Happy New Years!

As the 2009 year comes to an end, I can really say that for me its been an amazing year. With the birth of our little Jacob comes a whole new meaning to life as I one knew it.
May your new year be blessed.
-M

Consumed!

I have been pretty busy with work finishing up an overhaul on our Unit 10. While the overtime opportunity was great in time for Christmas, I have felt a negative effect on time spent with my new boy. I know he will not remember his daddy being gone for a few weeks from sunrise to sundown but it still hits be hard in a corner of my heart. I never knew I could think of someone so much during my day-in and day-out errands, work, chores, etc. That little guy means the world to me.
I also have to give alot of credit to my better half, Cassandra. She has been such a good mom and great wife during these trying times. We have both often felt that during the holiday season our blood pressure tends to be on the high side. Now that both of our parents have a new grandson, we are in high demand to leave the island and take the boy around to friends and family.
I am headed overtown tomorrow to drive in the rain to Fullerton, to celebrate my moms birthday. I am headed out alone, which last year would not have been a disappointment... but without their new grandson they seemed semi-satisfied with just me. HA!
The three other major things going on this weekend include picking up our boat that we have bought, going to the almost acoustic Christmas show with Rory, and then getting the woman & boy on Sunday and headed over to Grandma Judy's house for a Christmas brunch. Should be good times... even in the crappy rain!
-M

Happy Thanksgiving!

So, I have no other way of saying this: TODAY IS COMPLETE AND UTTER CHAOS.

My wonderful other half has brought the ring to Sauron. She has combined both my family and the in-laws under one roof for this Turkey day.

Let the games begin.

sssshhhh! the baby is sleeping!

I'm guessing that I have a very small window of time, in which I am going to try to do an entry here on the blog. The woman is almost done with her shower (this makes her feel human, if she can get a 10 minute shower in while I stand guard over the baby) and then the boy... is just a few minutes away from waking up. Sheesh! It really has been chaotic here in the little Burch household on Catalina. The little one is demanding, and his mom & dad are getting stretched REALLY thin. We both know our limits, and I think that during this tough time, lack of sleep, backwards schedule, insane part of our life... that I know we will pull thru. I see a small light at the end of the tunnel. I pray for our health, and safety. Especially for the boy. There is not a day, perhaps hour- that I don't go by without thinking of my family.

This evening I got really pissed off at one of what is seeming to be our nightly solicitation calls. This particular one was from a "lower your mortgage rate now!" company. I actually listened intently, waiting for the opportunity to push a number and talk to a real human. I got in... pressing zero worked great! I got some deuscher on the line where I proceeded to ask him for his name and social security number. This really caught him by surprise. HA! I really didn't have any intention for him to rattle off his real S.S. number to me. I was just doing this for no other reason to screw with them. He mentioned to me that he wasn't comfortable doing this. I started saying that "its OK, its just part of the normal procedure...!" then I think he started realizing I was a crazy and put me on hold for a moment. During that brief moment I was on hold I started thinking this was a waste of both of our times. As soon as Mr. Douchebag came back onto the line I simply said, "Its probably much better for you to flip burgers at McDonald's and make an honest living than to harass a family at this hour with a newborn." CLICK. I hung up on him. Cassie heard all of this from the living room and with a chuckle, she mentioned that she hoped that guy wouldn't go home and kill himself. I immediately felt a bit of guilt, but had still hoped to get my point across. I cant say just how many times this past few weeks that we have gotten these nonsense calls. THEY ARE SOOOO FRUSTRATING!!! They call right during our dinner, or after 8pm, or when I get into the shower... whatever. NO EXCUSES! OK, done venting.

Thanks for listening.

-M

into the wild

the wife and I just finished this movie. VERY moving. I highly recommend taking the time to watch it. Time has been flying. We are learning that things that normally could be accomplished in "x" amount of time have been almost cut in half. No joke. We are tied to this little ball and chain named Jacob. Its well worth it, and I would never give being a father up for anything in this world. The movie is still lingering in the back of my mind, and it makes me want to be the best parent I can. I think my folks did a great job, and I hope to do the same or better.
God help me in this life-long task.

