Ack! Been too long!

I’ve been so busy lately that I didn’t even realize it’s been a while since I updated.  I think I’ve been waiting for enough time to download the pics and movies I took the other day when I made sushi for the first time with Gillian.  Tre yummy btw if I do say so.  I’ll post about that tonight hopefully.

Feeling okay in the elbow department thankfully.  Went through class on Wed with little to no discomfort, tho I forgot to wear the brace, but I seem to be okay still.   Currently wearing it because of a twinge I felt this morning.  Hoping it’ll go away.  Tho I kinda feel achy all over, not sure if it’s from lack of sleep or what.

Aidan’s winter concert was yesterday, and I gotta tell you…they’re all 7th graders, but they are really pretty good.  The Wind Ensemble is made up of both 7th and 8th, and they were very good.  I’m really proud of my kiddo.

Anyway, Fae’s feeling much better both physically and emotionally which has made life so much sweeter knowing my honey’s back

I’ll post more about the sushi when I can download the pics.

Oh yeah, I’m designing a website too – http://campceliac.org  That’s where my girlie goes for a week of camp for the last two years and really loves it.

New Years Eve 1994 – Happy Anniv Honey!

I woke up this morning to put in my half day working from home (thanks Matt!) (yeah, i love working from home) looked out the window, and saw the snow coming down. Reminded me of a day 15 years ago today when it was snowing and there was this girl upstairs in her parents bedroom getting ready to marry me.

We had the ceremony done by a justice of the peace, written by us, in her parents house. About 50 people came, relatives, friends from NJ And TX and NY and just had a really nice day. Hectic until the minute everyone started walking down the stairs. Then it was like magic. From where I was standing in the living room, I Could see everyone in the main hallway watching her come down the stairs. Seeing her when she rounded the corner was like magic, like everything was right and all the planning, stress, and nervousness was all worth it and we would be one finally. We’d lived together for a year, but this was totally different.

The only thing I remember about the ceremony was her. I was so nervous, I almost wiped off the still drying nail polish from her fingernails. That and her dress came undone about halfway through and someone had to refasten it. It was just a collar button, so it wasn’t anything tragic. Everyone had a good chuckle.

Now it’s 15 year later, we’ve moved from Texas to NJ, We’ve had two wonderful children, and I’ve had about 3 or 4 jobs. It’s never been easy, and sometimes it’s been work. It’s always been full of love, friendship, and care. I pledged myself to this wonderful woman long ago in that livingroom across town and I would go back and do it in a second.

I love you my Fae, now and always. These are for you:

You turned life around
made me realize the man
I always could be.

You said yes to me
long ago. Say yes every
day till end of time.

Watching you come back
from numbness and hopeless
is seeing you born.

My partner my friend.
Stay with me now and always.
Put your hand in mine.

Happy 15th baby.
Yours now and always,
Matthew

my freakin elbow hurts man!!!

Yes, I know I have titled several of my posts like that. It’s my blog, tough crap.

Some of you know, but for those who don’t, I was in a car wreck in May of 2007 in which I was hit by an inconsiderate a-hole and some how, after rolling my car three times, I managed to get out of the car and start screaming bloody murder at him. Glass in my hair, my crap strewn all over Route 22 in Bridgewater, yea, I was pretty steamed.

Fast forward to this afternoon where I RE-cursed the a-hole’s name as I got my cortisone shot for the 5th time in my left elbow. Some days it’s just a dull ache. Other days, you breathe on it and it’s excruciating. I got one back in August but went to Kendo camp the next day with my son for 6 days, so needless to say, I didn’t give it enough time to kick in or to do it’s work. We’ve got no class for the next two weeks, so I figured now was the time to do it. I talked to my doctor and he recommended one more and if it didn’t work, he said we could try another procedure called PRP – “The method, which is strikingly straightforward and easy to perform, centers on injecting portions of a patient’s blood directly into the injured area, which catalyzes the body’s instincts to repair muscle, bone and other tissue. Most enticing, many doctors said, is that the technique appears to help regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which could shorten rehabilitation time and possibly obviate surgery.”

I’m not going to go to the dictionary, but I think obviate means I wouldn’t have to have it, which is just freakin fine with me. Going to see what happens with this round of cortisone, then possibly do the PRP, and then if needed, surgery, but he wants to wait a total of 18 months of which 12 is now past.

We’ll see.

Almost Columbine…Thank goodness for the kid who came forward…

We were called early this morning by an automated message from our school system telling us that the High School was canceled because of a bomb threat (all other schools were open). I shrugged it off. I shouldn’t have.

This is the town in which I grew up. WE had bomb threats here when I was in high school, called in by a student who didn’t want to take a test or as a prank. This school is 4 miles from our home. It’s never real, when you see it on TV. Thank goodness it didn’t get played out.  Thank goodness for the student who turned him in.

From MyCentralJersey.com -

BRIDGEWATER — A 16-year-old junior at Bridgewater-Raritan High School was charged Friday with attempted murder after authorities found an arsenal of weapons at his home after the school resource police officer learned of threats made by the student to commit a “Columbine” at the school on Monday.

The student, whose name is being withheld by authorities because of his age, was also charged with possession of explosives, possession of a destructive device, and attempted widespread damage or injury. The student has been lodged at the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Facility.

Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest said during a search of the teenager’s residence, police seized various shotgun shells, bullets, black powder and explosive devices, as well as materials that could act as explosive device components, illustrations on assembling explosive devices, tools, lists of materials and the juvenile’s computer. (ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?  WHERE ARE THE PARENTS?!?!  ”No Jimmy, I won’t disturb your stockpile…”)

A preliminary search of the high school was conducted early this morning and a decision to close the school was made until a more thorough search could be conducted. This afternoon a thorough search was conducted by K-9 units from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Union County Sheriff’s Office. The search of the high school did not find for any explosives.

