Most of youknow that I did indeed (finally) move into the house I bought in lateAugust.  My apartment lease ran out onNovember 30.  It’s been an unbelievablelast couple of weeks – definitely will be unforgettable.  I can’t remember being on my feet so long, sooften...  Three weekends in a row havebeen spent packing/moving, arranging, etc – and progress is just now beingmade. 

I can’tthank everyone enough for their support and willingness to help.  Those that know me know that for whateverreason, I’ve become too much of a person who tries to do everything myself– andthis is one of those rare situations where it appeared impossible.  Brittany Rubin and Gary Wanamaker deservepraise for their willingness to help regardless of how inconvenient it mighthave been or how much work was involved. To those that offered – Tara James, Shawn Rippee, and Kelsey Mason –Thank you!  I will always rememberwillingness to help!  I also know manyothers would have helped if I had asked but it came down to me being stubbornand trying to do as much of it myself as I could. 

Facebook ismerely a web site that connects people together in a way e-mail used to.  I’ve always taken the friendships I have onFacebook and online in general very seriously. I notice, no matter who you are, if you delete me.  I notice if you don’t respond to posts.  I notice the “likes”.  Everyone talks about their “Facebook family”,well it was my Facebook family that again I relied on to get me through thismove for the most part.  My parentsoffered moral support, and my sister, who I rarely talked to before this didoffer some help as well.  For the record,there are some family members who I associate more as close friends and theywould be exempt from this statement – such as cousins Aaron, Tara, etc…so tothose people – You are not included in this statement!

My uncle noshowed the final night of my move because it was “pool night” while Gary (oneof my bosses) showed up despite being sick and staying home from work.  Wednesday night was absolutely nuts.  The bottom line of this ramble is this – I’mthankful for you all. 

I’ve postedpictures of the moving experience.  Thepictures speak for themselves.  Asidefrom the move itself, there have been some complications that made things a bitmore stressful.  My dad’s health issues,which I’ve talked about in various detail off and on is one factor.  Work has been extremely busy.  All day every day is spent on the phone takingphone calls.   On Thursday, a Christmas ornament a formerco-worker (he passed away a few years ago) hung in my cubicle fell and brokeinto a million pieces on my desk.  Sorryabout that, Frank.  I tried to saveit.  =-/

 Aside from moving, packing, etc, I slept onthe floor Wednesday night.  Thursdaymorning was making the final move back and forth for nearly 2 hours beforehaving my final walk through.  Last nightwas the first night I had a bed since Tuesday and I haven’t had hot water at mynew house yet because of an unexpected water tank issue, which will be fixedthis week.  I only have a workingbathroom upstairs, and again, this is being helped by a dear friend ofmine.  I really miss my hot showers whenI want them.  I have two weeks worth ofmail I went through today.   I’ve been showering at various places.  Can I shower at your place?  j/k. 

My mom hasn’tbeen over to see anything with the house in over a month due to my dad’s healthissues.  In November, he fell threetimes.  He broke a bone in his shoulder,and my mom has been staying at home with him. 

I’m still inan Oracle class, and I’ve managed to stay ahead of things, which really paidoff this week.  I have two more weeksleft in the class, including a final I’m not looking forward to. 

Obviously,more updates to come very soon.. at least I hope. 

I find myself not writing as often as I used to, and asoften as I’d like for that matter. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy writing and all that is related toit.  I guess that might be more obviousthan I think, given I don’t really know anyone else that ever posts blogbesides myself.  I guess I’m just weirdlike that?  

Stressful – that’s the keyword of how things have beenlately.  Things have been coming at mefrom about every direction.  First, I didmanage to get through two summer classes and finished with an A and B.  I think I mentioned that in my previouswriting.  This past week marked thebeginning of the fall semester, and I’m enrolled in two more classes.  One of those classes is an advanced C++class, which I really don’t have the time to invest in right now.  Truthfully, I did what I had to do to get bylast semester in the first C++ class and I’m just not ready to tackle the nextC++ class, and I don’t want to or have the time to spend on it.  What this means is unfortunately, I’m goingto be forced to drop it.  The good newsis I’m going to get about a $300 refund. This is the first time since I dropped a class since 2008ish, when Iused the money to buy my Wii.  ;)  

The other class isn’t a walk in the park necessarily,either.  It’s an SQL class.  This one is a bit different though, in thatthe class is starting from scratch and this one could actually help me atwork.  That automatically makes me wantto apply myself more, so I don’t anticipate any problems with it. 

