Forty Something

Oh my...I just received my 20 (technically 21st) year reunion invitation to my high school! I turn 40 in but a few short months! I have a ten and nine year old! Where did all the time go to anyway? I look back on life and remember (very fondly) many events. Here are some:

Three years old: a dog licking my face from the front seat of a car. Who else was there? No idea. Which car? Nope...nothing. But a white dog with curly hair licking my face...that's the earliest memory. I don't even know if it was a real memory or not...but I have been holding on to it for so long that it certainly become real to me.

Four years old: First trip to Disney. I don't actually remember Disney, but I remember the neighbor at my aunt and uncle's apartment in North Carolina where we stopped on the way there. The neighbor worked nights and it was the first time I remember not being able to be a kid during daylight hours! Who's supposed to be quiet during the day and sleep at night? That's just crazy!

What do these things have in common? They don't mean anything! Why does one remember these and not something else? Does the fact that I don't remember these things mean that they had less of an impact on me? I still think those events shaped me, even without a vivid recollection of the details. So...

Why do people remember useless things when there are so many high impact things to remember instead? What wilkl my kids remember about their childhood that I am imposing upon them now? Will they remember the trips to Disney, Redwoods, Yosemite, Carlsbad, Glacier, and the NUMEROUS states we have drug them to: New Mexico, Alaska, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, etc.? Will they remember ski trips to Telluride and Taos? What about hiking along the Candian border in Montana? What about Six Flags, Disney, and tubing trips?

Or...will they remember that I loved them? Will they remember the time I told them they did a good job? What about when we sat on the front porch and watching a hurricane blow through? I have no idea what they will remember. I know some of the seemingly useless things I remember but things which made a big difference in my memories from years gone by.

So...will my kids remember what they want or what I hope they will remember? I have no idea. However, based on my personal history and what I do and do not remember, it goes to show me one thing...I'll NEVER know what they remember...but for sure it will be the small things that you never expectg them to remember. Every little thing has an impact and they will or will not remember whatever's most important to them.

I think I'll go give my kids and hug and kiss, tell them I love them as I always have and always will, and make sure that if this is the moment they choose to remember, that I was the best father I could be for that moment.

I'm "in" to new technology...aren't I?

OK...so when do generational issues trump technology...and the other way around? So, I have a Facebook page, a blog, i tweet, there's MySpace, LinkedIn, I even have my own e-commerce based company, and my "real" job is all about technology.

So...is it wrong that I am pushing 40 and doing all these things? When does a generation need to respect another generation and stay out of their Cool-Aid? I have heard people say that they are not going to get a Facebook page since they want to respoect the younger generation...and this I get from their tweets! Go figure.

Why do I ask these questions? My mom just added me as a friend on Facebook. My 13 year old cousin has a page. I sit somewhere in the middle. I am techno-middle-aged. Uh-oh...I think I need a new hair style, wardrobe, and a shiny new Corvette. Maybe I'll start with a new laptop. Or is that ironic?

Torture Sticks in LA LA Land

After 17 near heart attacks, 12 changes of clothing in three days, and three years in a row of Jun torture in LA (Kinder, LA to be exact), we moved our annual golf and gambling trip to March instead of June. What were we thinking anyway? We should have done this three years ago! So, there's five of us going, we won't single out the sixth who backed out at the last minute (will we Bay?), and the plan is to stay in my RV, play some cards, do some golfing and tell some lies.

In the course of the past three years, we have set an interesting precedent of having stories to come home with. While none quite compare to the first year, there are some good ones.

Year 1: we blow a tire in Southeast Texas. While sitting there with 5 technology geeks calling spouses to Google the nearest tire store, we pull off the frreway into what we later found out was...a tire store! As luck would have it, they closed and the last person left probably within five minutes of our arrival. Again...picturing five techno-geeks on cell phones and laptops, we try to find a tire repair place...when what drives by? "Bob's Emergency Tire Repair" truck with a big 800 number right there on the side. Needless to say, by the time we get through to them, "Bob" has already arrived at his next job. So, long story short, he repairs our tire...in a competitor's tire shop parking lot, and we're on our way.

