Stone(s), Part II

They say a picture's worth a thousand words. We'll see how many I can get into this post.

The above picture you see if Julie's Gallbladder...and the lone stone that was inside.

The surgery went well. She was in the OR Monday for about a half hour, in recovery for another 45 minutes before she was wheeled back to the room where Jess, Curtis and I were waiting. Jess had to leave after a few minutes, leaving me with Julie...who was in a lot of pain. They tried to give her morphine into the IV drip, but it was to no avail. Only after consulting with the anesthesiologist and giving her dopamine was she able to sleep. She slept for about 3 hours before they let her go home.

Yep. Laparoscopic Cholecystemectomy is considered outpatient surgery, kids.

The first couple days have been hard for her. I sincerely doubt she expected the level of pain this would cause, but then, having part of your insides removed will have that effect. Still, as her brother put it, she did lose weight.

Every day she's a little better. She's still having trouble bending and standing for extended periods. She's off work for the week: Originally, she was supposed to go back this (Friday) afternoon, but given her level of pain, she called work and they agreed she should take the weekend.

I'm thankful my boss was understanding enough to let me take the week off, and another tech was able to take my installs in San Antonio. Yeah, it would've been cool to see the city (never been there), but maybe some day.

Julie and I thank everyone for the kind words, prayers and well-wishes. They've meant a lot. The hardest part for her, now, is the diet change. Without the gallbladder containing the bile, everything flows straight into the liver and that means she'll have to watch what she eats. Try to maintain a low-fat diet. Nothing to greasy or spicy lest she have to run to the bathroom.

Everything will be fine, though. My love is a strong woman. I'm just glad I've been here to help her. She is my heart, my angel. There's nowhere else I'd rather be but by her side.

For the record, this post contains 394 words. Okay, so it's not a thousand. I'll try harder in the future.

My first strike

One thing I've wanted to do for some time is get a picture of lightning.
Until now, it's been as elusive as...well...lightning itself.

Tonight, there was a storm north of DeKalb. I thought I'd get the camera and tripod out and try (again).

Most of the pictures were, eh. This one, however...this was the winner.

It's a little bright (I was playing with the settings), but it came out, and that's all that matters. It made me happy, and I wanted to share it with you.

Stones

This post does not contain any Neil Diamond lyrics.

The extended weekend in Pittsburgh was great. We all had a good time (as evident by the video in my last post). We got back home late Sunday night, and it wasn't long before Julie and I went to bed.

Sometime around 2 in the morning, I noticed Julie wasn't in bed. I saw a light upstairs, and figured she had trouble sleeping. I didn't want to disturb her: I know when she's not feeling good to let her have some time to herself, although I'd rather be sitting with her if only to be supportive.

She came back to bed later and apologized for waking me up. I asked what was wrong, and she told me she had a bad stomachache, one that kept her up all night. She hadn't slept.

The pain was about an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Nothing helped, not even the Pepto, which she didn't like because of the cherry flavor. She prefers the traditional minty, chalky taste.

I stayed up with her, trying to comfort her (even though she didn't want me to touch her most of the time). I kept asking her if she wanted to go to the hospital (which she loathes), and she kept telling me no.

Finally, around 5, with neither of us getting any sleep and the pain not getting any better, I told her to get dressed. We're going to the emergency room. I knew it was bad because she finally agreed with me.

We got there and found out (after not too long a wait) the problem: Gall stones.

Seems she has a 1.7cm (that's BIG) stone near the neck of the gall bladder. It wasn't blocking the opening, nor had it caused an infection, but it was still bad. They gave her some medication to make the pain go away, two more days off of work (doctor's orders), a couple prescriptions and instructions to call a surgeon to see how to proceed.

I had to get back on the road, back to work, later that morning, so I did the necessary running around while Julie stayed home to rest (although that was limited: She and Hailey were watching the Bub). I got everything done that needed to be done (mostly) and got back to work.

This week, I'm close to Chicago and right near the Illinois/Wisconsin border. Close enough to home that I can make it there if needed, thankfully, but next week, I'm supposed to be in San Antonio.

Well, the San Antonio plan has been canceled, or at least, given to another technician. Julie and Jess went to the surgeon earlier today, and she was told she needed surgery. Next Monday, they're removing her gall bladder.

I told Julie I was going to be there, and she told me I didn't have to. Foolish woman. Like any job would keep me from being there when she needs me. Yeah, it'll mean I'm not gonna make any money next week, but I don't care. Being there for the woman I love is the most important thing to me.

Like I could be that far away from her when she needs me the most. Sorry, Charlie. Ain't gonna happen.

There's a story behind this little piece of insanity...



