My submission to Moleskinerie

Recently gave Saddleback Leather a little love regarding their Moleskine covers on the Moleskinerie site.  Here is the article they posted.

Moleskinerie

T

Observations from this week and before...

Just a few things about this week and before this week.

We received a new person at work that will definitely change the way that things are done.  I have already encountered a little bit of this and it has already brought the thoughts of self doubt and uncertainty to my work.  Now the difference between this time and a previous time would be that I know my abilities, I know my short comings, I know what I need to do, I know that it will be ok.  This will be a good change, I don't need anything to get me through it.

My iBook G4 has reached the limits of current technology and is being bogged down by the internet, as well as, the abilities and demands of the current software.  Currently I am on the search for a new Notebook computer and all possibilities are on the table.  I love the Macs and the simplicity of the OS, yet the price of the actual machine that is associated with it is a game changer.  In the past I would have quickly went to Apple got some line of credit love and moved forward.  With the current economic climate in the country I don't have the confidence to move into a debtor situation, so long way to say I'm paying cash for my next computer.  Quite possible I may utter the phrase again, "Dude, I got a Dell."  I'm converting critical documents to Office as we speak, just in case that is the decision I go with.

My music has broadened to more of an eclectic mix than before.  I had Jay Z, Muse, Kermit Ruffins, Ciaran Wynne, U2 and Pearl Jam on the same play list.  

I have a tan.  A light one, yet a noticeable tan on my body now.  It was earned, the hour a day I have spent at the pool has payed off and I am excited to see if this has payed off in my continual work to lose weight to my ideal weight.  

I am over hot dogs.  Just saying.

I was able to win 2nd row seats to a minor league game.  I got into the game on a promotion for 4 complimentary tickets due to changing over from my TxTag to an NTTA Toll Tag.  Memo:  I never win anything.  That being said I have a text in to the Astros to win tickets to the Dodgers game and a meet and greet with Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton.  Wish me luck.  

Chuy's opened a new restaurant 3 exits north of me.  Yeah, I'm pretty stoked.

I think that is it for now.  I'll post again when I find something a little more interesting.

T

The right amount of time between posts, the right message for the times.

I have looked back on the distance between posts only to come up with this simple conclusion-- more doesn't equal better. The last six days have been very introspective allowing my better half and I to work on how we would like to see the next two years play out. I on the otherhand would like to see more travel in our future and a few more trips out of our neighborhood to places that we haven't seen in a while. On this we agree. We have for the most part been prisoners of the city minus a few trips to see family and the wandering spirit in both of us has overridden the need for new things. We are evolving our lives into something that will create the memories that we wished to impart to the kiddos. Things must have- purpose. Why do we have this? What do we gain from this? Does this contribute to the greater need? We are running out of time, so our time is now.

At a Starbucks near you...

So I make a trip to my local Starbucks this afternoon for a little pick me up. While getting my Double Tall Non Fat No whip Mocha I notice something interesting. Roughly 80% of the people sitting there were discussing a business plan of some sort. One with a Flip camera, another shuffling through a briefcase to get papers out, and somehow the small coffee shop feel that Starbucks founded itself on has become just another corporate meeeting room. Jazz, good friends talking over coffee seem to be an evening activity now, as from nine to five we're open for "business". I know and would be fooling myself if in this economy I was demanding that Starbucks limits its clientele. Just an interesting observation for today. So if you are looking for atmosphere- look local. If you are looking for business go to the chain store.

I'll keep observing for your reading.

T

A Leaner, meaner, minimalist blog...

Leaner, meaner, minimalist.


It sounds like a recipe for a angry, rant filled post.  It's not, so don't worry about it.  The beauty of writing is that occasionally you can go back and re-read what is written and then say "What was I thinking?"  So I did, and then I cleaned, I deleted, I simplified.  I've saved the greatest hits, the ones that I want for posterity  so I can say I was right, and that leaves us with the new things.  


There is another reason for the clean up.  I'm changing direction.  How, what, when, how?  I have the same answer for all––  I don't know.  There will be changes, what they are I don't know, I'm working to make the blog something that I didn't think possible.  Only that I haven't figured it out yet.  The address will be the same, the look different, the name may change along the way, the direction definitely.  You're welcome along for the ride.  


T

Totally Analog (and other assorted things...)

So this is the past year where I have successfully dropped the digital habit of planning and organizing and went back to reliable paper and pen. My notebook that has been in many other pictures here has been a reliable companion to help me jot down notes, keep tasks on track and the like. I know that this seems like such a trivial thing, but considering my techie twitch that I have occasionally this is pretty considerable. The move back to the Franklin Planner for a brief 3 months led only to disappointment as the company has decided to go to online only and closed the 3 stores that they had in the Dallas area. Alas, dear Moleskine, you have not left me.

Little man has had his birthday and is getting taller, smarter, and more of a personality. It is amazing to realize how quickly the time flies and I only have the pictures to remember younger days. Happy, scared, excited, tired, sick, they were all there. Considering my schedule and the requirements that I have it was good to know that I was there too. I have heard some say that they couldn't be a part time father. All this while they had their head buried in a video game shooing the kid off. Hopefully, when little man looks back on his life he will be able to say that his Dad was there.

Sexy Bride and I have reached milestones in our lives and decided that age is still just a number and one other important thought. We're not dead. We gave each other the best gifts that we could possible give each other for our birthdays. We cooked. Since we love working with food in our home, not as a business, I cooked up some Tenderloin Filets for Michelle, and she found some sirloin steaks for me. Little man surprised me the most when he walked in with a Fisher Space Pen for my birthday. My new everyday pen. It was from him, and he picked the color. Purple.

That is pretty much it for now. Having to get back into writing since I have more than 140 characters to work with here. I'll be raising the roof for LSU on New Years day. I'll hopefully be writing more, and framing more pictures. I have to admit that between writing and framing photos I get the most satisfaction because I know that it was mine. I did that.

More later,

T

I promise I am still alive...

If I don't get my mental health days soon I don't know for how long.   That is right now I am eyebrow deep in my building's inventory and I'm the guy everyone is looking at to run it.  My manager put it in perspective today... "Bob taught me, I taught Sally, and Sally, well Sally let you hang out there and figure it out for yourself."  

So needless to say I don't have much funny stuff in my life right now, and what is funny I save for my own sanity at this point.  Vacation is now just 10 days away and when I get my mental health back I will post once again.  Hopefully with some great kid or self deprecating humor that will have you reaching for that hand towel to clean up the drink you just spewed through your nose.  (Part of me is sorry for that humor-- moment over, I'm not sorry, really, why else would I write it if that wasn't my intention sometimes?)

More later,

T