Entry 00001001: He Sees You When You're Sleeping...

So,  I got to thinking about God as I am apt to do from time to time.  And I wondered if in his omnipotence, he ever exercised or exuded a sense of humor.   Right off the bat, I think he'd laugh at me classifying him as a man.  That may have been his human form, but that classification is hardly omnipotent.  In any case I wondered what he must be thinking about the current state of world affairs?  But we'll come back to that in a sec. 

I have faith.  And despite most people's assumptions about where it comes from, I know exactly where mine comes from.  I know that the Lord is not like some genie, granting us wishes, as we please, but sometimes we still ask.  And I know that he will answer my prayers, when I have them.  The answer he gives may not be the one I hoped for or even expected.  But either by action or inaction, he has answered me.  When God hears my prayers, I like to think that he has my dry, satirical sense of humor, and is applying it to his thought process.

Greg - "God, I need to win the lottery." 
God-  "Yeah... You can't even handle the money you do have." 
Greg - "Doh!"

Or how about this oldy, but goodie:

Greg - "God, if you just make the (pain/hangover/bad news/etc.) go away, I promise It'll never happen again"
God - "There's a natural disaster happening in Asia right now, but it can wait.  No wait. It can't, Deal."
Greg - "God? Hello?

So as God is Omnipotent, I can say without fear of his wrath that he understands my thought process and can even laugh about it, when he wants to.  For if he created us in his image, everything we are is he.

Now back to God's take on the world right now.  Obviously his fundamental message by now has been misinterpreted by leaps and bounds.  He'd probably say, "So, 10 Commandments wasn't enough?  You had to go and make rules and boundaries and denominations and sects.  And then you go and top that, by blaming me for this mess.  No Way Jose!  I will be back after you've cleaned this up, and it will be cleaned up, right!" (because that is how most parents speak to their children, when they've misbehaved). 

Or he could just be getting ready to wipe the slate clean and start over.  What do I know?

Entry 00001000: Testing, Testing...

So, apparently Blogger will accept posts via email. So this is a test run to see if it worked.

(it did!)

Entry 00000111: Out with the Old...

So...   I've been off the radar for a few months, to make it through the Holidays.  The New Year is here! Or at least it came and went.  

I had to take a break from school this year.  It was interfering with work.  And so with the choice between providing for my family and realizing personal growth, the family won.  It wasn't much of a choice.  But the hours are starting to take their toll and I am worse for the wear.  Olivia says the single grey hair on my head has begun recruiting "friends".  Yikes!  Well, at least I'm not bald.   

In an EPIC decision, I have decided to quit playing WoW.  WOW!  
We'll see if I can let go, when that moment comes.  "The moment" you ask?  Yes -I actually have an ETA; sometime in July, assuming I can finish a chain of achievements that lead up to a much larger achievement called, "What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been".   And so it has been.    Even if I don't I porbably will quit playing.  I've made Blizzard rich enough.

In a bit of vindication, I found out that the reason my newly built PC was re-cycling at start up, was due to a safety mechanism built into the motherboard.   It checks the power throughout the hardware before allowing the system to boot.  So my build was correct. So that "feather" is going into the cap, with all the rest  :)
Well, I think that's about it for now.  I figured I better get back to blogging, as Olivia begins gearing up for the start of her own EPIC adventure.  Of course I'm along for the ride.  Check it out at http://www.sugarbeardiaries.blogspot.com/

Entry 00000110: 1 Down, 100's to go...

So in the spirit of my last post, I decided to stop wishing I could do things and started doing things.   The 1st thing I always wanted to do is build a PC.  So I have bought all the parts and have (in my opinion) successfully completed my first PC build.  Here is a list of the parts I have used:

- GA P55 SLI 132-LF-E655-KR LGA1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard
- Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7860
- XFX HD-555X-ZNF2 Radeon HD 5550 1GB 128-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
- G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK
- RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready -Modular LED Power Supply
- Lite-On iHAS124-04 CD/DVD Burner
- Windows 7 Home Edition
- XION II Black Pearl Mid Tower Full size Steel Chassis Case
- 1 x ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen Full HD 1080P LCD Monitor

So, here's a couple of pics after the first start-up, which I might add, wentoff without a hitch.  We'll that would be a lie.  The PC keeps restarting at start-up and then is fine.  I'll have to research this issue further, but so far so good!
 

 

Entry 00000101: 1 month in...

