This afternoon my buddy and his son came over. Kristen, Mykah, Gary, Dustin, and I had a good time hanging out, eating brownies, snow cones, and ice cream. Then we went over to the farm next door to see the horse and goats with the new kids. Afterward we went down to the pond to fish and had a great time. Only two strikes. Kristen had one barely miss her lure and I had a pickerel holding on and fighting and as I started to pull it up it spit out my worm. After a couple hours of fishing Gary and his son, Dustin, went home and we came back to the house.

Mykah got a bath and I then cooked hamburgers for dinner. Been a great day.
 

that's what the system tells me is the last time I updated here. Been writing a lot in my off line journal and also wrote in my journal on here. Talked with buddies from college as well as grade school on Facebook. Was in an argument earlier with my gf and tried to use new techniques I've learned to deal with the situation as well as my internal feelings. I haven't been fully successful. For instance, it's now 4:35 am and I don't anticipate going to sleep. Kind of fruitless now. Got stuff to do in the "morning". And in a masochistic way sleep deprivation is fitting.

So, I'm off to keep listening to Jango, chatting with friends on Facebook, and maybe do a bit of meditation- provided I don't nod off- as that can be quite refreshing.


 

My girlfriend Kristen and I took my daughter back to her mom this morning and then went to her house for Kristen's nephew's birthday party. We got the house ready for all the family to show and then had lunch and cake, played with all the kids, the two dogs Baby and Ziva and just had a good time. I wished Mykah could have been a part of it as she really likes playing with Riley and Gavin. And I miss my daughter. Still, I had a good time with Kristen and her family. I like her brother and his wife and am very fond of her nephews and nieces. I am very blessed.

Now to continue wrestling my personal demons and learning how to overcome them. I love my Kristen and her family and am very grateful to have them in my life.
 

Last week I didn't get to play with the Lincolnville band. Didn't find the Grange where practice is held. Today I did. I had an hour and a half of playing my trumpet and realizing how much I need to remember to be able to play these pieces. Now that I have plenty of music and people to play with I'll be practicing every day and getting my lip back into shape. I'll also start studying music and the terms again so I can follow along without so much trouble. And I really need to work hard on my site reading skills, which never were that strong.
 

This morning I took my daughter and girlfriend next door to my roommate's mothers farm to see the horses, goats, and other critters and feed said horses and goats carrots. Make that horse and goats. One or more of the goats are very pregnant and next weekend I'll take them to see the kids and bottle feed them. After feeding the goats and horse, petting the horse, we went fishing. I showed Mykah how to cast using my spare fishing pole. It's an open face reel since that's what I normally use but I held the line and showed her how to swing the pole. And I had no hook on the end of the line, just a bobber to give weight for casting. After a few casts Kristen took over so I could cast and reel, hoping to catch something more than water plants. Other than the plants I caught nothing. After fishing a while we went to the park and let Mykah play a while, lots of swinging, and then went to Dairy Queen for ice cream. After a nap, my daughter watched tv while I lightly snoozed, listening out for her, we went fishing again. Again nothing caught, but my daughter is starting to enjoy the activity and soon I hope to be able to buy her a pole of her own. It'll be a closed reel so she will most likely be able to cast on her own. Once she gets a fish she'll really like it. Think we'll do it again tomorrow before going over to Kristen's house where she'll play with K's nieces and nephew. I may actually get to help him with a school project.

Been working with the Scouts. Got promoted at work and still doing well in my new position. Tuesday I'll start playing with the Linconville band. Practiced my trumpet some today. Now, sitting with my girlfriend watching tv, talking, having a real good time. Very much contented.
 

Took 04/10/12 and 04/11/12 as mental days. much needed. fishes and thought. nuff said.
 

After waking up and letting the dogs out, feeding them, getting my daughter out of bed and doing the potty routine I made cinnamon french toast for breakfast. Then after a few hours lounging around the house we went to the park and played on the playground. I then watched a softball game and was really frustrated with the Vols winning. I hate the Vols. Afterward I made well seasoned hamburgers and spent time on the computer and with my daughter before putting her to bed. Got to get up early in the morning and have her in Hamden at 9. Then I'll go to my girlfriend's for Easter. After I'm going over to some very close friend's place to end the day. Monday starts the whole hamster wheel over again.
 

