Time to recap - I've been a slacker

So, I found some more time to put my fingers to work on some blog topics. From the last time I wrote, some really big things have happened; some more surprising than others and some larger than others.

We'll start with the smaller of the items. I am still employed. This in itself shouldn't be surprising. However, with the economy and the amount of impact that was done to the banking and financial services sector, still having a job is of no small consequence. That being said, I didn't weather the storm completely unscathed. The bank invoked cost saving measures at my pay grade and higher. There were two methods made available to the individual business lines at the individual level. These methods had a common goal. Save 5% across the board. The methods available were to force everyone to take a 5% pay cut or 2 weeks unpaid vacation. My business line chose to take the 2 weeks of additional vacation, unpaid. This was handled in a very nice way. Once started, payroll would deduct from each of our paychecks for the rest of the year a portion of the amount of the cost of 2 weeks vacation. Therefore, these "mandatory" days were then added to our pool of vacation days. Therefore, we did not have to take a block of time off without a paycheck. I did volunteer for the unpaid block and was turned down. Since I have the guard to supplement my income, I could have taken the unpaid time in a block when I had my annual training and not missed a beat. My management decided not to take that route and handle everyone in a uniform fashion. I can certainly see where they are coming from.

So, if you are paying attention, you should be asking yourself, 2 weeks of pay is not 5% of your income. If you are asking that, good. You are paying attention. If you are not, eh, I've given you a pass this time. So, what about the rest of the percentage? I don't know. I think the business line found those funds from other places like: travel budget, training budget, contractors, professional services and other "non-essential" expenses which were previously on the books. That is purely speculation. Quite frankly, I never did get a straight answer to that question even though we (myself and peers) did ask that question.

So, moving on chronologically, the next event was that I officially and successfully departed the 20-something range. I didn't expect that this would be any thing to write about. Typically, I am of the opinion that it is just another day in another year. This one felt different. I know that I gave Angel grief on her 30th and she gave me her share and even took it a step further by having a surprise party for me. That was cool, but that's only part of what made this one different. It wasn't really on "that" day, but it was around that period that my brain started to churn the concept of entering a new decade of association. I wouldn't say so much that I'm getting old because I don't feel "that" old, but I'm certainly not a teen anymore.

Turning thirty got me thinking about my goals and personal expectations that I had for myself. I can recall back in high school, when asked where will I be in X years or how do I see my future unfolding, I had a pretty concrete vision as to how I saw things happening. From the view point of high school, I expected to complete the following in order:

1. Complete basic
   
2. Earn a degree in IT (AS or BS? I didn't have an answer)
   
3. Establish myself in the IT industry as a programmer
   
4. ETS from the Army (6 and out)
   
5. Move to CA
   
6. Buy & payoff a house
   
7. Get Married
   
8. Start a family

So, with that brief outline, I can say that I've completed that list in an acceptable fashion in about the order I had expected. There are a couple large exceptions to the plan and reality.

• Yes, in 2002 I did ETs, but in 2005 I re-enlisted. Now with 11 full years completed, I plan to do my 20.
  
• Moved away from Pittsburgh, but not to CA. Landed myself in the ATL instead.
  
• Found a house to plant our roots, but are certainly 30 or so years from paying that one off.

So, with those mostly minor exceptions, I can say that I've been pretty successful in executing my development plan post high school. The only question left at this point is what is my plan for my next X period of time? Well, we'll talk about that some more later in this post.

So, to move on toward lighter subjects, the surprise party was certainly a surprise. Angel did a bang-up job pulling this off. Typically, family is pretty easy to organize and convince to do things which would be considered above and beyond. Therefore, getting Mom & Dad Denner, my Mom, Dana & the boys to travel down to GA at the same time does not strike me as overtly difficult to swing. However, trying to include friends to execute this trek is a bit more monumental. Now, I will admit that the guys that did make the drive are not "just friends" and they are damn near family, yet seeing them there was simply shocking. Damn, here we are, just over 6 months after the fact and I'm still moved by the gesture. Then to top it off, Eagle wrote what could be a small window into just how close we are as friends or a long winded toast. Shit, it could have been a eulogy. Although, it was interesting that he had D read it aloud and she even got worked up because of it. What a wonderful wife I have and how blessed I am for the friends that I do have.

