Continue reading »]]> The following is a dramatization of a conversation that occured early on the morning of May 22nd.  When possible, the original participants have been used instead of actors.

Me: Hey, we’re going to Florida for next year…

Steph: Oh, okay.

Me: In January…

Steph: That’s a good time to go. It’ll be cold up here in Iowa.  But weren’t we just there –

Me: To run the Walt Disney World Marathon.

Steph: SQUEE!

We are a very unusual couple.

Joking aside, this is actually a pretty big deal.  Back in 2001, I ran the WDW Marathon.   Disney was my first marathon and it’s been quite special to me.  Not only did I get a neat medal but I finished where I wanted and got to run through the parks of Disney like I wanted to when I was a kid but Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me.  So in short – awesome.

However … Steph was also supposed to run Disney but it didn’t happen.  She got injured and was unable to participate.  She was able to go to the expo, pick up a number and t-shirt but could not set foot on the course.  In short – not awesome.

Sure, she’s run two marathons since and some half marathons but none of them were Disney.  Last year on the surprise trip, I scheduled us to run a 5K at Disney.  It was nice and it got Steph a medal but it still wasn’t a Marathon medal.

This morning after her run, she came into the office and said, “I know what i want for my birthday. I want to run the Disney Marathon.”

So I said, “What the hell?” and signed us up.  I also promised her that I’d run the race with her.  So come next January 12th, she will finally get one of these of her very own:

M-I-C…

Continue reading »]]> … strange stuff happens.

On the subject of hardening off plants for the garden …

Me: The plants have been out all day pretty much. I  watered them around noon and they looked good.  Let me know if that’s too long or not but it hasn’t been unbearably hot or windy or anything like that.

Steph: All day is ok now. They need to learn to be tough!

Me: I went out to shut up the cold frame earlier.  The plants told me to get out of their neighborhood and I think they might have been dealing drugs. I saw a pot.   They may have gotten too tough.

Steph: *facepalm*

And then there was this …

Go, save yourself! I’ll keep the walls from closing in!

Continue reading »]]> Empty House

The house is quiet these days.

Steph is gone on yet another business trip.  This time it’s a full week in New York, followed by 36 hours at home, then another full week in New York.  To make things more interesting (hurrah), I have to work the weekend that she’s home so our chances of actually seeing one another are pretty slim.

Then there’s Tucker’s absence.  His paws and untrimmed nails no longer click against the wood floor and he’s no longer scratching to be let out at 3am which means you get a full night of sleep.  A nice thing until you realize why.  Still, time is healing all wounds and each day gets better.

it’s still too damn quiet and when it’s quiet, you spend time with your thoughts and that never goes anywhere good.  Fortunately, in her infinite wisdom, Steph thought ahead and arranged a ‘dinner date’ for me with some of our friends.  I headed over to their place last night, had a nice meal, and a couple of hours of human conversation outside of work.  Helped quite a bit.

Empty Quill

On the writing front, there’s still no writing front.

I’ve put Carrionhove on hold as I’ve lost the story.  Usually when that happens, that means there’s a character problem or a plot problem or something else in there that isn’t quite right.

The events of the past week haven’t helped much but one hope of the new job was that I’d be in a position that was less stressful and allowed for a free mind at night.  For a bit, it was heading that way.  Then, as one might put it, things went to hell in a handbasket and I find myself dragged back into the position I was previously.  Even if it’s only temporary, it’s highly depressing.

Then again, perhaps so is writer’s block.

Sometimes crippling writer’s block is actually just depression, and it’s a thing you have to deal with in whatever positive way you can.

— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) March 29, 2013

Reading that tweet (and the blog post linked below) got me thinking.  Every time I sit down at the computer, I suddenly feel as if I must write a friggin’ masterpiece.  Every word has to be right, every phrase and scene and so forth.  It ends up stopping me and I can’t go anywhere and I get bummed and frustrated and the cycle starts anew.

Of course, I know better.  Viable Paradise taught us that ‘It’s a draft, it can suck’ but my brain is ‘Screw that, if it’s not fantastic, go home!’  Some would argue this is proof I shouldn’t listen to my brain.

In a blog post sometime back, Chuck Wendig kind of answered this – “Care Less“. In a nutshell – all you’re trying to do is write words.  There isn’t much to it beyond that so anything else is a head game and you gotta figure it out some way or another.

