- I broke a bone in my hand punching one of my friends in the arse. (His name rhymes with Wreath Yelps)
- The volume of my car stereo has to be an even number. (Obligatory OCD admission)
- I used to shoplift baseball cards when I was a little kid, and I never got caught. I kind of wish I had been.
- When I see someone driving a Mustang, I assume that person is a douchebag, and I’ve only been proven wrong a couple of times.
- I have recurring dreams about having to go back and finish high school for some reason.
- When I was a teenager mowing the lawn, I would stop the mower to shoo a ladybug out of the way every time I saw one in the mower’s path.
- I know who is cheating at golf, even if I don’t say anything.
- I unintentionally take on the accent, colloquialisms and mannerisms of the people with whom I’m speaking.
- I tend to either have a really strong opinion or none whatsoever.
- Unapologetic tardiness is a cardinal sin in my book.
- I’ve never been sold on having kids because I just don’t feel like my genes are so special that they need to be propagated.
- As many times as I’ve tried to learn, I simply cannot read sheet music.
- I have extended conversations with pets even when I’m the only person in the room. I speak for them as well as for myself. Each animal gets its own voice.
- I get frustrated when someone is unable to tell me why they do something a certain way.
- I leave extra money when no one’s looking if I see someone left a crappy tip. (But I don’t look at people’s receipts; it’s only if I happen to see cash or the like)
- Sudden loud noises make me jump and feel a momentary surge of rage. (Like PTSD, but I have no idea what the trauma was)
- Animals absolutely love me as soon as they see me.
- If I could change careers without having to pay for retraining, I’d become a personal chef.
- I feel like I have a billion dollar idea in my head, but I have no idea when it will surface or what it will entail.
- When I see another driver about to do something illegal, I sometimes try to make it look like I’m going to hit them and then honk my horn in order to scare them.
- I think it’s pathetic how desperate people are to get themselves on TV, even if it’s just in the background of a news report or sporting event.
- I assume people are dumber than average when they have a southern accent, even though I grew up in the south and have seen countless examples to the contrary, and can even take on one myself when in a group of southerners.
- I feel like I learned almost nothing in any of my classes in college.
- It takes me a good 15 minutes of cycling to break a sweat, yet I’ll be dripping with perspiration less than 5 minutes into vacuuming a room.
- For 15 years or so, I’ve had a gigantic numb spot on one of my thighs. You could jam a fork in there and I’d never know. (But if you’re going to try, you’d better pick the correct one!)
25 ‘random’ things about me, Part II
January 29, 2009 at 9:51 am (25 random things, Anger, Bad Driving, Dog, Dreams, Laney, Pain, School, Stupidity, Virginia Tech)
Tags: 25 random things
Parents’ Weekend
January 19, 2009 at 8:38 am (Breakfast, Charlotte, Family, Football, Friends, Janice, Laney, Politics, Travel, Vacation, Weather)
Tags: Charlotte, cheerleading, Circuit City, City Tavern, Convention Center, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Dilworth, Earnhardt, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Greek Isles, Lowe's Motor Speedway, MLK, National Whitewater Center, Obama, orchids, Snow, South End, Spirit of Hope National Cheerleading Convention, Super Bowl XLIII, Waldhorn, Weather, Westin
My parents came to visit Charlotte this weekend. Other than my dad having a quick business trip a year ago where he didn’t even escape his airport hotel, they’d never been here before. This was their chance to come and visit me and my new home as well to get away from Tidewater for a few days. Unfortunately, they happened to pick the coldest weekend in Charlotte in four years!
They arrived Friday around noon and got to do a little walking around Uptown and in South End while I finished the work day. I put them up in the Westin, which is pretty much the nicest hotel in town. It’s right across from the Convention Center which unfortunately was hosting the Spirit of Hope National Cheerleading Championship this weekend, so the hotel was packed with (presumably the richest) cheerleaders from across America. Mom and Dad reported that they were predictably chatty and hyper, but otherwise well behaved. We always had to stay at dumps when I traveled for something in High School, so I’m admittedly jealous that these kids got to stay in $200-$400/night rooms.
