17 Tuesday Dec 2019
Posted in Uncategorized
Hey all! My brother is coming into town on December 20, 2019 to hang out with the family. I’ll be shutting down from the 20th – 29th while he’s here to maximize time with him. I’ll be back up on the 30th, just in time to provide you my end-of-year autopsy and put out my goals for 2020.
I’ll announce this again on the 19th, but wanted to give you a head’s up.
Until next time…
Dave
12 Thursday Dec 2019
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Tags
Christmas, Coffee, family, Friends, Good Conversation, Good Food, Good times, Grateful, Holidays, Movies, Snow, Thankful, TV
Today, I’m thankful for the holiday season. I don’t really care about the gifts and such, but I enjoy relatives visiting, the Christmas lights, the tree, the snow, and all the food that comes this time of year.
This year my brother and sister are coming to town and it’ll be great. We’ll watch movies, talk as a family in the living room, eat out a few times, and maybe even catch a movie at our local movie theater. Then there’s the Christmas dinner, which will be Mom’s recipe for roasted duck! Yummy!!
Obviously, the gifts are fun, but I get a kick out of people opening my gifts, not so much the gifts I get. It’s nice to get people something you think they’ll like. It’s also fun to just enjoy the vibe of the family being together, reminiscing about times past.
I realize we should all be giving to one another all-year long, but because this time only comes once a year, it is special; you know?
I realize for some this is a traumatic time of year. It brings back memories of family members who have passed and the gaping hole they have left in the family. This is just tough and my heart goes out to all of you who are experiencing this. That being said, I would recommend throwing yourself into a charity or volunteering. I’ve always found that when I give of myself, my problems fade a bit. I know this is probably a simplistic solution to your problem, but I wanted to throw that out there, in case you have never tried it. It works. At least it does for me.
Well, that’s it for today. I hope all of you have a great Thursday!
Until next time…
Dave
03 Sunday Nov 2019
Posted in Spread Your Wings
Challenge #1 (provided by Five-minute Journal): Be extra wonderful to yourself today. I’m talking almond lattes and extra delicious food.
Challenge #2: Treat yourself to a movie and get that popcorn, gummy bears, or ice cream. Make it an event!
These should be easy. Everyone likes movies and good food. Try one or do both. As always, feel free to comment when you have completed one.
Until next time…
Dave
24 Thursday Oct 2019
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Tags
Christmas, Eating out, Exchanging Gifts, family, Friends, Good Food, Holidays, Movies, New Years, Thanksgiving
Today, I’m grateful for the holiday season that is fast approaching. My family celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas. I used to be a big New Year’s Day fan, but frankly, my religious New Year occurs on the 23rd of October, so other than watching the ball drop on TV if I remember, it’s not that big of a deal.
I think the best part of the holiday season for me is the ability to just do whatever on these days, eat what I want (think potatoes, cranberry sauce, pies, cakes, and cookies), and hang out with family that comes to town.
This year, my Brother is coming to visit for Christmas. Mom and Dad are obviously excited about their middle son coming home, but so am I and my sister who is also going to be coming up to hang out with us. It’ll be a grand time!
During the times family comes home we gather in our home theater and watch movies, hang out in our living room over coffee in the morning, and go out to dinner once or twice during their stay to give Mom a break from cooking. If my brother comes, it guarantees us to get in some time on the Xbox.
What is so interesting about this venue is the ability to interact with so many people around the globe. What are the holidays you celebrate in your part of the world, and what do you do?
Post these in the comments below!
Have a great Thursday, everyone!
Until next time…
Dave
22 Thursday Aug 2019
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Our nephew visited this last week for a few days. It was great having him here. We went out to some restaurants, hung out on our deck, watched some shows on Netflix, and got in a little Xbox gaming. He got plenty of face time with Mom and Dad and we all enjoyed his stay. He headed back yesterday to get ready for his senior year at ASU, which started today. My sister also came up for a few days. While she was here we binge-watched Mindhunter Season 2 on Netflix. If you haven’t watched the Mindhunter series, it is worth your while.
I have been working with my wife to help her get ready for her teacher’s certification. We have been burning the midnight oil every day for the last few weeks for a few hours each night. It’s nice to help her get ready.
I am thankful for all the opportunities to spend time with family. I am blessed that I could be in the situation to spend time with my folks during their senior years. It was great seeing the nephew this week. It is also nice to spend time with my wife, while she pursues her career in Arizona. I am so proud of her.
I am also grateful for the new followers this week. Daily Ramblings is slowly creeping toward the goal of 1000 followers this year. It is nice to see new followers when I check into the Daily Ramblings blog site on WordPress. Thank you to all who have opted to follow my blog.
Over the next few days, I’ll be on a religious retreat, so Friday and Saturday postings will not happen. I’ll be too busy with the retreat and will not have time to get something up on the site. I’ll see you all on Monday!
