Travel
One of the "
4 things" I listed on my last post was my desire to travel the world with my wife, so on that note I decided to make a list of the places I have been. I must admit I did take this idea from
Michelle.
Places I Have Visited in U.S.Columbus, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Dallas, Texas
Tampa, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Chicago, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
Lexington, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
St. Louis, Missouri
Kanas City, Missouri & Kansas
Buffalo, New York
Niagra Falls, New York
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Upper Penninsula, Michigan
Accident, Maryland
New York, New York
Charlotte, North Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Washington, D.C.
Places I have visited Outside the U.S.Niagra Falls, Canada
Toronto, Canada
The Wilderness in Norther Ontario, above the state of Michigan
Cancun/Riviera Maya, Mexico
As you can see my foreign travels are pretty sparse and I haven't even began to see the wonders our own great country has to offer. I am going to make a big effort to see this list grow over the years, because with evey new place come wonderful new memories.
Tagged
I'm back for a rare post because I have been tagged by Matt. By the way, it is after 8:30 pm and I am sitting in a conference room with my Manager and Senior Manager and it doesn't look like we'll be leaving for an hour or two.
Four Jobs I've Had1. Landscaping the Compound (more of a birthright than job)
2. Manufacturing CLESCO (with Uncle Herb)
3. Cashier at The Home Depot
4. International Tax Consultant at E&Y
Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over1. Dead Poets Society
2. Field Of Dreams
3. The Natural
4. Zoolander
Four Places I Have Lived1. Bexley, Ohio
2. Strongsville, Ohio
3. Middleburg Heights, Ohio
4. Medina, Ohio
Four Shows I Like to Watch1. Greys Anatomy
2. Veronica Mars
3. CSI Miami
4. Anything on PBS
Four Foods I Like1. Steak
2. Sushi
3. Anything Mexican
4. Any Fish and Seafood
Four Websites I Visit Daily1. BBC Sport
2. Relevant Magazine
3. IRS.gov
4. Blogger
Four Things I Want to Do Before I Die1. See my children and grandchildren accept Christ
2. Travel the world with my wife.
3. Start my own business venture(s)
4. Build a custom home with HP Trademark homes (nothing but the best)
Wrapping Gifts!!!
Those that know me, know that I have a very critical way of looking at everything. What can I say I am an accountant, it is my job to analyze cost, risk of exposure, reward, ect. For example cooking, I can't get past the fact that it takes so much time and effort to prepare a meal, when it takes 15 minutes to eat it. I have always been the kind of guy who can learn quickly and do most things well, but if I know someone will do these things for me, I usually let them. I call this "work smarter, not harder". I understand that there are many flaws in that way of thinking, but it has been soapbox for years, and I am not stepping down from it! Or am I? The activity of gift wrapping has always fallen under this effort/reward theory of mine. Plus, my wife is like God's gift to wrapping, and needless to say, I can wrap a gift, not create a museum quality piece. Then enters Aiden, my bug, he has been the driving force behind this holiday season for me, well Aiden and the big secret. Even though he probably won't remember this Christmas, I am determined to make it as special humanly possible. So, I have faithfully been wrapping gifts, and have actually enjoyed it! Who knows I may start cooking, actually
I might cook dinner tonight, so if anyone has any suggestions for a beginner, I'll take them.
Questions
How can your own uncle, who is just recovering from a shoulder surgery, go to sleep one night and never wake up? How can your grandfather, who has always been invincible in your eyes, fade away until he is finally gone? How can your uncle, who is eating his morning cereal, ask his nephew to prove his God's power by parting the remaining milk in his bowl, so that he could run his finger along the dry, middle of the bowl? How can a nephew, who was desperate for his uncle's salvation, part the remaining milk, so that his uncle would finally believe? How can your grandfather's approving smile, nod and "how about those apples", be more valuable to you than anything other than your wife and child? How can a grandson, who knows that greater appoval can be given from his heavenly Father, not care, and still long for the smile, nod and "how about those apples"? How can a grandson and nephew, who weeps for missed opportunities, lay down his guilt and anger at the Father's throne? These are the questions I struggle with on a daily basis.
The Weekend!!!
It was a beautiful weekend, or at least it started out that way for us. On Saturday we hung out in the morning, playing with Aiden. We had sausage sandwiches for lunch, which we cooked (or thought we cooked:)) on the grill. We then drove to Peninsula, to walk along the towpath by the Cuyahoga River. It was beautiful, even though most of the trees had lost their leaves. It was peaceful, a real sense of calm about the walk. I looked at the bare trees and felt as if they were resting, having just dropped the weight of their summer leaves and awaiting the burden of snow and ice to arrive. Aiden had a great time, my son loves nature and it fills me with joy to see him so happy to be outside. Saturday night "OK" I stayed in with the guy, while Angela had some much deserved "fun time". Then it hit...Like a thief in the night, and "NO" I am not talking about our Lord. Like clockwork, at 4 am on Sunday morning Angela rolled over and said "I think I'm sick." I had been thinking the same, and the rest can be summed up with two words "Food Poisoning". Having already experienced Food Poisoning after our honeymoon in Mexico, or as I like to call it "Motezuma's Revenge", I knew this was going to be rough, especially when we had Aiden to take care of. I'll spare the details, and needless to say we survived.
I know I don't say it enough, and definitely not in public! Needless, to say I am in awe of Angela, and her strength and perseverance. If anyone knows her, you already know her heart (check her last post titled "I Want..."), but you might not know how strong she is. She has a way of holding things together that isn't at all organized, but is so very effective. It's times like, when I get sick, that it become so transparent to me how much I love and need her!!!
Decisions
Well I shouldn't be up tight right now. My busy season at work has winded down, and from now until the end of the year I will mainly be doing small consulting projects and catching up on technical training. There is just one thing, I HAVE TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL! I have been putting it off for about a year now. With the birth of Aiden, there was no way I could have considered going to graduate school any earlier. There is just one problem...I have several options to choose from, a Masters degree in Tax, a MBA, and the most recent option Law School. Angela has been very supportive regarding my choices, and has even encouraged me to pursue Law, even though it may be the biggest commitment of the three. I have been praying that the Lord would close doors to narrow down my options, so the correct decision would be clear to me. My decision is going to involve sacrifice (financial, time, energy, ect..), by not only me, but by Angela and Aiden, so please pray that the Lord gives me supernatural wisdom.
Joining the Ranks
My time as a lurker has ended and I have officially joined the blogging world....More to come later.
