Airport Blogging

So, check on the time on this post. I'm posting this from Logan Airport in Boston on the first beautful day since we've been here. And we've spent in in the airport since 8:30am.

This is what can happen when we try to save a couple hundred (well, about $400 when you take both of us into account) by flying buddy passes. I've never had to wait past the third flight after arriving at the airport, but today, we're about to miss our fifth flight on the stand-by list. Every single flight since the 9:45 flight has been overbooked. And so are the rest. If we don't get on this one, we'll put our names on the list for the 6AM flight tomorrow morning, and miss a little bit of work.

But, hey, what are you going to do, right?

In spite of the horrible weather, Boston was amazing. We were here to attend and stand up for my God-daughter's baptism. WOW, if you ever have the chance to attend a Catholic baptism service, let me recommend that you not do it. Or at least that you find out what you're in for before you do. I wasn't ready for a 90 minute service, that's for sure. I didn't mind it, though, since it was for the lovely munchkin. It was just really really long.

We have had a nice time, though, and will get to watch 24 tonight with fellow 24 fans, so that will be awesome. We just have to get up super early in the morning. My friend is a wonderful person for hosting us, bringing us to the airport and then picking us up again (in a little while), then bringing us back tomorrow - all with a sick baby girl. I'll post some pictures of the little one as soon as I can.

Survey

Hey, I know there are only a few of you who check this blog out on a regular basis. There's a pretty cool survey out there that allows bloggers to learn about who's reading their stuff. I've signed up, but because there aren't many of you, I'm not sure how relevant it is to my blog, really.

I think though, that a few of you have many more regular readers than I do, so you may be interested in checking this out, and putting it up on your site.

But if you do feel like filling out the survey, then go right ahead.

This is HORRIBLE

I might have nightmares about this story: spiders in a place they shouldn't be.

Anything else

besides Liverpool soccer?
Not really.
We've been trying to get ready for the triathlon on May 26. Dave's ready. He's trained more this year than either previous year he's done this race. But me? I'm far from ready. I can't swim 200 yards (at least not freestyle), and I can't run two miles. I'm set for the bike, though. Oh well. It's not like I'll be disqualified if I swim breast-stroke or walk during the run, so I'll make it through. I was just hoping to be able to do it all, however slowly.
The fun part is that friends will be racing this with us, so it'll be a good time.

We'll be in Boston again in two weeks, too. My Goddaughter is being baptised on the 20th, and I'm so excited to see her again.

Reds

Premier League play
Fulham 1-Liverpool 0

Reds

Liverpool will be playing AC Milan in the final match for the Champions League title.

On the way to Athens

Greece, that is.

Liverpool 1-Chelsea 0

Overtime and penalty kicks to break the aggregate tie:

Liverpool 4-Chelsea 1

The Kop (Liverpool home side seating) was in fine form.

Latest on the Reds

By popular demand, a Liverpool update... More to come as the season wraps up in continental Europe and the UK.

April 21
Liverpool 2 - Wigan 0
(Something interesting. Unlike the US, in European/English football the team listed first is the home team.)
This game against Wigan was an English Premier League game, and Liverpool is in the hunt for third place in the League this season. The season's almost over, so they won't get much higher than third this year. With the win, they didn't lose any ground. It also happened to be a game that they needed to win to qualify for next year's UEFA Champion's League tournament. Interestl, their next game was a semi-final in this year's tournament against Chelsea. You'd think that making it to the final four in the Champion's League tournament would qualify a team for next year, but apparently it doesn't.

Onto Chelsea vs. Liverpool. Chelsea are like the NY Yankees of UK football. They have in the last few years started buying loads of talent. Liverpool has history on their side here leading Chelsea in Champion's League play over the last two years. Chelsea hasn't even been able to score against Liverpool in these games. You know where this is going, don't you?

April 25
Chelsea 1-Liverpool 0

European and UK play is interesting in the way it's scored for tournaments, cups and such. In Champions League, once they get out of group play, they don't play "best of" series like we do here in the US in other sports. They actually only play two games. Obviously, the score itself has a lot to do with it, but teams also get points based on whether they are playing at home or away, and how many goals they score. For instance, an away goal is worth more than a home goal (not in the game itself, but in the amount of "points" a team gets in the tournament standings).

So, with Liverpool down a game by one goal, and then playing at home in this Tuesday's game, Liverpool need to win by at least two points. At least, I think this is the way it needs to happen. I believe that if the game ends with the standings tied, then it would go to overtime, then penalty kicks. I'm not positive about this, though. I'm trying to find the info online, but can't seem to find out exactly what Liverpool need to do on Tuesday. I can tell you that eveyone seems to think Chelsea's going to do it. It's pretty much Manchester United and Chelsea winning everything else right now, anyway.