Mark my words...

MUSE will play this years Kroq almost acoustic Christmas...

dirty diapers and restless nights

well, not so much for myself... my poor wife is called upon by the crying of our baby boy that she must get enough energy to get herself up and feed the boy. I have occasionally done the dirty diaper in the middle of the night, but I do have to give Cassie credit in that she is being a trooper during each night. I hope to get some pics of our wonderful little guy up soon. Things have been pretty chaotic, to say the least.

Bill Maher is a Jack-Ass

Welcome, Jacob

Born October 4th @ 6:16pm, 8lbs 10oz.

TODAY!

not as planned...

Well, I think I can safely say that my son is not going to be born on his due date of today. Were approaching 9pm and with all the baby reading, watching, and (forced) research I know that for a first time baby... more than 3 hours will be needed to pop him out. HA! Sooo, this will be interesting. Were basically playing a waiting game. While this is good to spend time on the mainland with family and friends alike... I think were really gonna be hit hard with the pocketbook. Its so damn hard to pass up an In & Out!!! CRAP!

My brother made both the Cota & Burchs' a great homemade pizza dinner. Thanks Dave.

Well... off to eat more pies, this kind is pumpkin! Horray!

wait for it... WAIT for it...

today is going to be a good day. All glory be to God.

I feel bad for my wife this morning, because I can't imagine having such horrible sleep night after night. Hopefully my boy will start his life in this world soon, just for the sake of my poor wife and her struggling body.

I just bought AFI's new album, "Crash Love". I'm liking everything Ive heard so far. Its a bit on the "pop" side now. I know that Davey Havok is gifted with his voice and I'm glad to see him continue to use it. My wife and I have had a few talks about this dude. He seems legit to me, 100% rockstar. I know that there is a feminine side to him... so be it. Does this make him a flamer? I don't know. That's what scares me. Is he going to be this generations Freddie Mercury? We will see, I guess. Either way, this album rocks.

Today I am gonna go eat some excellent Italian food at Cortinas in Anaheim. I'm surprised that my preggo wife hasn't asked to go there earlier. In our "mainland" days this was at least a weekly event for us, after church on Sundays. After lunch, I am gonna be dropped off on a playdate with my pal, Rory. Were gonna check out this gamer-heaven place that goes by the name of Howies. Hopefully we can get a couple hours of our favorite MMO in. (thanks, Blizzard)

Then after that the wife and I are both taking our brothers and meeting up at the Santa Ana zoo. I haven't been there in years. Should be good times.

Jacob, when are you going to emerge? Only God above knows my sons real birthday. HA!

-M

90% effacement?!?

some or most of dads may know this term. From what I understand (sheesh- so much to learn!) the effacement term is when a woman's cervix begins to thin out to make way for baby to leave his or hers home that they started in. God is amazing. So many things about reproduction are fascinating to me. Our doc, Dr. Z- AWESOME. He loves the Lord and explains everything in a way of praise towards our creator.

Anyways... we have been keeping busy lately. Cass had her last shower this past Saturday at a tea room in Yorba Linda. We then took all the wonderful gifts to the barge yesterday. A whopping 340 pounds of baby paraphernalia. Yikes! We were originally planning on going back home for a few hours sometime tomorrow, but Dr. Z strongly suggested staying near the hospital. I DON'T want to risk anything for Jacob here. We went to an Angels game on Sunday with my brother and Curlee. They won, and it was a ton of fun. Today we had lunch with our good friend Ken Putnam and then Cass & I went to the O.C. Zoo. We are now leaving in a bit to meet up with Julia @ the "Gypsy Den". Should be good grub, on the healthier side.

Well, hopefully we are just days away from Jacob coming into this world!!!

-M

"Son of a Burch!!!"

yes, that is correct. Today... (in a few minutes) we leave for the Lobster Trap. At that wonderful location we will be having the island version of a baby-shower (yuck) and its gonna be FUN! We have called it "son of a Burch" due to a friend of mine that shot me a text with that very statement. I read it aloud to my wife, and she said that is gonna be the header on our fliers. HA! It is also alot better to say that than having the words "baby, baby-shower, bottles, formula, etc." That tends to deter guys. At first I was hesitant... but why not? Quite alot of my homies are coming... and heck- there is a pool table and delicious appetizers! Holla!
Gotta run!!!
-M

art show, weekend, one more work week...