I've been working hard and my stats at work show it. I got promoted to 60 day! I expected to have to wait up to two months for this promotion. I work at a major bank in the credit card collections department and I have been doing so well I got the promotion I've been working for. I'm not your average collector. I go into each call looking for a way to give my customers financial relief and reignite their hope and belief that their situation will improve. I don't just collect money. I give suggestions on places to look for assistance with their mortgages, heating assistance, food, etc. In the end I have people thanking me for calling them.

I'm also getting involved with Scouts again. I'm a Unit Commissioner for a local troop. I help the troop leaders get the training they need, help in any way the troop needs it (I'll be signing up as a merit badge councilor soon), and act as a liaison between the troop and district council.

Soon I'll be joining ToastMasters again, already going to the meetings. It's all a matter of having the dues. It's at work and will help my career, not to mention being fun in the process. I was in TM back in Georgia and loved it. I've already earned my Competent Toastmaster and this time will be working on my Competent Leader module.

And on the 17th I'll be joining the Linconville Band. Been a long time since I played my trumpet for more than a few minutes at a time but it'll be really good to be back into it. Not sure where all we'll be playing. And I've been told we play a lot of marches. I don't care what we play. I'm just glad to be playing again.

On top of it all I've been doing a lot of fishing. Haven't caught a thing but water plants but I've had fun in the process. Last Sunday my buddy, Gary, his son and I spent the afternoon until dark hunting out different streams and brooks to fish for trout. We found a lot of places to not bother going back. Not a fish in the water. Tomorrow I don't go into work until 5pm. I'll go out in the morning to a couple of different brooks my roommate showed me that her late husband caught brookies. Then after an appointment I'll head back to the lake here at home for an afternoon of casting. And finally go in to work for an easy 5 hours.

Life is really good right now.
 

This morning after breakfast and waking up we went out with Gary and his son Dustin to a local school playground and had a great time, ending at DQ eating dinner and having ice cream. Gary is one of the very best friends I have and I am so grateful to know him. My gf and I played with my daughter, Dustin, and Gary on the playground today. Yesterday we met up with him and walked on the beach with his metal detector looking for buried treasure. We found a copper nail. My daughter had a blast, and the rest of us had a lot of fun, too. It's been a really good weekend.
 

went out for a couple of drinks with a friend after work. talked about our daughters, hunting, fishing, camping, guns, ect. Had a good time.

Been thinking of more tattoos. got five definite ones planned, maybe seven. Want the Eagle Scout knot on my left chest, a portrait of my daughter with her date of birth on my right chest, a wolf paw print on my left calf, and a coyote paw print on my right calf. I am considering a Celtic cross on my left fore-arm and pretty sure I'll get it, and thinking about the Buddha dharma wheel on my right fore-arm. I am a follower of Christ but philosophically like the teaching of Buddha, too.

I've been thinking of how I'm going to save for the things I want to buy later, ie: a motorcycle, tattoos, car repairs, vacation, etc. I have a system worked out and call me a conspiracy nut, I don't care, it doesn't involve banks. I see the world economy going down the tubes. So I have my saving system worked out, I'm fishing and going out with friends that know more than I do on catching fish ( I like the sport, let a lot go, but though I am not a fish eater know I may need to rely on it later am learning more) and finding friends that will take me out hunting to teach me how to effectively hunt and planning trips, I'm doing what I know to do to get ready for the worst case scenario and if it doesn't come to that I have a good supplement to my diet and learn a time honored sport. Either way, good economy or bad, I am a firm believer in the philosophy of if you kill it, you eat it. So I let most fish go. But Bambi, squirrel, ducks, geese, rabbits, moose, bear, I'll eat them. I have friends that will take me out hunting for most of them.

Aside from that I've sent an email to the local Boy Scout Council requesting info on getting involved with a local troup. I'll start playing with the Lincolville band in April. That with work, my daughter, and my girlfriend will keep me busy and out of trouble. Not to mention the fishing, hunting, and camping trips I'm planning for this coming may through Oct.