Here Comes the New Boss, Same As the Old Boss at 7:02 PM

Happy Easter!  After far too long, I’m finally back.  I got the laptop a while ago, but I’ve been quite busy since then, so I haven’t really had the chance to post.  So while we’re here and all, what say I catch you up on the goin’s on out here?

I’ve started some new training for work.  I won’t go into great detail or anything, but it’s actually been pretty good.  I’m always wary of business training, what with their “thinking outside the box”, and “other retarded phrases that don’t really mean anything”, and whatnot.  Luckily, this one seems to be different, more action-oriented, and more centered in reality than others I’ve been involved with.  But the reason I mention that is because I was in Chicago from Sunday to Wednesday this past week, and while I usually would keep a “Chicago Files” or something like that on the blog, I didn’t because I was busy furiously customizing my new laptop.  Everything had to be perfect, and perfection takes time, my friends.  However, I do still have two more trips planned for this particular training—one in May and one in June—and I’ll be traveling to Wisconsin for both of those.  I’ll be sure to keep you updated on my journeys to the wonderland of cheese.

So I got back Wednesday night, worked the late shift on Thursday, and then the early shift on Friday, and then I worked from 6-4 on Saturday.  Needless to say, by the time I got home and finished with the yard work, I was not in the mood.  Also my in-laws arrived on Friday, so we’ve been doing projects with them.  My father-in-law likes to come and help out with stuff.  For example, we’ve replaced some wood on the shed, re-hung some cabinets in the garage, and fixed some plumbing.  And that’s since Friday evening.  Of course, these are things I could do myself for the most part, but I don’t have a lot of the tools (read: motivation) necessary to complete such projects all the time.  

Speaking of tools, I think I’m speaking for most men when I say that I want all of them.  Seriously.  I want all tools.  I want tools that I know I’ll never use.  Tools I’ve never seen or heard of.  I want tools that I can’t figure out how to use, and that I don’t even want to use.  I want tools that have no practical functionality besides one task that’s easier completed without tools.  I want a mansion of pegboard to hang all my tools in so that all my friends can come to look at them and congratulate me on my manliness.  And I want it now.

But I digress.  Did I mention that laptops are awesome?  Because they are.  They’re just so much more…portable.  Which I guess is the point, right?  So I think I’ll be doing a bit more of the “live blogging” thing now.  See, sometimes during shows like “American Idol”, (in its best season right now, by the way) I favor my wife with a running commentary/critique that I’m sure she gets tired of hearing.  Therefore, I think I’ll try live blogging my thoughts while I’m watching the show.  Of course, I’ll be using the term “live” loosely, since I TiVo the show and fast forward through everything except the performances and judge evaluations.  I may or may not do that this week, depending on what’s going on with the in-laws here.  The point is that I talk a lot during TV and other activities (I know it annoys my wife sometimes, because sometimes I annoy my own self), and now I don’t need to talk quite as much.  Even if nobody reads it, at least I’ve said my piece, right?  And there’s something less obnoxious about someone publishing their thoughts where it’s optional for people to read them, rather than broadcasting said thoughts for everyone in the room to hear.  At least that’s the idea I’m going for.

My other hope is that this will really help my sports blog (which I’m currently redesigning).  It was hard for me before to think of something sports-related to write about when I was at work, or just sitting at my desk at home unless there was really something on my mind.  A lot of times I’ll get ideas while watching ESPN or some sporting event, or what have you.  So now instead of jotting down some thought or idea on a piece of paper that I will surely lose before I can write about it, I can just fire up the old laptop.  

Anyway, I’m off of work tomorrow and Tuesday, so we’ll see what happens.  I’ll probably be busy around the house for most of the day, but you never know.  In the meantime, have a song of the day:

“Making Memories of Us”, by Keith Urban.  One of the more underrated country singers who’s just starting to get the recognition he deserves.  Also he’s Australian, which rules.