After I finished work, I picked up my parents and we went to Greek Isles for dinner. This is a large, open place with traditional Greek fare, lively service, and great ambiance in South End. A delicious meal was had by all. We then went to my townhouse for them to see where I live and to visit with Laney, who had been in her crate all day. We got some good pictures, but they are on Mom and Dad’s camera, so I’ll have to wait to post them.
After that, we went to Whisky River, which is Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s bar in the Epicentre, a new Uptown Charlotte activity center. Some of my friends were enjoying their Friday night there. We all had a few drinks and watched people ride the mechanical bull, then my parents walked back to their hotel and I stayed for a while with my friends.
Saturday morning, Janice met me in Dilworth and we picked up my parents, who had led a failed expedition to find breakfast and were at the corner of Trade & Tryon, freezing and watching preparation for the MLK Parade. We drove to Einstein Bros. Bagels for coffee and assorted breakfast items. Then we headed up to Concord to take the Lowe’s Motor Speedway tour, which at $5 each was an incredible bargain! We got to ride a lap around the track, pose in the Winner’s Circle, and drag down their new 4 lane drag strip.
Git 'r Done!
After that, we stopped by the National Whitewater Center so I could show them the facility. Dad used to do a lot of whitewater canoeing, so I thought he would appreciate one of the world’s finest facilities. Unfortunately the water was shut off (probably due to the extreme cold), but they were still in awe at the place.
From there, we drove to Steele Creek and showed them Cory-Bret Lane, which is of significance to our family since my two younger brothers are named Cory and Bret, both spelled the same way as the sign. Following that, we had a nice lunch at City Tavern in River Gate, which is where Janice and I had our first date back in August.
Our final ‘tourist’ destination was the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, which is on the other side of Lake Wylie. While the cold kept us from enjoying much of the outdoor part, the indoor terrarium-like building was holding an incredible display of orchids from around the world. It was truly amazing to see that these flowers of widely varying shapes, sizes, and colors were all of the same plant family. The correlation between that and our melting pot country was not lost on me with Tuesday’s Obama inauguration dominating the news.
Fauna Occluding Flora
From there, we headed back to my townhouse, where Janice left to return to her place and my parents and I bailed on a plan to go to the new Brazilian Steakhouse due to lack of extreme hunger. We instead ate at Brixx Pizza in Dilworth and called it a night.
Sunday morning, we went to Janice’s townhouse for a cup of coffee, then ate at the Waldhorn, a German place in Pineville with an enormous, meat-filled Sunday brunch spread. Andy and Kevin met us there and much sausage and various other pork product was consumed. After that, I took my parents back to their hotel, where they left to return home. Having never seen the city and not knowing much about it, they were impressed by the city and all the places we took them. Before getting in their car, my mom said tearily, “I’m finally satisfied that you’re happy here.” How true!
I got Laney and drove down to Janice’s, where we watched the Cardinals and Steelers win their respective Conference Championship games en route to their clash in Super Bowl XLIII. All in all a great weekend even as the bitter cold tried to put the kibosh on it!
Oh yeah, today I turn 33. I worked out this morning and even got to work early (on a Monday!).
For those of you looking for an update on the Circuit City fiasco, it’s still in progress. I’ll post something when I know more.
Edit: Holy crap, they are calling for 3-5 in of snow here tonight!
2008 Year in Review
December 29, 2008 at 10:36 am (Blacksburg, Charlotte, Cooking, Depression, Diet, Divorce, Dog, Happiness, Janice, Laney, Life, Lifestyle, Moving, Nutrition, Weather, Weddings, Work)
Tags: 2008, 2009, Charlotte, Depression, Moving, Year in Review
Well, 2008 pretty much has to go down as the most eventful year or my life. While there were both terrible and wonderful things that happened, the bad all came before the good, which brings some terrific momentum into 2009. Here’s a recap of 2008:
January: Entered year depressed, living in a place I hated, enduring weather I couldn’t stand, working at a job I hated, with wife having affair in my face (Self-esteem Rating: 3/10)
February: Wife moves out of house, I begin treatment for depression (Self-esteem Rating: 1/10)
March: Treatment continues (Self-esteem Rating: 2/10)
April: Treatment continues, weather slowly improves along with my depression (Self-esteem Rating: 3/10)
May: Treatment continues, play some golf (Self-esteem Rating: 3/10)
June: Attend Jason’s Myrtle Beach bachelor party, decide marriage is over, begin dating (Self-esteem Rating: 4/10)
July: Begin interviewing in Charlotte, stand as groomsman in Jason & Steph’s wedding, find new job, quit old job (Self-esteem Rating: 5/10)
August: Move to Charlotte, meet Janice, file for and finalize divorce, begin new job (Self-esteem Rating: 7/10)
September: Adopt Laney, establish myself in Charlotte, football season begins (Self-esteem Rating: 8/10)
October: Attend Cory & Emily’s wedding in Jersey with Janice, relaunch dontfirealgroh.com (Self-esteem Rating: 9/10)
November: Visit parents for Thanksgiving with Janice (Self-esteem Rating: 9/10)
December: Accept permanent position at work, visit parents for Christmas with both brothers (Self-esteem Rating: 9/10)
Ain't we cute?
