Holy Crap!!!

Well it has been a long time. Things are going.........just that. I am now back on days and loving it. As of now our department has offered to eliminate 4 positions in the jail and we had 3 people retire and 1 move to the road patrol. So that saves some jobs for now. It is also an election year and we will have a new Sheriff come the 1st of the year. I have a good friend from Red Wing PD who is running for Sheriff and has a pretty good chance at winning. What this means for me is a "chance" to succeed in my career. I have not asked him to do anything special for me other than to give me a fair chance at succeeding in the department. He seems to indicate to me that there might be more than that waiting for me but I only want a fair shot and a clean slate.

On other fronts money is tough, kids are tough, marriage is tough and trying, and real life is tough. But life goes on and we keep on plugging away.

Thats it for now. Hope to post again soon!

Greg

And it just keeps getting better........

Well our luck just keeps getting better. Got word yesterday that our department is probably going to lay deputies off at the end of this year or beginning of next year. Wonderful.

What this means is that because I got moved to the bottom of the seniority list, I am on the chopping block. In a job that is suppose to be recession proof.

Damn it all to hell.

Whoa......Sorry

Dang it has been a while huh?? Some good news has come our way since my last post. The wife got a job at the local YMCA!! She is the boss. Of the daycare and kids gym anyways. She gets to bring the kids to work with her on the days that I work and so I always tell her that it is kind of like being a stay at home mom except she gets paid to do it! The program is fairly unorganized and she has a bunch of work to do in order to get things going in the right direction. But, she loves the challenge and really likes the fact she can bring the kiddos!!

Not much going on with me. Still working. Still trying not to get "noticed" to much while I am there. I have learned that life is much more enjoyable in jail when you just come in, do your job, shut your mouth, and go home safe. It is nice to let other people cause problems with the things they say and do!

I have started working out again after my surgery. I am feeling pretty good and am hoping to drop about 30lbs by July.

That is about all I have. I feel lame even posting. It feels like I don't have much to say. Maybe I will come up with something later!

Rough Road Ahead

Well we have worked ourselves into quite the pickle. With the wife working part time since last May and my almost 3 months off last fall, we are no longer in a position to pay our mortgage. We have tried to work with our mortgage company and they are unwilling to help out in any way. They have pretty much told us that the only options are Short Sale, Deed in lieu of Foreclosure, or Foreclosure. I am not sure what we are going to do and I am feeling more and more like a complete failure.

I have failed myself, our families, and most of all my wife. I am not sure what is running through my head and where we go from here. All I know is that it will be a long road. I also know that it is easy to see why people can get depressed, become alcoholics, and divorces happen because of this type of thing. Kris and I are strong and on the same page with this whole thing, but Foreclosure just makes people so irritable and grumpy which is what makes it all the more stressful.

Blah.......

So it has been a couple weeks and it has been busy. Not cool busy like we ran off to Vegas and won 2 mil playing craps. Then decided to stay and really have a good time. Nope not that kind of busy at all. I have been working a lot this week and have not had much energy at night to check my email let alone think about blogging. Work is work and it moves on slowly.

Got news yesterday that I will NOT be photographing the wedding that I was asked to in May. They decided to go with a Pro who has experience with photographing weddings on the beach. Someday I will get to do one, just not this spring.

Belly is feeling good and I have been cleared to start working out next week on Monday. I am really antsy to get moving and back to the gym. I still want to be down 50lbs by July when we go on vacation.

The wife and I are thinking about taking a 3 day trip this fall to somewhere. We are thinking to the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. Who knows.

Well that is all I have for now. Getting taxes done this Saturday so hopefully there will be good news. Maybe I will even get to purchase a new camera!

Booze and Difference of Opinion

Why is it that booze makes one feel so strongly about things?? I am photographing my first wedding in May.......in Alabama. I want to leave the kids home and Kris does not. Why is it so difficult?? So I guess we are taking the kids with us. It will sure be an interesting trip with a 4 year old, a 7 month old and mom/dad in the car. The upside is that we should get lots of great photos of the kids at the beach to share with all!!

Whats New With Me???

