In Theory, there is no Practice.

This is Depressing News

So my general annoyance / unhappiness with parts of my existence aren’t unique.

I mean:

• I love my son, and enjoy being around him entirely too much. But can you blame me?
  
• I love my wife.
• I love my dog (not in that way, you freak).
• I mostly like my job (it is often fun, and I am waaaaay overpaid…not a most common admission, though probably true more than people will admit…)
• I have a nice home
• I have enough food to have to worry about weight loss.

And yet I feel less than successful. Like my life is not meeting standards. I’m not learning enough. I am not earning enough. My house is not nice enough. My dog misbehaves. My lawn is more weeds than grass. My house never stays clean. I am 50lbs heavier today than I was 5 years ago. I am worried about paying for fuel oil / gas / electricity. I am worried about saving for retirement. I am worried about my son’s education. I am worried that my employer will agree with me that I am overpaid. And so on.

I need vacation.

Should stop the leaks in the the roof. Hmm, for the money, maybe I should have just gotten some $1 bills and patched the roof with thata…

Okay, I am a slacker. My wonderful mother gave us some money to buy a stove for our new house. We did, as well as an over the range microwave (so we had a fan/filter/light). Well, I never got around to sending her the pictures since I had to go find the digital camera cable.

So I did, then thought I would just put it here, rather than in her e-mail basket.

Ooh, pretty. Lots of buttons and LEDs. Lots of things to press. [Don't get my mom started on the button / dial / alarm clock stories...]

And here is what our dog thinks of it:

Okay, got Direct TV last week after only having over the air reception. Boy, there is a big difference in picture quality.

Signed up for a deal, Sunday Ticket, that was a little more than I going to spend, but I get to watch the games I really want to see now. Nice! My lovely wife is excited, too, because she can watch the Browns. (Although, WHY she wants to is a mystery…)

Also trying to unpack some more stuff, plus do a few projects around the house.

Lets see,

• Fix Gutters
• Install hand rails on steps
• Paint trim in bedroom
• Install light fixture over porch
• Level laundry room floor
• Install tile on laundry room floor
• Fur and drywall the laundry room
• Paint laundry room
• Get shelves for basement
• Clean basement
• Level basement floor
• Regrade back yard so it drains away from the house
• Build up flower beds near house to fix water problems
• Brick up nasty, useless windows in basement
• Get/Install garbage disposal
• Get/Install dehumidifier in basement
• Reroof 3rd floor

Etc.

No wonder I am not going to have time to do anything…

After we moved in mid-August, my lovely wife and I decided not to get cable for the time being. It has been a challenge. We only get 2 channels well (CBS and ABC), 4-5 in all (also PBS, NBC and sometimes FOX).

What this means is that my already reduced TV watching time has since evaporated. I was pretty much down to just Mission: Organization and Ask This Old House. And some misc. cooking shows.

I kind of miss ESPN, but over the last year or two, I have grown increasingly disgusted with pro-sports as a whole. Every one of them. The athletes are poor, poor citizens, the owners tone deaf, and the officiating has degenerated to pro-Wrestling credibility. (Though I do hope Joe Gibbs does well. He always seemed like a super sharp, classy coach. Very old school.)

And now that I am in the final days of unpacking my stuff, and the mandatory repairs on the house have been down, I get to start thinking of what I am going to do with my time.

Which is why the blog is more active. Go figure.