While Julie, Hailey and I were in Pittsburgh, Jessica texted us that we had a game weekend...a scavenger hunt!

We had to go around and find things (get a bottle of water from the river, a stranger's autograph, a photo with a stranger, etc.). One of the things was to order a pizza with a smiley face on it.

Now, my buddy Tim makes the most amazing pizzas. Seriously. They're completely from scratch and they are better than most pizza joints.

So we ordered a pizza from him. Jess didn't specify where we had to order it from.

We sent her a picture of the pizza, but for the fun of it, we also shot a video...

Surprises abound

By the time you're reading this, Julie, Hailey and I will be in Pittsburgh.

We were supposed to go to the race this year, but we couldn't afford the tickets. I realize it's gonna be a small consolation, but I surprised her Wednesday afternoon with packed bags (with Hailey's help) and a loaded car to make the eight-and-a-half hour drive.

Also, I didn't tell my buddy Tim that we were coming either. His lovely wife, Connie was my accomplice in this.

We'll be back in a few days. For now, it's sammiches, Vinnie Pie, the best wings ever and dessert...oh, and maybe a little fun too!

Late night thoughts from Quincy, IL.

It's about 20 to 11 as I start to type this. I'm tired yet not ready to fall asleep tired yet, so I figured it's the perfect time to blog.

Random thoughts from a non-linear mind.

* The bridesmaid dresses are picked out. Julie and the girls went down this week and got 'em. They're Victorian Lilac in color, which will look lovely. This Monday, Jess, the boys and I are going to Men's Warehouse to talk tuxedos. We're thinking having the men wear a shade darker, bit more purple than the girls. It'll make a nice contrast. Julie is worried that I'll pick something ugly/geeky/tacky to wear. She needn't worry. I know what I want, and the tails will be quite fetching. ;)

* While I've been away this week, Julie's been trying to get parts of the house in some semblance of order. It's been...daunting...to say the least, but she's done a pretty good job. My old place is about 98% cleaned out, with just a few things left. I'll help get the stuff out tomorrow, have a walk through with my landlord and take it from there.

I must admit, I'm a bit nervous about the walkthrough. Maybe that's why I've had some trouble sleeping this past week. I've never done this before, and I have no idea what to expect. What does it entail? If there's a problem, what happens? It's not like I've been there much for the past six months, but it's got me a little...nervous. Before you go and leave a comment to tell me what to expect, I'll just say "thanks but no worries". Odds are, I won't see the comments until after the walkthrough's done. I've gotta get up early tomorrow and drive for over 4 hours to get home...

* This past weekend, Julie (I love her so damn much) took care of something for me that's been long overdue. She burned up some of Mum's old papers.

We went through her collection of old bills (some of them dating back to 1960). Partially, it was a trip through time. Partially, we were looking to see if there was anything hidden in the papers (there wasn't). After we checked everything, she put them in the grill late Sunday night and lit the fire.

It was fascinating to watch. I grabbed my camera (geek) and took some pics, which I still haven't checked out yet. There were so many bills that she didn't get to finish, and the fire was still burning when we covered the grill and called it a night.

The other day while we were talking (when you're so far away from the one you love, what else can you do?), she told me she cleaned out the grill, to get ready for the next batch. All the papers were burnt...except for one. There was a heart-shaped stamp on it, and it said "love".

Guess The Kid had to tell me one last time she loved me. Thanks, Mama.

* I've gotta stop at Wally World when I get home. Need a few things, like plumber's tape. I took down the shower massage head from my old place and have to put it up in our bathroom. Julie will, no doubt, go "whatever", but Hailey seemed to like it. Lemme tell ya: There's nothing better on aching muscles in the shower than a nice pulsating massage.

* I bought a handheld video camera earlier this week off of Woot. It's a refurbished model that I didn't pay a lot of money for, thinking we could get someone to shoot the video of the wedding. It came today, and Julie and Cory were playing with it. They said it looked great on the little screen, but was a little choppy on her laptop. Could be one of a number of problems: Her laptop needs a little TLC, if I can ever find the time to work on it. I'll see what it looks like this weekend, and how it looks on a real operating system (Ubuntu).

* No work next week. Whenever there's a holiday, there's no installs scheduled for that week. Yeah, it's a week off, but no work = no pay. It should be okay, however. We've got plenty of things to do to, and a surprise or two planned...

Okay, it's a couple minutes to 11. I have to try and get some sleep. Gotta get up early. Got a long drive ahead of me, and loving arms I can't wait to hold me tomorrow.

G'nite, kids. Just remember...if someone loves you, they'll let you know they love you. No matter what.

