Lots of Stuff Going On

Well..I've come to the conclusion that I'm not very good at the blogging thing. I am finding it hard to blog on a weekly basis because of my busy life right now. Here is a quick update on what has gone on and what is going on since the last time I posted:

First off...I haven't talked about this yet, but Anne and I are getting married on May 16, 2009. These last couple of months have been crazy with the planning process. The wedding and reception spots have already been determined. The cake decorator, photographer, florist, and reception DJ have already been picked. Anne recently found a dress that I am sure she will look beautful in. We decided to buy blank invitation and reception cards (since we got them for a great price) and have them printed at Kinkos. We still have a lot to do, but we can do it! I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to start my life with Anne and little Cameron. May 16th will be here faster than we know it.

With Anne and I getting married, we have decided that I will move in with Anne. So that means I will be selling my house in this terrible housing market. I met with a realtor yesterday and found that most people are buying foreclosed homes in the area which hurts the selling price of my house. Either way, I am going to list it above what I owe and hope that it sells. My plans are to fix a couple of things in the house this month and list it on December 1st. I'll definitely have my fingers crossed.

This past weekend, Anne and I attended a young family retreat in Bradford Woods. This was a retreat sponsored by her church. I really didn't know what to expect before going there since I didn't know anyone. I was excited though. It turned out to be a great time and I know I learned a lot from the guest speaker and parents that attended. I think Anne would agree that it brought us closer as a couple. It actually made me more excited about the wedding because I know Anne, Cameron, and I are going to be a happy family. I left the retreat feeling refreshed, positive, and less stressed - things I have not felt in a long time.

Lastly, I just wanted to talk about the health and fitness kick I've been on for the last two weeks. Not only am I trying to slim down for the wedding, but I decided that my diet and exercise have hit an all time low. For the past year or so I have been eating fast food like crazy and not exercising that much. Yes..I know that is not a good thing. So two weeks ago I decided to make a change to be healthy. I've been doing a lot of cardio (riding the bike 5-10 miles) and weight training at the gym. I've also been eating pretty healthy too. Lets just say I've been eating way too much chicken, salad, and Subway lately. But hey...it's healthy! I've also cut back on the McDonalds breakfast and drinking coke. I pretty much drink water and milk all day. It's only been two weeks but I feel less stressed out, more energetic, and more motivated. Plus I am saving money by not going out to fast food restaurants. I hope to lose the flab by May 16th. Anne and I are competing to see who has the flattest tummy by that time.

So that is what I have been up to lately. Pretty exciting stuff huh? I'll try to keep you all updated on the wedding and exercise stuff.

-Robert

Busy and Burned Out

So it has been awhile since I posted anything. Life has been quite busy and stressful lately. Most of my time is being consumed by homework. Thank God yesterday was the last day of my Network Security class. It was a very long 8 weeks. I wish I was done with school and had my Bachelors degree in hand. You know... I could have been a doctor by now since I've been out of high school for 8 years. All in due time though. I must be patient. Even though I'm stressed and burned out on doing schoolwork right now, it will pay off in the end. I actually start my Strategies in Marketing class today. Woo Hoo!! (this was a sarcastic Woo Hoo). Things are not slowing down at all. The rest of the year is full of weddings, birthday parties, and holiday parties. I am definitely ready for Thanksgiving because I love to eat. I do like the holiday season because that means breaks from school and work. Can you believe we are nearing the end of the year?

I have a busy three day weekend coming up. On Saturday, we are meeting Anne's family at the good ole' Fall Folliage Festival in Martinsville. Sunday, we have church and I have homework. Monday, I'm playing golf with 3 of my friends and jamming on the guitar afterwards. Well...that is what I've been up to lately. I hope to keep blogging on a regular basis.

-Robert

Life After Divorce

Divorce. Oooh..that is a scary word I have been hearing more in the last year or so. It just seems like no one cares anymore. For every couple I know that is getting married, I know 3 that are getting a divorce. Yesterday, I ran into an old co-worker at Wally World (Walmart) and found out he is getting a divorce after many years of marriage. To make matters worse he has two kids. I never like hearing the news of divorce because I've been through the nightmare myself. Not to go into too much detail, but I was with my ex-wife for 3 years before getting married and we were married for almost 3 years before she dropped the D-Bomb on me (while on a business trip in Chicago). It really caught me off guard, I did not want to accept it, and I questioned God many times as to why this was happening to me. Eventually reality set in and I had to accept it because there was no changing my ex-wife's mind. I did go through a very short period of depression, but counseling, going to church, getting closer to God, and surrounding myself with good people really helped. Without these things, I don't know where I would be right now. I learned that life does go on (like everyone was telling me) and God is always there. I have no regrets about anything and I’m happy with my life right now. I’m in love with a very beautiful, intelligent woman who loves me. As an added bonus, she has a son that brings a smile to my face even when I’m having a bad day. I am one lucky guy.