If that was a company’s growth chart, I’d say I’m doing a hell of a lot better than the rest of the economy! If I can continue that kind of life improvement into 2009, I’ll be thrilled! My goals include losing 20lbs by the end of May, putting me at 210 (that’s only about 1lb a week), eating and living healthier, reading and cooking more, finally taking a real vacation, and finding a new hobby. I’m thinking of getting a planted freshwater aquarium.
Looking back on the list above, it’s hard to believe the difference a year makes. By the way, it’s December 29 and the temperature here is in the 60s.
Some belated thanks
December 1, 2008 at 8:33 am (Charlotte, Laney, Life)
Tags: Charlotte, Laney, Life, Thanksgiving
It may be a little late in the traditional sense, but I’d like to take a little time to write about what I’m thankful for this year. The Thanksgiving break gave me some time to think about it, so I’ll share. These are in no particular order.
- My family: This one’s automatic for most people, but I have a renewed appreciation for my family after the events of the past year. Obviously they stuck by me as almost anyone’s family would, but I particularly appreciate that they let me deal with everything my own way, instead of trying to pry information out of me before I was ready, or acting strange around me. I really appreciate that.
- Other people’s family: Just a little shout-out to those who are related to past characters in my life story, as I appreciate them coming to me and giving me their support when they really didn’t have to. It’s always nice to know that others see things the same way you do.
- Janice: She’s an incredible person who I couldn’t say enough about if I tried. I’m so fortunate to have her in my life. You know you’ve found someone special when you enjoy being with them even on bad days where nothing seems to be going right. She sees me as the flawed individual I am who is worth the effort, and for that I am thankful.
- Charlotte (the city): thanks for being what I hoped you would be. The last thing I needed was for this move to be a letdown!
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Wow, what a difference that made starting back in February! Helped me get past some things that I don’t know if I would have conquered otherwise.
- My new job and coworkers: Thanks for renewing my faith in the working world. I had really lost it there for a few years.
- My friends: Another ‘duh’, but I can’t leave them out. They were and are always there for me, and for that I am grateful.
- Laney Dog: For being a great companion, even though she’s still working on some of the ‘good dog’ items. I’m still working on some of the ‘good person’ items, so I understand.
Hooray for the end of Daylight Saving Time!
November 3, 2008 at 8:25 am (Blacksburg, Charlotte, Clothing, Dog, Football, Friends, Happiness, Janice, Laney, Life, Lifestyle, Mornings, Moving, Travel, Weather, Weddings, Work)
Tags: Blacksburg, Charlotte, Clothing, Daylight Saving Time, Football, Friends, Happiness, Janice, Laney, Mornings, Moving, Standard Time, Travel, Weather, Weddings, Work
Before I joined the normal working world, I hated Eastern Standard Time. I never woke up before dawn anyway, and I always wanted as much daylight as possible after work. Nobody likes driving home from work in the dark. Well, I still hate that part, but now I am thrilled that Daylight Saving Time is gone.
I wake up at 6am now. Rather, I’ve been trying to. It was almost impossible when it was 90 minutes before daybreak, though. This morning was much, much easier. And it was a beautiful 53 degrees outside when I took Laney for her morning constitutional! It was overcast, so not much sunlight, but hey, still pretty good!
It also really helps that I really like my job. Here it is on a Monday morning in November, and I actually wasn’t dreading going to work!
