My News -n- such

9/22/08

New photos added: Several new photos have been added & I'm working on getting Chris set up so that she can update the photos regularly.

3/5

For my Hot-head brothers: thanks to dad for introducing me to this site. I've found some really great looking sauces as well as some interesting capsacin crystals. One of the most appealing, is a 7.1 million scoville unit sauce, The Source. If you think you're man enough or have a buddy who is stupid enough there is also this interesting 16 million scoville unit capsaicin crystal (additive only) for about $300 bucks.

12/20

Chris's Spot:~ Brandon is working on a sore throat and another cold/cough, and we can't seem to get both kids healthy for a week before the next germ grabs 'em. The note from school about the "pandemic flu" came home with Cindy the day before she got the flu. : ) Fun stuff! .

Brandon has learned to bat his eyelashes and smile when saying please "peees". His sitter has taught him several cute tricks - she's great with him and he is very comfortable with her. He also says "Ho Ho Ho" (or Ha Ha Ha) when you ask him what Santa says - very cute. Running all over now.

Good stuff: Last week, Cindy was invited by Duke University to participate in the TIP program and take the SATs in January. It's a program identifying and providing scholorship funds and incentive programs for exceptional youth, so we are all very proud of her. This week, she was inducted into the National Junior Beta Honor Society. Also, she earned her second-degree blue-belt on Monday. (Flu on Tuesday -- she's a busy kid.)

Work: My hours were reduced to less than part-time at a low fraction of my current salary, so I no longer work for Supplemental Healthcare... it wasn't a huge surprise although it was very poor timing just a few days before Christmas...it was a gamble when I took the position. We barely had time to enjoy 2 salaries, but I am already putting my resume out and will enjoy some time with the kids over the holidays!

12/9

Work: Well it's been an interesting couple of weeks at the new job. I've been focussing on training and even took an overnight trip up to Richmond, VA this week for a class. All seems to be going well. I'm still trying to learn their processes and identify areas for process/procedure improvement and revision. I'm also learning about ISO and how it applies to our business.

Da kids: Brandon is still dealing with Bronchitis, some remnants of the Croup, and a double ear infection. He's been to the doctor at least once a week for the last two weeks. Doc keeps throwing medicine at him - hope he gets better soon. He's been coughing quite a bit and very mucusHe hasn't been sleeping very well - so neither have we.

11/29

Homefront: Parents of young travelers beware Well . . . first off, Cindy flew down to Florida for Thanksgiving last Thursday and returned this Monday. Her return flight was scheduled to arrive @ 9:45, and Chris arrived at the airport by 8:50. The usual procedure when picking up an unaccompanied minor(UM) is to go to the Delta ticketing counter, receive a gate pass, and head to the gate to meet the flight attendant/ UM escort. Upon arrival, Chris was surprised to find that the Delta service counter was closed and she could not get a gate pass to go pick up Cindy at the gate. Additionally, the security personnel she spoke with informed her that no gate passes are issued to non-ticketed persons after 7:00 PM. She was then directed to proceed to the baggage claim area to wait for Cindy. While waiting anxiously in the baggage claim area, she saw a Delta employee, who she proceeded to question regarding the UM pickup procedure. She was then told, that there were no UM passengers permitted on flights after 7:00 PM. After additional interrogation, where Chris insisted Cindy was a UM, the Delta employee insisted that there were no UMs on the flight, nor was Cindy listed as a passenger. Much drama ensued, and through Chris's hysterical fit and with the help of another Delta employee Cindy was located (still aboard the plane - more than 30 minutes after landing) and identified as a passenger on the flight, however according to the airline records was not a UM. Warren, Cindy's father has followed up with a call to Delta and was told to file a grievance in writing. The sad thing is , this is the second time this has happened . . . . . (Major contributing author - Chris Smiley.........meh' meh' meh in my ear while I type)

Young Brandon . . . was diagnosed with Croup and Bronchitis this morning. He was up half the night (as were we) coughing, crying, and wheezing . Chris took him to the doctor today who confirmed Chris's initial suspicions. He's been placed on steroids, nebulizer breathing treatments, and some kind of eye drops.

 

11/25

Work : Finished my first (almost) week of work. Seems like it is going to be a great environment. Although, I haven't really had the opportunity to delve into any of my responsibilities yet, I am happy to say that all of the people I'll be working with are intelligent, industrious, and quite capable. It's nice to work with people who actually want to work and accomplish something. This place has a great chemistry and a great team. They need help with their structure and job management, which is why I'm there, but all-in-all it's a great shop.

Homefront: Not much going on at home. We had a rather uneventful Thanksgiving. Chris took Cindy to the airport for her flight down to FL, which was supposed to leave at 12:00 and didn't leave till 2. This left me home with Brandon and gave us some time to play, although he opted to nap instead. After Chris's fiasco at the airport, we went over to Clayton and Carrin's for dinner. Clayton made a huge meal, enough to feed two-three times the people that were there. We ate and hung out for a little while. Thanks for the Great food and hospitality Clayton!

Chris and I spent this morning cleaning up the house and enjoying the warmer weather together. We went to Walmart with the intention of getting some Christmas shopping done. We ended up only buying about five gifts for the kids and a cart full of groceries. We may try to do more Christmas shopping tomorrow, but I hope not. I'd rather just hang around the house or play in the yard with them.

11/20

Work Prospects: I accepted the Assistant Manager position with AlphaGraphics and started working today. The work seems like it will be challenging and I'm looking forward to re-joining the work force. The first day was pretty uneventful. Lots of CBT modules to get me up-to-speed with the way their business works.

Da kids and stuff : Brandon spent the whole day at the babysitter's and seemed to do alright. Although, he did have a bit of a rash on his face when Chris picked him up this evening. Maybe related to the laundry detergent that was used on the crib sheet the babysitter put in the playpen. Also - he's walking confidently all over the house. He's been following us from room to room and getting better at it every day.

Big News : Cindy has won the election to become the 7th grade class Vice President!!!!! She is already planning her first hunting trip, although, I don't believe Mr. Cheney will be attending. She also made straight A's again (no surprise there) and received the Principal's Award.

11/15

Work Prospects: I've been interviewing with a local print shop for a Production Scheduler position and was made an offer to be the Assistant Production Manager. Looks like I'll be starting in the next week or so. It'll be nice to have the additional income for the house, but I'm reluctant to leave the baby with a sitter. In large-part due to how much I'm going to miss spending time with him, and to a smaller degree I feel that only his mother or I could take proper care of him during the day. Perfectly natural feelings - I suppose.

School Happenings: Although, I'm only a semester or so away from receiving my Associate of Science degree, I decided to change my degree program. Now, I'm pursuing a Computer Programming degree. I'm excited about taking classes that actually pertain to what I want to learn, but I am also aware that I have delayed my degree completion by at least another 2 semesters. Hopefully it will be well worth it and I will enjoy the new set of classes.