Year 1: Later that night, one person in our party sits at the only open spot (to the right of me), plunks down $30 and walks away with over $1100...within 7 minutes. Four of a kind on Let-It-Ride. He was in bed within 30 minutes while the rest of us...um...stayed up a little later. :)

Year 1: One in our party, on the golf course, hits his next shot from the fairway (an odd situation for him, trust me :) ), heads to his cart and grabs his cup of water. Next thing you know, the drink is being spit out all over the place! What happened there? Well...during the course of te hit from the fairway, a tree frog had decided to cool off...in his cup! He did not notice until the deed was done.

Year 1: So...on a golf course at a casino., you might find a 19th hole which is NOT the bar at the clubhouse. Here, they have a short par 3 with about 12 tee locations, and three pin placements. Well, we made our wagers (closest to the pin was the game of the hour). One person in our party hits...off the green to the left. Second hits, on, but well short of the pin...perhaps 20'. Next person right of the green. Last person, on the green, left of the pin, pretty close in distance to the first person on the green. So...in his infinite wisdom...the first on the green boldly claims "Hmm! I sure hope when we get up there that I'm a good six inches inside of you." - 'nuff said.

Year 1: The...um...recipient in the previous story sleeps on the kid's blow-up Barbie matress. He's in touch. The two stories are not related by the way. Don't read into that. :)

Year 2: Couldn't get an early tee time due to a tournament that morning. We tee off at 2:30 PM...in LA...in June...anyone have the number for 911? That was miserable. Throw together a night of fine beverages, a night which lasted well into the 5:00 AM hours, wait til 2:00 in the afternoon, walk and ride through what surely must be He...er...heck itself, and watch the fun times! Never again in the afternoon...not in June anyway.

Year 3: We discover Craps. Never have we had such fun and everyone made a killing...at least an 8x in winnings...except one person who didn't find his stride until Sunday morning. Learn Craps...don't be afraid...it is truly a good time. Walk into a casino...listen for the people having the most raucus, loud, fun time and head straight there...ten to one it'll be a craps table.

So...that's plenty for now. We'll update with what happens this trip next time! Off we go!!!

Dallas/Ft. Worth for the weekend

We hit the DFW area this weekend. Saw King Tut (or the pieces of it they now take on tour anyway). For me, it was "interesting" but disappointing compared to the first run 20+ years ago (having gone in my youth when it was all the craze (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP7AJiQM2RI) but I think the kids were surprisingly interested in it. That was great news. Traci liked it too, not having seen it in her youth. Makes us want to travel to Egypt and see the real deal.

We also hit the Fort Worth zoo while we were up there...self-proclaimed to be one of the top five zoos in the nation. While it did not disappoint the label, it was a bit much after a day already full of walking. The highlight for the kids, however, was playing at their great aunt/uncles house with their cousins. Technically, their dad's mom's cousin's kids...I guess that makes them second cousins once removed or some other combination of relation that I don't really understand nor follow the logic on. Someone give me a link to a site which clearly describes these relationships and how the relationship is labeled and I'll be thrilled. Anyway, we had a good time with relatives...and was "my favorite part of the trip" according to Syd.

So...we're home now...and it really has been a great weekend. Perfect time of year to live in this part of the country. That's not to say that I can wait to live somewhere else someday though! :) Someplace cool, temperate, and full of four season options of outdoor entertainment. Got any recommendations??? :)

OK...so social networking has taken over my life at the peril of my job, eating, paying bills, raising children, exercising, and family time. Otherwise, no impact at all. Well...it's not quite that bad, but I am finally seeing the value of FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. I have reconnected with friends from elementary and junior high school, previous employers, high school, college, etc. It somehow feels good knowing that you can stay current on what's happening in people's lives without feeling intrusive...and that they can stay in touch with you as well.

So, being a "computer guy" I should know better than the following: Allowing my computer to keep a copy of the DVD Pollyanna in the drive when botting up for a major presentation to executives. Alas...I apparently don't know that little rule just yet. Good thing these executives have a sense of humor...and kids!

