So.....here it goes. I'm finally posting my first Feisty Friday rant. For a background on Feisty Friday, check out this post.
Today's topic: The wonderful world of fast food.
This afternoon I had another episode of an all too familiar occurrence at fast food restaurants. I ordered a sandwich from McDonald's and upon opening the box, envision this: The bun is centered in the box. The all-beef (hopefully) patty is slid off to the right-hand side, partially propped up on the box and nearly 30% NOT on the bun. The slice of cheese has been gracefully applied to the back of the bun, nearly 25% hanging off of the bun. At this point it is evident that nearly no cheese is touching the burger. There is ketchup and mayo oozing out of the back and well onto the bun. There is a pile of onions in the corner of the box.
While this is a more extreme scenario than usual, more moderate examples seem to occur on a much too regular basis. I have worked at a McDonald's and as a short-order cook, and let me assure you, assembling a burger is not exactly rocket science. I really have to wonder if some of these burger engineers can color within the lines. Perhaps they are too rushed?? If so, I would gladly wait an extra 30 seconds to get a sandwich that I do not have to reassemble while driving down the freeway. At any rate....here's hoping that my next fast food excursion will be better.
This past weekend was wonderful! My one request for Father's day was to spend it up at our cabin on Henderson Lake. It ended up being a very special weekend, as the cabin welcomed Lindsay, the first member of it's fifth generation. I remember spending so much time up there when I was a kid and now, seeing Lindsay up at the lake is a dream come true. There are just so many things I want to show her up there. It's a chance to relive some of my favorite childhood memories through my little girl. Absolutely priceless! Although the weekend started out by me getting the car stuck (long story), I was soon kicking back to enjoy some fishing and some much needed R&R. A storm rolled in Saturday evening and produced some very cool clouds and a variety of lightning. We sat out and watched it by the campfire until the rain got too bad. Sunday morning was awesome! A little cool to start but the sun was shining. Lindsay went on her first walk (or ride) around the neighborhood and was soon fast asleep. Upon our return, Lindsay got to see fishing first-hand, although she seemed much more interested in the bobber than in the fish. Oh, well. She is only 5 months old after all. All in all, we all had a wonderful time, and can't wait to head back up over the 4th of July weekend.
Man...... I have been horrible at posting as of late. Here goes a brief update until I can get back in the blogging groove.
Things have been insanely busy at work the past month. We have a few high-profile projects going on right now that have been eating up a great deal of time. Combine that with the normal daily support and administrative tasks and there just doesn't seem to be enough minutes in a day. To top that, I just now got a call about a serious power failure in the DataCenter at work. I'll return to this post shortly....
Well, now that I'm back....
Lindsay is doing great! She has started to eat a little bit of rice cereal, and has learned how to eat that very quickly. We give her very small portions, but she is definitely getting used to it. She is starting to grab onto everything in site, including Mom's necklace (which she broke). It's truly amazing to watch all of her little accomplishments.
Today I stopped at the hardware store to pick up a few things and as usual, I used my Disney Rewards Visa. As I finished checking out, I realized that I had just purchased mouse traps with a Credit Card that sported a nice picture of Mickey Mouse. I sure hope that he doesn't hold a grudge, as I would really hat e to cause a scene when we take Lindsay to Disney World.
Our hook-up to city sewer is now complete. After trying to coordinate work between the excavators and the plumbers, I now see why people hire general contractors for building a house. The next major project will start in a few weeks when another excavator will be putting a new finish grade on the back yard after removing several stumps and the septic tank. Following that, I will be planting my new back-yard lawn. Hopefully it turns out well, but if nothing else, it will save some mowing this year.
Well, that about wraps it up for now.
Nearly a month ago, Lindsay decided that she wanted to start rolling over from her tummy to her back. It was one of the coolest sights to behold. She would get a determined look on her face, would start leaning to one side, and eventually she would rock a little until she had enough momentum to roll. I still remember the startled look on her face when she first rolled over, as if trying to figure out what just happened. The weeks following, she replicated this feat dozens of times. This past week we have continued with her tummy time, but she hasn't rolled over a single time. As a matter of fact, it appeared that she has stopped trying. I was beginning to think she was just bored with that trick. This morning, she managed to surprise us again. During her typical tummy time, she appeared a little frustrated; repeatedly wiggling her legs, putting her head down, and then lifting it back up. Then.......out of nowhere, she put her head down, pulled her knees up toward her chest and lunged forward. It wasn't quite a crawl, but it appears that she is well on her way. Within a few minutes, she had scooted a little over a foot across her play mat. I had to laugh when on her final little lunge, she incorporated a roll too. She demonstrated her new trick a second time this afternoon and it definitely seems that she has a system figured out to get her closer to mobility. It is just so amazing to watch Lindsay's developments. She is just growing up so fast!
