dave's life online . . .

snowy day

2007-10-22T07:55:00.000-06:00

it seemed so strange. one day it's 73, the next day snowing 7 inches. welcome to colorado. we didn't get that much snow in longmont but denver and points south got layered. it was nice though. i heard it raining about 6:30 AM and by 8:00 it was snowing. today it's clear and will be 50 - 55. go figure!

I know, I know . . .

2007-10-22T07:52:00.000-06:00

my blogging is so lame these days. i don't really have a great excuse. mid-life lazy I guess. but, i promise to get caught up because other than a 1 day trip to california later this week, i have no travel scheduled at all in the month of november! you have no idea how nice that is.

more . . . gimme more!

2007-09-11T19:04:00.000-06:00

look at john david. he's rootin' around the bottom of the suitcase looking for at least one more present. these babies looove their presents!

the princess!

2007-09-11T18:57:00.001-06:00

oh my goodness! can you believe how precious she is? i guess my visions of her playing soccer and t-ball have been dashed. for the moment.

happy birthday!

2007-09-11T18:49:00.000-06:00

happy birthday to my precious baby girl! you are sooooooo beautiful!!!

the joys of travel

2007-09-04T11:58:00.000-06:00

Once again another week of travel. Is there ever going to be another flight that leaves on time? Three weeks in a row I booked the 7:00 pm return to Denver. And, three weeks in a row the flight is at least an hour late leaving. But each week I noticed that the 6:00 pm was leaving on time. I'm no fool. Last week I booked on the 6:00 pm thinking that I'd beat this little game. So I get to the airport and what do you know? DELAYED! New departure time is 6:50. Ok, well what are you gonna do? So I looked around and found a comfortable spot to SIT for an extra 50 minutes. 6:20 rolls around and its time to board, right? Uh, no . . . New departure time is now 7:35! Oh, did I mention that the 7:00 pm flight has left? ON TIME!!

the best ever?

2007-08-02T07:28:00.000-06:00

i'm trying really hard to remember, but honestly i don't think i've had a better birthday than this one. except possibly my real "birth" day. of course i don't recall much about that day. all i remember is the day started out like all of the other days prior, then all of the sudden it was so bright and people were talking and running around and poking me and wiping me off. that's about all i can remember. nah! i like this one way better!

but this birthday, wow. it's been special. yes i got some really great gifts. who wouldn't think an iPhone is one of the best gifts ever? and who has a wife that would give her man the ability to watch every single NFL game played for the season and trust him enough to know that he would never abuse that? (that's 13 games a week)

and who has a wife that would give her man no less than 4 birthday cards (and counting) that ALL play a song when opened?

and who has a wife that would serve her man breakfast in bed at 5:30 in the morning?

and who has a wife that goes out and decorates her mans car with streamers and balloons, even before the breakfast in bed!?

and plan a great dinner that evening with friends so they too can celebrate my birthday . . .

and how great is it that my birthday celebration will continue through the weekend with more surprises in the works?

and even better than that, how great is it that i can spend the rest of my life with this woman!?

and if you haven't read la's blog yet, well . . check this out
for davus

i'm a little overwhelmed with it all but hey, i'm willing to suffer through it!

here are a few pics from my special day . . .

half dead yet fully alive

2007-07-31T18:16:00.000-06:00

well . . . i made it. i'd like to think this is the half-way point but geeez, who do i know that's made it to 100 other than granny sullivan? nobody. so i guess the reality has set in. i probably passed the half-way point sometime ago. but you know what? it's all good. i may be 50 but i feel so, so much younger. that tells me that age is basically a state of mind or an attitude. i like young music, young tv shows and movies, and contrary to what some of you might think, i actually like being around young people. in small doses of course. so i'm not fretting about turning 50.

originally this post was going to be titled "50 things about turning 50" and i was going to spend a lot of time coming up with 50 observations i wanted to make. but you know what, i'm way too busy for that. i've got places to go and people to see. thank you very much. so . . . instead, i have done some research and decided to share some interesting things that have happened on august 1st throughout history.

