2016 - A year to make things fun

This year has been the year of doing. Doing around the house and the most fun doing outside of the house. We've been a few places and have plans to go to others but the around the house stuff has been the most fun. A few builds of things like a door i owed my wife for I don't know the last five years or so and several little festivals that were cheap to free but loads of fun for the little girl.  This is the way life should be, minor to major concerns ignored in the background but family and doing put first over the other things that really don't mean much. This last couple weeks I've been working on taking the three aquariums we have and merging them into a single Freshwater tank of about 120 gallons. To do this I had one plan but both impatience, excitement and dollars are stopping me form pursuing the initial plan. So I'm changing it up a bit, a more simplified split tank than I originally envisioned but sometimes skill level and dollar amount change the plan, this is life.

The current Idea is taking the 120 gallon aquarium and spiting it into two, one about 30 gallons and the other well 90-ish. This has been done with a small piece of plex with many 1/4" holes drilled through it. Thinking the one side will have feeders and plants mostly I want an occasional fish to find its way through the holes and randomly feed the main tank. That portion is set up and cycling the tank. This tank is huge, I mean for my living space it is giant. I set it about 4 1/2 inches off the wall which is more than normal for any tank I know. I have it up on a mat with holes, the rubber ones used in garages for work areas or restaurant kitchens, I figure this will allow any minor water to evaporate off the wood floors underneath. It has a sump with an overflow box, this isn't my first choice but I can not drill the tank, issue is the overflow is 4 3/4" thick, so I can not put it behind the tank. I also made the mistake of not water testing the overflow before installing it on the side, well Learned that lesson as it dripped, I was obviously watching it to check for leaks but still upsetting since it was a used tank, I just assumed. Another reason to double check others work. I replaced the bulk heads that were causing the leak and now besides some minor tightening the sump is working well. Just used some CPVC and a couple hose connectors to bring it back into the tank.

I have a bunch of round pond stone and coral stone for the layout currently but do not think I'm going to permanently use either. Maybe the coral because it is more holey than than the pond round stones and more of a white color for the look i think I'm going to go for. Right now the 30 side has black substrate and is planted with some of the plants and a piece of drift wood I had in the old tank. Some Corey's and feeders are swimming happily in there with a few ghost shrimp cycling the overall tank. The 90 side will have Africans, not sure 100% on what type but I'm leaning towards Malawi Peacock's.  Well more to come as the ideas and time to write stuff up appears. Cycle cycle cycle..
Thanks,

Almost 2

Well the little girl is almost two now. Does that make me old? Doubtful. She has changed so much in the last year. It's truly amazing, and wonderful how she is growing. You can see the little girl getting smarter and understanding more and more. You can see her frustration when her daddy can't understand what shes trying to say because while she may think she saying something specific, my ears are incapable of understanding the words. Like every other woman it's the mans fault they can't understand.

 

Thanks to my wonderful sister we have some great 2 year old pictures. Well technically shes 1 and 9/10 but whatever, right? Here are a couple for your enjoyment:

 

As you can plainly see she is awesome. Mommy is planning her Birthday bash, and it is going to be an awesome one. Thanks again to the awesome sisters connections there shall be a bounce house within budget. Cool stuff there. Benefit of being an outgoing freely communicating person.

 

Now onto the life report. I'm well into school now. Only 2 classes so the workload while heavy in my mind in reality isn't that bad at all. A good start to the return to the education wheel. I may even attempt 3 classes next session. Dropping back into the school world is a little different. They say we are preparing you for the real world, but being in the real world already, they are wrong. Out of all the places I've worked Not a single one has been even closely similar to academia.

 

Academia is truly a world of its own. Other things going on, some plans didn't end up working out as I had hoped, but life is what life is. So other routes I am pursuing. We will see when, where and how life's road is paved. As of now it is the same but with the focus on this great little girl and school. I don't mind those at all. so now to come to an abrupt end with this blog as I have work to do that is calling. Enjoy your day and life.



 

Christmas Letter 2012

2012, what a year it was, you will be thought of, missed and forgotten. This little letter here is being written later than I normally would write it. It’s Odd I’m normally right on top of stuff like this. ;-)

The year of 30, 31 & 1 respectively started out as most years do with anticipation forward thought and hope. The year provided many things and took away a few at the same time. Starting out Melissa and I celebrated a birthday in our 30’s, the beginning of the end the end of the beginning however you feel about it, it was exciting. A new year a new child, Melissa a gallbladder short. We had Riley’s 1st birthday to look forward too, Derek’s 1st Birthday the birth of close friends 1st children, blue skies and butterflies all around (Its Florida we have those in the winter).

March arrived it was time to get Riley’s birthday in gear, We had many things to do, our daughters 1st birthday would have to be a day not forgotten. We decided to have it in a local park not too far from our house, invite everyone we knew. Made kick butt image invites and used a Ladybug theme. Lady bug cake, table cloths everything. Its only March so the days not too hot and definitely not cold. We had a great time everyone came, almost.  Riley’s Grandfather John (Melissa’s dad) was ill. Little did we know the birthday party wouldn’t be the only thing he would miss. He went downhill very fast what was supposed to be a long term Hospice rehab stay almost overnight turned into a short term placement. It was his time to walk with the angels, to the shock of his family and friends on March 27th we sadly said until we meet again John.