So all-in-all, I guess she must have figured out that she couldn't learn to crawl if she she simply kept rolling over. After all, it's pretty tough to crawl on your back. =)
Has feet, will move. Time to start baby-proofing......
Day three has come to an end.......home in two days.
My class is going well, but I really miss Jill and Lindsay. The webcams have helped a lot, though. This morning Lindsay gave me a big smile on the video call, which absolutely made my day. It's amazing how that little girl has become such an important part of my everyday life. When I'm at work, I can't wait to get home to see her. When I wake up, the first thing I do is go over to her bassinet to say good morning. And now that I'm away for the week, I can't help but wish Friday were already here. Jill and Lindsay, I MISS YOU!
On another note, my class is awesome. VMware designed it to be an intense course, packing 8 days worth of class into a week. The 8:00 to 6:00 classes make for a long day, but we have been getting out just a bit early so far and are making great progress. I have been hanging out with a good group of my classmates and just got back from my second night at the sushi bar. As always, the networking opportunities are nearly as valuable as the class material. "Virtually" everyone jumps at an opportunity to hang out with a VMware guy. We're just fun people. =)
This just in.......
My buddy Nolan called and the Tigers are up 10-1 over Cleveland. Apparently I just had to follow the Tigers to Ohio for good luck. LETS GO TIGERS!!!
Modified Tags
04-18-2008
MDS
I've been slacking a little on my posts lately, so here are some tidbits from the past week.
My "No soda, No coffee" streak came to an end. I would have expected it to be a lack of willpower, but instead it was a lack of brainpower. While at a wedding on Saturday, I had a lapse in judgement and ordered a rum and coke. About half way through the drink, I caught my mistake. All along my intent was more so to stop myself from the regular consumption of such beverages at work, home, and restaurants rather than the occasional mixed drink. But, as I did not even consider this scenario, and as much as it pains me, I shall remove the counter. After making it well over three weeks with absolutely NO soda or coffee, I am confident that I can continue to nix them from my diet. For my own peace of mind, I will however add a clause to my first dietary law.
Clause 1 to the "No soda, No Coffee" Law:
In the instance where no suitable substitutes (White Russian, Tanqueray and tonic, etc) can be obtained, mixed drinks containing soda may be consumed in moderation.
On a similar topic, Jill and I had a great time at the wedding on Saturday. Congratulations to Chris and Jen on their special day!
Papa Bob (aka: Papa Bobble; so named for his collection of MLB bobble-heads) took Lindsay on her first extended stroller trip last Thursday. I think he covered nearly the entire, vast expanse of the Richville sidewalks. He even stopped into our local tourist trap, Norm's. While we were at the wedding on Saturday, Papa Bobble and Mama Cathy then took Lindsay on a stroller trip to dinner at Fritz's. Lindsay is just living it up these days!
On Friday I sacrificed my LCD TV fund and became the proud owner of a pair of webcams and a Sony digital camcorder. I will be in Cincinnati all of next week for VMware training, and I just couldn't go 5 days without seeing her; thus, the webcams. While there, I realized that Lindsay was starting to do more and more things that I wanted to catch on film. Apparently now that I'm a Dad, memories have become more important than a TV. Hopefully I'll be able to get some clips of Lindsay out here soon.
Work on the crib has been moving along well. I have the gates nearly finished and should be ready for test assembly and finishing within a week or so. I'll be sure to post some pics once it's finished.
Sunday we went out to breakfast with my mom and dad to celebrate their anniversary. We went to Mornin' at Maggie's, a great little restaurant in downtown Bay City that specializes in omelettes. And these aren't just any omelettes. The variety of ingredients that they use is outstanding. Blue cheese and potato, fiesta, and gorgonzola with sausage and pear are a few of the selections. Absolutely outstanding!
I think that about sums it up. Hopefully I'll be a bit better with my posts this week.