I’m trying new techniques.  I’ve got a new story idea, something completely different than what I’ve done in the past, and I’m going to take a stab at it.  In addition, I recently bought a copy of Scrivener, a writing software that some authors praise.  It might not be for me but the current method of hiding from the blank Microsoft Word document isn’t working so why not?

Continue reading »]]>

Tucker

After nearly fourteen years, Tucker has left our side.

A couple of days ago, Tucker stopped eating.  He had a terrible, hacking cough that was not getting any better.  A visit to the vet revealed that he had a host of other issues.  One was a large amount of fluid in and around his lungs.  Another was that his heart was enlarged and there was a possibility of a mass in his lung.

We tried some medicine but in the end, it was his time.  Anything else would be prolonging it for our sake and not his.  This afternoon, the vet came to the house and we let Tucker go.  We’ll be burying him out at the farm, one of his favorite places to visit and run.

You can’t take 14 years and condense it into words, especially not when your vision is all blurry-like.

We got Tucker about a month after we got married (this Friday would have been his birthday).  At the time, he was a scrawny little thing and we were a bit worried how our cat – Tim Tam – would handle the new arrival.  Turns out, there wasn’t a problem.  Tim Tam established himself as the Alpha Dog and proceeded to chase Tucker around the house.  The day we knew they were brothers, though, was the day I made Mac n’ Cheese.

I left the pot in the kitchen while I ate in the dining room of our old home in Cedar Rapids.  When I came back for seconds, I spotted Tim Tam sitting next to the stove and Tucker sitting on the floor right beneath him.  Tim Tam would grab a noodle, clean all the cheese off it and then drop the clean piece onto the floor where Tucker would eat it up.  They carried on like this while I watched too stunned to say anything. I’m not sure who was the bad influence here but hey, they had each other.

When Steph and I were involuntarily separated due to jobs and moving, Tucker was our go-between. She’d have him for a week, then I’d bring him up to Decorah for a week. Right after we bought the new house but before we had any furniture, Tucker would sleep next to me while I lay on a mattress in the middle of what would be our bedroom.  Most importantly though, when the nights got lonely, I could give him a hug because it was the nearest thing to Steph that I had.

Snow at the farm

Tucker loved strange things.  He loved to bark at the air or maybe he was barking at a leaf blowing by or something us humans couldn’t possibly see.  He could sigh like no other dog I’ve ever known.  Sometimes, in the middle of the night while he was sleeping beneath the bed, he’d sigh.  Steph and I couldn’t help but laugh at our sighing bed.

He had a thing for shoes too.  He’d chew up Steph’s – straight out devour them.  But mine?  He’d only chew the aglets and left the rest of the shoe alone.  Snow was his paradise.  There was no better thing for him than a huge mound of snow.  He’d eat it, play in it, lay in it, whatever.   And the bathroom door was his domain.  No matter who was in the room beyond, he made sure to position himself outside to guard it.

Weird dog.

But he was our dog.  Faults and all.  That might be why we’ve spent most the night dreading today but knowing it was the right thing.

I miss my puppy.  But he’ll be waiting out there with all the others – Mandy and Theo.  Fudge and Sheba.  Dusty.  Sebastian.  All the rest.  Waiting to play fetch and to beg for pizza crust or a carrot and bark at air and eat all the snow.

Thank you, Tucker.

The first time Tucker ever went to the prairie, 2003

Continue reading »]]> Decorah had a 5K Color Run today.  What’s a Color Run?  Basically you run 3.1 miles and people throw colored powder at you.  And if you’re up for it, you throw color back.  So everyone gets colorful.  Like this …

My colorful side.

* Technically it wasn’t a ‘real’ Color Run cuz of lawyers and stuff but the organizers did get permission to snag the idea so all’s good.

Continue reading »]]> Ever since I was a teenager, there have been three bands I’ve wanted to see in concert – The Beach Boys, R.E.M., and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

America’s Band

The Beach Boys

Yeah, go ahead and laugh but the Beach Boys are awesome.  For a kid growing up in the Midwest, the boys from California brought the ocean to my doorstep.  Even today I can’t listen to them without feeling summer.  It’s all light hearted, fun, and actual instruments and music.  Call me old fashioned.