So...tell the truth...when was the last time you had this much fun on a hill!!! Check out the detail in that last photo. Remember the old RCA commercials (it was RCA, right?) with the guy in the chair, the TV glowing and blowing, and he's hanging on for dear life? I LOVE this last photo.

Half Marathon Complete!!!

Well, my wife and her running partners Lacey and Mary completed the half marathon in Houston. Other than a combination of pain and afternoon napping, they all came through it like champs! They have the "medal" to prove it!

The story in the story of course was the husbands...toting kids all over kingdom come trying to catch them and provide support throughout the process. We caught all three of them at mile 4.3. We caught Traci again at Mile 6, just missing Lacey and Mary. By mile 8.5, all three had separated and we caught Lacey on the south bound lane at miloe 8.5 and back on the northbound side at 9.5. We also caught Traci at 8.5. We then headed to nether regions of Houston trying to find a way back to our hotel...a feat not attempted by mere mortals, mind you. We finally got back to our hotle just as Traci was running by it, again missing Lacey (Mary was long gone by this point) by mere moments, I am sure.

We then hiked to the convention center to sort through throngs of people to find our betrothed. Now...you tell me...who REALLY had it harder? Did I mention we had five kids trapsing all over kingdom come? So I ask again... OK...I don't really, we all know who put in months of training, hard work and dedication. The loadies did GREAT and we were very proud of them. We debated all night long about whether we would try and follow them on foot, or by car. I think we made the right choice by far!!! Frank drove, I navigated, and Kendra was the spotter...she picked Lacey out of a crowd twice! And when I say crowd...I mean a REAL CROWD!

Anyway, we are all very, very proud and they deserve this day (even thgouh Frank and I did perform daring feats of transportation and police barricade navigation. Today, we all win...but the guys give the foot rubs tonight! Congrats ladies!!!

Also, check out my FaceBook page for more pictures and details.

Traci in the Houston (Half) Marathon

Traci is running a half marathon in the morning. We all have decided to stay in a hotel in downtown Houston so we can be here for her starting the race in the morning. The big race, in reality, is how her neighbor's husband and I can tote around 5 kids all over downtown to take pictures and provide support when the race is really a 5 mile circle. Now...who's REALLY running in a race anyway? :)

We love you Traci, around the moon and back, and wish you all the best in your first race!!! Hopefully, if Frank and I are successful in keeping up the our runners, we'll have some pictures to post here soon.

Why is Christmas all about survival?

Well...we made it through Christmas. The kids...and you know it's all about the kids...had a wonderful time. The adults did their best to survive it. Rock Band permeats the house and sometimes the kids get a chance on it too. Between that, Wii Fit and Mario Kart, we're getting our fair share of technology overdose. The house is back to non-Holiday decor, and that part is a little sad, but inevitable.

We managed to see Traci's family at home for Christmas. Her twin sister did a great job of saying hi to all the neighbors without their knowledge, so that part in an of itself was a success. Then, after having 14 people in the house for a week, we decided that was not enough time spent crammed in a house full of people...so we flew to Rob's family's house in Illinois for another 5 days. That was primarily for Grandma's 83rd birthday...but it was good to see everyone in one place.

Now...about those resolutions...I did not make any. Figure that way I might actually acheive one. Happy New Year!

We've been elf'd

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

My Kingdom For a *-Bucks

OK...one VERY limited commodity after Hurricane Ike...first it was gas and in some areas water, then it was groceries in general... Last night, on our way home from buying the life essentials (closet organization "stuff" from The Container Store) we saw a marquee at a grocery store saying "Just Arrived...ORANGE JUICE". Who knew.

Anything requiring refrigeration is now in high demand. Anyone who happens to be driving through the area, let me know you're coming, and grab some milk on your way through! :) Well, back to the title at hand...

My kingdom for a *-bucks...any coffee shop will do at this stage, but there's a Mocha out there wkith my name on it, and you *better* keep your hands off my Mocha. :)

The Gibsons are all doing fine....phones, electric, trash service, cell, work, etc. is all back to "normal" and we'll all be back on our regular schedules starting today. Monday, all the ladies in my life head back to school, and all of us (except Traci) are happy about that! Cabin Fever ... away with you!