1498 Christopher Columbus lands on "Isla Santa" (Venezuela)
1619 1st black Americans (20) land at Jamestown, Virginia
1779 Francis Scott Key, composer, Star-Spangled Banner was born
1781 English army under general Cornwallis occupies Yorktown, Virginia
1790 1st U.S. census, population of 3,939,214
1831 London Bridge opens to traffic
1834 Slavery abolished through out the British Empire. 750,000 slaves set free.
1867 Blacks vote for 1st time in a state election in South
1869 1st voyage down Colorado River
1873 San Francisco's 1st cable car begins service
1876 Colorado becomes 38th state
1903 1st coast-to-coast automobile trip (SF-NY) completed
1936 Adolph Hitler opens 11th Olympic Games in Berlin
1939 American band leader Glenn Miller records 'In The Mood'.
1944 Anne Frank's last diary entry; 3 days later she is arrested
1957 Dave Hix born in Dallas, TX
1958 1st class postage up to 4 cents (had been 3 cents for 26 years)
1960 Chubby Checker releases "The Twist"
1961 Comic strip hero Spiderman makes his debut.
1966 Former marine Charles Whitman kills 13 and wounds 31 at UT in Austin
1976 Flash flood in Big Thompson Canyon Colorado on Route 34, kills 139
1981 MTV premieres at 12:01 AM

so to all of the people i know that will read this blog, thank you for your contribution to my life. i love all of you and wish i could see you on my special day. i can't, but know that your close in my thoughts today.

they made it, they made it!!!

2007-07-21T11:38:00.000-06:00

here we are at the airport picking up the fam. i have no idea where john david is. probably up a tree or in the fountain. i just don't know . . .

glenwood springs

2007-07-21T11:10:00.000-06:00

i didn't take my camera into the pool so i found this shot on the web. i'm a photo pirate! arrrrgh! but i do have some good ones of our fun day at glenwood caverns.

not to see elitch's is not to see denver

2007-07-21T10:50:00.000-06:00

ok . . . that's a really dumb slogan. the way they designed the logo makes it very difficult to even know what they're talking about. i guess you had to be there.

anyway, here're shots of our fun day in the park! some of the hilights were john david's chocolate ice cream shirt, julia's red cotton candy lips, john david showing "hook 'em horns" with spiderman, lala's fun on the boat swing, me and the party blower, julia and i dancing, julia napping on john clay's lap, and the birdman.

night rafting

2007-07-21T10:35:00.000-06:00

here's a few shots from our rafting expedition. i don't know . . . it sounds a lot funner than it is. i guess your anticipating seeing lots of wild life but the reality is, you may not. and we didn't. except one lonely beaver. lala really enjoyed the guide talking about the wildlife. :-) even at that it was a lot of fun. john david certainly didn't want to wear the rafting gear. but when the rapids came, i'm sure he was glad he was adorned properly.

denver aquarium

2007-07-21T10:20:00.000-06:00

one of our last adventures was going to the aquarium. we all went last year and decided it was worth going back. upon leaving we stopped by the petting zoo. uh . . . we don't pet snakes. but john david touched them. check out the pic of him eating calamari. he thought it was an octopus. he liked that! and we all like looking at the eels.

lots more to come

2007-07-15T12:20:00.000-06:00

ok . . . there's a lot more fun to post. watch for the following posts in the next few days . . .

fun at the aquarium.
creepy snakes.
the raft trip.
fun at glenwood springs, co.
a day at elitch gardens.

a day at the lake

2007-07-15T12:12:00.000-06:00

what fun this was. (i think some people had more fun than others) beautiful dillon, colorado. mountains, pines, the lake, a boat, my family, picnic lunch (including my vienna sausages). what else could you possibly want?

pancake breakfast

2007-07-15T12:05:00.000-06:00

john david has proudly proclaimed biggie as the best pancake maker in the world! here's some of the action! notice the new family member. his name is forky!

a day at bounce!

2007-07-15T11:58:00.000-06:00

we always have fun going to bounce. so much energy and lots of laughs. woo hoo!

helping in the garden

2007-07-15T11:49:00.001-06:00

john david and julia always want to help me water in the garden. of course julia will then turn around and start picking the flowers. that's ok! they grow back. man i love these guys!

the backyard water park!

