Mister Krabs? Its dinnertime.

My grandson JJ was over this past weekend.  He is almost the same age as younger daughter Grace (9 month younger) and they fight constantly, but thats not the point of this story.  We recently expanded out hermit crab collection to include 4 crabs, they live happily in a 45 gallon aquarium.  Mister Krabs is the largest crab, then theres Herman, and Hermania and another whose name keeps on changing.  JJ wanted to see a crab and and Mr K was there.  I picked him up and offered to let JJ hold him, but JJ was scared. 

My older daughter Megan said she would hold him and extended her hand in human-crab friendship.

 

The kids looked at the wonder in Megan's hand and suddenly Megan started saying 'Ow ow owwww' like she was in pain or something..  JJ looked a little scared but then we all started laughing at Megan's joke that Mister Krabs was hurting her.  When Megan kept it up I took a close look and there was a bit of her hand turning white from the pinch of the claw..  Just as I was going to free her from the monsters grasp he let go..  As Meester Krabs went back into his cage Megan said she would like Crab for dinner..

Megan sees 'some' humor in this tale, but not a lot..

Valentines Day past:

When I was in 4th or 5th grade my elementary school did allowed the childrens to pass out VD cards to their friends.  It wasn't like today where it was required that everyone got a card, oh no.  Schools thought nothing of having policies that taught ya how the world was really like.  A sad little boy who got "Charlie Brown'd"  was not something that caused any adult to lose sleep over..  So, in a desperate bid to avoid being 'the one' who did not get any VD cards, I went out and got an extra box and addressed em all to myself..  It was a brilliant plan see..  I would not be cardless, better still, I would have MORE than anyone else..  The school had a big box for everyone to put their cards into and I somehow managed to slip my 'illegal' cards into it without being spotted..  Life was good..  Muahahaha..  The best laid plans eh?

There was also a girl I liked, 'crushed on' I think the kids these days say.  Looking back I think she liked me too, but to a dopey kid in the 70's it was a unrequited love..

When it came time to pass out the cards the teacher picked my sweetie as one if the students to distribute the valentine cards..  The kids grabbed a handful and would walk over to the desk of the student who's name was on the card and hand them the card.  She passed out several and then all hell broke lose!  She handed me one of my fake cards, then another, then another..  'Curses!' I thought, 'I did not mix them in!'  Sweat broke out as she handed me more and more of the obviously fake cards.  I looked at my handwriting on the cards and just KNEW she knew it was me who tried this scam..  I think she said something like 'someone likes you' with a very cute smirk.  I died a thousand deaths that day..

That and this..

My eldest thinks I do not support her, when the frustration is with her mother not informing me of her activities..  The bee (mama) need an ass kickin..
My finances feel like they are in the toilet (heart speaking) but I know (head speaking) that I am on dry land.. Not the mountaintop, but not quicksand..  I am a disaster or jobloss away from problems, but hopefully will be able to get on solid ground soon..

Other than the above, things are goodish..  We got a new crop of pets..  Had a hermit crab for months now.  Herman, Gee's hermit crab, had been hanging on for months..  And we had a fish kill in the big aquarium (petsmart told us to use algae clean to remove the green from the water, kilt most of the fish, which we moved to the 10 gallon tank, leaving the big tank free for crabs) so Gee and I got two friends for Herman, Mr Crabs and xxx.  Emm needed to have a pet too, got a _tiny_ Pearl, crab which promptly died, Phenny replaced her, her?  So now we have 4 hermit crabs livin la vida loco..


Had some contractors out to look at putting addition onto the house.. Have some options..  One option is to almost double the living space in the house..  Add two bedrooms (and 600 sq feets) for 50K..  Another is to add 1 br for 20K.  Will have to wait until summer to see where I stand, to see what I can do..  KnowwhatImean?

My kids are growing so fast,,,  twas truly yesterday when they were infants,,  Not they are young ladies..  13 and 9..

My girls are really my world.  I think that if you distill the purpose for living, it comes down to making sure that your children are cared for.  Work, house, finances, all window dressing.  The end result is that they are cared for.



Well, think I need to sign out now..  Peace out.

AngerManagement

  So while it is not one of my 'new years resolutions' this year, I thought that I would like to work on my 'anger issues'  I dont think I am out of control, just that I expend so much energy at the idiots in the world, that it seems like they are winning when I get all upset that their shiat..

  So while I will not always 'win' I pledge this year to stop, take a moment and breathe, count to ten, and reflect if that a-hole is worth the energy I am about to spend.

  And I have actually won some of the battles this year.  There was a couple guys at the grocery store who was parked 

RIGHT.  WHERE.  I.  WANTED.  TO.  SHOP!!

I walked away, looked for something else on my list, came back later..  That worked.  I did not blow my top.  As London Tipton says 'Yea Me!'

Some in the losses column are:

• The guy at the liquor store who had his purchases rang up and left his farking SHOPPING CART right in my way!  The basteed knew what he was doing.  Something about the way he was moving, edging away from the cart.  Luckily an employee grabbed the cart and took it away.