Just in that very order.
This weekend I have some friends in town for the annual "Catalina Art show". Should be good. Artshow by day, memories by night. Jameson & Matt Wright are the dudes here, as well as Mandi (Pitts!). Cass & I will be meeting up with them sometime later on this evening. I hope its a profitable weekend for all.
Well... next week should be my last for awhile as we leave the island to wait for baby Jacob! Horray! I'm getting more and more exited as time flies!

Closer, and closer...

Time is flying! We are about 18 days away from the due date. (Oct. 3rd.)

On or around that date, my life will be forever changed. I'm really exited. That seems to be the most popular question with all my friends and family lately. "You exited??" Ha. YES! I know that at the same time of joy, there will be some uneasy nerves. I don't want to mess up! Lord, grant me the patience and grace of your love.

This past weekend was good. Got the car seat, just in case he decides to see the world earlier than planned. Went out to Temecula to see my pal Dave Quiggle. Rory went with, as he usually does. It was good times. Got a panther filled in, and had great conversations about parenting, life, and World of Warcraft, holla!!!

The wife is all done with her CMA schooling. That was a nightmare towards the end. It must have been even harder on her going back and fourth from Garden Grove to Alhambra daily. What a trek, not to mention her back is in constant pain from my boy growing daily! Welcome home, woman.

We are just starting the process of relocating some items in and around the home to welcome Jacob in. I'm slowly realizing that we are gonna need more room. Yikes. I know this will all work out, and I need to take it one step at a time. BABY-STEPS! HA! (What about Bob)

Until next time...

-M

AWS certified, baby

That's right. Today my instructor gave me my welding certification for flat and horizontal stick welding. Pretty neato. If time allows, maybe I can advance to vertical and overhead later this week, hmm...

My poor wifey is in baby-pain now. Her back is really taking a toll during her pregnancy. Its hard to tell her its going to be OK when there is another month left and quite honestly, its only going to get worse. Yikes!

I want to go back to Shingletown. I don't know why, maybe its a Burch thing that's in my blood. I know my dad does for sure. There are "burn" piles that need to be assembled. I don't want my dad attempting to do them on his own. He is not in the physical shape he once used to be. Nice to know I have a son in the oven that will one day help his dad out up north, ha! 

 

sheesh, what a week

Got back yesterday from a week of training overtown. It's been good learning about stick welding. Hot, at times. Weather over there tends to be a bit higher than here. We usually get the ocean breeze and a cloudless day during the summer months. Over there I felt like the sun was beaming down rays like how a mean kid burns ants on the sidewalk. One more week to go. Hooray.

Next weekend I'm supposed to get some more ink done by Dave. Some pieces need to be filled in, and I have a couple new ideas. Exited for that. 

Rory is here. He is being himself, sitting... consuming, and hopefully relaxing. Part friend, part dirty sow. 

Cassie and I have been asked about how much we have prepared for the baby. Our answer- Nothing. That's right. We have really not done anything at all when it comes to our little home here. We have one more baby shower on the mainland for my side of the family then the "big" one over here on the island. Should be good. After those two, we will assess the situation of what we have & what we need. I'm pretty sure that there will be some baby furniture assembling in the near future for me. HA! Looking forward to Jacob. I know that he will bring us a new kind of love and joy that we have never felt before. I haven't even looked into the eyes of my baby boy but in my heart, I know its soon. 

Take care.