I know some people are aware that I have ended myrelationship with Lunar Bowl in Blue Springs, MO.  The reason I mentioned this is because thiswas a common hangout of mine since 2003. I’ll admit it – sometimes my mouth can be a bit of a pipe bomb.  The only problem I have with Lunar Bowl,besides how they treat loyal customers, is you cannot have an opinion of yourown without being punished.  It alsodoesn’t help it’s ran by criminals who refuse to identify the owner.  Would you want to spend your money at a placelike that?  

Unfortunately, a lot of people I know aren’t really likeme.  They are afraid of businesses likethis.  They are intimidated.  I’ve never seen a business ban someone ifthey have an opinion except Lunar Bowl.  Thatshows how much a customer really means to them and that’s where me and my pipebomb mouth come in.  My dad always toldme my mouth was going to get me in trouble one day.  Yeah, I always have been someone to speak mymind (when the situation is right) while staying polite at the same time if it’sreally necessary.  

I’ve always been a guy loyal to those who have been to meand a guy that will backlash if you backlash at me.  This has blessed me with a lot of greatfriends who believe I’m the type of guy that you root for – in fact, that’s acommon view of me.  I’m just simply anice guy, right?  Unfortunately, the pipebomb part also brings problems occasionally but it also occasionally shows methe difference between friends and acquaintances.  

Growing up, I never really saw this coming.  I’ve always been kind of shy and timid.  In fact, many would still argue that I am andI can’t dispute that – but there is a mix of that trait along with what I’vejust talked about.  What’s frustrating iswhen someone does have an issue with me, which actually isn’t all that common,what they don’t realize is I could be their best ally with some simpleunderstanding.  There is a reason I doand say everything I do.  There’s nothingdone without proper thinking and reason - ever. Just ask those that know me pretty well.  

Next, I’d like to make public that I’ve went to the doctortwice in the last week.  Well, the reasonis because I’m tired of feeling the way I am. Some of you might remember my caffeine addition – lol.  During that time (around 2009), I beganexperiencing hypoglycemia.  This wassomething very new to me.  I’ve dealtwith it, and made a lot of changes – including cutting way back on thecaffeine.  The problem is the symptomsare still there.  Sometimes they areworse than other times; I have my good days and my bad days.  The worst days are work days actually (why?)and I never have symptoms at night or in the late evenings. 

I’ve been investigating the cause for quite a while, and I’mjust not finding any answers.  Diet is acommon cause, but if you know me, you’d know that’s not likely to be theproblem.  I get more exercise than theaverage person (2x a week running on average, 3x a week at the gym).  What is even more striking is my bloodpressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar appear to be normal, though I’m not 100%positive on the blood sugar.  My “goodcholesterol” was a bit low on one test, but so was my bad cholesterol.  Last week I had a hemoglobin A1C test, whichgenerally is used to detect blood sugar/diabetes issues, and it was fine.  

Unfortunately, after getting a copy of my blood work fromSeptember of 2010, the only thing checked was my cholesterol.  I was very disappointed that my doctor sentme on my way after a simple finger test and a cholesterol check that was abouta year old.  I went back on Thursday,again fasting (which oddly enough curbs the cravings for sugar after a while).  I had a blood test, which I was led tobelieve covered about everything, including Thyroid – which is really what I’mfocused on.  I was home sick on Tuesdayof this week, because on Monday, I felt awful and I got my usual Mondayheadache (I don’t know why, but I get a bad headache EVERY Monday).  

I woke up with the headache still on Tuesday morning and Idid a lot of research while I was at home. I know this isn’t necessarily the best thing to do to ease the mind, butI’m continually amazed at how much information is out there about the exactsymptoms I’m having that doctors seem to be unaware of.  I read a lot about “adrenal fatigue”,diabetes (obviously), and symptoms of an underactive thyroid.  

Unfortunately, an underactive thyroid is in my genes from mydad, and between both parents, I have a possibility to get about every kind ofhealth condition known to man.  I’mactually hoping the blood work comes back and says my thyroid is messed upbadly.  That would explaineverything.  If all comes back okay, thenext step is testing for food allergies, which isn’t cheap, and possibly seeingan endocrinologist.  