When "Normalcy" Really Hits You

I go back to work today...SLAP! Reality...just like that. It seems from the news like there's still about a million people without power...my office being in the middle of the area with no power...yet back to work I go. Our office ponied up for two industrial diesel generators...enough power to provide electric for our five office buildings in that area. So...I'll be heading to a place with no power to go to work...something just does NOT add up with that. :)

Anyway, it appears Traci and the girls start back to school Monday.

I am still thankful for electricity as we are now in a much better situation than a million other people.

Adding a picture of Traci and her niece Kendall...something more entertaining and better to look at than pictures of a week full of flooded streets, fallen trees, and rotting food.

Aftermath

Well....we FINALLY managed to get both electricty last night about 10:30 PM. Then we woke up this morning and there was no phone service...which means no Internet. As of now, we seem to be back up and stable. Above is a picture of the road in front of our house. The water was about 2 feet deep at the deepest spot, but did not getg into anyone's house. That's a good thing.

The girls had a GREAT time playing in the water right afterwards...it was not until about 30 minutes later that I realized that they would be in soaking wet clothing, and we would have no way to wash and dry them. So...the house smells musty, but now that the power is finally back on (1.4 million people still without power after four days, with some loactions not expected to get power potentially for months...if ever in those locations totally leveled.

Below is the park in front of our house. The tree on the left missed my cousin's car by about a foot. On the opposite side of the park, an 80 foot tall pine tree missed our van by about 4 inches. Whew! It's paid for...so let's not destroy it just yet. :)

SO...we're back in the land of the normal... We sure wish good thoughts for all those people who didn't come through this thing as well as we did.

5:15 AM - Weathering the storm

Well, lost power a couple times, but holding strong. Starting to see some of the worst gusts so far, and the sustained winds are picking up. Half the house is up now, but drifting in and out of sleep. Gusts are probably in the 60's, sustained easily 40+.

Still getting rain, and power is surging. Most of the power in Houston is provided by Centerpoint Energy and they are saying 2,000,000+ dustomers without power. We're on Entergy on the north side, and they are only at 19,000 without power so far. Our lines come from Louisianna, so they will be affected later than Houston will be.

Anyway, still doing well here...more updates to come...just monitoring the TV and Internet like everyone else. Side note....the wind blowing through the garage area sounds like a harmonica during the stronger gusts...so at least we'll have music if the power does go out for a while. :)

3:45 AM - Power flickering, but still holding steady

The eye is on shore now, Houston itself is getting hit pretty solid, but I'm watching the track and hopeful it maintains a more northerly track instead of north westerly. We'll see about that. Our local evacuees are now without power at their home and their church and anxious to get word on the status of their home. Starting to get rain here, some pretty solid winds, and a little bit of power flicker. I bet our satellite TV will go out first, then we're hoping the power stays on so we can still get to the Internet, and thus watch TV on-line.

As of now....patiently waiting on the next pot of Starbucks to finish brewing. :)

2:30AM - Landfall...but not here yet

Well, after a quick nap, I see we are now seeing landfall of the heart of the storm. Nothing happening here yet though. Hopefully, the landfall will cause weakening and we'll see a breeze when it arrives here and nothing more. Back to the tube. Ciao!

10:35 PM - Sleepy time...?

Well, the kids are all down and out for the night. We'll be under the watchful eyes of our dog McKenzie throughout the night tonight. Looks like we're getting close to seeing our first rains from this storm, but the real winds are still hours away.

9:42 PM - I think I know why we're so relaxed...

Maybe it's just me...but this whole hurricane thing seems so...what's the word...Merlot.

Not easy taking your own picture. Anyway, about 4 more hours until the worst part of the storm, so we'll be up a while. More to come...

Back in the lull again...9:00 PM

Well...nothing happening here...winds died down again, but still come in occasional gusts. So...I'll trhow a pic of the fam here instead.

And the winds begin...

30+ mph gusts, but still holding steady and pleasant outside. Sun set just passed and we spent it outside with all the neighbors. Beautiful pink on grey...amazing. Watching the clouds circling the city...amazing.

More to come.