I started my new job 4 weeks ago.  So far so good.   Everything seems to be going according to plan...    Whose plan?  My plan?  God's plan?  I find it difficult to understand the significance of a plan, when every iota of information that my brain has processed in the last 35 years of my life is yelling at me (hands cupped to my ear), "DON'T PLAN, THEN THINGS CAN'T GO SIDEWAYS."  The utter simplicity of this logic is astounding; If one has no plans, there is no deviation, and therefore no clear path to failure (or success for that matter).  So here I sit trying to formulate a plan for the next phase of my life, my children's life, our life.

I'm staying up late at night (As I have always been prone to do), for fear that some miniscule detail of my life has been overlooked and I somehow need to recollect it all over again, in order to find the straightest path to a better life.  As if this memory or scrap of knowledge will lead to an epiphany of earth-shattering proportions.  Tonight I found that epiphany.

I have reached that crossroads that I think all people come to.  The crossroads that lie deep within the recesses of your mind.  When you come to a point in your life and you decide how the rest of it will end up, and then choose to not plan it to go a certain way; but rather choose to guide it in the general direction and refine as you move along.  I keep going back to this one thought in my head that never seems to escape.  It is the worst thought that I and most everyone has ever had.  And from this day forward, I resolve that this thought will be forever banished from my mental response (unless thoroughly deemed "necessary").

That thought, is one single word that always seems to escape with the thought of achieving the nigh impossible dream.  Would you like me to share it with you?

"Someday" - Damn to all the choices I never made because "Someday" would come.  For all intents and purposes, "Someday" is halfway over and In another 35 years my "Somedays" will be gone. 

"Someday" has come. and it will never leave again.  My promise to myself.  And on Independence Day, that's more than a plan or promise, that's destiny.

Entry 00000100: So long, Farewell, auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye...

Tomorrow is my last day. I am not sad to be leaving. However, I am very nervous when I think about the possibilities and pitfalls that lie ahead. I truly wish things gone differently. Apparently, so do alot of other people. I have been told on more than one occasion in the past week that someone made a big mistake. All I can say is "oh well". I can't say without hesitation, that this is for the best in the long run. But I do think it is for the best now. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, I have been keeping busy by making work to pass the time, and hey, "farewell" donuts from my co-workers are always welcome. Thanks Steve and Anita!

Entry 00000011: One Crazy Summer...

Well,

This past week, I have already seen enough craziness to last me the whole summer.  Jailtime for a "friend", more foreclosures in the "news", crazy EX-es and these aren't even my own problems.  

As for me...

I gave my 2 weeks notice.  Bet they wish they would've just sucked it up and gave me that raise now, huh?  Karma is something I do believe in (if not religiously, at least as a way of behaving in life).  The raise I asked for 6 months ago seems miniscule compared to the offer they would have to come in with now (and they already tried, not one hour after I gave my notice!) Let this be a lesson to all those managers and companies that think they can go on "low-balling" good, hard-working employees.  Somewhere, a competitor has need of their services, and in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.  Well this "One-Eyed Jack" of all trades is headed for greener pastures.  We'll see if the grass is greener...?

And furthermore...

We also found out we are getting new landlords.  They seem nice, but they must think Olivia and I are idiots.  They don't even own the house yet and they were trying to coerce Olivia and I to accepting lease revisions that would put more money in their pockets.    Sorry Guys!  Lesson learned!  No one changes the rules on me, my lease is set in stone.  You don't like it, too bad.  You knew the terms before you signed escrow. 

All this, with summer just getting started.  On top of this, people seem alot more crazy out there, due to the economy and the social issues being tossed around by politicians right now.  To coin a phrase, "I've seen monkey-shit fights at the zoo that were more organized..."

So...

I think I'll just put my nose to the grindstone and make some money this summer.  It'll keep me off of the radar of all these crazy people for the next 4 months.

Entry 00000010: Yeah. I went "There" babe...

I came home and made dinner. Or as Olivia explained it, I put the the pre-made food she made last night, in the oven. TomAto/Tomato. Olivia brought the kids home from "baby school" and the house is instantly transformed into a Chucky-Cheese, complete with musical animals (ala nickolodeon) and happy screaming babies. The only things missing are Mr. Munch and Jasper T. Jowls. These are "my" kids. They only belong to Olivia when they are sleeping or the 5 minutes out of the day they are sitting contently. The meatloaf and sweet potatoes smell divine. It should, I slaved over a hot stove for it. Call it a "labor of love". I hope Olivia and the kids appreciates how hard I strive to get off work early and prepare this lovely meal.
(I could win Iron Chef, with my world famous "Hamburger and Rice" or "Coco Pebbles and Life" cereal...)

Bon Apetite!

Entry 00000001: Let's Begin Shall We?

My little "Paganini".