-M

countdown...

whoa. my son will be here soon. SOON!!!
I am feeling under prepared at the time. I really enjoy Cassies Doctor, "Dr. Z". Very informative. He is a believer, and that REALLY helps with our decisions. We were informed by him that Saint Joesph's in Orange is the preferred place due to their lack of compromise. Alot of other hospitals have quietly given in to the idea of abortion being an acceptable way of "choosing not to continue thru with the birth". NOT FOR US. Glad to have him brought into this world thru St. Joes.
Lord, watch over the baby and my wife during this exiting time of our life.

a prediction...

mark my words: "Sam Worthington" will be huge in the next few years"

That's right. I was a fan of the newest installment of "Terminator: Salvation. I went into the movie knowing that Christian Bale is not the principal character in the movie. He is a good actor, but Sam Worthington was lead role. Good performance from him as well. I have been hearing and reading some information on the upcoming James Cameron film, "AVATAR". I just saw the preview last week and it looks AMAZING. This is Camerons first film since the hugely successful film, "Titanic". Word on the street is that the visual effects are off the charts. It will be the future of film graphics. Exited to see this one when it drops in December.

Buuuut, getting back to my point- Mr. Worthington. He is in Camerons Avatar. Good job. Then I found out he is already filming the new "Clash of the Titans" -Whuuut?!? Awesome. I read that Legendary Pictures has started production on this remake of the early 80's classic. I know alot of the general public views the remakes as lame because of no originality, but either way it was a childhood film that I always enjoyed. I just found out that Sam Worthington is rumored to be in "20,000 leagues under the sea". INSANE. I can already picture him being on the cover of Rolling Stone, Entertainment, and GQ magazines now. Women will want him. Watch out Gerard Butler. This is the new man on the block.

Sam Worthington - if he was on the New York Stock Exchange, I'd throw a few shares that way for a good investment.

Mark my words.

D-9

Worth your time. Go see it.

Two O'clock to Avalon, please...

Just got home a little while ago. Finished up four days of schooling @ S.S.I.D. in Westminister, Ca. Good times. Being a mechanic has alot more things involved than I would have ever thought. This past week we delved into the subject of "Metallurgy". Basically the study of metals and their compositions, behaviors, puritys, etc.
Anyways... good to be home. Time to pull some weeds, feed the animals, take out the trash, do some laundry, etc. etc. UGH. Here we go...

O' wonderful bed, how I long for thee...

I am extremely tired this morning. Overwhelmed with a sense of needing to shut my eyes for a few hours. I didn't stay up too late last night. Had some friends in town that are summertime residents, the Wrights. Awesome family. Four girls and a boy. Cassie grew up with a few of the girls. I usually enjoy a beer with Matt downtown upon their arrival. Jameson was tagging along with them as well. Good times. Buuuuuut, NEED MORE SLEEP.
UGH, let this pass.

MUSE, the new rock-gods...

That's right. I really enjoy cranking up the volume and throwing up the new Muse single that I just bought on iTunes.
"Uprising"
It makes me want to go to war, right this second. I dont know why. Maybe a inner-man thing. Great beat, awesome lyrics, and overall another fantastic song. MUSE. Thats what its all about, today at least.

Zach Snyder

I have to say that I am definitely a fan of his work. I came across an article the other day talking about a t-shirt that was shown at the San Diego Comic-Con. I have never been, but have always wanted to. Sounds like a uber-nerd fest. Here is the shirt, titled "Suckerpunch". Its my understanding that this film of his is due out late 2010 about a mentally ill girl who fantasizes about escaping the institution she was put in. Anyways, check it out:

hellooooo Avi.

...that's right! This weekend the boys from work & I are headed out to the Avi Resort & Casino. It's a miniature paradise out there in the triple digit desert. This place is located right on the river. Inside the air-conditioned place is a decent buffet, movie theatre, and (of course) a casino. I may enter into a few hold 'em tourneys while I'm there. We'll see. But good people, I have saved the best for last...
[Drum Roll] They have a year-round FIREWORK STAND. That's right. These people have a killer stand that has everything from kiddie sparklers to giant behemoths that run upwards of $40 a pop. Those big dudes come with their own launching tubes!!! So if there is any pyro deep down inside you, this is the place to go.
I'm hoping to return back to the Long Beach area by 4 or so on Sunday to get the woman, and drop off Justin to catch the 5:45 back home. From there Cassandra and I are headed to the Irvine Spectrum to meet up with Julia. If I get my way, we will be eating at the Cheesecake Factory- holla! Then from there its off to see Paramore and No Doubt! Growing up in Anaheim, I have always had a fascination with Gwen & co. My parents even let me throw up a few posters in my room back in Fullerton. HA! I was a music geek. At the time I thought I was cool... sheesh. I don't know what Cassie saw in me!
Anyways. Headed home soon to do some laundry & dishes... then gonna make a decent dinner & watch a few of That 70's show episodes. Maybe a raid or three will follow? Hmm... ;)
Rock on.
-M

Shingletown, Holla!!!

