Taking a Break

So, I am gonna take a break… but a short one. I really do love writing this blog, as it is a cheap outlet for my rants and ramblings. I think, though, that I need to step back and take a look at my content. (what do you think?)
I guess you will just have to check back and see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
If you need any more clarification than that, you can e-mail me… if you already know my address. If not, you will have to wait and see. (I know that the anticipation is killing you.)

Semi-Published

I was in Nevada last week visiting my parents with my two kids. (there’s another story there) I was checking up on my entry into the Corrections Connection essay contest, and found that I didn’t make the top three. I did, however, make an honorable mention.

You can see it here. It’s the last entry on the page. Yay for me!

In other news, I had a great time with my parents, and my kids absolutely loved being with Gramma Neenee and Papa Paul.
While I was there, I installed a home theater system for them, and helped my dad spend some money on new components. Dad bought 6 in-wall speakers, 1 powered sub-woofer, a 6.1 Dolby Digital receiver, and the Pièce de résistance, a Harmony Remote Control (not to mention a bunch of cabling to connect it all together). I find that spending other people’s money is cheaper and less guilt ridden than spending my own. It was fun, and when it was all said and done, the system sounded and looked great.
My only real problem was when I went to leave. We got to the airport about an hour and a half before my flight, but when I went to check in, there was a line.
Now, when I say line, I must explain that this line wasn’t just the usual ticket line. This line went from the front desk of the airline into a snake in the immediate lobby area, then outside snaking in the immediate area outside the entrance, then all the way down the terminal to the very end of the terminal. This was one mutha of a line. When we were finally at the entrance to the terminal, the line was so long that I literally couldn’t see the end.
After waiting in line for about an hour and fifteen minutes, we sprinted (My mom, dad, myself, and my two kids) to the security checkpoint. We said some quick goodbyes, and left my parents. At the checkpoint, I was made to take my kids’ coats and shoes off (shoe bombs, ya know), and then I sprinted to the gate… just in time to see my plane taxi away from the gate. OMG! @#$%, @#$%, @#$%!!!
So, I went to the counter and asked the nice lady how I could get to Portland. The nice lady said that I needed to go to Reno, and wait for the connecting flight to Portland. I would be waiting for about, oh, SIX HOURS! I took the flight.
Seth, my two year old, didn’t like the plane ride to Reno, he was tired (no nap) and hungry (no lunch), which is not a good combo for anyone. The nice thing, is that when we got to the Reno airport, we had plenty of time for both. We ate lunch, and I let the kids blow off some steam by running around an empty terminal.
After a couple of hours, I was able to coax Seth to sleep, and he slept up until we got on the plane. Ryleigh, my 4yr old daughter, was great. She was bored, but coped well, and was a huge help keeping Seth occupied.
We got into Portland at about midnight, after a delay of an hour in Reno. I really didn’t care though, after about 3 hours, anything after that is pretty much the same. I was just happy to be home.
Of course, the fun didn’t stop when I got home, but that may be for another post. Suffice to say that I had a “shit storm” to deal with the next day.
Ahh, life. Ain’t it grand?