Janice and I had a good weekend, driving around to look at kids in their Halloween costumes, going on a hike at the Whitewater Center, watching football with my friends, taking Laney on numerous walks and runs, and enjoying some really nice meals. Since Saturday was the 3 month mark since I moved to Charlotte, this seems like a good time to reflect on what’s happened since then:
- I moved here from Bleaksburg
- I started a new job which I still love
- I met Janice and we’ve had a wonderful first 3 months
- I furnished my townhouse almost from scratch without going into debt
- I adopted Laney
- I lost 5 lbs (without trying!)
- I learned to wake up early and have started to find some discipline from within myself
- I traveled to New Jersey to be in my brother’s wedding
- I dress like an adult at work (including shaving!)
- I re-launched dontfirealgroh.com to more good reviews
- I started writing semi-professionally for a sports-comedy web site
- I lost all bitterness toward life and my outlook is as positive as ever
I think that is a pretty good list, especially considering that it’s longer and more accomplished than a list from the past 7 years combined would have been! The best part is that winter is coming up, and I have no dread or fear of it. In Blacksburg, this would be the time where I would begin to resign myself to 6 months of dark, windy, bonechilling hell. Not here, though. Not only will the weather be warmer (usually by 10 degrees, sometimes 20 or more), but there are myriad activities to do. Here’s to looking forward to the previously despised season!
Adapting to solitude / Order in nature
October 30, 2008 at 8:11 am (Blacksburg, Boredom, Charlotte, Contemplation, Divorce, Laney, Mornings, Nature, Religion, Solitude, Uncategorized)
Tags: Blacksburg, Boredom, Charlotte, Contemplation, Divorce, Great Blue Heron, Laney, Mornings, Nature, Religion, Solitude
Until this past February, I had never lived alone in my 32 years on this planet. I went from living with my parents to a dorm with a roommate to living with friends to the now-defunct marriage. Being by myself wasn’t even part of my life.
It was a rough adjustment. I hated being by myself in the mornings and evenings. A social creature and entertainer in my adulthood, I just didn’t find any value or entertainment in solitude. Some of it was originally attributable to suddenly being by myself in a house I bought with my then-future-ex-wife. It was painful and miserable to have to wake up and come home to what I then viewed as an epicenter of failure. I avoided it as much as possible, and numbed myself when not.
I figured I’d adjust to being alone better once I got out of Blacksburg and out of that house. But it didn’t work immediately, as I still found myself uncomfortable being alone in my new townhouse here in Charlotte, even with Laney.
In comes help in the form of Mr. Coffee. I bought a coffee machine a couple of weeks ago so I can wake up earlier. I have started a routine where I walk Laney first thing in the morning with mug in hand. I find a spot for her to walk around, and I stand there and finish the coffee. This standing around, instead of marching her to and fro hurriedly before heading back inside, has surprisingly given birth to some moments of quiet contemplation. It’s proven rewarding to me and has shown me the benefits of some alone time. Instead of rushing to get all of my morning tasks done so I can get to where more people are as quickly as possible, I get a lot of reflecting done in just a small amount of downtime.
This morning’s contemplation was inspired by an encounter with nature. Yesterday at lunch, I was walking Laney by a creek next to my townhouse, and I saw a Great Blue Heron fishing away. He let me take some pictures of him from pretty close range:
I wondered where his nest might be, if he is indeed a new resident. I saw a trail of droppings leading directly from where he had been fishing. I extrapolated the line segment and can see a large nest I suspect might belong to my new feathered neighbor. The lofty abode featured a great view of his food source.
That got me thinking this morning, as I passed by the same point with mug in hand and mutt in tow, about why I enjoy learning about nature, especially animals, so much. You see, I never really grew out of the ‘why’ phase of childhood. (Some would say I never grew out of childhood at all, but that is better saved for another day and another conversation with someone with multiple degrees on their wall.)
I have an insatiable desire to understand the reasoning behind the way things are. If I am unable to learn or reason something out, I tend to either reject or pass on the subject all together. A good example of this is religion. I describe myself as an agnostic in the spirit of open-mindedness. I can’t subscribe to a religion at this point, because there aren’t enough answers to all of my ‘why’s. I still shudder when I think about my curiosity being stomped on in Sunday School as a kid. Religion to me is man’s attempt to fill the void of what we have not yet reasoned out or solved.