Time moves, never sits still, Riley is walking fully before her birthday which makes for interesting moments of her falling flat on her face as she tries to run. (Babies out there slow down enjoy life). July we celebrate Derek’s 1st Birthday. Outside at a nice park as well, Florida warmth filling the air. Derek had an awesome day turning one. Heathers blog rings with words to describe it.  Family trips to local places this year, aquarium, parks and a couple small city events.  Pictures to enjoy below.

This September also contained another sad day. Melissa’s Grandfather (Don Johnson) joined his son in the task of watching family from afar. Adding to the list of great people watching Riley and others to make sure we are well and ready to be welcomed in the years to come.

In October Riley cleaned her own pumpkin and went as a Cheerleader for halloween. She enjoyed the candy (I enjoyed it more) and the trick or treating with her friends for their first time. While she showed them the ropes and came home with pictures and memories for mommy and daddy. November she was a flower girl in Uncle Trevor’s and Aunt Cassandra's wedding. Congratulation to the two of them, while Riley & Derek took the trophy for cuteness you two looked pretty styling yourself.  As I reach the end of the page I reflect on the year with joy and sadness. I can never fit everything into this letter both not to bore you and to leave some mystery in life. I can not wait to see what the new year brings, hopefully more happiness than sadness, but as long as there is laughter and family it will be another great year in the journey we call life. Merry Christmas and any other holiday you celebrate and Happy New year. (I rescind the last comment if the world ends before new years or christmas, I have a feeling another one of these will be sent next year. Sorry)

Love Josh, Melissa & Riley - 2012

“Here is the world.  Beautiful and terrible things will happen.  Don't be afraid. “ -Frederick Buechner

Documentation and the fun it poses

You know those time when you create a document; the document assumes nothing but a basic understanding of the program you use every single day. Basic stuff, I mean things you have to know just to log in and function within the program. You use the thing EVERY DAY, not just once a month or twice a year. I mean every day. So anyways you create this document that is step by step, I mean it almost tells you exactly where and how to click. Gives pictures for every step for those of us that are visual learners. I mean detailed pictures like the tab you're on with a circle around it in red, then arrows for the other 2 items, one on top of the other, that you are editing (by the way the description in the fields themselves is detailed as well). Not just a random picture of the application or something.

Well I created a document of this type, as I do many many times a month; and what happens you ask. Well even if you didn't ask your going to read, They don't understand it. I use they not in a derogatory fashion but to describe a specific subset of a specific group of people. I love the people as people and some have no problem what so ever with anything we give to them in a document. It has to be a cultural thing here, the way they are taught through school. There is in what I can only assume to be the majority a lack of concrete sequential thinking. I myself am a self proclaimed scatter thought, and if you read much of what i post you can likely tell by the way I write here. Now when I write documents my entire thought process shifts to a concrete sequential one, because that's what documentation requires detailed step by step instructions. I've often been accused of making them to details and told not to assume the reader knows nothing. But from what I deal with every (I mean every) day I cant do that. every time I do I get at least one person asking basic stuff.

Back to the good ones, our team never keeps them. Yes we have one or two on the team at most times but in a matter of a year, two if were lucky then they leave, majority of them to other companies and bigger better things. You almost know from the first month who these ones are going to be because they ask questions once maybe twice then you see the results. Drives me nuts! Sometimes you sit and wonder why,how do we stop it, then you realize you can't. It is impossible and you cant blame the people who leave for leaving, half the time your proud of them and congratulate them for getting out. Secretly wishing you were going with them. Since you don't you prepare for the transition period which while tey claim is 2 weeks long you know its more likely for the next 2 years.....

The fun of Life  :-)

Charging on
Josh

Thoughts

My thoughts so scattered fragmented and random. The stuff in my head travels faster than dark, light and all the rest. Anyways. I started a new blog about stuff i'm doing at work\working with. Most wont care and I'm more less just doing it for me. It will grow as I grow and learn about that particular topic. As a matter of fact I think i may make a few more about other topics that I sit and learn about to solve some stupid issue I'm having.

Back to the thoughts. I was looking through old blog posts mostly about Riley. I sit there and look at those pictures and think, That's not the same girl... I find it amazing how she has changed so much so quickly. I was reading the post about the words she knew only a couple of months ago. Now she can count to 10 (kind of, she says the words but doesn't know what shes doing). She can say her ABC's (Kind of again). So many more words. Words that are starting to come together into sentences. She sings songs she hears often. You can tell she likes some things and dislikes others.

She is a little person and it freaks me out a little. How does it happen? Are we doing the right stuff? Plans never really work out and I always want to do more for the girl. We try to treat her like a little kid and a grown up at the same time. It's impossible to do the right thing honestly because everyone has a different opinion of what the right thing is. So I guess I'll just keep doing. If she turns out wonderful the Great!. If she turns out horrible well then I'm sorry. I think she will turn out pretty doggone good though.