Help-less

I feel bad.

I'm in St. Louis. Have been all week. Of course, I'm here when it's hot and humid, but from what I'm hearing, that's a typical Summer here. Heat, I can deal with a little. Humidity, on the other hand, drains the very life from me.

But I digress. The humidity's not why I feel bad.

Y'see, for years, I was used to doing everything. If something had to be done, there was no one else gonna do it but me. I took care of Mum for all those years pretty much on my own. When I went to leave Pittsburgh, I packed up the whole house, no thanks to my family. Tim, bless him, helped me when no one else would, but really, I was on my own.

When I got out here, I found a family who was willing to help me. It still, to this day, blows my mind. Family who help? Family who'll come over and help? This is such a foreign concept to me.

Julie is up in DeKalb, trying to clear out space in her home for me to move in. My place, such as it is, has to be packed, and either put into storage or moved to her place. Since I've been out of town working, that's meant we've only had the weekends to do this.

I'm thankful for the job and the paycheck. It's a good job...I love it, save for the distance from home.

And it drives me a little batshit crazy to know that Julie's up there moving me into her place. She's taking care of me. Me! The guy who's done it himself has help.

This is a different concept for me. Whatever did I do to deserve this?

This weekend's gonna be busy. We've got to take Kadie Madison to the vet when I get home. We're taking Hailey and her friend Rachel to see Toy Story 3. We've got a garage sale and a graduation party to go to. We've got to clean out the last of the crap from my townhouse and move it into storage and/or Julie's...our...home before I leave Monday morning. Again.

Did I mention that I told my landlord I'd be out by the end of the month? Hm.

I'm sitting in a hotel in St. Louis, looking out the window at the cars speeding up and down I-64. They're moving fast, but Julie's going faster, and I seem to be crawling. I can only apologize so much for not being there to help. She'd tell me it's all right, but to me it's not. There's a part of me that's not used to the help.

When I leave here tomorrow morning, I'm not going back to Julie's place. I'm going home.

Missing

Something to post, since I've nothing to add at the moment.

One of my favourite songs. Everything But the Girl's Missing. Enjoy.

And now, for your monthly wedding update

It's the first day of June. I hope your Memorial Day went well. Because of the holiday, I've got the week off, and I figure now's a good a time as any to post a wedding update.

Julie figures we're about 60% to 65% prepared for the wedding. The last time I posted an update, this is what we had accomplished:

• We've ordered our wedding rings.
• We've decided on what the invitations will look like.
• We've come up with partial guest lists.
• We even found cool wedding cake toppers.

You can now add these to the list:

• We've decided on the site for the wedding and the reception.
• The guest list is pretty much finalized.
  
• We've designed the table centerpieces and found our toasting flutes.
  
• We've narrowed down the caterer's to two or three choices.
• We've set aside a block of rooms for out of town guests at one hotel, and we're gonna check another hotel to see they what they have.
• The first draft of the invitations (pending approval), as well as the insert cards, has been written.

Right now, the focus is twofold: Looking for a photographer and talking to caterers.

As much as I'd love to, I am not taking my own wedding photos. Julie might have issue with that, even though it'd save us a lot of money. We've been pricing photographers, and some of them are incredibly expensive! I could very easily save a lot of money if I bought a DSLR and took them myself, but...well...I'm kinda gonna be in the middle of the ceremony.

Imagine the wedding photos: There's Julie, looking lovely, saying her vows over her shoulder, all the while throwing me killer glances because I'm taking pics.

The other expensive thing will be food. We both know what we want, it's just a question of finding a caterer who'll a) have good food and b) be more than reasonably priced.

Julie's stressing, and I can't blame her. This is a lot of work, and while we've been very good at being frugal, finding bargains and saving money, this is where we start finding the big expenses. We'll make it work, though...of that I have no doubt.

I'd stay and write more, but I've gotta go back to purging, packing and sorting. Come the end of June, I'll be moving in with Julie. ;)

UPDATE: So we went and talked to the cake folks tonight. They're a lock on providing the cake, and wait until you taste it! As the youngsters might say... O M G. Oh, and they also do catering as well, and they've got a pretty tempting offer for catering the reception, but until we can taste their food, we won't make a firm decision. Still, if it's as good as their cake...

The Road

It's about 10 at night. I'm sitting at a desk in my hotel room in Champaign, Illinois.

No, Julie hasn't kicked me out.

I haven't said this to too many people yet, but I got a job about a month ago. It's a short term contract gig, which is the reason for my silence. I dunno about you, but I've gotten tired of hearing me say "I'm working" or, "I'm out of work". I figure...it's only until August. I'm just gonna go to work and leave it at that.