April 28
Portsmouth 2-Liverpool 1
This was a Premier League game.

I don't understand everything about English and European football yet, but I'm learning.

English Premier League is called the "League". As I'm sure you can tell by its name, only teams in the EPL play to win this League. There's even a pretty interesting system for how teams come in and out of the EPL.

UEFA Champions League is called "Europe". These are the European club teams that qualify for the Champions League in the season prior.

The FA Cup is called "The Cup". I haven't quite figured out how this one works, yet.

There is at least one other championship that EPL teams play for. Like I said, still learning. OK, I'm done, now. This went on a lot longer than I planned, and I'm sure much longer than any of you care. But there it is. In the future, I'll just include scores and a little game summary.

Stuff and M*Space

Well, what's been going on. I'm still decompressing after passing my tax final on Monday night. I barely made it, but in a pass-fail class, barely is still good.

Work this week has been crazy. "What's new?" you may ask. Well, the big migration project is three weeks away, and finally all of our partners have started testing the new system. That means lots of work for Whitney that's outside of her normal job description. Luckily my boss gets it, and is giving me a bit of a pass on the regular work that is part of my job description. Not all of it, but some. Again, I will say that if it wasn't for my incredible understanding boss, I don't know how'd I'd be hanging on.

Tonight I'm making a Lyle Favorites CD for my mom and coworker who need to have some Lyle prep before the show on June 15. Did I mention we have a TABLE at Chastain for the show? I'm not even sure what to do with that information right now. I'm so so so excited. And K.D. Lang is opening. She's one of those singers (like Annie Lennox and the lead singer of Keane) whose voice is done no justice by current recording media. My parents and I went to see K.D. Lang in the late 80s at Center Stage (now Earthlink Live), and I still remember how amazing her voice was. I can't wait to hear her again.

Let's see, what else? Oh, thinking about adding a bit more to the M* Space profile. Right now, there's nothing - only an account so that I can look for other people. Can anyone give me a good reason why I should add to it?

So next week the retirement planning class begins. And work gets crazier. And the Lyle show gets one week closer.
And with that, I'll leave you a Lyle lyric (Alone at Sea's favorite) from the Favorites mix and a random picture ...

I walked on through the door and she just smiled
In a long pony tail and a pretty white dress
She said ,"Hi, bull riders do it best"
I said "Oh my God, what's your name
My name's Lyle"

Apalachicola, FL - 2004

The Reds

Liverpool 2, Middlesbrough nil

Gerrard scores both.

I can only hope that I would be this brave

But, honestly, I don't think I am.

This man is a hero in the VA Tech tragedy, and I'm sure we'll find out he wasn't the only one.

More of the same, sort of

What can I say? Not much changes around here. Busy as usual seemingly doing something every night after work. The last three weeks have been crazy with stuff. Next week will be different. There will be no after work plans, barring any emergency of course, because I absolutely cannot procrastinate until the weekend to study for my Tax final. I failed the midterm, badly, and I have to do much better on the final. So, every night next week will be spent creating note cards to remember the most asinine, convoluted, incomprehensible garbage that is the US tax code.


Work is stressful as ever. We have this huge project going on and about half the company are doing five people's jobs. I'm probably doing the jobs of three. Luckily, I have an amazing boss, and he's in town this week. I was able to sit down with him today and vent a little, and he never ceases to impress me with his ability to make me feel so much better. He doesn't change things or prove to me that it can all get done, but when I'm down on myself and my ability to do my job, he lets me know that it really will get better, that I can hang in there, and that he and plenty of other people think I'm doing a good job.


I guess it's time for another picture. Here's one of a moth that got into our house a while back. I've never seen one like this. It was beautiful, and probably about five inches wide at the wingtips.

Creepy is really the only word I can think of right now ...

but I'm sure more will come to me.

News from the BBC indicates that England's surveillance program is getting more and more surreal by the day. At first I thought this was a story leftover from April Fool's Day, but it doesn't seem to be.

As if cameras all over the place aren't bad enough. There is then the fact that some have operators monitoring them who yell at people when they see them doing something bad. Oh, but it gets so much better than that.

Competitions would also be held at schools in many of the areas for
children to become the voice of the cameras, [Home Secretary] Reid said...

There are an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain.

A recent study by the government's privacy watchdog, the Information
Commissioner, warned that Britain was becoming a "surveillance society".

I've got news for them. Britain has already become a surveillance society. And a creepy surveillance society with little British children serving as the voice of Big Brother.

Catching up

Boston was great. I got my baby fix, and was even able to see a friend while there. I was sad that I missed Bean, though. The weather was pretty nice, too.

There's not much going on right now besides the usual, so here's another picture...

Another Saturday night ...