2007-07-15T11:38:00.000-06:00

we decided to set up our own water park in the backyard. it wasn't quite the hit we expected but the kids still had fun. the water from the hose is sooooo cold. isn't julia a little sassy in her bikini? and look at john david's muscles!

dinner at texas roadhouse

2007-07-15T11:30:00.001-06:00

even when we get together in colorado one of the all-time favorites is still eating at texas roadhouse. notice the action shot where biggie is attempting to distance herself from the glass of water that aulora decided she needed to grab. fun times for all!!

the silence is deafening

2007-07-15T11:15:00.000-06:00

i arrived home from my trip to wisconsin about 9:45 friday night. biggie, lala and the kids had already left for texas. when i walked in, i wasn't greeted by my beautiful woman. i wasn't greeted by my beautiful daughter or any of my precious babies. no john david saying, "heeeeeeey doood!", or julia running to me saying "dodie!!!!", or aulora's sweet cheerio-faced grin when she sees me. only the silence that's deafening. i walked through the house seeing little reminders that they had just been here only hours before. a little toy here and there, a baby bottle in the sink, little glasses in the fridge, tiny fingerprints in various places, water toys stacked neatly on the deck, a pair of care bear and buzz light year undies in the laundry, and a dinosaur in the freezer. (thanks john david!!)

i now wait in anticipation for the time i see you all. here, there . . . it doesn't matter. i miss you all so much and my heart aches to see you, hear you and squeeze you! thanks for the great memories i'll have from the summer of '07.

john mayer at red rocks

2007-06-19T23:42:00.000-06:00

what a great time we had at the john mayer concert at red rocks. probably the best venue in america. what a show!

the royal gorge

2007-06-19T22:38:00.000-06:00

here are a few shots from our trip to the royal gorge. what a beautiful place.

ok, we're making progress . . .

2007-06-19T22:32:00.000-06:00

here's john david showing his typical distain for the best college in the country.

but here's aulora warming up to say "hook 'em horns!"

more fun in texas

2007-06-19T22:19:00.000-06:00

here are more shots from our last trip to texas. some from graduation, six flags, chuck. e cheese, etc.

fun in texas

2007-06-08T07:14:00.000-06:00

ok . . . i will just post a bunch of different pictures over the next couple of days from various events on our last trip. it was so much fun! longmont to san angelo to austin ti dallas to austin to longmont! woo hoo!! the biggie train was rolling!

you've probably seen a picture of this corn on Lala's blog, and you know what it is and the story behind it. what time is it????

Julia, John David and Elizabeth playing at Uncle Mike's house.

Here's Biggie doing Julia's nails. Two of my favorite girls in the whole world!

a day with mom

2007-06-08T07:06:00.000-06:00

on our recent trip to dallas, i was able to spend the day with mom. even as her mind weakens, her spirit is strong and she is still so very sweet. it was good that the babies got to see her and she seemed to enjoy that, but i'm sure the memory was soon faded away with so many others. that's ok.

conGRADulations 2!

2007-06-07T21:37:00.000-06:00

hey, 2 grads are better than 1! one starting their school career and the other nailing it shut. cool beans. way to go chief!!

conGRADulations!

2007-06-07T20:36:00.000-06:00

it took a little longer than we all expected (thanks very much Matt) but it's all good! i am so proud of my boy . . .

31 years and counting . . .

2007-04-21T16:05:00.000-06:00

on monday, april 23rd, we will celebrate another beautiful year of togetherness. it hasn't always been so beautiful. those of you who know us, know that for sure. but even through the toughest of times, we have always been together. i can't imagine anything else. that would be my advice to any couple. whatever happens, stay together. in that togetherness you'll find the beauty and strength of being one.

my wife, my love, my soulmate, my best friend. all i ever needed, all i ever wanted, all i ever will need.

i love you sweet woman of mine and i thank you for making me the happiest man on planet earth.

spring flowers

2007-04-21T12:33:00.001-06:00

it's early in the growing season for colorado but i wanted to go ahead and get a few shots up. other than one other time when we lived in arizona, i planted bulbs. the front 2 small beds are a mix of daffodils and tulips. i have more daffodils, tulips and crocus' in the back, i was very curious to see how bulbs would survive the harsh winter we had, but hey, it all worked great so this fall i plan to plants lots more!