Got back last week from Shingletown. So much to post, so little time.
Here is a few photos for your viewing pleasure.

Holy Crap, its the 4th of July.

well, not really. But almost... crazy!!
Rory and Zach are coming out today. The woman & I are planning on dragging them out to little harbor with our new interior pass that we just bought yesterday. A whopping $277! Sheesh! Well hopefully we get good use out of it. Should be nice just to up & go to the hills whenever we feel like it. This should be a good weekend. BBQ's galore. I bought a bunch of groceries yesterday. Good meat, some great hefeweizen. Mmm...
Anyways. Onward, summer!

bunny rabbits & union negotiations...

hooray!
lots been going on this week. Jameson was out here for a brief 24 hour stint to get some things the Scanlans left behind, and to harvest a few of my baby banana shoots. Hopefully those live for him, and they wont succumb to his brown-thumb. It was neat seeing Jameson, but it really reminded me of the situation that happened to his Father and the lack of my island parents being next door. Bummer.
So bunny rabbits. I can say this much, since I don't believe Cassandra pays much attention to my blog here. Last week my poor wife went to let our rabbit out, Sutton, only to find he had passed sometime the night before. Cassie is a real animal lover. I don't feel that she will go as far as joining P.E.T.A. or anything of that crazy nature, but loves her pets nonetheless. Well... last night Jameson had mentioned to me that he needed to off-load one of the hundred animals that is currently residing @ their pad in Santa Ana. What is it? A RABBIT. Uh-oh... does this mean that we will fill the rabbit coop once more? Our son is on the way. We are praying/looking into getting a home sometime soon. I dunno if this is a good choice or not. I have always enjoyed letting out a bunny into the lawn. Supposedly this little guy is a dwarf, and not more than a year old. Hmm... we will just have to see I guess!
And last but not least- Union negotiations. Today our local, I.B.E.W. 47 paid us a nice visit to vote on our new contract. This is a looooooong story, but in the end it got turned down. It all boiled down to 8 operators/asst. operators voting yea/or neigh (sp?) and they said NOOO! Booo... bummer we all cant just get along!
Oh well. I'm sure it will all work out in the end.
Whew! LONG POST!
-M

woman + me

end of a rollercoaster week...

This past week was awesome and horrible at different moments for me, my wife, work... immediate family etc.
The baby is kicking alot. I mean ALOT. My wife likes to look at me with the announcement every time. "He just did it!" I then proceed to feel her water-ballooned tummy and hope for Mr. Jacob to give me his best David Beckham kick to my palm, but to no avail. I think I am really more exited with a physical son in my hands. Right now, I KNOW he is a real thing. God has created a being with similar traits to his parents... hopefully not my gut. But he is something that really has a special connection to his mother now. Not me. I already love him, but I think reality will click on for me when I am rocking him in my arms. Does this make sense? I hope so.
I am listening to a really old Supertones album now and its bringing back memories. I have a few select albums that really do that for me. Ghoti Hooks "Sumo Surprise", Slick Shoes' "Rusty" and the Supertones' first few albums. Memories of the GOOD C.C.A. days, before love was ever a problem for me. Haha. Campfires at the beach. Josh Bove swimming underwater from a dozen yards away to scare the crap out of me in the surf. Steve Broberg always telling me great advice and me not listening to him. June Walsh & Julie Paquin being faithful servants to the Lord and making us put on sunscreen & cooking hot-dogs for us. I really wish I had a roster of the old youth group. I have talked to a few, even recently hearing from a good buddy Mark Christensen. I miss him. I miss the good old days.
Please let me know if you own, know how to acquire, or where to rent a time-machine.
Burch out.

its...