So I say to those (especially the ones I know personally) going through a divorce, “Keep your head up, pray about it, and surround yourself with good people! There is life after divorce!”

Night at the Library

Last night, I decided to use the new downtown library to do some homework. I figured since my tax dollars went towards the building of the new addition, I should take advantage of using it. I also figured that it would be a nice, quiet place to concentrate on my studies. Well..I was wrong. It was more like studying at the zoo or mall! Kids running around everywhere, screaming and crying, people talking on cell phones, cell phones ringing, and the automatic blinds going up and down multiple times. I was looking for the little old librarian lady that "Shsssshes" (is that a word?) everyone. She was nowhere in sight. I do not expect it to be like that every time. Maybe I should try a different floor. It won't stop me from going to the library because it is a great resource. I will probably be using it more.

Oh..and I forgot to mention my attempt in getting a library card prior to studying. In order to get a library card, you have to be a resident of Marion county or attend a school in Marion county. Unfortunately Indiana Wesleyan University is not in Marion county, but I do live in Marion county and pay Marion county taxes. At least that is what I thought. They looked up my address on the United States Postal Service website and it showed me living in Morgan county. To show proof that I lived in Marion county, they wanted to see a tax document with my address. Why would I carry my tax documents with me? So I had to break out my laptop and pull up my scanned voter registration card and divorce papers (showing me living in Marion cty) that I had saved on my jumpdrive. They finally gave in and issued me a library card! So now I can check out books and movies. Woo Hoo!! What a night at the library.

TGIF

So it's Friday and I am excited for the weekend. Cameron will be going with his dad this weekend and Anne and I will be going out. Saturday night we will either go to the Indianapolis Indians game, go to the Rathskeller to eat and listen to a local Blues band, or head to Crackers in Broad Ripple. I am hoping to go to church Sunday morning then play golf with a friend from college. Besides that...I have homework to do. It should be a fun and busy weekend.

Off subject...but Will Smith's "Summertime" song just starting playing on the radio and it reminded back in the day of hanging out with friends playing basketball and football. Geesh..I miss those days!

Have a good weekend and I hope you like the new blog logo.

-Robert

Plastic, Paper, and Cans...Oh My!

For over a year now I've been on a kick of recycling everything (thanks to my neighbors) and I think I'm becoming OCD to the whole concept. I've never been the treehugger type, but it actually feels good to know I'm helping out the environment - I'm doing my part. It is getting to the point now where I'm having my girlfriend save all of her recyclables, I save all of my fast food paper bags, and pick up trash off the street. For paper products and cans, I give them to a woman at work because her church receives money for recycling those items. So go to this website http://www.recycling-revolution.com and find out what you can do. I will being going through my pile of trash this 3-day weekend. My garage is getting cluttered.

Keep God's land clean...recycle.

Gee's RoadTrip 2008 Review

Introduction: Below is a day-by-day review of the Roadtrip my dad and I went on May 10 - May 25, 2008. We drove from Bicknell, Indiana to Anaheim, California. This was my first "real" vacation in almost 17 years. Growing up, my parents didn't have a whole lot of money so a family vacation was rare. Most of the time we would head to the beach at Cataract Lake in Indiana. The only real trip I remember taking with the family was to Memphis to see Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion. I just remember my two younger brothers, mom/dad, and I loading up in the smallest truck in the world (1980s Datsun pickup) at the last minute to go to Memphis. It was a tight squeeze as I had to sit between my mom's legs and do the shifting. That's basically how I learned to drive a manual transmission car. I do remember that the trip was fun and the mansion was amazing. Later on, when I was 10-11 years old, my brothers and I had the chance to go on a Florida vacation with my aunt and uncle. They actually drove to Florida so we got to see other states. I will always remember that Florida trip because we did and saw so many things - Daytona Beach, Panama City Beach, and Orlando. As I got older, I never really had the time or money to go anywhere. Since that Florida trip, I've only been to St. Louis twice for a weekend vacation. Late last year, my aunt Carolyn invited my dad and I to come to Anaheim and stay with them. I figured after getting a divorce and being long overdue for a vacation, that I needed this. My dad also needed this because he had never seen the ocean and he just needed to get away from everything. It was perfect timing. So I started planning and I knew from the start this was going to be a roadtrip. We both wanted to see the country and experience it on the road. While planning, I went ahead and put in my 2 week vacation at work and started looking at all the attractions on the way to and from California. Since we wanted to see as much of the country as possible, we planned on driving the southern route (via I-40) to California and the median route (via I-70) back to Indiana. I would highly recommend this route for anyone taking a roadtrip because you will see so many things. We certainly did! Enough about all that. Here is the review and a few pictures of my trip.....