derek, leeanne (johnson) & catalina bridges

2007-04-21T12:21:00.000-06:00

derek, leeanne (johnson) & catalina bridges checked in as our second round of visitors this year. john clay and his all-girl bible quiz team were in for a few days in march. well, that's not exactly true. paula's brothers have both made stops on their trucking routes through colorado. however, this was the second planned visit for the year. derek is transferring to grand junction and was in denver to meet his new boss. they stayed from easter sunday evening until tuesday morning. we had a nice visit and a great dinner on monday evening at tres margaritas!

kite flyin'

2007-04-07T12:34:00.000-06:00

what a great afternoon! we took julia and john davus to the park to fly kites. they loved that and they loved being with their uncle jeremy. he was a hero that afternoon!

reo, live 2007

2007-04-07T12:27:00.000-06:00

here's a couple of shots from reo's first public appearance. excuse me, but they should have had the whole night to themselves.

what's going on here?????

2007-04-07T12:24:00.000-06:00

we're in freakin' austin texas for cryin' out loud and my grandson pulls a stunt like this?? hey chief, knock it off!!

gimme some rudy's!

2007-04-07T12:09:00.000-06:00

when we go to austin, our favorite place to eat is rudy's. real texas barbeque like no where else! i think all the family would agree . . .

doing his thang . . .

2007-02-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

here's my boy doing what he does best. can't wait to see his work on iTunes, hear it on the radio, see it at barnes and nobles or starbucks. i love you boy!

two baby girls

2007-02-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

i took this picture of my two baby girls on our most recent trip to san angelo. oh my . . . they are so beautiful. just like their mommy. just like their grandmamamma . . .

love is all you need . . .

2007-02-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

we saw this sign at love field in dallas as we were traveling back to colorado. it made me smile. i love you lala!!

the cookie

2006-12-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

this chocolate cookie fell on to the running board of the Mountaineer when we were unloading stuff from Biggies office. we happened to notice it the next day. we drove all over the place. Longmont, Berthoud, Loveland and back home. stop after stop at various stores, restaurants, etc., the freakin' cookie was still there, hanging on for dear life. and everytime we got back in the car, Biggie would say. "hey look, can you believe that cookie is still there!!??"

i don't know what it is about stupid stuff like this that's so funny, but i guess that's what makes life fun.

white christmas

2006-12-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

i can't even begin to describe the snow. looking at these pictures sure doesn't do it justice because they don't give you a true sense of perspective. all i can say is that any more snow than this and i would think you have a dangerous situation on your hands.

i suppose we can probably get out if we want to, but i doubt there's much of anything open and it's probably not safe. we have plenty of food, nice warm house, a good TV, DVD's, the internet, and most of all, each other. i think we'll just stay in and look out the window!

Check out more photos here: Snow - December 2006

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby

2006-12-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday dear Julie, Happy Birthday to you.

I love you and miss you so much.
We have 26 years worth of things to talk about.

I wish you could see Lori and how she has grown into such a beautiful woman with precious babies of her own. You would love them so much. You'd love John too.

I wish you could see your brother Jeremy and the handsome man that he has become. He would keep you laughing all the time.

I wish you could see your Mom and what a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother she is. She would be so excited to have been with you when your babies were born.

I wish you could see me. Not that I'm anything other than your Dad, but if you could see me, that means that I could see you. And that's what I really want.

I love you my angel baby!

happy babies

2006-10-21T09:17:00.000-06:00

one of the most fullfilling things about being a grandparent is knowing what makes your babies happy. it didn't take long after Biggie started serving up "happy cow" milk to john david and julia to realize that she had found the magic pill! now, every few weeks a small shipment of happy cow milk leaves longmont headed for san angelo and we know what the expected reaction will be. happy, happy, happy . . . and before long we may have to increase the shipment by 1/3 in order to accomodate another 'lil happy face!

fall has officially arrived!