(Just a quick note: This does not mean that I think people who have found religion are necessaily ‘wrong’. It means no religion has found me, and so I am left to my own devices and logic to form my views.)
But with nature, everything has an answer. Many of these answers are self-evident if you think about them long enough. Why are some animals brightly colored? Probably either to attract a mate, or to as a self-defense to warn predators of danger. Why do some birds have long, sharp beaks? To penetrate wood or stab into water for food. Why does your dog misbehave? Because you aren’t acting like a good pack leader with consistent authority and even demeanor. Even if you don’t figure out something by yourself and you have to look it up, you’ll probably find that something exists — and evolved that way — for a perfectly logical reason.
Anyway, this contemplation time, and the fruit it bears, are my first positive experiences with being alone. I still crave human interaction in the evenings, but at least now I see can adapt. And if the Heron has indeed set up camp near me, I will name him and establish contact. Dances With Birds. No, not really.
Sunday, a fun day
September 29, 2008 at 7:59 am (Charlotte, Clothing, Dog, Football, Janice, Laney, Life, Lifestyle, Moving)
Tags: Charlotte, Clothing, Football, Janice, Laney, Life, Moving
Yesterday was a fun and important day, maybe the first day I actually felt settled here in Charlotte. First, I finally got a washer and dryer. I can’t emphasize enough how much more like home it feels to be able to do my laundry in my own townhouse. Up until now I had been using Kevin’s and then Janice’s washer and dryer, usually doing one load per week and keeping most of my wardrobe benched out of convenience. Now, I can wash all my clothes, my towels, etc. It’s great! I really never appreciated how much of a livability factor this would be.
Next, Janice and I went to Big Daddy’s Burger Bar near my place for lunch. It was fun and very tasty. We were pleased to find they have black bean burgers there (more for Janice’s sake than my own). I’d been there once before, but I liked it even more this time. The nicest thing is how you can completely custom-build your burger.
Next, we took Laney to Freedom Park since the weather was so beautiful. She had a good time and got her usual smathering of compliments from passers-by. She also barked at more than a few fellow canines. I used to opportunity to try out my new digital camera, a Panasonic Lumix TZ5. Janice snapped this great shot of Laney and me atop a rock:
Sean and Laney at Freedom Park
After that, we came back and watched a little football, then went to Home Depot and Target to pick up some washer/dryer-related needs and a few other things. Then Janice went home and I hooked up my new appliances and began washing all my stuff while hanging up a bunch of pictures. My living room feels so much more lived-in now with a little decor. All that I need in there now is a new TV.
So that was my Sunday. It was hardly spectacular, but therein lies the greatness of it. Just having “normal” days again is wonderful. Enjoying them as much as I did yesterday is even better!
My dog has a great sense of humor!
September 22, 2008 at 1:06 pm (Dog, Humor, Laney)
Tags: Chew, Dog, Humor, Laney
I came home for lunch today and here’s what I found, compliments of Laney Dog. She picked pretty much the funniest thing in the whole house to destroy:
Laney's teeth are at it again...
Look closer at what she chose:
Ahh yes, now she'll never have to learn!
Dog Days of Summer
September 15, 2008 at 11:02 am (Charlotte, Dog, Laney)
Tags: Charlotte, Dog, Laney
The only really painful thing about leaving life in Blacksburg for Charlotte is that I had to say goodbye to my pets, Jimmie, Henry, and Stench. Well, as of Friday, I have a new dog! She’s a ~1 year old brindle-and-white whippet mix that I have named Laney. I think her other half is probably pit bull terrier. She’s real sweetie, crate and house trained, friendly to adults and children, and so far as only tried to chew toys I have given her. She has already become attached to me, which is great as long as she doesn’t start suffering from separation anxiety when I leave. This week will be the real test, though, as I will be leaving her alone between 8am-1pm and 2pm-5pm when I go to work.
Laney Dog
I adopted her through Project HALO, which is a rescue group with some wonderful people helping to save animals who are about to be put to sleep. Laney and her brother were saved the day before they were to be put down.
