Fantastic Weekend

I'll always be amazed at how much I can be anxious for a long weekend....and how quickly they always fly by. 96 hours to get caught up on everything; spend time with Alyssa, play games, read, sleep, workout, wax the truck. Somehow, most of that stuff didn't get done and I feel no guilt...instead, I feel sunburned, full, and refreshed. We helped plant the Pruitt garden, ate more grilled food in 4 days than I've eaten this year combined, played some serious Wow, enjoyed some time with the new kittens, hung out with the Grojean clan, (Michael and I finished the final bookcase for a job we started well over a year ago...and the couple who commissioned it was as excited as we were to be done. Nice to finally check that one off the list - though they want us to build they're basement bar for them and that project could very well occupy the next year or so!), an watched a ton of Lost (in a desperate attempt to get caught up). Needless to say, I was NOT ready for this week to start and for all the phone calls and emails that were waiting for me.

On a similar and slightly related note, I have applied for a new job and will hopefully hear something within the next week or so. It's local and in the same field I currently work in - just a different office, chain of command, and set of roles and responsibilities. I'm anxious at the thought of a change of scenery. We'll see what God has in store and run with it when it happens. Please add this to your own prayer lists as well.

Thanks for reading.

Another busy week

I look at a coming week and am always surprised at how many things are planned...and then more surprised as the week goes on more things fit into the mix.

I had the opportunity to bring Alyssa with me to work on Wednesday. They modified / relaxed some of the security measures to allow friends and family to attend our commander's changeover (4 Star, Air Force). I have wanted to bring her to work for a long time so that she could see the cubicle I spend so many hours in every week, toiling away. I think it's important that she "see" where I'm at so that when I say, "I'm going to run upstairs to get a cup of coffee or lunch," she actually knows where I'm going and can picture it. The Change of Command and retirement ceremony were awesome and included such VIPs as the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the highest ranking member of the uniformed services), not to mention about 40-50 other General Officers / Flag Officers (GO/FOs). Very cool. They also had some static displays of military aircraft and other miscellaneous vehicles set up for spectators to see. All in all, it took up the better part of my "work day."

As for the coming week, we are trying to coordinate a visit from my sister for Memorial Day. She had some issues with her Toyota Tacoma a couple weeks back and now is driving a newer Ford F150 that she wants to drive out from Kansas City. We're also in the process of re-evaluating our living conditions. I mentioned in a previous blog that we were looking at other houses to rent. We still are, though we've accepted that the path of least resistance is to stay where we're at temporarily or go month-to-month until we find the perfect place. More prayer and discussion are in the plan, that's for sure!

That's all for now.

Dear Summer,

I have been meaning to write you for a while. I'm a bit disappointed in your timing and am surprised at your inability to be both consistent and punctual. It is the 13th of May and it's barely 40 degrees. I watched my breath punch through the chilly air as I walked from my truck to my office this morning with my heavy, wool topcoat pulled tightly around me in a desperate attempt to block the icy wind. I still have to consider the weather when looking at a potential tee-time.....and not because of an afternoon rain shower, but because of freezing temperatures, frost, and snow?! I'm very confused and hope you'll reply with some 70+ degree, sunshiny, no-wind-at-all days.

One of your greatest admirers,

Chad

P.S. Sunshiny is a great word.

Monday - not my Funday

I had a great weekend. A friend of mine from back in the day came to spend a couple days catching up (Wed-Sat). It was very refreshing to have a low-key agenda with more time allotted for talking and joking than for going to see everything there is to see in Colorado Springs. Not that we sat around the whole time - we just didn't run from place to place in a desperate attempt to make his visit full. Most visitors would be frustrated at the thought of sitting and watching TV or playing cards / dominoes while "on vacation." Not Wil. It was a great reminder of why we coexisted so well as roommates in Maryland and why I didn't hesitate to have him stay at the house for a couple days. We did go see the Garden of the Gods and we ate at some cool restaurants, Bird Dog BBQ and the Black Bear Diner for instance. We went to dinner at Michael and Donna's Thursday night and Wil invited another former co-worker and his family. Good times. Wil invited Alyssa and I to come up to Portland for a visit and we're going to try to make that work one of these summers. With my new job (and the slow accrual of leave) and a trip to California already planned for this summer, it may have to be next year.

After Wil took off for the airport, Alyssa and I grabbed some smoothies and went back to the house to chill for a couple hours before heading to her Uncle Tony's for a family get-together. Hung out for a couple hours, had some awesome rigatoni for dinner, and then decided to have a sleep-over at her parent's house. Since Alyssa's mom was out of town, it was a great opportunity for the "boys" to catch up on WoW and for Alyssa to spend some serious time with the kittens, one of which has been claimed by her (I will plead ignorant on the whole matter...though I may admit that Josie is ridiculously adorable...).

All in all, it was a very, very relaxed weekend - something we haven't had for a while. Reminds me that we can't go full speed for weeks without stopping to catch our breath every once in a while. I almost felt bad about all the down time when I got up this morning when I started thinking that I could have gone to the driving range to practice before Tuesday's match, I could have done a couple loads of laundry, I could have cleaned the house, I could have done any number of things that didn't get done....and then I stopped that whole line of thinking and decided I did what I wanted and everything will work out just fine. I can clean and do laundry this afternoon, go to the driving range before the match tomorrow, and anything else that I forgot/ignored will get done when it gets done :) No regrets.

This week is flying

This has been a great week so far. Golf and volleyball on Tuesday both resulted in a win, Wil (a former roommate and Army buddy) successfully made it in from Portland, and work hasn't been as taxing as last week or as some of the weeks to come.

We're planning a nice evening with the Grojeans and then going to Bird Dog BBQ for dinner tomorrow night. We're also going to try to get some "tourist" activities in for Wil's sake as he has only been through Colorado Springs once and would like to see some of our sights. I hope the weather holds and the wind calms down a bit.

Alyssa and I are also trying to determine where we want to live after the lease is up at the end of May. We're debating another 6-12 month lease in a nicer place, but haven't heard back on any of the houses we've emailed on. I'm sure that the right one will pop up at the right time. We like the house we're renting right now, but it is older and doesn't fit us. It was a good move in order to allow us to get our stuff consolidated and give us a place of our own - now it's time to find a place that WE want. Please keep this situation in your prayers.

Back to work for me - I've been blessed with 20 minutes of quiet time this morning and am fairly certain that I won't have any more for a couple days.

Cootees and Flowers

As I logged in to blog this morning on Alyssa and I's "joint" blog...I noticed pretty flowers, damask print, and general "girlyness" on every inch of the screen. My chi was unfocused and my ability to type was hindered. She suggested I "get my own Blog...." and I've done just that. Now I can decorate....or leave that silly stuff alone and concentrate on my masculine writing! (insert laughter by reader here).

I won't commit to daily postings as that's both ludicrous and unlikely, but I will try to get on here occasionally to release some brain activity for others to absorb or dissect.

For now, I'm going to figure out how to make my background camoflage....