2006-10-15T18:14:00.000-06:00

it's here now. the hay, the punkins and the mums. the geese are flying at dawn and returning at dusk. the mornings are chilled, the days are warm and the nights can seem cold. fall has officially arrived in colorado. in a few more weeks the flowers will fade and we can look forward to welcoming another friend. old man winter. i love the seasons . . .

i knew i would love you

2006-09-20T07:33:00.000-06:00

i loved you before we ever met and you are even more beautiful than i had imagined. i loved holding and kissing you and i can't wait to see you again and to see how you've grown. everyone around you loves you so much and is so excited that you're finally here. i hope to see you very soon my precious Aulora . . .

Aulora Grace Sullivan

a day to remember

2006-09-11T23:59:00.000-06:00

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. now i know what that means. i drove to work today listening to radio stations replay the 5 year old audio from 9.11.01 as the tragic events in NYC unfolded before the eyes and ears of a nation in shock. i couldn't help but get caught up in similar emotions to the day it was happening. a similar looking morning. clear and sunny. light morning traffic. planning my day in my head. then evil raised it's ugly head from the east river and all hell broke loose in a matter of minutes. death would rain from the sky. we all know how it impacted and changed us collectively and individually forever.

and now 5 years later, only moments after reliving those terror filled moments, the worst of times transforms into the best of times. today we have welcomed life into our family once again. so new and so sudden that her name has yet to adorn her. beautiful and healthy. full of life. destined to be great.

the day will end with a bitter-sweet goodbye to jeremy as he heads back to austin. bitter, because i know we will miss him so much. sweet, because he's going to finish what he started. actually i prefer to think of it as beginning, not finishing. handsome and healthy. full of life. destined to be great. wow.

9.11 . . . what a day.

i wish you were here

2006-09-06T06:54:00.000-06:00

september 6, 2002 - we didn't see it coming. it happened so quickly and i have to say, i wasn't ready. one day you were here, the next day you're gone. i can't even remember the last conversation we had. i wish we could talk right now.

i also wish you could see a few things. i wish you could see and hear lori and jeremy play. you would love their music. i wish you could see john david all dressed up and heading off to school in the mornings or be the recipient of one of his 20 questions. i wish you could see julia all dolled up like an angel or see her playing with her kitchen or the doll house. i wish you could see Lori and John as they prepare for your new great grand-daughter.

i wish you could see paula. i wish you could see me. i wish i could see you.

i miss you. why did you leave so soon?

fall brings change . . .

2006-09-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

it's saturday september 2nd, and while technically it's still summer, fall is attempting to arrive early. yesterday it was cool (60's) and today it will be even cooler. i love this time of year. i love the early morning brisk air and chilly nights. in a couple of weeks we should begin to see the colorful changes taking place in the trees. this fall will bring other changes too . . .

in 10 days jeremy will be leaving to go back to austin. i have enjoyed him being here this spring and summer. i wish i hadn't let some of his "stuff" bother me. it's not that big of a deal really. i'm going to miss seeing him every day, his music, his humor, his help, and his work stories. i know he misses austin and his friends and he'll enjoy being back. i love that boy of mine.

saturday rain . . .

2006-08-19T07:01:00.000-06:00

saturday morning . . . it's 7:00 am, lightly raining, 60 degrees. i'm on the front porch with my coffee and newspaper. not bad. not bad at all. wake up everybody! you're missing a great morning.

so alive . . .

2006-08-14T10:37:00.000-06:00

i'm not sure why, but today i feel so alive. lots of energy, increased awareness, very alert. what's going on here? it feels good, but it's sort of weird.

the next time i see you . . .

2006-08-10T06:34:00.000-06:00

what a great week and a half this has been. i love my family so much and every minute spent together is an opportunity for another beautiful memory. while we had great fun at the zoo, the bounce house, the movie, the parks, six flags and the water park, it really wasn't about any of that. it was all about you. seeing you, hearing you, holding you.

when we drop you at the airport this morning my heart will sink. the house will grow quiet and still. i don't think i'm ready for that just yet.

it won't be long and i'll see you again. but this time it'll be different because i'll have even one more reason to allow my heart to swell! you guys get ready to introduce me to my beautiful new baby girl.

