As we get closer now to the new year, it’s time for a little reflection on this past year.  It’s been quite a year for me.  Back in January of 2010, I had no idea that by the end of the year I’d be living in my own house, that I actually would qualify and get a mortgage after so many years of financial damage had been done to my credit report.  I had no idea that it would take me the better part of 6 months to fight with the credit reporting agencies about their own failure to report and document things correctly or that, by the end of it, it would only take me 30 days to close.  So now I own a house with a mortgage, in the little town of Interlochen with a dog, a yard, and new neighbors.  And I’ve done all this largely on my own except for the bits and pieces of financial help and MASSIVE amounts of encouragement I’ve received from my folks.  I think they are as impressed as I am that I was able to get this done without having to borrow lots of money from them.  It makes me feel good that I didn’t have to, after all, I SHOULD be doing these things on my own at this point in my life.  I have a good job, a good income, and finally, I will now have a tangible asset and of course a LOT more responsibility.

This has also been quite a good year for me at work.  My income only continues to grow but more than that I’ve finally reached a point now at work where I can be considered an experienced manager at least by my companies definition.  In April of this next year, I’ll be entering my 7th year with my company and my 5th year as part of the management staff.  I think that without question, that gives me a degree of credibility and earns me some respect from my peers and employees.  People listen to me as a leader, not necessarily because I’ve got the experience under my belt but more because I have and can keep a level head in a VERY unleveled working environment.  I have been able to stick it out and make my job work for me as my career and I’ve been able to promote (or rather convince) other employees that retail employment can really work for you if you let it.  NEVER in my life did I envision myself becoming a retail manager, I think this job is not one that most people dream of having.  I never did.  But, it has worked out very well for me despite having to put up with random idiots, freaks, and fools, I do enjoy my job quite a bit and I enjoy the fact that it keeps me entertained.  I could never go back to a desk job at this point.  How boring, how tedious, how monotonous.  Every day is new adventure for me and I hope that I’m never forced to change that.  It takes a toll on my body but that is of my own doing.  Part of my new routine now going into the new year is to start taking a little better care of my aging body in hopes that it will last me a while.

My photography has also taken off quite well this year.  I purchased a professional level camera in February which has allowed me to capture quite a number of truly amazing photos.  While photography is still just a hobby for me, my work has been featured on Leelanau.com 4 times in the past year, I’ve had multiple requests from people to buy my pictures, I’ve even had to sign an affidavit at Meijer because they could not believe the pictures I was developing with them were my own.  That puts me in an exclusive little club at this Meijer up here.  Their little file isn’t very thick which I suspect says more about their inability to develop quality images using quality materials than it does about me since there are so many great photographers in this region who rightly choose to develop their photos through professional photo labs.  I am looking forward to moving ahead with my photography this next year and perhaps doing another book in addition to the others I’ve already published.

On the family side of my life, I am looking forward to the addition of a niece named Lucy.  This will make child #2 for Sarah and Brian and I could not be a prouder (is that word) Uncle!  I am always saddened that I don’t get to see them very often however that is not uncommon for people in our age group.  Families simply don’t all live in the same city or state any more and I accept that fact I think more than my folks do.  I know they would like to be closer to their grandkids and to Sarah and Brian but it’s not a reality that is possible at this time.  At least it gives all of us a reason to get out of the state every now and then and visit other places.  I’m sure if we did not have family in Iowa, we never would have made it out to Colorado this past fall.  Exploring our environment means having to take risks and having to take trips.  I can’t wait to make a trip out to see little Lucy and her brother Christopher this next year.  I look forward to learning the nickname for Lucy to counter Wally.

I’ll wrap this post up for now and leave by saying that I hope you readers do stick around.  There are lots of things going on in politics right now that I want to write about and share when I can find the time to do it.  At the very least, you will all find some amusement or pleasure in reading what I have to say.  Today then I’m off to clean out my garage in hopes that I’ll soon be able to park my car inside it.  Cheers!

Christopher turned 1 year old this past week and he is sure growing up fast.  He’s an exceptionally happy little boy and it’s clear that he’s got a pretty awesome set of parents.  It’s too bad they live so far away but that makes getting together just that much more important and special.  I don’t have much else to write tonight, the gallery pretty much says it all so enjoy.  Hover over the slide show for a link to the gallery.

A same-sex couple and their three foster children were denied a reduced admission price to a pool in eastern Idaho because the Lava Hot Springs State Foundation says the five don’t fit the definition of a family.