A BOY!
I'm so thrilled! Although, I do have to say that health is the first priority. Cassie and I took the afternoon boat to Long Beach and then got into our NEW 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA 4-DOOR SPORT LONG-BED TRUCK! holla!
Yeah, so last Thursday the woman & I went truck shopping. We ended up pulling the trigger at Miller Toyota of Anaheim. Props to the salesman Mike B. for his ambitious sales tactics, and my wifes common sense and ability to translate things into human terms. I sometimes feel like Michael Scott from the office. I remember an episode in particular where Michael is telling Pam to explain to him what she is trying to say, as if she were talking to a 4 year old. Haha. Good times.
Anyways, So working alot. Most of the guys @ work are stoked for me. They all know we were praying for a boy, and thanks be to Him above for another answered prayer.
Working a 10 hour day today, then doing a friendly poker game up at Mr. Martins place tonight. Maybe I can win some diaper money. HA!

-M

I can only hear half of what you are telling me...

That is correct. I have lost hearing out of my right ear. I think my body does not respond well to rapid elevation and/or depth changes. We came down the mountain and I knew something was not normal. We all know how to do the jaw maneuver where you "crack" your ears into submission. haha. No go for me there. Oh well. I'm going to see what the Doc has to say tomorrow up at the amazing Avalon Clinic. (pray for me) We just got back last night from a fantastic weekend in Primm, NV. (basically "stateline")
Hot temperatures, and fast rollercoasters. And yes, I lost $200 on the roulette tables, and maybe a few slot machines as well. LAME. oh well. I have always been told to go there anticipating that you will lose the money. We had fun. It was all spent over hours, laughing with friends and enjoying their company. We also were able to catch a matinee showing of "X-Men origins: Wolverine" Awesome movie. I was exited to see alot more of the characters that they have left out of the other movies, like Gambit and Deadpool. However, in the end I do have to say I was bummed to see what they did with Deadpool. I don't wanna give anything away, just see it for yourself. Worth the $$$. Anyways, we had a blast. The real reason we went there was to support our friends the Hinkleys, and watch their son Brandon race. He is a good motocross racer, with bad luck. Poor guy had a few blisters on his hands, with the biggest one being larger than a quarter. It really didn't dawn on me that even though they are holding on for dear life, that it is physically & mentally exhausting for them. These guys are out of breath, and yearning for a drink. Anyways, it was a great memory made and we look forward to having our little one do these competitions one day!
-M

it's going to be a long one...

so yesterday the guys and I decided to do some planned overtime last night in Unit 12. We were to come in at 10:30 and leave at 1am. The job went well, just as planned. We left work at 1am, and I went home and watched lost. That I should not have done. I am sooooooooo tired this morning, and just longing for my cozy bed to crawl into and sleep a few more hours that my body is telling me it needs.
oh well. this too shall pass.
-m

Almost there...

So this will be my 5th consectutive 10 hour day in a row. Tomorrow, Saturday the 25th were planning on doing an 8 hour day as well. I hope to catch the 3:45 right after work as Rory and I will be headed to the Grove in Anaheim to see the Faint & Ladytron. Im a big fan of the Faint, and starting to delve into the music of Ladytron. Over the years I have really started to expand my taste in music. I'd say that 10 years ago if you would have approached me with some of the bands that I am now putting into my playlists I would have labeled you insane. Ladytron, Blaqk Audio, ALOT of Johnny Cash, SebastiAn, Blonde Redhead, Depeche Mode, and lots more.
Anyways, hope the show is fun. Im guessing Rory and I will get some good Thai food before and then do a late night of World of Warcraft to follow the concert. Sounds Awesome to me!
-M

drizzling, with a chance of crappy attitudes...