The problem with this job is I'm on the road during the week. I'm upgrading servers for a major hotel chain, and if it's more than an hour from home, I have to stay at the property. Makes sense. Champaign is about three hours from DeKalb, and I don't feel like leaving for work at 5 in the morning to drive to work.

Neither Julie nor I like me being so far from home. It's rough, especially since I'm going to move in with Julie very soon. She's been going through her stuff, making room for me. I've got to go through my stuff and get rid of some things that I won't need.

And then there's the fact that I can't see her every day, can't hold her or kiss her. That's not pleasant either.

Still, it's a job, and I'm very happy to be working, don't get me wrong. I like working, and this is a good, solid work. It happened so fast...they called me Monday morning to see if I was still interested, then called Monday afternoon to see if I could start Tuesday!

But I'm in a hotel about 168 miles from home.

I'll be back there come Friday, and we'll have the weekend together.

It's kinda ironic. Growing up, I would've loved a job where I'd be going from hotel to hotel. Now...

I have a home. I have a family. I'll work, I'll be on the road, but my heart's not in it as it would've been even three years ago.

Who would've thought...I'd have a family. They're still there, waiting for me, back home.

But for now...goodnight from Champaign.

Footsteps

Here's a little fact that may surprise some of you: I love to walk.

Now, I'm not a small guy. I admit, I'm carrying maybe one or two more pounds than I should, and while it's not something I do on a daily basis, I do love to walk.

It's the simplest thing one can do, I believe. Just put one foot in front of the other and off you go.

Back in Pittsburgh, I walked everywhere. Down at the other end of my street was a shopping center with a grocery and department store. If I needed anything and wasn't in a picky mood, I could just walk over there. In the Summer, back in my library days, if I was working the night shift, I'd walk to work. Sure, it'd be a roughly 3 and a half mile walk, but if the weather was nice, I didn't mind. And when I worked in Oakland, I walked everywhere. There were so many places to walk to, during my lunch, it was so nice to just go out and be.

Since coming out here to DeKalb, I haven't walked nearly as much as I did back in the 'burgh. You'd think it'd be easier to walk out here: There's no hills or valleys like Pittsburgh has. It's flat (as I've commented before).

Alas, that's not the case. Things are much more...spread out...out here than back there. Sure, there's a grocery store and a mini-mart, but it's a mile away. It's so much easier...

...hm...that's not the word...

...lazier to get in the car and drive than to walk. Maybe I'm just getting lazy in my old age.

But tonight...tonight I walked.

Julie's place has been hectic (and that's using my diplomacy skills to the max) lately. Her brother's back in town. Her oldest moved back home. I love them both, don't get me wrong, but the two of them together...well...quiet isn't in their vocabulary.

Tonight, the house was louder than usual. I was sitting in the kitchen, and frustration set in. I needed to get out, but my car was blocked in. I couldn't get out to drive, and I wanted to go to Road Ranger for a drink, something, anything to get out of the house.

I walked out the back door. Julie stepped outside to talk to her other brother on the phone and she asked if I was all right. I told her I was fine...that I was going for a walk.

I've written before about my love of walking. You could read the old blog entry I linked above, or you can just read the highlight I'm about to paste below:

I've found a certain...peace...over the years from walking. Just me and the pavement under my feet can be very relaxing, giving me a chance to either think about problems or just not think at all. It's rare for my mind to actually stop thinking, and yes, I'm aware there's medication for that, but I have a serious problem with drugs. I've seen the meds they've given My Kid over the years...I think I'll pass, thank you very much.

Tonight, when I walked over to Road Ranger (past my place, the houses behind me, across the railroad tracks and main street...about a mile, like I'd said before), it was like old times. The pavement beneath my feet. The quiet. The wind...well, my breathing. Like I said, I've gotten lazy and apparently a bit out of shape.

But more than that, with each step, the frustration flowed out of me. I didn't have to think (except when crossing the street or the railroad tracks). I could just be, and that was a wonderful feeling.

Sure, I've walked the dog, walked around the mall, walked in the grocery store...but it's not the same. Those walks have a purpose. There's specific thoughts, a destination, something that you need to do or get or take care of.

Tonight, was a walk because I wanted to walk. Yeah, there was a destination, but...it wasn't necessary. I didn't have to go to the store for anything (well, Julie did want something to drink, but that's beside the point).

I walked to walk. It was a beautiful feeling.

The world isn't a simple place all the time. There's things on both our minds these days, like more on Julie's mind than on mine, but she's my love, and if something's bothering her, it bothers me too. But tonight, for a few fleeting moments, the world was simple. It was me, my feet, the ground, and nothing else.

