Thanks. You've got one more day!

Chasing La Fée Verte will put anyone into the holiday spirit!  Wish we could have joined you.  The pics are great and the colors are awesome.  

Got into the car and drove. A lot. I trust Matt would have approved of the double double animal style I had in his memory at Kettleman City.

Then continued on to a refueling stop at Bakersfield Costco, having seen lots of Almond Trees on the way there. Then onward through the darkness to "The Meadows" Just in time to try out the heated indoor / outdoor pool with Joanne, before it closed. Unlike most things around here which seem to go on for some time...

Todd, very cool of your family to volunteer, it sets a great example for them which they are more likely to accept rather than a lecture.  I am always concerned about the So Cal. mindset of "it is all about me" and the influence on our children.

As parents we always try to lead by example.  Now having said that, Lance my youngest is starting trumpet lessons.  So being the good father that I am I have been introducing him to "real musicians" like Miles Davis and this-

 

 

http://youtu.be/X_x2frivy6w

 

except I forgot that when asked what is the name of that cool song, it is "Love For Sale"  .  Daddy can be an idiot sometime. 

Edited December 23, 201312 yr by Augsburger

Went to this Enchanted Village/Laser Show/Ice Skating Link thingie they have going on at a Jordan's Furniture Store, ~40 minutes away, thinking our daughter would enjoy it.  We got there 10 minutes after it opened to find 2.5 hour wait to get into the said Enchanted Village, an hour wait for skating link, and an hour wait to get a ticket for laser show that was 3 hours away.  Needless to say, we did not partake upon any of those.  Thankfully, our daughter had a great time going through children's bedroom section.

Edited December 23, 201312 yr by Salt Peanuts

Thankfully, our daughter had a great time going through children's bedroom section.

Sorry to hear Haj, but glad your daughter found fun where it was to be found anyway.

 

I'm reminded of one Christmas when the toy my nieces & nephew played with the most was the large cardboard box leftover from the new refrigerator my brother had just purchased. That box was a fort, a spaceship, a playhouse, a school, ... the list goes on and on. They drew on it with crayons & used their imaginations for months, until it finally collapsed from one too many kids sitting on top. Long after their actual toys were all but forgotten.

 

Lesson learned...

Did some sightseeing

Started off the day with my Blue Dragon cables ceasing to work on the left channel.  It appears as if one of the wires is broken right by the Cardas Senn connector.  I don't have another single ended Senn cable.

Amazon can have a stock cable to you Friday for less than $30. I'll take a look at the BD if you want.

Started off the day with my Blue Dragon cables ceasing to work on the left channel.  It appears as if one of the wires is broken right by the Cardas Senn connector.  I don't have another single ended Senn cable.

I'd be happy to repair those for you.  Shoot me a pm if you like.

 

Edit: D'oh, just saw Nate's response.  Oh well.  Either way!

Edited December 25, 201312 yr by bhjazz

Fuck all, that's what I'm going to do today!  Woke up at 2:31pm.  Didn't know it was possible to be that tired.

Thanks for the offers, Nate and BHJ.  I elected to not mess with the cable anymore today, lest I further damage it.  Tomorrow I'll come up with a course of action.  Possible PMs coming in then.

 

As for the rest of today:

Skyped with our mother's thanks to siblings being able to handle the comm's tech for them.

Today ended a 5 day orgy of family get togethers. My youngest daughter finally announced to the rest of our families she is pregnant. Glad to see every one but also glad it is over. Off tomorrow for a couple of days of peace and solitude.

Fuck all, that's what I'm going to do today!  Woke up at 2:31pm.  Didn't know it was possible to be that tired.

At least you earned it, I slept 'til 2 and I have no idea why.

Spent my first Christmas alone.  It wasn't really too bad; I went to a movie and cooked a nice meal.  I was hoping to get more work done but people kept calling me. 

You're not really alone. We're here.

Ok true, I should change that to physically alone.

I was supposed to spend the day alone (after the kids were picked up at 9am). I wound up spending time with the ex's family (father's side), who didn't even know she was back in town for 2.5 months, after I told them when they called about Christmas plans. These guys have been good to me, and they wanted to see the kids, so I promised them a week or two ago I'd have them there. When other parties backed out, I'm like "see you at noon." Wound up hanging out over there for a few hours (my family's stuff was yesterday), and we had a pretty good time. The kids' mom came over after a few hours and the kids are staying with that side of the fam for a couple days while I work.

I wound up going to a dive bar where a friend was hosting a Karaoke Kristmas, made the rounds, and finally got home to bed, only 14 hours after I originally planned to.

All-in-all, not a horrible day for me, and the kids had a great time.

And Shelly... what Carl said.

**BRENT**

You're not really alone. We're here.

With Bacon, when indicated.

Hey, remember last week when I posted a picture of me sitting on a stage with a bunch of other people with instruments and stuff? Well, someone recorded some of it and put it on YouTube. I'm still the pixels 2nd row, just left of center, but I'm not the one playing the bad notes (in this video).

Enjoy/cringe/ignore the Mid-South Concert Band along with the Scenic City Chorale playing "A Christmas Festival", with out of tune accompanying vocals by the audience.

**BRENT**

The music stand covers your instrument, so instead of playing it you seem to have your right hand on your crotch 

The music stand covers your instrument, so instead of playing it you seem to have your right hand on your crotch

I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of these observations.

**BRENT**

Brent REALLY likes holiday music!