Day 1 - Saturday, May 10th

We left Bicknell, IN at 5am with XXXXX miles on the ticker. Our destination the first day...Amarillo, Texas. Some people would think that is too much driving for a first day, but that was our goal (plus I had already booked our lovely Motel 6 room online). Before getting on the main I-40 route, we traveled on US-41S to I-64W into St. Louis (of course we saw the Arch) and then onto I-44W. While on I-44 we passed through most of Missouri and Oklahoma and finally connected to I-40 in Oklahoma City. On our way to Amarillo, we stopped by Groom where the largest Cross in America is located. http://crossministries.net/ Not only was I awstrucken by the huge cross, I was drawn to each of the sculptures that told the story of Jesus' journey to the Cross. I took so many pictures and shot video of the whole story. I just remember thinking the whole time what Christ did for us. I said a silent prayer to myself and thanked Jesus for his sacrifice and everything he has done in my life. This was undoubtedly the highlight of my whole trip!

We eventually made it to Amarillo after driving about 970 miles and 14 hours. We checked into the Motel 6 and unpacked. One of the things we planned on seeing while in Amarillo was the Cadillac Ranch off of I-40 http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2220. It was still daylight when we arrived so we headed to the cows field where the Cadillacs were buried upright. Visitors are encouraged to add their own graffiti so you know I had to pack some spray paint. With the wind blowing like crazy, I was able to spray "The Gee's 5/10/08" on one of the Caddies. After the ranch, we were on a hunt for some good Texan food. We ended up eating at a very good restaurant called Country Barn BBQ & Steak. The building really looked like a barn and had a giant statue of a cowboy (i think it was the old Muffler Man) out front. Inside the restaurant were western decorations and private theme rooms like a jail ceil and saloon. There were people just sitting around playing bluesgrass music too. I ended up eating their all natural beef steak which was probably one of the best steaks I've ever had. The rest of the food was good too. We couldn't leave the restaurant without first getting a picture of us in the jail cell. Our waitress gladly took the picture and we headed back to Motel 6 to finally get some sleep. That was a long day, but we had fun!

Day 2 - Sunday, May 11th

On Day 2, we left Amarillo at 6am and headed to Williams, Arizona http://www.williamschamber.com/. The goal for that day was to arrive in Williams and check out the southern rim of the Grand Canyon http://www.nps.gov/grca/. Driving through New Mexico, my car was hit by a sand wind funnel crossing the road. I was actually get tired of seeing cows and desert by this time and wanted to see some rock formations. Entering Arizona, I got my wish and I was thinking about the line from the Wizard of Oz movie - "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore". I was thinking "I don't think we're in Indiana anymore". Being an Indiana boy and not going to many places in my life, the landscaping was unreal. Anyone who has traveled I-40 will also tell you about the historical Route 66 road that runs parallel with it. It was cool to see how parts of it still exists - many dead ends, some parts are gravel, some parts paved. I could not imagine traveling that road back in the day. Anyways..we finally made it to Williams and once again checked into our lovely Motel 6 room. After unpacking, we headed to the Grand Canyon. We stopped at the main entrance and bought a 7-day pass for $25 even though we were only going to visit for 2 hours. We ended up only seeing 2 points - Mather Point and Yavapai Station. I was alittle disappointed that we didn't see more, but we were also anxious to get to California. Most likely it's an all day event to see the whole southern rim. I will be going back one day to see the rest of the canyon. After the canyon, we went to our room to sleep. It was another long day of sightseeing and driving.