I liked that feeling, and I want to enjoy it again. Maybe I'll drag Julie along for a walk at some point soon, to see if it's something we can share. No destination, no worries, no thoughts. Just a walk.

Just go for a walk.

Your wedding update (and a little extra)

Hm. Another month gone by and no posts from me. It's not like I haven't had things to write about, it's just that I haven't really had the time to sit down and put fingers to keyboard.

Where to begin...

Julie and I took a romantic weekend away last month to, of all places, Cincinnati. Believe it or not, you can use the words "Cincinnati" and "romantic" in the same sentence.

She had a weekend off, so we rented a car (my little car now has over 150,000 miles on it, so it's exempt from long distance trips) and left Friday afternoon. Cincinnati's about a six hour drive from here. Weather was beautiful, traffic was tolerable, and Cincinnati's not that bad of a place. Julie remarked it looked a little like Pittsburgh (she meant no offense, comparing Pittsburgh to some town in Ohio).

We stayed in the heart of downtown at the Garfield Suites Hotel, where every room is a little suite. It was cool, having a separate bedroom, a full kitchen and living room away from home. We did a couple tourist-y things, had some good food, and had our senses overwhelmed when we visited Jungle Jim's International Market. Words cannot describe Jungle Jim's. Let me merely say it's a grocery store over six acres big with just about every type of food on the planet. They have things I never knew existed.

We were there for an hour and a half and still didn't see everything there was to see.

Since coming back, we've been spending a good bit of time working on wedding plans. As you can see on the ticker to the left of this blog (and either up or down from here...depending on when this is updated), we're just about a year out from THE BIG DAY. We've accomplished a few things in preparation for the event:

• We've ordered our wedding rings.
• We've decided on what the invitations will look like.
• We've come up with partial guest lists.
• We even found cool wedding cake toppers.

The only major thing we have to do, and it's something we both want to have done in the next week or two, is decide where the wedding and reception are gonna be held.

One thing Julie wants, which makes sense to me and I can agree with, is that the wedding and reception are gonna be in the same place. It's convenient. It's simple. It just makes sense. Since my guests will be traveling from out of town, we were looking at possibly having it at a local hotel, so they won't have too far to go (not that there's that much to do around DeKalb, unless you want to go stalk the local Steak and Shake like her son does).

We checked with one local hotel, and it's not a bad place, but I'd like to see a few more places before we make our final decision.

Once we know where, then we can work on the invitations. For those of you select few who will receive an invitation (and you have a pretty good idea who you are), be prepared to see something really simple, yet really cool.

Oh, and we're making plans for us to move in together in a couple months. My bachelor pad days are coming to an end, but you know what? I'm all right with that. I'm looking forward to living with Julie. She does know how to make me smile...

That's the news for now, kids. When more details are finalized, you'll know.

One close shave

There's a scene in the movie Gran Tourino (an excellent movie, one of Clint Eastwood's best) where the lead character goes into the barber shop to get an old fashioned shave.


As I was standing in my bathroom this morning, shaving (as I have to do every other day, lest I not get kissed by my beautiful fiancée-type person) with the worn-out-and-in-desperate-need-of-replacing disposable, I was thinking about that scene.

It brought back memories of when I was a kid, going to the barber shop on the corner for a haircut. He'd use the straight razor, the leather strap and the heated shaving cream machine to clean off the back of my neck. I remember him running the blade up and down that leather strap attached to the chair a couple times as the lather was heating. I'd lean forward a little, bend my head down and he'd put the lather on, hot against the skin.

Then there's the feeling of the blade flicking down, removing the hair. I never saw what he did, but I remember the feeling, the sensation.

It's been decades since I've gone to that barber shop. (It's not even there anymore: He closed his business long ago, before he got sick and ultimately passed on.) It's not easy, finding a true barber shop these days. Beauty salons, hair cutterys and their ilk are the de facto standard.

Since moving to DeKalb, I've been going to the one salon Julie uses. It was so strange, going to a new place, after having the same person cut my hair for more than half my life. Even if I was in Pittsburgh, I was going to have to find a new place anyway: My old barber (even though he was more of a "stylist", cutting and grooming more old ladies than anything) retired last year.

They don't really cut hair there. On guys, they use clippers and zip...zap...zip "cut" my hair off that way. Sure, they could use scissors on me, but it's so inefficient, I guess. Slower. More time-consuming, especially since they'd have to use thinning scissors on the back of my head. The top of my head? Not that much there anymore, but the back is still thicker than the Amazon jungle. I think they've lost expeditions in the back of my hair when it gets too long.