I love you all so much and the next time i see you, i'll love you even more!

Here are the pictures to prove it was a great week!!

Summer 2006
The Denver Zoo

'til i'm 49 . . .

2006-08-01T06:42:00.000-06:00

it's almost like it was a magic number, although i suppose it was randomly chosen. i was much too young to know. 49? why not 39 or 59 or 99 for that matter? that's the actual phrase too, "'til i'm 49". as far back as i can remember that was the answer to the question my mother would always ask me; "how long will you be mine?" even after i was grown and in school, or even married with kids, she'd continue to ask me, "how long will you be mine?" and like Pavlov's dog, i would reply, "'til i'm 49".

well i now know for certain that 49 wasn't magic at all. sometime early this morning while i was sleeping, 49 wrapped itself around me.

49 has come and will soon be gone but there's one thing i know; 49, 59, 69, or 99. even long after you've forgotten me or have moved on to a better place . . . mom, i'm still yours!

somehow they know . . .

2006-07-29T12:22:00.000-06:00

when we lived in texas, i planted a gardenia bush at the front door of our home in cedar hill. we always looked forward to the wonderfully fragrant blooms. an amazing thing always seemed to happen with that bush. after Lori married and moved away, it was uncanny how many times that the gardenia would bloom right at the time lori was coming into town to see us. it was her favorite flower and somehow, this bush knew she was coming so it would get all dressed up to see her when she arrived.

i planted a beautiful rose of sharon bush last fall and i've been waiting all spring and summer for it to, first leaf out, which it finally did, and lately i have been anticipating all of the new little blooms to begin opening. well, wouldn't you know it. lori is coming to town this coming monday and this morning (saturday) the first bloom has opened and others will be open by monday when she arrives.

this bush too has begun to get all dressed up. somehow they know . . .

John Clay's Graduation

2006-05-30T15:51:00.000-06:00

Congratulations John! I'm so proud of you. I know some day that your hard work, study and investment of time will bring its dividend. The sacrifices you make today to attain your degrees will indeed payoff. Hopefully for you and your family, they will payoff in monetary ways but even if they don't, you will reap the reward of making this world a better place to live.

I am proud to call you my son-in-law!

Here are some photos of the graduation: John's Graduation

The Happiest Place on Earth

2006-05-30T15:41:00.000-06:00

Well, that may or may not be true but I know 2 little munchkins (3 if you count their Grandmamama) that sure were happy when we got to Disneyland. It's so great to watch their excitement when they see the full life characters in person. Goofey, Pluto, Donald Duck, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Hercules, Cinderella, Bear in the Big Blue House, Stanley, Pooh, etc. But no Mickey. No, they didn't get to see him. We were just not in the right places at the right time. Oh well . . . next time we will.

Oh so much fun! The adults didn't ride that many rides or do much of anything geared for adults. It wasn't our day, it was theirs! One of the most memorable moments was being there for John David's first big time scary ride . . . The Tower of Terror! What a great ride! He was so brave to even attempt it. He was so cute approaching the ride and saying "I'm getting a little nervous . . ." While he yelled and screamed and ultimately cried a little bit, it was a huge hurdle for him. He'll ride it again and others like it.

Another great memory was seeing Julia so, so excited at the Disney Playhouse for Bear in the Big Blue House. She jumped and danced and yelled and clapped and smiled ear to ear the whole time. You could see it on her face, she was overwhelmed with happy!!

The rides, the food, the sounds, the colors, the incredible sensory stimulation of all that's Disney was alive and well. What a happy place! What a beautiful family. What a happy Dodie!!

Check out the photos here: Disney 2006

not soon enough!

2006-05-09T12:30:00.000-06:00

only a couple of more days until i get to see my lala, john david, julia and john clay!

(actually, i'm not sure when we get to see john clay). i can't wait! it's going to be soooo much fun . . . i'm going to squeeze and hug and kiss and tickle and swim and jump and hide and seek and laugh and read and sleep and ride and run and fall down and eat and . . . .

get it? it's going to be great! i can't wait to see my babies at six flags. we've been waiting a couple of years for this. they can ride as many rides as long as they want to. also, hot dogs, ice cream, snacks . . . yoo hoo!!! i better get me some better shoes!

rainy days . . .