Many I talk to about these symptoms I mentioned above say“maybe it’s stress”.  While I don’tbelieve that’s the cause, it’s definitely not helping.  I’ll admit it – I’m really stressed out; atleast more than usual.  There are a lotof things going on.  Work isn’t always awalk in the park, and you can bet it won’t be as the months pass by.  

Many people have been asking about my house situation.  Well, I’ll try to lay out thatsituation.  The house I have “bought” ison the square and my closing date was first set for Monday, August 29.  It’s been a headache from the start.  I’d say I’ve had to fax in documents at least10-13 different occasions, including faxing the same documents over andover.  With Bank of America, everythinghas been a mess.  I was first speakingwith someone in Lee’s Summit about the loan, then was sent to someone inOverland Park.  This person in OverlandPark, who’s name is Alissa, should lose her job without exception.  I’ve had to fax in so many of the same thingsto her I can’t even keep track.  She willnot return any of my phone calls, nor my real estate agent’s calls.  If she called at all, it would be on my homephone, which I had already told her over and over she wouldn’t get a hold of meon during my work hours.  My mother haseven been trying to call her with no luck. For weeks, we’ve been playing this game.

On Thursday, the 18^th, I took off early to govisit my parents and help them move a lot of things.  She actually called me on my cell phone andgot a hold of me.  She had screwed up theclosing date and had it as August 25.  Inaddition, my mom was trying to push the closing date to August 26 so my unclecould help out more before he left for a vacation, and I have no idea why shedid this.  She did this with the realestate agent.  So for quite a while, Ihad three possible closing dates.  Obviouslynow, all of them have either now passed or are approaching.  Alissa, from Bank of America has yet to sendthe paperwork over to the title company. Friday, my real estate agent had to send a threatening letter to her andthe other person we spoke to in Lee’s Summit originally (who’s actually done agood job).  They stated the paperworkwould be sent to the title company at the end of the day on Friday the 26^th.  Well, guess what – it wasn’t.  

I have actually predicted everything correctly up to thispoint, and I have a strange way of predicting things that are going to happenas some of you may or may not know.  Itold my mom the contract would have to be extended from the start because ofsome kind of issue, and it sure looks like that’s what is going to happen.  I’m told if I close on Tuesday or Wednesday(as opposed to Monday), all will be fine. If it goes beyond that, it goes much more complicated and there is evena remote (though a small one) chance I could lose the house because of Bank ofAmerica.  It’s not easy trying to manageall of this crap when at work, which is another issue altogether.   

So what’s next?  This week will tell the story.  Your guess is as good as mine, though if Ihad to guess I’d say I will either close Tuesday/Wednesday, or this will dragout…and if it drags out,  someone isgoing to get beat up.  

Moving on, I’m very frustrated with myself, but for reasonsI really can’t control.  Why am I such anindependent person?  Why do I always havea harder time letting someone in the door? Why do I enjoy free time alone so much? Why do I always have to make myself work toward something.  Once I accomplish something, I doubt the creditabilityof it and move onto something else.  Aside from getting certified in various HTML/CSS programs, I’d like tonow get certified in Adobe Dreamweaver because I think it would be good to puton a resume, and because I use the program anyway.  

Finally, I’d like to get certified in personal training.  Some of you may not have heard about this oneyet.  I actually hear my name calling inthis one.  I actually believe I couldhelp a lot of people.  I already knowabout the nutrition side of it.  

I’d also like to continue writing my book – well, it’s anautobiography.  It’s been unfinished formany years.  This is an example of whatI’d just like to call a “time out” and complete over a span of a fewmonths.  It’s definitely something thatwill have to get done long term.     

Many of you might already know that many of these issues arenothing compared to the issues surrounding my parents – particularly my dad.  My dad’s health has been in decline sinceearly 2009.  My dad is no stranger tohealth problems, but this is very much different.  Beginning in 2009, he abruptly began to haveslurred speech, which quickly worsened. His driving ability, memory, talking, and nearly everything else quicklywent away as well.  It was not a gradualthing at all, and it’s not ever going to get any better.  That’s something I’m trying to live withright now. 