Some people simply like to argue. This, I know.
I have a foreman at work, that likes to get into work-political arguments.
It is now drizzling. Hooray. This morning hasn't started the way I would have liked it to. Sometimes I end up getting screwed out of things here at work. "Equality" definitely doesn't reside at the Pebbly Beach Generating station. I am in this apprenticeship here, which seemed awesome at the beginning. What did suck, for me was that I was starting over. What that means was that during the time of the bid posting, I had already been topped out as an "upgrade Plant Mechanic". I went thru a full two years of training on the job, and got the raises associated with the steps. At the time I thought it was bliss, getting more money and all. But now that I look back I should have been more pushy, telling management that they needed to create a spot for me to fill. That they did on their own, in the form of their "Apprenticeship program" - LAME. I took an $8/hour cut in pay. I started all over. They treated me as if I had nothing to show, and started from scratch. In my notebook, there were some interesting classes that seemed pretty cool. I was to go to welding school, micro-turbine class, and then monthly trips to S.S.I.D. I will say that the management has let this fall to the wayside. I see other apprentices getting their 100% of needed schooling. We have maybe gone to S.S.I.D. (another Edison location, where alot of training happens) just under a half dozen times. This apprenticeship is now headed into the second year. I feel like we are the red-headed step child. They DON'T GIVE A CRAP. i just had my supervisor come up to me and cancel my most anticipated class yet- welding school. They "need us" for an overhaul on one of the engines. This is funny to me, cause there is a million other times that I have seen the other employees be accomidated to fit their scheduled training.
Sorry, but this to me is a load of bullshit. Wow. Now I feel better.
Gotta run.
-M

"mandatory compliance training"

blah. blah blah.
this week is the lamest, most exhausting week of the work year for me. we have to sit thru all sorts of training on cpr, fire prevention, computer security, safety practices, etc. etc. etc. Get this- we even have an avian protection program. Dont think im not for protecting the animals, I just dont see a point in throwing me into classes that truely dont pertain to my working area of responsibility. am i wrong???
oh well. it all pays the same.

so today i got told that i was preaching to the choir. crazy. i dont know if i have ever been accused of that before. it was funny, and thank you Rory. You enormous ass.

Rock on.
-M

Friday, hello weekend...

Tomorrow the wife and I are going to go to the Cal State Fullerton's Arboretum. They have an annual plant sale, called the "Green Scene". Pretty neato things there. Lots of small, unusual geraniums. A few exotic vendors that mainly deal with orchids, ferns, palms, and bamboos. I hope to get some exotic tomatoe plants. My neighbor, Jameson is having to leave the island. (Lord, be with Vena)
That is a whole new blog alone. The Scanlans have pretty much adopted us since we moved to the island. Change is a very hard thing to accept, and we will miss them dearly.
Moving on. Jameson is giving me a few cut whisky barrels to do whatever I want with them. I think Im gonna line them up in a row, and throw a few tomatoe plants in 'em. That sounds like it would be a great summertime harvest. Speaking of, I am soooo looking forward to this summer. It will be the last that Cass and I will be without a child for a long, long time.
Im looking forward to our 24 hour jaunt to the mainland. I really love seeing my family. I know my dad is thrilled when we come over. I wish sometimes there would be a road that he could just get on, and drive here to Avalon to visit us. Buuuut, then I realize that means *the others could visit us. I hope Rory, Zach, Jameson, and even mr. Jay can all go camping this summer. My little Daihatsu has never gone into the hills. This should be fun. Anyways, I'm out.
-M

*not from the t.v. show Lost, I mean like in-laws, awkard friends, etc...

stress...

Things have been pretty insane lately. I think I haven't been fully there for my better half this past couple weeks, both mentally and physically. Work has been really, really busy. We just got a green light to go ahead and upgrade our oldest engine to a 645. This is the ancient beast, good 'ole unit 8. Overhauls generally consume quite a few man hours. With the team of Justin, Jim, and myself I think we can lock this thing in at just under a week (fingers crossed). Alot of the prep work has been done, all credit is due to the JSP students for a crazy amount of cleaning. Soooo, overall I'm expecting a lot of overtime headed my way. This is good, 'cause we could really use the $$$ to eliminate our debt before the baby comes. Whoa! Time is flying!
Separate note; women are hard to please. I just want a little W.o.W. time- thats all.

Rock on...
-M

The inner-core of an everyday American...