2006-05-05T18:01:00.000-06:00

this is unusual, but nice. i'm so used to the sun always shining in colorado that a couple of days of rain seems rather strange. i do like it, but now my plans to work in the yard on saturday may give way to a fun relaxing day with my girlfriend. we might have to sleep in a little, go to the movies, maybe do some shopping, etc. sounds wonderful . . .

i may even get inspired and cook a nice dinner saturday or sunday night. and we really do need the rain. the grass has really responded to the extra moisture. and i might add that our trees in the back are looking great! i can't wait to finish up with the landscaping so we can just sit on the deck and enjoy it.

saturday chores . . .

2006-04-29T17:30:00.000-06:00

another typical saturday working around the house. it's spring and i'm trying to get the backyard done in time to enjoy it all summer. still alot to do and i don't last as long as i used to. although, it may have something to do with me getting up a little after 4:00 this morning. i heard something then i couldn't go back to sleep. so . . . i read 4 days worth of newspapers and flipped through a magazine or two and read a chapter in the book, "searching for God knows what." now i need a nap. it's about 5:30 PM so probably too late for that. i'll hang in there until bed time. i gotta fly back to NJ tomorrow so the weekend is cut a little short. i hate that. oh well . . . i'll be done up there soon. goodnight.

30 years and counting

2006-04-24T08:02:00.000-06:00

30 years. that's a long time for a lot of things. if a company has been in business for 30 years you assume it to be a sound, well run company. if someone has lived in the same house for 30 years, well, that too is really a long time, especially these days. if someone has worked for the same company for 30 years, they usually get some kind of plaque saying, "Thanks for all you hard work and stuff.", "now get back to work.""i suppose nobody really drives the same car for 30 years, but if they did, that would really be a long time. i doubt anyone wears clothes that they wore 30 years ago, although they probably came back into style at one point. that wasn't the problem. they just don't fit anymore.

so 30 years . . . yes that is a long time. yesterday, my sweetheart and i celebrated 30 years together. looking back, I see things that I would have done differently. i see where i missed opportunities to express my love in very special ways. i see times when i could have been more of a man and asserted some authority. i see times when gentleness and softness was required. i see times when listening and understanding was all that was needed. do overs don't happen. you live and learn. and what i am still learning is just how deeply i love this woman of mine. i'm learning how much she has impacted my very being. 30 years of marriage is a long time. but for me, it's not long enough. my love, my soulmate, my life partner and best friend. 30 years just isn't enough . . .

wonderful news!

2006-04-22T08:34:00.000-06:00

when i got home friday afternoon and went to the mailbox, there was what looked to be a letter or something from lori. i opened it and it was a beautiful picture of john clay, lori and the babies.

but. . . there was also a message imprinted saying that their family of 4 would be no more and was soon to grow (or something like that). we're getting another baby!!! another monkus! another beautiful little face to kiss. another beautiful bottom to squeeze. another precious punkin' to rock to sleep!!! i can't wait. right now, it looks like early october for this package to arrive. that gives biggie plenty of time to write another song. i love you lala and john clay! thank you for bringing so much joy and happiness to my life . . .

what a week!

2006-04-21T16:36:00.000-06:00

i can't believe it's friday afternoon already. i have been so busy, the week just flew by. i'm glad it did because i will be seeing my sweetheart in a few minutes, and later this evening i'll get to see my boy. it's a pretty momentous weekend. sunday is our 30th anniversary! the past 30 years have also gone by very quickly. i'll have more to say about that in a separate post. stay tuned . . .

monday blues

2006-04-17T07:52:00.000-06:00

it's monday and it's a travel day. actually a travel night. i leave denver at 6:30 p.m. and arrive newark at 12:00 a.m. i haven't traveled this much in a while and it's been nice being at home. this reminds me of how it used to be, week after week. i certainly don't want to get to that level of travel again. the positive thing about this trip is that afterwards, i think i'll be home for a couple of weeks in a row! i'm glad jeremy is here now to be with paula. she hates being alone.