Well let me tell you. First off, I was able to take my first series of engagement photos this last fall! It was for one of Kris' good friends and it was awesome!! Mikki, Dan, and I had so much fun and I think we were able to capture some great moments. They even used one of my photos for their christmas card this year!! Here are a couple of photos for your enjoyment:






The first one is the christmas card shot!! Then in November I was asked to photograph my first wedding!! Can you friggin believe it?!?!?! I am so excited and it is something that I never, NEVER thought I would do. I am a bit nervous but I am sure that I will be able to do a great job.

Also, I am fat. Seriously. I mean it. I was on my way to being in shape, but then a hernia came along and that put a stop to that. I was in a good groove, was building muscle like crazy and overall feeling good. Once the hernia came along I pretty much had to stop lifting so that I wouldn't make it worse. Yes, yes I ,know that I could have kept up the cardio, but I hate cardio. But that is one of my goals for the new year, to do more cardio and drop some serious weight. I had surgery last week on Thursday and now I am not "allowed" to lift more than 15lbs until February 9th (MY BIRTHDAY!!!) so I am starting some cardio on Monday and working my way up from there. I am looking to go from 265 (uuuggghhhh) to 210 by July when we go on vacation. I am pretty positive about this because Kris and I are both committed to getting healthy. So here starts my journey to becoming a "professional" photographer who gets paid for his work, to becoming less of a human (size wise), and to be the best husband-father-coworker-son-grandson-nephew and person that I can be!!

Till next time.......

And I'm Back!

WOW!! It has been such a long time since the ol blog was up that I almost forgot to post that I am back!! After a long year of not much blogging I am hoping to get back into it in 2010.

2009 was a rotten bitch filled with lots of ups and downs. On the up side Kris and I now have child #2. His name is Cooper and is just damn cute. He came to us in September. Most of the things that went wrong in 09 were work related. My job sucks. No wait, I actually love the job I do.......just not the place I do it at! With that being said the hunt has been on for about 3 solid months now. I have applied many places and been to a few interviews. I believe I am on 2 hiring lists that are good for 1 year so who knows what will happen.

So it 2010 I am hoping for a much more "normal" year with more highlights than low lights!!

More to come at a later date!

P.S. I just saw that I only did 13 posts in 09......Does that lucky number tell you how my year went?!?!?!

Weekend Fun

Some pics from this weekend

Hmmmm..........

Well as quick as it was given to me, it was taken away.

The wife has pulled the plug on out of state jobs and has instead encouraged me to go to school and become a cop here in MN. She would have a hard time being away from friends and family and I can understand that.

I am not sure how I feel about this whole thing, but if I have to stay in MN for the good of the family I guess that is what I am going to do. I realize that if the wife isn't happy, there isn't anybody that is going to be happy.

What would I like to do you ask? Well I am a bit more of a free spirit when it comes to stuff like this. YES, I would miss my family and Kris', and YES it would be hard getting to know all new friends in a different state, and YES it would be a big change to be in a place where we have no friends or family, but I have never been one to let that bother me. If I want to go, then I go.

But alas this shall not be. I am going to call the local college and set up a time soon that the wife and I can go in and meet with an admissions person to get me all ready to start in the spring.

In the end the wife will be happier, the good of the family is upheld, and maybe I might even get to be a real cop someday.......

For my wife and FOF

What is this????? An Update?????? Ok Ok, so I am horrible at blogging. I have said it before and I really do mean it when I say it, I AM BAD at this.

So what is new with me you ask? Well not much actually. I am still working out and trying to get less fat. It is going ok but Dt. Pepsi and Miller Lite sneak their way into my mouth a little to frequently still. They are just so good, and it is summer, and DAMNIT why is beer so good........

Anyways, the wife is for sure prego and with a little over a month left I am pretty sure she would pay any price that was quoted to get this baby out of her. She is uncomfortable a lot and is ready to be done. I am scared as hell to add a second, but also very excited to meet little Brody. I often wonder how in the hell I am going to care for 2 kids at once when the Mrs. is out shopping or whatever by herself and I have to care for both at the same time with no help. I am sure I will make it work but I am nervous.

Kris and I have been talking and I have gotten the green light to look for cop jobs outside of the state of MN. That is pretty exciting and scary as well. So I am now spending the day today and here on out looking at places to apply. Maybe I will get interviews, maybe I won't but I guess I will never know what could be unless I try.

So that is what I know. I can't promise to blog every day, but I will try to get better!