And we're sitting here comfortably, about to watch Click. Dave's girl is in it, and it does look cute. We just got back from the liquor store, and word has it that Yuengling is finally working on a distribution agreement in Georgia. Summer Hummer is back on the shelves. And hubbie got a new beer that looks ... interesting - Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre. We'll see.

Pensive Whitney came and went very quickly, so that was nice. There's a little bit still in there, always is. We have a lot going on right now, so it makes sense - a lot of decisions to make or at least start thinking about making.

My hubbie was kind enough to find some wonderful podcasts dedicated to my Reds - Liverpool, so now I can finally keep up with how my boys are doing. I can always read about them, but sports commentary is much better delivered with at least audio, I think.

What else?

I'm headed to Boston this week. I'd love to see some friends if we can work it out, but I'm not sure if it will work. I'll be visiting with my three week-old God daughter and helping out my friend with this whole new baby thing.

I think it may be time for a new picture, especially since I'll be away from the blog for a little while.














Sunset and canoers over Lake Chatuge

Want to blog

But just don't know what to blog about.

I really am at a loss. I'm so sleepy all the time. And I pretty much think about two things lately - work and class. Work is just insane. There's just no end to it, no catching up, no accomplishment. I thank God that I have a wonderful boss. If my boss wasn't so understanding and genuinely nice, I don't know how I'd make it through the day at work.

As far as class goes, I spend more time thinking about how I should be studying than I do actually studying. It's tax class this time around, and it's just so much information. And it's so painfully obvious how ridiculous our government is and how absurd the tax code is. You think you know? If you haven't taken a tax class, you have no idea.

Besides that, we've started something new lately. We've started running. Seriously. A coworker of mine runs every Saturday morning at a park just down the street, and he invited us along. Since I've entered my first triathlon, I knew I needed to get out and get going. I've always hated running, or thought I did. Whatever I was doing, it wasn't right, or it just wasn't the right time. I'm absolutely loving it now. It's hard and painful, but about 20 minutes in, I feel amazing, and I just want to keep going. I haven't made it very far yet, but I make it farther every time. And I've started joining Erich on Wednesday nights after work, too. My goal is to be able to run 10K on a regular basis.

Tonight's one of those nights. I should be in bed, but I'm not. I'm sitting here in the living room, rambling on the blog, and listening to country music. Pensive Whitney is back for a night, hopefully for just a night. It's just one of those times. I could sit an listen to music all night. The songs I listen to when I get like this aren't all country. Actually, it's mostly not country, but the country video station is the only one that actually plays videos all day and night. Some of the songs on the playlist for these times ...

(Sittin' on the) Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
North Dakota, Lyle Lovett
Why, Annie Lennox
Better Days, Bruce Springsteen
I Don't Understand Anything, Everything but the Girl
Boys of Summer, Don Henly
Secret Garden, Bruce Springsteen
Washing of the Water, Peter Gabriel
Monument in Green, Big Head Todd and the Monsters
New Boy, The Connells
Crystal, Fleetwood Mac
Biloxi, Jimmy Buffett
Winona, Matthew Sweet

There are more, but those about sum it up. With most of them, it's the music more than the lyrics. Some of them take me to another place. Some of them just take me inside my own head.

And then I start thinking about how lucky we are in the United States, in the middle class, hell, even in the lower classes, to be allowed to be so self-indulgent as to sit back, listen to a playlist on the iPod and think about what it all means and how to make it all mean more. I worry about money, but I sure as hell don't worry about where my next meal is coming from.

Oh, and last Wednesday was the tenth anniversary of my college graduation. Any takers on whether that has something to do with all this?

Beer Pong may not want to get his hopes up, but ...

Rep Barney Frank is currently reviewing the internet gambling ban for possible repeal. There's not much to hope for in this article, but maybe it's a start.

Now for the promised and eaten blog

Blogger ate my post yesterday, and I was just annoyed, so I didn't repost it. I really don't even remember what it was, so here's another one...

As promised, one picture a week. I didn't promise anything about quality, though.

The other two boys in the house, having naptime.

Not much went on this weekend, but I feel like we stayed busy. Go figure.

Oh, we did see 300. Really cool. I wasn't in a great mood going in, though, so my opinion is a little tainted.

Must think of a theme

Fargin blogger lost my post, so this will be shorter. Anyway, I'm thinking I need some sort of theme for regular posts. Every post doesn't need to be in the theme, but I'd like to have something going, maybe similar to WaB's Secret of Life posts.

I'm not usually very good at keeping things like this going, but I'll see what I can do. I'm thinking of a photo thing. Maybe once a week I'll post a picture. I'll start with pictures from the past, and then hopefully move on to taking at least one cool picture a week and posting it here. That may be tough because it's been a while since I was in photo mode. But we'll see.

First attempt ... a picture I took in the late 90's in Marshfield, MA.

Good thing

that movie was free.