while jotting down some blog post ideas. This is always my moment to decompress. I walked through the door and before I could even take a seat, Philip, the bartender says "hey man, welcome back, Coors Light?"
Yes, I am here too often, but as long as I don't become the embodiment of Cliff Clavin, it'll be ok. Besides, sometimes you just wanna go where everybody knows your name.
Genesis of a Pre-Mid-Life Mini Crisis
As a sign of maintaining my dork status and jump starting what will certainly become a righteously funny mid-life scenario, I spent the remainder of my Christmas money (plus slightly more) on a few new toys over the weekend. I finally bought a small 32" flat screen for the upstairs playroom. To go along with it, I decided what the hell, let's add a PlayStation 3...oh yes I did! I then proceeded to spend the entire day rearranging the playroom/family room/office to find the optimal location for each "zone" of use.
It was important to optimize viewing, play area, and office/desk area in a bonus room slightly larger than an over sized bedroom. For hours, and I mean literally hours, I muscled furniture, unpacked and repacked shelves again and again, shuffled toys and chairs, and eventually ended back where I started. Nothing really changed. All my wasted time, which I can never get back, was for nada. The only change was a simple swap of kid toy area and desk area which allowed for the kids a reading nook and play zone. I have no doubt they will contain their toys as per my plan.
The new TV, which I had planned to mount on the wall, still sits atop the old black buffet cabinet where it has since the beginning. I did, however, find a place to stash the PS3...on top of the DVR. Now all I need is a bean bag chair and a mini bar and the transformation will be complete...I told you, dork. Never mind a busy travel schedule compresses my chore schedule into two very short days, this was important! So as predicted, not a single to-do item was crossed off the list this weekend, oh well, another one comes in just 5 long days!
It was important to optimize viewing, play area, and office/desk area in a bonus room slightly larger than an over sized bedroom. For hours, and I mean literally hours, I muscled furniture, unpacked and repacked shelves again and again, shuffled toys and chairs, and eventually ended back where I started. Nothing really changed. All my wasted time, which I can never get back, was for nada. The only change was a simple swap of kid toy area and desk area which allowed for the kids a reading nook and play zone. I have no doubt they will contain their toys as per my plan.
The new TV, which I had planned to mount on the wall, still sits atop the old black buffet cabinet where it has since the beginning. I did, however, find a place to stash the PS3...on top of the DVR. Now all I need is a bean bag chair and a mini bar and the transformation will be complete...I told you, dork. Never mind a busy travel schedule compresses my chore schedule into two very short days, this was important! So as predicted, not a single to-do item was crossed off the list this weekend, oh well, another one comes in just 5 long days!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Politics
Yeah I know, it's not exactly apropos to discuss on a non-political blog of random regurgitation. But tonight I watched the democratic debate in Austin. I have been on the fence since the beginning of the political season as to whom I would support (even skipped the Super Tuesday primary in AR). I have finally made my decision and although it pains me because I am forever a Bill Clinton fan, I have to cast my vote for Obama.
I have never seen such a rapid and staunch following of turncoat Republicans in all my days of voting...it is amazing. Last night I was having this conversation with my boss, who just so happens to be a fairly conservative Republican, and was amazed at his comparison between Obama and JFK. What? Did I just hear that correctly? So I did a little research...turns out, he was right on the mark. It's the youthful charisma which continues to sweep the nation, but if you look closely at the platform, there is also substance. It is our generation which will retire in 2035 only to run out of social security in 2041. It is our generation and younger that continue to fight in Iraq for an unspoken cause (oil) under the guise of democracy and freedom. It is time our generation did something about it.
As a voter, I am opposed to pork barrel spending, career politicians who accomplish nothing, special interest groups (I think all lobbyists should be banned from the hill), and Rove-ish political practices for the betterment of wealthy Texans. On the surface, that sounds like McCain. But I am also in favor of some form of universal health care, increased funding for education, equal rights for all, and the distinct separation of church and state. So by nature, I am not permitted to be a Republican, nor would I want to be.
So in closing, I am very glad to see the fanatical right-wing has fallen from the plane and we can finally get down to the real business at hand...fixing issues which affect us all, not just voting for someone because they oppose gay marriage. Why the hell was that ever an issue in politics? Who cares? I want to know why the poverty rate in the US has increased over the past 8 years while the collective wealth has done the same. It is time for change, and frankly, I'm down with the guy who has managed to inspire record numbers of young voters. He may not be perfect. He may not have the experience. But he has the charisma to inspire the people of this country to take back what is rightfully theirs. This is truly a government of the people, by the people, and for the people...all people. Our ancestors, grandparents, parents, and siblings fought hard for us to maintain the right to rule our own land. Lest we never forget it.
I have never seen such a rapid and staunch following of turncoat Republicans in all my days of voting...it is amazing. Last night I was having this conversation with my boss, who just so happens to be a fairly conservative Republican, and was amazed at his comparison between Obama and JFK. What? Did I just hear that correctly? So I did a little research...turns out, he was right on the mark. It's the youthful charisma which continues to sweep the nation, but if you look closely at the platform, there is also substance. It is our generation which will retire in 2035 only to run out of social security in 2041. It is our generation and younger that continue to fight in Iraq for an unspoken cause (oil) under the guise of democracy and freedom. It is time our generation did something about it.
As a voter, I am opposed to pork barrel spending, career politicians who accomplish nothing, special interest groups (I think all lobbyists should be banned from the hill), and Rove-ish political practices for the betterment of wealthy Texans. On the surface, that sounds like McCain. But I am also in favor of some form of universal health care, increased funding for education, equal rights for all, and the distinct separation of church and state. So by nature, I am not permitted to be a Republican, nor would I want to be.
So in closing, I am very glad to see the fanatical right-wing has fallen from the plane and we can finally get down to the real business at hand...fixing issues which affect us all, not just voting for someone because they oppose gay marriage. Why the hell was that ever an issue in politics? Who cares? I want to know why the poverty rate in the US has increased over the past 8 years while the collective wealth has done the same. It is time for change, and frankly, I'm down with the guy who has managed to inspire record numbers of young voters. He may not be perfect. He may not have the experience. But he has the charisma to inspire the people of this country to take back what is rightfully theirs. This is truly a government of the people, by the people, and for the people...all people. Our ancestors, grandparents, parents, and siblings fought hard for us to maintain the right to rule our own land. Lest we never forget it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
