I'm thinkin' and my head hurts...

Had a day off from well, everything, on sunday and I think it was just odd enough that I'm just out of whack in general. The surreality culminated in running three different photo shoots at work. One was a photo shoot for the hostess of a kids tv show produced out of Fredonia. One was a tv segment for local cable that was in and out in 45 minutes. The biggie was a thing that might wind up on the Discovery Channel. Everybody on that crew was local, except the director. He was an out of towner who was gracious enough to buy lunch. The host and I went into the project with one set of expections and things grew and grew, with a four project stretching into hour nine by the time it was all over.

Playing traffic cop had its moments. The big cable crew had a lot of nice toys including $60,000 in hd equipment that I was scared to touch. By the time the snow started to fall around 4 by the river otters, the glamour was off. The otters however thought the boom mic was a treat instead of the worst pinata ever.

That stuff leaves everybody whipped and grumpy. An associate and I were marooned till close to 7. Not that big a deal, but after 11 hours together, the closing of the car door is not the worst sound in the world.

The 2 guinness' with dinner made life grand, but today started mighty soon. I'm working on an advil stupor as getting out of the car left me with a bruise on hip. The only real damage is to what's left of my dignity. With all the freezing rain and what not, things are little frozen. Nothing had come through the section of the park where I usually abandon my car. Got there, opened the door and promptly slipped, hipchecking my car door way on the way down. The "fun" of making tv yesterday reduced me to a Sabres watching mess on my couch last night, skipping yoga and with a bruised hip, I ain't feeling tonight, but I'll probably suck it up. Can't fall behind.

That is unless my insurance company induced headache doesn't clear. The kids are currenly under my ex insurance only as mine barely covers me very well. When I was still in the throes of cabledom, we had them covered by both employers. This is a fine plan, because it leaves nothing to chance except the complete and utter incompentency of billing department staffs in the respective medical practices. They solve the policy process by billing the parent's acct by when in the calendar year each parent's birthday falls. With my February date, my policy came up first. Inevitably, they fuck that up, but I digress. Apparently, the dental folks I had with the cable kingdom never sent any cessation letter, so the current carrier thought we were double dipping. So, you can imagine the series of emails, phone calls, and what not, compounded by my frustration at people reading some of what I am addressing so you get to say it twice. I am certain that this is why prices are insane.

Reason why you shouldn't take too long writing a journal: My dad sent me a note (so he could talk to me and my sisters at the same time) that his brother passed away last night. I didn't really know him that well. He was roughly 8 years older than my dad and lived in and around Jersey for as long as I remember. So, it feels a little weird. I'm sad for my dad a little bit, but I think he is a little relieved. My uncle had both a really bad run with Parkinsons and a number of strokes that have left him existing a lot more than living. So, it's one of those you're not sure what to feel. Lord knows I've been through enough services within the past 12 months, and you're relieved that you don't have to participate in this one, I feel like there is something I should be doing, writing, whatever, but I guess a nice letter to my aunt will suffice. Strange how that all can work.

I'm taking anither aspirin

Here's the video I wanted to highlight in the post I just screwed up. Check out this take on 97 Rock staple during the Kennedy Center Honors. I don't know why the Kennedy Center folk felt compelled to let Joss Stone handle "My Generation." Dave Grohl did a nice job with "Who Are You." Rob Thomas did a harmless version of "Baba O'Reilly, but Betty LaVert stole the show with this

It's funny because you can see on some shows like this. Audience types are prone to playing to the camera, but the honorees box was into this one. Very cool. Reminds you of how powerful music can be when it done right.

Here's the original for reference

Still one of my favorites.

Just spent 30 minutes working on a post and clicked on the wrong tab for a Youtube clip. Sonofabitch!

Let's see. Lesson one, kids, is to pay attention to your firefox tabs. I just accidentally deep sixed about 800 words by not watching what I was doing. Grumble, grumble.

Lesson two? Breathe regular. I'm in the middle of a well deserved long weekend. I took advantage of that and caught a mid day yoga class at the elmwood studios. I'm sailing along and got a little discombobulated and spent a little time getting recombobulated. When we hit the final sit up series, I nearly dropped like a stone. Never been tagged by a dizzy spell like that before. Made a slick recovery, but had a headache for the rest of the day for my troubles. Woke up this morning fine, so I don't think I blew any fuses.