It isn’t unusual that something reminds me of him, whichleads me to think about him.  Then Ithink about the situation.  He’s rightthere.  I could go visit him if I wanted,but he’s not there.  It’s not the sameperson -  or at least it’s not liketalking to the same person.  He seems toknow who I am, or that I’m someone significant in his life, but anything else,I’m not so sure.  

When something like this happens to one of your parents sosuddenly, I’ve learned it’s a bit of a reality check.  It starts to make you question your life, andhow much time you have left.  You beginto compare their lives to yours, and that leads to question, which makes youwant to ask questions – but I can’t ask my dad any questions anymore.  Despite him being alive, the only thing Ihave are memories.  

Sometimes I just lay in bed and my dad crosses my mind – andit just hits me.  I try to keep it burieddeep down, as far as I can get it, and sometimes I do a good job.  Unfortunately, when it reaches the surfaceagain it just hits you twice as hard. There is nothing like a “oh my god, it’s really over” kind of realitycheck.  The only thing that I can becertain of is that I will not lose my dad once, but I will lose him twice.  Just typing this makes me get up from mycomputer and pace.  It’s just not easy todeal with.  

I didn’t plan it to be like this, and it shouldn’t be.  My dad turned 68 on August 22^nd.  I know people that age and older who arestill living their life to the fullest. That’s the same age as Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Robert De Niro, ChristopherWalken, Joe Pesci, and Chevy Chase.  Itmakes me angry that my dad is robbed of this part of his life.  It makes me try to search for answers, and I’mnot coming up with any.  Even the wayAlzheimer’s took it’s course isn’t “normal”. Something just seems like it’s missing…somewhere.  

Perhaps the most painful thought, which I probably shouldn’thave is how he would have reacted if he had known he would have never lived tosee a grandchild (or know it’s a grandchild), to see me move into my firsthouse, etc.  Every day something happens that I want to tell both of my parents about.  I think of questions I'd like to ask my dad all the time.  There are no more bikerides, funny TV shows or DVD’s, or baseball cards.  He's done all the yelling at me, laughing, and being happy he's ever going to experience.  It’s all over, but it’s not over.

Many of you might already know I've been searching for a house to buy lately.  Okay, well maybe that's not exactly the best way to describe it.  I'm content with living in an apartment as I have been for 6 years now (wow, time goes fast).  Searching for houses was something I always thought about doing, when I couldn't - just when my mind was wondering.  I knew I could potentially be in the situation where I might want to buy a house...but I wasn't going to push it.  I searched once, months ago with no results.  Finally, my second search pulled up a house I liked.  It was on Truman Road, big, yellow... it just caught my attention.  After weeks of delay, I finally went and looked at it... and this was the first house many of your heard about.

I put in an offer, and they accepted.. My offer was $48,500.  I had a contract on the house...then came the inspection, and there were some red flags that made me very nervous.  They was A/C/heating issues, possible foundation issues?, electric issues... just a lot to deal with.  After the company selling it appeared very shady during the inspection as well, I decided to pull out of the offer.. and almost immediately, another house, also located on Truman Road also became available and caught my attention. 

I went and looked at it... debated... then it went online, but was a bid type of house.. and the first bids were reserved for teachers, firefighters, cops, etc... and none of them bid.  Next, bidding went to the "normal people", like myself.. and after a couple days, they suddenly took the house offline only to repost it for quite a bit less a couple weeks later.  Why did they?  The house was robbed when it was up for sale.  All the electric wiring was stolen.  The air conditioner and dish washer were stolen as well.  The new asking price was $31,000.  There was also an issue with water, which would need underground digging to fix... again, I began to get more frustrated because I was getting feelings of deja-vu. 

I started to wonder if perhaps I was "too hard" on the first house... it was worth more... bigger... but the location of the 2nd house was much better and the 2nd house appeared nicer.  What was frustrating was it was more about trying to decipher the repairs needed instead of picking the "best house"... because I honestly think it was a tie.  Most people learn toward the 2nd house... but my opinion was that it was a tie.

Tonight, knowing quite a few repairs would need to be made.. I did make a conservative offer of $26,000.  Some people have told me I'll find out this weekend, and others say it will be around noon on Monday.  I'm just leaving it up to fate right now.. With the price I offered, it would seem I got a good deal.  Once everything was in order, it would be a nice house.. as was the case with the other house.  For the first time I'll share the pictures..  will this be my first house, or will this just be another brief chapter of the year 2011?  Only time will tell...