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I had a simple cheeseburger and ice cold beer for lunch. Outside. Along a wooded path shaded by lush, green trees. Next to a calm lake. When I sat at the table waiting for my order to be ready, a raccoon scurried by the banks into the safety of a small drainage pipe. A squirrel sat on the wooded deck adjacent within 3 feet of my table begging for french fries during the meal. I heard the wind rustling the leaves and the birds singing above. I was at work... within a mile of my office. What's wrong with this picture?

I got up at the crack of dawn this morning for a doctor's appointment. I used to hate going to the doctor as much as going to the dentist, but I don't mind so much these days. It is infrequent and my doc is great. Doing the whole visit thing before work was a bit grueling, but I survived. I love the part where the nurse asks you if you smoke, how much caffeine you intake daily, and how often you drink. I don't smoke other than cigars, but you better get a pen with more ink for the rest. Would you like the caffeine consumption in milligrams? So, not that it's relevant, but the reason for my visit was a small bump (for lack of a better description) on my right bottom eyelid. You can't see it really... but I don't like unexplained schtuff regarding my person. Remember the episode of friends where Ross had some unknown bump on his ass? So, no big deal, it's a cyst. My doctor prescribed some antibiotic ointment and told me to hot press it each evening. "If it doesn't go away in a week, an ophthalmologist and surgery is your only option." Surgery? I am no so naïve as to not understand that means a simple, in and out incision. I still have a issue with a needle or scalpel being so close to my eye. It is unnerving. Thinking about it is like watching that scene in Jackass where Steve-O papercuts the webbing between his fingers and toes. Eewwww. Anyhoo, today is supposed to be the hottest day so far this year. It was muggy this morning. The air as thick and clingy. Gone are the crisp mornings that I love so much. Colorado. Eye on the prize. Someday... I'll live in the mountains. Someday. I suppose I should do some work since the weekend hasn't officially started yet, eh?

This has been a busy month. I went through a career migration when I left a relatively high profile position in a large enterprise network environment to work for a vendor as a systems engineer. I'm much busier throughout the day than I'd ever expected and I love it. I spent a week in The Valley (not south Texas by Mexico... Silicon Valley) at our headquarters getting acquainted. I can tell you that caliber of our product is only surpassed by the caliber of our people. It feels splendiferous to be part of a great company comprised of "good people". My job as a systems engineer is made a little easier by the fact that I actually believe in the product. I am proud to associate my name with it. It is... well... excellent. Ok, so that's the 50,000 foot version of my absence... I switched jobs. This little slice of my irregular hoo-ha went away as a by-product of that change because I hosted my blog from home and my whole Internet connectivity situation changed when I changed employers. The real irony is that I hadn't had much of anything to say in months. I felt a little down trodden in the mental arena and was generally uninterested in communicating with anyone in any fashion. Get up. Go to work. Come home from work. Try to be a good husband for a little while before sleepytime. Rinse and repeat. I didn't really have much to say. When I quit my old job and started this new trek, I found that I had tons to say... lots of new and exciting changes and observances... bloggin' like the old days. *sigh* I had no blog. Funny, eh? So, I spent yesterday afternoon getting hosting set up, tap dancing through the export/import tango, and getting this up and running. It is amazing how many stealth cialis/levitra/big-penis/viagra/hot-teenage-slut/lolita/lowest-interest-rate/etc. comments slipped through my very best MT Blacklist efforts. Apparently my kung fu just was not powerful enough. I am amazed at how everything I felt like putting in this space while enjoying the bottom of my wine bottle escapes me when I have a moment to type. I think there should indeed be a sniglet describing us. I know you're out there... the rest of us like me. Or perhaps, it's just me getting older? Despite my graying hair, my memory (in most cases) can keep up with my much younger wife. One of my friends is getting married this year. We graduated high school together and have kept in touch on and off through the years. In the midst of our conversation, she mentioned casually that her oldest child was going to be a freshman in high school this year. I got this sinking feeling in my gut. When did this happen? Time indeed flies... and contrary to the adage, it does so regardless of whether you are having fun or not. EL and I are rapidly approaching our second wedding anniversary. The grandfather of a very close friend of mine passed away this month. Within days of the funeral, his father was admitted into the hospital with terminal cancer. In my attempt to offer some graceful condolences, we spoke of how we're at the period in our lives where facing the mortality of not just our aged loved ones as their time here grows shorter, but ourselves as each days passing increases the creaks and cracks of bones and joints when we haul ourselves out of bed each morning. I attended Buzzfest last Saturday. It's a wildly popular music festival event that was an annual occurrence at one time, but it's popularity has prompted more frequent bookings. One of my friends asked, "You headed to the pit?" The only thought I had was that of my brother Sean and I the final show of the Toadies reunion tour. We were in Dallas and just a few feet from the stage. When the mosh started, our eyes met in complete understanding of mutual fear for safety. Saying things to each other like "we could have fallen down and been trampled to death" or "that was so scary" instead of "rawk on dude, that was so fuckin' awesome!". Yeah, when you get excited sipping good coffee over NPR, you know you've passed the torch.

Dio has rocked for a long, long time, Now it's time for him to pass the torch. He has songs of wildebeests and angels, He has soared on the wings of a demon. It's time to pass the torch, You're too old to rock, no more rockin' for you. We're takin' you to a home, But we will sing a song about you. And we will make sure that you're very well taken care of. You'll tell us secrets that you've learned. Raow! Your sauce will mix with ours, And we'll make a good goulash baby. Dio, time to go! You must give your cape and scepter to me. And a smaller one for KG. Go! Go! Dio! Dio!

My new office in The Woodlands. My commute went from 25 miles in heavy traffic each way to my choice of zero miles (when I work from home) or 7 miles each way (against the flow of traffic). It's like a paradise dream world. I get out of my truck in the morning and the fragrance of spring bloom hits me in the face. I look out my window and see the green of trees instead of hugemongous skyscrapers in every direction. I went from business attire mandatory to business casual on days I have client appointments only... other days it's jeans and a t-shirt or shorts... whatever. There are two excellent sushi places right up the street. I share a receptionist that keeps fresh coffee brewed all day long. What the hell happened? It's like an IT guy lotto jackpot. My favorite change is being close enough to have lunch with my wife on a regular basis... like today! I can't wait. Sluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp! Mmmn. Coffee.

and she runs through her days with a smile on her face and she runs, and she waits, and i wait we can drive to anyplace, day or night, across the state and in the morning, into mexico, we will wake up i find a window in the kitchen, and i let myself in rummage through the refrigerator, find myself a beer i can't believe i'm really here, and she's lying in that bed i can almost feel her touch, and her anxious breath! i stumble in the hallway, against the bedroom door i hear her call out to me, i hear the fear in her voice she pulls the covers tighter, i press against the door i will be with her tonight!