Day 3 - Monday, May 12th

We left Williams and headed to Anaheim. Driving 20 miles outside of Williams, my dad was pulled over by Arizona State Police. He pulled us over because we found out that Arizona had a law that prohibited GPS units being mounted on the windshield. My dad got a warning and that's all he talked about the rest of the way to CA. Guess I should have checked the laws for each state before traveling. So more driving and more rocks and mountains we saw. I was ready to see Californina. We finally entered CA, went through the checkpoint to see if we were bringing in fruits or veggies into the state, and needed gas (we made sure we were below a half a tank of gas). We finally came upon a station that didn't have a big sign with the prices. As we pulled into the station we saw that price for unleaded was 5.29!!!! Needless to say, we did not get gas there. We actually had good luck with gas prices on the way there filling up for an average of 3.40 a gallon. We got gas at the next station for 3.85 and headed to Anaheim. Along the way, we kept on seeing signs for Calico ghost town so we decided to stop by and check it out. Unfortunately there was a crazy fee so we got back on track to Anaheim. This must have been a hotspot because we saw a lot of charter buses going in and out of the town. I can't remember what city it was (somewhere after Barstow), but there was a major elevation drop and traffic started getting crazy. After traveling on all the CA interstates we finally arrived at my aunt's house. I met her husband for the first time and we went inside to settle down a bit. Later on they took us on a small tour of Anaheim and showed us downtown Disney and introduced us to a fast food restaurant called Weinerschnitzel http://www.wienerschnitzel.com/. I wish Indiana had some in the area. We got 2 conies, a corn dog, and a coke for 2.99! My dad and I also saw two things we've never seen in Indiana. In CA, U-turns are legal at most stoplights and motorcycles can drive between cars in traffic and while stopped at a light. So that was the end of Day 3. We were tired, but ready to see the beaches.

Day 4 - Tuesday, May 13th

This day was somewhat of a rest day. My uncle Alan took my dad and I to Angels stadium to take pictures. We relaxed in the hot tub later in the evening.

Day 5 - Wednesday - May 14th

Day 5 was another lazy day. We did visit the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove. The cathedral was built for the Reformed Church founded by Robert Schuller. I took pictures of the inside and outside. Robert Schuller was actually there that day, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him - I remember seeing him on TV when I was younger.

Later in the evening we all went to the Angels vs Whitesox baseball game. This was my first time at an MLB game and I loved the atmosphere. It was free hat night so we got a souvenir. Woo hoo!

Day 6 - Thursday, May 15th

On this day, we finally went to the beach. We decided to visit Huntington Beach since my aunt only lives 10 minutes from there. We walked the Pier and then I attempted to boogie board. I could tell by my dad's face that he was amazed by the ocean (remember this was the first time he saw the ocean). We had a good time swimming and just relaxing. On the way back, we stopped and ate at a Green Burrito restaurant. For being fast food, the taco salad was good.

Day 7 - Friday, May 16th

Day 7 was another beach day, but this time we relaxed at Laguna Beach. The Pacific Coast Highway 1 was a blast to drive on. I just remember it being a really hot day and the water wasn't that clean. Every time I tried to go out in the water, a mass of seaweed would wrap around my body. I also strayed away from my dad for an hour to take pictures of the coast and explore. At the end of the day, my dad realized his feet were severely sunburned from sitting out. By night, he could barely walk. To soften the mood, we ate El Pollo Loco.

Day 8 - Saturday, May 17th

On this day, we traveled to Dana Point Harbor to the Doheny Blues Festival http://www.omegaevents.com/dohenyblues/. The festival had 3 stages right off of the Doheny Beach. It was another scorching hot day and really no shade. I'm a Blues music fan so I was ready to watch all of the bands. Performers we saw were Robert Cray, Jonny Lang, Lazy Lester, Kid Ramos, BB and Blues Shacks, JJ Grey and MOFRO, Bobby Rush, and Pinetop Perkins with Hubert Sumlin, and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. The band that really rocked the event was Eric Burdon and The Animals (remember "House of the Rising Sun"). It's weird, but my dad actually looks like Eric Burdon. After spending all day at the festival I was ready for bed.

Day 9 - Sunday, May 18th

After a week of running, we were definitely tired. This was an all rest day. I think my dad slept in until 2pm.