Of course, it’s pretty hard to see a band that started in the 60s, almost fifteen years before I was born.  Then in August of ’93, the Beach Boys did a show in Moline, IL as one of the ‘Concert for the Heartland’ flood relief concerts.  My brother and I and a friend got to go.  We were probably the youngest people there but we didn’t care.  All the classics, a few new, and all around, a great night.

I Feel Fine

R.E.M.

I think R.E.M. was the first ‘alternative’ rock band that I ever heard.  Our friend, Nathan, turned us onto it and I immediately found myself liking the band.  Chalk it up to the teenage angst years but even afterwards, their music was great.  It grew up with me and you can’t not like that.  When they broke up in 2011, I marked the occasion with post entitled ‘The World Is Not Ending …”

In the summer of 1995, I and a friend drove up to the Target Center in Minneapolis.  We had seats that were behind the stage but the way the concert was setup, we had a near-perfect view and only about 20 rows back.  It was, without a doubt, one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.

…

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

‘Running Down a Dream’, ‘Free Falling’, ‘Learning to Fly’, ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’.

It’s kind of hard to pick which of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s songs is my favorite.  It goes with the mood, the season.  Running Down a Dream was our anthem in High School cross country.  I constantly played ‘Free Falling’ and whenever it came on MTV (back in the day when they actually played music videos), I made sure to sit my ass down and watch it.  I can’t tell you why I like the music and I think that’s what I like best about it.  It feels right.  There’s something for every day, every mood.  I can’t really ever get tired of listening to it.

I always promised myself I’d go see him in concert but as the years dragged on, the chances dwindled.  A few of years ago he was playing in Minneapolis but it fell on a big weekend here at the college and I couldn’t take the time off.  When R.E.M. broke up, I began to realize that so to, someday, would Petty retire and I might never get the chance to see the concert.

Until last week, that is.

That’s when Steph came into the office and said, “Hey, did you want to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for your birthday?”  To which I replied, “Uh … duh.”  And thus she said, “Okay.  Tickets bought.   June 29th, 2013 at the Target Center.”  After a few moments of disbelief, I squealed like a little girl.

Yes, I’m in happy-ville.

Continue reading »]]> Life has been busy.   What’s changed since the last posting?

The search to replace me at my job continues and it’s getting really close to the end.  Maybe in a few weeks we’ll have a replacement and life will suddenly become normal.  In the meantime, I’m working two jobs while not being at either one fully.   I covered that in the last post so no need to rehash it.

Steph is gone a lot.  In April, she’ll be gone three out of four weeks.  We’re both enjoying it as much as you might think. She’s home for the next two weeks and appropriately, I took a day off to spend it with her.  We got much accomplished around the house and just enjoyed each other’s presence cuz sometimes you just need to do that.

To keep me occupied, I was able to order the parts and build a brand new computer.  Quad Core, 8GB RAM, Solid State Drive,ultra graphics card – the works.  It’s a beast.  The shiny keeps me entertained.

Winter refuses to leave, no matter how much we beg, plead, and try to bribe it.  On the plus side, I’ve been able to get out for runs once or twice a week which helps my mood immensely.

My dentist (aka, the Spawn of Satan) has informed me that I need to have my wisdom teeth taken out.  This will happen sometime in the next year, probably in January or February after we arrange for some flex spending.  Again, totally thrilled.

Writing is still … stuck.  I kinda figured out something that is helping but the writer’s block is still there.  I honestly don’t think it’ll go away until work calms down and my brain has a chance to re-org itself.  That can’t come soon enough.  I miss writing immensely.

That’s all I got.  Here’s a picture of a dog that didn’t like being woken up to have his picture taken.

Ever hear the phrase ‘Let sleeping dogs lie?’ It’s cuz they look like this when they wake up.

Continue reading »]]> I started my new job on Friday and the first task before me …

Some cleaning required.

A bit of a mess, one might say.  Unseen are the cabinets to the left which were equally disastrous.  In cleaning up, we uncovered 29 Macbooks in various states of repair (one of my jobs is to go through and find out exactly what state they are in), four iMacs, cables, adapters, and over 100 Windows 95 CDs among other things.  Why, I have no idea.   When I finally managed to clear the desk, I found a second layer underneath including dozens of Post-It notes with important information written on them.  That all went into a folder which I then had to put into a couple of spreadsheets.