Well, the weekend of the surprise party truly had another surprise in store for me. As fate would have it (isn't she funny that way?), the last bullet in my "to-do" list became a reality. We didn't know it then, but were able to track it back, that it was that weekend in April that we conceived the little bundle of joy which is supposed to be joining us at the end of January. The 24th to be exact (or as exact as this type of calculation can be made). So, at this time, we are on the road Pittsburgh bound for the baby shower, a couple of birthdays, and Thanksgiving. This week in da'burgh has other significance, but more on that later.

So, due to the concerns around the development of the baby within Angel, we've undertaken another life changing course of action. Angel because of a high recommendation and myself in support of her, we've quit smoking. Since about the age of 16, this is the longest I've gone without smoking even one cigarette. At this point we are both above 5 months quit. Angel quit on May 30th and I quit on June 10th. In this period of time, we have saved a combined total of over $1,000. So, besides having the financial and personal health reasons to quit but having a child to be responsible for and to be a role model certainly carried enough weight to not only take the step to break the habit, but is also the motivation to remain quit. I am not going to try to recap the experience of the past 5 months effort in quitting. What I will say is that it is amazing how much power and control nicotine has over the body and mind. I would say that it is at least twice weekly that I have a dream where I light up. And let me tell you, it invokes a guilty feeling.

So, as if all of the above information wasn't heavy enough, I have some more heavy news. As a member of the South Carolina Army National Guard, I have been alerted of a deployment in 2010. Due to OPSEC concerns, I won't get into anything specific. I can say that our current intel says that as a member of my unit, my orders will put me away from home for a year, boots on the ground for 9 months, and we're bound for Iraq. This information is not cast in stone, terms are subject to change, and your mileage may vary.

So, this leads me directly into my last new topic of conversation before I start trying to wrap this post up. While I was at my annual training at the end of July and the beginning of August, a back problem was brought to my attention. This is something more than my typical lower back tension. I'm not saying that the situation/condition is serious or not because I don't yet know. I thought that in the time since it presented itself that it would have worked itself out. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Here we are, November, and the discomfort is still present. Thankfully, my day-to-day activity does not unduly stress my back and I'm able to function normally, to include yard work, hockey, or almost any other "everyday" activity I can dream up. Interestingly, I have found one activity that will flare it up in a heart beat. Standing. Standing for long periods of time, like shopping at the mall or "good" grocery shopping or a standard day with the NG. These activities are enough to remind me that something isn't right. Please, don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about gloom & doom here. It is a generally dull pain that rivals that of a joint that needs cracking. Unfortunately, I haven't found a movement that will relieve the pressure. Although, there is one big difference between this and joint pressure, that is the pain on contact. I can put my thumb between the vertebrae where the pressure resides and will get a sharper pain.

So, at my SRP in October, I brought this to the attention to the doctors doing our reviews. I thought that they might take a look at it or something. Instead, they said "here" and handed me a 90 day profile and a medical referral to see my own doctor on my dime. I don't know why I would have expected anything different. Anyway, I saw my doctor on Vet's Day and he tells me that a MRI is the course of action to take. My MRI is scheduled for December 1st. My doctor also mentioned that the pain is at T12 and L1. Therefore, he has requested both a Thoracic and Lumbar MRI. Therefore, my eligibility for deployment will hinge upon what the MRI results present.

So, with all of that out in the open now, allow me to reflect back to my earlier points.

This trip to Pittsburgh is significant because of all of the events pending at the start of 2010. Due to the pregnancy, Angel will not be permitted to travel during the Christmas holiday, not that I am in the position to have any time left for that anyway. But more importantly, once Cat is born in January, we're not about to travel with her north. Therefore, this will be my last trip home until after my deployment. I'm not saying that I won't see my family again before I leave, but this may be the last time I see my friends until that time. Thankfully, I manage to keep in close contact with everyone via our many forms of communication mediums which include IMs, phones, e-mail, and Facebook. In all reality, being in Iraq may not present me much different to them than the distance that we already have between us and have already adjusted to handle. For all I know, I may be more productive here an in other places because my "off hours" activities will be much more restricted. Only time will tell.