Prior to that, I made a stop at the current location of the DMV to get enhanced driver's license information for me and permit info for my darling eldest. That makes me cringe.

Insanely nice time at the 24 on NYE. Thanks again to PMT for letting run amuck in their confines. It was great to meet (e:iriesara) and her man for the first time. Great to see our noted world traveler (e:ladycroft) and her man. Thanks again for the book, LC. I was actually thinking about that one last time I was in Talking Leaves. I enjoyed every silly minute of the shenanigans.

It was a nice breather. I think I journaled about my own Dad being the latest to need Roswell's services. He was biopsied earlier in december and had type b lymphoma. Roswell, with either a twisted sense of irony or humor, relayed this news on Christmas eve. So, we have that to think about. His treatment regimen cranks up in earnest in a few weeks.

Poured my self a drink. Anyway, also had to ask the folks to think about something else. i didn't go to their house on Christmas Day, but they did invite my brother-in-law's sister. Of the three times I've met her, the phrase raging asshole popped into my head and once out of my mouth. So, I put the question to them about if Sister Crankypants merits an invite, how about letting the mother of your grandchildren out of the penalty box? I have hated being the conduit for activity since my divorce. I drank the one big happy family kool aid right away and truth be told, it seems to be working, but too damn slowly. She and I have always been able to talk and her family went through great pains to show me that I was still a part of the team. Mine has been a little slow on the uptake. They are getting there, but a more stubborn bunch of irishmen I don't think you'll ever see.

I put the question to the rents to just extend an invitation. The ex might not take it, but the extension might make my world a little easier. She was there for 15 of them so it isn't like this would be something new.

Want to do it for the kids sake as well as our own. We already lost her dad this past year and my mom had her own drama last fall, so it seems sort of silly to wallow in leftover nonesense. Me? I'm just sick of being the perpetual middleman.

My daughters seized on all this to rag on me about my apartment being too small. They have a point, but I don't have first and last to give somebody at the moment. Lease runs through April. If any of you are renting a 2 to 3 bedroom place, let me know. I might be in the market.

Lesson three:go get another drink, class dismissed.

I'm tired.

While the holidays are great, they also exhaust me. There is the mad prep, the juggling of egos, the balancing of which out of town visitors need to see the kids next, the guilt (imagined or otherwise), so it was with a sense of relief that I walked from my mother-in-law's place back to mine on Thursday night. Without prompting, the kids pronounced themselves "happy" and I think my ex and I both exhaled at the same time. I took them out to my folks on Christmas eve to be feted by my folks and siblings. She did likewise Christmas Day for dinner. The five of us got together Christmas morning and I think it was my favorite part. Nobody was on their best behavior and I mean that in a good way. That was fun, getting to see them show off their new wares.

Work on the 26th was surreal by comparison. Everything is open, but a large contingent of my department takes a good chunk of their holiday this week. The commute is a quick one, and downright deserted on Friday. Ten minutes this morning and that's including a stop at Spot to caffeinate.

I'm not complaining, but it is good to be the marketing guy. You get a lot of gifts that, well, swish. Two bottles of Bully Hill's finest from one of the radio groups, two bottles of local stuff from one of the tv stations, a case of guinness from my brother in law, and a case of Sleeman's Dark Ale from my own brother. My mom gave me a couple pounds of coffee. Together that is a metaphor for something. I'm just not sure what.

Order my Secret Santa thingy, what will officially be the last Christmas gift of the season -- Hope it makes it in time for the festivities for Wednesday evening.

The clock across the hall is chiming different christmas carols at the top of the hour with all the style and verve of dentist office muzak. Is it bad that I want to take to the parking lot and run over it a few times with the little bull dozer?

Yeah, probably.

Would have thought for sure that yesterday's winds would have hit my block. They did last year. I seem to remember wrapping the final presents pre-christmas by flashlight. At the height of yesterday's gales, I was searching for a good football game since the Bills were playing and number one son was gaming on my pc. We like our power.

The alarm clock went off this morning and my first thought was toward a nap.

I'm tired. Think I'm long overdue for sammich from the old Pink for dinner.

But I'll rest up for the (e:strip) balldrop (no, not a euphemism)