easter sunday

2006-04-16T08:24:00.000-06:00

i watched the sunrise this morning over the lake. i pondered what the sunrise looked like on the morning that Jesus rose. i like to think that the sun knew what day it was and was ready to shine far brighter than ever before and that the clouds just took the day off. i'm very sure the birds sang a much sweeter song that morning. never before had a day begun this way. i believe all of creation was up early and preparing for the moment.

oh . . . and I really doubt anyone was hiding colored eggs. i wish we hadn't done that to easter. just like christmas, easter is becoming far more insignificant than it should be. the two most important events in human history to date and all we have done is over commercialize them to a point of non-recognition. no wonder those who don't ascribe to judeo-christian beliefs don't take us seriously. we have diminished the message.

where's my mom?

2006-04-11T21:12:00.000-06:00

it's really sad. i don't know where mom went. one day she's like the mom i've always known, the next day it's as if she's another person. when we talk it's a little strange. i don't feel like she really knows what i'm saying but somehow she forms a response. i don't know how much longer she'll even know who i am. i don't even know that she fully comprehends who i am now. i hate this cruel disease! i love you mom. if by tomorrow you have forgotten me, i'll never forget you . . .

i know you're here . . .

2006-04-10T17:50:00.000-06:00

i woke up this morning with an acute awareness of you and for some reason you seem especially close to me; as if I could almost reach out and touch you. i feel your breath; I know you’re here. i feel so safe and secure knowing that. stay with me today. stay with me tomorrow. stay with me until I see you.

it's friday . . .

2006-04-07T07:34:00.000-06:00

it's friday and i'm going home. i always look forward to friday when i'm on the road. i wake up more energized and focused. the day seems to move quickly, which is much better than moving slowly. i'll be home soon.

missing you . . .

2006-04-06T20:27:00.000-06:00

neither one of you can read yet, but that's ok. this is more for me than you anyway. i'm getting ready to go to sleep and just thinking about both of you. i wish i could see you right this minute! you both make me so proud. i love seeing you, hearing you, talking to you, tickling you, chasing you, running from you, hiding from you, finding you, kissing you, hugging you, holding you, watching you and on and on and on it goes.

sometimes i hate thinking about you growing up so far from me and I don't get to see it happen. each time i see you, you are both different. even if it's subtle, i still see it. i’ll get to be with you both in a few weeks and I can hardly wait. i’m going to call you tomorrow and maybe you can talk to me for a minute.

sleep well you precious babies . . .

on the road again . . .

2006-04-05T19:55:00.000-06:00

i was really getting used to not having to travel much. i love being home in my beautiful home, sleeping in my beautiful bed with my beautiful wife. now, here i am at 10:20 PM EST, ready to go to sleep, wishing so badly that all of the aforementioned conditions were in tact. i enjoy being with people, i enjoy seeing different cities and eating in places i've never been but it would be so very much more enjoyable if the one i love, the one i want to spend all my time with was here with me.

i'll be going home day after tomorrow but will only get to be there Saturday and Sunday then off i go again. however, the good news is that i'll only be gone 3 days next week. :-) but it stinks because i have to turn around and leave again the following monday.

well . . . it's late, i'm tired and sleepy and i need to turn the lights out now. i'm waiting for my woman to call but she must be busy. i think i'll give her a call and see if i can catch her . . . ring . . . ring . . . ring . . .

hmmm . . . where is she at?

my feet

2006-04-05T15:32:00.000-06:00

seems like my feet are getting better. the new insole arch supports make a huge difference. i'm so tired of my feet hurting and all i want to do is be able to stand, walk or run without pain. is that too much to ask for? i have a date coming up with my grandbabies to go to disney world and i can't be tooling around in a freakin' wheelchair like some old man.

it's snowing today

2006-04-05T11:12:00.000-06:00

i just walked out of a meeting and looked outside to see that we have a nice spring snow shower going on here in Montvale, NJ. very pretty but not sticking to the ground. that's cool with me.

my first blog ever!

2006-04-05T05:37:00.000-06:00

well . . . here I go. unchartered waters. my first blog. ugh!
I knew i'd eventually get around to this. i guess i really do have a lot to say about a lot of things.