As for my other incomplete thought, what will my plan be for my future? Well, I don't have a comprehensive answer for that question. What I can tell you is that in the next year and half or so will be all about friends, family, and staying alive. We can have this discussion at such time that I am safe at home again.

So, if you have made it to this point, then I applaud you. My laptop is saying that it is time to stop because the battery is getting low. Also, in standard fashion, I have completed another marathon post (i.e. a book). One of these days I will determine a way to get this out in smaller pieces which are digestible in a quicker fashion. Maybe.

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Re-Introduction to Console Gaming - Wii

So, this year for Christmas, we decided to do something different. Instead of each of us buying the other something, we chose to buy us something for us. We're now the new, proud owners of a Nintendo Wii system. Also, since it is such a big ticket item, it was certainly something we wouldn't have purchased otherwise.

Although, once we got the system home and started playing it, I quickly decided that it was a shame that I had waited so long to get one. The interface is engaging enough to be fun and not so complex to exclude new gamers. I guess that is the core reason why it is doing so well across all age brackets.

As far as games go, our collect is still relatively small. We started out with Wii Sports (came with the system), Rayman 2, and Wii Party. Generally speaking, each of these games are group games. Rayman and Wii Party are designed to be played socially. There isn't much to them in regards to single player appeal.

Wii Sports is fun solo or in number. However, I've only taken to tennis and bowling. The golf seemed to be overly simplistic and unrealistic with my "real" golf swing and boxing was just utterly frustrating. I guess boxing may be more fun with other people, but I just didn't get the bug for it solo.

I furthered our game collection with Dream Pinball and Super Swing Golf. Dream Pinball is not a gamers game. It is just what it advertises: pinball. However, in their design of the game, they must not have been pinball players. Not all of the boards have "missions" like modern tables do. I frequently got the feeling that I was just smacking the ball around to get points with no real objective other than a high score. I'm sorry, but score is not all that the game is about. It is the skill of being able to manage the table to complete the tasks before you. Well, that game's appeal was quickly lost when on my first attempt at one of the tables finished out at over 1 billion. At that point, Angel didn't want to play any more that day.

As for Super Swing Golf, this one is interesting. It is also one of those games that has multiplayer appeal. The controls are available as motion detection or button timing. For multiplayer, motion detection is certainly the way to go. For single player, not so much. In order to be even remotely competitive with the bots, you have to go for button timing. The motion detection controls are just not consistent enough, as you might imagine. I also found the motion detection method frustrating, even more so than Wii Sports golf. Super Swing Golf tried to make the feel of a real swing tie into the game. You can do a whole bunch of things with your wrists to affect the flight of the ball. However, the power bar doesn't use speed as a determining factor but rotation. The farther you pull the wiimote back and above your head, the more power you will put on it. However, in order for me to get full power, I had to use one hand to swing. Not very realistic. Also, timing the swing and button press to strike the ball is a pain because you have to position yourself such that you can swing and see the powerbar at the same time while flipping your arms around. Maybe I'm just not a very good golfer. :)

So, I then started to poke around in the channels. I saw previews for some games that really drew me in, but I didn't react immediately. Although, when Exile made the suggestion to get one of the games, I was sold. Therefore, I bought some credits and downloaded World of Goo and Tetris Party. Exile suggested Goo. Well, it was a good thing that I chose a 3 day weekend to start this adventure because I totally squandered my 3 day vaca. Once I started playing World of Goo, I couldn't stop. By Monday night, I had the game beat with the exception of the OCD challenges and 2 levels that I just couldn't bring myself to find the determination to finish.

So, between very interactive games, fun games, and downloadable games, I can certainly see us getting plenty of use out of our system. I can't speak for Angel, but I will say that Mario Cart and Wii Fit are on my future purchase list.