Greg

Cleaning Machine

The last couple of days I have been alone at the house while wife and child have been gone for the day.  What have I done you ask?  Well I have worked out for about an hour and a half both days.  I have also been doing some furniture moving for the wife.  I mowed the lawn, washed the car, and cleaned the living room and dining room.  I have also done a butt load of laundry.

My sis is coming this weekend to spend time with us and the lovely Ellie.  It should be a lot of fun.  I have not seen her since Christmas and we always have a good time when she is here.  Her divorce became final this last week and she was going to have a party, but then decided against it and is coming here instead.

The camera has finally come out of the case in the last week and a half.  I have been having lots of fun and I am currently building my own little photo studio in the basement so I can shoot some still life photos.  Last February I bought the book 'photo idea index' as recommended by Oh Captain.  It was a HUGE inspiration and a lot of fun to read.  It literally has 100's of ideas to try and it was worth every penny of the $25 I spent on it!!

Well that is all I have for tonight.  Tomorrow I clean the kitchen before the sis comes to town and then a weekend of relaxation!

Till then,

Greg

Heat?

Can anyone explain where this heat came from?  One day it is barely 65 and now it is well over 80 and stuffy as hell in our house.  At least it is not cold and rainy I guess.

I don't have much to blog about right now.  The child and I played outside for about an hour this AM, but have not really done much since then.  When she wakes up from her nap we will go outside again and I am going to have her help me wash the car.

Worked out again today and things went well.  I feel like I could go again tonight.  I will wait till the morning to go again.  I have felt pretty good the last 2 days and I have even ran on the treadmill both days!!

Greg

Whats This??? An actual post?

Well friends, the time has come when I am finally interested in blogging again.  I realize that I may have lost some of you as readers, but hopefully you will come back to the badge.

A couple or 3 years ago I started this blog as a way to relieve stress, and have someplace to put my thoughts.  I went strong for quite a while, but then I became tired of posting, and writing, and with the whole concept in general.  So I stopped.  Then on March 10th of this year I watched one of my co workers pass away while we were at work.  This did not help me want anything to do with blogging.

This was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with.  He was a good man, with a big heart and a booming personality.  He was, however, very over weight and liked to drink a lot.  He was 51 when he passed and this experience gave me the final kick in the butt that I needed to make a change in my life and get healthy.

I was on a roll for 5 weeks with working out.  Most weeks I would go 5 days a week.  But through it all, I was still having a tough time dealing with his death.  So I took an almost 3 week break and started drinking almost every night.  Not good.

Then this last week I got is some trouble at work that provided me with 5 days off with no pay.  And while I should be upset and feeling down about this, I actually feel good.  This discipline has put my life and my job stress in perspective.  It made me see why my co-worker that died lived his life to the fullest.  Granted, he was not in our facility as a career because it was just a job to him.  But what I have learned is that when some people are against you, you will never win or excel.  And now that I have been enlightened to this little fact, I am totally at peace with going to work, doing my job, being seen and not heard, and then going home to my family.  Suddenly a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and the work stress is gone.

I have a friend that is 43 and started working out at the end of January this year.  He was the same size I am now and works out 6 days a week.  While I may work up to this someday, right now I am happy working out just 4 days.  He has gone from a 47" waist (like me) to a 36".  That is not pant size, but rather the measurement around the middle of the stomach, right over the love handles, and around to the back.  He has inspired me to really make an effort to work out and be consistent with it.  He is helping me to eat better, loose weight, and look the best I can.  Unfortunately, he is also trying to get me to participate in a bodybuilding contest.  

I am fighting him on this.

I just cannot picture myself walking on a stage, in a banana hammock, and posing in front of 300 people.  Nope, it is just not for me.

I do want to lose weight, be healthy, and gain muscle.  Lots and lots of muscle.

So I have decided to post the ugly facts on this blog.  For all to see.  

I want to track my progress and look back in a year from now and say "damn.....I have come a long way....I was a fat ass!!"  And so without any further delay, here are the ugly truths with a couple of BEFORE pics.

Weight: 255lbs

Waist:  49"

Chest: 49" (not to bad, except it is mostly man boob)

Arms:  17"

And there I am in all my glorious fatness.  

So this is what has been going on with me.  I am looking forward to getting back into the blogger swing of things, and catching up with all of you.  

More to come.

Greg

A Tough Loss

Today I witnessed the death of  one of my co workers.  This may be one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with.  