The investigation is continuing by the Bridgewater Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and anyone with information is asked to contact the Bridgewater Township Police Department at (908)722-411, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-231-7100, or the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or www.scpo.net and click on either “Crime Stoppers” or “TIPS HOTLINE”.

Update on HS Bomb Threat, 12/11/09, 5:00 PM The police completed a full search of the high school facilities, including Basilone field house at approximately 4:00 PM today. Nothing was found and the school has been declared safe. All Friday evening events are still cancelled. Saturday events will be held. There will be a police presence at the high school on Saturday and Monday to provide an added sense of comfort and security for students, parents, and staff. The principal will address the student body Monday morning regarding the incident. As I stated before, a BR student is in custody, but I can share nothing more at this time. I would like to thank the Bridgewater Police Department for responding so quickly and conducting a very thorough investigation and search. Finally, I must once again thank the student who came forward and reported this information. We are all very proud of this student for doing the right thing and acting in the interests of fellow students and staff.

Sincerely,

Michael Schilder, Superintendent

I’m a lucky man

Too many times we sit by and let things pass and don’t bring attention to them.  Well, at least I do.  Am I lazy?  Am I afraid of bringing attention to myself?

Regardless, I’m not going to do it today.  Today is the 20th anniversary of my wife getting clean and sober.  Yep, she was 21 yrs old and already had the need to give up drugs and alcohol, so needless to say, it was a big deal.  After all of the roadblocks the universe has put in her way – alcohol & drug addiction, overeating, anxiety, depression, and now health issues with iron and ferratin deficiencies – she is so much more now than when I first met her.

She’s grown, changed, slid back, pulled herself up by her bootstraps, succeeded, failed, and yet through it all is that desire, that will, to be better than the day before.  I know that it’s been rough, especially the last year or so with trying to get her anxiety/depression meds right, and her iron levels, but I see more of the woman I fell in love with, wanted to marry, now than I have seen in a long time.  She’s understanding, caring, and loving in a way that just hasn’t been possible before.  It’s good to see her come out of that battered and unemotional shell.

And she’s been clean and sober now for TWENTY YEARS!

You amaze me honey, I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become and I look forward to the future with you.

Your,
Matthew

shoot me…Six 10 yr olds sleeping over?

Dude, I am not looking forward to tonight. The girls are getting here around 6, going trick or treating for a while, coming back and sleeping over. All of them. Man, I hope someone decides not to sleep over:)

Did I mention that there were SIX TEN YEAR OLDS?!?!?!?

I think I’m getting a lot of saint points for this one.

is it 2010 yet?

Yeah, the Sox lost, not that I was really surprised.  I was surprised they got in, but not that the sweep happened.  Yes Yankee fans, congratulations, revel in it.

Why I love baseball

I’ve been a Red Sox fan since I saw Jim Rice hit a home run over the Monster in Fenway in the late 70’s.  I’ve loved baseball since I was really young.  I’ve been to several different stadiums (Candlestick Park – SF Giants, Camden Yards – Orioles, Shea – Mets, Yankee Stadium – Yankees, Astrodome – Houston Astros, & Fenway – Boston Red Sox), and I love watching the game both in person and at home.  Truthfully, if someone gave me tickets, I’d go to just about any place to see a game – minors or majors .

I’ve been a fan for so long, but a lot more lately because of my best friend Alex.  The office I work in is me and two other Sox fans, two Mets fans, and the rest are Yankee fans and I mean YANKEE FANS.  Thankfully, most of them are the cool kind of fan, not the obnoxious – tho they’ve had a lot to brag about this year:)

I’ve had a lot of really neat experiences, but two stand out more than others.  I was at Shea during Game 6 when the Mets had an awesome comeback in the .  I swear the stadium shook as we went nuts when they came back to win.  I have never felt such a surge of electricity, such a surge of positive emotion.  I was ROARING at the top of my lungs, sharing the experience with thousands of Mets fans, belonging to something so much bigger.  Awesome Awesome Aweome.

The second opportunity came last summer when my friend Alex took me to Fenway to see a game.  Honestly, I don’t even remember who they played.    I know they didn’t win, but it was THE most amazing moment in my baseball history.  I finally got to go to the place where I saw Jim Rice hit the home run.  The experience still fills me with chills.  Just sitting in the same place with thousands of fans and being on the right side of it all for once  I live in NY,  you can imagine what it’s like living here.  Just being able to sit with my Sox hat, order some Chowder – yes, I had Clam Chowder at Fenway – was amazing.  One guy ‘punched’ me because I waited until I was 40 “to come home for a visit with the family”.  Funny as hell, and really touching too.

I have to say that I am more of a fan of the game than I am of the Red Sox.  I will always say that asked what team I favor, it will always be the Red Sox, but I tell you what man, I just watched the Twins – Tigers playoff before the offseason tonight?  Dude, that WAS A GAME!!!  They went back and forth so many times, and sitting there watching, I felt like I was back watching the 2004 and 2007 seasons for the Sox.  That was a BATTLE.  So many opportunities gained and lost on both sides, SO many amazing plays.  Wow.

Tell you what, if you ever want to truly understand baseball, give me a buzz and lets go to a game together.

theme changing

No, I’m not setting up an asian porn site, I’m trying out some other themes.

WWD4OK – soccer games

What we do 4 our kids-sorry if that’s confusing. Sitting at my daughters soccer game, waiting for it to start. I’m sick, she’s sick, so are Aidan and Fae.

I’m on permanent soccer duty, no matter how I feel:). I like this league, the other team is short a few players and our coach just suggested both teams playing less players so the other team can sub some in.

K, need to pay attn now:). Gilli’s playing right wing.