Wow - things are happening so fast in my life that my head is spinning!
My wife and daughter got back from 2.5 weeks in Kiev Ukraine last Saturday. I had missed them a lot, but Lena and I have had issues for most of the 5 years we've been married. On Sunday we decided that its time to divorce. It started out as a big argument, but since my initial outburst, we've actually been getting along very well. We seem to be in agreement on most of the issues involved in the dissolution, especially the fact that most important in this deal is Jackie Kennedy - who doesn't deserve to continue to live with two unhappy parents.
We've decided that they will stay in the rental house we've been living in here in Bellevue for the last three years. I have started searching for a new place to live. It will probably be a shared housing situation for awhile to conserve money (and so that I can afford to pay more child support than required). I'm going to wait to buy another house until the market finishes returning to some sense of normalcy (it is still so very over priced). I have a couple of great options already and am actually looking forward to a change - although I will miss seeing Jackie every day ...
As a result of this split (and so I can afford to do a lot of skiing this season), I will need to start making better money again, so I have started looking for a job to supplement my (very small) income from the newspaper. There are so many things I can do with my skills and experience and really nothing I cannot do. I prefer to work in real estate or possibly even as a computer tech (I like building and fixing computers), or accountant (too much experience there) but have been keeping my options open.
A big challenge that I'll have in finding the right job is my current appearance. As a budding hair farmer, I have been having a lot of bad hair days. I'm currently in the really bad looking phase between well groomed and long hair. When it gets a little longer I think I will have some better control of it.
So now I am not only looking for a new job and new place to live, I'm also looking for a new love interest - or at least to date. I'm really not looking forward to dating after five years of marriage, but I'm not going to wait around - I signed up on Match.com this evening. I'm thinking being a hair farmer might be a challenge here too - what do you think?
I have made a commitment to grow hair for children and Locks of Love - I'm really hoping that I can stick with it, despite the need and desire to find new housing, work and a lady. Anyone have any predictions?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Baseball's Mitchell Steroid Report
Today's long awaited release of the Mitchell Report on steriods for Major League Baseball has caused a lot of controversy, brought up some new names and raised even more questions.
The biggest names that came out today were Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. (I've always had a big dislike for Clemens as he's such an asshole. ) Most people have realized that Barry Bonds was one of the biggest (and most successful) offenders for a long time. Many of us who have been baseball fans have long realized that steroids have been used by hundreds of major league players - to not see that you pretty much had your head buried in the sand.
I first realized the problem many years ago when I was living in San Diego and my old summer league catcher Tom Lampkin was traded to the Padres. Although he was never a star big leaguer, he did have a solid career as a back up catcher for about six different teams. When I used to know him (until he was 19 or 20), he was just a skinny kid who could hit singles. When I saw him playing in the bigs his arms had grown as big as my legs. That just does not happen naturally or by weight lifting alone ... BTW - It really kind of sucks when somebody makes "The Show" and then won't even talk to their old friends ... I really admire people who remember where they came from and have no respect for those that don't.
As far as the big backlash of the steriods report, I hope that baseball can put it in the past. My personal opinion that any record by someone proven to be a steroid user should have an asterisk next to it. Whoever is proven to have used banned performance enhancing drugs (while they were banned) is a cheater, and should be banned from baseball, the record books and the Hall of Fame. If the drugs they were taking were not banned at the time, I don't think we can or should hold that against them. I would probably have done the same to get any advantage possible - or to simply keep up with the competition.
The biggest names that came out today were Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. (I've always had a big dislike for Clemens as he's such an asshole. ) Most people have realized that Barry Bonds was one of the biggest (and most successful) offenders for a long time. Many of us who have been baseball fans have long realized that steroids have been used by hundreds of major league players - to not see that you pretty much had your head buried in the sand.
I first realized the problem many years ago when I was living in San Diego and my old summer league catcher Tom Lampkin was traded to the Padres. Although he was never a star big leaguer, he did have a solid career as a back up catcher for about six different teams. When I used to know him (until he was 19 or 20), he was just a skinny kid who could hit singles. When I saw him playing in the bigs his arms had grown as big as my legs. That just does not happen naturally or by weight lifting alone ... BTW - It really kind of sucks when somebody makes "The Show" and then won't even talk to their old friends ... I really admire people who remember where they came from and have no respect for those that don't.
As far as the big backlash of the steriods report, I hope that baseball can put it in the past. My personal opinion that any record by someone proven to be a steroid user should have an asterisk next to it. Whoever is proven to have used banned performance enhancing drugs (while they were banned) is a cheater, and should be banned from baseball, the record books and the Hall of Fame. If the drugs they were taking were not banned at the time, I don't think we can or should hold that against them. I would probably have done the same to get any advantage possible - or to simply keep up with the competition.
Familiar Faces in Bellevue
Last night while standing outside with friends taking a smoke break from a great dinner at Firenze, I thought I recognized someone walking out with a group of women. I couldn't grasp her name right off the top of my head (I don't think I've seen her since Bellevue High School graduation in 1981 except for possibly at a couple of class reunions) - and I'm still a little self conscious about my appearance during the early stages of hair farming, so I didn't say anything. In doing a little research, her name in high school was Lucille Pessa and I think her married name is Mullins. Cannot say for sure it was her - but I'd bet on it ...
It's interesting to continue to see faces from the past since I moved back here to Bellevue from San Diego three years ago. On the other hand, some of my best old friends I still have not seen. Apparently any people from my past have no desire to go there ... (Shurtleff - you are at the top of this list - I'll soon be divorced and you haven't even met my wife - or daughter!). Not sure why I wrote that, as I'm pretty sure that Matt (like many of my old friends) doesn't use a computer.
Another person from Bellevue High School that I ran into recently is Kelly Carlson (formerly Chamberlain). She recognized me at Trader Joe's in Bellevue a few weeks ago and was so very friendly (despite my scary looks) it made me feel good. She owns a home staging business with Michelle Jackling (formerly Richmond) called Motif. I hope to be able to help them get some business through advertising in Eastside Business newspaper. Michelle used to be a really good friend (and the first person I ever kissed!), but I haven't seen her for almost three years since I moved back up.
OK - so much for reminiscing, back to the present ..
It's interesting to continue to see faces from the past since I moved back here to Bellevue from San Diego three years ago. On the other hand, some of my best old friends I still have not seen. Apparently any people from my past have no desire to go there ... (Shurtleff - you are at the top of this list - I'll soon be divorced and you haven't even met my wife - or daughter!). Not sure why I wrote that, as I'm pretty sure that Matt (like many of my old friends) doesn't use a computer.
Another person from Bellevue High School that I ran into recently is Kelly Carlson (formerly Chamberlain). She recognized me at Trader Joe's in Bellevue a few weeks ago and was so very friendly (despite my scary looks) it made me feel good. She owns a home staging business with Michelle Jackling (formerly Richmond) called Motif. I hope to be able to help them get some business through advertising in Eastside Business newspaper. Michelle used to be a really good friend (and the first person I ever kissed!), but I haven't seen her for almost three years since I moved back up.
OK - so much for reminiscing, back to the present ..
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