Amber Koger and Jeri Underwood say they and their three children were recently denied the resort’s advertised family admission price.

Mark Lowe, executive director for the Lava Hot Springs State Foundation, says the state doesn’t recognize gay or lesbian marriage and defines a family as one male, one female and children.

He says as a state agency the foundation must follow Idaho law.

Not surprising and actually this would appear to be fairly common.  I would like to know if Idaho also denies family rates to single mothers (or dad’s) or grandparents raising children, or parents without marriage licenses (common law marriages) etc.  Smells like some bullshit here, they have a lot of buffalo in Idaho don’t they?

I’ve always had 1 rotten tooth in my mouth (some would say more) and yesterday it came to a nasty death in the gooey Carmel of a granola bar.  Those of you that know me, this was the crooked one right in front that you could always see when I smile.  No pain, no trauma, it just had one bite too many and now it’s sitting in the cup holder in my car.  Nothing motivates you faster to take action than watching your subordinates snicker as you attempt to help customers while drooling out of the side of your mouth.  It’s been quite amusing actually and it’s a tooth that needed to be fixed anyhow.  I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get it patched up with a fake one that might give me a better smile and at least a decent shot of being able to brush it well.  Biggest concern is going to be what my insurance covers and what it doesn’t.  At this point in time I have absolutely no idea since this will be the first time I’ve used the dental insurance that I get through work.  This could be a real nightmare for me if it ends up costing me hundreds (or thousands) of dollars out of pocket.  Sorry folks, don’t have it…can’t get it…maybe I’ll just learn some new tricks and join the circus.  Partials are not cheap, neither are implants or veneers for that matter.  It’s not far fetched to note that good teeth tend to be found on people with either good insurance (which I’m not sure I have), or disposable income (which I know I don’t have).  We’ll see how it works out.

Certainly an interesting New Year for me.  I don’t remember much of this one and not for the reasons you might think.  I came down with something on New Year’s eve and ended up leaving work early with a fever of 102 degrees and rising.  Even a cold shower when I got home was pointless.  I don’t know what it was but I fell asleep at 4PM and didn’t wake up again until 8am the next day.  Fortunately by that point, I had sweat out most of whatever it was and the fever had subsided.  Today I feel better but am still quite cold even though this condo is like an oven right now.  No stomach issues but that’s likely because I didn’t eat anything for a good 36 hours.  Haven’t had any problems today so far.  Crazy way to start the New Year.

So I have a couple resolutions this year which (like everyone else) I won’t keep fully.

1 – To try and write at least 3-4 times a week in this blog even if it’s just to post a picture or some other random thing.  If nothing else, it keeps those who know me and rarely have a chance to see me informed about my life.

2 – To discover and then actually enjoy a new sort of cocktail – Cosmo’s are so cliche and cranberry juice gives me heartburn.  It’s time to move on.  I finally learned to quit buying cheap vodka, maybe this year I can learn how to mix a good drink with that $40 bottle.

3 – To work with Gavin extensively this year to finally get him properly socialized and trained.  He is an extremely intelligent dog however now at 6 years old he’s no longer a puppy and I can’t blame some of is poorer behavior on young blood.  If he is to survive in my household, he must be able to do more than sit and shake and he must be able to control his tongue.  He needs (and wants) a job, I intend to give him one somehow.

4 – To spend a bit more time this coming summer exploring in places other than Leelanau.  I’d like to make a trip up to the Big Mac this summer and perhaps take a long weekend in the Upper Peninsula near Pictured Rocks to take Photographs.  I finally have 2 weeks paid vacation this year, I am going to go and do some of the things I’ve not been able to do in a very long time.

5 – Finally, I resolve to continue taking care of myself both mentally and physically.  I need to lose some weight and I need to move on from 2008 and re-establish some longer term goals for my career and possible future relationships.  This one will take time but if 2008 was a low for me, than I have no other option than to go UP.

There you are, 5 resolutions for 2009.  Hope everyone had a great New Year, looking forward to living it up in 2009!

I got a kick out of the comic below.  This is how it is in retail.  People think the earth revolves around them and they are the fucking sun!  I have always said that there are 2 jobs that EVERY person on earth should have for at least 6 months sometime in their lives.  The first is working in a restaurant, because it’s really important NOT to bite the hand of those who feed you.  Chances are VERY high that if you get shitty service at a restaurant, you DESERVE it.  The second is retail because if we were not there to help you, you’d be dead by now perhaps having taken off your left and right leg trying to figure out how to operate that new table saw you bought without bothering to ask us first how to use it properly.  How would you feel if you were treated with disrespect over and over again not because of something you did but just because you happened to offer your assistance?  You can not be  a properly socialized person unless you have worked in some sort of service related field.