I have on in the background the show through the wormhole with morgan freeman. It's distracting, but it brings up more things I've thought about and if I was smarter I would probably pursue. I always thought we were just a piece of a bigger being. Amazes me to this day that we look like our models of molecules that make us up. Why can't we just be a very small part of a unimaginable human or ferret like creature. One of an infinite number of universes, cosmoses, If time is relative it wouldn't mean a thing to us. A billion years to us could be a second to something so large. Anyways see how my brain jumps.. Don't even want to get into the cubits they are talking about now.....


I'm out enjoy....

A little behind on the posts

I've been very bad at keeping this up to date. Busy lately with all kinds of stuff. It seems like its only going to get even more busy but I'll try harder. Riley is now down for a nap. Hopefully I have enough time to complete this while shes sleeping. She is a busy little girl My god makes me feel old how much more energy she has to run around. Wish I had that too. Need to start exercising again. I find it odd how a few hours after you finish exercising you feel like you have more energy, (This is after the first couple weeks).

Anyway, we had Riley's One year old pictures taken. My sister did them shes pretty dang gone good with the camera. A little photo shop by me trying to reduce the bruise she got the day before while climbing them falling from the table. Oh yeah she climbs on everything now. I need to bubble wrap the floors. Ill post a few picture on this blog post but most of you will want to click the link to photos on my site.

She saying a few more words  my favorite is still tank you  which is now sounding more like Thank you :(...
She wants to do everything by herself. Using spoons is still the hard one. Forks shes almost got down. Getting her to realize you cant flip the spoon upside down while bringing it to her mouth is the issue. She will get it soon.

She is getting a lot better at those box puzzles where you place the shape in the cube. Starting to get a few right consistently but some she really tries to force in the wrong spot. Her new thing is to pull every last toy our of the toy tub and play in the tub. But while shes doing that half the toys are being thrown around the living room. Lucky when they are not slammed in your lap while your not looking.

She loves being read to. I have read more book in the last 6 months than I have in my life. Yes some of then I've read 16 times in the same day but all in all she loves bringing us books to read her. Just got her a new one yesterday. Giraffes Can't Dance I recommend it to anyone. Its cute and has a great rhythm.

We don't have the one with the CD but that looks interesting.

In other news our TV has given out and we put in place an old 19". Every wonder why kids sat so close to the TV? I think its because they were just so small and they want to see the details. Now when we had the 50" there she would on occasion run up to the TV and put her fingers all over it, I assume thinking that she could touch whatever was there, but now she is constantly at the TV. I sound like my mother used to " Stand back Josh" except I'm saying Riley and Melissa is saying Josh these days. ;)


Ohh she waking.. I'm gone before she adds her own track to this blog. I'll be back sooner than last time.. Promise.

First Words

Riley is speaking better and better everyday. This post is mostly so I can remember some of her first words.
She is using many frequently and now that I'm trying to type this out my mind is going blank, but without doubt some will come to me.
Tato = Potato
Tank you = Thank you
No = Its her favorite
ball
phish= fish
shoe
up
down - this also means up most of the time
ow = ouch
go
yeah
juice
milk = in sign only
da = dad
ma = mama
I had to cheat a little and call the wife. Make sure I had at least most of them. So above is the basic list of what she says often. I wont include Shi* well because she uses it too well and I have no idea where she got it from. Thankfully she isn't using it like she was before. At least I think its developed into one of the other above words.

Looking forward to the next few words.....

Baking Bread

Baking Bread

Well it's memorial day weekend. Took a few hours and studied for a cert, now sitting waiting for something to happen. The little girl and wife at home watching the rain come and go. Little tropical storm to the north east of us let a downpour of rain just as I was walking out the door. I mean those clouds opened up. Sheets of water flying off the roof with no chance of the gutter capturing it.

All that grading of the yard I did last week put to the test, we will see what it looks like later tonight. Made some bread last night. My first attempt at it. Didn't realize I was making enough for 3 large loafs. Had to find out if I could refrigerate and/or freeze the dough without to much going wrong. You can by the way, Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks and Freeze for a long time. Thank goodness. So I sat there and waited for the second rise of the bread after I put it in the loaf pan. And waited and waited and waited. 1230 in the morning came around and I said screw it I'm baking it. It did come to the top of the loaf pan but not 1 inch over the top. So the bread is a little dense but dang it tastes good. A honey wheat bread.

In other baking news made a banana bread loaf as well. Now that turned out perfect I think. Riley agreed so that's all that matters. The picture above is her enjoying some of the bread, Do not know if it was the banana or the wheat but who cares shes cute...

Like usual life goes on, trying to figure out a few things, we will see what happens. Sometimes you just have to pursue everything and see whats in store. This is the game plan for now. Lets see what the big one thinks....

Talk soon.

Tip of my fingers

Blogging Flogging now available at the tip of my fingers. This is scary. I can now say what's on my mind before I have time to think about what I'm saying. Also with the addition of a cell phone assuming the word that I'm trying to say. Oh boy this should be exciting...