The art of cutting hair...the art of using a straight razor...it's becoming a lost one, I fear. It's all about "get in, get it off and get out again", at least for most.

Jessica told me that there's a real barber shop in the next town over. Maybe, when my hair grows out again (if only in the back...sigh), I'll take a trip over there and see if such a creature still exists. Might not even shave the day before, and see if he knows how to use the straight razor.

I wonder how the hot lather will feel on the front of my neck, instead of the back...

Take another one off the list

Some long time readers may remember an entry I wrote about a year ago (hyperlinked for those of you with short attention spans) where I spoke of a list I have on a white board in my home.

The list is simple with four things:

1. Sell the house
2. Get out of debt
3. Find a job
4. Marry Julie

I was able to cross #3 off for a little while last year. I did have a job, but it ended back in January. Once again, I'm unemployed and looking. If you know anyone between Rockford, IL and Chicago's Western Suburbs who's looking for a geek with 15 years Tier I/Tier II experience, put in a good word for me, please.

As of this past Wednesday, I was able to scratch another one off that list. Actually, its been on the whiteboard for so long, it didn't wipe off easily. There's still smudges on the board that won't come off.

I sold the house.

It'd been on the market for over a year with no buyers until about a month ago. I won't go into details, but...I didn't get as much as I'd hoped for the place. I wanted to get enough to pay off all my bills and get out of debt, but that's not going to happen, I fear. (Yes, I owe that much.)

But I finally sold the old homestead.

That house had been in my family for 50 years. Generations passed and it was in our name. It was a good house. It needed some work and some love: I fear I'm not the best at keeping up with some of the home improvement projects, and for it to be fixed up well, I didn't have the much needed cash.

Wednesday morning, the final papers were signed and the house was sold.

When I told Julie it was finally done, she asked me if I was all right with that. Kinda late for regrets, I'd say...but yeah. That house was part of my "old" life, and I'm firmly committed to this new life with her. We decided that we'd have to find a place of our own at some point, and make it "our home". She then hummed a little Madness while I oped for CSNY. It was funny...guess you hadda be there.

I'll be able to pay off some of the bills with the money from the sale of the house, some of the smaller ones. I'm still not sure if I'll have to file for bankruptcy to pay off the bigger credit cards, or if (when) I get another job, see if some of those credit counseling services can help me. I already tried once, and wasn't able to qualify...but things do change.

When it's all said and done, it was just a house. Here, now...with Julie and the kids and the cat who's walking around the table in the middle of the night as I write this...I'm home. I'm where I want to be, and I can't be happier.

Of other weddings and snowfall

Today, I was supposed to be in Pittsburgh, to be there for my best friend and stand by his side when he gets married.

Mother Nature, however, decided it was not meant to be.

Let me back it up a bit.

It was shortly after I met Julie that I showed Tim the Social Me app on Facebook. Tim has two kids and was looking for "adult conversation"...get yer minds out of the gutter, ya pervs, I mean something other than kids stuff...and I told him he might be able to find someone to talk to there.

It was there he met Connie. The two of them started talking, like Julie and I did, except that she only lived about half the distance that I was traveling on a regular basis.

They had found each other like Julie and I had. I got the chance to meet her when I was back in the 'Burgh for Mum's funeral...not the best occasion, but sometimes, you don't get to pick the right moment all the time...and I could tell right away that they were good together.

Scratch that. They were DAMN good together.

Tim asked Connie to marry him, and she said yes. She left Ohio for the hillsides of Pittsburgh, moved in together, and began to make wedding plans. Originally, it was scheduled for next month, but like I said, you don't always get to pick the right time.

Connie's dad is very sick. I won't go into details, out of respect for their privacy, but it's bad. Tim and Connie went out to see him a couple weeks ago, and Tim...one of the classiest guys you'll ever meet...asked Connie's dad for his blessing.

He said yes, but he had a condition: He wanted to be there. Given his health, a trip for him to Pittsburgh was out of the question, and they weren't sure he'd be around for March, so they began to move the date up to as soon as possible.

They found a church. Made arrangements to get married today. Tim got a video camera to record it, and planned to set it up where her dad would be sitting, so it'd be like he was there.

I made the plans to be out there today. Checked the forecast earlier this week (something sensible from me, given the time of year) and it called for light snow. Nothing I can't handle.

Then the forecast changed. Enter the Nor'easter.

Now, out here in Corn Country, we got nothing. Back East...well...big storms hit every 7 to 10 years, and Pittsburgh was due for one, I guess. It just decided to hit this weekend.

I hated to do it, but I canceled my trip. Tim and Connie, bless 'em both, understood. Doesn't make me feel much better, but they understood.