• People who pull into the right turn lane at a light, then speed through the intersection to continue forward without turning..  These a-holes usually have a left turn within a block just to twist the nipple a little bit more..

• The neighbors across the street who park infront of my house..  Making me park around the corner sometimes..  Public street and all, they can legally park there, but ya think they would leave one space for a brother..

I think its part of me, this angry goblin that stews and vents..  And I think part of it is that I do not want to become someone who gets pushed around by the asshats in the world. 

I read on some blog today that there are benefits to meditating just 3 minutes a day, actual physical changes in the brain.  Thats not too hard, give a couple minutes each day to just chilling and letting yer mind wander?

Cleaning and Planning

Have a couple, ten or so projects I would like to finish, no energy to work on em, so I decided to attack one and see where it goes.  Have spent an hour here, two hours there, slowly working on clearing/cleaning areas so we can have more livable space.  The Basement and Garage are two main projects.  The basement is filled mostly my crap, the garage has a mixture of my stuff, my gf's stuff, and crap that the ex is storing.. 

My daughter Megan would like her own room, and has expressed interest in a basement hideaway.  The immediate goal is to make a downstairs 'living room' where she can hang out and then if I can convince the city for the zoning variance, will put in an egress window so she have use it as a bedroom.  But I think the living room space will be nice for a while

Had session three in the basement tonight, going through, sorting and itemizing the 'stuff' in my life.  Its fun trips down memory lane, sorta like shopping when I find a cool forgotten toy, and kinda tiring when I look at when is left to work on.  Aint all bad, especially when you can look at the progress and see more and more of a clear space!

Also called four contractors to get quotes to get a curbcut for a driveway for my garage (off street parking would be nice) and the look into how much an addition to my place would be.  I am not in the most stable job (lots of cutbacks, employee reductions) but I think that as an IT Professional (stop the giggling) I am employable..  So testing the waters and checking out how much it would be to add on to my little 946sq foot, 2 br house.  The addition options as I see it are:

• I can add a 2nd level 20x11 space in the back (2 rooms with 1br, or 1 bigass room), 
• or a twolevel 12x24 addition on the side (2 bigass rooms for 4brs)

The 1st would cost 22-35K, and still waiting for the quotes for the side addition (guessing 40k).  Of course there are plenty of  things that cam make it more or less, can do some of the work myself (sweat equity)

Some of the house fund will come from the just I am inventorying and plan to sell on craigslist.  Figure get a downpayment, use some tax returns, then see where we are at man..  This plot is really seeming possible!  =) 

How ya'll doing?

Greg is: (in no particular order) overweight mid-to-late 40's white male, single parent, IT worker, US Navy veteran, homeowner, liberal, boyfriend, eldest child, beer drinking omnivore, American born and raised.


Welcome to Greg's World, a place about me, disturbing and/or interesting glimpses into my world. 


 I was born, raised, and spent most of my life in Minnesota.  The oldest of six kids, product of a broken home, I came of age in the 80's.  I have a very strong sense of justice, like to sort things into two piles, right and wrong.  I like to agrue discuss things.. Seem to do things rather impulsively.  A lot times I feel like I am staring in a sitcom, fumbling through a wacky problem that may be resolved this episode or surely by end end of the season..

Greg's World has a wide range of characters..

• Sandi is my long suffering artistic girlfriend.  She's a 40ish country mouse who is trying to make it in the big city.  This fiery redhead has three grown children of her own.  She and I were born in raised in different worlds but she is the love of my life.  She was born in a small town farm, me in the suburbs.  Back in school now to train for a new profession: Studio Photographer.
• Megan is my firstborn child.  A daddies girl until her sister arrived and unbelievably, a 13 yo leukemia survivor  She is done with her chemo, but still has (and might always have) medical issues to deal with.  Megan is an eight-grader in an art magnet school..
• Grace lives up to her name.  My 9 yo daughter (going on 16) is the apple of my eye, always has a smile on her face and a song in her heart.  Grace is in the 5th grade.
• Mia, Minnie and Meme are the pets.  Mia is a short-haired black car with a patch of white on her belly.  Technically Sandi's cat, she likes me better tho ;).  She loves to be petted, but only on Mia's terms, must think it cute to flex her claws as you pet her, like she is saying 'pet me right or feel my fury!" She sleeps on her back. Minnie is a long-haired calico.  Too weird to put into words.  Something is seriously wrong with this cat.  And Meme is the newest member of the family.  She is a short-haired rat terrier.  Meme is a mama's girl too.  She is a nervous animal, growls at you if she doesn't know you, barks at the door (and doorbell from the tv) and defends the house when other dogs walk too close..  We are slowly training the dawg, or is she training us?
• Ewie is a an unwanted but necessary member of Greg's World. Mother of my children, pain in my ass.
• Random extras are also part of Greg's World.  They will pop in from time to time.