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Angel's 30!!

So, I had way too much fun leading up to Angel's birthday. Granted, this was only fun as the younger one that has yet to reach that milestone. We didn't have anything extravagant planned, but we did mange to make it a good night.

Well, apparently I had executed an interesting faux pas prior to the day in question. Historically, I've only felt compelled to inquire against someone's desire for a gift in the event that I don't already know. Therefore, I knew what the gift would be and never asked. As to some additional logic, I knew the item in question would not be on the request list even though the item was a wishlist item. Therefore, since I knew better, I didn't feel the need to ask. Well, this caused all kinds of fears. I got an e-mail from Angel's mom saying that a comment was made regarding me forgetting about their birthday. I guess I never realized that it was an obligatory inquiry instead of a necessity. Of course I didn't forget.

Anyway, the enjoyment for me started the night before her b-day. I kept giving her periodic updates as to the impending midnight hour. I would give her comments like "you only have 2 hours left as a 20-something" or my favorite one, "you only have x time before you are OLD". There were a few others, but those were the memorable ones.

So, in typical fashion, I waited until the day before to go shopping. Thankfully I knew what I was after and where I was getting it from. Therefore, it wasn't a huge deal. I also had further reason for the delay. I knew if I were to have gone shopping earlier, she would have seen the transaction against our account. And it wasn't a particularly small transaction that would have been easily overlooked.

So, even with the periodic time updates for "crossing the line", I made up for it with my gift. I purchased her a set of Diamond Audio D363.5 component speakers. Back around April, I was looking for some more hardware for my car and Angel was with me. She had an opportunity to "view" several tiers of the Diamond Audio line. She instantly fell in love with them. I knew that I couldn't go wrong with them, even if I did stay with their lowest tier. So, at about 12:20 AM on her birthday, I delivered the gift. I couldn't wait. I wanted to see the reaction. I just knew I'd catch her off guard. And I certainly succeeded.

Well, of course, with the delivery of a gift as such, soon followed the installation of the speakers. Angel did the majority of the deconstruction of the dashboard and doors. I had to step in for a couple of things, but she handled the bulk of it. Once we were inside the doors we quickly found out that we would have to obtain an adapter to install the mid-range speakers. The mounting point was square and of course the round speaker was designed to be installed, well, round.

Well, it just so happened that we were taking a trip to Pittsburgh which allowed me to hand deliver the original speaker and the replacement speaker to Mike (proprietor of Car-Speaker-Adapters.com since photos and measurements provided over the phone were not ample to the identification of the correct adapter. He was unable to readily identify the adapter because Hyundia is a model that he hasn't worked with in the past. Therefore, while we were home, he was able to do the fabrication and send us on our way with our new parts.

When we got home, we cut the holes in the covers for the A-pillar, found homes for the crossovers (in the dashboard incidentally) and wired it up. It was such a pleasure to hear them for the first time in their new homes. The difference from factory to aftermarket is just so profound it isn't very funny.

Once we got the car reassembled, it was time to start cruising around to hear how traveling effected the system. Well, even without a 4 channel amp to push the component system, the results are great. I know that Angel is pleased with the results and that just makes me happy.

In closing, I highly recommend after market component speakers to anyone who is looking to improve the clarity and definition of their car stereo system. Please remember, you get what you pay for. Therefore, if you go to Wally-World and buy the $50 specials and are then not happy with their performance, don't blame me.

Additionally, the tweeter placement is also very important. I cannot give you pointers on this because I've only dabbled into this arena just recently. I have seen only two configurations with any real scrutiny and there are, by far, many more than that to choose from. I can say that there is a stark difference between my car and Angel's. This is not only due to speaker design & manufacturing differences (i.e. cost) but also from installation placement. My system has front to back depth whereas her's has a left-to-right depth.