ToCar was a well known deputy in our department, in the court system, and throughout the community.  

ToCar, you will be missed.  You were a great man, and you will never know the impact you had on everyone you came to know.

GCSO #1134 is, for the last time, 10-7.

Sex Panther

          60% of the time; it works every time!!

Has it been 3 months already??

On Friday night we go back to nights at work.  Normally I have dreaded this in the past.  Not this time though, this time I am embracing the change.  On days this rotation it has been busier than you can imagine.......ALL THE TIME!!!!  Not only was it busy, the crooks have become even more child like.  I mean,  I know I work in an adult day care, but seriously, when you are 30+ years old do you really need to play grab ass and fart on other 30+ year olds???  It is ridiculous, and I just about flipped out last night when dealing with these idiots.

So yes, I am totally looking forward to nights and a break from all the action.  Of course if I get this new job in the jail I will be right back on days, but I will only have to deal with the crooks on an individual basis instead of 40-50 at a time.  

With all of that said, I realize I have not posted any photos in a while.  Here is a couple I have taken recently.  The first one is the cap of some boot cleaner.  I thought the macro on this made the bristles really look neat.  It is not much, but the winter weather has kind of put me in a funk for picture taking.

I am in a group on Flikr that is like a 365 photo group, but instead of daily photos we do a weekly shot.  Last week was self portrait week.  I was a bit uncomfortable with this, as I am not a big fan of getting my picture taken.  But, I finally sucked it up and took a few shots.  This is the one that I posted in my group.

Well that is about it for now.  I must start making lunch for the child and pick up this dump hole we call a house.  It is amazing how quick a 2 year old can destroy the cleanliness of a room!!

Greg

History

There are a precious few moments in ones life when you know, without a doubt, that you are witnessing true history that someday your daughter will learn about when she is in school.  In my life so far, I have witnessed the Berlin Wall falling, the 9/11 attacks and now the inauguration of the first African American President.  I am sure there are more that I am forgetting, but these are the ones that really stick out in my mind.  

I watched the swearing in, and the first speech by our new President while I was at work.  I felt like I needed to wittiness this moment in time.  i needed to see the oath as it was recited, and I needed to watch as our new President gave his first speech to our country, and this speech moved me beyond what words on this blog can describe.  One of the things that impressed me  is that President Obama wrote the entire speech that he gave today himself.  That is right, HE wrote it.  Not some lackey on the sidelines making sure that the President does not sound or look foolish.  I think that we have had enough of that in the last 8 years.  When President Obama speaks, he inspires people.  He offers hope, realism, and a true vision for the future of our country.  When you hear President Obama speak, there is little doubt why people compare him to Martin Luther King Jr.  

Yet with all the history happening today, I cannot believe the amount of people who I work with, and I am not just talking about the crooks, that had NO IDEA what was happening today.  Now I can see how you might not realize what day it is and have forgotten about the inauguration.  What I don't understand is how on earth some of the educated people I work with can't seem to grasp why this day is so special.  One co-worker actually said "who cares about the inauguration, its just like every other one we have had".  WHAT!?!?!?!  Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!

I just don't get it.

At any rate, I am proud to have witnessed the history that was made today.  I would have loved to be at the National Mall to celebrate today with the estimated 3 million + people in Washington D.C. today.

Greg

Shit its cold out

As my mom would say "it is colder than a witches tit in a brass bra" outside.  And windy.  Which means all that nice new snow we got last night is blown up against the garage door, around my car, and across my front sidewalk.  

Thank god my FIL is coming out to blow everything out for me.  You see since I have injured my back and now move like an 80 year old man, pretty much any physical labor I do will re-injure the back.  I am light duty at work until the end of this week, but think I might ask the doc to extend it for another week.  The back is better but still not great.  We are going to night in little less than 2 weeks which will be a welcome break from the business of days.  I may not be on nights for long though as I applied for a new position within the jail which would allow me to work basically 8-430 with no weekends or holidays.  I would stay at the same pay, but would not be able to work over time.  Our fingers are crossed that I get this position.  

I think that is about it for now.  I have to get the snow blower ready for Daddy-O and color with Ellie.

Greg

A Riddle........

                                  What does this......

                                            Plus This........

                                         EQUAL?????

                         Well this of course!!!!