I hope all of you have a great weekend!
Until next time…
Dave
10 Sunday Mar 2019
Posted in Birthday
Picture: My Dad and me posing for a picture at my nephew’s HS graduation.
My Dad’s birthday is today. He is 80 years old. It’s hard to believe my Dad was born in 1939. He’s seen a lot. Now he’s enjoying his retirement reading, playing with his toys (tools), and reading. He’s also picked up watching YouTube. It’s funny how all of us adapt to new things. He likes the randomness of YouTube and the lack of commercials.
If any of you still watch public TV you know how many commercials interrupt the programming. I can’t stand watching normal TV anymore. I am spoiled by Netflix, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Well, we’re headed out for a nice steak to wrap up Dad’s birthday celebration.
Have a great Sunday, folks!
Until next time…
Dave
24 Monday Dec 2018
Posted in Merry Christmas
I’ll forego my typical Motivation Monday posting to wish all of you a Merry Christmas! My sister and her boyfriend are on the way, Mom is in the kitchen preparing the meal, and Dad is reading the paper in his favorite rocking chair.
The family dog is where she always is, relaxing at the foot of my desk as I compose this posting.
As a retired veteran, I would be remiss if I forgot to wish all the men and women of our Armed Forces a Merry Christmas too! I was separated from family many times throughout my career and it was nice to hear from folks back home, wishing me well. One year, a judge from my hometown wrote me a letter, explaining that he had served in the Korean War and missed quite a few Christmas holidays with his family. His letter meant a lot to me, particularly since I was reading it from a guard post on Christmas Eve at the now-disassembled Spandau Prison in W. Berlin, guarding Rudolph Hess, one of the last minions of Hitler’s inner circle.
I also want to wish our first-responders a Merry Christmas. Many of them will be working tonight, while we are sleeping, to keep us safe. I hope all of you have a quiet night and get home safe and sound to celebrate the day with your families.
I hope all of you have the time to think about 2018 and all of the great things you’ve accomplished. I also hope you take some time to begin thinking about all of the great things that lay ahead for you in 2019.
Use this time to enjoy your families, your pets, and your friends. Recharge your batteries and get ready for a great year!
Until next time…
Dave
11 Tuesday Dec 2018
Posted in Travel
I’m writing this early because I’ll be busy cleaning up my brother’s house and getting packed up for my flight on Thursday the 13th. This trip was a terrific time. It started with my niece’s wedding. It was a wonderful ceremony and went off without a hitch.
Then it was a full week of reconnecting with friends, good food, and lots of laughs. It was also a great time to hang out with my brother, play some games, and binge watch some shows on Amazon and Netflix. I also got in some writing, reading, and some much-needed quite time to think about things and reflect.
I like my reflection time. I think about all kinds of things, like what my life would be like if I did this or that in my past or what I could change today and what effect that would have on my future. I like thinking about my family, my friends, books I have read. I even like to think about thinking sometimes.
I hope all of you enjoyed my Phoenix trip! I did. Friday, I’ll be back to my posting schedule. I really appreciate all of the new followers and the time you took to investigate and learn about my blog.
Until next time…
Dave
07 Friday Dec 2018
Posted in Travel
Yesterday, my brother and I played some more video games. We also finished up the series Patriot on Amazon. Last night we connected with some friends and met up at one of our favorite cigar bars. I had a beer called Pie Hole Port. I ordered this simply because I liked the name.
It was great reconnecting with my friend who is a computer programmer. I really enjoyed last night. My brother and I also went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. He had fried chicken, while I had the meatloaf. It was really yummy!
Today, I’ll be meeting with one of my old managers for lunch. Then it’s back home to work through Shadow of the Tomb Raider some more.
It’s raining in Phoenix. This is typical this time of year. Arizonans welcome the rains because they are a welcome respite from the heat of summer and fall.
Until next time…
Dave
06 Thursday Dec 2018
Posted in Travel
Tags
family, Friends, Gaming, Good Food, reconnecting, Relaxation, TV Series
Yesterday was a day of watching Amazon Prime, playing some video games with my brother, and meeting some friends for dinner. We met at Los Dos Malinos in Phoenix. Boy, talk about some great Mexican food. I had the carnitas plate with rice and beans and it was tremendous. It was really nice meeting with my friends yesterday, getting caught up in their lives and enjoying our time together.
Today, my brother and I are chilling out, watching some more of Patriot, playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and heading out to a favorite restaurant for fried chicken. Then, we are heading over to one of my brother’s favorite cigar bars, called Magnums. I’m meeting one of my previous programming consultants. We have been friends a long time.
Well, that’s it for today, folks. I realize my posts have been short, but want to enjoy as much time with my brother and friends as possible. Enjoy your Thursday!
Until next time…
Dave