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NG - On Alert

As some of you know already, my NG unit has been placed on alert as of October drill 2008. If you didn't know, you do now. :)

Anyway, every time I have had to share the news, the same question comes up, "So, what does this mean?" Well, I'm gonna tell you now the best metaphor that I have been able to find. Imagine that you are driving down the highway and see a sign that reads, "Construction Ahead". Well, this is your "alert order". Once you drive down the highway some more you will either encounter an active construction zone or not. Well, my alert order works the same way. I don't know if I am going anywhere or not. Only time and travel will tell.

As my commander has told us, "we don't know we're not going, so we're going to train like we are."

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Torhs at Bruins - Championship Game

I had initially planned to give a full game overview of my team's performance, my performance, and overall highlights to the game. Unfortunately, I cannot give this to you at this point in time. Suffice it to say, I don't remember all of the details that I wanted to give.

So, for a brief back-story, the Tohrs completed the regular season with only a single loss (which was to us). And as we had expected, we met again for the final game.

The game was not nearly as close as I would have predicted. The first period was pretty even. The period siren rang and we were up by a point. Something happened at this point in time and we turned on the pressure. From the second period to the end, the closest they ever got to a comeback was down by 2. As you can imagine, we were overly excited that we were able to pull out the championship from the perceived favorites.

This leads to a conversation that I found to be interesting. After the game was over, we got our championship t-shirts and got out of our equipment. On my way out of the facility, I talked to the league coordinator. He told me that when they were assembling the teams at the start of the season, they had anticipated our team's win. I found that interesting at first, but found the next comment to be even more thought provoking and counter intuitive. The statement was made that if they would have had a short bench, we would have had a more difficult time taking them down.

So, think about that. If they would have had less players, they would have been more difficult to defeat. Odd concept, but if you look thru the season, it does hold water. Unlike our team, every player did not attend every game of the season. Therefore, the core part of the team that did attend, was very strong. However, when you add in the "stragglers", it breaks the cohesive nature of the team. Well, they had a full bench and we won, I don't have a hard time not thinking about the alternative outcomes of what could have been.

That night, after Angel and I finished dinner, we went to chill at the house of one of my teammates. It is a damn good thing that I don't start work until 10AM. It was well after 3 by the time we left his place and we still had a 1/2 hour or so drive in front of us. The important part is that we were safe and I did make it to work the next morning.

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We're Still Alive

Everyone who periodically checks in with us, I apologize. We have been quiet for a while again. According to my login, my last post was in mid October. I have half written messages that need completing, I have more Driver's Rant articles on the table, and I also have much catching up to do. However, in the grand scheme of things, there haven't been many earth shattering occurrences during this latest quiet time.

I am not going to get in-depth on each topic that I would like to catch-up with here. However, here is a quick run-down of the highlights:

• Beagle got married
• My hockey team won the championship from the season I was documenting
• My NG unit has been placed on alert
• Angel turned 30
• We upgraded the speakers in Angel's car
• We got a Wii
• Angel got a second job
• We finally got our wedding picture album
• I've started another season of hockey
• I put down some flooring material in our attic

Of course there is a story that can go along with each event. A couple of them have already been started and I may get around to writing about the others. Time will tell.

However, you may be asking yourself, "What has come about that I'm finally getting around to doing some writing again?" Well, that would be a fine question. I am patiently waiting for an OS installation to complete on my new server. My old server finally kicked the bucket and I'm working on creating its replacement. I'm sure I've noted in the past (around the time we had the lightning strike) that my server wasn't in very good health. Well, I was correct and I neglected to build the replacement server before it went belly up. Thankfully, I know now that I didn't lose any data, although, it was a grave concern at the start of this process.

Speaking of building my server. I can't say how frequently I'll be returning here to put up additional posts. Ever since my unit was placed on alert, it seems that my priorities have changed. I have found much motivation to tie up loose ends that didn't seem so loose before. I have been working on a website now for what feels like almost a year, and I still don't have it complete. I have placed much pressure on myself to get this project completed. This is so that in the event that the mobilization order comes down, I will not have to tell him that the project will have to wait until I get back. I have other projects and things that I would also like to start/continue to follow this one. Therefore, my time is even more at a premium than it was before. I am not saying that I won't get around to it, because I would like to, though, time will dictate the results.

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