So when you are @ work, and either pick up a call or make a call do you simply ask, "hey how ya doing?" or "hey how is it?"
I have noticed that without any hesitation, I recite that line during most of my business phone calls. Do I really mean it? Problably not. Its just an easy opening line for me to throw out there to start the conversation.
Why is it that back in the day, I really think people meant those words- "How are YOU?"
food for thought.
-M

Ultrasound pics, holla!

our little one, growing day-by-day:

movie night @ the burchs' - w00t!

having some friends over tonight to watch "role models". we saw it in the theatre, and thought it was funny. there is a kid who has a dirty mouth... mind you this is what he is PAID to say as an actor. I just find it odd, that at such a young age he is learning these words. I dont think i knew how to curse until i was like 10. I dunno. maybe im wrong... oh well.
rock on.
-M

appointments...

went to the dentist:
i have a cavity, bummer. this is my first one. i am 26 years old, and i am NOT in the no cavity club anymore. crap.

went to the baby doctor:
during my dentist trip, we found out that his wife goes to our baby doctor! crazy, small world. both my mother and my mother-in-law go to this dude. guess they folks are good there. we went, and this was my first time... interesting. mostly girls working there. that made me happy. we never saw the actual doc that practices there. he had a couple other partner docs that saw us. she was very nice and informative. we came away with a bazillion pamphlets and goodies. we saw the FIRST PICTURE OF OUR LITTLE ONE!!!!!!!
this is amazing.

i think this really will all sink in after im actually holding our child.

goodnight, fare thee well.

until next time,
-M

the D word.

Divorce.
...as of this evening some personal friends of ours are separating. I'm hoping its not permanent but just for a small period of time where they can both individually collect their inner thoughts and pray for the best outcome. They have a baby together which really is/should be the center of attention. I personally don't believe in the big D, but its really easy for me to say sitting here being all fat and happy, listening to the Presets, and hearing my wife watch (satans bff) Oprah just over in the living room. I know that I cant see everything that goes on between these two folks, but deep within me- a small voice says that there is always hope. I know you cannot change people, but that doesn't mean you cannot pray for change in the relationship.
Time will tell.
God bless them.

On a separate note, the woman and I are off tomorrow to look at Avalons first "middle income" housing. I really dont know about this one. There seems to be just a couple too many cons than pros at the moment.

will update sooner than later.
keep on keepin' on.
-M

Cassandra- I love you

ugh... working today, A SATURDAY...

Yes indeed... I did drag myself out of the bed this wonderful Saturday morning to come to Pebbly Beach Generating Station to get 8 hours of overtime in. Feels lame now, at 7:39am... but I'm sure that by the time 3:30 kicks in it will all be worth it.

Above is a pic of one of the types of diesels that we work on. All the units here are EMD engines, commonly found in trains. Check em out: http://www.emdiesels.com/emdweb/emd_index.jsp

Off to work...

-M

b/g ?

jacob or rebecca.

uhm, twins... nay. havent seen it in the family for both sides.
but you never know...

-m

...

WOW

...and here we go...

Ugh, waiting and waiting and.......

winter, depression...

"Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer,^[1] repeatedly, year after year. The US National Library of Medicine notes that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up."^[2] The condition in the summer is often referred to as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder, and can also include heightened anxiety."

-Wikipedia.com

So Cassie has always told me she felt that during overcast, foggy, rainy weather she had felt somewhat of a depression. Somedays I would brush it off, and others I would try to take her mind off the situation. But this past year, 2008- has been the coldest, loneliest, quietest winder I have ever experienced as far as I can remember. Tonight I writing this, a bank of fog is slowly creeping back over Avalon to stay for the night again. Hopefully tomorrow the Sun will burn it off by mid-morning and I can kick of the lame Monday morning @ work with some sunshine. I don't know if I have "S.A.D." disorder or not. But I can confirm that I somewhat feel bummed out. I think it wouldn't take more than 1 minute of my time to sit and pray. Haha, maybe I can blame all of this on the times I have been called lazy or unproductive! "Hey get off my back! Its my S.A.D.!" How ironic for that acronym. Oh well.

Lord, bring out your sunshine... & if possible make my feet warmer.

-M