More pictures in the Christmas Gallery at leelanauphotography.com.  Look for more updates in the next few days at leelanauphotography.com.  I’ll be uploading a ton of pictures that I’ve scanned as part of my “historical preservation” effort.  Lots of pics from ABS and my childhood.  It’s a long process but I’m slowly getting all those pictures scanned into digital format.  It’s pretty necessary actually, some of the really old ones are turning all shades of red and pink due to age.

1. My Employer – this has been a very difficult year for a lot of people.  With the unemployment rate in Michigan the highest in the nation somewhere near 9.5%, I am thankful that I have a job and I am not in jeopardy of losing it any time soon.  While many people have seen reductions in their income, mine has actually gone up this year.
2. Facebook – this has been a fun year for me catching up with old friends from days gone by that would never have been possible had it not been for the social networking web site Facebook.  I’ve reconnected with people I’ve not seen or spoken with, some in over 20 years and I’ve been able to appreciate more fully the depth of the relationships I have had with many people over the years.
3. My Dog Gavin – this has been a challenging year for both me and my dog.  This is the first holiday season in 10 years that I have not had a significant other by my side.  Gavin has helped me a great deal this year by not leaving my side.  Even though he can’t keep his drooling mouth closed most of the time, and he snores something fierce keeping me up at night sometimes, he is always there for me wagging his tail, satisfied with only a pat on the head.
4. My Sister Sarah and Brother-in-law Brian – their unwavering interest in my well-being and their complete understanding of my inability to pick up the phone to call them is amazing.  Their background presence in my life even though they are some 600 miles away is something that I truly appreciate.
5. My Nephew Christopher – even though he has no concept of me yet, the addition of a new baby to the family is always something to be thankful for, especially when he has no idea yet how spoiled (and lucky) he already is.
6. My Parents – this has been a year of some pretty big changes for me personally and through it all, my parents have kept a watchful eye on me and my mental health.  I don’t thank them often enough but I am thankful that despite what I happen to be going through, I can count on my parents to have my back and I appreciate their willingness to peel me off any brick walls I smack into before I eventually get it right even though sometimes it takes me several times.  Their calm understanding, their incessant quirkiness, and their continued interest in my success are all things that I value tremendously.

There you have it.  My Thanksgiving list for 2008.  As I head now into the Christmas season, I may not have a ton of time to write.  This is the lash hurrah before everyone up here shuts themselves in for the winter and hibernates.  Even with holiday shopping season, the slow down at work this year has been very noticeable, much more than in previous years which makes me wonder just what the hell I’m going to do all winter at work.  I’m looking forward this winter to trying a few new things.  I would like to go skiing again since I’ve not done that in over 10 years and I want to do a little more reading this winter.  I’ve never been a great reader, mainly because I can’t focus my mind on something for that long.  Hopefully I can find a few good books that will interest me enough to actually finish them.  So, until next time…

I’m off now for the long weekend.  I have 3 days off!!!!  Amazing.  Things are getting to crunch time now.  I’ve got “the letter” prepared for the landlord and ready to be sent off on the first of June explaining the situation and the fact that I’ll be moving.  I’m nearly decided on a storage unit to put all this shit and with the exception of my school loan, I’m nearly debt free (I still have a credit card out there that I’m paying on).  Things are looking good for me right now and I’m pretty happy about that.  Getting out of this house though is the biggest challenge in front of me.  There is just so much to do and I have just so little time to do it.  I’ll get there.

I’ll leave you tonight with a picture from my childhood.  Sarah, I don’t know what is going through your head here but wow, clearly your son (though me) will have easy access to LOTS of embarrassing pictures of his mother and his grandmother!!!!!  Good thing you live in Iowa.  You want to bet that by the time he’s 3, he will know how to use a mouse and will know more about technology than you and Brain???  I think I was a senior in high school before I mastered a mouse!!  Love ya.

You Left it Up To Me

So I’m off now back to rip more CD’s. The Roommate has returned home and will now occupy the remaining 3 1/2 days of Jirar’s trip home so I won’t see him again. Oh well, I guess I will get to do everything myself.