Quick note

I would like to announce that as of last Friday, I am no longer blind. That's right, I got my new glasses and I am enjoying them immensely. There was a bit of a prescription change, which means that I can now see better than ever. Just thought I would pass on the good news.

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
-Saint Thomas Aquinas

Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.
-Aristotle

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.
-Henry David Thoreau


I've decided that today's topic will be friendship. I have been throughly blessed to have my friends. I can immediately think of quite a few people who would instantly go to bat for me; people who have my back, even if it's pushed into a corner.

I heard a saying once that really struck me and I will try to repeat it as best as my memory will allow it. It goes: The true measure of a man is not his wealth of money, but his wealth of friends. I had a similar statement that I had made to a friend lately: "Life is way too short to hold grudges and the more people who cry at your funeral, the better you've lived."

Life changes everything, but if you can keep as many of your original friends, you've kept your greatest treasures. I guess you can equate it like this: Friendship is like wine; aging it only makes it better. There are some friends that I have that have lasted fifteen years or longer. That means that when we became friends and a child was born, that child is now in high school and probably driving. It's not until you stop and put it into perspective that it really blows your mind like that.

I have some friends right now who can practically read my mind. All I have to do is either show up or say "hi" and they know exactly what's going on. They know what emotions I'm experiencing and why I am experiencing them. I swear, I wouldn't be surprised if some of my friends know me better than I know them. I wouldn't be surprised one bit.

But that's the beauty of it all. The fact that we're so close and we've gone through so much together, it makes the friendship that much stronger and more meaningful. I know that when I ask them about something, I am going to get their honest opinion. I know for a fact that they are looking out for me and honestly have my best intentions at heart. I'm not sure where I would be if it weren't for my friends.

Anyway, I'm getting off my soapbox now. In closing, I hope that you will listen to the song "Friends are Friends Forever" by Michael W. Smith. I found that it nails what a close friendship is all about. Take care of yourself out there and I will post again soon.

The Elusive Sandman

As you can tell from the time of this post, sleep is once again evading me. I just finished emailing Jenna, a friend of mine in Tennessee and I realized that even after the long day that I had, I"m not the least bit tired.

Speaking of which, all things considered, I had a very good Friday the 13th. I was very successful in my endeavours and I accomplished much. The day was gorgeous, albeit humid, and I spent much of it outdoors. It even started off with some rain, which this region has been needing. Today was a good day.

Anyway, back on topic. It's not that I don't know the cause of this. It's just that everyone is sick and tired of me talking about it. Which leaves me with no outlet to vent, and thus I internalize it and lose sleep over it. The more I internalize, the less sleep I get.

There is good news, though. I had the best sleep in probably years when I went on my vacation. I focused on my needs and the needs of the munchkin and I slept like the proverbial baby. Not a real baby, who wakes up screaming every couple hours, but the proverbial baby. That, and the mattress I was sleeping on was one of the most comfortable ones I have ever slept on.

Anyway, I better go now. I'm starting to feel drowsy and I want to take full advantage of it. Sleep well, if you can, and take care of yourselves out there.

Oh, how charming

So, here I am, reading Ms. Karen's latest blog, and all of the sudden, the right lens of my glasses fell out and the wire that held them there snapped. Unprovoked. Good times, let me tell you.

Now, of course, it's not like I can run to the nearest grocer and pick up a new pair. These aren't reading glasses, they're prescription lenses so I can see far away. Translation, I'm blind without them. And it's not like you can just pop them back in, I need a new frame. Which, now that I think about it, it's a mixed blessing. Why? Well, lets just say that it's been a while since I've had my prescription checked. And I know for a fact that my eyes have changed since then.

Long story short, I'm temporarily very nearsighted. I'm not sure when my health insurance kicks in (if it hasn't already), but when it does, it's time for some new glasses. Anyway, I'll talk to you later.

Loss of a friend

I found out the other night that a friend of mine from high school passed away on July 1st. He had battled liver disease all his life and he finally succumbed to it. I was, needless to say, shocked when I heard that he had died. I hadn't known that he had suffered from the disease and I had lost touch with him after high school.

I took it hard when I found out the news. I wish that I had gotten to know him better and he was a really good friend while we were in high school. I'm doing better now, but I'm still pretty down. I just thought that I would share the news with you guys.

Take care, you guys. I'll post again soon. Hopefully with better news.

I'm just wishing you guys a happy and fun Fourth of July. Don't do anything I wouldn't do and remember that fingers don't attach back on easily.

I'm back

So I'm back from my badly needed vacation. It was nice to step back, take a breather, and check out this thing called self-preservation. Apparently it's rather vital for peace of mind. Go figure.

Anyway, I had a blast while I was over there in Wisconsin. Yes, I had a good time in a state that is known for cheese and cheese heads. I relaxed (what a concept!), hung out with my sister and her family, and went to a bunch of different places. One of those places just happened to be this massive music festival called Summerfest. We went on Friday and saw Black Stone Cherry, Fuel, and Sum 41. All within the span of about three hours. And the nice thing about the festival is that the only thing you pay for is admission and food and beverage. All the concerts were free. Which is a good thing when you're paying four bucks for a small plastic cup of beer.

All right, I'm done yakking about myself. Now it's time for me to tell you about the munchkin. She is now one and a half and a total ball of energy. She's running and chatting nonstop and all over the place. While I was there, she entered the "why" phase and learned the word "uncle". I read her the same five books over and over again (she has more, she just kept handing me these five), and learned plenty about raising a child.

For instance, just because they tell you "no", more often than not it means yes. Especially when they tell you "no" while they are reaching for whatever it is they want. So you would ask her if she wanted something and she would automatically say "no" and then you would ask if she meant "yes". More often than not, it does mean "yes". Another thing is that the more they fight you when you are getting ready to put them down for a nap or whatever, the more they actually need the rest. I have always heard the phrase "out of the mouth of babes" and I finally got to find out why. Man, she had some real gems. And, of course this goes without saying, but the more disgusting it is, the more they are attracted to it.

Anyway, I just wanted you all to know that I made it there and back safely and that I had a great time. I am definitely more rested and feeling a whole lot better about a lot of things. Take care out there and I will post again soon.