So they're getting married today, and I...like her dad...will have to watch the wedding video later. I'm just glad he'll get to see his daughter marry one great guy.

P.S. Whoever's in Pittsburgh running Windows 7 and Chrome 0.2, send me a note via the e-mail link to the left. I'm curious what you think of the OS and the browser. (Told you I know when you stalkers come visit me.)

Countdown to 04/16/11 - Two

So Julie and the girls went dress shopping today.

They started the day by going to a local "formal wear" shop that had some dresses, but from what I understand, the selection was, shall we say, limited. Most of the gowns were "as-is", with only a handful of custom order gowns available.

Unsatisfied, they decided to go to David's Bridal to see what they can see.

Mind you, I didn't tag along. I don't believe the groom should see his bride-to-be in her gown before she walks down the aisle. Bad luck aside, it's just not proper. He should be at the altar, waiting for her, and his jaw should drop along with everyone else there when he sees her for the first time in the gown.

I drove Julie and Hailey up to Rockford while Brad drove Jessica and Jackie. They went in looking for dresses for Julie and Jess while I went off geeking. The Best Buy in Rockford is so much bigger than the one here in DeKalb...it's more of what I'm used to, and when I get the chance to get my Geek on, you know where I'll be.

I also spent a little time in a used CD store. Those things are getting harder and harder to find, but I did get a few good bargains...but I digress.

I got back over to David's while Julie was changing back. Apparently, after several misses, she got a good one...one she and the girls liked.

After ringing everything up, the whole enchalada will cost under $1,000. We told them to hold the order, and that we'd pay next week.

During the drive from Rockford to DeKalb, Julie was very quiet. At first, I thought it was because she was tired (it was close to 10 at night), but then I knew...she was thinking about something.

She told me that what was suppose to be a simple dress for a small wedding turned into a gown for a big event. This was what neither one of us wanted, and she was having trouble justifying the price.

God bless her. She was willing to go and spend a LOT of money on a dress just so I'd be knocked off my socks when she saw me coming down the aisle. I told her...she needn't do that. I'd be wowed if she wore nothing, because...here is a woman who loves me, heart and soul, and wants to be my wife. That alone...means more than I can say.

I told her I'd be happy if she wore a gown from Fashion Bug (the one of the right is kinda nice). I don't need something big and fancy. I just want to marry her.

She might cancel the order from David's tomorrow. We've got a bit of time...she can keep looking a little longer.

Countdown to 04/16/11 - One

So it's 2010. If I haven't wished you a Happy New Year yet, well, I'm only about 16 days late at this point. Given my track record with procrastination, I figure I'm in good shape.

I'd noted in my last blog post that my production here has really dropped off as of late, for various reasons. I haven't felt like bitching about the inability to sell an old house, the fact that my job is going to end as of this Friday, and my debt is now approximately that of a small Third-World Nation.

Despite that, I've been enjoying my life. Julie is, as I have told her many times, the best thing to ever happen to this old fool. In 455 days as of this writing, we are going to get married, and we've started to talk about...and plan...the "big event".

In an effort to jump start my blog (and my writing abilities) again, I figure...what the heck...let's talk about it. See how long this lasts. I figure I'll chronicle things here as to plans, decisions and the what-not until I either get bored, or those few stalkers of mine who visit this site (and you know who you are...and so do I...since I track all visitors) get tired of it and decide to hunt me down once and for all.

If you are stalking me, please feel free to comment and say "hi". Julie would love to talk to you.

So, since this is the first installment, let's cover some of the basics that we've discussed so far:

• The wedding date is set for April 16th, 2011.
• We've decided we want a small, intimate wedding with just family and a few close friends, but we're gonna have a big reception. Hell, it's gonna be one big party.
• I've already decided on my best man, my best friend Tim. Julie's daughters are going to be her maids of honor.
• Her kids are all in the wedding party, and they're giving her away. It's still unclear if they're going to give her to me yet.
• I told Julie I only want one thing from her for the wedding: She had to wear a dress. I told her sweatpants were not an option, and she has agreed, albeit reluctantly...at first. Now, she and her girls are enjoying looking for wedding dresses.
• In fact, Julie, Jessica and Hailey are going dress shopping on Monday.
• I will be wearing a tux, but it will be simple. They're worried I will pick out something with tails or something ridiculous (which I wouldn't, although it'd be fun to shock the shit out of them), so the decision of which tux I will wear may be decided upon by committee.

Right now, that's all we've got. We're looking at places to hold the wedding, where to have the party...er, ah...reception, and how the Hell we're going to pay for everything. That last point will be the most interesting. I'm wondering how many body parts I'm going to have to sell to fund it all, or else who I have to pimp out.