Needless to say, it’s been a bit of work.  Still, I think it’s paid off plus I got a great view.

Sparkly. Definitely very sparkly.

Farwell Hall and beyond that, the college’s windmill (very hard to see in this light).

So things are trending upwards but not without a few hitches.  The task of switching jobs is proving a bit more daunting than I thought.  In the morning, I have to be of the Help Desk mindset.  In the afternoon it’s learning my new duties.  But due to the way things are right now, I can’t get completely out of the Help Desk mindset as I’m often called upon to do things over there.  So there are times I’m not sure which direction I’m being pulled.

I’ll figure it out.  Eventually.  In the meantime, I’ll just go with what I got.

Continue reading »]]> Next Friday is the official start date of my new job.  I get a new office with a window and new duties abound.

While I’m looking forward to it, I’m also a realist and know that it’s not going to be an easy or clean switch.  The college is notorious for taking its time to hire new staff so there’s a possibility it’ll be summer before someone is hired to replace me.  Hoping that isn’t the case but we’ll see.  In the meantime, I’ll be doing half-days at the old job and half days at the new one.  So there’s a lot of hard work yet ahead.

That said, just the mere prospect has alleviated some of the stress that has been bearing down on me.  The thought of writing has once again crept into my mind.  If you glance over to the right, you’ll see a progress bar.  As I type this, it’s at 17%.  Except that to drop to zero in the next couple of days.  One of the few benefits of being pulled away from writing these past 5-6 months is that I’ve gotten detached from the story.  I was able to identify a bunch of flaws and I think I’ve got some fixes.  So I decided to start over with a new draft and see what comes of it.

Hard work ahead?  Yes.  But it’s kinda nice to be eager once again.

Continue reading »]]>

Is it safe to come out yet?

So I can finally say it – I have a new job.

Or I will on March 1st, actually.   That’s the day that I will step down as Technology Help Desk Lead and leave the Library to walk across campus to my new position as Workstation Support Communications Administrator.  Basically, I’m going to be the guy who fixes computers and writes all the fancy word stuff.

I’ve been at the Help Desk for ten years.  It’s been fun, exciting, and I get to work with some awesome students.  But it’s also been stressful.  The past couple of years have been extremely so and to be honest, there wasn’t any sign of it slowing down.  Steph and I had even talked about me just walking away and it wasn’t idle chat.

Then things fell into place – an opening in the department, a few tweaks and changes, and suddenly there was a spot.  I get to do somethings I love (write and technology) and I get to stay at the college, which I really do enjoy.  If there is anything I will miss, it’s going to be working with the students every day.  They are very cool and beyond as well.

Still, I’m happy and looking forward to it.

I’ll leave you with the e-mail I sent to my staff announcing the change:

Since you’re bound to hear it sooner or later …

Spring 2013 will be my last semester with the Technology Help Desk.

After ten years, it was time for a change. As it happened, things came together and made it apparent this was the right time. Throughout this semester, I will be drawing back on my duties and stepping down as Technology Help Desk Lead.

And then walking over to Main into my new position as Workstation Support Communications Administrator. Think of it as the guy who fixes computers and also writes all that fancy word stuff.

While I’ll be working mostly with Workstation Support, rest assured, I’m going to be around. I have no intention of abandoning the Help Desk and plan to be involved in things like Summer Registration, Move-In Weekend, and Fall/J-Term Training (as much as you’ll all have me).

In the coming weeks/months, LIS will be considering the position I’m leaving as it relates to the Help Desk and LIS. If you have any thoughts on the process, I’d be interested in hearing them. My door is open so stop on in. However things turn out, though, I know the Help Desk is in good hands and will continue to be a great place for students to work.

I can say with complete honesty that I’ve never had so much fun as I’ve had while working with the HD Staff. Even when you’re driving me insane. There’s been about 300 students that have passed through the Help Desk in my time here and I still count most of them as my friends. And even after I leave the Help Desk, my door will always be open.

Just don’t burn the place down. Even if it is Main.

Especially if it’s Main. Seriously … all my stuff is gonna be there.

Thanks for some great years.