Day 10 - Monday, May 19th

Another day of rest, but we went back to Huntington so I could capture some shots at sunset.

Day 11 - Tuesday, May 20th

This was another beach day and we decided to visit Newport Beach. It was a gloomy day and the beach was actually dirty. We walked on the Newport and Balbonia Pier and took pictures. We also visited the Jetty in the harbor. There we saw surfers, skim boarders, and boogie boarders catching some huge waves.

Day 12 - Wednesday, May 21st

This was our last day in California. We packed up and headed to Vegas via I-15. My aunt and uncle tagged along and we checked into the Plaza Las Vegas hotel which is located in the old Vegas strip. After checking in, we grabbed a bite at the Lucky 7 buffet in the hotel. After eating, we walked down Fremont St. to check out the gift shops and casinos. Later on that night, we did alittle gambling and played Vegas Bingo with my dad. He is the Bingo King!! It was funny watching him play his game while making sure we were all playing it right. It was a very stressful game because they called out the numbers way too fast, but I guess everything in Vegas is fast. At night, we walked Fremont St. again to catch all the music performers and the show on the big screen. Downtown Vegas at night is unreal.

Day 13 - Thursday, May 22nd

On this day, we watched the Viva Las Vegas show in the Plaza. The show consisted of singing, dancing, and comedy. I laughed so much I had a headache. In the afternoon, my dad and I drove down the Vegas strip to do some sightseeing. We parked and got on the Monorail. Unfortunately we only saw part of the south strip and that was it. Since my dad has heart problem, his walking is very limited. At least we saw that section during the day and night. The strip at night is even more amazing than downtown. We did get to eat inside New York New York, but we did not gamble anywhere on the strip. The people that hand out the sex advertising cards were everywhere and very annoying. Guess that's one reason they call it Sin City. We got back to our hotel after getting lost and gambled alittle more. Overall, I only gambled $40 and I got all that back. I've never been a gambler, but it was fun. This was our last night in Vegas and it was time to head back home the next morning. I will visit Vegas again some day.

Day 14 - Friday, May 23rd

Day 14 was a very tiring day and it was time to go home. We left Vegas and headed to Denver via I-70. I was actually anxious to drive through the Rockies and see all the formations. Utah had some pretty good sights to see. The weather was blaah, but got worse once we got down in the mountains. In a five minute span, it was started thundering and lightning, rained and snowed! I actually became nervous driving and I don't usually do that. Once that was all clear, night came and we continued to drive through the mountains. We made it to Denver about 10:30 pm, ate Taco Bell, and fell asleep.

We left Denver and there was basically nothing special to see on the way to St. Louis. My dad did get pulled over again in Colorado..this time for speeding. He had to pee and we were trying to find a restroom. He ended up getting another warning though. Kansas, I have to say, is the most boring state to drive through! We were both ready to get back home and it seemed like the trip was taking longer. Around 10:30pm, we arrived at the Motel 6 in St. Louis - Bridgeton. The main lobby door was locked and there was a door for night check-in. Looking around, we were definitely in a bad neighborhood. The check-in desk was protected by bullet proof glass and people were waiting in line to get toliet paper for two rooms, to switch rooms, and report damage in other rooms. We drove around to our room and there sits a security guard. I had never seen security at any of the hotels/motels I've stayed at so I knew it was bad. We talked to the security guy before going to the room and asked if it was a bad area. He says "It's not that bad. We just have a lot of people out of town that come in and make Meth." Yeah..that made me feel better. He went on to say "make sure you lock your doors/windows and close your curtains". Let's just say I slept next to one of my golf clubs that night.

Day 16 - Sunday, May 25th

We survived the night in St. Louis and was only 4 hours away from home. We packed up and headed to Bicknell to drop my dad off. I dropped him off and I went to a family outing afterwards. I visited my girlfriend Anne and her son Cameron after the outing. I missed them so much. It was good to be back in Indiana!

In Conclusion....

That is my roadtrip in a nutshell. After driving almost 5000 miles and gone for 16 days, we saw and did more things than I could ever imagine. It was unreal to see how the landscape changed from state to state. Overall, the gas prices and weather were good to us. It was good to get away from everything for awhile - from Indiana, from work, and from TV/technology. It was nice to share this experience with my dad and I know he will never forget it. After taking hours and hours of video footage and over 1000 pictures, I can say I will never forget it. I am truly blessed! I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventure.

Robert