When we know more, we'll share here (or maybe Julie will post something in her blog for the first time in nearly a year...hi, baby!). If you're curious, please feel free to read. If you're bored already by the thought of this, please let me know. Won't say I'll do a damn thing about it, but it's nice to get feedback on this blog...

December 24th

Wow.

My blog production is really down. I've only written about half of what I did last year.
I could sit here and wonder why...or I could just sit and look into the eyes of the woman I love, the one who has changed my life.

It's Christmas. Just thought I'd pop in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Go enjoy your life. I am.

It was one year ago today...

I moved to DeKalb.

Tim and I had spent the day before packing the truck, my brothers nowhere to be found. We'd had dinner at Vincent's Pizza Park, then back to his place for a few hours sleep before driving overnight to my new home.

It'd been a month since I'd seen Julie, and I missed her so much. When we got off 88, we stopped at the store where she worked and she was so happy to see me. We got there earlier than expected. She still had to work, while Tim and I went to my new home.

Tim grabbed a few hours sleep on the couch while I took Cory to the store to get a gift for his girlfriend. I was still running on pure adrenaline and wouldn't crash for another 12 hours. By the time we got back, Julie was off work, and her and the rest of the troops were there to unload everything. What took me a day to load, just the two of us, everyone got done in a matter of hours.

The party that night at Fatty's was a great time.

In the year since I've moved here, there have been a number of firsts. Julie and I watched the first African-American President elected. We celebrated our first Christmas and New Years together. I was there for the birth of Julie's first grandchild. I made her eggs (something I have no stomach for) for breakfast, cooking them for the first time. I got a job after being out of work for a year and a half.

I buried my mother.

Even today, we still have firsts, although, as Julie said, those firsts are fewer and farther between. I made her muffins yesterday, for her lunch at work, and I've never made muffins before.

There's still so many more things we have to do. Cory and Hailey's graduations. Jessica and Brad's wedding. Our wedding. Moving...somewhere.

There will be good times, but there will also be bad ones. Her cat, Rico Suave, one of the finest models I've had the good fortune to photograph, is dying, and will likely be put down tomorrow. It's better than his suffering, I know, but it won't be easy on Julie. I will be there with her, by her side, as we say goodbye to one stubborn cat.

I hope there are many, many more good times than bad ones. The future is still wide open ahead of us, but for now...it's just been one year.

On a quiet Sunday evening...

...I'm sitting in Julie's living room, writing a blog entry.

Hailey's upstairs, gone to bed early. She's got to get up early tomorrow to get ready for school (it takes her longer nowadays, since she's gotta look good for her new boyfriend).

Julie's downstairs, also in bed, more than likely asleep (unless the phone rings again). She's got to get up early to go to work at 8 tomorrow morning.

No one else is around, save for Kadie Madison (the dog), asleep in the chair next to me and Bob (the cat) asleep on the floor near my feet. Frederico Suave (the other cat) was here a moment ago, but has stepped out of the room. Odds are, he's getting rest as well, so he can wake us up sometime in the middle of the night with his "mrowing".

Wait. I take that back. I hear him in the kitchen, mrowing, and Julie downstairs yelling at him to shut up.

This past week saw two anniversaries. First, Monday marked the one-year anniversary of our engagement. It's not a lie when I say I love her more and more every day. We marked the day in a simple way: She gave me a skillet. I gave her a small heart and a chocolate bar. We're so romantic.

Today marks her friends Troy and Amy's one year anniversary. Julie was looking for a date for the wedding, and I offered to be that date. Look where we are now.

Yeah, the house in Pittsburgh still hasn't sold. Once it sells, I can use the money to pay off my bills (and get the collection agencies off my ass), but until then, I'm making enough to keep my head just under water.

Old news, I know. Sorry if I repeat myself.

Today was nice. We slept in (even though I was up for a little while overnight, that extra hour made up for it) and got up somewhat early to go out for breakfast. It was nice. Julie and I hadn't had much of a chance to do that as of late.

We came home to enjoy a quiet day around the house, even though I did sneak off for about a half-hour to get everyone some caramel apples from Jonamac Orchard. Julie'd been wanting some for awhile, and I figured today was a good day to run out there.

We watched the race at Talladega , which was...boring. Yeah, there were a couple crashes, but no one was hurt. Julie was even bored, and she loves watching the race from Talladega.

Dinner was simple. Julie wanted ice cream. Hailey and I had some leftover sausage biscuits from last night.

Now everyone's gone to bed, and I'm sitting here, enjoying the quiet with the dog and cats.
It's been a good day.